asdfMTV Geek > Hobby Gaming

Two years into the life of fourth edition D&D, Wizards of the Coast released the Dungeons and Dragons Essentials line. While many players decried this change as the inevitable evolution into “Edition 4.5” that would render shelf after shelf of book ‘obsolete,’ the fact of the matter is that the Essentials line epitomizes the new functionality that is central to 4th edition’s design philosophy: more fun stuff to supplement a relatively simple and accessible rules system, and less radical rule changes that force players to purchase every product in order to run a successful game. Simply put, the Essentials line is a great thing for the hobby, and the new Monster Vault is a comprehensive guide to the creatures of D&D that sets the standard among products regardless of the audience they are targeted at.

Providing new takes the old standards of Dungeons and Dragons, the Essentials line of products seeks to be an accessible means to bring new players into the game while supplementing the gaming of older, more seasoned veterans. Retailing at $30, the Monster Vault boxed set is one of the four core products of this line, and the three-hundred-plus page book included provides Dungeon Masters new and old with the means to create challenging and interesting encounters with classic monsters, as well as some new takes on old favorites. To sweeten the deal, the boxed set comes with a 4th level adventure, a battle-map to go along with it, and ten sheets of die-cut and double-sided monster tokens to represent those found in the book. Read More...