I have been running a kids game and enjoy the new rules. The last straight D&D rules I used were the first three hard backs back in the early eighties. I have never used any of the plethora of stuff since then. I am really enjoying the game overall, but I am amazed at the stupidity of some things.
  • The game is clearly aimed to use miniatures and yet they won't sell you the miniatures. The 'collectible' miniatures are scam, plain and simple. I just don't like buying figures that way and even if I did there are tons of figures you need they don't even make. Madness. How hard would it have been for them to make up a box of generic adventure types, with racial variations? How about a box of kobolds or goblins? Luckily I have access to a ton of other miniatures, but I have to admit this one just simply baffles me.
  • Powers cards really are needed. Having your powers on a card would be sooo helpful, especially for younger players and new players. They have set up a system where it would be easy to make these and they are.... next spring sometime and $10 per class! I will just make my own but the laziness and greed here are stunning. It would have been simple to have these ready for release, this isn't rocket science it is cut and paste. $10 per class! I hope these cards shine my shoes and wash my car for that kind of money.
  • Their character sheet product contains four character sheets for $10. Holy crud that is some expensive character sheets. Sadly I didn't know this when I bought and discovered much to my chagrin once I owned it that these sheets don't wash my car or polish my shoes, which they really should do for that kind of money. Best of all I bought it Amazon so that $10 is a discounted price!
  • Skill challenges are hard for the kids to wrap their heads around. I don't tell the kids they are in one, I just have them roll and prod them along towards a solution.


The fighting is good fun and moves around more than any other RPG I have played to date. The fights feel more like the fights from The Three Musketeers with the kids skidding around and using any trick they can think of, I am very happy with that.

I was playing D&D back when 'The Thief' was a wild new character class and am having no trouble with a cookie cutter feel to my game. I suspect over the next five years or so Wizards will introduce tons of new character classes and tons of new rules so fans of Hobbit Ninja/Warlock/Sworddancer/demi-balrogs will have what they need soon enough but for now the game fits me and my groups well enough even with the complaints above. Certainly the most D&D fun I have had in a long time.