D&D 4e Dungeon Master's Book
D&D 4e Dungeon Master's Book
An Essential Guide for a New DM
The Dungeon Master’s Book came with the 4th Edition Starter Set. This was part of the relaunch of 4e under the ‘Essentials’ name. It is very well done and a reminder of what a shame it is that 4e came and went so fast.
Check out the video and then keep reading for something I miss about 4th edition.
Nentir Vale
One of the greatest things that we got with 4th edition D&D was a campaign setting that did not immediately feel overwhelming.
Forgotten Realms has been a part of D&D since the inception. It is a vast setting with nearly as much history as the real world we live in. Those that have played D&D for even a few years will be familiar with a lot of it.
This can be a problem for a DM.
One of my first campaigns I ran was Storm King’s Thunder. I still remember the excitement on everyone’s face when they realized that the adventure would take them to Waterdeep. Their jubilation was matched only by my terror.
As a DM, it is impossible to know everything about every location in a campaign setting. Each person has their own experiences and different expectations about what should happen. There is simply too much to try and do it justice.
Now imagine that you are not only a new DM, but also new to D&D in general. You know nothing of the campaign setting. You’ve never heard of Waterdeep. Leading a party through such a world is an effort in futility.
This is where Nentir Vale shines.
This setting does not have 50 years of lore that you need to get caught up on. It does not cover thousands of miles. It does not sit on top of a vast series of dungeons. No. It is a world that someone can read about in less than 10 minutes and have complete confidence that you know as much about it as the players at your table.
Fallcrest? Big city. Center of everything. Got it.
Harkenwold? A collection of small farming villages. No problem.
The Stonemarch? Untamed lands where dangers await. On it.
The map is gorgeous. The locations are detailed (but not overly so). It is just big enough to ensure travel will require resting along the way. There is only enough lore to give your campaign some flavor.
Forgotten Realms and Eberron and Dark Sun and all the others are great, but Nentir Vale is the place to go when you are taking your first steps.
D&D 4e is filled with a lot of great stuff that was forgotten when the world moved on to 5e. Nentir Vale is definitely a lost treasure.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments.