Right? The flourishes and details suggest lots of different stories.

Basically, the Starter Set is a teaching tool with a versatile DM kit attached. I can see someone running D&D for a long time just using this stuff and their imagination.

Combined with the D&D Beyond markup to automate my homebrew monsters' rolls, it's all super easy.

(That's also why Maps is my go-to playtest tool for D&D likes. It keeps the mechanics honest, and the die roll log shows me how long stuff takes to resolve and how effective things are.)

All that came from the map, combined with my embryonic idea to have Red Wizards messing around in the Dales.

The sticker feature on Maps is great, too! It makes customizing a map by adding furniture, doors, etc., all really easy.

That dynamic led to a really fun adventure, with the PCs turning mentor and apprentice against each other. The mentor ended up devouring his former apprentice's soul, and the PCs are now sorta-kinda-maybe allied with a Red Wizard against an Orcus cult that has infested the Dalelands.

The maps are compact and efficient, with enough fun texture that each one suggests a lot of different ideas. For instance, I used the nothic lair as a hideout for a Red Wizard of Thay. I stocked it with some guards, and used one room as a prison for the wizard's former mentor.

That's great news! The new Starter Set is literally the best D&D product ever. Can't wait to see where you take things.

It's so funny I wrote this last night - MCDM new Backerkit campaign is a great example. Announce a bunch of stuff at the same time people can buy it. It works, translates excitement into sales. I don't even play Draw Steel but I wanted to throw money at it.

They might be cutting down the lead time to new releases. it used to be about a three month window, with preorders opening same day as announcement. Worked well at the time.

Great question! I think that simplicity really helps. If there's less information, then it is easier to remember everything. I'd also try to keep relevant information together. I had the number of attacks listed in one spot, and then the attack stats in another. That made it easy to overlook.

That's right! I use Maps, really like how it can pull in stuff from 5e. I even use it to run OSE and Shadowdark.

I also managed to completely overlook the berserkers' multiattack last session. So mid-fight they started attacking three times each. Things got a lot deadlier!

Thanks!

Had some good meetings about it here at Gamehole Con. Plan is coming together…

Had a great time running for you! Glad I didn’t murder your character with my crazy hot dice.