Dndclassics has a D&D Rules Compendium (4e) up thos week.  Since I really know very little about the rules of that system, I am contemplating it.  Anyone know if it's a good way to learn the mechanics of that system?

Its basically a resource book of the system rules minus charge and explanations. How much its worth reading depends on how interested you are in 4e. If you're simply curious, you could probably find a used PG for pretty cheap and its a much better introduction.

Quote from: TristramEvans;705419Its basically a resource book of the system rules minus charge and explanations. How much its worth reading depends on how interested you are in 4e. If you're simply curious, you could probably find a used PG for pretty cheap and its a much better introduction.

Yeah agreed. The Rules Comp is useful as a reference at the game table. As an intro to the game, you'll have much better returns with the PG, or Heroes of the Fallen Lands if you want to stick to Essentials and get to the Compendium afterwards.

Quote from: Benoist;705449Yeah agreed. The Rules Comp is useful as a reference at the game table. As an intro to the game, you'll have much better returns with the PG, or Heroes of the Fallen Lands if you want to stick to Essentials and get to the Compendium afterwards.

I'd personally recommend the PG in preference but that's because I dislike Essentials as too limited.

Though may I take it that the Rules Compendium is compatible with both the PG and Essentials?

As I understand it, there's more than one PHB for 4e.  So... which one would be better?

Quote from: mcbobbo;705591As I understand it, there's more than one PHB for 4e.  So... which one would be better?

The actual rules for play are contained in PHB1 or the first essentials book (Heroes of the Fallen Lands? Something like that). Titles aside, PHB 2 and 3 are really splatbooks with new classes/races; they don't have the core rules in them

The Rules Compendium is meant as a tabletop aid- in theory you could learn the rules form it but it'd pretty awkward (if I remember correctly a lot of it is laid out alphabetically or in similar "Reference" style). You couldn't play with just it anyway- I don't think it has rules for classes or races.

EDIT: Oh, and to actually answer your question (oops) they're supposed to be compatible with each other (what differences do exist are the sort of minor crap that only forum people care about). Heroes of the Fallen Lands is the "newer" version that's more up-to-date but frankly the layout of the essentials books is... not great. PHB1 is laid out in a much more appealing fashion but a decent number of the rules have been erratad. So... six up, half a dozen down (I'd get whichever is cheaper)

The very first PHB is easily the strongest book of 4e...if you want to learn the game and only can get 1 book, that's a great choice.

My vote goes to the first Player's Handbook. That's the best intro.

I am a D&D 4e fan and my suggestion is to either buy the Gamma World boxed set or 13th Age - both are much better iterations of the 4e concepts.

The first PHB for 4e is a good book, and superior to the various Essentials options. Make sure you read the DMG too.

Quote from: Spinachcat;705662I am a D&D 4e fan and my suggestion is to either buy the Gamma World boxed set or 13th Age - both are much better iterations of the 4e concepts.

Agreed. I think both are far superior.

The one exception is if you really like over engineered crunch, 4e has that.

But 4e gamma world and 13th age feel to me like cleaned up rules lite 4e dnd. Much better for me anyway.

For just concepts of play I say 4E PHB 1. Of course the only way to get the "current" 4E rules is via DDI. Their printed books become full of erratta sometimes even before they hit the shelves.

Its to be expected when you release a pen and paper rpg with the attitude of publish now patch later.

Quote from: Exploderwizard;705737For just concepts of play I say 4E PHB 1. Of course the only way to get the "current" 4E rules is via DDI. Their printed books become full of erratta sometimes even before they hit the shelves.

Its to be expected when you release a pen and paper rpg with the attitude of publish now patch later.

I played 4e for 3 years with the un-errated PHB1 and other books.

Though the errata is a long list, what actually needed to be errataed is much less then most d20 RPGs IME. The two shouldn't be confused.

I feel like I misunderstood something.  So PHB1 has all the rules for the core classes, adjudication,  skills, whatnot and the others are splat?

I was under the impression that one book was martial and one casting, or some other whatnot.

Quote from: mcbobbo;705770I feel like I misunderstood something.  So PHB1 has all the rules for the core classes, adjudication,  skills, whatnot and the others are splat?

I was under the impression that one book was martial and one casting, or some other whatnot.

I purchased the 1st PHB when it was released.  It was what you'd expect in a D&D PHB.  The couple issued after that were added classes & races from what I remember.  They weren't stand alone I believe.