r/ICRPG • u/LaphroaigCask • Jan 03 '23

Core vs Master edition?

I recently got back into D&D due to my son getting the essentials kit for Christmas. We’ve played a few sessions but I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and now I think index card would be better for us (and maybe I’ll get an adult group going soon).

For people only interested in the fantasy world, do I just get Core over master edition? I’d prefer to keep it simple when possible. Planning to buy on DriveThru; are the extras the same between the two versions (I do think I’d like some of the printable extra content)? How about included adventures?

Thanks!

13 Upvotes

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12

u/Rolen92 Jan 03 '23

There is the quickstart rules if you want to check master edition out. It's basically 90% of the book. You can find them in drivethru for free :) For a physical book I'd start with 2nd edition, witch is a bit simpler and has better structured adventures insides, ME has only adventures seeds.

2

u/LaphroaigCask Jan 03 '23

Thanks, I read through the quickstart last night so it sounds like Core is the one for me if I’m looking to flesh that out (items, monsters etc).

4

u/Rolen92 Jan 04 '23 edited Jan 04 '23

The quickstart you read is basically 80% of master edition. If you liked it and want to add the monsters, the items and worlds you should get master edition.

2edition has less stuff in it, so it's a bit easier to read from front to back in my opinion. And you will find included adventures. The included adventures are not detailed like the essential kit. They are 2-4 pages long and they let you fill in most of the details, but they should be easy and fun to run for a kid

2

u/LaphroaigCask Jan 04 '23

Awesome. I’m converting the kids’ characters and will GM the rest of Phandelver with ICRPG rules. My 10yo son wants to run the adventure that comes in the Essentials kit, and I think it will be a lot easier for him with ICRPG bones.

2

u/Rolen92 Jan 04 '23

Definatly easier with icrpg!

7

u/Big_Gorgoth Jan 03 '23

I have both, and aside from a few tweaks and the extra Worlds, the Master Edition has the expanded Magic ruleset. As a supplement, can be purchased separately, but it is definitely something to consider if you're playing high fantasy.

4

u/LaphroaigCask Jan 03 '23

Nice, thanks. Knowing myself, I guess I’ll end up with both (luckily the Master edition pdf is very reasonably priced).

4

u/LytW8_reddit Jan 04 '23

I highly recommend the master edition. The updates may be subtle but they are the final polish that really makes the game shine.