Book Description
Version 3.5 editions of the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and
Dungeon Master's Guide are now offered in one slip-covered gift set.
In the 30-year history of the
Dungeons & Dragons game, this type of boxed set has never been available -- until now. Enjoy the foundation of the
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game in one product that is a great gift for someone you want to introduce to the hobby or as a gift to yourself.
With these three books in one case, the entire world of
Dungeons & Dragons is yours to explore and share with others.
Customer Reviews:
Good Stuff.......2007-09-29
The core rule book set is a nice addition for any D&D gamer. They are nice books and the box holder is a nice addition. It keeps the books together so you can grab them quickly. I would suggest this pack for those of you who want to start gaming or need new books. The price was reasonable and we would recommend them to others happily.
The books are colorful and the paper highquality. These books last through years and years of reference and play. They are must have for all gamers.
Dungeons & Dragons.......2007-09-28
The book came on time and in good condidtion.
My son was thrilled with the books and could not wait for them to come. The minute they showed up he disappeared into his room and didn't come out for hours.
Fantastic game for a fantastic price.......2007-08-24
D&D is a fantastic game, and for this price, it would have been a sin to miss. This three book was design to be definitely enough if you do not want to be invest more into the game -- magnificent tips to the dungeon masters to desing your own monsters, magic items, adventures and worlds, tons of spells, weapons and everything you can imagine. I can hardly put them aside.
D&D Core Rulebook Review.......2007-08-24
These books were purchased for my son who is 17 and just got into D&D. He actually asked for only the first book. When realizing there were other core books and the great price on the 3 book set, I had to get it for him. He was thrilled receiving extra books and had indicated that this is a great started set for persons new to D&D as well as experienced players.
This product is being outdated.......2007-08-20
The company that produces this game, Wizards of the Coast, has announced that it will be releasing the 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons in May 2008. This means that 3.5 products will be become out-of-print and will be very hard to come by shortly. If you want to play a game that no longer receives product support, that is fine; but otherwise, I would recommend against investing in this product.
Instead, I would recommend one of two choices: you can either wait until 4th edition D&D comes out, or you can try out a different RPG instead. Wizards of the Coast's RPG games tend to be very complex and highly action-oriented, which makes them lack in simplicity and roleplaying values. If you want a detailed game of hack n slash, I'm sure that D&D 4e will be the game for you; however, if you place more emphasis on storylines and RP immersion, you may find it difficult to maintain them while keeping track of the millions of little rules scattered amongst the numerous rulebooks. You will also find little support for such a playstyle, since Wizards of the Coast's books focus more on stats and options, but less on plot elements.
The reason I gave this product 1 star is because I am more interested in storytelling and portraying a role in a fantasy setting, two things that are more difficult in Wizards of the Coast's D&D game. I also rated it lower because it is soon to be made "obsolete" by a new version of the game. I prefer a game that does not "update" every few years, invalidating all the purchases you made for the previous version since they are no longer compatible.
Now, onto the products that I do recommend. Castles & Crusades is a simpler game that is much easier on my style of gaming. The simpler rules make things a lot easier and more fun for Game Masters; prep work for the game is not nearly as burdensome as it is for D&D. C&C also has greater support for adventures and settings, instead of releasing endless supplements of even more rules. The game has been described as having a feel more like the earlier editions of Dungeons and Dragons, before Wizards of the Coast acquired the D&D license. Moreover, the C&C system is flexible enough to allow easy conversion of material from any of the editions of D&D: players of Castles & Crusades often make use of D&D 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition material in their games.
Besides D&D and C&C, there are many other roleplaying games that you can choose from. Before jumping in, I recommend scouting around and seeing what game is right for you. Otherwise, you may end up wasting your money on a game you can't enjoy.
Amazon.com
This Revised Edition (also called 3.5) of one-third of the Dungeons & Dragons trinity of core rulebooks (the other two being The Dungeon Master's Guide and The Monster Manual) contains errata, rules updates, and outright changes to the already-published Third Edition rules. The majority of changes are made in a quest for the holy grail of game rules: balance. To prevent boredom and enable creative choices, no single ability, spell, character class, or weapon should have an overwhelming advantage over another. So what has changed?
- The spells Harm, Heal, and Haste have been toned down. Other spells have been adjusted or renamed.
- Weapons are classified by the Size of the intended wielder, not the size of the individual weapons. A noteworthy effect of this new weapon size system is that Small characters can wield small-size greatswords, longswords, longspears (with reach), and other two-handed weapons.
- Classes have been tweaked. Bards and rangers received the most changes.
- New feats have been added (some original, some from the builder books), and some feats have been altered (a Power Attack now gives double benefit for two-handed weapons).
- Redundant skills have been rolled into one (such as sense motive and read lips) while others have been renamed (such as "wilderness lore" becoming "survival"). Skill synergies have been expanded and knowledge skills now include appropriate monster lore.
In addition to outright rules changes and tweaks, much of the core rule content has been clarified and updated with 3E errata. The combat section, in particular, is organized much better. Even the dreaded grapple rules are now relatively clear. A much-appreciated import from the D&D Miniatures game are new and simple rules for cover and line of sight, as well as clear photographic illustrations of the concepts of facing, attacks of opportunity, and reach.
All in all, 3.5 is a welcome update. The typographical errors are forgivable, given the extent of the update. The new options available to players (in the form of new class features and feats) make the play experience more fun. Veterans will enjoy re-learning the game they love and exploring all the new character possibilities. Perhaps more importantly, they'll find that introducing new gamers to the admittedly formidable D&D ruleset is easier with 3.5 than it was with 3E--call it a +2 circumstance bonus. --Mike Fehlauer
Book Description
Endless adventure and untold excitement await! Prepare to venture forth with your bold compaions into a world of heroic fantasy. Within these pages, you'll discover all the tools and options you need to create characters worthy of song and legend for the
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
The revised Player's Handbook is the definitive rulebook for the
Dungeons & Dragons game. It contains complete rules for the newest edition and is an essential purchase for anyone who wants to play the game.
The revised Player's Handbook received revisions to character classes to make them more balanced, including updates to the bard, druid, monk, paladin, and ranger. Spell lists for characters have been revised and some spell levels adjusted. Skills have been consolidated somewhat and clarified. A larger number of feats have been added to give even more options for character customization in this area. In addition, the new and revised content instructs players on how to take full advantage of the tie-in
D&D miniatures line planned to release in the fall of 2003 from Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
Great Updated Game.......2007-08-07
Having played Dungeons & Dragons in all its incarnations back to Advanced D&D, I must say this is the best so far. I love all the updates.
Anyone who played AD&D for any length of time can tell you the biggest problem of the game was the SLOW level advancement. the group I'm in played the same characters for almost 9 years and struggled to get to 14th level. And the monsters were not hard enough once you got high level. But this issue has been addressed and solved in D&D 3.5.
Another pesky issue was that of Armor Class. I hated THACO, and the 1st ed. AD&D system was very limited plus you needed all those charts. In 3.5 there is no limit in sight. And it's easy as pie to deal with during combat. Just roll the dice and go.
My only drawback is that for a DM, it is harder to create complete NPC's, since character creation is so involved. But on the Player's side, I love that character creation is so involved. It helps me get a good feel of who my character is before we even play. Great to create role-playing opportunities.
All in all this is a really fun game that has been inproved in a wonderful way.
Player's Handbook.......2007-05-10
The structure and overall content more or less remained the same. This is still the main book necessary for making characters and running a game. The changes were, on the whole, in the details.
Pros
* They made some good tweaks on the barbarian, making him more playable. For instance, they now have a trap sense ability and the ability to go into an advanced form of rage at 20th level.
* They played with the bard, somewhat, too. Among other things, they now have more skill points, to give them a broader use in the game.
* The druid now has the ability to convert a spell slot to a summoning spell, much like the cleric's ability to convert a spell slot to a healing spell.
* The monk has a few minor tweaks as well, notably in the attacks per round department.
* The paladin now has their powers spread out a bit, to discourage multiclassing into paladin for one level, solely for the saving throw bonuses.
* The ranger has considerably more versatility. They almost made the ranger playable, but messed it up in the end.
* There are minor tweaks in the skill section. They cut the innuendo and scry skills for instance. No one used them anyway.
* Many feats were brought to the Player's Handbook from other books. This opens them up into open game content for the d20 companies out there.
* Weapons are now based on the character's size. For instance, a longsword comes in the medium variety, the small variety and the large variety. While a halfling's longsword may seem like a short sword to a human, the hilt is the wrong size for a human to wield properly.
* There are many tweaks to individual spells that for the most part, don't detract, and usually enhance things quite a bit. Some spells were too powerful in 3.0, some not powerful enough. You can tell that a lot of thought went into adjusting game balance in this section.
Cons
* The paladin is no more playable than the 3.0 version. The fighter is still much more powerful. WotC seems to be of the opinion that because the paladin gets played a lot, it isn't broken. They don't seem to realize that people would still play paladins if they had fur and barked like dogs. The paladin is too well ingrained in the D&D psyche for people to ignore it just because the class is broken.
* The ranger almost made it. On my first read, I thought the ranger was fixed, but then I saw that they shorted the ranger in the hit dice department, so the ranger is only a bit less broken than in 3.0.
* While I liked, overall, the combat section, I was annoyed that they didn't fix a few problems I had. For instance, I think mages should get a penalty for casting a spell in the same round that they are hit with a full attack (it seems surprising that a mage can get hit five times in six seconds and still cast a spell without anything more than the casting defensively penalty). They also didn't change the one rule in D&D which annoys me the most, the fact that attacking a collar on someone's neck or a pouch on their side provokes an attack or opportunity. I'll just never get that attacking any object on another person's person (I like the sound of that sentence), makes them so confident of their safety they get a free attack on you.
If you play D&D, you need this book........2007-05-08
Simple as that, if you play Dungeons and Dragons v3.5, you physically need this book. Doesn't matter if you're a PC or a DM, BUY IT.
Great revision.......2007-04-22
Any review of this book is, by necessity, a review of the 3rd edition book it replaces. Regular gamers had some common complaints about the way 3rd edition came out, and this revision addresses some of them. Before I get into the details, I'd like to make a general observation for any first time gamers. D&D is THE role playing game right now. If you're looking to get into an RPG, D&D is your best choice. The D20 engine (game mechanic) is intuitive, and with an experienced DM, any group of four or five friends can be up and running in no time. Now, on to the crunchy stuff (If you're a novice, you might want to stop reading now):
1. Ranger class revision. The ranger class was often maligned as either underpowered or only worthwhile for one level. The new ranger class isn't as front loaded, and turns the ranger from a poorly armored guy with two knives and a dog to the agile wilderness warrior I envisioned. I wish they had found a way to keep the d10 hit die, but I guess it was necessary to drop the ranger to a d8 to give the extra abilities (Evasion, woodland stride, etc). I'd hesitate to say that this is worth the price of admission, but as revisions go, it's heavy-handed enough that I'd consider it a new class.
2. Nerfed magic. There were certain spells or combinations of spells that could prove overpowered in battle. Haste was the most frequent offender, and now loses its effect if the target casts a spell. I don't play casters often, so others can speak to this better than I can, but wizards and sorcerers are brought slightly more in line with other classes in 3.5. That said, at higher levels, there's still far more sorcery than sword in this sword and sorcery game.
3. Fighter improvement. OK, there isn't much to speak of. I think a couple of new fighter feats from supplements were added to the core, but those who thought the fighter was underpowered before will likely still think so now. This shortcoming is probably enough reason on its own to keep this from being a 5 star rating. The new fighter feats are largely just another logical step from their prerequisites (greater weapon specialization, greater weapon focus, a few newer forms of toughness that grant more hp, etc). There's nothing in there that wouldn't immediately be house ruled in by any DM approached with the idea by a player playing a fighter. More importantly, anyone playing a fighter would likely already have thought of these. I'll move on now, but suffice it to say that this is the major shortcoming of this book. However, I still think fighters are great first characters, and yes, I still play them even though I've been playing since college.
4. Improved skill lists. I like adding Intimidate as a barbarian class skill, giving the bard and ranger six skill points/level, etc. Basicallly, the game has been made a little more skill-friendly for folks who don't play rogues. If the lack of creative upgrades for the fighter constitute the obvious shortcoming of the revision, then this is the total opposite, a much-needed revision that is subtle, but helps game play a lot in my opinion.
4. Altered races. Dwarves get a few upgrades to make them even more fighter-friendly. I like this, and feel it adds even greater flavor to the dwarves. I just wish that something would be done with/for half elves.
Final Verdict:
I consider 3.5 a step up from 3.0. I like it, and prefer playing 3.5 if given the option. Most people stepped up pretty much immediately, though, so I'm not sure that option really exists. If you want to play a role playing game, chances are you basically have to buy/borrow this book from someone because D&D is the universal RPG. It could be better, but I'd say this is an excellent system, and an excellent use of that system to create a set of classes/races that really gel.
The nuts and bolts for the nutz.......2007-01-16
anyone one of my friends and colleagues who ask me how to play DnD this is the first thing i hand them. i have a loaner copy that is in my house no more then 1 day out of the month. in short this is the best place to start.
Book Description
Over 200 creeps, critters, and creatures to keep players on their toes. From Aboleths to Zombies, the Third Edition Monster Manual holds a diverse cast of enemies and allies essential for any Dungeons & Dragons campaign. There are hundreds of monsters ready for action, including many new creatures never seen before. Plus, all monster entries include character stats so for the first time players can play as the monsters. Dungeon Masters and players alike will find the new Monster Manual an indispensable aid in populating their Third Edition campaigns.
Customer Reviews:
How to make a better Monster Manual.......2003-07-18
A: Include all monsters from the previous edition's manual
B: Introduce a few new and interesting monsters (10-40 would suffice)
C: Make the layout flip-friendly for rushing GMs
D: Make sure the monsters go beyond combat statistics (as in their habitats are listed, form of society, mating and etc. Like a National Geographic Mag.)
I think if at least one of these is followed, it's worth the same as the original. If all are followed, it's a goldmine. I have the great annoyance to tell you that none of these were followed.
There are 1/3 the number monsters in the new manual as the old one (I hear that if you add this manual, 2, and the Monsters of Faerun books together you get almost as many as the old 2nd edition MM.) I believe that the creators argued "The original MM only had 40 monsters in it!" My answer to this is simple: the first edition didn't have 25+ years of books and two editions in front of it to help.
The new monsters (which ended up drowning out old favorites) are way too underpowered or overpowered, lack depth, and generally seem a little too sci-fi (remember, this is a fantasy game)
The layout definately sucks, it took me an hour to find anything. One monster a page is definately a better road to travel.
Last but not least, the monsters BARELY go beyond the numbers. I suggest you either buy all three of the above mentioned "Monster Manuals" (have fun shuffling books!) or just play 2nd edition AD&D.
Tons of Monsters...Yet Lacking.......2003-06-07
The Third Edition (3E) Monster Manual is a great purchase for any DM. It has a good amount of monsters, pretty descriptive stats, yet...it seems one caliber less than the 2E Monster Manual.
On one hand, the 3E Monster Manual delivers over 200 monsters to terrorize your campaign setting. They have some awesome new monsters. My personal favorite, is a devil, and is known as a Kyton. He is demonic humanoid with hundreds of chains drooping from his body, and his mode of attack is flailing those chains. Pretty hardcore.
On the other hand, the 3E Monster Manual doesn't seem to give enough. Some of the monsters just plain [are bad], and they aren't unique in any way. Also, the amount of creatures do not come near the amount that were in the 2E monster manual, which is frustrating.
On the FINAL hand, It is a must for any DM playing 3E. It isn't a bad book at all...it just seems lacking. The monster stats are good...the amount of monsters are good...but don't expect much more. (If they had 3.5 stars I would give this book 3.5)
Content: Meh... Book Quality: HORRIBLE.......2003-02-04
Being someone new to the Dungeons and Dragons scene, I had great hope and joy when I opened my amazon.com package containing the Player's Handbook (PHB) and the Monster Manual (MM).
First note: all the D&D books are quite hard to understand without playing first. That would be why you buy the "Adventure Game" using the same ruleset. The MM is the shortest of the D&D books, which makes sense, as it mostly talks only about monsters. The content is hard to understand first hand, however it is quite detailed.
Now, we go onto the quality of the book. Both the DM Guide and the PHB have a hard cover binding and high-quality full-colored pages. The MM has this too, but in my recent experiences, the binding at the spine (the binding that is holding the pages together) is quite loose. So loose that in fact, one player of mine has all the pages completely out of the binding. True, out of 12 NEW MM's that I have seen, all of them had an extremely loose binding, especially with the pages in the back. You can see the rope that is holding the pages together there. Just note: a lot of the pages in this book will fall out with heavy use. something not too normal with hardcover books.
My suggestion, since you are looking at this, is to wait until July 2003, where a new, revised MM will be avaliable. That MM will have 108 more pages, and hopefully a better binding with that many pages. All the D&D core rulebooks are being revised and released in July 2003 (at the end of the month). If you want the D&D books right now, then I suggest the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual II. The MM II will not be revised, and was released recently, so it will be easier to understand. If there is one rulebook that you should not buy, it would be this one. Wait for July 2003 and reap the rewards.
Least of the Three.......2003-01-08
The Monster Manual is labelled a core rulebook, and it truly is. Without the description and rules within, a DM would be hard-pressed to create the creatures necessary to challenge her players at various levels. The book is beautiful and well-laid-out, as you would expect from the other core books. The rules section in the front is short and concise, as most of the rules have been explained in the previous two books.
Therein, actually, is my biggest complaint about the book. I feel that, unlike the DMG, far too little explanation is given in the MM about how to create new monsters and balance them against each other. Even sketchy guidelines like the magic item creation rules in the DMG would have been a wonderful addition to the book. As it is, you can only create a monster, then compare it to all the other monsters of a comparable skill level, and guess whether yours is about right. It's a good metric, but it's cumbersome.
The third core book, I feel, has too much in the way of tables and not enough in terms of flavor text and rules explanation. While still a great resource for what it is, I think it is lacking the flare that made the first two core books a pleasure to own.
great.......2002-10-01
i dont accutully want to rite a revew, just to rate it
Book Description
Fearsome and formidable foes lurk within. Encounter a horde of monsters armed and ready to battle your boldest heroes or fight alongside them. The fully illustrated pages of this book are overrun with all the creatures, statistics, spells, and strategies you need to challenge the heroic characters of any
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
Over 200 creeps, critters, and creatures keep players on their toes. From aboleths to zombies, the revised Monster Manual holds a diverse cast of enemies and allies essential for any
Dungeons & Dragons campaign. There are hundreds of monsters ready for action, including many new creatures never seen before. The revised Monster Manual now contains an adjusted layout that makes monster statistics easier to understand and use. It has 31 new illustrations and a new index, and contains expanded information on monster classes and playing monsters as heroes, along with information on how to take full advantage of the tie-in
D&D miniatures line planned for the fall of 2003 from Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!.......2007-06-15
Everything was here faster than all other orders and in great shape!!!
Fun Nerdom.......2007-05-25
If you like D&D this book will be plain old nerdy fun. For the best monsters to fight and funtastic battles this is a good one.
I bought this book for my boyfriend's 25th birthday. He wants to try his hand at DM-ing a game this summer and of course you'll need a monster manual. Ah, the memories.
Fine Book.......2007-05-10
This book is a work of art, and that's just looking at the text. The monsters are much easier to use, with details like their flatfooted AC and their grappling bonus included in their stats. The only thing bad I can say about this book is they removed the two pieces of Elmore art. Maybe they thought it made the other art look bad by comparison.
VERY GOOD.......2007-01-27
this book offers many creative monsters and also a lot of new monster rules too.
nice rework of the classic.......2007-01-12
This is a nice rework for the 3.5 rules. The classic monster manual is an essential for D20 gaming, not much they could do to ruin it. My only complaint is that the binding could have been done better, why make a reference manual that can't stand up to the page flipping a reference book will be subjected to? If you go to your local used book store you'll find monster manuals from 15 years ago that have a better binding than the current ones being produced, that's just cheap and lame of WOTC.
Book Description
Weave exciting tales of heroism filled with magic and monsters. Within these pages, you’ll discover the tools and options you need to create detailed worlds and dynamic adventures for your players to experience in the
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.
The revised
Dungeon Master's Guide is an essential rulebook for Dungeon Masters of the
D&D game. The
Dungeon Master's Guide has been reorganized to be more user friendly. It features information on running a D&D game, adjudicating play, writing adventures, nonplayer characters (including nonplayer character classes), running a campaign, characters, magic items (including intelligent and cursed items, and artifacts), and a dictionary of special abilities and conditions. Changes have been made to the item creation rules and pricing, and prestige classes new to the
Dungeon Master's Guide are included (over 10 prestige classes). The revision includes expanded advice on how to run a campaign and instructs players on how to take full advantage of the tie-in
D&D miniatures line.
Customer Reviews:
Help the Dungeon Master! Please!.......2007-08-07
This is a great supplement for the DM. It gives you loads of great information in a clear manner. I really like the way this book is organised, it is quite intuitive. The re-vamp of Magic Items is a great improvement, as well as the introduction of Prestige Classes. My group LOVES prestige classes, maybe a little too much!
Overall if you want to introduce you group to the wonderful world of D&D 3.5 pick up this book plus the Player's Handbook 3.5 and you will find them both clear and easy to read.
EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!.......2007-06-15
Everything was here faster than all other orders and in great shape!!!
DM.......2007-05-25
My boyfriend's birthday was coming up and instead of just getting him a steak dinner and some electronic device, I decided to get him something that was a little more exciting. DM's Guide. He wants to start a game this summer and this is a must so I bought him a couple books and we are on our way. Nothing says I love you and I want to be with you a long time than a Dungeons & Dragons book.
(plus it arrived the next day -it was great)
I Have Nothing Bad to Say About this Book.......2007-05-10
Pros
* Increased detail in the Adventure's section. Encounter charts, for example.
* The inclusion of a section on the planes. While this has little use for those who own Manual of the Planes, it considerably opens up the options to d20 companies.
* Epic Level rules, while simple, open up characters above 20th level to other game designers.
* Many additional prestige classes. While most of these are published elsewhere, their inclusion here (and therefore in the SRD) means that game designers can now include arch mages and duelists (to name two examples) in their d20 products.
* Many great changes in the magic items department. They gave Adamantium a purpose, finally, made certain magical properties effect only the price of an item, not its overall plus. They fixed the price of skill bonus items, as well.
* Inclusion of templates at the back of the book allow for more ease of play, were miniatures are involved.
Cons
I have nothing bad to say about this book.
Good magazine material, poor hardback material.......2007-04-15
Dissapointing is an understatement. There is not a bit of information in this book that would not have been better placed in Dragon magazine. It's useful to some extent, but most players view hardback books as "cannon" and softback as "suggestion" - and everything in this book is in the catagory of suggestion. No DM should be held to anything in the DMG-2. You can agree to adopt some of it's good ideas if you want to, but this is not golden enough to justify the price tag. If you want it, get it used, and don't spend more than $10.
Book Description
Immerse yourself in the excitement of the greatest space fantasy of all time!
This new edition of the
Star Wars Roleplaying Game encapsulates all six feature films while presenting a thorough revision of the rule, making the game easier to learn while improving the overall game experience.This new edition includes new character abilities and options, a world gazetteer, statistics for key characters from all six
Star Wars films and the Expanded Universe, and guidelines on how to use
Star Wars miniatures and battle maps in play.
Customer Reviews:
A Gameplayer Review.......2007-09-24
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT (yet) own this book, but am submitting this review as a gamer who has just finished a long tabletop session in a hobby store.
I think I qualify as an Old School D&D gamer. I played Advanced D&D back in the early '80s. Within the past year, I've actively gotten my 11 year-old son involved in RPGA's Living Greyhawk. I initially played with him. I found the D&D d20 3.5 System clunkily complex, not clearly documented, and lacking sufficient in-line examples. Combat sessions that might have taken 20-30 minutes in AD&D, seem to take hours now. Arrgh. Similarly, d20 Modern (and d20 Future), suffer from the same over-complexity -- at least in my opinion.
When a group of adults my age invited me to a Star Wars gaming session using the latest rules release, I was hesitant. One of the group's founders brought an amazing Tatooine-like desert town diorama that had many jaw-dropping passerby clicking away with camera phones. But WOTC's great array of pre-painted Star Wars miniatures was a great game aid as well. Most importantly, the newly revised d20 system was a breath of fresh air: Character sheets were readily absorbable. The game mechanics and combat system felt nicely streamlined compared to D&D 3.5. And combat sessions, though still a little long, were not as grinding as what I experienced in D&D 3.5. Many current gamers feel that this Star Wars RPG version is a direct predecessor of D&D 4.0, already announced for release next June. Sounds like a step in the right direction. I'll be buying this book shortly!
Game On,
AWAbooks
Disappointing at best.......2007-09-21
I waited patiently for this book with high hopes. It was indeed a sad day when this book arrived into my hands. For every positive revision in the game, it brings forth two negative aspects.
The book is very short, and it shows with the content of the book itself. This book contains only the bare bones of the rules. It offers very little in the way of star ship stats or equipment. It has a Galactic Gazette that provides next to nothing in the way of real information about the planets. It provides a higher page count in the droid section than on any story based subject. The art work is simply a copy/paste job from the other editions. Its sad. The poor look and feel of the book, mixed with a rules revision that simply seems stale makes this book something to avoid.
It does seriously depower the jedi. While this doesn't bother me since I always felt that they were very unbalanced when compared to the other classes, many people may have a problem with that. The force system does make it more usable by all the classes, but just takes away the feel of what it is to use the force with its limited use.
One of my biggest problems with the game is its need to make everything miniature compatible. The entire time I'm reading this book I feel like I'm reading a thick miniatures rule book. Everything is in miniature scale and designed to work with a battle map. They even throw in several segments pushing the miniatures for use with the game and saying how great they are. A product plug if ever Ive seen one.If you a big into the miniatures game, great. If not, than don't bother with this book.
I could rant about this book for hours, going through every chapter page by page, but honestly the book is not worth reading through again. There is a reason that the price of the book has almost cut in half since the release. keep that in mind. I plan on saleing mine and hope I can get something out of it. Please read ALL the reviews before buying.Good luck.
An Excellent First Role Playing Game.......2007-08-31
There are plenty of reviews written by experienced role players for other experienced role players. If you want the perspective of a complete newcomer, read on.
Although I immensely enjoyed both versions of Knights of the Old Republic, I had never played a pen and paper role playing game until my brother-in-law introduced me to Dungeons & Dragons a few months ago. While I continue to enjoy D&D very much, after buying this book and gamemastering a couple games, I wish Star Wars Saga Edition had been my first introduction to role playing games.
First of all, character generation is very simple and flexible. One of my players had zero role playing experience of any kind. However, he said he wanted to play a character like Greedo, and we were able to easily come up with exactly what he wanted. We have a standard jedi in the party, but we also have a force-using noble and a very skilled pilot. In this game, you think about what kind of character you want then find the rules to support that kind of character, rather than seeing what kind of character the rules will allow you to build.
There are rules to cover anything you can think of to do or be from the movies, and there are explicit examples for many of them. For example, there is a stat block for the trash compactor from the Leia prison rescue scene, and there are feats to cover the scene where Darth Vader absorbs Han's blaster shots, then makes the gun fly into his hand.
For a gamemaster the simplified skill set adds to the element of surprise. My players were surveilling a building when I had them roll a perception check. They assumed it was to notice something about the building, but it was really to notice the rancor sneaking up behind them. They failed the check, but if they had succeeded, they would have noticed a bad smell and turned around. Having all the senses, including smell, rolled into the perception check is really fun.
Vehicles are another element that makes the game fun. Everything from a speeder bike to a star destroyer is represented. Vehicles enhance the dynamics of the game, and increase characters' capabilities. For example, that rancor attack was way above my party's level, but they had a fighting chance on speeder bikes.
My main complaint about the book is that some of the information is scattered, and the index is terrible. I ended up making my own index for my personal use.
I highly recommend this game to anyone who is just getting started with pen and paper role playing games. It's relatively easy to learn, and the possibilities are endless.
Star Wars Roleplaying Game.......2007-08-26
Wizards did a nice job updating this RPG to the d20 system. As a veteran player and gamemaster I appreciate clear, concise, and consistent formats. I was easily able to begin running a Star Wars campaign after playing AD&D for 20+ years.
Interesting ruleset.......2007-08-25
The quality of the book is top notch, though I'm not sure I'm excited about all the changes to the rules. Most are nice, but the reduction of complexity in the skill system is a bit of a disappointment. But still recommended for any fans of Star Wars RP.
Book Description
Play Every Adventure You Can Imagine
Experience the thrills of every blockbuster action movie, every heart-pounding first-person shooter, and every explosive, high-octane escapade you can dream up. Inside this book, you'll discover everything you need to build the ultimate modern-world campaign filled with cinematic adventure, and to create the dynamic heroes needed to face the harrowing dangers that await within.
For players and Gamemasters, this product is compatible with the
Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game and other
d20 System roleplaying games.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent RPG for creating and running modern day adventures.......2007-09-15
Before I get to the review, here's a short description of my previous Pencil and Paper RPG experiences: I started out in 2001 with Dungeons and Dragons third edition, as well as RIFTS. I eventually continued onto Dungeons and Dragons edition 3.5 and Shadowrun.
Now, onto d20 Modern itself:
I had first learned of the book in late 2003, but I only glanced at it briefly and brushed it off as "inferior" to D&D.
How wrong I was.
After seeing the d20 Modern website in early 2005, and actually taking the time to examine what the system could handle and replicate, I re-read the Core Rulebook and was thoroughly pleased.
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For starters, Modern differs from it's predecessor enough that even veterans of D&D will have some new rules to learn.
Character classes (a representation of experience in a variety of life paths) are not narrowly defined terms such as "Fighter" or "Rogue", but rather, they are based off of the six main attributes all characters have - Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
The Strong Hero class represents physical training to exert more damage in melee combat, as well as training in athletic pursuits (climbing, jumping, swimming)
The Fast Hero class represents physical training to become more agile and capable of avoiding incoming danger, as well as training in ranged combat and stealthy pursuits (hiding, moving silently, sleight of hand)
The Tough Hero class represents physical training to withstand more punishment from the environment and recovering from injury quickly, as well as training to resist poisons, disease and keeping one's body focused (concentrating)
The Smart Hero class represents mental training to pick up on a wide variety of academic and technical skills to be prepared for any situation that calls for book smarts, as well as training to outsmart one's enemy in combat (crafting, knowledge)
The Dedicated Hero class represents mental training to be in tune with one's surroundings, aware of danger, able to ferret out deception, as well as training to be well versed in a wide variety of pursuits (listening, sensing motive, treating injuries)
The Charismatic Hero class represents mental training to become likeable or frightening to others, and one that movies through social circles with ease, as well as training to command others in conflict (diplomacy, intimidation, gathering information, inspiration)
In addition to the six basic classes above, there are twelve "Advanced Classes" that focus more on one aspect of a character, such as the Soldier class for general combat excellence, or the Field Medic, for the ability to work miracles and heal the mortally wounded.
Each class has ten levels of progression, and each character can achieve up to twenty levels through their journey. Therefore, you will inevitably come to a point where you must take one or more levels in a variety of classes.
For example, a boxer would typically be a Strong Hero / Tough Hero. Or, for one that is speedy and dodges well, they may be a Fast Hero / Strong Hero instead.
Want a scout? A Fast Hero / Dedicated Hero is ideal.
Or are you more of a highly intelligent smooth talker? Smart Hero / Charismatic Hero.
Did your character serve in the Marines, but is now a Detective? Tough Hero / Dedicated Hero / Investigator.
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Asides from the classes, there are Occupations such as Academic, Law Enforcement and Technician - sets of permanent skills and a wealth increase, Feats - special abilities any character can eventually learn, and Skills - training anyone can pick up on. Most any character concept you can imagine, you can create.
Equipment - Outfit your character with everything from Desert Eagles, to PSG-1 sniper rifles, to mesh vests, to electrical tool kits and even a BMW M3 to carry all that gear around.
Admittedly there are some problem areas: non-lethal damage (knocking out opponents) is horribly ineffective and not worth it as-is. But with a house-rule (change to the rules as is) or two, you won't have any problems.
Finally, the book itself is well made. The binding is solid, the cover is durable and the pages are of a high quality stock.
All in all, d20 Modern is an extensive and engaging game sure to bring many hours worth of cinematic fun to you and your friends.
Overall great modern game........2007-04-23
I won't repeat anything others have said, instead I will just add my views that aren't similar. Overall I love d20 Modern. with my only real problem being that many (or even most) of the monsters are slightly or in some cases vastly different than their D&D counterparts. For example, in D&D a "natural" werewolf gets a +2 Wis in human form, then in their wolf and hybrid forms they get the stat bonuses of the wolf form, plus two claw attacks and a secondary bite attack, and pass on the curse of lycanthropy with their bite attack. They have low-light vision and scent in all forms. Finally, they have 10/silver damage reduction with magical weapons NOT bypassing unless they are silver. The 'afflicted" werewolf gets all of the above, except his damage reduction is only 5/silver and he does NOT pass on the curse via his bite. In the d20 Modern version, the werewolf gets +2 Wis and +4 Con in human form, then the rest of the stats are added in the wolf and hybrid form. They do NOT get the claw attacks, they only get a bite as a primary attack. The "Curse of Lycanthropy" is a feature of both natural and afflicted. Furthermore, instead of low-light vision they have darkvision 60 feet, and their scent ability is only in hybrid and wolf forms, damage reduction is 15/silver or magical. So, they end up more powerful in some ways, but less powerful in other ways, with the justification being that magic is rarer in d20 modern, therefore monsters must be less powerful, but honestly, I prefer the 3.5 D&D werewolf to the one in the d20 modern book. Another example is that in standard D&D a drow can cast darkness once per day, this ability is removed from d20 Modern drow.
Kewl new ruleset.......2007-01-13
Very well written and easy to understand, but the Ideas within are of the complexity needed to run a fully encompassing campaign. There are even pre-rolled baddies and other monsters to facilitate the GM in quick creation of quests and different areas in an already going quest.
Fun, but not thorough.......2007-01-11
I've always been a fan of the Dungeons & Dragons type games, so when I saw the d20 Modern, I couldn't help myself. Overall, I'd say it's a good perchace, though it does leave some to be desired, and can be confusing if you don't have enough base knowlege in traditional D&D rules.
It does a good job of keeping the weaponry balanced, and allowing tactics that are used modern-day (dropping prone, darting from cover to cover, et cetera) to be used with realistic efficiency, which I find satisfing.
However, the fact that the Player's Handbook, DM's Guide, and Monster Manual are all compressed into one book means that naturaly some depth had to be sacrificed. Its combat section, while it covers most key points, has only breif mention of many rules. This came up once in a session, and I ended up having to make an ad hoc ruling because I couldn't find the rule. This was a combination of a confusing index which isn't as thorough as those in the traditional D&D books and the sometimes as short as two-line mentions of a rule that can be crucial in a firefight. The only other issue is that the GM's (Game Master, as opposed to Dungeon Master in the tradittional D&D game) guide doesn't specify what to do with characters over 20th level. This is an example of where you'd need a fair traditional D&D base to know what to do, and even then you still have to make a fair number of ad hoc rulings to keep the game balanced and going.
However, these are perhaps the only shortcoming I can name. Its advanced class system (A quicker version of "presteige classes") is very fun, and its action point system (In wich you are allocated a set number of "action points" per level, and can one to increase the results of a d20 roll) adds something interesting to the mix. The modern skills temper all of the above by letting the players do things in as roundabout or direct of a way as they wish, which is something we all find entertaining.
In short, I would say that while it leaves some to be desired, the d20 Modern Role Playing Game book is a good buy for a D&D fan who always wanted to roam around fighting crime or evil, stealing just for the heck of it, enganging in high-stakes industrial espianouge, or otherwise have a heck of a time doing things you could never get away with in real life.
d20 modern -- not just the same old d20.......2006-09-22
The d20 system is based on the 1st and 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons rules in part. As 3rd edition was created, the core system was dubbed d20, and relased under the Open Gaming License. Fair enough.
Then Wizards of the Coast decided to make a generic game to compete with the likes of GURPS and Hero System. To say that I was skeptical is, at best, an understatement. I think I may have used some rude language, and for that I appologize to the folks at Wizards. d20 modern proves me wrong in all the right ways.
The system starts off with some generic classes that don't really have much life to them. After level 3, however, characters start to branch out into "advanced classes," which are essentially de-fantasied D&D classes like fighter and monk with some new entries like scientist and personality. So far so good... it's a mildy workable class-based system. Now, thow in the typical d20 feats and skills to make it a lot more personalized and a bit more GURPS-like. This makes it a very workable generic system.
But d20 modern does more. It adds in a Wealth System that abstracts the purchase of gear. At first, I was turned off by this because it "required" rolling for gear, which doesn't make any sense to me. However, in reading further, I was reminded that you never have to roll for a skill or other non-combat check in d20 as long as you're not rushed or working under adverse conditions. You can always "take 10" or (for the cost of more time) "take 20". This makes the Wealth System a joy. It's a nice simple way to handle wealth in a complex economy without worrying about how much interest your credit cards charge or what the mortgage rate on your house is.
There's also a set of "talents" which are like D&D class special abilities, but they're in modular sets that you can choose from during your early "generic" levels. These are very nice, and let you further customize classes to taste.
The Urban Arcana and other paranormal add-ons are great, and there are whole books dedicated to them. I'm a big fan of the way they brought the fantasy elements into the system without dwelling overly much on a particular setting in the core book.
If I had to list one copmplaint, it would be the number of things in the book that are off-putting to people who are just coming up to speed (but make sense in the long run). This certainly makes it harder to win converts among the typical gaming crowd.
One word of warning: be careful about books that claim to be d20, and are set in the modern day. Some aren't d20 modern, and they're not always nearly as good a d20-based system as this.
If you have a group of players itching for a modern-day or early 20th-century game, I recommend d20 modern with two thumbs up and only minor reservations about the salesemanship factor.
Book Description
A deluxe leatherbound edition of one of the three D&D core rulebooks.
This new, beautifully bound version of the Monster Manual joins the special editions of the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide to complete the premiere set of Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks. Like the others, the title gets premium treatment in the form of a leather binding, emboss and foil treatment, gilt-edged paper, and an attached ribbon bookmark.
Customer Reviews:
Black leather is better than the image supplied.......2007-07-27
I was happily surprized that the book did not match the image suppled by Amazon and other web sites! So glad it matched the other 2 leather bound books. I hope more are produced by wizards in the future.
The leather book is similar to the previous 2 supplied by Amazon and by far Amazon has the best price.
Special Edition Monster Manual is great.......2007-02-05
For fans of the latest incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons, the special editions of the core rulebooks have been great. While the content is fundamentally identical to the standard versions of the books, these deluxe "leatheresque" covers enhance the fantasy feel that goes with the game. The latest release, the Monster Manual, lives up to the quality standard set by the two previous releases. The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 instead of a 4 is that strictly speaking the much less expensive, standard version of the book is just as good as far as the game goes and the little "hope you like it/thanks for buying" note from WotC slipped inside isn't actually a bound-in page (same problem as two other books). If you're a casual player, especially if you don't run games as a DM, this version of the Monster Manual is a bit pricy. But if you're a die hard fan who collects all of the D&D products this book, and its predecessors, must be on your list. This is also a great book for anyone who appreciates quality book construction with an interesting layout and page after page of great fantasy art.
Excellent Collectors Item.......2007-01-17
If you are a fan of D&D like I am, this book is a wonderful addition to your collection of books. The pages are in vibrant colors and they have fixed some of the errors from the first printing of the Monster Manual. I've found the book is good to use in a game just like the normal ones. My only complaint is that when you first get it, alot of the pages are stuck together and have to be turned carefully to peel them apart or you can tear a page. Other than this, its a great product.
For die hard fans.......2007-01-09
I had the standard monster manual and ordered the special edition one, since I already had DMG and PHB special edition. Since Im a big D&D fan, I loved this special edition. But the book is exactly like the standard edition, except for cover, page marker and most recent errata.
So, if you're buying this looking for new content, forget it. If you want the most recent print with errata corrections or just want to celebrate the 30 year old edition, go for it.
THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL!.......2006-11-12
Well this is going to be a bit of a short review because, after all, it's the Monster Manual. We all know it, we all love it, and we've all used it for years. It's obviously one of the core books to D&D. Part of the Holy Trinity you might call it. Back in the early days of AD&D this trilogy was all you needed, and quite frankly, all we really had. Younger gamers are used to seeing Wizards of the Coast coming out with two or three new hardcover books each month. Such was not the case 25 plus years ago. It was a few years before we got a new hardcover and even then it was the crappy Fiend Folio. Heck, you've got it made today!
Anyway this is obviously the final book in WOC's Special Edition series of the core titles and it's another gorgeous book. Leather bound with gold gilt pages, it's the kind of tome that book lovers like myself go ga-ga over. The main worry is that it's just too nice to risk getting pizza, Dorito, and beer stains on. For me the book is a collectible pure and simple like the other two are. It's something to put on the book shelf and just admire. Yes there is some new material inside that formerly could be found only on the Wizards website and so if you are a completist then I suppose you'll want to use it. Or, you could make Wizards very happy by buying two copies, one to use and one to save. Whatever the case may be it makes a classic book even better. A truly gorgeous product!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Amazon.com
The Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Player's Handbook contains all the rules you need to create characters and begin adventuring with the world's most popular role-playing game. Newcomers to the game will appreciate this book's clear explanations, effective examples, pleasing layout, elegant rules, and brilliant art. It's never been easier to create and role-play a heroic human ranger, cunning elf wizard, or any other fantasy character from the game's 7 races and 11 classes.
Old-school players will likewise be pleased, as the outdated AD&D rules system has been given a thorough overhaul. Gone are almost all the old restrictions on race and alignment. Halfling sorcerers, half-orc paladins, dwarf barbarians, and gnome monks are now possible. THACO, negative armor class, funky saving throws, inflated ability scores, heat-based infravision, and just about every other needlessly complex rule has been reworked into a faster, more consistent, and more fun system. Players can choose unique special abilities for their characters as they gain levels, which means that even two fighters of the same race and class can have very different abilities. The end result of all these changes is a dynamic game with more customized characters.
Almost every page has some form of new artwork, and the art almost always serves to explain a concept or illustrate a point. The book is filled with example montages that help to show the difference between human, half-elf, and elf, or relative size differences between creatures, or what the various levels of cover and concealment look like. These illustrations make the rules much more clear. The style of the artwork is consistent throughout the book and is a definite departure from older editions of AD&D. Instead of the classic medieval artwork of Larry Elmore, the new book has the spiky, leathery, Mad Max-meets-Renaissance look of the Magic: The Gathering card game.
We would have preferred less radical artistic changes, but we love everything else that Wizards of the Coast has done with Dungeons & Dragons. The rules are fast and clear, and the characters--including the new sorcerer class and the return of the monk, barbarian, and half-orc--are fabulous. If you're new to the D&D game, then this rule book is the perfect introduction. And if you're an old-school gamer who played D&D back in the day, then welcome to the new era of D&D. You won't want to go back. --Mike Fehlauer
Book Description
Each of the Dungeons & Dragons core rulebooks has been revised and updated for clarity and content. Each revision integrates user feedback received since the original product release so as to address the specific wants and needs of the player and Dungeon Master audiences. The overall rules system remains intact, with changes targeted specifically at elements of game play that were considered under-powered or incomplete. These revised editions also contain bonus content, such as new feats, that are exclusive to these editions. In addition, the new and revised content instructs players on how to take full advantage of the tie-in D&D miniatures line planned to release in Fall 2003 from Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Overall changes to all the titles include making complex combat easier to understand and provide more information on interacting with and summoning monsters. Specific changes include the following: the Player's Handbook received revisions to character classes to make them more balanced, and there are revisions and additions to spell lists.
Customer Reviews:
3.0 is STILL better than 3.5.......2003-11-13
I wouldn't listen to anyone that claims the "new and improved" 3.5 is any bit "new and improved".
3.0 is truly the right blend of D&D tradition and sound game mechanics. 3.5 is a pile of garbage house-rules for actual D&D crafted by a new batch of "limited" designer minds.
This book is D&D 3rd edition, no other.
3.5 edition has arived.......2003-09-24
Woc has done it again. They have released another editon, and it is supearior. Edition 3.5 is very like third (Hence the .5), but realy cleans up the classes and makes things more balanced. This book is good, but the new Players Handbook 3.5 Edition just blows it out of the water. They tweaked all that needed tweeking, and left the good stuff there. Toss your third Edition and go buy 3.5!
The book that starts and runs the game.......2003-08-01
This book for most people is the only book you will ever need for Dungeons & Dragons. While there are many more accesories expanding the game, This is the ancor, and the only book needed for a player. It includes all of the Races, Classes, Spells, Feats, and Items you need to make and run a Charactor.
The best art of this book is that not only does it list all the things you need to know, it explains in full detail how all things are related to each other. If read like a book, (front to back not just paging for specifics) It spells out what you need, need to do, and how to. You start with the abilities, go into races, classes, and then skills, and items. Finsihing with spells, and feats.
Over all, i would rae this 5, because of what it offers, and its necesity to the game it serves. i recomend you buy it, even if you dont buy it here.
A lot of good stuff, some (significant) holes.......2003-07-12
D&D 3E is a massive improvement over previous editions in a number of ways ... D&D has finally embraced skills, a big plus; a lot of the arbitrary and annoying restrictions of previous editions have been eliminated; the whole thing has been streamlined greatly at a fundamental level (there is still a lot of rules grit - attacks of opportunity anyone? - but this has always been the case, and by using a much cleaner and less arbitrary basic system, the game is now more intuitive).
The problem with D&D 3e is that it requires a *lot* of work on the part of the gamemaster. This is not a ready-to-play game by any stretch, unlike WotC's Star Wars d20, say. You have to go to some lengths to create a campaign setting, and realistically you're going to have to throw some of those arbitrary restriction back in. Why? Because D&D 3e has some significant imbalances, and you're likely to be playing with one player who is going to be looking for rules loopholes to create an unbalanced character. A big culprit here is the multi-classing combined with the fact that many classes are front-loaded with a lot of cool abilities at first level, so it's not unusual to find characters with 3 or 4 classes so they can cherry-pick low-level abilities from each. This is not only aestetically displeasing and unbalancing, but makes it impossible to keep a coherent character vision. The prestige classes are a cool and interesting feature, but are for the most part egregiously broken and, in the words of a fellow-player, "pure munchkinism".
Another complaint of mine about the system is that characters are simply too hard to make distinctive; the only real tool you have is this problematic multi-classing, and that is at best a blunt instrument. The Feats are a very cool concept, but not well-balanced with respect to each other so many will simply never show up (and characters who are not Fighters and Wizards acquire them far too slowly to be of much use in distinguishing characters). Characters of some classes (notably Paladins, Monks, Druids, and Barbarians) are going to be essentially indistuinguishable from each other - an 8th level Monk is pretty much an 8th level Monk, and the variance will be quite small. I find the list of which skills can be bought by which classes unduly restrictive and occasionally bordering on the nonsensical. The restrictiveness of the class sytem, and the stereotyped nature of the classes and lack of advancement choices, is to my mind the most significant failing of D&D 3e. Some classes are now almost acceptably flexible: the Fighter has a huge number of choices with all their bonus feats, even if the basic class concept of a heavily armed and armored fighting machine can't be fundamentally altered; Wizards of course have a massive spell list, and can specialise in various schools; Clerics now can pick from a dozen or so dieties, all of which serve to flavor the class; and Rogues have immense numbers of skill points and a wide variety of skills. But if you want somthing a little more specific or flavorful, you're stuck with cookie-cutter classes.
Anyway, from a pure systems standpoint, the d20 system is fundamentally a good one, but from a pure gaming perspective it has been done better by other games. I actually like Wizard's Star Wars game better, as it addresses many of the problems I've mentioned here; but that doesn't help you much if you hanker for heroic fantasy. D&D 3e is cool, better than previous editions (often significantly), and is popular because it is so open-ended. It has rules for everthing, and a bazillion skills, feats, spells, monsters, magic items, etc. - everybody is going to find a cool idea in here somewhere that they're ready to run with. All those options don't always work together, though, and the choices are sometimes odd, so be aware that the gamemaster is going to have to do some work for D&D 3e to be truly robust.
The reasons this is collecting dust in my attic.......2003-06-29
I played RPGs for 20 years. I liked them, i liked the people I played with and then i stopped. Nothing interested me after a while until 3E. I thought this was going to turn it all around again. Boy was i wrong.
The ideas behind this haphazard collection of material is sound. The problem is, the rules do not survive under scrutiny. Balance seems to have been thrown out the window in exchange for the 'cool' factor. If you want to make a cartoon charavter out of your imaginary alter ego, this is the game for you I think.
The skill and feat system is broken so badly that you probably can't fix it without rewriting the rules. The skills are restrictive by class - making absolutely no sense at all. Afterall, you're character wasn't born this class or that. Class seemes to have become your defining trait more than your personality. Trying to make a character a certain way is actually tougher in 3E as you have numerous skill restrictions. In short, Fighters get paltry skills and Rogues get the mother load. everyone else gets to fill in in-between.
Rangers are useless, becoming simply lightly armored fighters with a few useless special abilities, little opportunity for growth and a dazzlingly undazzling array of spells.
Sorcerers are similiarly built, with a few extra spells to cast per day than wizards, but FAR fewer to pick from and absolutely no class abilities that the wizard gets to choose from.
The old moronic +1 to this ability -1 to taht rules are still in place for non human characters, with the elf that lives 750 years somehow being more frail than you average human. By the same token, dawrves get a nice constitution bonus but are uncharismatic. Why? Well because they had to pick an ability and charisma looked like a good one......
You get to multiclass more easily according to 3E lovers. You needn't split your XP between classes, you simply take a level of any class any time you earn enough experience points to go up a level. Wanna be a fighter/paladin? GO for it. The only probalem is, it is almost useless to multiclass as a spell caster. With a level limit of 20 (which is fine IMHO) you mayonly have a TOTAL of 20 levels all classes included. That's great, but if you take 15 levels of Wizard and 5 levels of Rogue, you are going to be one disappointed mage when you realize you missed out on the best spells in the game in exchange for some paltry lock picking ability. To be fair, multi classing any of the fighter classes works just fine.
On the topic of levels, you should reach 20th after anout 35-45 game sessions if you follow their experience charts. WAY too much XP is awarded and in addition, all classes use the same experience point table. It seem that someone decided that a 20th level paladin and a 20th level bard were pretty evenly matched. I think we all know better.
Finally, the comabt system - which most gamers agree is the most tedious and time consuming part of any game - has been dragged out with so many extra and optional rules, that it takes forever to resolve the simplist battle. Some may applaud the detail, but the game has taken a step back toward the old CHAINMAIL table top battle rule srather than advancing as a ROLEplaying game.
With a chartr included for every detail in the game, this book has taken all of the imagination out of your hands, and given you a rule to cover it. 3E Roleplaying is actually more ROLLplaying, and after a while, that just gets tedious.
Well aware that the game is a mess, WoTC is releasing 3.5 later this summer to suck a few hundred dollars more out of your wallets.
I beg you consider what you might be getting before flushing your money down this over simplified, over hyped toilet of an RPG. Go play Vampire or Werewolf - at least they don;t charge you $... to insult your intelligence by including a chart for your eye color.
Book Description
A deluxe, leatherbound version of the essential tool every D&D© player needs.
Since 2004 is the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. is commemorating this milestone with a beautiful, special edition of the Player's Handbook. Created with the collector in mind, this special release now sports an embossed, leatherbound cover and premium, gilt-edged paper, along with beautifully designed endpapers.
Customer Reviews:
D&D.......2007-05-26
The players hand book is the most widely bought book in the dungeons and dragons gamers book set. i love that they have brought it out in the lovely leather bound book and updated some of the rules. i love haveing it in my colection plus it makes the other players in the game a little jeoules seeing it on the table. i have the whole set now of the d&d specail edtion and i love the set.
if you don't own it BUY IT.......2007-03-14
what can i say...everything about this book is great...only complaint i have is now that i have it i need to find some people to play with. BUY IT! !!
Gaming Necessity with a Good Looking Cover.......2007-01-17
You can judge this book by it's cover. All the updates for the Player's Handbook is gathered in one place.
SWEET.......2007-01-10
This book is so worth the bragging rights that come with it. It also always has this really cool crackle when you turn the pages.
D&D Special Edition Players Handbook.......2006-11-12
The Book Arived through amazon quicker than the estimated time. But that was only the begining, the book is really well held together the black leather cover gives it a timless/omoness sort of appearance, but the feel was well worth what I payed for it on amazon. The book feels as though it belongs in the traveling pouch of a wizard. (Just a word of caution the rest of the book is exactally the same as the D&D 3.5 Players Handbook even the artwork is the same) This is I Feel a great edition to and obsessed D&D fans collection even if they are not that big of a 3.5 fan.
Books:
- Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil: Why Church Fathers Suppressed the Book of Enoch and Its Startling Revelations
- Fire Officer's Handbook Of Tactics (3rd Edition)
- Foundation ActionScript for Flash 8 (Foundation)
- Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity
- From Hell - New Cover Edition
- Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student's Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D.
- Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible", Expanded edition
- Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play
- Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play
- Heaven and Earth : Unseen by the Naked Eye
Books Index
Books Home
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- Acct I Telecourse, Ch 1-13 1 Time License
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General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Dungeons & Dragons Dice with Cloth Dice Bag (Dungeons & Dragons Accessory)
Complete Adventurer: A Guide to Skillful Characters of All Classes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)
Complete Warrior (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Monster Manual III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)
Dungeon Master's Guide II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)
