Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Set (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Three Book Slipcased Set)

Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Set (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Three Book Slipcased Set)
Average customer rating:

Good Stuff

Dungeons & Dragons

Fantastic game for a fantastic price

D&D Core Rulebook Review

This product is being outdated

Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook Set (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Three Book Slipcased Set)
Jonathan Tweet , Skip Williams , and Monte Cook
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Monster Manual III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)

Dungeon Master's Guide II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement)

ASIN: 0786934107
Release Date: 2003-09-01

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.

Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

How to make a better Monster Manual
Tons of Monsters...Yet Lacking
Content: Meh... Book Quality: HORRIBLE
Least of the Three
great

Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Monte Cook , Jonathan Tweet , and Skip Williams
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786915528
Release Date: 2000-10-01

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

Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!
Fun Nerdom
Fine Book
VERY GOOD
nice rework of the classic

Monster Manual: Core Rulebook III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Player's Handbook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

ASIN: 078692893X
Release Date: 2003-07-01

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.

Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

Help the Dungeon Master! Please!
EXCELLENT SERVICE!!!
DM
I Have Nothing Bad to Say About this Book
Good magazine material, poor hardback material

Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Spell Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

ASIN: 0786928891
Release Date: 2003-07-01

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.

Monster Manual: Special Edition (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Core Rulebook III)

Average customer rating:

Black leather is better than the image supplied
Special Edition Monster Manual is great
Excellent Collectors Item
For die hard fans
THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL!

Monster Manual: Special Edition (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Core Rulebook III)
Skip Williams , Monte Cook , and Jonathan Tweet
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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ASIN: 0786939435
Release Date: 2006-10-10

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

Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

3.0 is STILL better than 3.5
3.5 edition has arived
The book that starts and runs the game
A lot of good stuff, some (significant) holes
The reasons this is collecting dust in my attic

Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Monte Cook , Jonathan Tweet , and Skip Williams
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786915501
Release Date: 2000-08-01

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.

Special Edition Player's Handbook (Core Rulebook I) (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Average customer rating:

D&D

if you don't own it BUY IT

Gaming Necessity with a Good Looking Cover

SWEET

D&D Special Edition Players Handbook

Special Edition Player's Handbook (Core Rulebook I) (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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Dungeon Master's Guide: Special Edition (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

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Player's Handbook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Magic Item Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)

ASIN: 0786934328
Release Date: 2004-11-04

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.

Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

Dungeon Master's Guide
DM'ing Made Simple
The How and Why of D&D3e
So much less than it seems...
Simply Great

Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Monte Cook
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 078691551X
Release Date: 2000-09-01

Amazon.com

The 3rd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide focuses on how to create and run a fun Dungeons & Dragons game. Like previous editions, the 3rd Edition DMG further explains the rules introduced in the Player's Handbook. But this book goes beyond rules and offers valuable tips on pacing, story creation, conflict, villains, motivation, and player rewards.

Novice DMs will benefit from the sections on creating individual adventures and describing action, while even experienced DMs will appreciate the notes on extended campaigns, detailed world creation, and high-level play. We loved the "Behind the Curtain" blurbs, which explain the reasoning behind the changes made in 3rd Edition. Well-considered optional rules are offered to daring DMs, including rules for monsters as PC races (troll paladin, anyone?), high technology, and guidelines for creating custom races and classes.

The nuts and (lightning) bolts of DMing are also covered in great detail. The book teaches DMs how to gauge Challenge Ratings for players and monsters in order to create balanced encounters. These encounters are easier to run thanks to 3rd Edition's standardized monster abilities, each of which are covered in depth. Rewarding players for successful encounters is also easier, now that the cumbersome treasure tables of 2nd Edition have been replaced. Particular attention is paid to magic items: how to award them, how players create them, how to adjudicate them, and how to take them away. The new magic item enhancement rules (similar to the magic items in the computer game Diablo) are also detailed.

One dramatic departure from D&D as we knew it could have used a bit more attention. The DMG introduces the concept of prestige classes, and includes rules for six sample prestige classes: arcane archer, assassin, blackguard, dwarven defender, loremaster, and shadowdancer. Characters can't take these classes at first level but must instead work toward them by choosing specific classes, skills, and feats. For example, before taking a level in arcane archer a character needs to be an elf or half-elf and have a high attack bonus, specific archery feats, and the ability to cast at least one arcane spell. Unsure how these classes will affect your game? Want tips on how to properly create and balance these classes? Sorry, the DMG does not provide adequate answers.

But aside from this complaint the DMG stands out as an honestly useful guide book to the incredible new Dungeons & Dragons game. The rules and tips are well organized and easy to find, thanks to a detailed table of contents and full index. Artwork, examples, and diagrams are liberally placed throughout the book. All this attention to detail makes the DMG an easy and effective read. We wouldn't want to DM without it. --Mike Fehlauer

Book Description

The Third Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is an essential rulebook for the D&D game and is a must-have for every Dungeon Master. A Dungeon Master runs the Dungeons & Dragons(r) game-part storyteller, part actor, part referee. The Dungeon Master's Guide features 224 pages of beautifully rendered, intuitively presented rules and material designed to get a Third Edition D&D campaign up and running.

Customer Reviews:

Dungeon Master's Guide.......2007-05-09

You sit down at the table, and the players are amicably chatting about Everquest or the upcoming D&D movie. You listen to the conversation as you begin to organize your notes. As the conversation draws on, you know that it's time to reel it in and begin, but somehow, you can't seem to work up the courage.

What do you do if a character falls into a water trap? What are the chances of having an encounter? Did you put enough combat into the adventure? Too much? Will it be a challenge?

This is your first time at the head of the table. You've been talking up a good storm, but now it's time to put you money where your mouth is.

Are you prepared?

There are two things that are important in a gamemaster's book. The first are all the rules necessary to run a game, those that players don't need to know. The second are all the little bits of advice necessary to make a person into a fine gamemaster.

Let's tackle those subjects one at a time.

First of all there are all the DM only rules. This is an area the all versions of the DM's Guide have been strong in. In fact, certain additions (2nd, for instance) seemed to concentrate solely on these issues.

There is a wealth of information in this book. They handle many of the old standby's. There are sections on NPC's and encounters. There are rules for assigning experience and treasure. There are methods of generating magic items. None of this is, in and of itself, a surprise.

We have some new additions. There is a system for generating towns. This allows you to calculate the highest level person of any given class in a town. It also tells how rich the town is, showing the most expensive object than can be purchased and total funds that can be taken out of a town (for the purposes of selling items). This was a welcome addition.

Another new feature are Prestige classes. These are classes that allow a character to explore career opportunities not usually available to a starting character. The arcane archer is a fascinating example of a prestige class, perfect for the elf who wishes to combine magic and archery.

Also, we have the new concept of NPC classes. In truth, NPC classes have been around for a long time, but they were never official and almost always set apart by how powerful they were. The NPC classes in the new addition deal with all the things PC's usually find too dull to explore. Why doesn't a commoner raise levels? Now they do, within the commoner class. Are all those town guards fighters? No, they are probably the less powerful warrior. NPC classes add a fine new element to the game.

Ever since Tomb of Horrors debuted at Origins, traps have been an important part of the D&D game. The new DM's Guide actually acknowledges this fact, listing several typical traps, along with all their stats. This allows a DM to easily extrapolate on traps of his own. Also, traps have challenge ratings now, which means they are worth experience.

Another big surprise comes in magic items. They are now organized (at least on the charts) by power level. This makes it very rare to roll a Staff of Power for the treasure a kobold is carrying. It also allows a GM to track more accurately the amount of treasure that his party is receiving.

All in all, a very strong showing.

But what about the second part? Does this book teach you to be a better DM?

Yes. Whereas 2nd addition had little dedicated to making a person a better gamemaster, the new edition seems to treat the subject very seriously.

There is an entire chapter dedicated to world building. Through it, a DM can gain advice on designing his own world. Various forms of governments are discussed, and the chapter is at times thought provoking. Not all that it should be, however. I wanted more on subjects like communication and healing, which can radically effect a game where magic is the norm.

The chapter on designing good adventures fares much better. Perhaps it should have been called, "Adventures for Dummies." This section discusses how to craft an adventure to suit the tastes of your group. It even goes so far as to give a statistical breakdown for the encounter levels of every fight.

Ever since I read Rolemaster's Gamemaster's Law, books have been fighting an uphill battle when it comes to teaching a person to be a good GM. This book falls far short of that mark. Still, it is a good beginner's guide to running a game.

Where did this book fall short? Well the art, right off. The art is not nearly up to the quality of Player's Handbook or Monster Manual. It is obvious they saved their best artists for those.

They also failed to complete some very good thoughts. For instance, they have sample character stats for all the PC classes, but not for the NPC classes. They could have done more with traps, I think. I'd also have liked to see more on environment (cold, heat, drowning etc.).

Still, a thumbs up. This is a strong addition to the D&D line.

DM'ing Made Simple.......2003-06-09

Let's face it. All my fellow DM's know Dungeon Mastering is hard. You need to be in tune with the entire game enviornment, and every NPC and every monster and...I could go on, but I'm not going to bore you. Anyway, I think 3rd Edition rules are pretty darn good, but this Dungeon Masters Guide is useless for experienced DM's.

There are many useful tables throughout the book based on almost everything imaginable. They are quite useful for in-game reference. The classes included are quite interesting. My personal favorite is the "Paladin Gone Bad." It's real name is the Fallen Blackguard, and he is very bad-arse. They have other interesting ones, like the Arcane Archer, and Loremaster. There are tips in the first chapter of the book for beginners, that could come in handy.

The problem is this book is geared for neophyte DMs. Experienced ones can rip out Chapters 1,4, and 5, because they just give you pointers on what adventures and campaigns are and how to control them. Trust me, If you've DMed for a fair amount of time, don't even bother buying this, and stick with your 2E Dungeon Master's Guide for reference. iF you are new to DMing, this is the perfect review for you.

The How and Why of D&D3e.......2003-01-08

The 3rd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide is exactly what it should be - a description of the how and why of 3rd Edition rules.

It is so much more than a collection of tables and charts. Sure, those are there as a short cut, an easy reference. What the book really brings to the table, though, is a system for knowing how to modify the system and add things to the game without throwing the power balance all out of whack. An example of the is the "Most important thing for a DM to know:" a quick and easy rule for modifying a situation. If it's easy, give a +2 bonus. Difficult? -2. REALLY difficult? -4. After the session is over, look up the actual 'rule' on the situation, and most times you'll find that you were right.

Most importantly, though, is that the book does this without cramming a default campaign setting down your throat. Many DMs out there, myself included, want to play in our own worlds that we've created, and the DMG lets you do exactly that.

This book is better laid-out than the Player's Handbook, which is why I gave it 5 stars. If half stars were available, I would have given it 4.5, since the book isn't perfect. Sure, there are some problems, but they're so much more minor than 2ed, with so many more possibilities for expanding the system that they're easily overlooked.

3rd Edition is what brougth my circle of gamers back to the table. It's so much easier to play that I can't imagine how we ever dealt with other systems. Much more time to roleplay, and less time taken looking up rules!

So much less than it seems..........2002-11-27

The Third Edition DMG is not the book it should have been. It is a disjointed collection of rules that really don't fit together very well.

The most important flaw is the experience and rewards systems. It's designed to rocket the characters to 20th level without ever placing them in any real danger. Please, since when is one lone 4th level NPC a challenge for four 4th level characters? Any why are 1st and 3rd level characters treated the same on the experience chart? A 3rd level party is going to have more than triple the resources that a 1st level party has available. Combined with a reward chart that puts a truckloads of magical items into the characters hands, this book puts Third Edition D&D solidly into the munchkin world (For the RPG terminology impaired, that's like a Monty Haul campaign but without any danger of loosing).

Other irregularities include the fact that there are rules on drowning and being crushed to death by water pressure (deep under the sea), but no rules for actually moving in water or fighting under water.

There are rules for generating towns and cities. Those rules do not function in a reasonable manner, unless the DM manually saturates the cities with specifically placed characters. Even something as simple as using the tables to determine what the levels of the high priests of the religions present in a city breaks down unless there are less than four seperate religions present in the city.

The section on magic items is poorly laid our and difficult to use for anything other than random magic item rolls. Some of the magic items are undervalued, overly powerful, or both.

A lot of space is devoted to incomplete tutorials on how to be a game master. Ironically, that's not matieral that should actually be in the Dungeon Master's Guide. This is supposed to be a reference book for running a campaign, not "The Dummies Guide to Dungeon Masterery".

The rules for gunpowder weapons and lasers are useless filler that takes up space that could have been devoted to environments that average game master would actually like to see his characters in, like say astral combat rules and underwater combat rules. Who cares how much damage a laser might do if it were in the hands of a barbarian. Anyone who actually wants to use laser weapons is just going to use a d20 modern or futuristic sourcebook anyways.

The D&D economy is so disfunctional that no wizard or sorceror who can create any magic items (including scrolls) should ever be allowed to die. It's always worth a cleric's while to bring the chump back from the dead and make him work off the investment. Also it becomes blatantly clear that NPCs are supposed to give special respect to the PCs simply because they are PCs, otherwise how can you explain the fact that a character can earn a wage of 15 gps a week as a stablehand but only needs to pay his stablehands 1 gp per week.

The section on special abilities is redundant because most of it is repeated in the Monster Manual and the encounter tables are useless without the Monster Manual. Since they were also rendered useless by the first expansion printed for the Monster Manual, it is very obvious that they should have been printed in the Monster Manual itself.

Half of an entire chapter is dedicated to charts of stats for average characters of each of the classes at each level. This space is completely wasted.

Overall, the DMG is first book produced for Third Edition that was simply bad. No attempt was made to turn a collection of notes and rules into a good refence book for Third Edition D&D. Instead it seems to have been thrown together with a nice binding and cover and some artwork and rushed out the door. Not all of the material is bad, but all you have to do is try to use the book to realize how useless it really is.

I would only recommend this book to someone who is being forced to run Third Edition D&D.

Simply Great.......2002-09-25

The PHB was awesome, and the DMG is doulbly so. Prestige classes are a great tool. What's more are the very useful NPC classes. Finally there are rules for making magic items. I don't know why 2nd edition rules assumed that only NPCs can make these things. Now I have something for my players to strive for!

Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Core Rulebook (d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)

Average customer rating:

Bring an open mind...
Very Little to Interest the Experienced Ravenlofter
Nicely done...
Good but use caution
Good, not perfect

Ravenloft Campaign Setting: Core Rulebook (d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Andrew Cermak , John W. Mangrum , and Andrew Wyatt
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1588460754

Customer Reviews:

Bring an open mind..........2002-11-17

The Kargatane did an excellent job, in my opinion, of releasing information in the first 3e Ravenloft book that should have been available to players. I'm not a HUGE canon freak, but I do like to control what information my players have... and this work does that very well. The "DM only" information derided by previous reviewers does belong in players' hands, because the Van Richten's Guides were published in Ravenloft for the common person to read. Fear/Horror/Madness checks are logical, and with the popularity of studies of psychology in the time period represented, people would have as much of a concept of how this works as a rudimentary glance-over would allow a player to recall.
I won't game without it, but having an autographed copy ain't hurting my enthusiasm.

Very Little to Interest the Experienced Ravenlofter.......2002-06-28

First of all, I'm not a fan of the d20 system, but that's a debate for elsewhere. I *am* a major fan of Ravenloft - I've been with the campaign world since it was released in 1992, and began DMing adventures not long after - so I eventually caved in and took a look at the d20 version of it. Thankfully, the Kargatane have saved Ravenloft from becoming totally extinct, but this book will be of limited interest to those familiar with the campaign setting.

It uses the same timeframe outlined in the Domains of Dread hardcover released in 1997, post Grand Conjunction and post Grim Harvest. That means there is very little (read: nil) new information in this book as far as the Ravenloft "canon" goes. In fact, this book is intended to be a "player's guide" (even though it deals with powers checks and other DM-only phenomenon), so it has only sketchy information about domains and zilch about the Darklords. Want that information? Get ready to shell out for ANOTHER hardcover book (two of `em, if you want all of them...) The rest of the book is devoted to making 3rd edition characters using some of the customized character rules and races (half-Vistani, for example) from the DoD book.

So its safe to say that there's very little to interest the longtime Ravenloft gamer here. Converting 2nd Edition to d20 isn't impossible - in fact, there are several freeware programs one could download to do all the hard work. For those of us who have all the old material, and can play 2nd Edition AD&D without a book because we know the rules so well (and yes, I DO have a life), there isn't much to interest us. Since it's actually cheaper to scrounge most of the 2nd Ed. materials, I say go with those, unless you are dead-set on running 3rd Ed. In that case, you better be rich...

Final Grade: D+ (it's Ravenloft, I can't flunk it outright!)

NOTE: I bought it anyway, because I'd like to see the Kargatane keep Ravenloft alive. Something to consider when making your decision...

Nicely done..........2002-06-15

To start with the faults in the book itself, this book is missing a decent map (like the one in the Faerun setting) and is not particularly well structured.
Otherwise, I have no experience with 2nd Ed Ravenloft, but I've read the novels and this book certainly captures the mood... not surprising, since it's written by the Kargatane, Ravenloft's lifeline and now, possibly, its saviors. The information is generally clear and useful, and the real meaning of a Gothic campaign is well described. So why only three stars?
It's the price that drives it up. You can make characters with this book, but the DM must have the "Secrets of the Dread Realm" expansion (which should have been bigger and more complete with more darkords, and should have carried most of the DM-only information in this book, like Dread Companions, Power checks, monster stats etc.) and should have "Denizens of Darkness" to run a good campaign, which works out to a lot of money when you add the D&D rulebooks.
All in all, this book is very good in itself, but it holds information it shouldn't (DM-only) and is brought down by its supplements. If "Secrets" had been more complete and this book had had maybe two or three prestige classes, I would have easily given it 5 stars regardless of the lack of a map.

Good but use caution.......2002-04-25

Recently purchasing this book I was excited because I could not get it in my area (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) no matter who I called, I had to finally order it special online. When I got it however it said it was printed in Canada, well it said Canda. There are many spelling errors in this and quite unprofessional of a publishing company I must say.

Anyway after reading the book through I came to some conclusions. First its a good read, It reads like a book rather than a gamers guide. The stories are really good if you like the old time gothic horror. There are long quotes and you get more of the tale as you read through it.

Second its not helpful, usually when you buy something to help you as a DM you want the information so you can apply it to your game, but in this case it gives your more questions than answers. The book speaks in riddles and hints at things but does not tell you what you need to know to. If you wanted to run a campaign and have the players uncover the secrets you would have to make them up because it does not tell you all you need to know. For instance there is a part where the book is describing a domain and it says something like this. "This is a barren realm with no life, but if there was something intelligent under the earth it would surely be a mystery." So what does this mean? Does it mean they know there is something and they are not telling us or is it up to the DM to create this? One other part that got me was when they were talking about two domains side by side and one did not have any one running it that could be seen, but there was a house that had lights at night in the forest. Ok so? Does a dread lord live here? Which one? What is he? The questions just pile up.

Thirdly There is a lot of extra talk in here that could have been cut out to save on money, we do not need to go over the races and spells that are already in the DM guide. The monsters guide has all the statistics on the vampires and ghosts already and there is really nothing to new here, I was expecting there would be. The book is neat and if you like Ravenloft you should have it if for no other reason than as a collectable and a good read but don't look for it to help you run a great campaign or give you all the answers.

Good, not perfect.......2002-04-19

I had both been excited about this book and dreading it, as I am not a fan of the d20 system. However, I have to admit that John and both the Andrews have done a fair, though not perfect job.

All the character classes are present, as is the new Caliban race (though more info on thse guys wouldn't be lost on me), Fear/Horror/Madness has been simplified, though the checks take longer to work out (unless you take 10, 15, etc...), Terror Tracks and other rules for Ravenloft have been condenced somewhat I feel and the reduction of Terror Track stages (it has returned to 6 instead of 10) make the paths into darkness a little short for my liking.

The information condenced from the old Van Richten Guides should not be in this book, that is strictly DM info for the players to discover as it is handed out, some Prestige Classes would also have made the book feel more complete.

On the whole, it is a very good book, despite my picks at it, though maybe not as good in places as Domains of Dread was, nbut better in others (the timelines and domain information is greatly improved, though most of the maps are terrible). The amount of Errata material also marks the book down a little and the index at the back of the book has never been right yet when I have used it.

Still, I give it 4 stars as this is written by the Kargatane, who kept Ravenloft alive whilst it was in limbo and they know what they are doing.

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