Player's Handbook, Version 3.5 (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Core Rules)

Player's Handbook, Version 3.5 (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Core Rules) | Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, ... | The Granddaddy of RPG'S

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	Player's Handbook, Version 3.5 (Dungeon & Dragons Roleplaying Game: Core Rules) Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, ... Wizards of the Coast, 2003 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 125 reviews view larger image
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Great update for DND

Looking over the Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I (Dungeons & Dragons, Edition 3.5), I found a few changes that I was glad to see, but I was skeptical because it was essentially the same as 3.0. Now I can't stand to pull out 3.0, because using this book during play has showed me that there are a lot of minor changes, changes that are more essential than I had first thought. One thing in particular that I was really glad to see was the more concise wording for the Grapple manuver. I always messed that up during play as a DM and a player, but I understand now, which goes to show that this book is better written, at least in my eyes. New class leveling procedures like the Monk class revisions, and his abilities just makes more sense, as do many things in this book when compared to 3.0. Anyway, a great book, essential, and well written.

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The Granddaddy of RPG'S

D&D has been something I have wanted 2 try my whole life, after I saw kids at school playing. I just got this book, and it is so simple 2 understand and get right 3 playing. Overall, 70741y 1337

Excellent resource for players!

Coming from other roleplaying games I have not been in contact with Dungeons and Dragons since 2.0, and that was ages ago, so I cannot reflect on the amount or quality of changes between 3.0 and 3.5 which seems to be a big debate in reviews for the 3.5 core books. All I can say is that this is an excellent resource for D&D players!

Creating a character is a fairly straightforward process. What I would have liked is a simple cheat sheet at the beginning of the book for creating a character. That would have made the process easier for new players. With the current layout of the book there are tables strewn over three different chapters, and in order to complete your character you need to touch all three chapters. For instance, race modifiers to statistics, age groups, and other common characteristics would have been excellent to have right at the start in an easy to find section. These tables can of course be found by looking in the table index at the end of the book, but that can prove difficult for a new player.

As far as I am concerned, the artwork and layout is great and the Player's Handbook provides an easy-to-read source for all ages.

Touching on classes and balance, I think that the book provides a good set of guidelines for any type of campaign. If a class seems overpowering, modify it. These are not rules written in blood. I consider them guidelines, not law. If I want to tone down the cleric or the druid, I will do so if I see fit. I might just leave them the way they are and have everybody in my group play a cleric to send them against a humongous horde of liches that cannot be turned on top of being immune to magic.

Having said that, I think that this book was well worth the money I spent on it and the other two core rulebooks. I treasure this tome and its siblings and heartily recommend it to any player of D&D, beginner or expert.

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Gaming has advanced...

First, I am not a Dungeons and Dragons rule-ologist, so this review will not be as helpful as most of the ones that follow in that regard. I have played D&D since my teens, however, so I do feel qualified to make the statements that follow.

First, the plusses: Gaming has come a long way since the days of AD&D (or 1e D&D as it's referred to now). I feel that--for the most part--the 3rd edition and the d20 system have advanced RPG game mechanics significantly. For those of you who remember the time-consuming references to the aweful "To-hit" tables in the 1e DM's Guide or calculating THAC0 that followed shortly thereafter, the d20 system of rolling a 20-sided die, adding modifiers, and comparing the result to a DC (Difficulty Class) is a refreshing and elegant solution.

I've heard a lot of complaints that combat is too involved and takes too long to resolve in the 3rd edition. I remember the same problem with AD&D, however. The rules were so convoluted, that stopping to reference the books was constantly necessary.

Now combat rules are clearer, but there are simply more of them to keep track of. The mechanics for initiative, grappling, attacks of opportunity, tactical movement, subdual damage, the kinds of actions one can take in a round--all are more cohesive and make more sense. The fact that they are more comprehensive makes combat more complicated. In the past, the DM simply had to adjudicate many of these non-existant AD&D rules on-the-fly.

The new DM's guide makes an obtuse reference for streamlining the combat rules for gaming groups that are more interested in ROLE playing than ROLL playing. I wish that the new edition included sidebars for doing just that. Something along the lines of, "if you want to de-emphasize combat with your group, take out attacks of opportunity, this, and that, and you can still have a balanced--but faster--combat system." This is a small criticism, however, as I'm sure someone has already done this on the internet somewhere.

The minusses: This is going to sound very stodgy and nit-pickey. In trying to capture a new audience, the designers of the new books have somewhat de-medievalized D&D. A common criticism of the new edition is that it appeals more to the video gamer than to the traditional RPGer. On one hand, this is a no-brainer. A new game must appeal to a new audience in order to attract new gamers. But, I can't help but feel that something has been lost, however.

Goodman Games, in trying to sentimentalize their Dungeon Crawl Classics product line, brought on some original AD&D artists (most notably Erol Otis) to help design the art for and market their products. Necromancer games has done some of this as well. It would have been nice if WOTC had pioneered this, especially since their intent had been to recapture some of the first edition feel with a new edition of the rules.

Again, this is mostly an aesthetic criticism, and I know that opinions will vary on this, but some of the artwork in the third edition strips the archtypical medieval feel of the game that it once had in favor of a more video game or comic-book asthetic.

Overall, I am happy to own these books.

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