Customer Reviews

The Complete Fighter's Handbook

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book provides lots of new rules and variations on the Fighter class. Unfortunately, there is a lot of potential for abuse. A first level fighter can now take Ambidexterity as a proficiency, specialize in longsword, specialize in two-weapon fighting style, and with a strength of 18 they can do 24/32 (M/L)(average 17/21) points of damage in one round, and 36/48 (avg 25.5/31.5) the next. They can take, at most, 14. So it makes it hard as a DM to give the fighter a foe that is a challenge without killing the fighter instantly.

The kits are interesting, although the beast-rider presents a challenge to game balance as well. The fighter's mount would be a powerful ally at low levels, but a liability once the fighter passes level 5 or so.

The weapon group proficiency rules are indispensible. It makes a lot more sense than saying that a fighter can use a long sword but not a short sword ("Hit him with the pointy end, Phil!").

This is probably the most useful of the various Complete Handbooks. I highly recommend it.

This book was a much needed help in my setting , left and right I had fighter pc's that wanted to broaden their horizons a little and add destinction to their characters. Well now I have that resource at my desposal and I am quite pleased with my purchase. I really liked the Samarui Kit and the list and explanation of several types of Japaneese weapons. I am most pleased.

Well, when I picked this book up, I thought it would be useless to me, because I was strictly a Cleric player. This book cured me of it. It cleared up loose ends caused by the PHB as far as the proficiencies:Armorer, Bowyer/Fletcher, and Weaponsmith. Although it could've been more descriptive. It's suggested roleplaying personality section is great, as well as the numerous kits. The Included Combat rules give depth and more options in combat, as well as better ways to become proficient in weapons, with tight and broad groups. Also, with the weapon styles, anyone can become a better combatant. Also, it gives rogues, and warriors a chance to wield two weapons of the same length without penalty, while only using two proficiency slots. The only part of this that I didn't agree with is the damage point system on armor, requiring weakened armor to be repaired after battles. And one of the greatest parts of this handbook is the Complete Fighter's Combat/Character sheets.

The PHBR (Player's Handbook Reference) series is one of the most highly-regarded, and yet much-maligned, series of supplements ever created. Each sourcebook takes one of the races or classes of the AD&D game, and adds to it huge amounts of new detail - new equipment, spells, kits (sub-classes), lore, new rules, etc. The problem is that the players love these so much that the DM often feels compelled to buy into the rest of the series - an expensive proposition! Fortunately, these works were "reprinted" in the excellent AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM. This one, ostensibly for Fighters, is actually for everyone, because of the great additions to the combat system - although they will slow you down at first, they add so much detail and excitement (without destroying the fun with dreaded "realism") that you'll wonder how you ever got along without them. Chapters in this book include: lore on fighters, the Armorer, Bowyer, and Weaponsmith, Fighter kits (including classics like the Amazon, Barbarian, Myrmidon, and Samurai), role-playing (a must read!), and the combat system (proficiencies, ambidexterity, specialization, fighting styles, called shots, parries, martial arts, hit locations, jousting, etc., etc.), and great equipment, weapons, and armor. If you love the "swords" part of swords & sorcery, Get This!

I enjoyed the kits in this book, and the expanded rules on the proficiencies are good. For example, it has advanced rules on running an armorery or weaponsmithing business.
However, the combat rules and most of the other stuff in the book is pretty [undesirable].

In general, the fighter is the class which suffers most of lack of depth. But this book contains some very good kits to compensate that and to turn the boring hack-'n'-slasher into a real serious character. The gladiatior and samurai are my personal favorites to give characters more depth. It also has a good section about combat as it describes new moves and situations (and this book is therefor interesting for all classes actually)

This is definitely the best all around complete handbook. Well what did I like most about the handbook? It think that would have to be the new combat rules. There is a lot of stuff here! Clear rules for parrying, called shots, shield punches, great new info on punching, wrestling, and martial arts (and specialization in each), insights into hit locations, effects of damage on armor (it doesn't last for ever you know), tournaments (including jousting), combat tactics, and mounted combat. And my favorite, new info on weapon proficiencies. This includes style specialations (two weapon, two hander, weapon and shield, single weapon) which justs rocks and broad groups and tight groups (allows someone to be proficent with like weapons; hey I can use a long bow why can't I use a short bow or a composite long bow.)

Well don't you think that's enough reason to buy the book? If you don't, I will also mention that it has new kits, new info on proficiencies, roleplaying tips, and new types of armor and weapons. The kits are pretty cool (cavalier and beserkers are awesome), and the information on the proficiencies armorer, weaponsmithing, and bowyer/fletcher eliminate the need for lots of house rules that you will definitely forget or lose.

BUY this book; it's worth it.

The Fighter's Handbook is the perfect accessory if you want to be able to play such types of fighters as barbarians, gladiators,Outlaws and Samurais. It also has more combat rules for called shots, specializations, hand to hand combat and more combat maneuvers.

This is a Great book it covers all of the basics of a fighter and more! It has alot of useful kits,items,and sugestions. It is a must read for all fighters and DMs. I rank it as one of the best PlayersHandbookSupplements.

This book includes classes which have not been seen since the mid-1980's in Unearthed Arcana. I got this book hoping that it would have a cavalier kit, which it did. It has many, many more kits, background ideas for characters, and even social situations designed to bring out the most in roleplaying for a fighter. The kits in the book include Amazon(Female only), Barbarian, Beast-Rider, Berserker, Cavalier, Gladiator, Myrmidon, Pirate, Outlaws, Samurai, Savages, and Swashbucklers which always fun for they are women magnets :)