Customer Reviews

The Complete Paladin's Handbook (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Player's Handbook Rules Supplement)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 has details on the creation and development of Paladins, with chapters including: Paladin requirements, level advancement, armor, weapons, magic, special powers (including a full description of the Aura of Protection), honor, kits (with such great examples as the Divinate, Inquisitor, Skyrider, and Wyrmslayer), proficiencies, equipment, role-playing, faith and divinities, holy orders, and more! A great book.

It goes without saying that the Paladin is the most difficult character to roleplay. The Paladin's strict ethos, and the punishments that enforce it, force the Paladin down a narrow path. However, it is hard to know exactly what each of the tenets are sometimes. The guide provides clear guidance to help the Paladin player to play this character. Also, the Paladin has some of the most powerful special powers in the game. Each of these is explained and expande upon. There is good advice for roleplaying a Paladin, the attitude that a Paladin is supposed to have, and also many useful kits. All in all, a superb guide for Paladins and those who love them.

The Complete Paladin's Handbook is pakced with new information and backround for a character class that historically has lacked good informational resources. Many pages are devoted to describing the Paladin's lifestyle and society, all of which is interesting to include in a campaign. The several character classes are all very interesting as well. Finally, a great deal of this book describes the Paladin's special abilites which are only briefly touched in the Player's Manual. Some of the information is a bit scattered or incomplete, but 95% of the book is superbly written. Overall, this book is a fine reference for Paladin players, DMs, or anyone interested in playing a knight-like character.

This book covered almost every detail about being a paladin, even the roleplaying aspect of it. The book even gave recommendations on books to read and movies to see in order to correctly roleplay a paladin. The one thing I think it should have had was more paladin orders for players below 9th level. If I'm correct 9th level was the lowest level someone was elegible to join an Order. An order for 6th level paladins may have been created to get the ball rolling on Order advancement.

While the Paladin bar none has the highest standards out of the AD & D 2nd edition character classes, the kits here make you not want to play one. Sure the kits allow for customization outside of the ultra generic template given in the Player's Handbook, but there are so many key drawbacks you're better off just sticking to the generic template. Like half of the 10 or so kits you don't get a stronghold, like a squire, a votary has to live in a church, ghost hunters can't lay on hands, cure disease or immune to poison. A dragonslayer or wyrmslayer can't turn undead. They put a cap on it. So you're better off just sticking to the generic template given in the Player's Handbook. They have a tendency to make the goodest good guys look evil in AD & D. Rangers are even more evil. Priests are evil as hell. But you do get the 1 THAC0 and to turn undead as a priest the same evil as you are as a level 20 Ghosthunter.

This DND book is a great book to own if you plan on playing a Paladin in any way. It covers all the areas from what types of kits will play to your strengths to what kind of personality your Paladin can have. It is a MUST for any DM's (Dungeon Master's) collection. It is completely reliable and I would Recommend to anyone interested in DND. It may even change your mind to playing a Paladin.

I have never been a fan of those poumpous self absorbed Knights, I prefer a character along the lines of a chaotic good alignment, but I do have respect for those that play them, and even more respect for those that play them well, It is an incredibly hard character to play(much like a true druid) and I have only come across 1 player in my ten years of DMing and playing as a character that could pull it off, for those of you out there that are sucessfull with your Palidins, congrats, it means you know how to play pretty well and you have my respects.

This book gives great information on the holiest of warriors, the paladin. It goes into great detail on the role-playing aspects of paladins, as well as explaining their powerful abilities. If you play AD&D, this book is for you.

This book makes the Paladin, one of the most difficult character classes to play, accessible. The kits alone are worth buying this for.

This book was so wonderful I almost had a heart attack after I read it. I mean I hate paladin's but the book was so well written It helped me get the few arrogent players who played them into line quick by helping me tighten the reins a little on exactly what Paladin's should and should not be doing.