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Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Core Rulebook I

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The new Player's Handbook (PH) D&D Design Team has created a marvelous product--filled with generally clear writing and excellent artwork--containing a major change in game mechanics. The PH nonetheless manages to retain the spirit of the D&D game created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974.

The 3rd edition replaces the old movement system, denoted in confusing scale inches--which goes back even before D&D to Gygax's Chainmail rules for medieval combat--with a clear system of speed denoted in feet. Yet the 3rd edition includes familiar races and character classes. It retains the bard, cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, rogue, paladin, and wizard, and resurrects the barbarian, monk and half-orc.

Fans of clerics and druids will cheer the addition of 8th- and 9th-level spells. Clerics will love the 9th-level Miracle spell, similar to a Wish. Barbarian fans will rejoice that the 3rd edition removes the unplayable restrictions of the original barbarian, even at the cost of somewhat reduced physical prowess. Fans of the monk and druid will celebrate elimination of limited levels.

Each class now requires the same amount of experience to advance in level. Regardless of which class you choose, your character initially will advance rapidly because reaching the lower levels requires relatively small amounts of experience; earning a mere 1,000 experience points, for example, will gain your character second level. The 3rd edition grants each 1st level character full hit points. Combining easy advancement at lower levels with full hit points at 1st level will help keep characters alive through their fragile early days.

The 3rd edition introduces a sorcerer class. The sorcerer gains access to the same spells as the wizard, gets more per day, and needn't carry spell books or prepare spells, but can't learn as large a repertoire. The sorcerer can't specialize in schools of magic like the wizard, while the wizard specialist now has some control over the school from which she can't learn spells. All spellcasters except the ranger and paladin now have access to zero-level spells, the way Gygax intended in 1982 when he introduced cantrips in Dragon magazine issues 59-61.

The spellcaster will find that she's more effective because a touch spell no longer needs to penetrate an opponent's armor. She also gains the ability to counterspell an enemy's spell, which, when successful, negates the enemy's spell entirely. A rogue will find that his sneak attack comes into play more often than did the old backstab, making him more useful in combat. Your rogue or barbarian will learn to avoid a surprise attack which leaves the rest of the party flat-footed.

Your warrior continues to grow in power at higher levels by gaining up to 4 attacks per round, substantial bonuses to hit, and even more hit dice. Characters continue to gain hit dice right up through 20th level. All character classes also eventually get more than one melee attack per round, but the warriors get more and get them faster than anyone except monks.

Any character, regardless of race, can now belong to any class. You can play hafling paladins, dwarven rangers or anything else you choose. Any character, regardless of race, can belong to multiple classes. The 3rd edition removes limits on class combinations and maximum levels. It allows you to decide in which class your character will advance with each new level she gains. Best of all, your character gains all the skills and benefits of each level she gains in each class! You can decide, for instance, that when your 4th level wizard reaches 5th level she should take her new level as a fighter. She will remain a 4th level wizard and become 1st level fighter, adding the hit points, skill points, and combat bonus normally gained by a 1st-level fighter to her existing hit points, skill points and combat bonus. She can train as a wizard or fighter, or in another class, each time she earns a new level. Humans gain small advantages over non-humans when advancing in multiple classes.

Humans gain a small advantage in acquiring skills too. The 3rd edition divides the old non-weapon proficiencies into skills, which you can "buy" with points your character earns at each level, and feats, which your character acquires more slowly. Skills include more ordinary abilities like Climb, Swim, and Wilderness Lore. Feats include more extraordinary abilities like Alertness, Endurance, and Lightning Reflexes. The 3rd edition fully integrates skills and feats into play, making often-neglected ability scores more important. Your barbarian, for example, may find the Intimidate skill quite useful, but if he has a low charisma he'll find that it won't work as often as he might like.

The 3rd edition bases the results of virtually every attempted action on the roll of a 20-sided die (d20). You roll a d20 to determine initiative in combat, whether your attack hits an opponent, whether you successfully save against a spell, and whether you successfully use a skill or perform a feat. In the 3rd edition, the higher you roll on the d20, the better. A higher roll hits a higher armor class (which now sensibly rises as it improves), performs a tougher feat, gives you a faster initiative (which likewise rises as it improves), and saves against a more powerful spell. Unlike the old system, which varied between high and low rolls being better, the new system always makes high rolls better.

The 3rd edition simplifies combat by generally limiting the initiative roll to the start of each encounter and eliminating weapon speeds and numbered casting times; it complicates combat with rules on movement, surprise attacks, partial actions, attacks of opportunity and being caught flat-footed. I believe that players will tend to have the most trouble adjusting to the new combat system. After a cursory examination, however, I think they'll find the adjustment worthwhile...

Well met! Gary Gygax's magnum opus, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, is somewhat akin to holy writ in the world of fantasy RPGs. And needless to say, the Wizards of the Coast were a little squeamish to tinker with the very best game of all time! It seems heretical - like trying shave off Zeus' beard, to see if he looks better without it. But, they made the right choice - instead of arbitrarily implementing a drastic system overhaul that nobody wanted, they implemented a drastic system overhaul that *everyone* wanted. By having this system play-tested, co-designed, torn apart, and rebuilt by hundreds of fanatical players and DMs, and giving the fans a loud (yet cohesive) voice in the reconstructive process, WotC have done the impossible - Dungeons & Dragons (farewell, "Advanced") is now far superior to any other previous incarnation of itself.

The first thing that strikes you when you crack the cover is the bold new artwork. If you've played Magic, or love the convoluted machinations of Planescape, you will be delighted. Fans of older, more conservatively heroic styles (like me) will dearly miss the graceful touch of Larry Elmore, or even David Trampier. But the new look is infectious, and it (a) is evocative enough to get you into the mood for a game, and (b) actually illustrates key points in the internal logic of the rules. That's a huge bonus.

The bad news? Anyone who's played since 1st Edition (or before) is going to have a stroke. Ability scores have been stratified and cleaned (dare we say scoured?); bonuses and penalties are different from what they were before, Exceptional Strength is gone, Strength now progresses way beyond 25, Charisma actually matters, etc. What this all means is that the game is much more logical now, but your old characters may not fit comfortably into their new surroundings. For a game where a single character's story can often last for years, this can be a serious concern. The nail in the coffin for your old character is this: now, PCs actually gain attribute points (1 every 4 levels) as they progress. So, if you have an "old school" level 24 arch-mage, his stats are now 6 points lower than they should be in 3rd Edition!

The best aspect of the new system is its customized universality. What I mean by that is, you can make ANY kind of character. Gnomish Paladin? Go for it. Halfling Mage? No problem. Elvish Ranger/Druid/Monk? Hmmm, ask your DM, and come up with a great backstory, and you're good to go. It's a bit of a system shock for old-timers ("Gasp! A Dwarven Mage? No..."), but for everyone else, it becomes obvious even before the first game that every single character will be a unique creation, and by level 3 or so, the idea of "cookie cutter characters" entirely disappears. And with the new Feat system (which rewards all progressing characters with new abilities chosen by the player), even single-class Fighters are immediately and vastly different from one another!

A few brief class notes: Barbarians are back! Monks are back! Cavaliers are still missing in action (overshadowed by Paladins, as they always were), Acrobats are integrated into the existing rogue class, Assassins are missing (and lamented), and a new class, the Sorcerer, makes a wonderfully bright appearance.

And gameplay changes: Clerics can now turn undead only a few times per day, making this ability similar to a spell, and far more dramatic; mages can wear armor (if they don't mind their spells fizzling); proficiencies have been vaulted into the realm of a complete new skill system (you knew it was coming!); task management is now understandable and easy (if you take your 1st edition DMG, and look in the index under "Door," you'll see why old school Dungeon Masters lose their hair prematurely); Greyhawk is again the default world for official D&D (rejoice!); counterspells now exist (a nod to Magic: The Gathering); and to answer the question...

no, your 2nd Edition character won't fare too well through the conversion process.

This is the one (huge) problem I have with this amazing book. But when I slept on it, I decided this was actually a blessing. With all of the new rules for character design, customization, and growth potential, why not leave our old heroes in the vaunted halls of history? I, for one, am going to go roll up a new Half-Elven Ranger/Mage of Celene tonight, point my ears in the direction of the Free City of Greyhawk, and rejoice in the glorious heroic chants a new age. It's that kind of day.

It's not easy overturning 25 years of role-playing history, but the 3rd edition PHB takes on the job of cleaning up the most-played RPG in the world. It doesn't do too bad a job, either. Gone are the bizarre 18/% Strength rules, the 1-hit point/1 spell "magic user", and negative armor classes. Any race can now be any class, but bonuses come from the right combinations.

The real downside to the book is that it isn't very well suited for beginners. There's a lot of assumption of familiarity with earlier versions, and this can lead to confusion for new people. For example, a character's alignment is mentioned quite often in the character creation chapters, but isn't actually defined in depth until page 87. Granted, there is a nice glossary in the back that defines most terms, but unfortunately, it's not cross-indexed with the main text.

It is a good deal for the money, though. It weighs in at 228 clay-coated pages, fully illustrated, for a mere $19.95. If you're a long-time player, it could be just the fresh start you need. There is a free conversion guide on their website for owners of the older editions, so you won't have to toss all of your old 1st/2nd edition stuff. (Some stores have paper copies of this that you can get free with purchase.) The book also comes with a CD_ROM (Win 9x only) of a demo character generation program.

So pull out your swords and your Cheetos, and kill some Friday nights with the new version of the grand-daddy of RPGs!

I've been playing D&D since it came out, and it seems that each version gets better and better. The Third Edition is definitely a large step forward, based on the experience of thousands of RPers. The Player's Handbook in particular is incredible useful both for brand new gamers as well as experienced RPers looking for an updated rule set.

The artwork and layout of this book is FANTASTIC. It's amazing to compare this with some of the earliest books and realize how far things have come. The rich colors, great illustrations, easy to understand tables ... everything was done with the highest level of quality.

The rules themselves have been streamlined to the point where the game is easy, fun, consistant, and realistic. No more arbitrary rules 'just because'! Characters can now be customized and gameplay is very balanced.

Even level advancement and spells have been overhauled to give more options and to keep things simple.

As an additional bonus, the book comes with a demo version of a character generator! There are also a Character Record sheet to copy and use, a glossary, equipment charts, and much, much more.

I recommend this without hesitation to any gamer out there. If you can, buy a copy for yourself today. If you don't have the money, put it on your wish list for the holidays!

At first, when 3rd edition was announced, I was suspicious of WotC. I had thought it was just ruse for a money-making opportunity on a game that was slowly but surely being replaced by other table-top RPG's. But now after reading through the Players Handbook, I am impressed at how much better of a game they have created. The exceptions are far less and instead of telling you what your characters can't do, they tell you what abilities the diverse characters can have (particularly with new concepts such as skills and feats). Through this book, the new rules are very easy to learn thanks to the easy rule layout and the consistency of the various checks you make which are all made with the d20(instead of d10 for initiative, percentile for thieving, etc). Also the larger numbers are always better so you don't have to worry about going down in Armor Class or Thac0(the latter which doesn't exist and is replaced by an nicer check called the attack bonus). At the end of the book there is a character generation program on CDROM and a 3rd edition Character sheet (for photocopying purposes). For their great work, I congradulate WotC and can happily say that this book is precise, entertaining and obviously had a lot of thought and effort put into it. There is no doubts in my mind that it won't live up to the players expectations. If you are a player, new or old, I really recommend that you check this one out (you'll be surprised at how many people have reverted back to D&D from other tabletop RPG's!) All it takes is couple minutes playing and you'll wonder how you ever stood 2nd edition. Try it out...you'll see.

I'm an old hat to Dungeons and Dragons, starting with the D&D basic set in 1985, and playing both 1st and 2nd edition AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons). Even when this book was released, I was hesitant to pick it up, because I didn't want to learn and teach a whole new set of rules.

Now that I've read it, I have to say "Wow!"

The new Dungeons and Dragons has all the richness and depth of the original game, and rules which are unified, consistent, logical, and, above all, playable. Gone are the complicated charts, obscure tables, and "special rules." Combat is now quick and smooth, still dangerous, and characters are still allowed to try virtually anything (though they may pay dearly for it!). Magic is richer, giving wizards, clerics, druids, and sorcers more options, and allowing even low-level wizards to be moderately useful. The crowning gem in the new rules lies in the elegant, "d20" system for skills and feats, giving player characters extraordinarily broad choices, while still balancing power levels, and providing incentive to gain experience.

What impressed me most, however, is the professional layout, organization, and presentation. Wizards of the Coast has proven that they can design a tome that is both useful and informative, while being immersive and evocative. The Players' Handbook serves both as an essential reference, and as a thorough introduction to Dungeons and Dragons. It is certainly a "good read." Hats off to Wizards of the Coast!

It's about time.

WOTC has applied their lawyerly precision to the granddaddy of all role-playing games, and the result can only be described as cathartic.

The first impression a veteran gamer will have is that the visuals, the feel of the game have been given a major upgrade. Quality art and image are a definite plus in the RPG world and this book's art and layout is a major leap from such dismal products as the previous version of the Player's Handbook.

Diving into the rules, it becomes immediately apparent that making the game simpler and faster was a major priority. All classes now advance in levels at the same rate. Character attributes have been streamlined, the original six saving throws have been cut to three intelligently defined categories. Combat now has one (1!) initiative roll for an entire encounter. Annoying complexities like weapon speeds and size-based damage have been eliminated. Combat encounters will no longer bog down on die rolls and flipping through tables, although players will very likely be asking for more time to consider the many more tactical options they now have.

The flexibility of the new rules is almost alarming. A DM under the old rules was forever looking for rules to say "no, you cannot do that" to a particularly innovative player. The combat tactics and feats in the Third Edition emphasize trade-offs. If a high level fighter wants to use all of the attacks he is allowed in a round, his movement is restricted. If a person chooses to switch weapons in combat they must now consider how they switch (sheath the old weapon, or drop it?) and what they switch to (missile weapon? Melee weapon?). Poor choices could allow an opponent an "attack of opportunity," a marvelous addition to combat rules which adds all sorts of new dimensions to the standard "charge and attack" mentality. Race/level restrictions are gone - be anything you want, but some combinations are better than others. Gain attribute points as you increase levels, multi-class as you go along... It makes a DM's head spin.

The clarity of the rules, particularly in a topic as historically dreadful as spells is very impressive. While I am certain that my players will (as ever) come up with exotic ways of twisting a particular spell description, it is gratifying to see that spell descriptions have been made less ambiguous. The integrated layout (thankfully alphabetized across all levels and classes) eliminates previously standard questions like "anyone remember what level Wall of Force is?" as well as maddening entries like "This spell is exactly like the 4th level wizard spell of the same name..." (argh!).

The new PH contains twenty-odd pages at the end that give a skeletal view of creatures, magic items, and other essentials to begin Third Edition play immediately without the new DMG. They are an unfortunate and necessary workaround the release schedule of TSR. It is aggravating to read the section disclaimer and think that these pages in your brand-new book might contain rules that will be superceded, or discarded as soon as next month.

That aside, as a veteran of eighteen years of campaigning, I'm thrilled to have the new edition Player's Handbook on the shelf. It's a revision that will add new players to the fold, and serve as a shot in the arm for long-time gamers.

First of all, $19.95 for 288 pages packed with game material is the best deal that TSR and Wizards of the Coast has put out in a long time. Hopefully, this trend will continue in the future, and we'll see a lowering of the sky-rocketing prices of game products that occurred in the last decade.

The 3rd Edition Player's Handbook is more than just a 10-year update of its 2nd Edition. While retaining all that makes the Dungeons and Dragons game distinctive, including the hallowed six ability scores and character class system, the 3rd Edition ushers in several changes that help provide a much more consistent set of game mechanics.

Using the d20 system, which employs a d20 roll with modifiers added to that roll to determine success, 3rd Edition removes the various methods once used. For instance, 2nd Edition used percentile dice for thieving skill rolls, six-sided dice for detecting secret doors, and ten-sided dice for determining such things as initiative and surprise. In 3rd Edition, the other dice are still used, but to determine "how much," not "whether or not." This is not only much more convenient, but allows an easier comparison of abilities and difficulties across different types of actions.

The streamlined consistency extends also to the ability scores. Instead of various different modifiers and tables for each attribute, there is one master table for all ability scores. Modifiers are consistent throughout all abilities, so each ability is comparable, as is each modifier. A +1 Dexterity modifier means the same thing as a +1 Intelligence, or Wisdom bonus.

There are some significant changes, however...this edition is more than just updates of existing material. Some of the additions include Skills (which replace proficiencies), Feats (which are new abilities that modify or add to existing, class-based abilities), 8th- and 9th-level cleric and druid spells, a new, less bulky combat system, and the return of the barbarian and monk classes, as well as a new class, the sorceror.

Existing character classes have additional abilities--almost every level is meaningful. The multi-class system is much more balanced and understandable, while providing more, not fewer, options. Every character uses the same experience point table--he can use each character level to improve an existing class level. There are no longer separate experience point tables for each class--one level in the fighter class is equivalent to one level in the thief class, and the abilities are balanced to reflect this fact.

I could go on...suffice to say that this new edition is a refreshing change to the rules that is long overdue. There is one minor qualm I have about the 3rd Edition D&D, and that is the fact that this drive towards consistency did not reach all parts of the system. The character groups (warrior, rogue, wizard, priest) no longer exist. Each class seems like an agglomeration of various skills with a general theme. There is almost a sense of 1st Edition AD&D in this system. Still, that is characteristic of a class-level game system, which D&D remains, at heart. However, the 3rd Edition incorporates the flexibility of the skill system that has been so favored of RPGs in the past few years.

In the end, D&D remains the last true class-level system and stays true to its roots. I was extremely excited to see this book come out and my excitement has only been increased by my perusal of this book. Usually, I am very wary of the material coming out from TSR, especially of late, but this is truly a great start to a new edition of D&D. For the first time in a long time, I have found a D&D book that I actually like and may use without reservations.

Buy this book, fall in love with role-playing...or re-discover it.

After playing different versions for over 20 years, and having seen the gamut these rules have run, and invested a huge amount in each of the previous versions, I was not looking forward to another edition. Thankfully, these new rules are an improvement. WotC has done a great job packing a lot of information into a comparatively small space. Does it mean it might be a bit much to digest all at once? Yes, of course. However, there are enough examples to easily understand.

A quick summary of changes: all character classes use the same experience point table, increased use of skill-based classes rather than class-only skills, the multi-class function is replaced by an improved dual-class-type function, humanity has it's own (powerful) advantages to encourage players to make human characters again, no level limits, sensible attribute and armor class progressions. In addition, the magic system has been modified slightly from the late 2d ed magic manuals. And in general, there has been a strong move away from the rigidity that was paralyzing the game.

There is a much more open-ended feel to the game with the new rules. I actually look forward to exploring this with an enthusiasm not matched since moving from D&D to AD&D when it came out, so long ago.

In short, enjoy!

From what I have read so far, this is an EXCELLENT edition of the game. The WotC team did a wonderful job updating D&D to reflect the current personality of RPGs in general.

3E combines the best of a skill based RPG (like the popular Deadlands and L5R systems among others) with the classic level based system that has always been a part of D&D. The result is an exceptional system that is intuitive and solves many of the problems that were apparent in both 1st and 2nd Ed. D&D. The ability to truly customize your character will allow both new and veteran players a wide variety of true role playing opportunities. And finally 1st level characters have some TEETH and just might be a force to be reckoned with. My group may actually start at 1st rather than creating 3rd to 5th level characters just to make things interesting.

I highly encourage anyone who may have drifted away from D&D, due to dissatisfaction with the mechanics of the game, to give it another try. 3E represents an excellent time to "come home" to what is likely the first RPG that most gamers ever played. Fortunately, you will find that "home" has been renovated and is a much nicer place to visit.