Rating: 
Summary: Solid resource, especially for v3.5
Review: (3.5 stars) This is a great collection of new and previously-published material for players and DMs alike. For those complaining about the cherry-picking from other titles, I'd much rather have this one resource, completely updated for v3.5, than having to scour older books and magazines full of out-of-date info.The three new core classes (Hexblade, Samurai & Swashbuckler) are solid additions to those in the PHB; the Prestige Classes are pretty diverse, though in some cases rather narrowly targeted; and the new skills and feats are invaluable for anyone interested in truly customizing their combat abilities.
Rating: 
Summary: If you don't own Sword and Fist......
Review: ....then indeed this book is for you. This book has a plethora of useful information. I really do enjoy it. However, there are those of you who aren't going to "do" 3.5 and will not get this product no matter what anyone says. That's your right! Still though I say give things a chance. No it's not a "must have" but the "new core classes" alone make it worth the money. If you are looking to make your "Martial" character have a little more dimension then this is the book for you!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent overall
Review: I don't know what everybody else is complaining about. This offering is excellent overall. Although much of the material is reproduced from previous releases, it is updated for 3.5 and there is a lot of original material as well. The three new base classes are well thought out and balanced. The samurai, of course, appeared in Oriental Adventures, but this samurai is changed (and, frankly, much more like a samurai than the original samurai), with the weapon empowerment ability being moved to the kensai prestige class. Those prestige classes that are reprinted from previous works (Sword and Fist, Tome and Blood, etc.)have been updated and some of them have undergone such dramatic changes that they are the same in name only (like the Exotic Weapon Master). Many of the prestige classes are completely new, however. The feat section includes many feats that were printed in the softcover books, but also includes some new ones. In particular, the weapon style feats and tactical feats are new and interesting additions. The last thing that stuck out was the inclusion of a warrior pantheon. This pantheon can be used in its entirety or god by god just to fill in the gaps in other pantheons. As a whole, this was well-thought out and a happy addition to the 3.5 library. It is especially worthwhile if you have not purchased the softcover supplements (as I had not). I only give it four stars because--as always, it seems--this supplement suffers from numerous editorial errors. That, unfortunately, seems to be a problem that will forever plague D&D books.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent collection
Review: I found this book extremely well worth the money. It collects alot of the Prestige classes from older books so you don't have to go and spend $200 to access them all. Some people have complained that the updated versions of the classes in this book are "inferior" or watered down. Those classes that were modified were "broken" to begin with. "Broken" meaning they were unbalanced or overly powerful. If you don't want to spend tons of money to acquire all the unbalanced classes and such, and want to have One book to tote around instead of 7 or 8, then I reccomend this book. If you enjoy needing to lug around a backpack with 40 pounds of books, and like power-gaming just pass it on the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: A good buy
Review: I found this book very useful. It filled in the details about what feats and prestige classes were included in 3.5 from the expansion books. The prestige classes aren't just for fighter subclasses which is good and there are some a few interesting fighting styles.
Rating:
Summary: A Tad Disappointing
Review: I picked this up under the mistaken impression that it contained updated prestige classes from all the builder books. It's basically a 3.5 update of the p-classes, feats, etc. from one of those books (Sword and Fist) and related material from Dragon Magazine. There are a few new nifty new bits in here. It's a nice resource to have around and it can inspire some neat character concepts and campaign ideas. The section on War in the back is poor and doesn't really fit into the rest of the book well. All told there wasn't quite enough content here to justify the $26 to me. This is still a good book for someone who is a frequent and hardcore gamer. This is a poor choice if you're a twice-a-month gamer or have a small budget.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy even as a DM's resource
Review: I'm a sad and addicted geek, and I know it. D&D 3.5 has been a pleasant surprise, and the most pleasant surprise of all in the new system is the notion of Prestige Classes. Basically, they're uber-specialized classes that one has to qualify for in the more basic core classes (ie: Fighter, Paladin, Wizard, etc.)
With an eye for the martial, this book goes through many different styles of character class. First, it introduces three new 'core' classes, levelled one to twenty. The three new classes include the Hexblade, a sort of warrior with a minor aside in curses, hexes, and other arcane bits of might, the Samurai, which are as you'd imagine, and the Swashbuckler - one class I know my group, who is fond of sailing-ship adventures, is likely to enjoy.
This is followed by a variant Paladin and Ranger for low-magic campaigns. Then come the Martial Prestige classes - which include such greats as the Tattooed Monk, the Hunter of the Dead, and the classic elven Bladesinger.
This was one of the more worthier books in 3.5 that I've bought, and even if my players don't avail themselves of the classes, the option of these classes and prestige classes definitely adds to a DM's repetoire of martial-focused villains and support NPCs. Definitely a plus!
'Nathan
Rating:
Summary: Worthy even as a DM's resource
Review: I'm a sad and addicted geek, and I know it. D&D 3.5 has been a pleasant surprise, and the most pleasant surprise of all in the new system is the notion of Prestige Classes. Basically, they're uber-specialized classes that one has to qualify for in the more basic core classes (ie: Fighter, Paladin, Wizard, etc.)
With an eye for the martial, this book goes through many different styles of character class. First, it introduces three new 'core' classes, levelled one to twenty. The three new classes include the Hexblade, a sort of warrior with a minor aside in curses, hexes, and other arcane bits of might, the Samurai, which are as you'd imagine, and the Swashbuckler - one class I know my group, who is fond of sailing-ship adventures, is likely to enjoy.
This is followed by a variant Paladin and Ranger for low-magic campaigns. Then come the Martial Prestige classes - which include such greats as the Tattooed Monk, the Hunter of the Dead, and the classic elven Bladesinger.
This was one of the more worthier books in 3.5 that I've bought, and even if my players don't avail themselves of the classes, the option of these classes and prestige classes definitely adds to a DM's repetoire of martial-focused villains and support NPCs. Definitely a plus!
'Nathan
Rating:
Summary: A good compilation
Review: I've read bad reviews for this book and almost went without buying this one. Our local store got this book in, I flipped through it to see what was so bad. I bought it on a whim just to say I have it. Well, now I use it. Sure it only introduces a few new core classes, but the prestige classes and the feats alone make it worth the money. The coverage of wars was pretty good. I'm giving this one a 5 star rating just because of the readily available information. I don't have to search and search for that feat or prestige class I read about somewhere. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Necessary, but a little dissapointing
Review: It contains enough new content that it is practically necessary (esp for any LG players out there) but it contains so much rehashed old information it should almost have been 1/2 price for anyone that has Sword and Fist et all.
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