Rating: 
Summary: A New Edition for a New Generation.
Review: I've heard a lot of yeas and a lot of nays for Third Edition, but I must give it an ethusiastic HUZZAH! I gave up trying to teach myself Second Edition after making ZERO headway over a week's time. I picked up the Third Edition Players' Handbook and had three characters and was raring to go after fifteen minutes.The artwork in the new edition is nothing short of stunning--this coming from a computer animation major at Arizona State University. The art alone made this book worth buying. I've heard a lot of negative things regarding the layout and clarity of the writing, but I find it relatively easy to understand; anyone that has at least graduated high school should be able to comprehend this stuff--if not, then you have my sincerest condolences. Overall, I'll give this book my own five-star stamp of approval. The easier-to-learn, more flexible rules and the striking artwork are bound to bring a new generation of gamers into the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Kudos to Wizards of the Coast for revamping a classic game for a new generation of gamers!
Rating:
Summary: Who Let the Spells Out!!
Review: Great book!. Makes all the sesions that I have with my friends really fun. Everything is arranged perfectly, except for a few charts that are not very important. Our DM is even thinking about buying spare ones for emergencies. Don't know what a spell does, look it up! Need to level up your character, look it up! It is easy to use and the picture are excellent. If you play D&D you need this!
Rating:
Summary: Fears unfounded.... Mostly
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Vast Improvement over 2nd Edition
Review: After having bought all three core rulebooks and played with the rules for a while, I can say with certainty that the new system is much improved over 2nd Edition AD&D. One of the biggest things you notice when using 3rd Edition is that all the different areas of the game fit together much more nicely than in previous editions of D&D, and while it does take a while to get used to the different calculations and such that are required, they're much easier to do on the fly once you have used the formulas for a bit.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better organized
Review: Well, I'm dissappointed in the layout and usefullness of the books (DMG, PHB). The rules are better, for sure, but almost impossible to read and find in these poorly written manuals. I'd be ashamed at the lack of clarity in this writing. Were there no editors around to check spelling, grammar and layout? These are supposed to be usefull game tools, not artisitc creations. Poorly done WOTC.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Best
Review: I have played 2nd ed. with some friends for a while, and then this came out. I got it as fast as I could and read it cover to cover. I now DM my own Forgotten Realms Campaign, an we are loving it! "The lower the better" armor class junk is gone, as is that 18/## Strength rating. They have made A LOT of changes, and all I think make the game run a lot smoother. It is a great bargin at only 20 bucks, so it is a great bargin too!
Rating:
Summary: D&D is Back!
Review: A worthy succesor to the "D&D" name! This is the most excited I have been about D&D since I got a hold of the Monster Manual back in '79. 1st edition players should love it. It takes some getting used to, but in the end it is still the game I have loved to play since I was a kid! Great job Wizards!
Rating:
Summary: better and better
Review: Really a must have for anyone who has played AD&D or for newbies... the new system rules rulez.....
Rating: 
Summary: Very good total redoo!!
Review: I read a lot of the reviews about the new system and what I heard mostly was that the rules were better but the romance or the old feel was gone. I have a couple of things to say about that: First, the old feel has to a lot to do with YOU!! The way you role play and the charcter concepts and bacgrounds and how complete your characters and game idea keep the romance and feel of D&D the same or better. Second, too many of you are locked into 'this race does this and that race does that'... I remember on reveiw that rebuked the half-orc paladin... and the elven paladin and then all the other races as a paladin. Why does every member of the race have to be like every other member of the race?? Whatever happened to playing the character that goes against the rest of the races veiws... reading this means that, according to second edition, that Drizzt could have NEVER been a ranger because he was DROW!! I believe that if you were going to play a Orc paladin you better have a good background, but it's possible. We have been playing elven and half elven paladins for years... as long as they have a good Background and play the character well. Anyway, I think the new rules are excellent, they fill a lot of gaps that were left in first and second editions. There is still a bit to be filled in, but Dragons actually are powerful and multiclass rules make more sense. The different weapons and the proficiency rules are good. All in all a great way to see D&D go.
Rating:
Summary: Great improvement (fixed all the bugs)
Review: It's been a few years since I played D&D, but I knew my tattered well worn Player's Handbook so well, that I could probably tell you not only what page any given rule was on, but what column and what paragraph. I also knew well the many glaring errors, that as DM I tried to make up for, but am happy to say they are now all fixed: Meaningful ability scores (so scores between 8 and 14 now matter), balanced rogues (so they aren't the expendable pushovers they used to be, though they were still my favorite), rational multiclassing (and humans who multiclass), non pathetic 1st level spell casters, rational saving throws (so that those fun 2nd level cleric spells like cause blindness might be useful), and much more (clarified combat, clarified backstab, infravision, unified skill system, reasonable damage modifiers, flexible spell memorization, flexible spell casting, etc) Perhaps the only flaw with the new edition is the lack of fictional asides. The little story snippets that set the mood, which of course I ignored while I was playing, but I love now. I love the Mage books for that reason. It still lacks the emphasis on character personality, and sometimes, I long for the flexibility of Gurps, but I can understand their unwillingness to change too much a good thing. 2nd edition players should feel right at home, in a new streamlined, flaw fixed system. And so on that note, they have done a tremendous job.
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