Rating: 
Summary: Awesome. Simply awesome
Review: This book is great. It is a great way to learn this awesome game. It is easy to learn but takes years to perfect (but who wants a perfect game?). I reccomend this book/game to anyone who likes role-playing or fantasy in general. So... bottom line, buy it. Its incredible fun.
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Summary: Third Edtion Dungeons and Dragons Looks Great!
Review: While not perfect, this book is certainly the best core-role book for a role-playing game I have ever read. The new rules are well-planned and easy to use, while still capturing the same feeling that Dungeons and Dragons has always had. The game has lost 90% of its difficulty without losing any of its depth. The best way to describe it to familiar players would be the combination of some core 2nd Edition rules, the best optional rules from the Player's Option books, and a few new rules to fill the gaps.Some of the changes will take getting used to, but they all work quite well. The biggest change is the revised combat system. It takes a few hours to get used to, but once you do, it is amazing. Combat is probably the topic debated most during the prerelease hype of this book, but one really cannot pass judgement until they have tried it. Another much debated change is the revision of spell levels. Now all spells, both arcane (formerly wizard) and divine, (formerly priest) are ranked from level 0 to level 9. This tends to make high level cleric characters more balanced. The return of cantrips from 1st Edition is also welcome. As far as character options go, the list is greatly expanded. A number of 1st Edition favorites have returned, including half-orcs as a player character race, and barbarians and monks as class options. In addition, a new class, called the sorcerer, is capable of spontaneous casting of arcane magic. This parallels the scholarly, studious wizard. The proficiency system has been replaced with skills, reminiscent of Skills & Powers. Also, the addition of feats, which are extraordinary, and often dramatic, abilities of characters add a lot of color to the game without unbalancing it. The abilities of the classes are familiar to an experienced player, but each class has just enough new abilities and color that a player probably will not be satisfied until they have a chance to create a character of each class. Each of the seven races are also interesting and unique. The fact that a character of any race is now eligible for any class, and to any multiclass combination they desire creates the possibility for a lot of interesting characters. At present, only seven base races are available. Apparently subraces, as well as new high-level classes called prestige classes, will be available in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The skill system is as easy as the proficiency system ever was, while adding a lot more flexibility while making more sense. The major advantage to skills over proficiencies is that skills get better over time. Once a 2nd Edition character took a proficiency, it was never likely to increase, whereas skills are meant to be improved. Also, the feat system clarifies a lot of things that were always ambiguous or overly complicated in previous editions, such as magic item creation and heroic effects for warriors. The spell system is cleaned up very nicely. Any spell, no matter who is casting it, has the same effect. Specifically, there are no longer wizard and priest versions of the same spell. A Dispel Magic by a cleric, wizard, sorcerer, etc, is exactly the same. Another nice fix to the spell system is that there are no longer reversible spells. If the spell had a reverse, each is written up as a separate spell. The spell list is much longer than in previous editions. It seems like this book contains almost all of the spells from the 2nd Edition PHB, as well as the best spells from the Tome of Magic and Spells & Magic, along with quite a few new spells. In addition, the spell section of the 3rd Edition PHB is peppered with useful diagrams and pictures of spell effects. The combat system is both simple and elegant. It breaks down exactly what a character can do in combat, and offers good examples of the different maneuvers and strategies. It also makes it very easy for the DM to adjudicate what happens when a character tries something unusual or nonstandard in combat. Everything is broken down into a few simple types of action, and classifying something new is not difficult. The biggest change to the combat system is absence of THAC0. All characters now have an easy to calculate bonus to hit, which is added to an attack roll. Once a player gets used to the new combat system, they will not miss the old one. Another benefit of this combat system is that while it does not require miniatures, it fully supports them. There is no need to buy another book (Remember Combat & Tactics?) if you wish to use miniature combat. The quality of this book is unparalleled. The book has dozens of color illustrations scattered throughout. Unlike 2nd Edition, these pictures are usually connected to the text in some way, often depicting difficult to describe situations or spell effects. At the same time, a non-gamer could enjoy just looking at the pictures. An additional bonus is the Character Generator CD attached inside the back cover. This useful utility takes care of all the dirty work in character creation, letting you quickly design and print your character on a PC. Also, despite fears that the cover would look gaudy or silly, in person it looks very good, and it perfectly captures 'the look' of D&D. On the whole, I am very pleased with this book, as I have probably let on. I am sure that there are a lot of people unwilling to 'Make the Change,' as the Wizards of the Coast advertising put it, but every D&D fan should really give these rules a fair chance. Also, these rules are far more user-friendly and less intimidating than previous editions, making this the perfect role-playing game for new players. D&D has always been the most popular role-playing game for a lot of reasons, and these rules only make it better.
Rating:
Summary: 3rd Edition Players Handbook
Review: Stunning art work, new and revised rules, and a great price!? This is a must have for the gaming fanatic!
Rating:
Summary: 3rd Edition Players Handbook
Review: Stunning artwork, updated rules including new rules allowing any race to be any class and a price you can not argue with. I must have for the gaming fanatic.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: This is a great book. They really did a lot of work to make third edition the best. The spells are concisly written (Even if my spelling isn't) and the artwork is stunning.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: They really put in a lot of work on this edition. The spells are explained well including point of origin for spells like lightening bolt.... And the art is great. Can't wait to get into a campaign that is all 3rd edition
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Summary: New D&D Worth The Wait
Review: The long awaited Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Players Handbook brings the grandfather of table top role-playing games into the 20th century, with a huge leap including an entirely new system, bringing back some old classes, and getting rid of the old "mage" in exchange for the new and considerably differant "sorceror". All in all, I like the new layout, the changes, and the fact that they give you a free character generator CD-Rom alot more than I originally thought I would when its release was first announced oh-so-long-ago.
Rating:
Summary: The new edition is great
Review: The new edition is excellent. The rules are MUCH more flexible and the classes are more balanced. Aslo, the rules are explained in a very simple and understandable manner.
Rating:
Summary: A must for any RPGer
Review: Excellent material. The rules are clear and precise, yet open enough to encompass a broad range of options. The classes are well balanced and there are enough feats and skills to make each character unique. And on top of that, the book has a great layout and well thought out chapters. Diagrams explain the area of effect of a lot of spells, which will dissipate many old discussions just by looking at them. The same goes for the weapons; now you can see the relative size of each other. Also now you can see what the most obscure weapons look like. The CD included is not that useful, and if you got Dragon magazine #274 you already have it. It contains an adventure and a demo of a character generator, which is not a great thing, as I like to throw my dice and write them down on a paper with a pencil.
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Summary: Third Time's the Charm
Review: I first played Dungeons & Dragons over twenty years ago. Although I fell out of role playing games some seven or so years ago, I kept tabs on what was going on as an outsider. Then, in August of 1999 I heard that a Third Edition of my all time favorite role playing game was being produced. Like many others I followed the news on its progression and development over the past year. The more I heard, the more I got excited. Now, the Third Edition Player's Handbook has been released and I am not disappointed. I was hoping to return to my role playing days and upon reviewing the contents of the first Core Rule Book, not only am I back -- I feel welcomed. Nearly everything about the new edition is appealing. The actual mechanics of the centralized d20 system should make fans of veteran gamers and new players alike. The actual design of the Player's Handbook is rather quite striking as well. While personal taste is a matter of opinion, the effort here to create and establish a "mood" for the role playing game has not been overlooked. So, it appears that I am back into Dungeons & Dragons, maybe for another twenty plus years. And, if the Player's Handbook is any indication of the quality of the "new" D&D, I won't be taking another sabbatical from playing. I have "Returned to the Dungeon".
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