Rating: 
Summary: The numbers really do add up.
Review: Wizards had the advantage this time of a higher expectation for 3rd edition than TSR had for 2nd edition, but there's no doubt still plenty of people that are holding out. However, Wizards really delivered on their promise of a system that adds up better and plays quicker. This is truly a complete revamping of the rules, and the changes look to be for the better. I recommend this book to all D&D players, don't hold out over political or quasi-religious reasons. Read the rules for yourself, you'll be impressed.
Rating:
Summary: Best D&D players handbook yet
Review: This book has it all. Firstly, it is much larger than any of the previous players handbooks, and it covers almost everything you need to know to be able to play the game. Character race descriptions, weapons, magic and spells, and many other things are all described coherently and layed out in an easy to read form. The artwork and drawings are really good too, I think it has the best artwork in a D&D book yet. I only wish there were more drawings of monsters and some detailed descriptions of them... I guess I'll have to wait unitl the new Monster manual comes out... definitely a book worth buying!
Rating: 
Summary: Very Much Impressed
Review: I've been playing D&D since 1980. I've played First Edition,Second Edition, and now, it seems, I'll be playing Third. I'm impressed with the streamlining that this version undertakes. Gone are many of the cumbersome tables, condensed and distilled into a basic form. Lots of excellent illustrations really give you a feel for what it is you're dealing with. Weapons, armor, equipment...all are illustrated, mostly to scale. This edition seems to put more emphasis on the role-playing aspect of the game, rahter than the cumbersome rules structure which was, IMO, the downfall of the Second edition. Finally, it's a well-designed package, definitely the best Player's Handbook to date. Congratulations and Good job to everyone that worked on this.
Rating:
Summary: Totally new rues a major improvement
Review: Jonathan Tweet, the man behind the great game Ars Magica and everyone else who created this book did a brilliant job. The new rules are a bit confusing at first, but overall they are a vast improvement. The new races (Half-orc etc.) and the new classes (monk etc.) are great. The new rules are just unbelievable. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys spending a few hours in a world not yur own.
Rating:
Summary: Great! 3rd Edition is the Best
Review: This is the best edition of D&D in a long time. Finally new rules and a streamlined system. This is a new begining for TSR/WotC and I hope they keep it up. If you were disappointed by 2nd Edition (I was) then give this a try, you won't regret it, can't wait to see the DMs Guide and Monstor Manual and really get rolling on a 3E campaign
Rating:
Summary: Need Make over
Review: This book brings the need makeover and reshaping that has been need for the dungeons and dragon series!!
Rating:
Summary: 3rd Edition Rules! Or maybe not....
Review: Wow! The latest iteration of the all-time classic role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. This is probably the most anticipated gaming publication to be released in the past two years. Why? I'm not really sure. Most of the material inside is but a glossing over of what has been published in numerous articles and player letters over the past five years in Dragon Magazine. Not to mention the thousands of fan sites that exist on the web. But here it is in one location for the world to peruse, abuse, and diffuse. New rules, character revamps, spell options, and other changes have once again infused new life into an old standby. If you play regularly, and have to have ALL the stuff, by all means, purchase this book. You won't be sorry. The artwork alone is worth the price of admission. If you do buy it and are in the middle of a campaign, don't introduce 3rd Ed. rules now; they could unbalance the game considerably. I would recommend waiting until the Dungeon Master's guide comes out (next month) and then use that to revamp your game with the 3rd Ed. rules. IMHO, more could have been done with character background development. This can be an important part of attribute development as well as a great source of information for campaign development. I think you'll enjoy it. I certainly will...
Rating:
Summary: A Long-Awaited Release Proves Worthy
Review: Since GenCon 1999 we've known that Wizards of the Coast would be publishing a new revision of their venerable roleplaying game industry leader, Dungeons & Dragons. The announcement of the third edition was met with cheering, and in the year since, the anticipation has been thick in gaming circles. Online forums dedicated to sharing any and all information available on the newest version srung up literally overnight. Fan debate was thick from the beginning, with both avid hobbyists and NDA-bound playtesters were quick to share ideas about the latest rules. Though leaks were nonexistant, what WoTC chose to release to the public each month was quickly dissected and argued. Thus, the year sped by. August 10, 2000. GenCon 2000, and "Third Edition Thursday" arrive. Stores all across the nation sell out as hobbyists everywhere scramble for copies of the new book. Words are digested in the thousands, and new debates ensue. The book? Absolutely packed with information. The organization? Fabulously executed, with alphabetical spells and comprehensive indexes. The art? Stunning, full color, border bleed on every single page. Consistent art from those masters who worked on this add to the immersive quality and "experience" of delving into this tome. From the moment you open this book you are swept away into a fantasy world. The rules are well-detailed and easy to follow. Both experts and novices will appreciate the examples and clarifications made throughout. Quite simply, this is the single best looking roleplaying rulebook I have ever laid my hands on in over 18 years of experience. I was humbled to be holding it in my hands. So, the long wait is over, and the final product is before us. The book does not disappoint in the slightest. It has lived up to the hype it was given, and seems poised to stand the test of time. This is destined to become a classic, and in the years ahead, 10 August, 2000 will be a day which holds special meaning to all those who follow this hobby.
Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous update of the classic system
Review: I had a chance to peruse this new tome at Wizard World in Chicago a week before its release at GenCon, and now -- it's here! All in all, I'd say it's worth the hype. At 304 gorgeous full-color pages in hardback, with a character creation CD-ROM in the back, this is probably the best bargain we've seen in the AD&D (ahem, excuse me, D&D) line in over a decade. System-wise, the changes from AD&D Second Edition aren't earth-shattering, so people can probably convert their long-running campaigns without too much trouble. At the same time, they are enough different that I'd recommend purchasing this book, rather than merely scanning a friend's. It remains to be seen if the promise shown here will extend to the rest of the system (the new Dungeon Master's Guide is due before the end of the year), but all the same I would recommend this book to any die-hard gamer.
Rating:
Summary: The Third Wave
Review: For those of you who have loved D&D as long as I have, fear not. The third edition Players Handbook is easy to understand and offers simple transformation from the earlier books. Embrace it for what it is the next generation of the most popular Role Playing Game in the world.
|
