Rating: 
Summary: Sleek and wholey useful
Review: To start off, the book looks wonderful. It is sleek and stylish. The medeival leatherbound look inspires the deepest reccesses of your soul to create the best and most courageous warrior or sly and stealthy thief. Merely looking at the cover makes one feel all powerful in the depths of these dungeons.This edition works very well. The writers trimmed the system down. They have made the rules a little bit easier and tighhten up the whole system. Though, of course, the system is not changed dramatically at all. It is an excellent update to this time-honored system. Inside. Oopen to a random page, and what do you see? Amazing artwork. It's exquisite. Pages and pages of amazing pictures and illustrations pepper the book with that extra bit of mystique and charm. So, when the game is still as great as it was before, what can I really say? It's a good deal; I'd buy it just to look at. But hey, there's a game in there too. "To play is human, the look? Divine." -me (I'm so conceited.... ;) )
Rating:
Summary: IT IS GOOD.
Review: Wow, it's good. Very good. No race restrictions; the new Sorceror, Barbarian, and Monk classes; the Half-Orc; the new definitions for Elves and Halflings; and of course the streamlines rules. Finally, a high roll is always good. Finally, the rules are consistent and coherent. Combat is fast, weapons are more interesting, and the excellant Feat system enables every character to be unique. Actually, the Feat system is a LOT like the Skill system in Diablo 2. WotC and Blizzard seem very friendly, what with the system similiarities, Diablo supplements and campaign setting, and customer Diablo miniatures designed by WotC. Very interesting. Anyway, 3E rocks. The rules make the game much more fun and less static. In the old game, once you've played one Human Fighter you've pretty much played them all. Now, with the Feat system, each class and race opens up thousands of possibilities. And the ability score reset is *nice*. Now, bonuses start with +1 for 12-13 and go up by +1 every two scores. I really hated how you had to have a 16 in a score to make a difference in AD&D 2nd Ed. Even with all the (welcome and overdue) changes, the game still *feels* like D&D. In fact, it feels more like D&D than AD&D 2nd Ed. If you were first introduced to D&D back in the early 80's, with the old blue and red Basic sets, then you'll love 3E. If you enjoyed the possibilities of the Kit expansions in 2nd Ed but hated the lack of balancing and hodge-podge rules, you'll love the open and consistent 3E. D&D 3E now stands as the finest, most fun RPG on the planet. And that free CD-ROM, complete with a Character Generator program and a free adventure module, is quite cool. It's a while-supplies-last freebie, so get the PHB today.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent addition to the D&D name!
Review: I've been an RPGer for sometime. I decided to pick up this book and see the new D&D for myself. This book is BEAUTIFULLY done. First of all, the book has excellent artwork and has been very carefully edited. Each page is in color and boasts a glossy finish. Physically, the high production value makes this one of the best (if not the best) made RPG books in my collection. The system is very solid. It still has the feel of D&D but I feel that it is much less cumbersome. The high quality shows that this has been heavily playtested. If you are familiar with D&D it won't take you long to learn the new rules. One final point, check out the price. Today, RPG rule books go for around $30-$35. This is only $20. If you enjoy D&D, do yourself a favor and pick it up!
Rating:
Summary: Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons Debuts with Style
Review: The Player's Handbook for the third edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game has only been out for a day now, but it has already shown itself to be the start of a wonderful new era for fantasy role-playing gamers. The book is absolutely beautiful with a little less artwork than was found in previous editions, but with all the art having value and usually being relevent to the surrounding text. The 288 pages are packed full of text, which is unfortunately a little small and hard to read when you've been staring at it for six hours, but that's a minor complaint. Where the book really shines, though, is in the new rules system it describes. Dungeons and Dragons has been taken through a major leap in the evolution of role-playing, and the result is a solid game which makes sense all the way through. From the standard mechanic which uses twenty-sided dice to resolve most situations (with a high roll always being best!) to the new philosphy of defining classes in terms of what they CAN do but never what they CAN'T, this game really shines. In fact, after looking in detail through the book and discussing it with my fellow gamers, I have found only two things I did not like: The continuing system of limiting spellcaster's maximum spell level by their "prime requisite" and the lack of a place to mark down what order classes were taken and how many hit points were gained at each level on the character sheet (conveniently provided for photocopying in the back). Don't get me wrong, though, those minor problems cannot compare to the literally hundreds of improvements I have found through the rest of the book, in format, game rules, artwork, spell descriptions, and so many other aspects I couldn't even begin to describe them. Please excuse my rushed style and poor grammar throughout this review-- I'm just a little excited about getting to spend another evening getting acquainted with the new edition of one of the world's oldest (and now once again best) role-playing games. Perhaps I should quit typing now before I gush another 350 words. Let me just finish with this: If you have any interest in role-playing games, pick up a copy of this book. Even if you have no intention of ever playing the D&D game, by the time you finish reading this book, you may find you have changed your mind.
Rating:
Summary: A great step forward for the game
Review: I've been waiting for the 3rd Edition of Dungeons & Dragons for a long time, and the wait is finally over. Impressive... very impressive. There's still a bit of a learning curve for newcomers, but old D&D gamers will find that the rules have been streamlined and improved. My group has already started using them (word of advice: the new character sheets are okay, but I'd recommend creating your own rather than buying them... it's more fun that way). The new combat system takes a few minutes to get used to, but after that you'll be amazed how much faster the game goes. The new PHB also has great new illustrations. Although I've never been a fan of the Magic card game, I've admired the art and Wizards of the Coast obviously brought a lot of talented artists to Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition. If you're a D&D player, this book is a must buy. And it's actually cheaper than the 2nd Edition that came out over 10 years ago! Too bad we have to wait another month for the Dungeon Masters Guide.
Rating:
Summary: Simplified without dumbing down the game.
Review: If you are new to Dungeons and Dragons, it is good that you waited until now. This book makes it a snap to learn the new system, at least compared to the old one. If you are an old-timer, you will also want this one. Gone are the days of needless restrictions. Now you have options instead. The DM (Dungeon Master) is the authority on what kind of character you may create, not some text. The game has embraced its fantasy roots, admitting that it is not an accurate depiction of historical medieval life. If you are looking for that, it could be done, but would require some tweaking. In keeping with this new way of thinking, the artwork has also changed, becoming a bit darker and grittier. Idealy, each player in a group will need a copy of this book, and one player will need the Dungeon Master's Gude and the Monster Manual, but you can have a fun time using only this book.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing re-write of the D&D system.
Review: I must say that I was skeptical of all the talk surrounding the 3rd edition of D&D. Once I had the PH in my hands I was impressed, to say the least. The artwork is superb and this much attention to detail is unheard of in the RPG industry. It has sparked my interest in the D&D game and I look forward to playing characters in this system. The new rules give enormous flexibility to the character classes. This allows people to play tried and true classes but with a completely different spin from the stereotypical mode. Anyone who has played D&D in the past and has become disenfranchised with the game should give it a second chance with the release of the 3rd edition material.
Rating:
Summary: Great New Game System For the Oldest Game
Review: While AD&D has had the best fantasy flavor of any role-playing game , it has lacked a solid gaming mechanics platform ... until now. The new 3rd edition retains the best of D&D while introducing new mechanics that are easier, more realistic and more likely to expand a characters depth. Overall, the best thing to happen to the gaming world in years. Thanks, Wizards of the Coast, someone is finally running with the ball!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Layout and artwork
Review: Highlight this first entry by Wizards of the Coast into the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons. The book is very well thought out and the layout is terrific. The highlight of the new edition of now Dungeons & Dragons is the versatility and flexibility of the rules. They are easy to understand and very well described. A great start to a new era.
Rating:
Summary: Production Values meet Creative Gaming!
Review: It's about time. I, like many other Gamers, have watched the WOTC juggernaut gobble up smaller game companies, and lo, did I mourn when I found that they were retiring the TSR brand. Betrayed, felt I. Then I broke down and got the D&D 3E Player's Handbook. It's D&D the way I've always played it. House rules my players and I have used for years are now standards. Everything works on the D20 scale, allowing for new players to pick up the game mechanics quickly. Ability bonuses are a snap, and the table (there's only one, just like OD&D) is easily memorized for the DM's use. Then there's the book itself. Okay, I was partial to the Larry Elmore covers of the 2nd Edition and the classic 1983 release of OD&D and after, but the jewelled tome look is very classy, and well done. The interior art surpasses anything that has been done before in any RPG overall. Individual artwork from previous books may have been better, but the consistency of the art quality in this book is superior. There are illustrations for EVERYTHING, from spell effect areas to a race and gender comparison of all the races. All in all, this is a great book for beginners and seasoned role-players alike. It simplifies AD&D to a degree while maintaining the rules integrity and makes for an awesome game. I'm just waiting for the DMG to hit...
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