Rating: 
Summary: This is an excellent resource...
Review: ...for harried DMs. I use it (obviously) for seeding my dungeons with treasure, but I also use it for ideas when creating new adventures. Unless your campaign is so magic-heavy that new magic items inspire yawns, I recommend this book. Please ignore the fact that someone did a "find and replace" on the word "mage" so that it would read "wizard." The result being that words like "image" became "imwizard."
Rating:
Summary: The hardcover is not a hardcover
Review: Amazon misleadingly lists the first printing of this book as a hardcover. This series was NEVER printed in hardcover form. The book listed as a hardcover is actually the original "bible" or "fancy" edition of the book. It comes with a faux-leather vinyl cover, fancy bible-quality paper, and two ribbon bookmarks that are sewn into the binding.Later printings (published after TSR was bought by Wizards of The Coast) have an embossed heavy-paper cover, lower-quality paper for the pages, and no bookmarks. These printings are billed as "softcover" by Amazon. There are no other versions than these two.
Rating:
Summary: The hardcover is not a hardcover
Review: Amazon misleadingly lists the first printing of this book as a hardcover. This series was NEVER printed in hardcover form. The book listed as a hardcover is actually the original "bible" or "fancy" edition of the book. It comes with a faux-leather vinyl cover, fancy bible-quality paper, and two ribbon bookmarks that are sewn into the binding. Later printings (published after TSR was bought by Wizards of The Coast) have an embossed heavy-paper cover, lower-quality paper for the pages, and no bookmarks. These printings are billed as "softcover" by Amazon. There are no other versions than these two.
Rating: 
Summary: Encyclopedia Magica is a MUST!
Review: Encyclopedia Magica vols 1-4 has to be one of the BEST Dungeons and Dragons accessories ever made and a definite must-have for every DM!
Within its 1664 pages, one finds magical item after magical item from various different worlds; from Oerth, Krynn, Toril and many others. It is a vast compilation of items and artifacts that have been published over the years in modules, adventures, accessories, magazines etc and are now presented in compact form for the convenience of us, the players. Presented alphabetically, with very good descriptions- including stating the origin- and with very nice art, Encyclopedia Magica is a great addition to anyone's collection. Myself, I proudly display my copies on my shelves for all to see and for me to admire.
In short, if you don't have the four Encyclopedia Magica volumes, GET THEM! It might take a bit of searching to locate the copies, but it's well worth it!
Rating:
Summary: Even if you don't play, you can just READ the book.
Review: Even if you don't have the other two volumes, this is enough- there are some 3000 items in the book- fairly enough to satiate your thirst for magic for some 50 years.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderous trove of the unexpected...
Review: I found the Encylopedia Magica volumes to be an incredible resource for my campaign. Some of my player's most deeply cherished items have come from random rolls on the treasure tables in this final volume. It also provide an easy way for me to find the descriptions of the magical items the players acquired for TSR modules. Outside of my camapgin, these books have been a tremendous resource in a tournament settings like the RPGA where magical items often have incomplete descriptions. Overall an excellent referrence on magical items.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderous trove of the unexpected...
Review: I found the Encylopedia Magica volumes to be an incredible resource for my campaign. Some of my player's most deeply cherished items have come from random rolls on the treasure tables in this final volume. It also provide an easy way for me to find the descriptions of the magical items the players acquired for TSR modules. Outside of my camapgin, these books have been a tremendous resource in a tournament settings like the RPGA where magical items often have incomplete descriptions. Overall an excellent referrence on magical items.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the finest AD&D Resource ever published.
Review: I have been playing D&D & AD&D over 20 years, and am very impressed with the "Encyclopedia Magica" series. If you are a gamer I strongly suggest you pick up these books, as they are superb, comprehensive reference books desribing thousands or magic items for AD&D. Reference material of this quality, complete with fine artwork, is rare and these are sure to become collectible-if you can stand to part with them!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome--good resource for DMs
Review: I'm sure every Dm has a little trouble figuring what new magical items to stump his players with. This resource solves the problem forever.With everything from amulets to daggers to "Goerl's Portable Tackle Box and Canoe" to dice to cards to boxes to bags to art to armor to axes to candles to boats to........... you get the point. There are plenty of items that are beneficial to your characters, and also a few that will annoy them or even be dangerous. There are some joke items, such as the Mystical Brown Coating Box or the above canoe and tackle box, some fun stuff, like flatboxes and cloaks of changing, some useful stuff, like magic carpets and amulets, some powerful stuff, like "The Tarot Deck of Many Things" some Artifacts, and even some cursed stuff. Essential for DMs, but not for players. This item also makes for some memorable moments. I'll always remember the time my players found the Candle of Convocation, which transports them to a high-school pep rally on a different plane of existence, and which they can't leave till they win the cheering contest. The players acted it out, and since our meetings have been outside (thanks to my parents). Anyway, this item is a must-have for all DMs, and if you get it, you will sure be satisfied.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Necessary
Review: Not a necessary addition to you library. The problem is that advanced PC's tend to identify any item found in a rule book fairly quickly. I prefer to give items based on mythology and fantasy books (maybe slightly altered) over ones in rule books. If you feel you really want these books however, I suggest you get 4 first so you get the index.
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