Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
The first of three core rulebooks for the 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons® Roleplaying Game.
TheDungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game has defined the medieval fantasy genre and the tabletop RPG industry for more than 30 years. In the D&D game, players create characters that band together to explore dungeons, slay monsters, and find treasure. The 4th Edition D&D rules offer the best possible play experience by presenting exciting character options, an elegant and robust rules system, and handy storytelling tools for the Dungeon Master.
The Player's Handbook presents the official Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game rules as well as everything a player needs to create D&D characters worthy of song and legend: new character races, base classes, paragon paths, epic destinies, powers, more magic items, weapons, armor, and much more.
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition Accessories
 Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition
Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1)
Dungeons and Dragons Core Rulebook Gift Set, 4th Edition
Adventurer's Vault: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement
Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Screen
Thunderspire Labyrinth (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H2)
Forgotten Realms Player's Guide: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement (Forgotten Realms Supplement)
Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, 4th Edition
Pyramid of Shadows (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H3)
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition Reviews
When as a fighter you can fight and push an enemy into a trap using certain maneuvers, it becomes a bit more fun to be one. For one, I can make a character in roughly 10 minutes(if I don't worry about creating a backstory). It turns out, it is incredibly fun to play and the way everything functions is actually very fluid. As for the way this system works while actually playing it, it is great and immersive. In short the game becomes more strategic and fun as you are given more options. As someone who was very skeptical about the 4th edition I can say confidently that it is better than 3.5 edition. One thing that is the cause of this drastic reduction in time over the other systems is that they combined many different skills into a broader category. Or as an ranger-archer style when you can fire 2 arrows at once, or cripple an attacker by attacking their feet.
For one thing, wizards never run out of spells, which is a vast improvement, I mean wizards are such a cool class but when they ran out of spells they used to be useless, now they still have spells they can use at will ones as much as they want. The same goes with all other characters. Anyway the system is an improvement if you give it an honest chance and you are sure to enjoy this book as it provides you nearly every thing you need to play the game(if you have a DM, who has the dungeons masters guide). Races are a lot more important in this system.
These differences can dramatically change the way your character plays. Rather than just doing the same basic attack over and over with martial characters, you constantly are given a choice. For instance the dragonborn characters can breath fire, the eladrin can magically teleport, elves can reroll an attack every encounter, and Halflings can force an enemy to reroll an attack that hits, or for instance a critical hit. It is fun, dynamic, strategic, and you always feel you are playing a vital role with every character. This means that your adventurer improves in general with experience, not just in specific ways that you choose arbitrarily. Also one huge bonus for me is that all of your skills increase as you level, which makes more sense really.
Each race has bonuses and skills that can completely change the way your character plays. A few other great things are At will, encounter, daily, and utility powers. 1/2 you level is added onto all skill checks. Anyway from my experience with the game, the game becomes a lot simpler in a very good way. You still do pick skills to train but it is a lot simplier and intuitive.
new book = new game. The 4th edition strips away a lot of the micromanagement that was largely responsible in the earlier versions for keeping the game mechanics out of reach to all but the most devoted fans. The new rules are perfect for people that are new to gamer culture, or perhaps people that are used to things like board or card games and would like to see what D&D is all about. First off, I feel that I must make a disclaimer as to my RPG experience. I tell you this so maybe it will seem that I know what I'm talking about. If you are a gamer who is happy with the rules that you play under and would not like to see them completely overhauled, then don't buy it. I have participated both as a player and a Dungeon Master under the 2, AD&D, 3, 3.5, and 4 rule sets.
By taking away these clumsy specifics, not only does the 4th edition become available to new audiences, it encourages players to use their imagination and ingenuity rather than their knowledge of book supplements and arcane rules. My only gripe is mentioned in another review, and that is the VERY lacking glossary, which makes it almost necessary to use a bunch of self-labled sticky notes for easy reference. If you are a gamer that would like to see a fresh and innovative approach to a much beloved game, then by all means, GET THIS BOOK. The 4.0 rules are great. All in all, an excellent book and a fascinating re-working of a superb game. Nowhere in the book does it say ".and you are now forbidden to play under any of the old rule sets." This is important in light of the number of complaints coming from gamers who went out to buy the book and were surprised that the game had changed. I was born in 1984, so I really didn't have a chance to play the original D&D, but from the time I was about 10 years old to the time I wrote that review of the 4th edition PHB Dungeons and Dragons has been a huge part of my life.
Overall better than 3.5. It plays like a different game because you aren't spending as much time on mundane tasks.
On the upside, my friend who has struggled with 3e for years is having an easier time with 4e. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of 4e. It seems a bit more of a board or CC game. The depth of the game feels less to me.
If you like D&D: 3.5 -. This isn't D&D, it's a WOW Miniatures Offline Card Game. If you like WOW, keep playing online.
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