Well, it finally showed up. I waited for months and considering the amount of information already available it was a bit anti-climactic. But, as we all know, the climax isn't everything.
This version of the Dungeons and Dragons game is by far the best. It's slick, looks good, plays well, and is nowhere near as cumbersome as its previous incarnations.
For the two of you that are unfamiliar with D&D, it is a heroic fantasy game generic enough to be used in nearly any medieval style setting. This particular book contains the core rules required to play the game including Abilities, Races, Classes, Skills, Feats, Combat, and Magic. The Dungeon Masters Guide and the Monster Manual (available in September and October respectively) are additions to these rules that will greatly enhance your game play.
Familiarity with any of the previous editions of D&D are not required to play this game and indeed those that are familiar with previous editions will see many, many changes. While the first and second editions were very closely related in rules and structure, the third edition can definitely be described as a brand new game. Don't get me wrong, there are familiar elements but actual game play is quite different.
Primary differences include a much smoother attribute rating system, brand new rules for skills and multi-classing, a new type of special ability called Feats, and an entirely reworked spell system. Combat is also vastly different in implementation. We also see the return of many of the old favorites including the Half-Orc as a core player character race, Barbarians, and Monks.
Players have seven races and eleven classes to choose from. Almost all of these will be familiar to any D&D player although the Sorcerer, a spell-caster whose abilities are considered innate, is brand new. A very nice update to the rules of D&D is the removal of racial class and level restrictions. If you've ever wanted to play a Halfling Monk or Dwarven Wizard now is your chance.
The new multi-classing rules are a true masterpiece. No longer is the option restricted to non-human characters. Anybody can multi-class and barring specific restrictions nearly any combination is possible. The best part of these rules is that characters now stack the levels that they gain in individual classes rather than gaining them concurrently. So a character that is a 5th Level Fighter/ 5th Level Wizard is considered a 10th Level character. While this may seem odd or under-powered to 1st and 2nd edition alumni take my word, it is elegant, balanced, and smooth. Nothing like the old rules.
Another new addition to the game is the concept of Feats. These are special abilities that all characters get as they rise in power gaining levels. Most Feats are specialized combat abilities although about 30 of the 75 available have non-combat uses. Just as a few examples we have Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Ride by Attack, Track, and Empower Spell. Feats are the newest and definitely most fun part about 3rd Edition.
The Skill system has been brought up to date and is represented as Skill Rank + Attribute Bonus + Miscellaneous Bonus + 1d20 vs. a Difficulty Class or DC. While this is not anywhere near being revolutionary it is a far cry from the myriad of proficiencies, thief abilities, class abilities, and other assorted flotsam that plagued earlier editions. It is a smooth, intuitive system that is very easy to learn and use.
Combat was also given the rough rasp and shaped into something quite nice. We finally see the death of that archaic concept THAC0. The abstracts Hit Points and Armor Class are still used but Armor Class at least looks quite a bit better. Armor Class now starts at 10 and progresses up instead of down like it used to. In fact AC is now the basic DC of any attack roll. This is modified by any of several situational modifiers including cover, size, and the various attributes.
Combat features a lot of options and rules that were just never there before. Attacks of opportunity, a new and improved initiative system, weapon damage that does not vary with the size of the creature being attacked, new critical results without cumbersome tables, the list goes on. It plays very smoothly and is definitely not what it once was.
The next most noticeable overhaul is the Magic system. It retains the same structure of levels of spells and spells per day that it always has but it just works a lot better. Spells are also class unspecific in that any classes that cast the same spell do just that, cast the same spell. This is different than the earlier editions and definitely easier on the Dungeon Master. Also of note is that classes that can cast spells have personalized lists. No longer does the Bard cast Wizard spells, or the Paladin those of the Cleric. Everybody has their own unique spell lists some with actual unique spells. The exceptions to this are the Wizard and Sorcerer, which share the same list. The differences between the two classes are broad enough that it is forgivable though.
Finally the book itself is great. I can't speak for actual physical quality because my copy is a quick-bind print job without color. The layout is easy enough to follow with the print being a bit small. The art however is fabulous... and relevant. Pictures of the different categories of creature size next to each other, illustrations of what cover looks like, and overhead diagrams of spell's areas of effect. Finally. Those alone are going to solve many, many arguments.
The concept art just drips high fantasy. The characters look like heroes and have style beyond that of being fantasy characters. Each class and race are given their own picture so very little is left unanswered. The two pictures of the males and females of each race, while not being vital, is stylish.
There is some art that I didn't care too much for but mercifully neither did WotC and very little of it is used.
Finally there is a short 14 page insert for Dungeon Masters. It includes the new rules for experience points, 17 monsters, a few notes on monetary treasure, and a brief list of magic items. There are also some suggestions on how to run a game. It's a nice addition but does not in any way replace the other soon to be released books.
In all of this there are a few things that I don't like.
The poor ol' Half-Orc is given the shaft yet again. His unbalanced Attribute adjustments and absence of special abilities in comparison to the other races is pretty pathetic. WotC spokespersons make the assertion that the Half-Orcs unique +2 Strength bonus is the balancing effect but I just don't see it. It's minor I'll admit but sticks in my craw nonetheless. I really love orcs and half-orcs and seeing them stereotyped as the big, dumb fighter type once again is antithetical to this new look and feel that is sought after.
I was also disappointed that the designers decided to stick with the antiquated damage system that has always been part of D&D. It really is the weakest part of the game and should have been replaced with something more modern, perhaps similar to the Alternity system.
Finally, despite the completeness of the Players Handbook it feels incomplete to me. This is probably just because I'm hungry for more. Admittedly 286 pages is standard and fairly meaty but I still have a lot of questions. It would have been nice to see some of these Prestige Classes that are going to make an appearance in the Dungeon Masters Guide and I'm sure other things will crop up as my gaming group gets deeper into the new game.
So, I'll leave it at this. If you have liked any version of D&D this is something that you want to own. This is undoubtedly the zenith of the D&D game. If you don't like D&D, and considering all that's been offered I don't blame you, it is quite possible that you will still enjoy this game. It is simple without being simplistic, detailed without being complex, highly playable, and intuitive in design. Don't pass it up just because it used to suck. Heh, I should be on WotC's marketing team.
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
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