The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The first book released in the D&D core trilogy was the Players Guide. Despite reading like some encyclopedia it had just the right content for achieving its goals. If I had a chance to change that book, I would alter little. The Dungeon Master's Guide is a completely different beast. Though there are rules for handling dungeon encounters, combat, & magic items, other subjects are so superficially covered that it actually works against what it is trying to achieve. Other than arbitrating dungeon crawls & finding the cost to make magic items, there is nothing else of use in the DMG. There are several magazines & internet articles that cover the same subject matter in less space with more depth.

The Presentation

Like the PH, the layout is near flawless. You can quickly find what you want & not encounter spelling mistakes or other errors common in so many RPGs. There might be a bit of eyestrain due to the smaller fonts, but I had no problem with them. Also as with the pH, the only thing I would change is to have the page borders serve as an index. If you look at the page borders, each one has the chapter's title listed in a little box. If you took that & moved it down the page just a bit for each chapter (possibly changing it's color slightly), you would have a handy visual index that you could reference just by looking at the side of the book.

The only glaring problems are in the section covering classes. It is so poorly done that it stands out. It was hard to tell where one class description ended & another one began. Tables referring to one class were in columns describing another. The only typo I found in the entire book was in this section (regarding the Dwarven Defender, the text says "cannot be flanked" is gained at 5th, but table 2-13 lists it at 6th). Worse, it breaks one of the semantic rules set by Ryan Dancey with having the same ability go by two different names (Uncanny Dodge is IDENTICAL to Defensive Awareness). Oh, & the picture of the Black Guard looks goofy :P

Chapter 1: Gamemastering

This is the weakest chapter in the book. It sets the trend you can expect through the rest of the book where the DMG explains what you should do but not HOW you should do it. There is far too little information on all the many areas it tries to cover, such as styles of play & keeping characters in balance. Some sections give outright BAD information, such as the sentence in the describing section on page 15 where it states "Tell the players how everything feels". As every experienced writer & DM knows, if you want to evoke an emotional response you need to SHOW & not TELL the players how they feel.

As for those of you who would defend it saying this is information (however sparse) new DMs would need: No, it isn't. In fact, sometimes it's completely wrong advice like in the previous example which I think is partly due to not writing enough about any one subject covered. Too little information is provided. If anything new DMs need MORE information with sections that devote greater than 1/4 page to every subject. New DMs could have used a section devoted exclusively to how to manage players, which is arguably the most important job of the DM (even moreso than even campaign design). The DMG is no worse off in this than many other RPGs, but as the game that will define the hobby to the world I was hoping for more.

Chapter 2: Characters

Chpt 1 is followed up by the second weakest chapter in the book. I have already covered the poor formatting so I'll move on. There are alternative ability score generation methods here. Sadly, only one of those has you buying attributes instead of rolling them. Worse, none of the listed random rolling methods tell you what the average score generated is. Are there any other games that still use random attribute value generation? Most players I know just reroll, & many will just kill off the character to get a new one if forced to deal with a particularly bad attribute set.

The races section assumes you are running a campaign based on how they expect you to play D&D (dungeon combat, survival, & collecting stuff), evidenced by statements like "Strength is so much more important (in general) than Charisma." & "neither a penalty to Intelligence nor a penalty to Charisma by itself is equal to a bonus in Strength". If you want to create a new race they instruct you to compare it with an already existing one, & if it is more powerful then it's not appropriate. There are no rules, hints or pointers for play balance at all. In fact the section states "The range of different abilities and skill modifications is great, so you're on your own in finding the perfect mix for your campaign".

The second part covers classes & prestige classes in particular. The rules it gives for creating your own classes are the same as for the races (none), just a general theory of comparing it to an already existing class. Very few new DMs are going to have the insight needed to judge what potential abilities are too 'powerful' & could unbalance their campaigns, let alone experienced DMs. But why do we even HAVE prestige classes?

The book states that the abilities granted by a prestige class are inappropriate for beginning characters, but this doesn't seem to be the case when I apply the rules (er, vague advice) the DMG has on creating new classes. The attack bonus' & saves are comparable to the standard classes at the same level, & the special abilities seem to be balanced as well. In fact, sometimes the prestige classes seem less advantageous for the exp, such as where the 10th level assassin gets +5 save Vs poison while a monk of just one additional level is completely immune. Speaking of the Monk, I would have considered both it & the Paladin to be prestige classes, wouldn't you? The difference between the two class types is fuzzy at best, & an unnecessary complication to D&D. However, it has geek factor(tm).

The last part is taken up with NPC classes, some variant ability learning rules (such as finding a teacher), & table upon table of NPC statistics plus the 'stuff' they have. I've never been a fan of stat tables, but considering the fact that the DMG so poorly covers other important subjects I was doubly disappointed.

Chapter 3: Running the Game

This chapter is the heart & soul of the entire book. It covers what we classically think of as the rules to the game (those things that have hard numbers associated with them or require dice rolling). It is evident that the D&D3e rules are written with the use of miniatures in mind. It is impossible to run D&D3e without minis in the same way that it is impossible to play chess without a board & pieces. Yes, both are technically possible, but do you want to count on 2 to 5 different players having exactly the same idea on what's going on in a combat & not argue?

The other sections in this chapter cover the effects of various special abilities, environmental hazards, & saving throws. I cannot really think of anything more I would add to those sections, though I find it odd that falling damage (which is covered in chpt 4) is not covered in the environmental section where falling objects are. The advice on adjudicating magic doesn't help much, inadequately covering things such as making sure divination spells don't ruin the game. It once again falls into the trap of saying what to do but not how to do it. What if I want to run a mystery? Too bad, as the only recommendation they give is to let the player have the information & have the adventure focus on apprehending the villain.

Oddly, on the second half of the same page is the section covering creating new spells. Out of the entire DMG, there is less than 3/4 of a page covering the subject of creating new spells! The only real rule besides the many suggestions (compare it with an already existing spells) is the damage cap table (3-22 & 3-23). These tables have a simple concept (a certain level spell cannot do more than X dice amount of damage), but then are vague on what type of die to use, saying things like a Magic Missile uses a d4 & a fireball uses a d6, & that a d8 counts for 2 dice for a Cleric. I guess you just choose whatever you feel like.

A few other variant spell rules like using unique components to power spells & summoning a specific monster end the chapter. If used they definitely give magic more character & style, but it still amazes me that the DMG effectively has NO rules whatsoever in regards to creating new spells! For a game that's targeting beginners it leaves a lot left to good judgment calls. I'm sure they wanted to remove 'hard' rules for the very purpose of attracting new gamers, but in my opinion new gamers need MORE structure than experienced ones. Not necessarily rules, but structure.

Chapter 4: Adventures

This begins by covering some basics on designing an adventure, but only with about 1 to 4 paragraphs per subject. I constantly find myself wishing that they would either just completely focused on the core theme of dungeons or provide enough information on the other aspects of gamemastering.

Take the section on Structure. It lists lots of things (Choices, Different Sorts of Encounters, Exciting Events, & Encounters that Make Use of PC Abilities) under 'good' structure, but only goes so far as to define them (& those categories are all pretty self explanatory). Nowhere will you find any information on how to direct choices to keep the adventure on track (a story based 'sleight of hand' if you will), how to get the game back on course when players do stray, or how to keep proper pacing & story tension. Most advice comes in the form of statements like "Make sure to pace things well".

I think such concepts are important. New gamers will concentrate on the aspects in the DMG that are covered well (encounters & combat rules). Pacing & keeping the story on track are important skills for a DM unless they just want to run encounter after encounter, but the DMG does not focus enough on either area. New players will probably default to the playing style of things like Everquest & Diablo II, so appropriately covering all these other 'soft' (story oriented rules & the like) rules is even more important or they will just be ignored.

After the adventure & encounter section we dive into what should be the really important bit about dungeons. It does justice to the subject with covering pretty much everything in good detail (almost two pages on doors alone). It even talks about dungeon ecologies so that your dungeon realm makes sense. Just in case you don't want it to make sense however, the classic random dungeon encounter tables are included as well as a sample dungeon with an example of play. The chapter closes with coverage of wilderness encounters (with more tables) & information on generating towns.

A particular section that caught my eye is a sidebar on page 106 with the subject "Why Dungeons". This small section sums up the entire philosophy of the DMG...

"Dungeons facilitate game play. Dungeons, being underground, set apart the "adventure" from the rest of the world in a clean way. The idea of walking down a corridor, opening a door, and entering an encounter - while a gross oversimplification and generalization - facilitates the flow of the game by reducing things down to easily grasped and digestible concepts. You have an easy way to control the adventure in a dungeon without leading the characters by the nose."

...specifically take note of the part where they say "...set apart the "adventure" from the rest of the world in a clean way...". There are already too many people who treat the campaign world & roleplaying as filler that takes place when the 'game' isn't. Now the DMG is basically encouraging this sort of thinking. D&D as it is presented is an adventure game, not a roleplaying game.

Chapter 5: Campaigns

This chapter was sparse, but has some decent pointers for running a game beyond the dungeon. At 12 pages though, it's too tiny (the Adventures chapter has 44 pgs). It consists of a collection of little suggestions taking up no more than a few paragraphs (deja vu), & even then 3 of those pages are taken up with an expanded equipment list. Sigh. D&D is obviously a game that takes a dungeon, then builds a campaign & characters around that central concept.

There is once again a lot of what to do & little on how. Sections I consider important, such as Introducing New Players consist of mainly a list of obvious suggestions & nothing on player politics (introducing a new player is often like introducing a new cat to a cat-filled house). I was disgusted with the Player Characters Out of Control section which gives just one solution: "Players should always remember one fact: There's always someone more powerful". That's nice, but it belongs in the PG. What the DM needs is advice on how to SHOW the players that there is always a bigger fish (& by a slightly more creative means than having the obvious 'bigger badass' teach the character a 'lesson'), not just TELL them.

I was also disappointed in the section on handling NPCs. The section on villains takes up less than half the page & is WOEFULLY inadequate. Aren't villains in fantasy settings these evil & powerful people who are really important if not central to the story? The only hints given are Use Lackeys, Be Sneaky and Resourceful (which ONLY discusses spells & counterspells), Have An Escape Plan, Take Hostages (which then goes on to waste a sentence explaining it), Use Magic, & Fight on the Villain's Terms (or "Preferably, he engages them after they have fought their way through his guardian -and trap- filled lair & are weakened."). So where's the section on MOTIVE? Oh wait, maybe he's evil.

Chapter 6: World-Building

DMs will probably be making up their own worlds until the Forgotten Realms setting is released & they can definitely use some help. Sadly though there are no rules other than the compare & contrast philosophy which is throughout the DMG. This time DM are only given one thing to compare to, a shallow description of Greyhawk.

The chapter states that it covers geography, demographics, economics, politics, war, religion, & magic. In other words it gives brief descriptions of the way these things are in Greyhawk. The section on creating new deities can be summed up with 'select some spheres of influence for the god's spells & monotheism could have serious implications'. We get some important information in the magic section, such as to remember that magic is pervasive in the D&D world. This is an important consideration. Magic in D&D has the same effect on a society as technology has on ours. Imagine what our world would be like if technology existed that rendered it impossible to lie, where can you get perfect plastic surgery, get resurrected, or travel anywhere instantaneously.

So if Greyhawk police can just use divination spells to catch criminals, how many magic users must thieves guilds have? Perhaps this is why such guilds are so important, as individual thieves invariably get caught. What is a world like if the truth can be discerned by magic? Would no innocent people be sent to jail or death? Wouldn't the rich & famous want to hire illusionists for various reasons? What if magic was being used for communication like our modern telephone network or Internet? Couldn't a wizard design a magic item that recorded sound such as from a bard's performance & establish a music industry? Why don't wizards just turn Lead into Gold? Would such magicked metal be considered counterfeit? Why do people still use torches if Continual Light spells are available?

Magic is the defining force in the evolution of a world in D&D & changing even a small aspect of it alters the world drastically. Of course none of these repercussions are even hinted at. Then again, if all you're doing is dungeon adventuring then these questions will never come up. However, for a realistic world consistent with its own rules will be up to the DM to detail.

The chapter ends with the section on building different settings, or rather what WEAPONS a different setting would have. Sigh. I found it strange that there was no damage cap chart for weapons like there was for spells.

Chapter 7: Rewards

Yeah, they keep saying that roleplaying is part of D&D, but the rules don't encourage it. Experience is gained by overcoming challenges, which invariably are encounters with dangerous creatures or traps. You don't necessarily have to kill/disarm them, but you do have to DEAL with them in some way to get the exp. If you just avoid them you get nothing. There are variant rules for awarding exp for mysteries, puzzles, & roleplaying encounters which the DMG states should never have a challenge rating higher than the party's level. Roleplaying awards are covered in almost a second class citizen form (.."probably no more than 50XP per character level per adventure." ). Other than that, the chapter does a nice job covering how to balance experience & treasure awards so that you don't destroy your game by giving too much away.

Chapter 8: Magic Items

I find it ironic that many people have been pleased with the fact that the DMG is not just a list of Magic items because this is one of the best chapters in the entire book. It takes up about 1/3 of the entire DMG & catalogs tons of items. The list is full of the classic D&D things such as the Holy Avenger, & rules for players to construct such items. Requirements for construction are listed under each item & basically consist of Caster Level, Prerequisites (feats, spells, & materials), Market Price (what it sells for), & Cost to Create (gold & XP). Simple & workable. However if you want to create completely original magic items you're on your own.

Still they geek it up with unclear writing in places, but not badly. When defining Cost to Create, they write "This entry appears only for items with components (material or experience points), which make their market prices higher than their base prices." & then say "Items without components do not have a "Cost to Create" entry. For them, the market price & base price are the same. The cost in gp is 1/2 the market price, and the cost in XP is 1/25 the market price."

This is confusing. If the first sentence is true, then a Vorpal blade costs as much to make as it sells for. Yet what are we to make of the last sentence? Does "...price are the same." Refer to the 2 prices being identical, or to the next sentence where is says "The cost in GP is 1/2 the market price". If the last sentence is true, doesn't it contradict the first as a Vorpal blade does not have a Cost to Create? Even you could clarify it for me, does it make sense to have a single paragraph this unclear? This situation IS clarified later in the chapter but it would have been nice to have it clear in that one paragraph, which it could have been.

The rules work but seem to be more complex than they have to be. I found the section on magic weapons particularly complicated with all the tables I had to keep referring back to, but it was workable & consistent. I don't know if it's a typo, but the section covering potions listed a number for the Caster Level & then listed 'caster level +7' or somesuch in the Prerequisites of every potion except the 'Love' one. No other magic items have this 'caster level +#' item under their Prerequisites. I know, I'm nitpicking, but that's all I have for this chapter because it's pretty solid.

Conclusion

I think most people were so stunned by how much better D&D3 was to any previous editions & so blinded by nostalgia that they failed to realize that D&D3 is still an archaic game that takes little from any advancement in the art. Just because you finally make a game playable does not make it phenomenal, just like if Microsoft released an version of Windows that worked would not make that phenomenal. I have yet to find a review that compares D&D3 to anything other than AD&D or another D&D variant & I wonder why.

Nostalgia is a big selling point to older gamers. One reviewer (http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_3470.html) stated that's WHY they bought the D&D3e PG. New gamers will be coming primarily from the groups playing things like EverQuest, Ultima Online, & Diablo II (which is ironic as these took their motif from D&D). As for establishing new markets, the jury is still out. I fear a lot of new players will try out D&D & tire of it quickly once they find that it offers nothing more than those computer games. D&D CAN offer far more, but those aspects are not the focus of the DMG. I liked the PH much more than the DMG. If you took the PG & added chapter 3 to it you would have a complete game.

Everything else is covered like filler. The DMG tries to cover so many things that it only succeeds in outlining them vaguely. It constantly breaks the 'Show don't Tell' rule primarily due to this lack of substance. Certain rules are unclear & many in D&D3 seem to be included due to their geek factor(TM) & nostalgic qualities as opposed to functionality (an example of this is keeping the starting attribute scores from about 3 to 18 & referring to the formula "(ability/2) -5 [round result down]" to get a bonus number. If the only thing that affects the game is the bonus number then why have the added complexity of a formula instead of just using the bonus number as the attribute value?).

Lastly the creation rules (for settings/spells/classes/races) only consist of suggesting comparative analysis of existing things in the game. This is especially damaging to world/setting creation as the new DM has really nothing to compare to as Greyhawk is covered in such superficial detail it is basically useless. Until the Forgotten Realms 3rd ed setting is out, new gamers will HAVE TO create their own worlds. Oh wait, I forgot you can cleanly separate the adventure from the world, so I guess the setting isn't that important, is it?

Sadly, I was disappointed with the DMG, but I don't blame the primary author as I have seen what he's wrought previously as the Planescape line developer. I think this is just a case of the the DMG being written to the expectations of the intended audience, & we all saw what THAT did with The Phantom Menace. Speaking of Star Wars, I'll see you again when I finish my review of that particular book (though I wonder how many Storm Trooper miniatures I'll need 0_o ).

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide, 3rd Edition