For the most part, I was not disappointed. PHB II is a book full of great new stuff. However, the only thing that keeps it from being an a truly fantastic supplement are a few minor setbacks.
The book is broken down into 8 Chapters and an Appendix. In this review, some of the chapters have been left to the end to be examined separately from the rest.
The second chapter of the book is on "Expanded Classes." The book offers two pages on each of the core classes, as well as several non-core classes such as the Hexblade, Marshal and Warmage. For each class, the book lays out the various roles that class can play. This is wonderful for groups who have trouble getting certain PCs to cook up a background. It gives a basis of ideas for how your character should be played depending on which path you take. Additionally, each section gives multiple starting packages for different types of that class.
The most appealing part of the class section is the substitution mechanics. For each class, it offers a special ability that can be gained by forfeiting a standard ability of that class. For example, a Barbarian may give up his standard rage for a berserk one, or a Ranger can forfeit a companion for special attack options. Each of these mechanics not only fits the class, but gives an option for players who dislike certain parts of different classes. The options are well-balanced, but so interesting as to make every character give them consideration.
The third chapter, on Feats, is also a prize. Offering a plethora of new feats, as many other books do, PHB II exceeds other titles by offering feats that break the mold. Very few feats are rehashes of old concepts or expansions of similar feats. Most of the feats are totally new, and many of them give options that allow for maximum customization of a class. I was surprised at how many very original, intriguing feats there were, and many will cause players to approach their DMs right away. Even those that are not mechanically super are at least very interesting.
The fourth chapter is for Spells. Again, many of the spells are very unique. There are several spells that will find their way to character spellbooks. The spells section is worth its salt alone for the half-page on Polymorph spells, the so-called Polymorph school. All issues are cleared up and dealt with for that troublesome group of spells.
After 4 chapters of crunchy new material, the book delves deeply into fluff and background afterwards- and does so well. Chapter 5 helps PCs build realistic backgrounds and compelling back stories, while Chapter 6 is an excellent primer on party tactics. Both chapters may be of limited use to a seasoned player, but still may spark an idea for these veterans. For newer players, these chapters team well with the class section to create three dimensional characters that will be fun to play.
Chapter 7 is a fantastic role playing aid. It offers a group of affiliations and mechanics to assist players and DMs in designing organizations and groups to help, join or compete with. It balances role playing and mechanics quite well.
The appendix is a step-by-step way to build your PC, offering prioritized skill and feat lists and acts as a handy guide to build your PC to be the most efficient contributor to the party.
Assuming all of this, it would appear the book earns a surefire 5 for substance. However, the chapters I omitted, 1 and 8, pull it back.
Chapter 8 is about "rebuilding characters." This is accomplished through going on certain quests that allow you to change some of your choices in your character's past. While it is presented interestingly, and the quests are very cool, I suspect this chapter will create a problem for many games. One feature of D&D many experienced players may have noticed is the difference between a character generated at high level, and one who went from 1st all the way through. A naturally advanced character often has skills and feats that appear weird or useless, and a strange miscellany of magic items. A generated character has taken the perfect combination to allow for what they need, in an unrealistic fashion, leading to near-munchkinism and accusations of min-maxing. The reason is that the choices you make as a PC changes your character over time, and sometimes you have to live with those choices. This chapter gives a loophole to build a generated character lacking the wonderful idiosyncrasies one accumulates over many adventures with a normal PC.
My largest beef, and the chief culprit in reducing this supplement's score, is Chapter 1: New Classes. At the outset of 3.0 and through 3.5, we were often led to believe, and sometimes outright told, that there was no need for new core classes. With the race, skill, feat, and prestige class options, you could make virtually whatever you wanted from the archetypes featured in the PHB. In a slow evolution, new classes were offered in the Complete books. A few options, like the Hexblade and Warlock, featured an all new mechanic that could possibly justify them. Classes like the ninja and wu jen, were classes modified for specific settings, which is acceptable. Some, however, like the Warmage and Swashbuckler, could have very easily been made from the archetypes. They are anomalous. More core classes are offered here, and this is a problem. While the new classes like the Dragon Shaman and the Beguiler are interesting, I can't see any reason to develop them as standard classes. The Duskblade is very nearly a bladesinger in base class form, and the Knight is not entirely hard to make with a Fighter. All of the classes may be interesting, well made, and balanced, but I can see no reason for their inclusion. A standard class should be an archetype, something you can dress up and customize. It should not be a specialized, very specific class like a prestige class.
This feature makes the book very troublesome. Many DMs will run into issues of players wanting to use these new classes, which are not really a necessity and do not fill needed roles. They are well done, but this is aside from the point, and the principle on how standard classes should work. They are over specific and unnecessary. In fact, the standard classes section, chapter 2, gives even more options with the base classes, making these new classes even less needed.
Overall: Style: 4. The book is well written, well organized, and well laid out, with wonderful art. It only misses the 5 by virtue of the fact it is basically laid out in the template of all WotC books, and lacks the originality of a score 5 book.
Substance: 4. Many of excellent new options and backgrounds, and a great balance of game mechanic crunchiness and role playing fluffiness. It misses the 5 due to the problematic rebuilding, and anomalous new classes.
Cost: The book is 34.95, not a stretch for your standard hardback, but the page count is fairly high and there are not many wasted pages. It is definitely worth its price.
In the end, I would recommend this book very highly to any D&D player; I would suggest, however, that DMs look over the book before allowing any of the new classes or any rebuilding options in their game.
