Rating: 
Summary: Good, but I will miss the 1st edition
Review: I'm still stick on 1st edition. I dislike the artwork but I realize that I may be a dinosaur (but I'm only 29!)
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible achievement, a must-buy for any gamer
Review: I've been playing D&D since it came out, and it seems that each version gets better and better. The Third Edition is definitely a large step forward, based on the experience of thousands of RPers. The Player's Handbook in particular is incredible useful both for brand new gamers as well as experienced RPers looking for an updated rule set.The artwork and layout of this book is FANTASTIC. It's amazing to compare this with some of the earliest books and realize how far things have come. The rich colors, great illustrations, easy to understand tables ... everything was done with the highest level of quality. The rules themselves have been streamlined to the point where the game is easy, fun, consistant, and realistic. No more arbitrary rules 'just because'! Characters can now be customized and gameplay is very balanced. Even level advancement and spells have been overhauled to give more options and to keep things simple. As an additional bonus, the book comes with a demo version of a character generator! There are also a Character Record sheet to copy and use, a glossary, equipment charts, and much, much more. I recommend this without hesitation to any gamer out there. If you can, buy a copy for yourself today. If you don't have the money, put it on your wish list for the holidays!
Rating:
Summary: Must have for all role-play gamers!
Review: Wizards of the Coast has revitalized the Dungeon's and Dragons game, and the results are awesome. The new players handbook is packed with information all D&D Players and Dungeon Masters need. I'm sure I won't have any new good things to say about it that haven't already been said. With that, some criticisms: -The print is fairly small, could be hard to read for some. -The "packed" nature of the material can make it hard to find specific information sometimes. This passes with book familiarity. -I heard reports of the ink running when wet. I performed a test on the corners of one of the pages. Indeed, if you have sweaty hands, take care. If you get the ink wet it will smear.
Rating:
Summary: WOTC have saved D&D
Review: I have been a D&D fan for over ten years. In all those years I have watched players and DM's struggle with one issue over and over: game balance. How can players be given all the freedom to capture their imagination without destroying the challenge and adventure of the game? I expected Wizards of the Coast to handle game balance by turning everything good about D&D upside down. But the Wizards have crafted an edition of D&D that comes very close to the Holy Grail of the perfectly balanced system, and they preserved the spirit of D&D in the process. Every option imaginable is offered. Non-rogues can learn how to pick pockets; wizards will get multiple attacks; and fighters get free access to many esoteric combat skills, but others can choose them for a price. But unlike the Player's Options System from Second Edition, these choices are all made using a set of standard rules - not a near-meaningless point system. Any race may be any class, and all multiclass options are possible. But the non-human races have "Preferred Classes" which give players extra options for playing a character that fits in with the race's strong areas. When multiclassing (which now always works like dual-classing for humans did in 2nd Ed), all abilities from all classes are available all the time. Skills improve at every level up, regardless of class level. That kind of seemless character development is made possible by the new distinction between character level and class level. For instance, a character who is a 4th level wizard and a 3rd level druid is a seventh-level character. When advancing to 8th level, this character can increase either her druid or wizard class by one level, or pick up a new class at 1st level. There are no special hurdles a character must pass through to add a new class per se, but the DM is encouraged to create any that he/she sees fit. The end result is a tremendous possibility without the ridiculous game-breaking that happened in 2nd Ed. & Player's Options. Kudos to the Wizards: I guess they do love the game after all.
Rating: 
Summary: Design Problem
Review: I don't know if WoC has just decided to forget about the long-time gamers out there or not. I'm 27 years old and have worn glasses for over 20 years. It is just possible that other gamers have similar poor eyesight (given the inclination toward spending large amounts of time reading or looking at a computer screen). So why, oh why, did they put lines behind and sometimes THROUGH the text in this book? Instead of being able to read the text, I have to have someone else explain it to me. I'm sure it's very clear, once you're able to see the words. But I can't-- the graphic design is terrible in that regard. Don't get me wrong: the pictures are pretty good, and much more consistently drawn (including the female characters, who are still consistently busty, consistently underdressed, and consistently unrealistic). But those darn lines are really making it hard for me to get into this edition and enjoy myself.
Rating:
Summary: Reinventing the game
Review: As much as I enjoyed playing second edition having missed out on the other editions I was shaking my head at first at this new edition as well as excited by the previews given in Dragon Magazine. Once I read it, I knew that this was a vast improvement to the game I was playing and in many ways more accessable to those new to the game. I play rangers and was a little dismayed by the fact that they redid followers but then I read the spell list and how rangers get them a little sooner, I like the idea of having a pack of wolves about my ranger to aid him in his endeavors and now he won't have to wait until tenth level to get them. I also like how they redid half-elves and elves. All in all a very good revamping of the system and it makes the game a lot better.
Rating:
Summary: Another coffee, please...
Review: I was sit in front of my fireplace when I received the package... when I opened the package I saw it: the new PHB for the 3rd edition. I started reading and after 5 or 6 hours i got realized of something: it is just great. It throws to trash the old-fashioned rules of THAC0 and similar . The system seems to be faster and it is really easy when you are an experienced player. This is also a little handicap for new players, because the rules could be a bit arcane; despite this, I'm still thinking the 3rd edition is a really good change
Rating:
Summary: A must-have
Review: 3rd edition puts all my fears at rest, and excited me to dump all my 2e knowledge built-up over the years. The streamlining of class and races, ability modifiers, and movement rules all enhance the basic combat system, and the skills and feats make it more plausible to role-play all situations. The equipment rules and new encumbrance also help to simplify things, while increasing variety in character specialization and individualization. Getting rid of weapon and non-weapon proficiencies in favor of the skills and feats make everything much simpler, and provides characters with a wide array of choices to tailor their party-member to their liking. The combat rules are concise and very-well explained, with easy-to-follow examples. A definite must-have for anyone who wants to take D&D into the next milennia!
Rating:
Summary: The legend continues in a big way...
Review: My first encounter with D&D was when I was 12 (back in 1983) when some friends introduced me to it. I fell in love with it immediately. I stopped playing it four years later when everyone who enjoyed it, except my brother, had moved away. A few years back I thought of starting again and looked through the second edition rules, but they didn't thrill me like the first edition. Then came the 3rd edition and I decided to do some research on it. I found that this set allows for more dynamic play so I picked up 2 copies of this book (one for me and one for my brother), a copy of the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. I recieved all but the MM. I read through most of this book as well as the DM's Guide and I must say that this is the finest edition of the legendary D&D role playing game. It renewed my taste for fantacy. I have already ordered the first module (adventure) "The Sunless Citadel" and a few others. I can't wait to get a campaign going. My advice to any classic rules ethusiast who thinks that D&D can't be improved (like I thought) is to pick up this book and look at all the new possibilities. And for any newcomer, give it a try, you might just get hooked. This is by far the best set of D&D rules to date.
Rating: 
Summary: Gag me with a Kender Spoon of Turning...
Review: Good God! What's left to say? In the wake of a shaft-job and a money making scheme by Wizards, all I have to say about this AD&D farce is why not call it D&D for Dummies? Its a sad, sorry world.
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