D&D 3.5 edition books

[Balandar]

D&D Online will use the 3.5 edition rule set.

Book Description

Version 3.5 editions of the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide are now offered in one slip-covered gift set.

In the 30-year history of the Dungeons & Dragons game, this type of boxed set has never been available -- until now. Enjoy the foundation of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game in one product that is a great gift for someone you want to introduce to the hobby or as a gift to yourself.

With these three books in one case, the entire world of Dungeons & Dragons is yours to explore and share with others.

Or buy them separately.

New D&D Books!

[Balandar]

Just ordered the gift set for myself.

[Martok]

I don't have the monster book, but the other two. I will be buying the Eberon book soon so I can get familiar with the setting for DDO.

[Balandar]

Dungeon Master's Guide II just came out.

Here is one review.

Like all gaming communities, the table-top community is filled to the brim with nit-picking critics. WotC has gotten a lot of flack for churning out books that are filled with prestige classes, feats, and spells ... and not much else. While I think they're doing much better of late on that front, if you've found this to be your experience this book will convince you there is more than just numbers to the west coast wizards.

DMG II is a deeper mirror of the first Dungeon Master's Guide. Each chapter in the first book is reflected in the sequel, providing more explanation and a deeper look at the subject matter showcased in the original. In addition to mechanics, which was the primary focus of the first Guide, the DMG II examines the process of running a Dungeons and Dragons game by breaking it into discrete elements.

The first few chapters of the second Guide are entirely devoted to the experience of the game from the Dungeon Master's side of the screen. Like another good book on the subject, Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering , DMG II goes into the psychology of the rules arbiter by laying out what will likely be required from you in your role as DM. The Guide also goes inside the heads of players to offer up to the reader possible motivations for a player coming to the gaming table.

From the broad scope of running a game, the book focuses in on the campaign and adventure specific levels. An examination of campaigns covers a large amount of terrain, starting with game styles and character creation suggestions, and ending up in a discussion of the medieval-renaissance flavor of the default Dungeons and Dragons setting. Adventures as discrete entities get something of a short shrift in the book, with heavy discussion of iconic adventure settings taking up most of that chapter. If you've ever wanted to run a battle in the sky, this tome has what you need. The adventure chapter does have a few worthwhile tips on incorporating material from outside sources into your own campaigns, making a Dungeon Magazine subscription more tempting than it might otherwise be.

Beyond the basics, the mission of the second DMG seems to be to allow DMs with a limited amount of time maximum flexibility. Where the original title had pre-generated NPC statistics to utilize, the second book has chapters on making NPCs more interesting, ways to integrate your players more fully into the campaign world, and an entire mapped out and catalogued city for you to insert into your game. The character chapter includes a system for allowing players to run their own businesses. It abstracts out a good number of factors, keeping the focus of the game on fun and adventure while allowing players to put down roots and make some money. While more realistic campaigns may not find it worthwhile, the average dungeon-crawl will benefit from a small business run using these rules. Similarly impressive is the canned city, Saltmarsh. Saltmarsh is a good-sized town, with plots aplenty and several interesting adventure opportunities spread throughout the different districts. Like the campaign chapter, the city of Saltmarsh gives a window into the standard setting that a first time DM might not otherwise have available.

For a veteran Dungeon Master, there are a few gems that stand out as making this book worthwhile. The sections on Saltmarsh, the business system, and the various tips on tweaking your gameworld (including suggestions for creating prestige classes) would all be handy to have at your fingertips. Newer Dungeon Masters should not miss the opportunity to take a look at this book. The chapters on pacing, performance, and campaign preparation are very well written and will provide some much needed advice for someone just cutting their teeth. Players need not apply. The information a Player would get from this book is simply not worth the money to pick up, unless you're planning on getting into the DM gig.

Wizards of the Coast has created a worthy successor to the original Dungeon Master's Guide. Providing a deeper examination of the original tome's content and a reflection on the performance art that is DMing, to new DMs the DMG II is definitely worth the price-tag.

[Martok]

Hrm... I'll have to look at the spell compendium and dungeon masters guide 2.

Man, I sure am out of touch with D&D stuff... Haven't played it in over 10 years...

I remember when Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles RPG was getting hard core in my school. funny stuff.

[Lord Ser Brightblade]

I still have Fiend Folio among other books lurking around (or rather my brother is holding them atm...which reminds me I want those back!) Some good stuff in there!

[meffio]

I still have my 1st addition set. The red paperback set and the Expert set, the blue set. Well I dont have them anymore my DM of over 25 years has all my books, dice and Char's. I need to get ahold of him and get some action going again. Pencil and Paper is the only way to play. Hope the online game does D&D justice and is not just another powergamer, gold farming, piece of crap that most MMORPG's have become.