5 comments about Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. I do not deny that "D&D for Dummies" does an excellent job explaining the rules for the D&D 3.5 version, but would have been slightly happier with this product if it had told me early on in the reading that it was for version 3.5, as I was joing a D&D group for the first time, and they were using version 2.0. As it was, I had a basic grasp of the concepts, but had I know, I might not have done as much highlighting or note-jotting as I did.



2. While this book is easy to read and nicely arranged, there my compliments end. Any experienced roleplayers that pick this book up are likely to be turned off by the twinkish attitude it has. Though it's mainly for learning the technical side of the game, it makes no attempt whatsoever to mention the roleplaying aspect of the game. Much to my horror, I found a whole chapter on min-maxing something that's generally considered one of the worst aspects of D&D, complete with a big encouragement to multiclass solely for the abilities of the classes. I would suggest this book only to those players that only care about killing goblins in dungeons, as real roleplayers that want story and characters will hate this book.



3. i bought this book for my 12 year old son, who is just starting to play D & D. He has really liked this book, and says that is has helped him a lot. It was also recommended by a more experiencecd player.



4. An Amazing resource for starting players. The D&D books can be overly complicated & confusing to new players & non-RPGers. This Helps ALOT in explaining vast amounts of info. Some of it is a little out of date(it's a 3.0 book)but still a great resource. There are 3 premade characters for 4 of the base classes & notes on all classes that really help you out in the begining. The top 10 spell & monsters lists are a gream way for a beginer player or DM. It includes a premade adventure& sample map!



5. The book is almost perfect, i miss ideas for wizard, druids, rangers, paladins, barbarians, bards and monks.
   
   but i understand the main idea, sorcerer, rogue, cleric and fighters are really easier to play and construct, that's because it is for newbies.

No comments about Mage Silver Ladder (Mage the Awakening).

5 comments about Complete Arcane: A Player's Guide to Arcane Magic for all Classes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. Not too much in this book impressed me. I really like the Warlock class, anda lot of the new spells are brilliant (and compliment Complete Mage well, too), but all the spells were reprinted in Spell Compendium. The feats are pretty lackluster, the monsters are mostly by-products of the prestige classes, and the prestige classes aren't so special in their own right. So really, it's just the warlock then. Whatever, I got it with Christmas money.



2. This book is crazy overpowered. The Warlock class slowly makes itself invincible level by level. They've got too many hp's, too many save bonuses, too much armor, and they can imbue items w/o the item creation feats???????? WHAT???
   
   Warlocks make clerics look like sissies, and they're not nearly as broken as the prestige classes. This book is great for Players whose DM's have an annoying habit of killing or screwing over their players, but it's a headache for the DM since you have to plan every dungeon and battle around super overpowered casters with no weaknesses.
   
   Dual wand weild--a bard wand user can cast cure critical wounds and fireball every round...



3. This is one of the best supplemets out there. THe best addtion is the worlock class. The feats have a wide range of uses for spellcasters and no spell casters alike. the spells arnt that great but elemental monolith is a great one. Prestige classes are varied and yet again all classes can benifit by taking a level or two of a spell casting class. It is the esentinal tool box fr your arcanist. buy it now.



4. If you bought Tome and Blood before Wizards decided to change 3.0 to 3.5, you already own Complete Mage, pretty much. The feats are the same, the artwork is the same, the only add ons are culled from other books and magazines, basically a reprint all around. The book has the Warlock in it, a class where you can do ranged touch attacks with spell-like augmentations at will in an energy type that has no ER to counter it. Neat. In a sick, out-of-balance way. Run one of these at equal level against a party of 10th or higher and watch them cry when the EXP is so low. I would think facing a 20th level lich with a few minions would be desirable over dealing with a 16th level Warlock with the same minions!
   
   Not the worse buy you could make if you don't have Tome and Blood, the Feats are really good, but certainly not worth the price tag. If you can get it for $10 on EBay you'll be better off.



5. this and the complete mage are both pretty alright books if you have the extra oney to spend. i completely recomend the spell compendium though, much better work. this book is like the 2nd edition AD&D complete wizard updated and split up into two books (this and the complete mage) neither of which are great. don't get me wrong, I am glad it sits on my shelf, but it sits on my shelf more than i use it. it has some decent feats and prestige classes. get it cheap from a seller if possible.

No comments about Dungeon Delve: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement (D&D Adventure).

5 comments about Eberron Campaign Setting (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I run a D&D campaign set in Eberron, and of course this book is essential. It is very interesting, with a lot of good flavor material, and some decent additions to the rules (the new races are fun). One warning (this probably applies to all the Eberron source books): The backround information is very vague. Many things are hinted at, but rarely are they revealed in any detail. This is not neccesarily a bad thing. I like it because it releases me to invent whatever I want (without fear of contradiction by a player who has more time to study sourcebooks than me), and really make the setting my own. However, it is probably good to keep this in mind when you are considering buying this book.
   Eberron is not The Forgotten Realms. You will not find reams of material on every obscure location and character.
   The style of Eberron suits me very well, as it is quite conducive to plot oriented campaigns.
   
   As for the book itself, it is well made and sturdy. Not a lot of typos, the illustrations are pretty good, better than a lot of Wizards books, but still a little inconsistent.



2. This is a great setting. It's very easy to get involved in Eberron, and there is just enough to play in such a vast world. The new races are very attractive and fun, and the personality of the world is very interesting. Since I play Eberron, adventures just got more fun. Of course, you don't need this material to take your players through amazing locations, jungles filled with ancient secrets and mysterious enemy lands, but this book will surly put you up to it.



3. The Ebberon campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons game system brings players into a new world. This is no backwoods medieval period setting. This is technology married to magic, and twisting plots. this is a world where the "normal" rules no longer apply. I highly recomend this book for any Dungeons & Dragons fan who wants something truly new.



4. Ever since the setting was announced i hated it. I hated the idea of a "steampunk" type setting and i hated the idea that wizards would produce yet another campaign setting and split up there writers even further. I hated the fact there were new overpowered races like the warforged, shifters, and changelings and i hated that the warforged were sentient constructs. In fact i hated that whole idea for the setting.
   
   Then i bought it and read it. I can now honestly say "I love the Eberron setting." It is like nothing out there. It is new and original and isn't just the same ole greyhawk or forgetten realms. The lands are all interesting and the races are all fun to play. Yes they may be out of place and overpowered in some dnd games but they fit right in with the Eberron theme. It is not a steampunk setting like i thought and is closer to a High magic setting. The artwork and layout are fantastic as well.
   
   My only complaint was that i didn't buy this book sooner. I waited until it dropped down dirt cheap and picked it up. Now with 4th edition coming in 2weeks I'm not sure when ill find time to delve into the setting. I just know that ill be the first to preorder the 4th edition version when it is released. (that is if 4th doesn't suck, heck ill probably still order the eberron setting even if it does). Great setting. Ranks right up there with Forgotten Realms and i may have to give the edge to Eberron just because it seems more about having fun than FR does. Forgotten realms borders on learning an encyclopedia that is if you want to run a true "FR" game. Good setting and i would recommend it to any dm out there looking for something different.



5. totally needs to even out its race descriptions...4 pages for warforged...4 paragraphs fer a changling....NOT COOL for a DM with 2 changlings in the party...

5 comments about Monster Manual V (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. Well, I thought this book was very good, some new ideas and a nice format, and the monsters actually seem real, not a bunch of made up things just to fill a book. I really liked it until.......
   
   Unfortunately I found out a few days ago at GenCon , that Wizards is putting out Dungeons and Dragons Version 4 in May 2008, so Version 3.5 will be retired. Be ware before you go gung ho on buying a lot more 3.5 stuff.



2. I bought this more to round out the collection than thinking it would have a lot of high-class monsters to use. I was right. Most of the monsters are either regular humanoids with levels and feats tacked onto them or very esoteric monsters that would have little impact on a regular game. That being said, the production values and artwork remain impressive, and I would reccommend it for the hard-core gamer. People on a budget could use their money better elsewhere.



3. This is a very nicely done book of monsters - many of them are very strange and unusual. One of my favorites is the mockery bug, basically a disgusting bug-like creature that lives inside a host (the image of the creature bursting out its human shell through a persons head is one of the bloodiest, graphic pieces of art in a D&D book you'll find - well done!). Many of the monsters are very creative and interesting to read about - the undead fool is just creepy weird, hopefully your PC will never encounter him. The artwork in this book is top notch all the way, better than just about any other monster book I've seen in the 3rd edition line. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking to populate their world and dungeons with interesting monsters.



4. This is a very very solid addition to your dnd library. It has a LOT of good monsters. The new mind flayer section is amazingly good, and I really like the hobgoblin/kuo-toa sections. However the vampire section is just vampire template added to a normal class, nothing special and a waste of space. Also I do not like the added "mini-adventure maps" for some sections as they take up space and no players will use them as well as very few and desperate DMs.



5. Once the 4th edition came out, I found a lot of good 3X edition books on sale. The 3.5 Monster Manuals are great - not really compatible with the new rules, but they give you good ideas for monsters. I bought the whole series, Monster Manual I through V, and the Fiendish Codex, Hordes of the Abyss, and the Lords of Madness. All good!

5 comments about Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games.

1. Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing games is an incredible tour-de-force of a recreational industry. Chapters cover early tabletop wargames such as "Chainmail" and its precursors, to the pencil-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons game, to the very first computer role-playing games programmed into university mainframe computers (and often deleted by administrators, making many of the first RPGs forever lost to history!). The saga continues with early classics like Wizardry, The Bard's Tale, Ultima, and Pool of Radiance; the rise of casual-friendly action RPGs like Diablo; and the success of massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) such as the wildly popular World of Warcraft. Console RPGs are also mentioned briefly, most notably trailblazer console RPGs such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. What sets Dungeons & Desktops apart is its in-depth discussion of literally dozens of early CRPGs, many more that even the most avid gamer has likely ever heard of. From two paragraphs to several pages are devoted to each CRPG title, giving a crystal clear picture of what playing the game was like (including its highlights, flaws, and bugs), its commercial success (or failure), and sometimes notes as to what its development team may be doing today. Black-and-white computer screenshots and a handful of color plates illustrate this "must-have" history and resource for CRPG aficionados everywhere. "My advice to anyone who really wants to learn the history of CRPGs is to start with the newer classics and gradually work backwards. It's still relatively easy, for instance, to find copies of Baldur's Gate or [Might & Magic VI: The] Mandate of Heaven and get them running on a modern PC... I would recommend skipping the early Windows 95 or Windows 3.1 games though - these can be excruciatingly difficult to get running even for emulation experts. If you a little further back, though, to the DOS era, things get much easier thanks to DOSBox." Highly recommended.



2. The title tells it all: an ehaustive history of role playing computer games. Though I didn;t stop to check them, there are many URLs for more interesting history



3. 
   "Dungeons and Desktops" is a very comprehensive review of the history of computerized role-playing computer games. It's as if Matt Barton had built a museum for these games and is giving you a personal tour of each and every game, from the earliest text-based games to the latest massive-multi-user graphical adventures. It's amazing how many games he covers (one wonders how he found the time to write the book if he actually played each game - as it appears). At points, his attention to detail may seem a bit wearing but that's only because I'm not as much of a fanatic as Barton is.
   
   Readers should be warned that this is not a casual book - it's a very serious treatment of the genre and would make an excellent addition to any game-developer's curriculum, especially those interested in creating high fantasy and role playing games. Also, Barton writes very well, as his language is neither pretentious nor dim-witted. He clearly loves his subject and does an excellent job of sharing his enthusiasm and insights with his readers. A real pleasure to read.



4. Dungeons & Desktops is a comprehensive and thorough history of the Computer Role Playing Game genre. It's basically a more fleshed out version of the author's earlier four-part series on the Gamasutra website, maintaining the same format of dividing the games into different ages (Dark, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and devoting some time to each game, explaining key gameplay features, release information and sometimes the author's thoughts on the game's merits.
   
   The book's greatest strength is in cataloging both well-known and obscure games in the genre and explaining how each was innovative in some way or representative of a trend in the genre. In this way, the book gives a fairly good outline of the history of this wide-ranging genre. Even hardcore fans of the genre may be surprised by some of the very early examples Barton was able to unearth. As the book moves into the more familiar modern age, it becomes less interesting in this regard.
   
   Although the book covers an impressive number of titles, there were spots were I felt the writing was bogged down by the repetitive nature of looking at game after game, a result of being an expanded Web feature article. Although Barton pauses at times to discuss major trends, I thought this was inconsistent, and the bulk of the book reads like Mobygames summaries of dozens of games. At times, I wanted more about the people behind the games, and voices other than the author's to break up what amounted to a series of opinions on various games.
   
   This isn't helped by some questionable choices in organization and selection. A thorough look at console games like the Final Fantasy and Zelda series should have been reserved for another book, while Gothic, a well-known modern PC RPG series, gets nothing more than a few paragraphs as a footnote to the downfall of the Ultima series (ironically, the author states that the series has been unfairly overlooked). There are also issues that arise from attempts to lump the games into different "ages." Why one game is listed in one age and not another isn't always clear, and it leads to a confusing chronology.
   
   I spotted a number of minor errors in the text, mostly related to chronology. A few examples: Oblivion was not released simultaneously on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Also, Vampire the Masquerade was released before Half-Life 2, and was the first Source Engine game released. While these may be minor, it left me wondering how many more I didn't catch. Also, the printing quality of the screenshots leaves much to be desired. Most look like dark blotches.
   
   Barton's articles, from which much of this book comes from, are still a great read and catch nearly all the key games in the genre. I felt that this book did little more than add games that are of far less importance, and therefore of little interest to most readers. This book may be valuable for those who want a very comprehensive catalog of computer role playing games, but I would recommend that most readers stick with the free online articles.



5. I would hesitate to call this book a history of CRPGs - a chronology would be more appropriate. Barton is comprehensive - every major CRPG from the inception of the computer is covered, but as another reviewer pointed out it is more of a collection of review summaries - I would liken it to Maltin's capsule reviews of films.
   
   The organization into the different ages is intriguing, and aside from the nostalgic look at games I had forgotten about, it the best part of the book. The author does not do enough to flesh out the trends, technologies, people and other aspects that may have gone in to the different ages. They are all covered piecemeal with the review capsules, and this hurts the coherence.
   
   The jumping from capsule review summaries to personal opinion is a bit awkward as well. I would have liked to have read more of the author's opinions - they were the on the whole more interesting than the reviews themselves.
   
   The decision to include a bit on console RPGs without deviating from the spirit of the book was a good one.
   
   All that said, for those of us who lived through the entire period and remember seeking out judgment day, getting eaten by a grue, or fighting vorpal bunnies it is a trip down memory lane and a nice reference volume, just not the most coherent read-through.

1 comments about Legions Triumphant: Field of Glory Imperial Rome Army List (Field Of GLory).

1. This is part of the Fields of Glory series put out by Osprey for miniature combat rules. The size design is for a 4' by 6' battle area and 15 mm to 28 mm figures. In addition to listing all the armies of the period in this supplement, there are drawing and information from the Osprey books included. Well done, well laid out, good buy, I would highly recommend. You must have Fields of Glory to play this supplement.

No comments about Hunter: The Vigil.

5 comments about Monster Manual III (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. no monsters in there worth buying the book.
   Stick with the first monster manual.



2. This book covers the holes in the Monster Manual. With these two books you are set for a solid D&D game. It is heavy on the Eberron and Forgotten Realms stuff though. If you have a lot of Eberron books you will probably feel a little gypped at the reuse of material.



3. There are many imaginative creatures within the MMIII and I have enjoyed using the new Lizardfolk and Voidminded Creatures. Having more creatures for your adventures is always helpful to keep your players challenged but this book suffers from one major problem. The creatures tend to be under rated and therefore can be extremely deadly if you use the CR ratings in the book to balance your fights. Easily overcomed if you take the time to review the creatures you are using to make sure they fit what you have planned.



4. I found the Monster Manual III to be a useful tool in my D&D book collection. Many new monsters, friend and foe alike, can be found within the 224 pages. However, a great deal of the monsters that grace the material are of the outsider/demon/devil types, or are undead. There are quite a few more creepy crawlers too. Any DM who is tired of the same old encounter will find Monster Manual III to be an enjoyable reference.



5. Wizards is really scraping the barrel with this one. Wizards has obviously run out of ORIGINAL ideas. It's like a bunch of guys got together in a room, smoked allot of pot and just threw together a bunch of chracteristics from other monsters and combined them into one monster. I can't believe people pay for this **it When are people going to THINK for themselves. Wizards does not own D&D. The people who play it do. The game was finished decades ago. Every reiteration is just money for Wizards. Wizards is in it for the PROFIT. If a pile of steaming dog **it on a plate could be sold for profit they would do it. Wake up!