D&D Player’s Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook) (2014)

Great production quality on the book (what the pictures don't tell you is that there's a tactile non-slip surface on the back cover!), but you want to hear about the contents. Here it is:As someone who's read the 3rd (and a half) and 4th Edition Player's Handbooks, I can say that I like this one best. Most of my experience is with 4th Edition (don't hold that against me) and this is a vast improvement on that for the following reasons:1. It's less about numbersThe Character Sheets have expanded to three pages instead of two, but one page is dedicated to spells (which your character might not even have) and another is dedicated to story-driven stuff like your character's personality, appearance, allegiances etc. Only one page dedicates any real space to stats, and even that one is relatively minimal. This is great, because...2. Teaching a newbie how to make a character is easyI'll be honest: even I didn't fully understand what some of those stat boxes in the 4e character sheet were for for a long time. This book makes the whole process a lot more understandable, and thus less intimidating to newcomers. It's also just quicker for an expert to draw up a character. The character creation process is even more inviting to newbies because...3. The new Background mechanic really emphasizes roleplayingWhen coming up with a character concept, you don't just pick a race and class and fart out a backstory. In this edition, "backgrounds" are part of the game mechanics, and a player chooses what philosophy they follow, what people are important to them, and what the character's major flaw is (for example, a visible "tell" when they lie, or being a sucker for a sob story). These points all get formatted in a way that you can pick them or roll a die and get them randomly. But the important part is that they matter - when you play to character, especially when you make decisions that are in keeping with your flaw, you get rewarded with "Inspiration" which can boost your rolls. You can also get a "trinket" which is a piece of junk (you can choose from a list or roll) your character carries for unknown sentimental reasons. This is absolute gold in terms of what a DM can do with that. Sure, you could add those details on your own initiative in 4e but newbies never think to do it. It gives a lot of depth and gets players to think about their characters more.4. Magic Equipment is goneIt's still in the game but it's in the Dungeon Master's Guide where it should be, instead of tantalizing 1st-level players with all this gear they don't have. Magic Equipment is a lot rarer and therefore more significant. The space saved by removing this means...5. There are more races and classesGnome, Half-Orc, Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Monk, Sorcerer... these races and classes were missing from Player's Handbook 1 in 4th Edition and I wasn't inclined to buy PHB2 just to get them, both for monetary reasons and because too many core books would be a lot to juggle during a game. They're included in the basic package in 5th Edition.6. Class options are simplerSome of my players were overwhelmed by the amount of "Exploits" they had available to them. That level of complexity should be reserved for Wizards and the like; but a Fighter should be able to just swing a sword and let their imagination dictate whether they attempt some fancy trick with it, not have an Exploit tell them. Additionally, a lot of the bigger options/paths get left until you're a couple of levels in, allowing a player to get a feel for a character before committing too fully to choices that they might not even understand at 1st level.7. Multiclassing is back the way it used to beOther people will point out that there are advantages and disadvantages to this, but I really prefer the old system from before 4e, and it's back.There are a lot of other little points I could spend all day talking about but the short version is: 5e is good, it emphasizes fun, and in terms of content it's better value for money than 4e's PHB1.

Anyone who is unsure about buying this book or is brand new to the game, look for the D&D core rules online. Many of the rules are free and you can start playing D&D today from an officially published source - without spending a penny. It's a good way to try the game before you invest in any books.That being said this book is a wonderful introduction into playing the game. The rules are in a clear format and it contains everything you need to create your first character. The artwork is excellent and it is a joy to read through the information on the different races and classes of D&D.It also contains some basic monster stats and pointers on where is best to get more inspiration for your games.If you are a player and looking for some more character options, i reccomend 'Xanthar's Guide to Everything' for additional class options and spells. 'Volo's Guide to Monsters' has some of the special races like goblins and bugbears. D&D Beyond is a site online that details where everything comes from, so if you want a particular race option or item then you can see where the material comes from.If you are a DM and want to get into the game more then you will probably need the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Masters Guide. As a supplement to this there is also Mordenkainen's tome of foes, which has even more exotic monsters.All in all the player's handbook is the 'corest' of the core books, and you could absolutely run your first adventure from this single source.

D&D is back. I am sure i am gonna get some hate, but i disliked fourth edition with a fiery passion. I used to refer to it as "World of Warcraft Dungeons and Dragons Edition". Wizards of the Coast have restored my faith in D&D.D&D is finally back to its roleplaying roots. It feels like all the good bits of various Editions rolled into one (and it probably is).As the above statement indicates, Fifth Edition (5E) is a lot less mechanical than it used to be, and has returned to roleplaying as its focus.Character sheets are simple now. All with just enough information. And no unneeded junk cluttering up the sheet. A lot of the sheet is taken up by skills, and boxes to note racial and class bonuses/abilities. As well as the obvious section for Ability Scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, etc...) And one or two other little bits.The book is now a lot less cluttered with mechanics and rules for every eventuality. In fact it is obvious to me that its general jist is that you should not let rules slow the game down (in fact there is a small section in the book that says something along those lines.) The main part of the book is given over to character creation. The different races, classes, and so on. And other parts of the book give insight into the multi-verse of D&D. A whole section is given over to magic. Not just spells, but also information on how spells work narratively. Rather than mechanically. And there is even a nice reasonably sized section explaining how there can be so many different worlds (games) without there being crossover or strict rules as to playing in particular settings; the multiverse. Its a a lot more interesting than i remember fourth edition being. Third Edition seems an age ago to me now, so i cannot comment on that much.The Artwork is very nice. And there is a lot of it.I have not had this long, but i am already a fan of 5E. And i can say its good to be back playing D&D.Dont have a group to play with? Well right now neither do I. I still play a few RPG's though. Solo. I am guessing advertisment is not allowed on reviews, so i will just say "Mythic" Have fun!