Player's Handbook 2; A D&D Review

Supplemental materials for pen and paper games have always functioned the same way as patches do for pay to play electronic RPGs; they add content and attempt to fix previous ‘bugs’ in the rules or gameplay. Unlike some, I was entirely thrilled upon reading through and playing with the three core rulebook set of 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I knew that more would come in the form of extra races, classes and builds, and I was rather excited to start deciphering the direction that WotC (Wizards of the Coast) would take their new incarnation of the popular gaming franchise. It goes without saying, then, that as soon as the PHB2 (Player’s Handbook 2) hit shelves, I was one of the first to get my hands on it.

Now, I understand I’m a tad late. The second handbook has been out, if my calculations serve me, almost eight months. Still, I feel the need to write a small review concerning my feelings towards the supplemental rulebook, if only because I intend to review items later which will undoubtedly build off it.

Let us set the mood, yes? To say that I was excited about finding out the new class capabilities would be a gross understatement. Barbarians and druids? Here. Divinely driven avengers? Here. I enjoyed the core classes, but I always felt that even in their basic differences they represented a bigger picture that was homogenous. Upon reading through the second Player’s Handbook, I found myself sitting between pleasure and disappointment.

On one hand, I think WotC got a lot of stuff right. They kept the basic class delineations, (Striker, Controller etc.) and morphed them into a kind of multirole system. For example, an Avenger is a striker at heart, but depending upon your build choice he can lean very heavily towards a secondary controller. It is true that they attempted to utilize this in the first handbook, but I would argue that it wasn’t implemented as thoroughly or satisfactorily as the PHB2. Another definite plus was simply the addition of new classes and races. People had clamored that gnomes, aasimar, barbarians and bards were absent from the PHB, and WotC saw the marketing benefits to including them in the PHB2. On a final note of positive reflection, I enjoy the addition of errata to the back of most core supplemental books from Wotc. It’s always nice to have the current set of rules.

On the other hand, a few negative aspects crept their way into the final product. First, and I still think this can be listed as either a positive or negative, remains the sense of sameness between the classes. In my mind, WotC took a wonderful step forward in remedying this possible problem. The PHB2 offers players varied classes with definite differences between them. For example, a druid and invoker are both prime controller characters, but where the invoker plays like a lightning fueled commander, the druid tends to lean more towards situational leadership as she switches between beast and human form. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system quite yet, but it’s always nice to see WotC administer some definite steps in the right direction. The only other negative is lack of a truly ‘fixed’ multiclass system. Frankly, the originally presented one was completely terrible. I’ve yet to DM a campaign with players who ever make use of it, and why would they? It basically amounts to wasting a feat that could be spent elsewhere for greater reward. I’ve heard that the PHB3 will have a new ‘hybrid’ system of multiclassing, but for now I’m not even holding my breath.

I guess in the end, if you are enjoying 4th edition and its style, go ahead and pick up the PHB2. It’s chock-full of interesting and useful additions to your D&D library, and the errata section in the back basically reconfigures the entire stealth system. The book won’t make you like 4th edition if you already hate it, but it might make you love it if you already like it. For me and others enjoying the 4e style, this one’s a definite buy.