Revised Dungeon Master's Guide: Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebook

Well when they did 3.5 I would have thought that is was a fill in on the holes in 3.0. It is not. Most things have the basics from 3.0 but many things are totaly different from the ground up. If you want to do 3.5, you have to do all the books. This is not a partial switch, it is an all or nothing. When you first switch you keep finding more changes that on first look make no sense. After playing 4 or 5 sessions, you start to realize that , hey this is really good. My first impression was that 3.5 was the pitts, but after a good while, I realized it is much better than 3.0. I started playing d & d in 1977, and this is a really nice version, once you realize that it is a new total rework, not just a half step. If you are going to switch and need to get all three books, by them as the set. The price drop for the set makes it much easer on the money.

I was among the most vehemently obstinate when it came time to make the decision to convert to the 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I've been playing using the first and second edition rules sets for nearly 15 years, and my first read-through of the 3e core rules made me think about only one thing - Magic: The Gathering.However, my group and I have recently seen the light and moved into the realm of Third Edition, and I will admit that I was very wrong to cast it aside so quickly. Streamlined rules, simplified spell descriptions, combat rounds that don't seem to stand still - I could go on an on. But this review is about the Dungeon Master's Guide, and I have but one word - OUTSTANDING.One of the fatal flaws of the second edition DMG was its apparently convenient "parallel organization" - that is, the chapters were organized in the same order in both books to make reference easier. However, the 3e DMG has done away with this, and for good reason - most of the information in the PLayer's Handbook doesn't need to be repeated in the DMG. The new DMG is chock-full of Dungeon Master stuff. Combat? See the PHB. Character class or race? See the PHB. Encumbrance, alignment, magic? See the PHB. The DMG boasts such goodies as presitge classes, a modularized magic item system, a complete (finally) description of every extraordinary and supernatural ability in the game, prestige classes, the fundamentals for Epic Characters, and on and on.Bravo, Wizards. Bravo.

The D & D 3.5 core rulebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monstrous Manual) represent the newest and best incarnation of the greatest roleplaying game of all time. Many reviews have focused on the differences between versions 3 and 3.5. As someone who "skipped" version 3, I am reviewing these books as a newcomer to the d20 system. This is one of the most coherent, most streamlined, easiest to use roleplaying games I have ever seen. Everything about these books is top notch, from the binding, to the paper quality, to the editing. There is room for tremendous depth of play here. The character creation system strikes an ideal balance between detail and ease of use. Created characters will be rich and unique -- perfect for that extended campaign. The information contained in the DMG and MM are everything a new DM needs to get a great game up and running. If you're new to D & D, or if you're upgrading from versions 1 or 2, I highly recommend these books.

Finally, the day has come. A 15 year RPG vet, I cut my teeth on the D & D basic set at age 10, moved to ADD and the World of Greyhawk by 12, switched to 2nd Edition when the time came, and enjoyed many years of gaming enjoyment in ADD. However, by the time I was 14, I started to branch out into other systems and settings and came to the realization that, while the settings for ADD were great, the system that supported it showed its age. Years of innovation on other games had left the once sufficient system in thier dust. In short I switched to other games which allowed greater freedom of character development and more seamless integration with role-playing and adventure. Eventually, I undertook a request from my group to convert ADD to the more flexible HERO System (Champions, et al) so that we could once again walk the World of Oerth, but with a cleaner mechanic to play by. This I did ( http://www.nestofthorns.com )and fun was had by all. However, with the advent of the 3d Edition, the need for a better system by which to play in our favorite world has dissapeared. The system laid out in the Players Handbook and the well illustrated and cleanly structured guidance laid out in the new DMG changes all of that. The fact that Greyhawk has once again resumed its rightful and preeminent position as the D & D default setting is simply extra icing on the cake.With Prestige Classes, a top down and classified organization of Magic Items, organized definitions of abilities for all varieties of creatures, objects, and items, the Challenge Rating system, and general vision laid out in the DMG, the system has the backbone needed to provide a solid framework for not only Dungeon and Dragons campaigns, but with as-needed additions any type of campaign regardless of genre. In my experience you can judge the overall quality of a thing by the length of the run-on sentences used to describe its various qualities. In the case of the new DMG, the run-on accolades are long indeed and the run-on complaints non-existant. Monte Cook has earned a place on the list of BIG NAMES in the industry with this brilliant and well-envisioned contribution to our hobby.In summary, dont deprive yourself of this breath of fresh air thru hallowed halls. If youve ever played D & D or AD & D or enjoyed the sword and sorcery genre but bemoaned the limitations of the D & D rules system, buy this book (and the Players Handbook). I dont think you will regret it.

This book is a revolution! It is a must-read book for all DMs.The 2nd Ed. DMG was nothing more than a list of magic itens. To be honest with you, the DM and players don't really need 2nd Ed. DMG to play, they can do it without the book if they have some list of magic itens like Encyclopedia Magica.The 3rd Edition is much better! You can verify it in the chapters list below. While in the 2nd Ed. DMG, the chapters' structure was the same of the PHB, beeing only a different way to help DMs on HOW-TO-DO, the 3rd Ed. DMG has different chapters helping the DM on building creative campaigns.The Dungeon Master Guide is finally a reference book helping DMs on build their worlds. The information isn't repeated on this book, like was on the 2nd Edition.Chapter 1: Dungeon Mastering Chapter 2: Characters Chapter 3: Running the Game Chapter 4: Adventuring Chapter 5: Campaigns Chapter 6: World Building Chapter 7: Rewards Chapter 8: Magic Item