The iconic role-playing game of Dungeons & Dragons has certainly evolved from being a popular 'rolling dice on a tabletop' game in the 1970s to being a ubiquitous gaming product in 2014 as it enters the world of computer games, miniature figurines, online comics, books, and more.
Along with the "Dungeon Master's Guide" and the "Monster Manual," the "D&D Player's Handbook" has been the D&D's gaming experience's core foundation for several years now. According to GamenGuide, the last time that a book was released for Dungeons and Dragons was six years ago. Now, Wizards of the Coast, the game's publishing company, is releasing the handbook's 5th edition. It will come in three parts and will be rolled out one by one within a period of three months. The Player's Handbook is said to be the first one in the series.
The first part of the handbook deals with character creation. It features the rules and guidance in making the character that the players want to portray in the game. It includes useful information such as the character's race, class, background, equipment and some customization options to choose from. Most of the rules in the first part would rely on the material found in the second and third parts.
The second part deals with the game's playing mechanics apart from the basics that were described in the introduction. It covers the types of die rolls that the player would need in order to get a hint of his success or failure in each attempted task. It even describes the game's trio of activity categories such as interaction, combat, and exploration.
The third part is all about the game's magic. It covers topics such as the nature of magic in the gaming worlds of D&D, spellcasting rules, and a selection of the usual spells that are used by the game's magic-using characters and monsters.
The handbook is now up for grabs and retails at $49.95 a piece. Surely, the three installments of $50 is so much better than spending $150 up front. The first part is now readily available at the Wizard of the Coast website. Players can also get their copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set which was released in July 15 in case they don't have it yet. The starter set retails at $19.95.
"The Player's Handbook contains everything a player needs to pretend (with passion) they are a fantasy hero or villain, without all of the behind-the-scenes-stuff that show up in the Dungeon Master's Guide in November," said Mike Fahey of Kotaku.
