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The ''Player's Handbook'' (spelled ''Players Handbook'' in first edition ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ...
'' (''AD&D'')) is the name given to one of the core rulebooks in every edition of the
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' (''D&D''). It does not contain the complete set of rules for the game, and only includes rules for use by players of the game. Additional rules, for use by Dungeon Masters (DMs), who
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...
the game, can be found in the ''
Dungeon Master's Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
''. Many optional rules, such as those governing extremely high-level players, and some of the more obscure spells, are found in other sources. Since the first edition, the ''Player's Handbook'' has contained tables and rules for creating characters, lists of the abilities of the different character classes, the properties and costs of equipment, descriptions of spells that magic-using character classes (such as wizards or
clerics Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
) can cast, and numerous other rules governing gameplay. Both the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' and the ''Player's Handbook'' give advice, tips, and suggestions for various styles of play. For most editions of ''D&D'', The ''Player's Handbook'', ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', and '' Monster Manual'' make up the core rulebooks.


''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''

The first ''Players Handbook'' was released in June 1978 as a 128-page hardcover. It was written by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
and edited by Mike Carr, who also wrote the foreword. The original cover art was by D.A. Trampier, who also provided interior illustrations along with David C. Sutherland III. Numerous foreign editions of the ''Players Handbook'' were published, including versions for the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Germany.
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer (game), Warhammer'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake ...
(U.K.) published a softcover version also in 1978. In 1983, TSR changed the cover art of the ''Players Handbook'', although the interior contents remained the same. This printing featured cover art by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...
. Printings with this cover also bear an orange spine that fits in with other ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' books. Dealers continued to place orders for the 1st edition ''Players Handbook'' even after 2nd edition was released, causing the final printing to be in July 1990, a year after the release of 2nd edition.
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highlighted that ''Dungeons & Dragons'' "is one of the few roleplaying games to maintain a split between core books for players and game masters throughout most of its history" and this split started with the release of the ''Players Handbook'' (1978), followed by the release of the ''
Dungeon Masters Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
'' (1979). The ''AD&D'' core game rules were divided between these books, and the open-ended nature of the new rules mandated that for game campaigns to be run successfully they would now need a
referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...
or Dungeon Master. The ''Players Handbook'' contained the information that players needed for playing the standard character classes:
cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
,
druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...
, fighter, ranger,
paladin The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers (), are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of France, wh ...
, magic-user, illusionist,
thief Theft (, cognate to ) is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal short ...
,
assassin Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...
, and
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
. The book also included information on non-human races, such as dwarves,
elves An elf (: elves) is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology, being mentioned in the Icelandic ''Poetic Edda'' and the ''Prose Edda''. In medieval Germanic-speakin ...
, and halflings, as well as character abilities, equipment such as armor and weapons, descriptions of spells, and optional rules to add
psionics In American science fiction of the 1950s and '60s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as extrasensory perceptio ...
to the game. Appelcline noted that TSR mostly published books aimed at Dungeon Masters after the release of the core rulebooks until "the release of ''
Unearthed Arcana ''Unearthed Arcana'' (abbreviated UA) is the title shared by two hardback books published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the co ...
'' (1985), which could easily have been called 'Player's Handbook 2', and ''
Oriental Adventures ''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental ...
'' (1985), an 'alternate players handbook' for the east". In 1999, a
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...
reprint of the first edition was released. In 2012, Wizards of the Coast released a new printing of the original book, billed as the "1st Edition Premium Player's Handbook", as part of a set of limited-edition reprints of the original 1st Edition core rulebooks: the ''Monster Manual'', ''Player's Handbook'', and ''Dungeon Master's Guide''. These premium versions of the original ''AD&D'' rulebooks were reprinted with the original art and content, but feature a new cover design. Purchase of the reprinted ''Player's Handbook'' helped support the Gygax Memorial Fund—established to immortalize Gary Gygax with a memorial statue in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.


Reception

The original ''Players Handbook'' was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue No. 10 of ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a Compact star, stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very density, dense: in an Earth sized volume, it packs a mass that is comparable to the Sun. No nuclear fusion takes place i ...
'', who gave the book a rating of 10 out of 10. Turnbull noted, "I don't think I have ever seen a product sell so quickly as did the ''Handbook'' when it first appeared on the
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer (game), Warhammer'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake ...
stand at Dragonmeet", a British role-playing game convention; after the convention, he studied the book and concluded that "whereas the original rules are ambiguous and muddled, the ''Handbook'' is a detailed and coherent game-system, and very sophisticated." Turnbull felt a bit of apprehension at the amount of time it would require to digest all the new material, but concluded by saying "I said of the '' Monster Manual'' that it was TSR's most impressive publication to date; that is no longer true—this accolade must belong to the ''Handbook'' which is nothing short of a triumph." Scott Taylor for '' Black Gate'' in 2014 listed the 1st edition ''AD&D'' ''Player's Handbook'' cover by artist David Trampier as #1 in "The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time". Then in 2016, Taylor listed the ''Player's Handbook'' as #5 on the list of "Top 10 'Orange Spine' ''AD&D'' Hardcovers By Jeff Easley, saying "you aren't going to top Trampier's version, but nonetheless, for many players who didn't start ''D&D'' in the 1980s, THIS is their ''Players Handbook'', and many of us have imagined this fantastic fight as we sat around a gaming table."


''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition''

The ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Player's Handbook'' was a 256-page hardcover book written by David "Zeb" Cook and released in 1989. The original cover art is by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...
, and the book featured eight full-page illustrations in color.
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
originally started development of the next edition of ''AD&D'' and planned on incorporating rules revisions from the ''Unearthed Arcana'' (1985) and ''Oriental Adventures'' (1985) in a new ''Player's Handbook''. However, Gygax was forced out of TSR by the end of 1985 "and his plans for second edition were abandoned". In 1986, Editor Steve Winter convinced management at TSR that the game needed more than a "reorganization" and instead that the game "should be redeveloped"; Winter and Cook then spent several years developing ''AD&D'' 2nd Edition. In August 1987, Director of Games Development Michael Dobson outlined that "the two core books were to be done by December 1987, then turned over to the RPGA for playtesting in early 1988, then returned to TSR for redevelopment in late 1988" aiming to release in "March or April 1989".
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highlighted that "Dobson's scheduling was quite accurate, as the 2e ''Player's Handbook'' (1989) appeared in February 1989, then the 2e ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (1989) in May". The ''Player's Handbook'' (1989) for 2nd edition was designed to be compatible with 1st edition rules, but the information in the book was streamlined and clarified. Appelcline commented that unlike the previous ''Players Handbook'' (1978), ''Player's Handbook'' (1989) became the larger "core rulebook of the game" and included most of "the character creation rules and ''everything'' else that players should know". The book contained the information on how to play the standard character classes organized in categories consisting of warriors (fighters, paladins, and rangers), wizards (mages and specialist wizards such as illusionists), priests (clerics, with guidelines for variance by mythos, including the druid as an example), and rogues (thieves and
bards In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's an ...
); while most character classes remained similar to their versions in the 1st edition rules, the bard was regularized to function more like the other classes, and the assassin and monk were removed.
TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...
also removed some races from the game, such as half-orcs, although some of these were added back into the game in supplements, such as '' The Complete Book of Humanoids''. Appelcline noted that following the release of the ''Player's Handbook'' (1989), TSR published a "player-focused series of splatbooks, the "PHBR" ''Complete'' series (1989-1995)"; in the TSR code system, "PHBR" stood for ''Player's Handbook'' reference series. It was in the '' Player's Option: Spells & Magic'' sourcebook for the second edition that the artificer was first introduced, as a specialist choice for magic users specifically. A set of optional rules for ''proficiencies'' was added, to represent skills, and sections detailing role-playing, combat, magic, time and movement, equipment, and spell descriptions were all expanded from the original book. The book included major changes regarding character classes, races, and magic, and incorporated many new rules that had been published in supplements such as ''
Unearthed Arcana ''Unearthed Arcana'' (abbreviated UA) is the title shared by two hardback books published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the co ...
'' (1985) and ''
Dragonlance Adventures ''Dragonlance Adventures'' is a 128-page hardcover book for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the first edition of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Contents ''Dragonlance Adventures'' is a supplement which detail ...
'' (1987). In 1995, a new version of the 2nd edition ''Player's Handbook'' was released as part of TSR's 25th anniversary. The book was revised, becoming sixty-four pages larger, mainly due to layout changes and new artwork. A new foreword in this edition specifically stated that the book was not ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition. The 2nd edition ''Player's Handbook'' was reproduced as a premium reprint on May 21, 2013.


Reception

In the May 1989 edition of ''
Games International ''Computer Games Magazine'' was a monthly computer and console gaming print magazine, founded in October 1988 as the United Kingdom publication ''Games International''. During its history, it was known variously as ''Strategy Plus'' (October 1 ...
'', James Wallis called the 2nd edition "an improvement over the original", but concluded that it was "a step forward for the game, but a very small step." Wallis felt that the many improvements called for by the "archaic mechanics" and "hugely overly-complex" rules had not been addressed, and that the game still provided "a terrible introduction to role-playing." He concluded that the designer "lacked the vision to see what could have been done with the material", and gave the book a below-average rating of 2 out of 5, saying, "''AD&D'' may be the biggest selling rolegame of all time, but like the IBM PC, that doesn't mean that it isn't thoroughly obsolete and to be avoided." The 2nd edition ''Player's Handbook'' was an
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
and Gamer's Choice award winner.
Lawrence Schick Lawrence Schick is a game designer and writer associated with role-playing games. Early life and education Schick attended Kent State University in Ohio. Career Schick, as the head of design and development at TSR, brought aboard Tom Moldvay ...
, in his 1991 book ''Heroic Worlds'', called the book "a vast improvement" over the 1st edition book; he noted that the monk character class had been "banished to ''
Oriental Adventures ''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental ...
'' where it belongs", but commented that the spell descriptions "have positively bloated to over 100 pages". Stephan Wieck reviewed the ''Player's Handbook'' within a broader review of the 2nd Edition rules in a 1989 issue of '' White Wolf''. He saw the revised rules as a clear improvement. He noted that its "interior is laid out very well and is graphically attractive" with a helpful color scheme.


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition

The third edition, published August 10, 2000,''D&D'' Alumni: A Look Back at Player's Handbooks
Retrieved November 23, 2008.
(with the ''Player's Handbook'' debuting at that year's
Gen Con Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing ...
, in August 2000) represented a major overhaul of the game, including the adoption of the
d20 system The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, originally developed for the Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition, 3rd edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The system is named after ...
. The third edition also dropped the word ''Advanced'' from the title, as the publisher decided to publish only one version of the game instead of both basic and advanced versions. Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams all contributed to the 3rd edition ''Players Handbook'', ''
Dungeon Master's Guide The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
'', and '' Monster Manual'', and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions. Tweet is credited with the book's design. The 3rd edition ''Player's Handbook'' also saw the return of half-orcs and monks to the core rules set, along with some all-new classes. The reviewer from ''
Pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...
'' commented on the release of third edition, stating: "There's a lot to like about ''Dungeons and Dragons'' 3rd Edition as seen in the ''Player's Handbook''. The new artwork is gorgeous and evocative, and in the 286 pages of the main rulebook there's a lot of well-written and tightly packed rules." Another reviewer wrote a response to the first review. A third reviewer felt that the design team "smoothed out the rough edges from ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragon'' 2nd Edition and added tons of new goodies to make ''D&D'' 3rd Edition the best combat-oriented RPG you can buy".


''Dungeons & Dragons'' v3.5

In July 2003, the rules were revised again to version 3.5 based on two years of player feedback.''Dungeons & Dragons'' 2003 Core Rulebook Revisions FAQ
Retrieved November 24, 2008.
Revisions to the ''Player's Handbook'' included the classes becoming more balanced against each other. Andy Collins explained that he was originally put in charge of "evaluating the 3.0 ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' to see if there were places where the rules could stand any improvement or upgrades" as a "thought experiment for R&D"; however, by winter 2001, there was a shift to developing ''Dungeons & Dragons'' v3.5 to reflect the game's rapid evolution. Collins was put in charge of the ''Player's Handbook'' (2003) development with Rich Redman on the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (2003) and Skip Williams on the ''Monster Manual'' (2003). When asked about the changes from the prior ''Player's Handbook'' (2000) release, Williams said "I think they range from the almost invisible (unless it affects your character directly) to the pretty radical," while Collins replied "Well, I don't think I'd call any of the changes 'radical.' Even though some characters will undergo some significant changes, the aim is for the character to still feel like the same character, only with more interesting and balanced options." Monte Cook, one of the lead designers of the 3rd Edition who left Wizards of the Coast in 2001, was critical of v3.5 in his review of the new core rulebooks – "this revision is too much, too soon. In fact, it's much more than just a 'revision.' That said, most of the changes it presents are good. The bad changes, thankfully, won't have a huge impact on your game". Cook claimed that this new edition "was motivated by financial need rather than by design need". May 2006 saw the release of the ''
Player's Handbook II ''Player's Handbook II'' is the title of a third edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' supplement. It is a handbook of rules and guidelines for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. As the name implies, the book is a supplement to the edition's ...
'', designed to follow up the standard ''Player's Handbook''. This book was designed by David Noonan. It contains four new classes, along with new spells, feats, and new role-playing options. Its cover pays homage to the 1st edition ''Player's Handbook''. The 3.5 edition ''Player's Handbook'' was reproduced as a premium reprint on September 18, 2012.


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition

On June 6, 2008, the Fourth Edition ''Player's Handbook'', subtitled ''Arcane, Divine and Martial Heroes'', was released. It was originally announced that the 4th edition's three core rulebooks would be released over a three-month period, but the date changed after customer feedback revealed a majority preference among D&D customers to have all three core rulebooks released in the same month. The Fourth Edition ''Player's Handbook'' was designed by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
. The front cover illustration was by
Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a People of the United Kingdom, British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Gam ...
and the back cover illustration was by Dan Scott. The first ''Player's Handbook'' includes eight classes: cleric, fighter, paladin, ranger, rogue, warlock, warlord, and wizard, and eight races: dragonborn, dwarf, eladrin, elf, human, half-elf, halfling, and tiefling. The warlock and warlord classes, and the dragonborn and tiefling races, represented new additions to the core rules, while the book left out previous core elements such as the monk and bard classes and the gnome and half-orc races. Wizards of the Coast emphasized that those elements would be coming in subsequent ''Player's Handbooks'' and would be considered to be as central to the game as those in the first book.
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highlighted that the omission of some classic character classes and races was considered controversial – "the designers later said that they regretted not saying that the first ''Player's Handbook'' was just a starting place for D&D 4e" as "more races and classes would appear in the years to come". Appelcline opined that the ''Player's Handbook'' (2008) was notable for being "the most complete player's rulebook ever produced for" ''Dungeons & Dragons'' since it contained "all the character creation rules", "all the other core rules" and "first time ever it included magic items". He explained that one of the 4th Edition goals was "moving the game away from being a simulation and toward being a more cinematic gaming experience – something that would allow players to simply reskin their character fluff without it changing the game itself" and so player character classes saw "the biggest revamp". He highlighted that fewer roleplaying aspects were codified while the gameplay mechanics were "more focused on combat than in previous editions" making battle maps very important; the healing surge mechanic reflected the importance of combat while "spells and other abilities that weren't combat-oriented either disappeared or were revamped". The 4th edition '' Player's Handbook 2'', subtitled ''Arcane, Divine and Primal Heroes'', was released on March 17, 2009. The ''Player's Handbook 2'' includes eight classes: the avenger,
barbarian A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice. A "barbarian" may ...
, bard, druid, invoker,
shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
,
sorcerer Sorcerer may refer to: Magic * Sorcerer (supernatural), a practitioner of magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources * Sorcerer (fantasy), a fictional character who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sou ...
, and warden, and five races: the deva,
gnome A gnome () is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and widely adopted by authors, including those of modern fantasy literature. They are typically depict ...
, goliath, half-orc, and shifter. The book reached No. 28 on ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''s bestseller list the week of March 26, 2009 and No. 14 on the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
''s non-fiction bestseller list a week later. A third book in the series, '' Player's Handbook 3'', subtitled ''Psionic, Divine and Primal Heroes'', was released on March 16, 2010. The book was designed by Mike Mearls,
Bruce R. Cordell Bruce Robert Cordell is an American author of roleplaying games and fantasy novels. He has worked on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' games for Wizards of the Coast. He won the Origins Award for '' Return to the Tomb of Horrors'' and has also won severa ...
, and Robert J. Schwalb, and featured cover art by Michael Komarck. It includes six classes: ardent, battlemind, monk, psion, runepriest, and seeker, along with four races: wilden, the
minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...
, githzerai, and shardminds. The PHB3 also includes new multi-classing rules for hybrid characters.


Reception

John Baichtal of ''
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
'' highlighted that he liked the various character changes included in the ''Player's Handbook'' (2008) – "a lot of people have been talking about how MMPORGs have influenced D&D, particularly toward making advancement more fun. There are cool new powers at nearly every level, and all the classes are equally balanced". He commented that the shift between 3.5 and 4th Edition is "as profound as between, say, 1st Edition AD&D and 3.5". He also liked the healing surge ability the sourcebook introduced as it allows player characters (PCs) "to be more adventurous and daring". However, he "didn't like" how various classes and races (such as bard, barbarian, druid, monk, gnome, and half-orc) were left out of the ''Player's Handbook'' (2008). Baichtal opined that 4th Edition "certainly isn't a token update to sell more books" with "thoughtful" changes and an "easy start that makes newbie PCs tough enough to take care of business".


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition

The 5th Edition ''Player's Handbook'' was released on August 19, 2014 by
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...
. The ''Player's Handbook'' contains the basic rules of the 5e system, the base classes and races, and character customization options. The cover art by Tyler Jacobson features King Snurre, from ''The Hall of the Fire Giant King'' (1978) adventure module, looming over two heroes engaged in battle with him. Jacobson explained that "the angle is so extreme in order to convey a desperate battle again such a giant foe. I wanted to put the female hero in a pose that seemed very 'last ditch effort' to cast a spell and possibly take him out .. But mainly I just wanted a composition that was very action-packed". He also highlighted the blue magic "about to be cast" by the heroine as the focal point with the bright color contrasting "the hot colors everywhere else in the image". Wizards of the Coast rereleased the three core rulebooks as part of a bundled boxset, titled ''Dungeons & Dragons Core Rulebooks Gift Set'', in November 2018; the rulebooks contain the
errata An erratum or corrigendum (: errata, corrigenda) (comes from ) is a correction of a published text. Generally, publishers issue an erratum for a production error (i.e., an error introduced during the publishing process) and a corrigendum for an a ...
for the edition. An alternative edition of the set, with new cover art by Hydro74, was only available through local game stores. Gavin Sheehan for ''
Bleeding Cool ''Bleeding Cool'' is an Internet news site, focusing on comics, television, film, board games, and video games. Owned by Avatar Press, it was launched by Rich Johnston in 2009. Avatar Press also publishes an associated magazine, also called ''B ...
'' highlighted that the alternative cover art of the ''Player's Handbook'' features "the 'welcoming' face of King Snurre, iron helmet and all looking at you like you don't belong here and why shouldn't he put you down? I love the design of his helmet cast in a slightly deeper red with orange eyes and bear shining underneath".


Reception

In ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
's'' "Best-selling Books Week Ending September 1, 2014", ''Player's Handbook'' was #1 in "Hardcover Nonfiction" and sold 22,090 units; it was #7 on the overall bestseller list. It remained in the "Hardcover Nonfiction" top 25 for four weeks. The ''Player's Handbook'' was the top selling book at Amazon on its release day. The 5th edition ''Player's Handbook'' won the 2015
Origins Award The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, t ...
for Best Role Playing Game and Fan Favorite Role Playing Game. The book won three 2015 gold
ENnie Awards The ENNIE Awards (previously stylized as ENnie Awards) are awards for role-playing game (RPG) products (including game-related accessories, publications, and art) and their creators. The awards were created in 2001 by Russ Morrissey of EN World ...
, "Best Game", "Best Rules", "Product of the Year", and one silver award for "Best Writing" by Jeremy Crawford,
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
, Robert J. Schwalb, and
Bruce R. Cordell Bruce Robert Cordell is an American author of roleplaying games and fantasy novels. He has worked on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' games for Wizards of the Coast. He won the Origins Award for '' Return to the Tomb of Horrors'' and has also won severa ...
. Jeff LaSala ''of
Tor.com ''Reactor'', formerly ''Tor.com'', is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on specul ...
'' commented that "there's no denying" the "visual appeal" of the covers for the 5th Edition sourcebooks and that he was "extremely satisfied to see the ''Player's Handbook'''s cover at last give us an action heroine in sensible clothing—quite a contrast to last edition's ''PHB'' cover. Whatever anyone thinks of the overall format and design of these books, that's a huge win". Andrew Zimmerman Jones of '' Black Gate'' commented on the 5th edition ''Player's Handbook'': "Their rules light approach make it a natural system for old fans to bring new players into the hobby, but even with this initial offering there are enough customization options to keep old school gamers happy playing with it." Chuck Francisco of ''Mania.com'' commented: "While it was an easily accessible system, 4e left a lukewarm feeling with my gaming group. There was something too generic and uninteresting about player characters which pervaded the system, especially in the wake of 3.5e (which some felt provided too many options so as to be confusing). In the process, 4e characters lost an indescribable crunchy feeling, but I'm pleased to say that it's been brought back for the newest installment of this venerated table top series." In comparing the 2014 ''Player's Handbook'' to the 1978 ''Player's Handbook'', James Floyd Kelly of GeekDad viewed the ''AD&D'' sourcebook as both "outstandingly fun" and "a product of its time" while "this new 5th edition feels streamlined... and much more accessible". Kelly commented that "the writing is much more polished. The artwork more inspiring. And the overall look and feel (with the layout of the graphical elements and charts and the organization of material) is appealing both visually and for comprehension. New gamers are going to find this new material fun to read – at no time did I feel bogged down as I was reading". Henry Glasheen of '' SLUG Magazine'' highlighted getting "lost in the artwork" of the 2014 ''Player's Handbook'' as the new edition's "art has the patient beauty of old-school high adventure, amped up with a distinctly modern aesthetic" and "everything has this magnificent watercolor texture that, while obviously digital in most cases, gives each piece a familiar, knowable feel". John Farrell at ''Gaming Trend'' called the 2014 ''Player's Handbook'' artwork "both iconic and evocative" although "of questionable quality in very few places". Glasheen enjoyed the character creation process including the new Background system and thought making the Feats system optional "de-clutters the game and removes the incentive to try and break system mechanics". Similarly, Farrell commented that "character creation is fast and easy, without an overload of options at the outset" and with a simpler ruleset, this edition "has found substantial yet unobtrusive ways to bring your thoughts to roleplay without enforcing rigid methods of keeping in line with an archetype". In terms of gameplay, Farrell highlighted the "simplicity of the actions" which makes "combat more fast-paced" and praised the bounded accuracy of the game. Farrell thought that the "game is fun, simply put, and guaranteed to pull new players into the fold". Glasheen commented that while the game is less complex than previous editions, 5th Edition "is easily my favorite, ranking even higher than D&D 3.5, my first love in D&D". However, those looking for "a hardcore RPG to test your skills at optimizing characters and crunching numbers" are probably not going to enjoy 5th Edition as much since the focus "is heavy on story and keeps the mechanics fast and loose".


2024 revision

The
backward compatible In telecommunications and computing, backward compatibility (or backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, software, real-world product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with inpu ...
''Player's Handbook'' (2024), as part of the 2024 revision to the 5th Edition ruleset, updates preexisting player options while introducing new content to the game. The sourcebook was released globally on September 17, 2024. Wizards of the Coast released a limited number of copies for sale six weeks early at
Gen Con Gen Con is the largest tabletop game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, live action role-playing ...
; local game stores in the
Wizards Play Network The Wizards Play Network (WPN) is the official sanctioning body for competitive play in ''Magic: The Gathering'' (''Magic'') and various other games produced by Wizards of the Coast and its subsidiary, subsidiaries, such as Avalon Hill. Origina ...
were allowed to release the ''Player's Handbook'' for
early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release Software release life cycle, developm ...
on September 3, 2024. The digital edition on
D&D Beyond D&D Beyond (DDB) is the official digital toolset and game companion for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition. DDB hosts online versions of the official ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition books, including rulebooks, adventures, and other supple ...
also came with early access for subscribers who pre-ordered. Wizards of the Coast also released an alternate cover edition which will be available only in local game stores; shipping delays pushed the release of the alternate cover outside of North America to October 2024. The standard edition features cover art by Tyler Jacobson and the alternate cover features art by Wylie Beckert. Alex Meehan, for '' Dicebreaker'', highlighted that the standard edition features a
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
of adventurers with "a friendly golden dragon standing behind them" and the "artwork strongly implies that the group is in the midst of a battle". In comparing the cover of the 2024 ''Player's Handbook'' to the 2014 ''Player's Handbook'', Matt Bassil of '' Wargamer'' commented that "the old cover is an obvious power fantasy: look how powerful you can become and the cool things you can fight" while the new cover has a different focus: "look at the variety of DnD races and classes you can play, and the cool people you'll be hanging out with". Bassil thought it was "interesting that Wizards" chose to highlight the group dynamic on the 2024 cover, which "wasn't such a priority in 2014". He also saw it as a clear attempt to "champion diversity" and convey that ''Dungeons & Dragons'' "is for everyone". Meehan commented that the 2024 alternate cover "gives off a very different vibe" with the party in cave "sharing a pot of tea" and "included within this serene tea party is a golden dragon – somewhat linking things back to the standard cover – who grasps a normal-sized tea cup in one massive paw, with the party's rogue balancing on part of the dragon's body above". Josh Herman, head of art at Wizards of the Coast, commented that they liked making a "not so aggressive" cover which is "a sweeter, calmer version of" the standard cover. Herman explained that combat is a "huge pillar of D&D, but sometimes a lot of what D&D is, is just storytelling" and the alternate cover reflects the camp downtime the party has between adventures.


Reception

Wizards of the Coast announced that the ''Player's Handbook'' (2024) was "the fastest-selling ''Dungeons & Dragons'' product ever" and surpassed '' Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything'' (2020) to become "the biggest product launch in the game's 50-year history". Scott Thorne of ''
ICv2 ''ICv2'' is an online trade magazine that covers geek culture for retailers. ''ICv2s main areas of focus are comic books, anime, gaming, and show business products. The site offers news, reviews, analysis, and sales information for retailers ...
'' noted that data service
BookScan BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry that compiles point of sale data for book sales, owned by Circana in the United States and NIQ in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Italy, Spai ...
, which publishes "weekly sales figures of trade book sales in the U.S. from most chain retailers and over 800 independent booksellers" and covers "about 85% of the market", reported "a total of 3,773 copies sold". Thorne viewed BookScan as an accurate accounting of bookstore sales, however, not an accurate accounting of every sale as very few hobby game stores report their sales to BookScan and BookScan's figures do not appear to include the 3,000 copies sold at GenCon. Benjamin Abbott of ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' commented that "with this 2024 update, the ''Player's Handbook'' is finally as lavish as you'd expect" and that in the 2014 edition, "too much was left to your imagination. Class pages, some of the most used in the game, were frequently limited to one or two illustrations and decorative elements apiece, while the spell section was an unrelenting wall of text". Abbott highlighted that "alongside a much grander piece of hero art for each class (which proudly takes up a whole page this time), each subclass also gets an evocative illustration", every character background has "a landscape or scene that begs you to imagine your character there", and there is "artwork displaying how a spell works every page or two – and it's actually quite compelling, showing off how magic works". Beside the art, Abbott thought "in direct contrast to previous editions where sections bled together", the 2024 edition has a more sensible layout design and emphasizes reader accessibility. Joshua Rivera, in a pre-release review for ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'', thought that the 2014 ''Player's Handbook'' was "clearly built with the assumption that the reader arrives with some level of buy-in or, preferably, someone to guide them" while the 2024 ''Player's Handbook'' is a "modern and clean reworking of the first book every D&D player reads" and is far more accessible than its predecessor. He highlighted the thoughtful layout and that while "rules are explained when necessary", more complicated aspects "are relegated to a glossary in the appendices". Rivera commented that this updated sourcebook is "better suited to how the game is played in 2024" and "feels well-planned in a way previous books haven't, offering an organic path through the game's concepts and ideas". Following the release, Charlie Hall of ''Polygon'' also emphasized the "user-friendly" aspects of the sourcebook which he thought "seamlessly" onboards players – "lead graphic designer Matt Cole and art director Emi Tanji should be given medals, because the very shape of the brand feels suddenly glossy, modern, and new". However, Hall criticized the digital edition on
D&D Beyond D&D Beyond (DDB) is the official digital toolset and game companion for ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition. DDB hosts online versions of the official ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fifth edition books, including rulebooks, adventures, and other supple ...
as the platform is "cluttered and complex, so filled with speed bumps and interruptions"; while he recommended purchasing the physical sourcebook, Hall also recommended avoiding D&D Beyond "unless you know exactly what you're doing". Chase Carter of ''Rascal'' commented that while he "ultimately" echoed Hall's "plea to buy a physical copy of the 2024 ''Player's Handbook''", and to do so from the local community if you're purchasing the new sourcebook, he also emphasized that he "can't recommend anyone purchase D&D 2024's ''Player's Handbook''". He criticized Wizards of the Coast for releasing the ''Player's Handbook'' months before the other two core rulebooks in a move "that's simply prioritized towards the largest population of wallets" and opined that you can't truly review the 2024 update with only one core rulebook. Christian Hoffer of '' ComicBook.com'' viewed the 2024 ''Player's Handbook'' as "an improvement from its 2014 predecessor in almost every single way" since the sourcebook "is more accessible, has better art, a better layout, and has clearer rules". Hoffer highlighted that the update "played it safe" and that the sourcebook features many changes which "were either already implemented via different expansions or exist in the same design space as third-party material". Hoffer opined that "the designers should be acknowledged" for their work on improving the game, "however, nothing about the new ''Player's Handbook'' excites me as a veteran DM or makes me want to play ''Dungeons & Dragons'' more than I already did". Mollie Russell of ''Wargamer'' rated the 2024 ''Player's Handbook'' a 9 out 10 and commented that a close reading of the sourcebook shows a "complex web of small changes" but at a distance, while playing, "things still feel like fifth edition. The broader experience hasn't been innovated much, but on the bright side, that means it's just as fun to play as it was before". Russell thought that the sourcebook "loses a sense of place and character" in terms of world-building and there are some "issues with homogenisation", however, "the structure of the ''Player's Handbook'' is more logical, efficient, and beginner-friendly" and "most of the new rules you come across will delight rather than dismay".


See also

* Editions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' * List of alternate ''Dungeons & Dragons'' classes


References


Further reading

* "Sage Advice", ''
Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' #148. * "Sage Advice", ''
Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' #149. * "Sage Advice", ''
Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' #157. {{D&D topics 1978 books 1989 books 2000 books 2003 books 2008 books 2014 books Books by Gary Gygax Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks ENnies winners Handbooks and manuals Origins Award winners Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1978 sv:Player's Handbook