Ashrem Bayle
Explorer
I'm loving it so far. The only change I've made is to give the knight 4 skill points, diplomacy and sense motive as class skills, and a selection of bonus feats to choose from as an alternate to Mounted Combat.
Player's Handbook 2 in play
Victim
First Post
I'm not sure I like Shield Specialization. On one hand, love for shield users is hard to come by in DnD. Also, as a general rule, attack bonuses start to outstrip AC anyway.
However, a character using an animated shield could (technically) benefit from the feat, rendering the reward for using a shield moot. Also, increases in AC tend to keep certain types of encounters from working well. It's much harder to threaten characters who make significant investments AC with larger numbers of lower CR enemies, as opposed to fewer, tougher monsters.
We'll have a Duskblade in our upcoming game, plus a few characters who are going to pick up some of the high level feats. My monk is definitely taking Water Splitting Stone, and my wizard has Arcane Thesis so she can use some metamagic with a high level spell although there hasn't been a good time for her to unload with it yet.
However, a character using an animated shield could (technically) benefit from the feat, rendering the reward for using a shield moot. Also, increases in AC tend to keep certain types of encounters from working well. It's much harder to threaten characters who make significant investments AC with larger numbers of lower CR enemies, as opposed to fewer, tougher monsters.
We'll have a Duskblade in our upcoming game, plus a few characters who are going to pick up some of the high level feats. My monk is definitely taking Water Splitting Stone, and my wizard has Arcane Thesis so she can use some metamagic with a high level spell although there hasn't been a good time for her to unload with it yet.
Aesthetic Monk
Explorer
The fighter alternate class features plus the new fighter-only or fighter-most-likely feats have gotten me to consider whether to take a prestige class with a fighter, which is something probably few people would've said before PHB II. I may still "prestige," but the trade-offs are actually worth considering now, I think.
JVisgaitis
Explorer
This was my favorite WotC book since Unearthed Arcana. I'm starting a Broken Isles Campaign in a week or two, and my players really like that book. My GF is playing a Druid with the new shifter ability. I'm looking forward to it.
Beckett
Explorer
My AoW game started with one of the players making a Dragon Shaman. The auras have been nice, but 1st and 2nd level don't show it off too much. Another player brought in a Knight for the conclusion of ToEE- between the enemies and the constant buffs from the cleric, his abilites didn't come up too often, although offering another character a new fear save was very handy.
The feats are much loved. My GF is looking at Telling Blow for her Rogue. The Shield Feats have been well received- the two fighter-types in my AOW are going for sword (axe) and board over two-hander power attackers. In higher level games, the fighters are looking forward to weapon mastery and (for the solo class fighters) weapon supremacy. The AOW Monk is looking forward to a few of the feats as well (helped by the surge in popularity among our group of the Dragonball Z video games).
The alternate class abilities have not seen much use yet, but there's interest. The AOW Sorcerer is more than willing to give up his familiar for the Metamagic ability, same with the Paladin foregoing a mount for Charging Smite. We have one Rogue interested in their alternate ability, and another who turned it down and then ran into half-dozen situations where it would be insanely useful.
The feats are much loved. My GF is looking at Telling Blow for her Rogue. The Shield Feats have been well received- the two fighter-types in my AOW are going for sword (axe) and board over two-hander power attackers. In higher level games, the fighters are looking forward to weapon mastery and (for the solo class fighters) weapon supremacy. The AOW Monk is looking forward to a few of the feats as well (helped by the surge in popularity among our group of the Dragonball Z video games).
The alternate class abilities have not seen much use yet, but there's interest. The AOW Sorcerer is more than willing to give up his familiar for the Metamagic ability, same with the Paladin foregoing a mount for Charging Smite. We have one Rogue interested in their alternate ability, and another who turned it down and then ran into half-dozen situations where it would be insanely useful.
BlueBlackRed
Explorer
I am quite happy with the book.
The shield specialization line of feats are something that was badly needed to get the front-line fighters to use shields again.
Now asking the question "Do I need a better defense (sword & board) or better offense (greatsword & power attack)?" is no longer a no-brainer.
I see a higher usage of bastard swords coming soon.
Yeah your player has found a way to exploit the rules, but that always happens when players are given more options. The rest of us shouldn't be punish by the sins of the few.
The shield specialization line of feats are something that was badly needed to get the front-line fighters to use shields again.
Now asking the question "Do I need a better defense (sword & board) or better offense (greatsword & power attack)?" is no longer a no-brainer.
I see a higher usage of bastard swords coming soon.
Yeah your player has found a way to exploit the rules, but that always happens when players are given more options. The rest of us shouldn't be punish by the sins of the few.
VirgilCaine
First Post
I like the book. Not all the book, but some of it. The tactical feats, the combat focus chain, some of the general feats, the Dragon Shaman, the Beguiler...everything else is just "blah."
frankthedm
First Post
How does the abrupt jaunt actually play out? It looks like a conjurer could completely negate being attacked by porting away 10' once an enemy has reached him. Most of other defensive effects have a chance of working, that one looks like it will always work unless the critter has 15 foot reach, to strike where the caster winds up at.
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Joshua Randall
Legend
My gripe with PH2 is that it's filled with too much, umm, filler. I do not need two pages for every class telling me very obvious archetypes. Nor do I need ~20 pages of detail on very obvious personalities like "courageous" or very obvious backgrounds like "street urchin".
In other words, less fluff, more crunch.
However... the Affiliations section, and esp. the example of play, makes up for everything else. This is an utterly brilliant innovation, and I think the example of play should be an eye-opener for every DM (and player) out there. Finally, a way to bring in outside organizations and machinations in a tangible way without bogging down the game! Great stuff.
Edit: I meant Affiliations, not Organizations.
In other words, less fluff, more crunch.
However... the Affiliations section, and esp. the example of play, makes up for everything else. This is an utterly brilliant innovation, and I think the example of play should be an eye-opener for every DM (and player) out there. Finally, a way to bring in outside organizations and machinations in a tangible way without bogging down the game! Great stuff.
Edit: I meant Affiliations, not Organizations.
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