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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 4595997" data-attributes="member: 7635">Remathilis's guide to Complete X HandbooksOk, here is my personal guide to the Complete Series. I owned most of them HB (and the rest via CR2).FIGHTERS: Serviceable. The alternate rules for called shots (for such things as disarm or trip) are simple but abusable. The kits are fine, but some are great examples of "mechanical benefit/Role-playing hindrance" which rarely balanced out. First try at martial arts is included. B+PRIESTS: Yeechh! The idea behind the book was to expand the PoSM rules in the PHB, but they came up with an arbitrary system of granting spheres based on "combat ability". Basically, the more weapons/armors you could use, the more restricted your sphere access. The problem is they edged way too conservatively, granting most classes only 2-4 major (all spell) access and 3-6 minor (lvl 1-3) access. By the time I got to the "in order to keep balance, you must tone down the cleric" section, I was done. D- WIZARDS: Great. New spells (with a few a bit too powerful) good kits and some of the most detailed breakdowns of wizard specialists in the game. Add on the wizard "lists" and you have one of the better of the series. A-THIEVES: Moderate. The kits are boring (many granting no benefit other than slight shifts in thief skills) but the proficiencies, items, and guild info is great. BBARDS: The Best! Great kits (that seem more like alt-bards than kits), good flavor, NWPs, Spells, a huge section on Role-playing (including a great personality chart) and even the 1e bard in the appendix! A+DRUIDS: Almost as good as the bard. Alternate druids for other terrain (desert, underdark, arctic, mountain, hill), good kits, new spells and the 1e druid in the appendix. ARANGER: Ok. New rules for favored terrain are nice, but the kits are ok and the rest seems usable. BPALADIN: Good, with cavaet: this book WILL cause DM/PC alignment/code arguments. While most of the book focuses on knightly things (chivalry, courtly love, fealty) and paladin boosts, much is devoted to understanding the paladin code, and by doing so makes in near impossible to play a paladin BY the code. Careful with this one. BPSIONICS: The first draft of psionics is the easiest to use, but psionics (even here) were inherently unbalanced until 3e. They also lacked any sort of flavor beyond "sci-fi" even with the attempt to insert eastern philosophy into it. Use at your own risk. BNINJAS: The new ninja class was nothing more than a refined thief (which in and of itself made a serviceable assassin replacement). but the highlight was the martial arts table. While complex, it was a revision of the amazing Oriental Adventures MA. Good overall, but very niche. B+BARBARIANS: Again, a new class. The Barbarian was similar to the UA barbarian, but didn't have strict taboos on who he could associate with (though a kit provided them if you wanted). They were basically fighters, lacking the "rage' mechanic of 3e but having some unique skills and such. Good info on runing primitive PCs though. A-DWARVES: How racial books should have been done! Good flavorful kits, lots of good info without being too campaign specific, and info on nearly everything you want including names, strongholds, and female dwarven facial hair. AELVES: Much mocked, but still good. Most of the kits (beyond bladesinger) were fine, and the subraces weren't too bad. The writing was clearly trying to be Tolkien by way of the Realms, so elven superiority is thick. Beyond some nonsensical ideas (elves are pregnant for 2 years) its was the best elf-perspective you could find. BGNOMES & HALFLINGS: Small races, 50/50 split. Serviceable. Each race gets its subraces, kits, general info, and a settlement. Not bad, but by smashing them together, neither stands out. That said, if you like either of them, its good. B-.HUMANOIDS: Great, but actually a bit of mixed bag. Some races are overly powerful and have crippling balancing mechanics (from earning double XP to making the PC hard to travel with). Other races are great additions. Common sense applies. Kits are good, and the BEST NWP table in all of 2e hides here.A-.</blockquote>

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