Can someone tell me about this "Miniatures Handbook"?

[Turanil]

Until now, I had barely noticed this WotC Miniatures Handbook, and wouldn't bother paying attention to it. The fact it has to do with "miniatures" led me to believe it was some sort of simplistic wargame as opposed to a role-playing game. However, I read several mentions of classes from this book, I had never heard before, such as the "Healer" or "Marshall". Now I am intrigued. Can someone tell me what this book is about, what's is inside, and is it fully compatible with D&D 3.5, or is it a lesser rule set, or what not...

Thanks.

 

[Darkness]

It has a lot of 3.5 stuff, plus the miniatures rules.

Marshal is a support-type class. A base class, that is. Has auras that give allies bonuses and, at higher levels, can grant move actions a limited number of times a day.

Healer is a base class that does what you'd expect it to do. Divine caster.

There are also the Warmage and (I think) Favored Soul in the book, both of which have since been reprinted in the Complete series.

 

[DM_Jeff]

Mini's Handbook

It has new core classes, a handful of prestige classes, a chapter of spells, a chapter of feats and other intriguing stuff for 3.5 regular game play. For example, it introduces the new "swift" and "immediate" actions to D&D. The rear of the book focuses more on the miniatures rules then roleplayign applications, but it's still good stuff.

I can only vouch for it's utility because at the two games I run I have a number of players, plenty, grabbing for the book on a weekly basis because of some rule they picked up from within for their character.

-DM Jeff

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Some people don't like this book but I love it. Plenty of neat options and nifty new spells. The Healer class makes for an ideal cohort (a healer with an 18 Cha cures 5 hp with a cure minor; can't go wrong there!).

 

[JoeGKushner]

Some great options in terms of core classes, PrCs (Havoc Mage, Bonded Summoner!), spells, feats, and monsters.

Unfortunatly, they added the miniatures rules to the other half of the game which is set at the extremely small skrimish level.

Some stores I've seen are doing a thing where you buy three packs of the Giants of Legend, you get the book free.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I don't regret buying the Miniatures Handbook, despite never buying a box of actual D&D minis.

The marshal base class is one of my personal faves, although the other three base classes add very little in my opinion - I consider the healer, warmage and favored soul the least interesting noncore 3.5 base classes aside from the pitiful CW samurai.

The PrCs are interesting but perhaps a bit too tightly focused for most characters. Used in conjunction with either Epic levels or the unfortunately worded Hulking Hurler, the War Hulk becomes problematic, albeit incredibly, utterly limited. Many of the PrCs struggle because they're good for a little while but rapidly fall behind the single-class power curve (like Bonded Summoner).

The feats are okay. Nothing I've used extensively, or seen used.

The spells include some nasty options, but I believe they've been reprinted.

The magic items are mostly designed for the large-scale battlefield, but they include the second most useful magic item I've ever encountered (after the humble cloak of resistance): the ring of communication. I can't imagine a high-level wealth-by-level-guidelines party not packing these beautiful little devices.

The monsters are quite cool. Equicephs are both nasty opponents and playable PCs, the Aspects (lesser avatars) would be cool for a Greyhawk game, and several playable oddball monsters also put in an appearance.

Overall, I'd rate it behind Complete Adventurer in terms of usable content for the RPG, on par with Complete Warrior. And, of course, if you ever felt like trying the miniatures rules, it would be much more valuable.

 

[Whimsical]

The Marshal class is posted here. Athough his abilities are bard-like, I wouldn't refer to him as such. He is an intelligent charismatic educated leader of troops. I like this class a lot. It fills a void in D&D that I have sensed for a while. A void that wasn't filled by the Noble class or by the Bard class.

I also like the ability of the Havoc Mage prestige class. It helps recover somewhat what my fighter/sorcerer used to be able to do in 3.0 with haste. As a class ability, the Havoc Mage can cast a spell and take a single attack as a full round action. The class only has five levels and the more levels you take of the class the higher level that the spell that is cast can be.

 

[Psion]

The book has some interesting classes in it, but the D&D (as in the RPG) material takes up less than half of the book, and much of the best of that material was reprinted elsewhere (like the MMIII and Complete Arcane). If I had it to do again, I wouldn't buy the book.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The Aspects (CR10 Avatars) haven't seen much use in my game, but they are still nice, and the main thing that hasn't been reprinted elsewhere. The Healer is silly, but the Marshal is great. None of the PrC's scream out to me, but the feats are pretty nice, and I don't recall them being reprinted elsewhere yet. (One lets a two weapon guy get an attack with each when he uses an AoO)
It's been out for a while now, and would probably be worth a low priced purchase if you're just looking for D&D material.

 

[Remathilis]

I found it Ironic that the two classes I found redundant or broken (warmage and favored soul) were the ones reprinted in the complete line...

Some good spells and feats, PrCs are pretty blah (good ideas, but not alot of oomph), marshal is great but healer is kinda weak. Lots of cool magic items. All the mosters are cool (aspects and catfolk stick out for me).

The rest of the book is now the outdated skirmish rules (much of it has been revised anyway).

If you own it or can get it cheap, go for it and use it. If not, don't pay full price.