DMG2 & PHB2 - are they worth it!

[Bad Paper]

I have read both books cover-to-cover. I think the DMG2 looks super-useful for broad campaign-design. The first chapter is a waste of paper: "golly! players have different personalities!" The PH2 is quite fab, though again there's that stupid "golly! characters have different strategies!" bit. I hate the character-rebuilding crap as well.

I am involved with two campaigns, and have been trying to get the teamwork stuff (mentioned in both books) going, but no one bites. What the heck do PCs do with their downtime? There's only so much boozing and whoring you can do (yes, I'm impressed, you can do a lot, but what are you actually doing when you're "training?").

 

[wildstarsreach]

I thought that the PHB II was one of the best 3.5 books yet released.

I thought the DMG II was absolutely useless.

My opinion too. DMG2 a waste. PHB2 a real gem. It even has a great class that I like which is the Duskblade.

 

[was]

Don't have much use for the DMG 2, but I use the PHB 2 regularly

 

[frankthedm]

PHB2 Has a MUCH needed Nerf of polymorph and druid wildshape. The nerfs are different enough from the breakable material that those who were not trying to abuse them will simply think they are new abilties.

DMG2 is cool. though will see less play because 1 in 5 people at the table will be using it at a given time.

 

[Christian]

Worth having, but not worth the price IMO.

I thought the DMG2 was worth the $13 I paid for it at Half-Price Books. The $40 cover price? No, not so much.

 

[Wormwood]

PHB2 Has a MUCH needed Nerf of polymorph and druid wildshape.

Nerf shmerf---they are the new official rules as far as my table is concerned.

 

[Aaron L]

PHB II is one of my favorite D&D books.

 

[Sejs]

Is it worth purchasing the DMG2 or/and PHB2?

Yes, absolutely. Both are among the best products that've been put out for a while, I'd say. Speaking both as a player and as a DM.

Is their a book that deals with fortresses,castles & managing kingdoms/baronies?

The 3.0 Stronghold Builder's Guidebook covers building of them, but I can't think of anything that really delves the particulars of running one. Sorry.

And is their one that deals with naval battles, mass armies, war and the like?

For all things ship related, I'd strongly suggest Stormwrack. Of the various environment books, that's the cherry. For mass combat, war, etc - Heroes of Battle. Right up that particular alley.

 

[Steel_Wind]

DMG2 is iffy. When I first picked it up and read it, I was enthused. But, in actual practice, I've probably used five pages of the book. Even those were mostly on-off things like a new trap or two. We have a pretty map-intensive game (show, don't tell), so the new icons have come in handy, too. There are a few things that I'd like to get to, but doubt I ever actually will.

PHB2 is much better, but still hasn't enthused my group. Basically, the feats are the only things that people are interested in -- they complement the PHB very well if you plan to run a campaign above 10th level and are some of the best in print. Otherwise, there are a few mechanical bits that are interesting, but far from critical.

It really depends on what you want. If want few sourcebooks in your game, I'd use the PHB instead of the Complete books to pad out PC attributes. When you add in all the Complete books and things like the Races series, Heroes of XXX, etc. then it gets lost in the shuffle.

I pretty much have to agree with all of the above (which, considering those comments come at the books from a few angles, is rather remarkable agreement of the "QFT" kind).

I bought the DMG2 expecting... something else I guess. I looked at it briefly when I got it and have used it for some teamwork stuff. Really - that's about it. If it was one of the very few 3E hardcovers that I ever bought - I suppose I might have looked at it more often and used some of the magic items.

But - fact is - I buy virtually all of the WotC 3E hardcovers, and I barely touch this book as a result. When the Magic Item Compendium comes out - I expect that the words on the DMG2 pages could vanish and I don't think I would ever discover that they had for many years.

PHB2 has not really taken off among our group. Compared to the Complete Series and the Spell Compendium - we tend to ignore it - perhaps more than we should. I don't think you'll be unhappy with the PHB2 - though if you use a lot of extra WotC material, it certainly CAN get lost in the shuffle.

I think there is a substantial chance you'd be unhappy with the DMG2.

 

[Nightfall]

I side with Psion here, AGMG is a better investment for experienced DMs, but that shouldn't detract from DMG II's ability to draw in some things too. Should you get it at full price? Probably not. But should you get it? I'd say most likely, especially if you're a little strung out for ideas or a good place to start out your PCs.

PHB II useful is much higher. But then it's often easier to write for PCs needs than DMs at times.