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Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Player’s Handbook Review
[MAP][/MAP]There has always been something of a sea change in the gaming community whenever a new edition of D&D is released, as it often operates as some sort of marker for the ‘state of the industry’. This current edition is no exception, although much of its reception has been affected by the attitudes of reviewers towards previous editions. While one cannot ignore prior experiences of the game, my view is that past editions were largely products of their time and making rule-by-rule comparisons to the past is redundant – especially when much of the emotions surrounding them can be negative and conflicting.
As such, I intend to attempt to write a review for the current edition on its own merits. If comparisons are to be made, it’s against other games that exist in the current market only.
The Player’s Handbook is the third core release in the D&D 5E line (following the Starter Set and the free Basic Rules available online), although it serves as the first core book to the full game as I see it. It weighs in at a concise 316 pages plus character sheets, is printed in full colour and a sturdy hardback. The art direction is very consistent, with pictures to be found on most two-page spreads varying from ‘awesome!’ to ‘meh!’ depending on your tastes. The layout is appealing in that it’s easy to read. I certainly didn’t have to re-read sections of the rules, which has been an issue for me in other games. The index is very thorough and the book as a whole easy to navigate. In all, it’s a fully professional laid out game book, as you would expect from Wizards of the Coast.
The game rules are Race/Class and Level based, as with all editions of D&D, but they have expanded on a selection of formatted character Backgrounds too. This has the advantage of providing easily digestible archetypes, which can be combined in a variety of ways for speedy character generation, with an additional option for customizing through multi-classing and specific ‘feats’ (a limited list of special abilities that can be chosen in place of Ability boosting earned at higher levels) too. While flexible, there is a sense of ‘cookie-cut’ character design at the expense of a certain degree of realism and system adaptability towards the diverse range of fantasy sub-genres that exist. There is no real suggestion of D&D being a universal system (in this edition) although its sources are generic enough, and there is quite a full list of inspirational fantasy source material listed in the appendixes. You’d struggle to play something like Game of Thrones as written, however, as it simply doesn’t account for nuances like political play over straight combat for example. Consequently the standard design will always leave something of a niche for more skill-based RPGs (like RuneQuest) or those with a ‘narrative’ approach (like The Dying Earth) to provide an alternative, I feel.
Each character is defined by six Ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma), which are determined either through traditional random 3D6 dice rolls or selected by a points-based scheme on a 1-20 (human) scale. I particularly like the allocation method of giving set scores, as it cuts down on the nonsense you sometimes get with hugely varying Abilities between different Player Characters. To me, simply knowing that you are good in some Abilities, average in others and weak in one or two is all that matters.
These scores provide a profile for the character that informs pretty much any basic activity they choose to do, and how well they can do it as expressed in statistical bonuses on a D20 roll verses a target number. This serves as the basis for Attack Rolls, Saving rolls (to avoid threats) and all other Ability checks. A new idea is the concept of Advantage and Disadvantage, wherein additional D20 dice are rolled and either the highest or lowest result is taken accordingly. It’s a simple, but elegant mechanic that allows the dialogue on a page to remain in prose when describing a scenario, rather than be littered with +/- stats all over the place.
As characters accumulate ‘Experience points’ through adventuring, they gain various other abilities and statistical bonuses, which are mainly determined by their Class choices. The most notable feature of this edition is a flat-rate increase in a single ‘Proficiency bonus’, which starts at +2 and maxes out at +6 at high levels. As such, no Character ought to get any more than a +11 bonus at any Level (without the use of magic, of course!) and the issues of heavy statistical inflation as characters level up is kept to a minimum.
The Races provided include the Tolkien-esque standards (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Human) along with more ‘exotic’ types (Dragonborn, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Gnome, and Tiefling). The question of which races ought to be available to play is is a question for the GM. House rules are a tradition of the game and 5E is going to be no exception but, for the record, I see no problem with allowing all of them as it stands in a general game. I mean, why not? Race templates highlight Ability adjustments (always positive) along with other abilities. These are designed to be finely balanced against each other in a mathematical sense and, as such, can lead to some peculiarities. Humans, for example, are given a +1 bonus to all Abilities – meaning that an average human is actually above average in everything. There has been some attempt to address this with an optional rule to provide an extra skill and feats (instead of the flat +1 Ability bonus), and a welcome attempt to provide some example cultures too. Diminutive races such as Halflings and Gnomes seem to have no penalty for Strength whatsoever, meaning the possibility of having a 45lb childlike character being able to lift over ten times their own body weight. The house rule, for me, would be to insist they use their lowest available stat – which some would argue is unfair, but frankly why choose a Halfling if you want to play a giant?
There are twelve Classes on offer (Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard). Most are traditional, and consequently fairly archetypal in the minds of gamers these days, and a further divided into various schools, colleges, or various other archetypal groups to provide further options. Some will prefer one Class over another (entering into typical gamer debates about which one is best!) but again they seem pretty well balanced to me and can all contribute meaningfully to combat or social situations in a variety of ways.
It must be noted that all Classes have access to magic or magic-like powers to one degree or another, with more than half having access to spell lists. Even Fighters and Rogues have the option of playing Eldritch Knights or Arcane Tricksters, respectively. This may be a problem for those groups favoring low fantasy worlds to play in, although it’s pretty much part of the deal with playing D&D these days, which is almost a fantasy genre unto itself. I like the division of specialist ‘magic-users’ into Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard as each are reasonably distinct, in style as much as game mechanics. The Warlock in particular allows for playing Elric-style demon-bound characters, which I like, although I’m not quite sure why they couldn’t call it a ‘Witch’, which seems a more universally recognized archetype to me. Of the other characters, I was enthused to see a more tactical based ‘Battle-Master’ for the Fighter Class, while there has been an appreciable attempt to be as inclusive as possible for different types of popular character types.
The major emphasis in all these options is flavor. This is partially represented by the well-written fluff in each description, but point is accentuated through the next chapter. Character Backgrounds, as well as other elaborations in personality choices, provide a real depth to the character that wouldn’t normally exist outside of several active gaming sessions as well as providing some information on character Proficiencies. There is also an Inspiration stat, which can be traded for Advantages and distributed between characters. The rate and reason for awarding this gaming currency is entirely up to the GM again, but it’s a nice touch and a nod towards modern game design. The various use of probing questions and random tables to determine background features is hardly new, but it is a welcome emphasis again nevertheless.
The remainder of the book highlights the various resources – equipment and magic spells – available to the players. It also has a few stats for everyday creatures, which may be useful on the fly for creating low level encounters. You can get by running the game with this resource alone – or at least with an adventure module, which should be plentiful this time next year I expect. The upcoming Monster Manual and DM’s Guide will be complimentary but not essential.
As stated in my opening paragraph, it is near impossible to review a 5E D&D game without comparing prior experience. For myself, this is the best possible D&D game that could exist in the here and now. It is less rules-heavy than Pathfinder, less directed in gameplay than 13th Age, and more polished and forward thinking in design than Castles and Crusades.
While I would still find a niche for several alternative fantasy games (like RuneQuest, Pendragon, The One Ring, Ars Magica, Amber or The Dying Earth), it is heartwarming to see the D&D game return to its roots again. It’s not ‘state of the art’ insofar that it doesn’t attempt to be a work of art. But it is D&D. Count me in - I want to play it again!
[MAP][/MAP]There has always been something of a sea change in the gaming community whenever a new edition of D&D is released, as it often operates as some sort of marker for the ‘state of the industry’. This current edition is no exception, although much of its reception has been affected by the attitudes of reviewers towards previous editions. While one cannot ignore prior experiences of the game, my view is that past editions were largely products of their time and making rule-by-rule comparisons to the past is redundant – especially when much of the emotions surrounding them can be negative and conflicting.
As such, I intend to attempt to write a review for the current edition on its own merits. If comparisons are to be made, it’s against other games that exist in the current market only.
The Player’s Handbook is the third core release in the D&D 5E line (following the Starter Set and the free Basic Rules available online), although it serves as the first core book to the full game as I see it. It weighs in at a concise 316 pages plus character sheets, is printed in full colour and a sturdy hardback. The art direction is very consistent, with pictures to be found on most two-page spreads varying from ‘awesome!’ to ‘meh!’ depending on your tastes. The layout is appealing in that it’s easy to read. I certainly didn’t have to re-read sections of the rules, which has been an issue for me in other games. The index is very thorough and the book as a whole easy to navigate. In all, it’s a fully professional laid out game book, as you would expect from Wizards of the Coast.
The game rules are Race/Class and Level based, as with all editions of D&D, but they have expanded on a selection of formatted character Backgrounds too. This has the advantage of providing easily digestible archetypes, which can be combined in a variety of ways for speedy character generation, with an additional option for customizing through multi-classing and specific ‘feats’ (a limited list of special abilities that can be chosen in place of Ability boosting earned at higher levels) too. While flexible, there is a sense of ‘cookie-cut’ character design at the expense of a certain degree of realism and system adaptability towards the diverse range of fantasy sub-genres that exist. There is no real suggestion of D&D being a universal system (in this edition) although its sources are generic enough, and there is quite a full list of inspirational fantasy source material listed in the appendixes. You’d struggle to play something like Game of Thrones as written, however, as it simply doesn’t account for nuances like political play over straight combat for example. Consequently the standard design will always leave something of a niche for more skill-based RPGs (like RuneQuest) or those with a ‘narrative’ approach (like The Dying Earth) to provide an alternative, I feel.
Each character is defined by six Ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma), which are determined either through traditional random 3D6 dice rolls or selected by a points-based scheme on a 1-20 (human) scale. I particularly like the allocation method of giving set scores, as it cuts down on the nonsense you sometimes get with hugely varying Abilities between different Player Characters. To me, simply knowing that you are good in some Abilities, average in others and weak in one or two is all that matters.
These scores provide a profile for the character that informs pretty much any basic activity they choose to do, and how well they can do it as expressed in statistical bonuses on a D20 roll verses a target number. This serves as the basis for Attack Rolls, Saving rolls (to avoid threats) and all other Ability checks. A new idea is the concept of Advantage and Disadvantage, wherein additional D20 dice are rolled and either the highest or lowest result is taken accordingly. It’s a simple, but elegant mechanic that allows the dialogue on a page to remain in prose when describing a scenario, rather than be littered with +/- stats all over the place.
As characters accumulate ‘Experience points’ through adventuring, they gain various other abilities and statistical bonuses, which are mainly determined by their Class choices. The most notable feature of this edition is a flat-rate increase in a single ‘Proficiency bonus’, which starts at +2 and maxes out at +6 at high levels. As such, no Character ought to get any more than a +11 bonus at any Level (without the use of magic, of course!) and the issues of heavy statistical inflation as characters level up is kept to a minimum.
The Races provided include the Tolkien-esque standards (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Human) along with more ‘exotic’ types (Dragonborn, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Gnome, and Tiefling). The question of which races ought to be available to play is is a question for the GM. House rules are a tradition of the game and 5E is going to be no exception but, for the record, I see no problem with allowing all of them as it stands in a general game. I mean, why not? Race templates highlight Ability adjustments (always positive) along with other abilities. These are designed to be finely balanced against each other in a mathematical sense and, as such, can lead to some peculiarities. Humans, for example, are given a +1 bonus to all Abilities – meaning that an average human is actually above average in everything. There has been some attempt to address this with an optional rule to provide an extra skill and feats (instead of the flat +1 Ability bonus), and a welcome attempt to provide some example cultures too. Diminutive races such as Halflings and Gnomes seem to have no penalty for Strength whatsoever, meaning the possibility of having a 45lb childlike character being able to lift over ten times their own body weight. The house rule, for me, would be to insist they use their lowest available stat – which some would argue is unfair, but frankly why choose a Halfling if you want to play a giant?
There are twelve Classes on offer (Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard). Most are traditional, and consequently fairly archetypal in the minds of gamers these days, and a further divided into various schools, colleges, or various other archetypal groups to provide further options. Some will prefer one Class over another (entering into typical gamer debates about which one is best!) but again they seem pretty well balanced to me and can all contribute meaningfully to combat or social situations in a variety of ways.
It must be noted that all Classes have access to magic or magic-like powers to one degree or another, with more than half having access to spell lists. Even Fighters and Rogues have the option of playing Eldritch Knights or Arcane Tricksters, respectively. This may be a problem for those groups favoring low fantasy worlds to play in, although it’s pretty much part of the deal with playing D&D these days, which is almost a fantasy genre unto itself. I like the division of specialist ‘magic-users’ into Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard as each are reasonably distinct, in style as much as game mechanics. The Warlock in particular allows for playing Elric-style demon-bound characters, which I like, although I’m not quite sure why they couldn’t call it a ‘Witch’, which seems a more universally recognized archetype to me. Of the other characters, I was enthused to see a more tactical based ‘Battle-Master’ for the Fighter Class, while there has been an appreciable attempt to be as inclusive as possible for different types of popular character types.
The major emphasis in all these options is flavor. This is partially represented by the well-written fluff in each description, but point is accentuated through the next chapter. Character Backgrounds, as well as other elaborations in personality choices, provide a real depth to the character that wouldn’t normally exist outside of several active gaming sessions as well as providing some information on character Proficiencies. There is also an Inspiration stat, which can be traded for Advantages and distributed between characters. The rate and reason for awarding this gaming currency is entirely up to the GM again, but it’s a nice touch and a nod towards modern game design. The various use of probing questions and random tables to determine background features is hardly new, but it is a welcome emphasis again nevertheless.
The remainder of the book highlights the various resources – equipment and magic spells – available to the players. It also has a few stats for everyday creatures, which may be useful on the fly for creating low level encounters. You can get by running the game with this resource alone – or at least with an adventure module, which should be plentiful this time next year I expect. The upcoming Monster Manual and DM’s Guide will be complimentary but not essential.
As stated in my opening paragraph, it is near impossible to review a 5E D&D game without comparing prior experience. For myself, this is the best possible D&D game that could exist in the here and now. It is less rules-heavy than Pathfinder, less directed in gameplay than 13th Age, and more polished and forward thinking in design than Castles and Crusades.
While I would still find a niche for several alternative fantasy games (like RuneQuest, Pendragon, The One Ring, Ars Magica, Amber or The Dying Earth), it is heartwarming to see the D&D game return to its roots again. It’s not ‘state of the art’ insofar that it doesn’t attempt to be a work of art. But it is D&D. Count me in - I want to play it again!
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