Player's Handbook II (and other May releases)

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think the healer is kinda lousy at healing, but otherwise /agree.

I think all of the Miniatures Handbook core classes have been tweaked when they moved into the Complete series. I imagine tweaking the Healer to answer folks' concerns with the class (other than the people who object to such a singular focus for the class) wouldn't be terribly hard or unlikely.

 

[MerricB]

About the only time this might be a valid concern is if you're curious about "official" or "tournament" play and since you've already mentioned that you're not doing the RPGA thing, seems odd.

It won't even be "standard" for the RPGA. (It will be allowed, but it isn't one of the core books you need).

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

I think all of the Miniatures Handbook core classes have been tweaked when they moved into the Complete series. I imagine tweaking the Healer to answer folks' concerns with the class (other than the people who object to such a singular focus for the class) wouldn't be terribly hard or unlikely.

Well, Warmage got a slightly different spell list (thanks to the expanded space for spells in CA), and Favoured Soul didn't change at all.

Cheers!

 

[caudor]

I think all the suggestions of a compilation of the Complete XXX classes, the new skill uses, and/or the feats from those books are barking up the wrong tree.

The PHB II will most likely not be either a replacement or a compilation of material in other 3.5 books. I would expect that most re-printed material will come from Dragon or Dungeon magazine rather then other sourcebooks.

I would expect to see, perhaps, more combat options like an expanded version of the Dragon article on cinematic combat actions, the one that provided rules for swinging on ropes, riding counterweights, and toppling heavy objects onto attackers below.

I seriously doubt that any existing rules will be revised (getting up from prone, for example); that's the job for a revision or a new edition, not an expansion of the existing rules. Perhaps some additional feats to help mitigate the difficulty might be in there, but not a change to the rules as they are.

I agree with Silveras. The PHB II will probably offer new options for Players rather than re-hash old stuff. Since they are calling it Player's Handbook II, I believe that WotC has very high expectations for this book.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

As Felon mentions, Jungles are pretty much Warm Forests with extra humidity. At the level of abstraction in the terrain rules, they are probably almost identical to Forests; all you would need is a couple of rules (a sidebar's worth) on humidity.

Another problem is what to call it. "Toe Rot?"

Brad

 

[Rasyr]

That's pretty cynical, I'm sure they have much purer motives.

Sooo......... It is about PURE cash?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, the first self-titled Player's Handbook is standard rules. Every material in there is standard core rules essential for both players and DM, unless the DM wish to limit some of them for his or her own campaign. I guess I am perplexed as to why we need a second self-titled PHB. I mean, if they're optional, shouldn't WotC just include the material as part of their continuing Complete book series?

Nonsense. I know many people who've changed the core rules ranging from eliminating attacks of opportunity to giving out more skill points to all classes to giving the mage d6 and the rogue d8 hit dice.

Everything is optional. The rules are a framework on which to build your game, not a cage to constrain it.

 

[Particle_Man]

My wish for the phbII:

pp.1-12 The Warlock class, in detail (with all bugs worked out and variant Warlock classes).
pp. 13-15 Warlock special use of skills
pp. 16-27 Extra feats, with emphsis on warlock use.
pp. 28-125 Warlock Invokations (old ones cleaned up, and new ones added)
pp. 126-240 Warlock entry prestige classes (list of old ones with prereq's modified, plus new ones)
pp. 241-300 Warlock magic items.
pp. 301 Everything else.

 

[warlord]

Bloody Hell! Is nothing holy to those bastards over at WoTC? You can't have a DMGII and Player's Handbook II.

 

[tonym]

It's all about the cash.

ALL about the cash? I'm sure cash is a major concern of the Hasbro accountants and their ilk, but when a new D&D book is released, anyone saying it's ALL about the cash is not taking into consideration the people involved in creating the books.

Those people who actually create the books love D&D and have played it and thought about it waaay more than any average gamer. Those people have dedicated their lives to the hobby. For them, making a new D&D book is not "all about the cash."

Anyhow, if it was "all about the cash" with WotC, they could be releasing books much, much, much more often than they do. They could crank 'em out faster than Mongoose, if they wanted.

Tony M