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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mephistopheles" data-source="post: 4451632" data-attributes="member: 4460">I'll keep my comments away from the rules and on the topic of the book itself.I don't own a PHB but I did get some quality time with one and I had some similar observations.2) I was taking a look at the classes chapter and planning to skim through and compare the basics of each class. I took a look at the cleric, then flipped a couple of pages to check out the next class only to find cleric powers, I flip a few more pages and find more powers, more pages and more powers, until after over a dozen pages I get to the next class. It felt like I'd just stepped in quicksand. I took a look for a table that might have a quick listing of classes along with their roles, saves, hit points, healing surges, et cetera, and after not spotting one it seemed there was nothing for it but loads of page flipping to figure out the basics of the classes. I think the flow of information could have been organized a lot better in the classes chapter.3) I also noticed the very flat tone of the book. As fond as my memories of Gygaxian prose are I would say that I didn't hold the stale language of the 4E PHB against it. I blame too much time spent reading technical manuals. In the long term I suppose the 4E PHB may be less memorable as a result of this but it may also be more practical (classes chapter aside). We'll see.4) I wasn't pleased to see the magic item section in the PHB. I think it's less of a problem for those of us who have been playing D&D for some time; experienced players have a pretty good acquired knowledge of the standard magic item list so I've become accustomed to making up my own items. For new players I think having the magic items in the PHB may give them a very different attitude towards magic items then I first had when I started playing D&D with only the PHB of the time and no way to tell a wand from a backscratcher.I am disappointed to hear about the "Wall of Errata" but it was hardly unexpected and is part of the reason I decided to wait for a later printing rather than buying in straight away.As I don't actually own a copy of any 4E core books and only got to spend a couple of hours with a PHB I can't comment on the quality issues other than to say it's made me even more wary about buying the books before waiting a while.</blockquote>

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