Player's Handbook 3: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook Author: Visit Amazon's Mike Mearls Page | Language: English | ISBN:
078695390X | Format: EPUB
Player's Handbook 3: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook Description
- Series: 4th Edition D&D
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast; 4th Revised edition edition (March 16, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 078695390X
- ISBN-13: 978-0786953905
- Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
The Player's Handbook 3 is Wizards of the Coast's latest Dungeons and Dragons player supplement. Like the Player's Handbook 2, it introduces the player to new classes, races, feats, items, and character generation rules. While these rules are well-implemented and generally thoughtful in concept, a few oversights decrease the book's overall quality.
The PH3 adds the long-awaited Psionic power source to the player's arsenal, and this new resource is very different from the past 4e power sources. Every role is filled, and the overall game mechanics are changed notably by three of these classes in order to provide a unique play experience. Instead of gaining encounter powers, Ardents, Battleminds, and Psions gain power points, a per-encounter resource that can be used to augment many of their daily powers, replaceable at-will powers, and even item powers. These augments might change the range, damage, or control effects of a given power. While it may take a while to fully understand the balance implications of these revisions, at first glance this mechanic appears fresh and useful.
To complement the new classes, WotC included four races for player use. The Githzerai, Minotaur, Shardmind, and Wilden are all in this source book, and are given PH2 style racial paragon paths. These races fit the new classes well, and as usual grant the player a +2 to two ability scores. The twist is that, in all cases, the player is given a choice between two ability scores to increase. For example, the Shardmind always receives a +2 to Intelligence, but the player can choose between Wisdom and Charisma as a second ability score bonus. This flexibility increases the player's control over the character and provides more possible variety in the race roster.
Summary:
Like Player's Handbook 2, PHB three offers a wide variety of new character options. There are 4 new races, 6 new classes, prestige classes to go with these, 6 new Epic destinies, a slew of new feats and a bunch of Magic items. New to PHB3 are rules for Hybrid Characters and Skill Powers.
The new races are Githzerai, Minotaurs, Shardminds and Wilden. The Shardminds have to be the oddest race released so far for any edition. They are made up of living crystal that shattered off of the gate to The Far Realm. Odd just odd. The Wilden remind me of Dryad's from Warhammer Fantasy as they can take on different aspects based on the seasons. The Githzerai and Minotaurs are old races that it's nice to see get the 4e treatment.
The new classes are Ardent, Battlemind, Monk, Psion, Runepriest and Seeker. Most of these are psionic classes and full rules for how psionics work are included. Basically you get a set of power points that renew each short rest. You use these to improve your powers (augment). Instead of getting encounter powers your at-will powers have 3 different power levels each, a basic 0 cost version and then versions that cost 1 or more power points. It's an interesting change from the old Psi point system to be sure.
The new psionic classes are the Ardent, Battlmind and Psion. The Ardent is a psionic leader. The Battlemind a psionic Defender. The Psion is a psionic controller and has many of the powers from the orgiinal psionic handbooks (Id insinuation ring a bell?).
The Monk has a psionic power source but doesn't use powerpoints. At first I thought this was odd but then when you think of a Martial Artists focusing of Ki it actually does fit the psionic theme.
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