Dungeon Master's Guide: Core Rulebook II Book

What follows is basically the same review I wrote for the Handbook in this edition...you can probably tell from the rating that I wasn't that impressed. (FYI< I'm even less impressed with 4th edition.)


I bought these when "they" decided that they'd made all the money they could from 2nd edition...oops, no I'm sorry I mean....uhh, when they bought the D&D game and decided it needed to be updated, yes that's it up-dated.

Right.

This version of D&D lasted maybe a year and a half, before they decided that D&D 3.5 was needed, all new hard back books and they were all a lot more expensive than 3. Though most of us suckers...errr, uhh, gamers, I mean, ya that's it, gamers...most of us had already bought at least the Players Handbook, specialty hero book, maybe the Monster Manual...you get the picture. I didn't buy 3.5.

They changed the system here, formalized the Sorcerer character class, allowed other races than Human to be Paladins (which a lot of us DMs had been doing already anyway). They changed the armor system so that armor class numbers got better going up instead of down (no more -10AC). The means of character development changed radically with a system of feats added and weapons proficiency changed.

The play was simplified (read dumbed down) it simplified even more in later editions (read dumbed down even more). I started in a game as a player in this edition and then set out to move the group I was DMing to this edition also. I played a Ranger in the game where I was a player. To me the biggest flaw was that a player could be so powerful in a fairly short time that he could be almost unstoppable (a talented DM was needed. :)

I later bought the 4th edition books...they have convinced me that I will in my own game groups go back to and play 2nd edition. I still have most of my helps and 4 Player's Handbooks (and I plan to buy up any more I find).

I went with one star, if this were the only version out there I'd play it. But I date back to first edition and played 2nd a long time also. I think the changes after 2nd largely failed to improve the game it. They just changed it and came up with a lot more books and material to buy.

Since I reviewed this I have purchased a few more 2nd edition handbooks used and have gone back to DMing a 2nd edition D&D game.