Wizards Presents: Classes and Races (Dungeons & Dragons) Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Wizards Presents: Classes and Races (Dungeons & Dragons)
Book Review: Worthless
Summary: 1 Stars
A glorfied design diary with no actual information about the game that couldnt be gained with a good search engine. Insult is added to injury with the TWENTY DOLLAR price tag!
If you are looking for useful information, save your money. The actual core rulebooks come out this summer.
Book Review: It's exactly what it says it is.
Summary: 4 Stars
Races & Classes succeeds in providing the reader with an interesting exploration of both the new D&D 4E character creation and the D&D 4E team's design process. As a game designer myself, I found the information valuable for multiple reasons.
As a preview for 4E, this book stands out as a great investment. There are strong, detailed examinations of the races, classes, and other bits of character creation. While these are explicitly stated as being "in the works and subject to change," they offer a great semi-solid view on what the final guiding principles behind 4E are going to be.
As a look into the 4E dev team's design processes, Races & Classes provides a unique and sometimes hilarious look into how a AAA company builds a new edition of the world's most popular role-playing game from the ground up. There are fun quotes, clever anecdotes, and curiously-specific notes that make the whole book an entertaining and educational read.
The only reason this book gets four stars instead of five is because, like most WotC RPG materials, it's overpriced. If a 4.5 star rating was possible, I would have given it that.
Book Review: Pretty much what I expected.
Summary: 4 Stars
Good art? Check. About as much information as they could cram into 96 pages? Check. Taking D&D in a direction other than Moorcock/Vance/Tolkein/etc.? Check.
As a long time D&D gamer, this book is exactly what was advertised: a glimpse into the design process of D&D4e and the races/classes of the new game. I like it, but then again, I'm not a 50 year old man resistant to change that lives in my mother's basement and still games with the same one guy I've gamed with since 1974.
I'm also not an elitist that wants to keep the Magic: The Gathering and World of Warcraft players out. I want as much new blood coming into the hobby as we can get, otherwise we'll all become Grognardy basement dwelling Luddites. Who wants that?
Book Review: A Major Disappointment!
Summary: 1 Stars
I began reading this book knowing full well that it contained no rules information about the new upcoming edition of Dungeons and Dragons. I knew that this book was a behind the scenes look straight from the team developing 4th edition which, given all the rumors floating around about the new addition, was something I thought would be refreshing. Instead what I found was that many of the negative rumors I had heard about 4th edition were facts, not fiction. The designers have decided to turn a deaf ear to many of their fans and take the game in a new "fresh" direction. I tore through the book longing to read something that didn't make my flesh crawl only be disappointed. The ideas were not "fresh" at all. Anyone familiar with popular MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) PC games such as World of Warcraft and City of Heroes will see plenty of familiar concepts and information.
I wish I could recommend this book, or say that I am still excited about 4th edition, but to say either would be a lie
Book Review: A Matter of Expectations.
Summary: 3 Stars
Opinions of this book will probably vary greatly. I am enjoying my copy quite a bit because I love behind the scenes info. Before purchasing this book, ask yourself: Do you watch the making-of stuff on the second discs in your Two-Disc Special Edition DVDs? If you answered yes, you are the target audience for this "Preview" of next year's 4th edition of DnD. Be forewarned: this book contains NO mechanics of the new system but has many hints as to what to expect. After reading it I am quite excited at the new directions the game is taking. This book is not essential in any way, but if you cannot wait for 4E or you just like knowing how game designers go about changing this most iconic RPG you will find this book to your liking.