PHB2 Release Day is upon us!!

Today is the big day! In addition to being my birthday (woot!), it is the auspicious release day for the Player's Handbook 2! Today, I'm going to outline my favorite parts.

Favorite Race: Goliath

As I mentioned Saturday, I really like the Goliath. Not a popular pick, I know... but their strong, competitive, daring nature really paints a picture of an authentic natural addition to the D&D racial fold. These guys (and gals) exude the confidence that only those bred for a fighting lifestyle possess. There's a lot to like about this class, their Stone's Endurance (basically, stoneskin) racial ability is great.

I am very impressed with the color and detail provided within the pages of the Races section of the PHB2. The authors did an excellent job of painting a very clear portrait of each class, as well as selecting compelling racial abilities that make for some exciting character choices.

Favorite Racial Paragon Path: Scion of Arkhosia

As part of the process of reviewing the PHB2, I rolled up a Dragonborn Sorcerer named Ash (original name, I know). I hadn't really explored the Dragonborn race prior to this, however my interest was buoyed by the Scion of Arkhosia racial paragon path.

The neat thing about this paragon path is it lets you improve the areas of your Dragonborn heritage that were fixed when you entered the larger world. Over time, your dragon breath becomes a powerful area of effect attack, and later gains the ability to cling to your enemies and consume them. The coolest path feature is Dragon Wings. That's right... you gain the ability to fly equal to your speed as a movement action. Thankfully, the wings are only strong enough for one movement worth of flight... I can tell you from experience that extended flight is disruptive.

Favorite Class: Bard!

I'm not just saying this because it made Stupid Ranger the happiest girl on the block, I truly like the changes they've made to the bard. They're funcitonal, powerful, and truly fill the Leader role that they deserve.

The addition of songblades and other bardic instruments really add some interest. As I was reading through the Bard chapter, all I could think about was reincarnations of Bat Loaf running around singing Slayer's Song to inspire his allies to greater rock while he layed down significant amounts of pwnage.

So go get it already!

I was excited about this book before I got the opportunity to preview it, and if I hadn't been afforded this rare opportunity I would be at Border's tomorrow buying one. If you're still sitting on the fence, check out the additional coverage at our RPGBlogger pals: Atomic Array, Game Cryer, Gnome Stew, Critical Hits, Campaign Mastery, Uncle Bear, Critical Ankle Bites, Kobold Quarterly, The Core Mechanic, Flames Rising, and Musings of the Chatty DM.

We also had the opportunity to participate in a fun PHB2 Roundtable over at Critical Hits, so be sure to check that out!

Striking a Musical Chord

I took the exclusion of the bard in the PHB as a personal insult, and I've been waiting (somewhat impatiently) for the Players Handbook 2 in order to bring out my lute again.  And while it was a hardship to wait so long, I think the new bard was worth it.

The Combat Stuff

I have loved the bard since my first character back in 3.0.  But one of the difficulties of the 3.0 bard (and 3.5 to a certain extend) was trying to stay alive in combat; bards weren't always ideal for melee and not always effective as ranged.  And while I had many great moments with my various bards, my group members will tell you what they remember: the bard sitting in a corner playing her lute for the Inspire Courage bonuses, because giving others +2 was the best she could do.

The new 4E bard seems to have a lot more opportunities in combat.  Many of their first level spells deal additional weapon damage.  So they are not quite as weak in the combat department.  But bards as also Leaders; they inspire and heal their comrades, and that concept is very obvious as you read their powers.

There are two "virtue" paths for the bard: Cunning and Valorous.  The Cunning bards prefer to use their wits and personality to overcome obstacles; they tend to use ranged attacks, overseeing the battle as opposed to joining it.  The Valorous bards remember the stories of heroes who fought bravely in combat, and those bards relive the old tales by entering into the fray.  I'm currently playing a Valorous, which gives healing benefits to your or an ally.

One of the changes here I really enjoy is just the change in the bard's activities in combat.  I always thought it was kind of silly to pull out a valuable instrument in the middle of combat.  Who really wants to take the risk of it breaking?

So, Why Do You Need an Instrument?

Without the Inspire Courage during battle, why does the 4E bard need an instrument?  Besides the obvious "You can't be a bard without some sort of music," the instrument comes into play for specific performances.  The Song of Rest is a great opportunity to tune your lute for a great, quick performance.  This Bard Class feature helps the group's healing efforts during a short rest.

Rituals also give you opportunties to play a song.  Bard rituals usually involve a material cost and a focus cost, which is generally an instrument of a specified value.  So you play a song to cast a ritual.  One of the cool tricks of rituals for bards is that once a day, you can ignore the material cost of a bard ritual (increases to two per day at 11th and three at 21st).  One of my favorite first-level bard rituals is "Create Campsite," which causes a campsite to be created, then broken down 8 hours later.  Combined with the "ignore materials" option, once per day, a first level bard and just play into being a campsite; how wonderful at the end of a long, grueling day.

I love the new bard, and while my bard, Rynna, is only first level, I'm excited about her potential.  If you've ever been a fan of the bard, you should check out the new PHB2.

You can also read Uncle Bear's review of the bard, as well as other class reviews from any of these other sites participating in the Player's Handbook 2 online release event:

Atomic Array, Game Cryer, Gnome Stew, Critical Hits, Campaign Mastery, Critical Ankle Bites, Kobold Quarterly, The Core Mechanic, Flames Rising, and Musings of the Chatty DM.

Be sure to check them out, and stay tuned here for continuing coverage through the official release on Tuesday!

PHB2, Races New and Old!

I was rather surprised when I began paging through the Character Races chapter of the Player's Handbook 2. I had heard rumors of the return of the Gnome and Half-Orc (all true!), however I was happy to see a few new (or at least revised) dimensions to the core character races. Today we'll take a look at the new kids on the block (the new races, not these guys).

The Deva - So That's Where I put my Celestial...

For those who want to play refined, polite, moral characters who have apparently lived thousands of past lives in near immortality prior to cramming themselves into a fleshy jumpsuits to adventure, the Deva is your race of choice. The best part about having all of this hazy, latent experience is that it gives you a racial ability to add a d6 to certain rolls that "you don't like." Now that's pretty neat stuff right there.

The Deva appears to be a haughty, good aligned corollary to the tiefling. The part of me that loves to develop balanced battles between good and evil is very relieved to have the Deva at my disposal.

The Goliath - Like a rock!

The Goliath is an 8 foot tall behemoth built for breakin' stuff, and I really enjoy the honest attempt at not copping out and calling them a half-giant. They are skilled athletes which grants them some extra goodness when jumping or climbing. They also have very interesting stony protrusions on their skin that grants them Stone's Endurance, allowing them to resist 5 points of damage with the added benefit of increasing their resistance as the Goliath's skills improve.

The Goliath race is competitive, daring, and lovers of all things nature. That is good, since they are spec'ed around the size and stature of a small mountain. I can't wait to build a Goliath barbarian, it sounds like a great fit!

The Shifter - Nothing like Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf, I swear.

OK, they really are. They're shapeshifters, which take on the countenance of a wolf-like or cat-like form due to touches of lycanthropy in their family tree. The Longtooth variety of Shifter gains some extra damage and regeneration when bloodied (sweeet!), while the Razorclaw variety gains speed increases and bonuses to reflexes and defense.

The character listing paints a very vivid picture of the traits and histories that are common in these different types of Shifters, and that gives them a bit more specific detail than some of the other races presented in the PHB2. The concept of having a lycanthrope in your character's bloodline provides some excellent pushing-off points for roleplaying and character development; in fact, it would be neat to have a whole campaign focused around a pack of Shifters exploring their bloodline. That might be an idea for a later time...

And the rest!

As mentioned briefly before, the half-orc and gnomes have returned to canon once more. Gnomes have a racial ability to blink away when taking damage, which is really great... however they have been characterized with large black eyes that made them look a bit odd. They also have a few additional racial abilities that cement their penchant for stealth and trickiness, but they feel very much like the gnomes we all know and love. I'm sure all the guys over at Gnome Stew are happy to have 'em back! Sadly, the PHB2 does not inform whether or not gnomes taste like chicken.

The PHB2 re-introduces the half-orcs and grants them the notable ability to do an extra 1[W] damage, or an extra d8 if it's just fisticuffs. Most of the additional description relating to the half-orcs (like the gnome) feels very much like their previous 3.5 incarnations. I actually like that they didn't mess with them very much; it brings a little familiarity to the fold of new characters.

The Paragon Paths

The PHB2 provides some pretty excellent racial paragon paths, which can be taken in place of a class-based paragon path. I'm not going to spoil all the surprises, but suffice it to say that these paragon paths stand up quite well to the class based options.

The racial paths represent the highest example of a race's defining characteristics... they're the best of the best that their race has to offer. Speaking of the best a race has to offer, the Twilight Guardian's portait on page 29 is pretty excellent. Just sayin'.

The racial additions in the PHB2 really round out the very obvious omissions from the standard Player's Handbook. The racial paragon paths provide different directions to take your characters. The evocative descriptions of each race paint a clear picture of how these races interact with each other and the world around them, which made ideas for new characters jump immediately to mind.

More PHB2 goodness!

The following sites are participating in the Player's Handbook 2 online release event:

Atomic Array, Game Cryer, Gnome Stew, Critical Hits, Campaign Mastery, Uncle Bear, Critical Ankle Bites, Kobold Quarterly, The Core Mechanic, Flames Rising, and Musings of the Chatty DM.

Be sure to check them out, or stay tuned here for continuing coverage through the official release on Tuesday!

Customizing Your Character with the PHB2

I believe that a character truly lives when she has a history.  And there are some options in the new PHB2 that give you some ideas if you're stuck trying to develop your character's backstory.

Background Options

Chapter Three begins with some option to help you develop a background for your character, including associated skills you might want to consider training (pending DM approval, of course).  There are some basic options, including geography and socio-economic status, to get you started and inspire you to something more.

There are also background examples specifically related to your character's race.  Races from the PHB, Forgotten Realms Players Guide and the PHB2 have two or three background scenarios listed.  But these are not just gimme scenarios; they present questions to help you take that scenario and customize it for your character... perfect for getting you started on your backstory.

Variant Ritual Book

This is one of my favorite inspirations.  Not every character who needs a ritual book wants to lug around a "book" for her rituals.  Sometimes, a variation of the "book" is what works best for your character.  There are some ideas listed under the Variant Ritual Book heading, but you can easily apply your own creative twist.  Your cleric might prefer prayer beads.  Your bard might carry a music score book.  Changing the nature of your "book" is a prefect way to make your character a little more unique.

Dante & I will be posting additional PHB2 articles through the release on Tuesday, so check back for more.  Of course, if you missed them, read more from Atomic Array, Game Cryer, Gnome Stew, Critical Hits, Campaign Mastery, Uncle Bear, Critical Ankle Bites, Kobold Quarterly, The Core Mechanic, Flames Rising, Musings of the Chatty DM, or right here with Dante.

The Sorcerer: Destruction Personified

The Stupid Ranger Crew was afforded a rare opportunity to preview the newly released Player's Handbook 2. We were asked to explore everything there is to know about the Sorcerer class, so I did what any good impartial reviewer would do: I rolled up an NPC!

Setting the Stage

One aspect of the Player's Handbook 2 that I enjoy is the very clear, visceral descriptions that the authors provide for each of the different class specializations. The Sorcerer class, as an example, is divided into two main focuses: Dragon magic and Wild magic.

The Dragon path provided a few class powers that provide a bit of extra damage to your arcane spells, some minor protective increases to your armor class, and a small amount of damage resistance to a particular type of damage (I picked fire!) The Wild Magic path provides some chaotic aspects to attacks, critical hits, and a chaotic damage resistance that changes with every extended rest.

Pretty much anything with "Dragon" in the title excites me in strange and uncomfortable ways, so I had to go with Dragon magic, and quickly I realized that the Dragonborn class is a natural fit if I'm going down that path. Don't get me wrong... the lure of being a Wild magic user was very strong but in the end you just simply have to go with the stereotype as far as it will go.

A short hour of exciting dice rolling and character sheet mangling later, I had myself Ash the Dragonborn Sorcerer, ready to whip up on the evils of Shadowfell Keep.

A Fighter in Mage Robes

One very striking feature of the Sorcerer class is that you no longer only have 4 hit points at first level. Thanks to the new 4e rules, my Sorcerer began his life with a stout 26 hit points, which is more than enough to allow him to exercise his sorcerer-ly ways and not worry about getting felled by a wayward crossbow bolt.

As our session progressed, the power of the Dragon path became quite apparent. It seems that many of the At-Will and Encounter abilities plan allowed ol' Ash to do a respectable amount of damage. Many of the abilities I selected for him ended up being Close Blast or Burst, so he was taking on small groups of baddies largely unaided. It's not that the rest of the party wasn't helping, they were just rolling poorly!

A few of the Sorcerer at-will spells could be used as ranged basic attacks, so they offered a good fall back option that still aided the party in a meaningful way. No more lobbing Rays of Frost with next to no damage, folks!

Hooked on a feeling...

Call me a sucker for flavor text if you will, but I really enjoy the structure and aesthetic of the Dragon magic path. There are several spells available along this path that offer breath-like attacks, and, as expected, much of the damage is elemental in nature, so you get a real notion of a barely contained channeling of large amounts of power. The truly great part is the damage allocated to this excellent aesthetic makes sense, and my sorcerer felt like a meaningful member of our group society.

The spells provided by the PHB2 seem to hit hard with the satisfying "FWOOMP!" noise that only massive amounts of elemental damage can achieve. Even the few encounters that we got through during our gaming session were enough to make me realize that the new sorcerer is certainly not yesterday's alabaster-skinned nerd in robes who had to stay so far away from battle as to be rendered forgettable.

In fact, the Fourth Edition Sorcerer is a force to be reckoned with, and in the words of Ash the Sorcerer: "Just make sure you're not in front of me when things get started."

Keep an eye out over the weekend, we're posting more juicy PHB2 details up to the official release on Tuesday! Also, you will be able to find further coverage on this release on the RPGBloggers Network!

Want to learn more about Player's Handbook 2? Read on...

• Atomic Array: Episode 018: Player's Handbook 2
  
• Game Cryer: Player's Handbook 2 Review
  
• Gnome Stew: A Veteran GM's Take on GMing and the PHB2
  
• Critical Hits: The Avenger
  
• Campaign Mastery: The Barbarian
  
• Uncle Bear: The Bard
  
• Critical Ankle Bites: The Druid
  
• Kobold Quarterly: Review: Player's Handbook 2
  
• The Core Mechanic: The Invoker
  
• Flames Rising: The Shaman
  
• Stupid Ranger: The Sorcerer
  
• Musings of the Chatty DM: The Warden

Drop by Wizards of the Coast today!

Guess what I've got!

As I speak, word is starting to hit the RPGBlogosphere about a small number of preview copies of the Players Handbook 2. I am pleased that one of these copies rests securely on my coffee table as I type this.

Starting March 13th, the Stupid Ranger crew will take part in a week-long event to cover the release of this great new gaming supplement. We are going to take some liberties with our campaign so we can playtest several aspects of the PHB2 prior to the release event and pass our learnin' on to you!

I know I am not alone when I say that I am thrilled to be a small part of this release. I can tell you that I'm very excited about what I have read so far!

I know most of you are going to want to buy a copy of this for yourselves, but if you've got a few burning questions we'll do what we can to answer them as part of our special release event. Stay tuned for more information starting next week!