Confused with 3.5e classes and races

[Haytch]

Hi there,

I'm very new to DnD (started playing a month or so ago), and have come to some confusion with regards to the races and classes in DnD 3.5e.

After looking across some forums for PC builds, I came across various names like: spell to power erudite, classes called artificer, but when reading the Players manual 1 and 2, I was unable to find any of these classes, can anyone help?

Thanks!

[eggynack]

There's a huge number of classes from sources besides the player's handbooks. The artificer happens to be from eberron campaign setting, and the spell to power erudite is a variant on the erudite from this web article (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a).

[Haytch]

Ah so I presume these are non 'canon' per say, but if the DM says that you can use them then you are allowed?

[eggynack]

They are generally perfectly legal within the context of the game. The DM can choose which books to use or not use, but they are all very much classes in the standard and "canon" sense.

[torrasque666]

Eggy is right when he says huge. (When isn't Eggy right?) A quick glance through my PDF's tells me that, not including my copies of Dragon Magazine, I have 88 D&D 3.5 books. 50 of those alone are non-setting specific. Almost every non-setting book contains prestige classes, new spells, new feats, new everything really. But your base classes are mostly in Player's Handbooks 1 & 2, the Completes, and the Expanded Psionics handbook. 3.5 isn't like the other editions, where player options are kept to a couple books and the rest are setting fluff or "DM material", player material is everywhere. Hell, even the Dungeon Master's Guide has some "player material" in it (magic items).

Long Story short, if you need to know a source for something, we have a stickied thread for that at the top of the boards. If you need something a bit more in depth... the board has a couple of members who damn near have PhD's in 3.5

[OldTrees1]

Ah so I presume these are non 'canon' per say, but if the DM says that you can use them then you are allowed?

They are canon, but the DM decides which are allowed. Even some Player's Handbook 1 classes get banned/restricted by DMs that allow classes from outside the Player's Handbook 1.

[Haytch]

Thank you everyone, very helpful!

[Zombimode]

For Artificer and Spell-to-Power Erudite in particular, yes - for different reasons though.

The Artificer comes from a specific Setting. While this doesn't mean it can't be used outside Eberron, it is good practice to assume it is not available unless specifially allowed by the DM.

The Spell-to-Power Erudite on the other hand is a variant of a variant. Variant rules and adaptations are ideas and suggestions for houserules printed in the books. For them be in effect they have to made part of the DMs collection of houserules.


The vast majority of material outside the Players Handbook is not Setting specific, and as such can be assumed as available unless specifically disallowed by the DM.
Be careful though, as there are DMs that aren't that rules savy. If you get the Impression that the DM is not really comfortable with stuff outside the Players Handbook, you should ask before you bring a character that draws heavily from non-PHB sources to the table.

Also, reading Forums is a terrible way of learning and understanding this game. The Handbooks you'll find on the various Forums are an excellent resource once you have a good understanding of the game. For learning it, not so much.

[Fouredged Sword]

Though we are very handy with any questions you may have or in sorting out any specific confusions.

Just starting out though, don't feel at all like you need to expand beyond the player's handbook. The system is designed so that you can expand your game on an as desired basis. No book outside the main three (Player's Handbook, DM guide, Monster Manual) are required for play. Everything else is optional material added to the game over the years and while a lot of it is great, there is a LOT OF IT. It basically falls into four groups.

A - Expansion books. These are like the spell compendium or Player's Handbook 2. They are intended to be generally useful books. When you like the game you are playing and want more options without

B - Themed books - These are like Sandstorm, Frostburn, Libber Mortis, or the Book of Exalted Deeds. These are like expansion books, but wrapped around a specific thing Sandstom is all about dealing with deserts or other hot locations. Frostburn is about cold. These are great if your Dm wants to run a game themed in a specific way, like a desert based game or one in the frozen north. You also have books about expanding specific types of characters like Libber Mortis. These focus on expanding a type of character like necromancers and undead or heroic super good characters.

C - System books - Then when you get board with that and want to stretch out and really add something new to the system and really spice things up you can look at the Tome of Battle or Incarnum. These books add whole new systems to the game. You can expand beyond the Caster/non-caster dichotomy.

And finally you have

D - Rules books. Specifically of note the rules compendium is a good book to have a sit irons out a lot of specific rules that the main three books don't cover and the Devs thought needed to be addressed after the fact.

[Particle_Man]

Too add to the confusion, most of the contents of some of the books are online for free and legally so:

http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm

Alas, most of the books do not have most of their contents online for free legally.