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View Full Version : Rules Compendium v. PHB2



Gaiwecoor
2008-02-13, 03:47 PM
The question at the end is likely to be pretty obvious, but here's the background:

Next summer, I'll finally be in a position to run a long term campaign... with two players, neither of which have much experience worth noting, and neither have any sources outside of what I own (meaning only I own books). Currently, that collection includes Core, C. Arcane and C. Adventurer.

I've been wanting to add one more to the grouping, but which one should I use? What would be of the most use to me, as the DM, and the players? I've been liking what I've seen in PHB2; it seems to give some great player options, as well as some things a DM could use. I've also heard that Rules Compendium is the awesome. Please help clear up this muddled mess! Thanks

Swooper
2008-02-13, 03:56 PM
Get PHB2, with so few books available you'll get more use out of it, I think. Rules Compendium is mainly about condensing all the rules from books all over the place, into one book, while PHB2 gives you new stuff.

Person_Man
2008-02-13, 04:02 PM
Next summer?

4th ed will be out. If you're playing with inexperienced people, you may wish to play that instead. It's supposedly much easier to learn and play. And the lack of splat books (for a few months, anyway) will make optimization/balance much less of an issue.

Gaiwecoor
2008-02-13, 04:15 PM
Next summer?

4th ed will be out. ***

Aye, it will. But I finally got around to buying these books over the last year and a half or so. Even if 4th ed is better than 3.5 (that's a debate for another thread - one which shouldn't take place until well after it's released), I don't have enough money to simply scrap all of the purchases I've made in recent times and buy an entirely new set of rules.

Then again, saying that just about convinced me that I should. :smallwink:

valadil
2008-02-13, 04:15 PM
I agree that you should wait for 4e. But if you'd rather make use of the books you own, I'd go with rules compendium. My experience with PHB2 is that it has a lot of great content for people who have already played through the regular content. As someone who has played all the core base classes, I like trying something new. New players don't need that new content and they'd probably just end up frustrated that there's so many options to deal with. The rules compendium is more of a reference for weird situations that may come up.

Of course if either of your players wants to be a sorcerer, PHB2's fast metamagic option is a must.

UserClone
2008-02-13, 04:32 PM
Absolutely, unflinchingly, PHBII. The chapter at the end which gives a condensed series of steps on character creation would be perfect to get a noob started, especially the feat tables, and "standard adventurer's kit" of equipment. Also, the retraining/rebuilding rules practically scream, to me at least, "Help! I'm new at this and didn't realize that toughness sucks, even for a caster! What do I do?"

CASTLEMIKE
2008-02-14, 02:40 AM
PHBII. Don't forget Amazon (PHBII Retails for $34.95 but $23.07) Free shipping on orders over $25 the Tome of Battle is $19.97 new.

Used books are less: Just saw a PHBII for $10 + $4 shipping and saw a DMGII listed for $6.24 + $4 shipping. (Can't combine the used orders they are all treated separately). Saw a used ECS 5 Nations for $1.65 a used Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting was $11.99 and a Player's Guide to Eberron was going for $1.20

KIDS
2008-02-14, 05:13 AM
PHB2, all the way, 100%, definitely. Rules Compendium has nothing new and nothing that you shouldn't know already. PHB2 is new and refreshing.

serow
2008-02-14, 09:02 AM
PHB2 is a must-buy!

Burley
2008-02-14, 09:37 AM
I agree with most everybody. The PHB2's got all those alternate class features, which will give the players a little extra flexibility, without actually min-maxing and cheesing all over the walls. In my opinion, most of those abilities stop a class from being Uber-powerful, which would especially be great in your case with only two players. Say one plays a druid, and the other plays a fighter. Player One will be kickin' class and takin' claims, Player Two will...power attack...:smallconfused:. I duuno.
Anyways, the alternate features, In My Humble Opinion, balance out a tiny portion of the brokeness of the PHB1. So...Have at it, mate.

Person_Man
2008-02-14, 10:04 AM
Aye, it will. But I finally got around to buying these books over the last year and a half or so. Even if 4th ed is better than 3.5 (that's a debate for another thread - one which shouldn't take place until well after it's released), I don't have enough money to simply scrap all of the purchases I've made in recent times and buy an entirely new set of rules.

Then again, saying that just about convinced me that I should. :smallwink:

Well, you can buy most 3.5 books for under $10. The online auction and book sites are littered with them. I regularly find them at used book stores for under $5.

Also, I'm pretty sure the core 4th ed rules will be online for free by next year. Although they say there won't be an SRD, I'm sure that's just a marketing ploy to increase early sales. The 4th ed books will be everywhere, legal or not, just like the 3.5 rules.

Charity
2008-02-14, 10:08 AM
You can buy mine cheep.:smallwink:

Gaiwecoor
2008-02-14, 10:58 AM
Woah. Ok - so there's overwhelming support for PHB2. Thanks for the advice! With the impending release of 4th ed, the price will probably be just right, too :smallwink:


You can buy mine cheep.:smallwink:

I am intrigued :smallbiggrin:

CaptainOne
2008-02-14, 01:35 PM
Honestly, you are only 3 books into the 3.5 system. You would be better off waiting for 4th edition and buying that book. If you decide to skip 4th edition, I would probably recommend the DM Guide as your next book. That will probably be more useful to you than the Rules Compendium or PHBII. I know this does not help your players much, except for magic items, but it should help make a beefier campaign. This is obviously beneficial to everyone involved.

Kantur
2008-02-14, 01:47 PM
Honestly, you are only 3 books into the 3.5 system. You would be better off waiting for 4th edition and buying that book. If you decide to skip 4th edition, I would probably recommend the DM Guide as your next book. That will probably be more useful to you than the Rules Compendium or PHBII. I know this does not help your players much, except for magic items, but it should help make a beefier campaign. This is obviously beneficial to everyone involved.

Or on the other hand you could buy up lots of 3.5 books cheap from people getting rid of all of theirs thinking it's 4th ed or nothing :smallbiggrin:
I've picked up plenty of books recently at half list price or less and I intend to use them. My gaming group still plays 2nd Ed as well as 3.5, and that's just for D&D. Between you, it should be easy enough to get a copy of the 4th ed DMG and MM - if you choose to move onto it when it arrives, no sense in wasting the books you already have and if you move back to 3.5 either for a change, preference or dislike of 4th, who knows how rare the books you want to get'll be then...



(V He has 4th Ed Core and two suppliments already? :smalleek: :smallwink: )

wadledo
2008-02-14, 01:48 PM
@^: Core implies that he has PH1, MM, and DMG.
So that's five books with C. Arcane and C. Adventurer.

Gaiwecoor
2008-02-14, 01:55 PM
Honestly, you are only 3 books into the 3.5 system. ... I would probably recommend the DM Guide as your next book.

Sorry if I was unclear in the original post, but when I said "Core," I meant that to include PHB, DMG and MM. Really, I'm six books in (I forgot to mention Stormwrack).

I very well might take a look at 4th ed when it comes out - I just won't be in a position to pay $90 for the complete core rule set (assuming $30/each). It'll probably be a while, though.

Arioch
2008-02-14, 01:59 PM
I like PHB2 - it has a lot of useful information in it. However, I feel that the Rules Compendium could be absolutely indispensible for newer players. D&D 3.5 has developed a lot, and the core books don't contain all the updates. Plus, the rules in the Compendium are laid out alphabetically for ease of use. I cleared up two or three rules queries I had in a single reading.

However, Rules Compendium isn't exactly gripping stuff. If you want to enhance your campaign, go for PHB2. If you want to help your players learn and generally speed up your gameplay, I'd go for the compendium.

CaptainOne
2008-02-14, 10:59 PM
Sorry if I was unclear in the original post, but when I said "Core," I meant that to include PHB, DMG and MM. Really, I'm six books in (I forgot to mention Stormwrack).

I very well might take a look at 4th ed when it comes out - I just won't be in a position to pay $90 for the complete core rule set (assuming $30/each). It'll probably be a while, though.

Ahhh... my bad. I spaced on that one. Now it makes more sense. I will also now jump on the PHBII bandwagon. I'll take more interesting rules and options over a convenient place to find all the rules you already have any day!