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Product Description

New classes, races, and other options for your D&D(R) game.

This book builds on the array of classes and races presented in the first Player's Handbook(R), adding both old favorites and new, never-before-seen options to the game.

The book adds a new power source for 4th Edition D&D; classes using the new primal power source include the barbarian and the druid.

Player's Handbook 2 expands the range of options available to D&D players with new classes, races, powers, and other material.

Customer Reviews:

• Essential supplement.
  This book contains a lot of what I thought was missing from the first PHB. New classes (Even the bard is a formidable class) and paragon paths that aren't based on your class.
  Apart from the multiclass feats and some new paragon classes and epic destinies, you won't find much for an existing character, but once you get a look at some of the new classes, you'll want to make a few new characters.
  The druid is still pretty unimpressive, but I think we've all come to accept that a sort of D&D tradition, but the rest of the Primal Power classes are pretty cool.
  Definitely a must have. ...more info
• Great D&D book!
  The 4th Edition Players Handbook 2 continues a long tradition in D&D books of extending the player's options in character creation. The complete series of player books comes to mind. However, unlike previous editions the player information in 4th edition is contained well within the original Player's Handbook. It is well designed and well written. Its layout lends itself to focusing on one class to the exclusion of the others which I find refreshing and it makes it much easier to focus on just being a cleric or a ranger.
  
  Player's Handbook 2 doesn't change a thing about this layout and presentation. Instead it simply serves up more. New races and classes as well as a few rules additions for the primal power source and a few new rituals for ritual casters. All in all I like this book almost as much as I liked the 4th Edition Manual of the Planes, which I think is an outstanding book! All the classes have their own flavor and mystique. The races and classes don't feel at all like they infringe on each other or the original's territory. Even though the Avenger is a divine power source class, you most definitely know the difference between one of them and a cleric.
  
  My advice is to read the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide cover to cover. If you like the new system and rules, then by all means pick this book up. It was worth every penny. The published adventures are worth your money too, they are thoughtful and well designed. I'm impressed...and hooked. Great job Wizards!...more info
• PHB2 Pre-order experience
  It was in exellent condition and I received my pre-order only the day after it was released. I was very happy with the service that Amazon provided....more info
• A Savage Review of a Savage Book
  At the heart of the matter, if you liked the first PHB, there is a very good chance you'll like this one. Similarly, if you disliked the first book, you'll dislike this one.
  
  That being said, it should be noted that any player who likes Martial Classes first and foremost will not be impressed with the content of this book. This book's biggest flaw is that it is really a Primal Power supplement, not a general player's handbook. The Martial power source is entirely ignored; at best there are a few things that such a character might find interesting, but nothing was included for them. The Arcane and Divine power sources both get 2 more classes (the Arcane source still not filling all party roles drawing from core alone).
  
  Additionally, the book might also be considered to be largely a way to finish converting 3rd edition players; base classes and races from 3rd edition are here available (Gnome and Half-Orc for races, Bard, Barbarian, Druid, and Sorcerer for classes). Indeed, the majority of the book is little more than updating materials established in previous editions.
  
  Finally, the book has a central theme that won't fit in with all campaigns or play-preferences. That theme is, for lack of a better word, "savagery." Of the 5 races (well, 6 if you count both types of Shifters), not a single one has its own complex civilization. The closest one comes is in the Half-Orc, which might be a hanger-on to other civilizations. Gnomes are largely nomadic escaped slaves, Shifters might have a pack, Devas may never see another of their kind in this lifetime, and Goliaths are tribal individuals. Nearly every race is an outsider as well; the primal classes aren't going to be stalwarts of civilization, but both new divine classes are cast as outsiders to the regular religious orders (potentially even heretics). Sorcerers are outside standard magical orders as a matter of course. Bards are the only ones that might fit in well with an established society, and even then they are nomadic by nature. The book adds a lot to the dark places of the world, but it pays very little attention to the Points of Light.
  
  The greatest innovation the book has is Racial Paragon Paths. Instead of taking a paragon path from a class, you can become an exemplary specimen of a species. It is an interesting concept, to be sure.
  
  Above considerations aside, I personally would have liked a great many more Epic Destinies. That is a fun concept that still feels undeveloped in 4e.
  
  Would I say it is worth the $30+ to buy? Unless you are really interested in the Primal Power source or want to finish converting from 3e, probably not. But if it is on sale......more info
• Excellent
  New races and new classes. What else can you ask for? It also adds in new feats and even an errata section at the end containing all the corrections/changes made to the Players Handbook. It is well written and laid out well. A definite plus to a 4E campaign....more info
• Should have been in the first book... save your money.... unless you like WoW for tabletops.
  My gut reaction is that the material in this book should have been in the first. Except to be fair, I HATED the first so it would've been more bells and whistles on a garbage heap anyway. Got this book from a friend and read it. I think Hasbro is reacting to the huge drop off in fans. This stuff is too little too late... not to mention the fact that the system is just WoW rehashed in the first place. They have so completely rewritten DnD in these two handbooks that one wonders how the 'novel' side (RA Salvatore and the like) are going to deal with the travesty. The reviews for this book will be higher... because gamers like me have already dropped out and headed over to Paizo.com. All ya got left is the folks who love tabletop WoW. If you do... this is the book for you... purchase, and enjoy. ...more info
• A significant improvement
  This book offered a significant improvement over the 3rd edition Players handbook 2, which held few new classes but had a plethora of Prestige classes (most of which where so specialized as to prove useless for play.) The layout is a solid design using the exact same format as the PHB1 and offers a some new races as well as some solid character concepts that redesign some of the core 3rd ED classes.
  
  The book is a great addition to anyones 4E collection. Though it doesn't add to much to the group dynamic, there are several new variations on the core group roles to allow for some interesting play. I particularly like the idea of a melee controller (Druid)
  
  Bottom line, the book offers a great expansion of possibilities without bringing anything really new to the table. With very little power creep the book offers a decent variety of new ideas. The only thing holding me back from a solid five stars is the price. At 35 dollars, these books feel very overpriced....more info
• the power of the songs
  The first D&D4 PHB leave a lot of player most played class out. Bard, Druid, Barbarian. Now we have all of these class plus some new races. The book is filled with only player information, useful only for player (the master need it only to know how to manage these new classes). Nothing very interesting regarding the old classes or races. Some new classes (Warden for example) and races (Goliath, Deva!).
  A must. ...more info
• New and Improved
  This is the second Player's Handbook for D&D 4th edition, and hopefully a harbinger of the quality of future products.
  
  In this, we have five races, all of which are new to 4e but have appeared before in some form. The deva is a celestial counterpart to the tiefling, descended from angels. The gnome is a smart and sneaky fey that does not decorate gardens. Goliaths are big strong mountain-dwelling athletes that would have Nike contracts in the real world. Half-orcs are a combination of orc and human that take the best of both worlds, and shifters are semi-lycanthropic humanoids that dwell in the wild.
  
  We also have eight new classes for the Arcane, Divine, and Primal power sources. The Avenger is a divine striker that hunts down its foes. It doesn't do a lot of damage at once, but hits very often. The Barbarian is a hulking behemoth of damage and rage from beyond the frontier, and excels cutting through a swarm of foes. The Bard is a battlefield conductor, moving things around while supporting his allies. The Druid controls the battlefield through throwing weather at his foes and turning into a beast. The Invoker is a divine controller that calls on the power of the gods to smite his foes. The Shaman calls on the power of the spirits to keep his allies up and to destroy his foes. The sorcerer is an arcane striker, throwing gouts of elemental damage at his enemies and is almost as dangerous to his allies. And finally, the Warden is the primal defender, guarding nature and his allies through his powers.
  
  Included are new feats, most of which are to support classes and races in this expansion, as well as new items and rituals; bards have their own special rituals. Finally, there are some rules clarifications that see print here.
  
  What's good? Just about everything. The classes are, in general, somewhat more efficient than previously released material. This is to be expected, as the designers have had a bit more time to work on them. This has added a great many leaders and controllers to the mix. The feats and items seem to be useful to the classes in the manual, and the races are pretty cool, neither over- nor under-powered.
  
  What's bad? Nothing to take away a star, but on a point for point basis PHB2 classes are just more efficient than PHB1 classes, which is kind of irritating. Also, some feats are disguised errata (Weapon/Implement Expertise, to fix a scaling issue), and others strongly devalue attributes (Melee Training means you no longer need Strength for basic attacks). But nothing too bad.
  
  On the whole, I think this is the best supplement for D&D4e so far. If you play 4e at all, be sure and pick this one up....more info
• The PHB 2 is Great
  With a new selection of races and classes, from classic to just cool, this book delivers. Classic races like the Half-Orc and Gnome return with new looks and some cool new tricks but the same heart and feel, while new additions such as the Deva and the Goliath (well, relatively new anyway) show up and add interesting and powerful (spiritually and physically respectively) new choices to the roster.
  The same goes for the classes with the return of the Barbarian and the Sorcerer, brute force has never been so fun, and new additions like the divinely violent Avengers or the primordially protective Wardens, these new class additions add cool new ways to play that aren't overpowered or out of place in classic D&D.
  Lastly the new feats in the game are mostly a good selection of tricks for the new classes and races but there are a few that are guaranteed to please characters made from any source book, Implement Expertise and Melee Training are especially useful.
  Altogether the PHB 2 is great, I fully recommend it....more info
• So bad, so sad, keep your money in your wallet
  I will not double up on what has already been said in other reviews, but these attempts to make D&D 4.0 better are failing. The system is flawed, oversimplified and cumbersome. It should have been titled D&D Light or D&D Pre-Teen, and not released as a new edition. Player's handbook Two continues more bad ideas. Combine it with PHB 4.0 #1 and you still do no reach the word count of the 3.5 PHB, or 2nd or 1st Edition for that matter. More printed material that is dumbed down to unplayability remains unplayable and dumb. Sorry, PHB 2 fixes nothing....more info
• Very Useful
  I bought it as a gift for a friend. He likes the Druid (since 2nd Edition) and these kind of helpful books with lots of feats, paragon paths, new races etc.
  In my opinion, I liked the return of the Bard and the Sorcerer (and the inclusion of the Invoker).
  
  In Portuguese: Foi um presente de anivers¨¢rio para um amigo. Ele gostou muito, pois o livro ¨¦ ¨²til mesmo, com a volta de algumas classes e a inclus?o de outras (o Invoker ¨¦ meu preferido). Gostei da volta do Bardo e do Sorcerer.
  As ra?as tamb¨¦m ficaram bastante legais. O Deva ¨¦ diferente e as "b¨¢sicas" voltam para diversificar o jogo na 4 Ed.
  Enfim, um livro bem ¨²til que vale a pena ter na cole??o.
  
  See ya....more info
• Players Handbook 2
  I love DND and the variety of choices to fit your imagination. This book helps to fill in some of the roles and really captures an interesting element with the new races and characters. I would readily recommend it if you are interested in more choice and variety. The classes are unique and can easily stand out as different from what else is available....more info
• Awsome!
  This book trys and succeeds in returning some of the role play aspects of the game back into 4.0....more info
• Good, but more like an expansion pack
  Player's Handbook 2 is a very nice book, if you are seeking to expand your game. This is not a replacement Player's Handbook 1. That being said, the extra classes are well-balanced and interesting looking. The new controllers pull some pressure off of Wizards so there isn't one person in the group who is forced into that class. My favorite addition is the sorcerer as a Striker, making magic offensive again.
  
  The new races in the book are not as great as the classes. The Deva seems to be a remix of the Aasimars, except worse. The other added races are nothing new, just some expansions from a monster manual somewhere.
  
  A big disappointment was the tiny items section, just big enough to give the new classes implements. It seems the Wizards of the Coasts wants you to buy a separate items book to flesh out any campaign.
  
  In the end, it is a very good book, but not worth the whole $35 Wizards is asking....more info
• Less for more
  At $34.95 a pop, the set of core rule books for 4 Edition will cost you $209.70 at list. This does not include whatever supplemental material such as modules, etc. Moreover, the page count is less than previous editions of D&D, there is more white space and the font is larger. You really are paying more for less.
  
  Not to mention that it is a hefty price for a game that has more in common with the old Basic D&D rules than anything else. Add insult to injury is the fact that better than %90 of this material is not new in any way shape or form.
  
  3.5 was, for some, too complex; offering to many options. 4th Edition seems to be a knee jerk reaction swinging the pendulum all the way back the other way -- too simple. It reminds me of Basic D&D - too unstructured and unsophisticated to handle game play smoothly. Sure, you can make it up as you go, but why pay $34.95 per book to do that?!?...more info
• Best book they've come out with so far
  This book is well worth the money. The races and classes are top notch. I use this players handbook more then i do the first one....more info
• A solid follow up...
  PHB2 is a solid follow up to the original core book. Most of the new material can easily fit in any campaign. The new races will depend more on the world you play in. Good balance with existing material, too. I don't see any real power-creep here like some of the products at the end of 3E/3.5E....more info
• Pretty darn good book, and worth the discounted price!
  I finally got my hands on a PHB2 and I have to say, I am not in the least bit disappointed! It a great expansion of the original PHB and really makes me want to try a lot of the newer things.
  
  This being said, one of the first things I want to point out, as it was asked in the PHB2 forum, is this is NOT a PHB in and of itself. This is an extention of the first. What this is lacking is all of the information on how to make a character (how to get stats, saves, how many of which power at what level, etc.). I see how this could be confusing, being that WoTC calls this a 'core book', but, in the end, I'm glad they left it out, as it would have just been wasted space for most of us that have PHBs already. Better that they used that space for new material. Just thought I'd throw it out that, if your wondering, you cannot really make a character without the first PHB (or the free character builder from DDI, but I digress).
  
  Beyond this, I believe this is a very solid expansion to the 4 edition system. Since the first 3, I really believe that this book has added more to the game than any of the other books (though they all have their uses, I own quite a few of them). I won't hammer too much about the new classes and races, because they've been reviewed to death, but I will say that I am really excited to try out my new shifter druid.
  
  I will say that most of the stuff is great. This includes many changes to the way things were. I really like most of it...however a few things are very goofy and should have never ever have come to light. These are such things as:
  
  -The new way the gnomes look (sort of like tiny elves that have been attacked by some crazy hair gel golem. Yikes!)
  
  -The suggestion that half-orcs could have been created by crossbreeding by hobgoblins (I'm sorry, say again?)
  
  -Half orcs now have +2 Dex (The Oscar De La Hoya of Half Orcs!)
  
  However, none of it, to me, is so over the top that it can't either be tolerated or slightly shifted. In my game I run, if a character chooses a gnome, they can either look like the new crazy hair gnomes or the old gnomes. Half-Orcs, however, were not bred by hobgoblins...and they'll have +2 con...not dex.
  
  As I said, minor gripes about an overall pretty great book. Like another reviewer said. I liked it a lot, but there was enough about it to say that this just didn't have what it takes to get a five star review (hobgoblins?!)
  
  I hope this helps anyone that is seriously looking at possibly purchasing this product!...more info
• A much needed expansion to a game that became very tight.
  I have been role-playing for over 20 years and am always excited to see an expansion or revision to a rules system. D&D 4th edition became a very tight game. It's original players handbook limited a player to a decently limited number of races and classes with very little crossing between classes.
  
  Thanks too this new book, the number of races and classes has pretty much doubled. There is alot of original material. There is also a decent amount of expantion on material from the first book. A 4th edition must!!...more info
• could be better
  i was disappointed in the de-powered druid class, plus except for the deva and goliath race (which sucked) the other races were recycled from the monster manual so there is nothing new at all. buy this book strictly for the new classes. the races suck ......more info
• Got What I ordered
  The new classes definitely add more to the game. There are a number of new races as well. A must have for a 4th edition gamer....more info