| Star Wars Miniatures | The Star Wars Miniatures collection offers a great board game that doesn't require too much time or space to play. The miniatures are also exactly the right size for use with the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, which I would highly recommend. The old roleplaying system was made by West End Games, which I haven't tried.
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Player's Handbook: A 4th Edition Core Rulebook: 1 (D&d Core Rulebook) (Dungeons & Dragons) | 
| Author: Wizards Rpg Team
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Category: Book
List Price: £19.99
Buy New: £12.42
You Save: £7.57 (38%)
New (33) Used (8) from £12.42
Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 3275
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 4
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.4
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0786948671
Dewey Decimal Number: 793.93
EAN: 9780786948673
ASIN: 0786948671
Publication Date: June 6, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New. Shipped from UK Mainland. Delivery is usually 2 - 3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Suprised January 6, 2009
I have not played Dungeons and Dragons in over twenty years. I had played through the various computer games and kept in touch with the worlds via novels. I picked this book up on a whim so that I would have something to read over Christmas.
I was quite impressed at first glance. I hadn't expected much to be honest. The production values are high, up to the standard of most modern wargaming books. The art while not overwhemling in its execution it is incorportated very well into the text. The layout was very confusing at first but having read over the entire book once it was easy to flick between relevant chapters to find what I needed.
The book is rules heavy. It provides everything for characters to progress to level twenty, and it deals a little with higher levels though not in enough detail to satisfy. I guess this is due to the nature of being at those levels. Beyond twenty the DM needs to have freedom to create the characters almost as much as the players.
The weapons and armour sections feel incomplete. The magic items feel like are a brief taste of what is to come over the next books. Rather than giving fifty different types of everything they have cut it down to managable levels and will expand in future Players Handbooks.
The one problem I have and can forgive is the lack of non combat options for characters. It feels like everything should revolve around slaying. The combat system is excellent and appears to play well with everyone having something to do. Outside of cambat there are rudimentary skills that cover general areas where players will need to do something such as diplomacy and insight. These areas are quickly brushed over. To me these are major elements of roleplaying and should not be pushed aside in favour of combat. However it seems to me that the designers are putting the emphasis on the DM bringing to the table the roleplaying elements while the books bring the combat. Players can indulge in as much roleplaying and they don't strictly need rules for it. Rather it is more free form and if needed the DM can use the basic skills to cover this.
A huge change in the core rules December 29, 2008
4th edition represents a huge change in the core rules, the goals are admirable: To simplify things and speed up your gaming sessions.
For Difficulty Checks the d20 is still the Core Mechanic.
Your choice of races matter more, you can take racial feats as you advance, so that your race continues to affect you even at higher levels.
Skills have been (mercifully) simplified so that there is better parity among PCs of the same level (the bonus modifier follows the format of 1/2 level + bonuses). You either are trained in a skill, or you are not. Training nets you a flat +5 bonus
Having Daily, Encounter, and At-Will powers is a spectacular idea. It makes tons of sense to recharge some powers at different time increments.
The powers have been intricately thought out and balanced. They are also well written and easy to understand.
Each class is given a role to play in combat.
A Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock) is what other games call a damage spiker, basically very high damage output, but doesn't take a hit well. These classes heavily emphasize mobility to do their damage and get out of range of retaliatory attacks.
Defenders (Fighter, Paladin) do just what their role implies, they're what other games call tanks. They take hits well but don't have the damage output of other classes.
Controllers (Wizard) deal primarily with crowd control and area effect abilities.
Leaders (Cleric, Warlord) are party support. They provide healing and buffs (other types of party benefits).
All of the characters have tons of at-will, encounter and daily powers, which add up to players having more varied options than ever before in combat, especially at first level.
Combat is about choosing from a list of powers to attack the enemy with. Even if you're just a "simple" Fighter, you still have access to a list of powers at first level. About half of the abilities now allow you to shift or slide an oponent a numer of sqaures. Consequently the biggest part of combat is tactically positioning yourself and your enemies and so combat now really needs to played on a grid map or dungeon floor plans.
Whist combat itself is smoother than in previous editions the increased tactical options causes players to spend more time and means that the end result is that combat runs about just as long as in previous editions.
When 4th edition info first started to appear on the internet, there was talk of characters being "pumped up" with hit points and that this would increase early level survivability. However, not only do the characters have more HP but so do the monsters. Fights seem to drag on as the players do minor amounts of damage to the creatures massive HP scores.
Classes also have Healing Surges, which allow a character to heal themselves for 1/4 of their maximum hit points. It can be done once per encounter (powers can change this) and at will outside of combat, but you do have a finite number of them per day dependant on class and Constitution score. This mechanic gets a lot of flak but its one I like. It takes a lot of pressure off the support classes that normally do the healing to be able to do some buffs or mix it up in melee from time to time.
Rituals are utility spells (non-combat spells) such as: Brew Potion, Comprehend Languages, Knock, etc. They typically take 10 minutes to cast, last a very long time, don't take up ability slots, and can be cast by just about anyone (non Wizards have to take a feat to cast them).
A big part of a casters resource management in previous editions included deciding which utility spells to memorize. Not to say that having a knock spell memorized wasn't useful, but it did take up a slot that couldn't be used for the 3 or more fights a day the game balance assumed.
It is also nice to have a non Wizard, like a Fighter or a Rogue, be able to dabble in magic without dramatically hurting their party role. I think the ritual mechanic makes that easier to achieve than even previous edition multiclassing.
Magic Items can be identified after a short rest. Disenchanting an item provides a fine silvery dust that can be sold for gold pieces. This dust is considered concentrated magic and is used in rituals. A magic item power can be recharged by spending a healing surge. Thrown magic weapons rematerialize in the character's hand after the combat round.
Unfortunately Wizards of the Coast are being affected by the credit crunch and sadly they have recently had to restructure and lay off some staff.
As an example of this they will no longer be producing the D&D Collectible Miniatures Game, instead focusing on non-random and semi-random miniatures packs aimed at those role playing 4th edition D&D. There will be two types of packs, one type aimed at players with player characters and the other type aimed at DM's with monsters. Good news for role players and bad news for miniature players.
 Different but in a good way! December 1, 2008
OK. Its clear from this review page that this new version of D&D has caused a lot of controversy. I do wonder how many of the people giving this a one or two star review have actually played the game? Guess what? It is actually a heck of a lot of fun!
So many of the complaints here seem to lack any sort of sound logic.
'Its been dumbed down!': Not so. Simplified in all the right places to make it more streamlined and more fun. There is also quite a lot of degree for customising your characters - more than you might think initially. For example feats aren't as powerful but you get more of them and there are stacks of cool powers for each class to choose from etc.
Also Skills have been grouped together which makes much, much more sense. I mean who ever put ranks in Balance anyway? Instead of trying to put your scant amount of skill points into Climb, Jump and Swim you just need Athletics to cover the lot. Much better in my opinion.
'Less role-playing more combat': As far as I'm concerned role-playing is all about how much the players put, its nothing to with the system. If you want to 'act in character' go for it - its fun. If you just want to explore dungeons, kill things and get treasure - thats fine too. What they have done is make a decent streamlined combat system and by adding the skill challenges the DM now has a way to construct non-combat encounters that are challenging and provide interesting ways for the players to use their skill.
'Its like an MMORPG': I don't know as I don't play MMORPGs but who cares as long the system works!
'Its become a miniatures game and you have to buy their overpriced minis': Newsflash. You've always been able to buy minis for D&D even back in the days of 1st edition and 3rd edition made it essential to use them not 4th. And anyway you don't have to use offical minis - its easy to knock up some counters on your computer.
'Its not D&D anymore': Of course it is! Its got elves and dwarves and wizards and paladins and halflings and orcs and dragons and clerics....etc The ambience of the game is down to what the players and DM put into it - nothing to do with the system.
Also the bard, gnome, half-orc, druid, barbarian etc are on the way in future releases.
In short, ignore the complainers and give it a go. All I know is that the first combat I ran with it - a simple kobold ambush - was the best 1st level battle with no gimmicks I've ever run. Not once did it just degenerate into repetative rolling to hit, no characters getting killed with one unlucky hit; there was action, drama, daring maneuvers and above all else great fun!
The only bad side I can think of is that of coure it makes all your 3rd edition stuff fairly obsolete (although of course any world-books can still provide you with plenty of game ideas and settings). This is unfortunate but alas progress needs to be made.
Overall, I think the new edition is quite a success and only wish it was around back when I had more time to play. I can't wait to get my little nephew into this and pass the torch! Recommended!
 Dungeons and Dragons: A review October 5, 2008
I for one do not like this incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons system. In a way a radical change is good (like we saw it when Star Wars moved to the new Saga Edition Rules, which I absolutely love), but they've quite simply taken it too far.
Reading the books felt to me like I was reading through the instructions of an MMORPG, everything has cooldowns (At will (or per round), encounter or daily) and you're now severely limited in the things that you can do. Basically a Fighter can hit stuff HARD (but there's only so many ways of doing it), a Mage Blows stuff up (Again, limited ways of doing it) and it's all depending directly on your character level.
I must prefer the old days of tons of feats for the fighter, and gazillions of spells for the wizard to choose from. It was a lot more customizable than the current system is. Although, I will say that the Healing Surge idea is good (but with reservations, as they still need to be activated by people such as the cleric) as it allows for the cleric to be something other than just a Heal-bot, so I'm considering taking that for my Dungeons and Dragons (3.5) campaigns.
And yes, there I let it out. I'll be sticking with 3.5. Not so much for the reason listed above, though they are plenty, BUT there is one major overriding factor in choosing to keep my game the way it is: Skill Challenges.
Skill Challenges are basically a skill check you do to see if you get something done. Now, I'll admit that skill checks are useful (for picking a lock for instance), but I do not believe that they have anything to do in a social interaction. This is a ROLE-playing game, not a Dice-rolling one.
With the new system the players basically do not need to talk to the NPC, they can basically go "I roll Diplomacy - 35 - What do I get told by him?" instead of having to interact with the NPC. Gone are the interactions with the NPCs where you actually talk to the Game Master, getting into the role of both your character and he into the one of the NPC. Sure, skill checks will soften up the NPC for you, but they should not determine your utter success in a social interaction. Even the best diplomats sometimes goof up.
That being said, I will give it credit for it's nice layout, and it's very nice art. But I still feel that the heart was ripped out of my favourite game after this.
Time to bring out the 3.5 Books for me.
A radical departure August 1, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Right let's get the obligatory credentials out of the way; I have been a DM for over 15 years, starting with AD&D 2nd ed. I have run a campaign that spanned 2nd ed, 3.0 and 3.5.
I have loved every one of the editions and I still remember the furore about the old 3.0 (what? No THAC0!?). My gut reaction to what I read in this book was "what on earth have they done!?" I have now had a chance to digest it and can summarise my findings below:
Negatives:
1) Certain iconic elements have disappeared such as the druid and barbarian classes and the gnome and half-orc races.
2) Limited opportunities for character development. There is little to distinguish one fighter from another. Furthermore spells have been rebranded as powers which can be used either at will, by encounter or daily. These powers are mainly of the combat variety. Other more utilitarian spells such as scrying or long range teleportation have become rituals, accessible to anyone with the correct feats. Begs the question how do you charm the guard to get him to smuggle you in to the villain's castle?
3) Skills are fixed by your class and you can't change them once you select them at creation.
Positives:
1)Gameplay is sped up considerably by the use of these powers. The myriad combinations of modifiers are gone (no more need for spreadsheets!).
2) Combat is fluid with lots of movement and use of terrain.
3) Interrupt actions allow you to respond immediately to your opponents.
4) The game is much, much simpler.
In summary, if you are a diehard 2nd or 3rd ed supporter, I would recommend having a thorough look at this new system before you part with your hard earned. If you are a new player and want to get into role playing this would be a quick easy way. I will use 3.5 for my main campaign which is with my university friends, who are all seasoned gamers. However I will use 4.0 for local play which will be once a week for 3-4 hours therefore needs to be fast and furious. I will however be designing a homecooked skills system and iconic characters such as the barbarian and bard.
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Powered by the Force.| Star Wars Miniatures Forum - latest postings |
Rebel Direct Damage
--YoD(a), Revisited--
48 Vader's Apprentice, Redeemed
36 Yoda of Dagobah
28 Luke Skywalker, Hoth Pilot Unleashed
27 Han Solo, Smuggler
18 C-3PO and R2-D2
14 Princess Leia, Rebel Hero
12 Deena Shan
9 General Dodonna
4 Mon Calamari Tech Specialist
Question about Furious Assault.
Replaces turn: Can move up to 12 squares, then attack each legal target once"
I need someone to define "legal target"
Thank you!
Bastila Shan, Knight of the Old Republic
Cost 75?
HP 150
Def 20
Attack 15
Damage 20
Special Abilities
Melee Attack
Quadrouple Attack
Munn tactics broker
Just came to my head. If you had someone that had reinforcements X for a roll of 1
do you get them each round?
WIZARDS: SWM FOREVER!!!
I don't post much here but I do read the threads quite often and I've noticed a bit of negativity as of late. I just wanted to encourage the admins and creators of star wars minis to not get discouraged by it. I for one want you to know that I'm not leaving the game, am not angry about any new...
Tourny Squad
Just want some Ideas on this.
Jaba Crime Lord 15
Moff Nyna Calixte 18
Grand Admrial Thrawn 37
Mas Ameda 8
Kel Dor Bounty Hunter x5 65
uggie x2 6
149 pts. 11 Activations (6 Turns)
Thrawn and Ozzel
Ok, I'm reading a thread in the General forum where someone says that they played someone using Thrawn and Ozzell and they were getting Ozzel's reserves every round.
Using Master Tactician, you do NOT get to choose what your initiative roll is, do you?
Master Tactician: Roll for initiative as...
Genohardans...tourny worthy?
Wanted to make a tourny worthy squad with the genos. Kota buffs em and they get deathblows and czerka gives em twin. Try to swap for repulse...has door control...suggestions? Comments? Thank you....
Captain Panaka 23
Czerka Scientist 13
GenoHaradan Assassin 21
GenoHaradan Assassin 21
...
House rules for melee
Please let me know if this thread belongs in a different forum (customs perhaps?)...
Would like to hear what folks are using for house rules to help melee out. I know a lot of folks generally agree that melee is underpowered in the game, and I happen to be one of them (and yes I know a lot of...
Vong able to go into any army?
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Oddball's CE
So, Oddball's CE says:
Allied characters with Pilot gain Grenades 20 and Penetration 20.
Does this mean that a Shistavanen Pilot does not benefit from his CE, because he does not have the Pilot ability? I'm assuming that's the way it works (see Nym's CE for a similar example).
The only thing...
Green Stuff?
Hello all you costomizers out there,
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Looking for checklists
I seem to have misplaced some checklists and wondered if there's anywhere or anyone that could help me out?
I'm missing Force Unleashed, Bounty Hunters and Champions of the Force.
That first case...
Well I just got my first case ever delivered. Ordered a case of Universe as I didn't have any of that set. Came across something that struck me as odd...
Out of the 6 huges I got 2 Viper Droids. Ok, may not be THAT shocking, but I also got 2 Obi-Wan's on Bogas! Now to me it seems odd that out of 6...
Advise for custom stats
Hi all,
I've been working on stats for a couple of customs for one of my friends and was wondering if opinion is that they are costed appropriately...
Kenshin Kintara, Jedi Knight
Republic
Cost 29
HP 90
Def 19
Avoid mines from Chamelont droid
Hi
Is there any why for a enemy character to avoid being attacked by mines 20 from chamelont droid and still attack it from adjacent square?
For example Mobile attack, Strafe, flight or what?
Looking for UK online single and case webshops
Hi there,
I am from the Netherlands. Because of the limited availibility of SWM in my neighbourhood I usually order my stuff from the states. However, with the recent coursedrop of the british pound it might be quite interesting to order from the UK. Does anyone know any good/cheap webshops which...
Movementcost of Large/Huge
Nowhere, have I found how exactly to count the movement cost för Huge characters in certain cases.
O - Ground
X - Difficult ground/Cover
V - Walls
OOOVVOXO
OOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOO
VVVVVVVVV
A New Custom Miniatures Database
Due to the original database being lost, (we are unsure if this is temporary or permanent) Jm419 has created a new site to use! (Kudos to you!) :) Although all the stats that were created have been lost for now, the losing of the site may have been a blessing in disguise. The game has been changing...
Kill Obi-Wan, he is their only hope.
So basically, the meta here is completely dominated by the new General Obi Wan Kenobi so I think I might build a couple hate squads to try and give those players fits and ween them off of it a little.
I've thought of Exar and Sith Mutants, but I simply HATE savage and thats almost reason enough to...
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