Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Book of Humanoids by Bill Slavicsek

Player's Handbook Rules Supplement #PHBR10

by Bill Slavicsek

Part of the bestselling rules for players, this exciting new rulebook allows players to run a "monster" as a character at last. Following on the success of the handbooks dealing with elves, gnomes, and dwarves, it provides all the information necessary to play intelligent humanoid creatures as PC's. Illustrations, many in color.

Genres: Role Playing Games, Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Games

Paperback

First published May 18, 1993

About the author

Bill Slavicsek's gaming life was forever changed when he discovered Dungeons & Dragons in 1976. He became a gaming professional in 1986 when he was hired by West End Games as an editor. He quickly added developer, designer, and creative manager to his resume, and his work helped shape the Paranoia, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and Torg roleplaying games. He even found some time during that period to do freelance work for D&D 1st Edition. In 1993, Bill joined the staff of TSR, Inc. as a designer/editor. He worked on a bunch of 2nd Edition material, including products for Core D&D, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and Planescape. In 1997, he was part of the TSR crowd that moved to Seattle to join Wizards of the Coast, and in that year he was promoted to R&D Director for D&D. In that position, Bill oversaw the creation of both the 3rd Edition and 4th Edition of the D&D Roleplaying Game. He was one of the driving forces behind the D&D Insider project, and he continues to oversee and lead the creative strategy and effort for Dungeons & Dragons.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally loved this book. I always have preferred playing more of the outcast type of character. I have some very memorable characters I created with this book.

[Love of Hopeless Causes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanoids are legion. They do not forget, but sometimes they forgive--when you are playing one! That's right, step right up--for what may be the first sanctioned TSR product to endorse being a monster (as a player character.) Guaranteed to give your Dungeon Master the brain farts. Big and small, play 'em all! Well, er, fine print says twenty, but I counted about twenty-five with variants.

I did not own this when it came out. Fortunately, it utilized the original nostalgia evoking illustrations. By the outsider's view they might rank as C grade art, but to the young at heart, A minus. It expands on the original entries with roleplay tips. As the series goes, this is well written and certainly a contender for the best. However, I can't help wanting to volunteer edit every game supplement--this is no exception--for simple things like wordiness. These are written more by gamers than highfaluting artistes, such as myself, and certainly on a deadline. You can usually tell by the opening flavor blurb (here assumed to be the excellent Bill Slavicsek penning as Kulung the Ogre-mage,) whether the gamer had any literary chops.

If you bought this in '93, you'd be pleased to find surprise races like saurians and aarakocra, but a kid tight on money would read the highlights in the shop and make up rules--if he hadn't already. Worth buying? I got mine for $6 at HPB; the MSRP was $15. If you're an adult with income and a stable location to store this gem, it's nostalgic fun for about the price of a Java Chip Frappuccino with soy and espresso shot (no whip, please.) If you are familiar with, "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up,The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" I'd go for, "Monster," by AEG, since it takes monster player philosophy one step beyond. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing resource for non-standard AD&D characters, which manages to fit inside multiple races, rules, traditions and superstitions to enhance roleplay, as well as tribal weapons, class acts and other goodies.

I will say, though I have been guilty of playing such a character, the Pixie should have never been an option.

Reread it recently in preparation of a retro 1st-Level adventure I am making for my group.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The weird, the shunned, and the monstrous have always held a special place in my heart, far more than things such as gnomes or what have you. This book fully introduced them for the game, and was as such one of my favourites in the entire edition, even if some of the options here are rather unbalanced.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I havent played DND 2E since middle school and have no plans to start again with it. Hell, I dont even play any edition of DnD anymore. But this is such a great source material for idea-harvesting for GMs of any fantasy game and its filled with (superior) old school art too. A useful thing to have around for those whose settings and players prefer monster player characters.

[Arthur B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Infamous attempt to add a large number of new playable races to 2E AD&D, undone by the fact that it gives little to no thought to balance. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Alaghi were amazing to play.

[Camilo Navarrete - D-Propósito Humano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un clásico sobre opciones raciales para la 2da edición.