Player's Handbook

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition

by David Zeb Cook

This is the essential AD&D reference book for players and Dungeon Masters. It features the complete set of core rules in a stunning full-color presentation.





Separate edition as previous AD&D 2nd edition as book has been revamped and updated with significant changes to structure and content.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 1995

About the author

David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook grew up on a farm in Iowa where his father worked as a farmer and a college professor. In junior high school, Cook playing wargames such as Avalon Hill's Blitzkrieg and Afrika Korps. "I was primarily a wargamer, but there wasn't any role-playing available then," although in college, he was introduced to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game through the University of Iowa gaming club. Cook earned his B.A. in English (with a Theater minor) in 1977. He married his high school sweetheart, Helen, with whom he had one son, Ian. Cook became a high school teacher in Milligan, Nebraska, where his students gave him his nickname of "Zeb"; the name derives from his signature, which is dominated by a stroke resembling a 'Z'.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first D&D book I ever owned. I saved up my left over lunch money from school, and did odd jobs for neighbors to save up the money to buy this book. I have very fond memories of this book, I bought it some 17 years ago I think, and it was worth every penny. I read it so many times I can still do THAC0, even though I haven't looked at it in years. D&D 2nd edition is still my preferred system when playing D&D, but I'll play 3E or Pathfinder just as well, but I wont touch 4E. Anyway I digress, TSR did an amazing job here the rules are very clear and the book is streamlined, so you don't do a lot of flipping back and forth in character generation. Sadly my copy got ruined, but I will get this book again, hopefully soon.

[Samir Rawas Sarayji · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first foray into D&D as a player. Loved it. Loved the handbook too although it was at times difficult to grasp the THACO system.

[Micah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to look through

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played edition one...then moved up to edition 2. While I enjoyed first edition this one was in my opinion the best they ever released...

I gave it 5 stars for pure enjoyment. As I've said elsewhere, I've played electronic RPGs but I have a special place in my heart for table top games.

[Horrorsage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good evening and welcome fellow Children of Chaos.

The system is kind of clumsy, especially the Thac0 rule. But it's great to see some of the evolution of the D&D game.

Pros
-Each class is truly unique including each leveling different.
-The Artwork. It's nice a Paladin looks like a knight. No giant purple spikes, or oversized serrated swords. No shield so overdesigned to be useless. The artwork looks like it COULD be real.
-Nice as a historical relic.

Cons
-A lot of strange rules and needless book keeping. Thac0 and initiative being particularly egregious
-I see where a lot of toxic player behavior comes from. CN=Chaotic Stupid, and Player vs. GM antagonism. Both are encouraged here.
-A lot of redundant or simply super situational spells.

[Garrett Henke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly underrated edition of AD&D, it feels as if this edition is somewhat forgotten. Yeah, it has some janxy bits like THAC0, d10’s for initiative where lower is better, etc. But 2e’s attempt to create a more grounded, almost fantasy novel-like edition of D&D was largely successful. A lot of these lessons were lost on 3rd edition and I think in retrospect, 2e is the better game.

[Agus Disnei · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss THAC0. It may have made no sense (you want high stats. High is good. Except for THAC0. That you want low, because you have to roll OVER it), but its old-school. TSR fixed a number of the problems from 1E, and, more importantly, published this when I was 10, so its shadow has hung over my gaming ever since. This probably deserves three-stars, but this is just so influencial - if you think of role-playing games, the first thing you think of is probably AD&D 2E; if you've ever held a polyhedron die; if you make "saving throw" or "+5 slaying" jokes; if "chaotic-nuetral" means anything to you . . . this is why. If you've ever tried to explain an RPG to a non-gamer, inevitably one of you will you utter the phrase "sort of like D&D," and you won't be refering to the basic game.

[Michelle]

I actually thought this book was very interesting, just to read front to back. lol, I know it's not that kind of book, but it means that it was written very well if that's how I read it. Perhaps I just like the idea of such an imaginative, fantasy-like game, but still. If you think you're completely out of reading material, you should try picking one of these books up and starting Dungeons & Dragons. I have yet to actually play a game, though. I'd recommend it, I guess, to any Dungeons & Dragons fans.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well much as I loved 1ed I actually do still prefer 2ed. The recent re-release made me want to get the old books out and run it again so now to celebrate my 30th year as a gamer that's exactly what I'm doing !

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating based on usefulness.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the version that comes with the CORE RULES PC software.