The Player's Handbook, released in 1995, is one of the core rulebooks for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition. It is the primary rulebook which describes how to play Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and is considered necessary for play.
Player's Handbook is commonly abbreviated to PH or PHB. The officially supported abbreviation PH is more technically correct, as "handbook" is one word, but usage of PHB is common in the D&D community.
Official synopsis[]
Here is the indispensable encyclopedia of fantasy role-playing. Everything the player needs is here: how to create a mighty hero or crafty wizard; uinque aspects of the elves, dwarves, halflings, and other fantasy races; all the weapons, armor, magical spells, and rules for thrilling battles against supernatural monsters. This fresh, new format for the Player's Handbook is your complete and illustrated guide to the world of heroic adventure!
Content[]
Development and release[]
Development[]
The book was written by Dave Cook.
Release[]
The Player's Handbook was released by TSR in February 1989 for $[missing data] US or $[missing data] Canadian.
On August 18, 2015, it was re-released in digital format. It is currently available on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild for $9.99.
Reception and influence[]
Sales[]
Between 1995 and 1998, the revised AD&D 2nd edition Player's Handbook sold a total of 204,619 copies.[1]
Year | Sales |
---|---|
1995 | 94,445 |
1996 | 55,628 |
1997 | 36,477 |
1998 | 18,069 |
Sales figures compared unfavorably to the original Player's Handbook (2e) (1989), which sold over 292,000 copies in 1989 alone.
Critical reception[]
As of 2023, the Player's Handbook reached the rank of Adamantine seller on DriveThruRPG.
Influence on other works[]
External links[]
References[]
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbooks |
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Players Handbook (1e) • Player's Handbook (2e) • Player's Handbook (2e revised) Player's Handbook (3e) • Player's Handbook (3.5) • Player's Handbook II (3.5) Player's Handbook (4e) • Player's Handbook 2 (4e) • Player's Handbook 3 (4e) Player's Handbook (5e) • Player's Handbook (5e revised) |