The Dungeon Master Guide, No. 2100, 2nd Edition (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons)

In the good old days of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax wrote several of the books that were the backbone of the game. However, Gary was not a great encyclopediest. Rather, he was a very good storyteller with awesome ideas who could think outside of the box. Unfortunately, that didn’t help with the organization of massive amounts of information that needed to be cataloged and placed in a format that was easily accessible and complete. The result was a somewhat bewildering set of rulebooks full of magic that took some creative skill in figuring out completely. This explains the many house rules and in my own case a 300 page handwritten rulebook with all the information where it was needed. (Oddly enough, I am writing this on the anniversary of Gygax’s passing). Years later, TSR decided to put forth a second edition of the AD&D rules. I won’t bore you with the reality that it was actually the third edition and that’s if you don’t count the Basic and Expert sets! The 2nd Edition Player’s Handbook was outstanding. Following in its footsteps was the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Unlike the first edition books, the second edition was very organized which is why the PHB is much thicker than the DMG. This edition’s DMG was a collection of information to help the Dungeon Master (DM) run the games and campaigns for the players. It had a great amount of material, but a lot of stuff was put into the PHB where it belonged. The second edition was more detailed and more organized which was a relief to DMs. Unfortunately, I was already a long time DM so I had my own house rules and stuck with them although I displaced them when necessary with 2nd edition rules. The funniest part about using this edition was that I was so used to finding stuff in the 1st edition DMG that I found this new edition confusing. I do have to say I enjoyed 2nd Edition quite a bit. I was not too happy with the succeeding editions although I do have to say I am really starting to fall in love with Pathfinder. My newest campaign, Zaroznia, uses 1e/2e rules, but the lack of follow up material from TSR on it has shown me that there is only so far I can go with this. Also, I am part of the first generation of D&D players. That means I started playing when we had the original booklets and a Monster Manual. The Player’s Handbook came out just as I started to play and the DMG followed it later. The current crop of players is the third generation and they don’t have the 1st and 2nd editions to work with like we do. They’re used to the newest 5th Edition or Pathfinder rule sets. I wouldn’t trade my old books in for anything. The magic is still in them and they are great inspiration for any adventure. This 2nd Edition DMG is just as good today as it was in 1989 because while the rules may be updated, the basics are still the basics. Gygax’s imagination is still giving delight to millions of players all the time. It doesn’t matter what edition or rule set you use. A dwarf is still a dwarf, and if you hit the enemy enough times with the long sword they will eventually die. Provided of course it is a magical weapon!

Original 2nd edition A D&D comprehensive roleplaying book for all ages (that can read of course) I started on this game when I was a mere youngin.Played a druid at the time fighting a enslaved priestess turned vampire in order to save her people from bondage.The best lessons and fun I ever had was with my own imagination whether it was at night with only a candle or during the day without any phones or electronic devices to distract me .If you want to be more social or just have a party game that isnt monopoly then buy a Dmg and some dice and invite your friends because humans are essentially a social species .

I wrote a long review about the AD&D Player's Handbook that discuss the feel of AD&D a little bit so for this review I'm just going to cover this, the Dungeons Master's Handbook. The DM's Handbook is an extremely useful tool...for some things. You in no way NEED it to play AD&D. The DM's Handbook is for your DM only and is a guide to how to DM basically. It gives you examples of how to set up encounters, how to build a dungeon, and how to make a campaign or quest. For me there are only two areas that I find extremely useful. One is that the DM's Handbook gives you your saving throw tables to see if a character is affected by a spell or poison or what have you. The other is that this book contains a list of tons of magical items and other useful/rare items that your characters could find.Now, you may wonder why I feel this book is still not completely needed. The reason is that if you are a more experienced DM or you just like doing everything yourself then you don't need this book. Things like saving throws can be completely story based for example. If your story needs a character to survive or fall then you just say it happens without rolling for it. If you want the currant battle to end quickly then you just say it does. Inside of the AD&D world the DM is the absolute controller of all so you shape the story as you like, with the players cause fun and trouble along the way. The magical items are nice to have but if you like to create then you can just make up your own items that better fit your campaign. In the end this book is great for new DMs or times when you need a quick encounter or item to throw at the party.

Well described and accurate. Really happy with the price for this item. thanks!

Again, this book was worn in as expected with such an old edition. I'm suspecting that the previous owner put some kind of spell on this book so that we, the old school gamers, will encounter some outstanding scenarios that need super hero daring-do.*Slightly bothered there were no hidden maps or mysterious messages left inside one of the pages, j/k.

I bought a bunch of used AD&D books to get my son started down the nerdy path! This book, like all the others, came in great shape, at a great price. I could not be more pleased. Recommend!

Great

This was the first D&D book I ever bought when I was 12 in 1992. I'd gotten rid or or traded it away over 20 years ago, so holding this in my hands was like stepping into a time machine.

Fantastic condition. nice to be reacquainted with this old friend. Nicer pics in later editions, but this is the original 2nd edition copy.

Great book. Better condition than I had even hoped for. Great book. Fast service. Great to be playing again.

I love This book

This book arrived on time and the condition was exactly as described. I will have one happy husband Christmas morning!

item was in good condition and arrived promptly