Ug, Enough with the Acronyms Already

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:28 pm

When a DM says "Core only" does that mean the 3.5 System Reference Document only?

What is PH2? Player's Handbook 2?

What is the term when the Pathfinder Rules are allowed?

How come whenever I 'google' something like cleric build, I see discussions that mention feats, prestige classes, spells, abilities I've never heard of. Isn't there one master document that has everything in one place???!?!?!?!?

How is someone supposed to learn this hobby with everything so broken, fragmented and talked about using (over abusing) acronyms???

Ug!

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:40 pm

Core only = core rulebooks only. There are 3 core rulebooks. The players handbook, dungeon masters guide, and monster manual.

if a DM says core only or anything on the SRD, that includes anything found on D20SRD.com, which has other rules besides the basic core rules.

Pathfinder has no acronym. I would allow it in my game as I think it's much better, but it's too complex for a few new players all at once.

PH2 is players handbook 2.
First 4 complete books are Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and Complete Warrior.

It takes months to learn this game no matter how you play it or build characters with it. People abbreviate due to having -so- many terms to type out that it can get frustrating.

If you have an IM program, feel free to contact me through any of mine. I'd be more than willing to help you one on one.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:46 pm

Very helpful, thanks.

PH2 is players handbook 2.
First 4 complete books are Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, and Complete Warrior.

Sorry, just to clarify, does PH2 = those 4 books combined?

So this link...

System Reference Document v3.5

...is Core + some fixes?

And this link...

The Hypertext d20 SRD (v3.5 d20 System Reference Document) :: d20srd.org

...is Core + Complete Adventure + Complete Divine?

What is this one?

...Crystal Keep - D&D and d20 System

Siberys · Post by **Siberys** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:13 pm

Umm....no.

The PH2 is the players handbook 2, and nothing more.

The first four complete books are Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Warrior, and Complete Adventurer.

The first two links you provided both have all the same information. SRD and System Reference Document are synonymous.

Anyways, the SRD consists of the Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Masters Guide, Expanded Psionics, and Unearthed Arcana.

As for crystal keep. I have no idea what that is, and don't use it in my games.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 11:23 pm

hrmm, okay. To give you some sense (not that you need it), I was researching evil cleric builds and found this 'necromancy guide'

Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible

As you can see, the guy's discussion is highly technical and involves a whack of stuff not found within the SRD. My brain basically exploded when reading it. Thinking...

"where is all this other stuff???"

"if he's talking about things found in optional rules, why isn't he referencing these optional rules?"

"templates for undead? what the heck are templates?"

I don't have any IM installed right now or I'd bombard you with a bagilizillion questions.

Maybe I should got to WotC online and see every product they released since 3.5 (excluding 4.0 and anything after).

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:16 am

Siberys wrote:As for crystal keep. I have no idea what that is, and don't use it in my games.

As far as I can tell Crystal Keep contains almost all the 3.5 rules for DnD. But i havent gone through it indepth.

@RPG: Dont worry about all the "new" things that you get to see

just stick to the core 3 for now and we'll help you to understand things more.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 6:00 am

Thanks man.

But I've found a complete source for all of the 3.5 books.

I now understand the concept much better. 3 core books and a wealth of supplementary texts. One focusing on Drow for example, or Undead, or additional options for Divine, Arcane, Psionic powers

...a book on the planes, on cold weather settings, on dungeon settings

...a couple more monster manuals, on and on

You're right Sib., it would take a decade of playing (full time 24-7) to experience every offering out there.

So as long as I understand the texts you'll be drawing from, I'm cool.

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:57 am

Crystalkeep contains a lot of 3.5 stuff, barring a few of the latest books. It's a great reference source, though. The link you provided has some great advice on necromancers, but it indeed draws on a lot of sources.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:26 pm

GawainBS wrote:Crystalkeep contains a lot of 3.5 stuff, barring a few of the latest books. It's a great reference source, though. The link you provided has some great advice on necromancers, but it indeed draws on a lot of sources.

The main source of the confusion, in my experience as a complete n00b, is that the online sources are not organized or 'compartmentalized' nicely like the books are.

And for probable copyright concerns, they reference different rules accumulations by different names. Monikers like the 'SRD' are not descriptions of what official texts they actually contain, so the translation issue is the first overwhelming hurdle.

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:49 pm

I understand, but Crystalkeep isn't intended as a rules-source, but as a reference-source. I might recall a feat vaguely, so I look it up in Crystalkeep to get the right book, instead of flipping through my entire collection.
As you learn the game and use more and more books, Crystalkeep becomes increasingly useful.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:14 pm

Gotchya. For now, I am going to work strictly from the books and ignore the online references. Like you suggested, that's probably the best way to learn the various domains and their respective jurisdictions. I think that will help me in the long run.