Wizards Presents: Races and Classes

by Michele Carter (Editor)

A behind-the-scenes exploration of the Dungeons & Dragons (R) game.

This lavishly illustrated book gives roleplaying game fans a unique, behind-the-curtain glimpse into the making of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The book contains essays and asides from the game's premier designers, developers, and editors. Through words and illustrations, it explores some of the D&D game's most iconic races and classes, sharing insights never before revealed in any previous game product.

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

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2007

Reviews

[Hans Otterson]

I've been doing a pretty deep dive into 4th edition D&D--it's something I'm VERY keen to run and play right now. Reading these "preview" books for the edition is incredibly illuminating. They scrutinize everything from prior editions ruthlessly and only let in what serves their focused vision for play. It's brilliant. Shame they rolled back all this innovation in 5th edition, but whatever, I can play what I want.

[DJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what it was, this was an interesting read. The insight into the design team's thought process and reasons for making the choices they did gave me an appreciation for the game. However, this isn't a book so much as an advertisement that you have to pay money to see. That's kind of appalling. Worse, it doesn't hold up as a roleplaying book: it lacked specifics, dealing instead in vague ideas and character bits (fluff, as opposed to crunch, in role-playing terms). There's no real indication, except in terms of flavor, of the ways in which Fourth Edition will play.

In the end, it did its job: I'm excited about Fourth Edition and want to play it. I'm glad, however, that I read this at Barnes and Noble; if I'd paid twenty dollars to read something whose only purpose is to get me to by something else, I'd probably be a little resentful.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting intro to the soon-to-be-released 4th edition of D&D. Gamers might enjoy thumbing through it to learn about changes to the game in the new edition, and checking out some of the new artwork. Non-gamers will probably have little interest in this.

Is it worth the $20 cover price? Hells, no. This thing should be a free download from Wizards/Hasbro, or should cost $5 at the most. It's an incomplete preview of some aspects of the new edition of D&D. I'm glad I borrowed a friend's copy and didn't pay for this. My 2-star rating is in part due to the excessive price. I'd give the content 3 stars.

Still, cover price aside, it's worth a look for D&D enthusiasts (or you could just wait and get the Player's Handbook when it's released).

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it was a pretty good write-up to showcase the thought process and the design iterations that occurred to bring us the 4th Edition (obviously, I read it pretty late; just following up on 4th Edition though I don't play anymore). Sure, you might not agree with some of the decisions made, but overall, it was well-written and an interesting preview or introduction of the 4th Edition. It's obviously not a RPG sourcebook, but more like an appetiser to get people interested in 4th Edition.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look into 4E's design and history, especially given the announcement of 5E. There are several aspects which are enlightening given the development of 4E beyond the initial release. I got bored during the chatter about the classes to some extent - the sections on the flavor is now old hat, but the design considerations saved the races and classes to some extent.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fluff and behind-the-scenes info about the upcoming system. Some may expect more, though I don't understand why because descriptions of the book are pretty accurate. I bought it largely to get my gaming group interested in 4.0, and it's working perfectly for that purpose.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so excited about 4th edition! This book shows just how much thought they are putting into the new gaming system. Yay!

[Morbus Iff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me excited about 4th Edition.