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Information
RPG
Genre
Setting
Series
Series Code
 
Category
Mechanic Show More »
Designer
Artist
Production Staff
Publisher
Honors
Year Published
1978
Primary Name
Players Handbook
Alternate Names
AD&D PHB
Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook Original
Spieler Handbuch
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ObjectID: 43359
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Nick: 
Miniature reprint
Year: 2000
Soft Cover
128 pages
Size: 3.20 x 4.10 inches
0.50 pounds
English
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Nick: 
Twelfth Printing
Year: 1989
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
ISBN-10: 0880381043
128 pages
Size: Letter
1.25 pounds
English
View
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Nick: 
New Art Cover (9th and Above Printings)
Year: 1983
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
ISBN-10: 0935696016
128 pages
Size: Letter
1.25 pounds
English
View
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Nick: 
Spieler Handbuch
Year: 1983
Hard Cover
Product Code: 8136/1
ISBN-10: 3890840000
152 pages
Size: Letter
German
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Nick: 
Eighth Printing
Year: 1982
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
ISBN-10: 0935696016
128 pages
Size: Letter
1.25 pounds
English
View
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Link Image
Nick: 
Seventh printing
Year: 1981
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
ISBN-10: 0935696016
128 pages
Size: Letter
English
View
Corrections
Link Image
Nick: 
Sixth Printing
Year: 1980
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
ISBN-10: 0935696016
128 pages
Size: 8.80 x 11.15 inches
1.25 pounds
English
View
Corrections
Link Image
Nick: 
Third printing
Year: 1979
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
128 pages
Size: Letter
English
View
Corrections
Link Image
Nick: 
Fourth printing
Year: 1979
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
128 pages
Size: Letter
English
View
Corrections
Link Image
Nick: 
Fifth printing
Year: 1979
Hard Cover
Product Code: 2010
128 pages
Size: Letter
English
View
Corrections
Link Image
Description Edit | History

From the back cover:
"No more searching through stacks of books and magazines to find out what you need to know. The Player's Handbook puts it all at your fingertips, including:

  • All recommended character classes - Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Magic-Users, etc.
  • Character Races - Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, Humans, etc.
  • Character level statistics
  • Equipment lists with costs
  • Spell listings by level and descriptions of effects (including many new spells)

As a Dungeon Adventurer or a Dungeon Master, you will find the contents of this book to be what you have been waiting for. All useful material is now compiled under one cover, especially for players!"

More Information Edit | History

There were 17 official printings of this book, though printings 6 to 10 all say "6th printing".

There are many variations within the print runs. TSR, especially in the early days, was notoriously frugal with their print runs, resulting in every part that could go out doing so. When something ran out, substitutions were made as deadlines had to be hit, especially those dictated by an event. When bits were left over, they were used early on the next print run. Expediency won out over consistency.

Compounding this is the fact that printing a hardback book, especially in the 1970s with a smaller press, is a multi-step process covering several parts and involving human labor in every step of the way. One cannot assume that even the same amount of pages will be printed of every page!

These printed pages must be folded, stitched, attached to their backing, inserted into the cover and attached to the endpapers. The pages must be trimmed so the edges are even. The covers have their own printing and assembly process. There are so many variables in these processes that if all quantities come within 5 percent of each other it's considered a success. The size of the print run is dictated by which part runs out first. Hopefully that's at least as many as were ordered. It is both to the printer's and the publisher's advantage that parts don't get wasted if budget and quantity are the primary concerns.

As TSR got bigger (and more professional) things like this happened less and less often. Later printings are much more consistent throughout.

It's things like this that keep collectors up at night.

Print history

1st: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" centered at top of cover, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered in lower middle of cover, no printing info on title page. Some early versions printed up for GenCon had white flyleaves. The rest had goldenrod flyleaves.
2nd: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" centered at top of cover, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered in lower middle of cover, "2nd Printing" on title page.
3rd: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" centered at top of cover, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered in lower middle of cover, "3rd Printing" on title page.
4th: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" on yellow band in upper left corner, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered at top of cover, "4th Printing" on title page.
5th: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" on yellow band in upper left corner, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered at top of cover, "5th Printing" on title page.
6th: "ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" on yellow band in upper left corner, "PLAYERS HANDBOOK" centered at top of cover, "6th Printing" on title page. At one point the white flyleaves return

So far, nice and straight forward. However, at this point TSR quit updating the printing info until the 11th printing.

(Why? Unknown, but this coincided with the distribution deal with Random House. While pure speculation, it's possible that the deal covered only certain editions of the books (within the whole of the AD&D line at the time) and TSR therefore quit updating the printing info)

7th: Face logo on front
8th: new cover art, but D.A. Trampier still listed as artist
9th: TSR Hobbies --> TSR, Inc. Jeff Easley is now credited for cover art
10th: Rear cover adds the price ($15.00)
11th: Print info is corrected to say 11th printing!

Beyond this the printing info is correct on the title page

Hybrid editions: these do exist, as implied by the notes on printing procedures. Nothing so obvious as the Monster Manual with the "3rd Edition" interior with a mish mash of the 3rd and 4th edition cover (obviously this was deliberate as the cover required a completely separate printing on its own), but leftover parts from one printing would make it into the next. The easiest ones to spot are late 3rd Printings that have some some of the 16-page signatures replaced with those from the 4th printing, as the intermittent shading will be apparent. It's unknown how many of these were made nor whether they were even deliberate on the part of TSR.

Microbadges:

http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/mb_d20.gif D&D Player
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/mb_DDplayer4.gif AD&D fan (1st edition)
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/dungdragph.gif Dungeons & Dragons fan
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http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/dungdragmm.gif Dungeons & Dragons fan
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/oldadnd.jpg I'm an old school D&D player
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/olddm.jpg I'm an old school Dungeon Master
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/gygax.png Gary Gygax fan
http://geekdo-images.com/images/microbadges/garygygax.gif Gary Gygax fan

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Pg. 34
Adding Life to Undead in AD&D

Rules variant for draining attributes instead of levels in AD&D.

Edit
Pg. 6
Cantrips

"0" level magic, for AD&D appertice wizards. Part of one of a two part article. First published in

Edit
Pg. 6
Cantrips

"0" level magic, for AD&D appertice wizards, Part two. First published in the Dragon

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Pg. 10
Cantrips foe the Aspiring Illusionist

"0" level magic, for AD&D Illusionist. First published in the Dragon magazine.

Edit
Pg. 28
Cantrips for clerics

Introducing the orison, 0-level magic for those "other" casters in Advanced Dungeons &

Edit
Pg. 40
Combined Generation: Character-creation tables all in one place

Minimum and maximum ability scores by race and class from the Players Handbook and Unearthed Arcana for Advanced

Edit
Pg. 24
Counting the Cost

Experience levels in AD&D. Discusses the shortcomings of the current system for gaining experience levels and

Edit
Pg. 38
Devious Magic

New uses for the standard D&D magic.

Edit
Pg. 24
A Dip into the Players' Handbook

Advanced D&D examined by Don Turnbull.

Edit
Pg. 28
Dispel Confusion Show More »

Q&A about Dungeons & Dragons, Advanced D&D, BOOT HILL, GAMMA WORLD, STAR FRONTIERS, & TOP

Edit
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