Player's Option: Skills & Powers (abbreviated SP, or S&P) is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

. This 192-page book was published by TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.

Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....

 in 1995. The book was designed by Douglas Niles

Douglas Niles

Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...

 and Dale Donovan. Cover art is by Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...

 and interior art is by Thomas Baxa

Thomas Baxa

-Biography:Tom Baxa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied under comic and fantasy artist Mark Nelson.-Works:...

, Doug Chaffee, Les Dorscheid, Jeff Easley, Ken Frank

Ken Frank

Ken Frank is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games.-Works:Ken Frank produced interior illustrations for many Dungeons & Dragons books and Dragon magazine throughout the 1990s, as well as cover art for the adventure modules Flames of the Falcon and Falconmaster...

, and Eric Hotz

Eric Hotz

-Early life and education:He was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada and studied at Simon Fraser University, Langara College, and Capilano College, mainly studying archaeology, art history, fine arts and commercial art.-Career:...

.

Contents

The book begins with a one-page foreword by Niles and Donovan. Chapter One (pages 6-11) describes the character points system for Player's Option, which are used to improve the abilities of player character

Player character

A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...

s. Chapter Two (pages 12-21) describes ability scores, each of which is divided into two subabilities. Chapter Three (pages 22-45) describes the racial requirements for each character race. Chapter Four (pages 46-63) presents details on how the various character classes

Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)

A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...

 work in the Player's Option system. Chapter Five (pages 64-85) provides 30 character kits, various character packages. Chapter Six (pages 86-111) details how nonweapon proficiencies work in play. Chapter Seven (pages 112-135) details weapon proficiency and mastery. Chapter Eight (pages 136-141) provides five new schools of magic. Chapter Nine (pages 142-175) details psionics in the Player's Option system. An appendix (pages 178-187) compiles the tables presented in this book. Pages 188-192 are an index to the book.

Additional reading

• "Designer Demesnes", Dragon
  Dragon (magazine)
  Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
  
  #259
• "Heroes of Cerilla", Dragon #247
• "Heroes of Faith", Dragon #236
• "Mindscapes of Athas and Beyond", Dragon Annual #2
• "Planar Heroes", Dragon #235
• "Sage Advice", Dragon #223
• "Sage Advice", Dragon #231
• "Skills & Powers in Eight Easy Stages", Dragon #225

External links

• http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13155.phtml
• http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_2196.html