This product is hugely useful for character creation and A LOT of comprehensive descriptions. There are more flaws than advantages but I still found it very helpful as I converted it over to FUDGE for the campaign I am running.

I bought the The Book of Distinctions & Drawbacks Modern edition as well.

For the content and breadth, it can't be beat and I have yet to find another good source for character creation "merits and flaws."

I absolutly enjoyed this product. The level of depth it helps to add to characters is amazing. Now instead of just saying that your character is a prince(ss) in exile, you can purchese the title, the right to the land, and even extra gold. Naturally, in return for these benefits the character will have some difficulties, but that just makes the game more fun.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The absolute variety of options. While this product does tend towards making very strong characters, as long as the GM sets guidelines there should be no complications.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The only real downside is the increased time it will now take to make a character. There are so many options that it is hard to choose just the right ones.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

Reviewed this once on ENWorld - review is gone, now though. In short - the best, most complete merit/flaw system for d20 I've seen. The new version is more concrete in how it is supposed to be used and lends itself a bit more to min/maxing in the "standard" mode, but still just as useable as before. And as before, more Taints please!<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

A very useful supplement, however as with any merit/flaw system (especially a "tacted on system" abuse possibilities abound. Police the use of this product carefully . . . don't let the players run amok min maxing PC's.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>

This book is of great use to those DMs and Players that wish to add some "personality" to their characters to distinguish them more from the stock core classes and prestige classes.

I find the book fairly well balanced and the drawbacks are all very good in making sure that the players REALLY want to do what they think they want to do. They all have the potential to be quite burdensome to the character and not something I think anyone would jump into without due and careful thought.

Those of you in roll-playing campaigns will find this book to be of much less value. Those of you in role-playing campaigns may find this book to be a great deal of fun.

The one thing I need to do is cross-reference the content of this book with the WotC Unearthed Arcana list.

I recommend this book over another here at RPGnow: Distinctions & Demerits.

<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Stayed away from purely role-playing drawbacks, but this would be a plus to almost everyone else.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>

Nice tool. It fills a need left by the player's handbook. It's a great way to round out new characters and give them depth from the very beginning, which really aids in roleplay. I bought the edition before the "new and improved" version and was given a free update but I never got around to downloading new version before my link expired. Thus, while I can't speak for the newer version, one would assume it's even better than the one I bought.

Pretty weak. Poor artwork. Poor execution. The idea is sound and with some expansion and a review of similar products- this could stand out. Perhaps a revision will come along.

An overall good suppliment and idea. Similar to how GURPS handles advantages and disadvantages during player creation.

These rules are best used for people who want to roleplay out their characters and ideas. It is not a good tool for adding abilities. If used for such you will get a one eyed, albino, with no friends, and body order that then has major benefits in other areas.

An interesting little tome. Needs a lot of modification for particular campaigns, but I think the meshing of the Vritue/Flaw (or whatever you want to call it) system with D&D is admirable.

Loved it. But GM/DMs beware, if not used carefully will unbalance game.

Excellent book. A great addition to the d20 game system, something that has been needed for sometime.

This is an excellent sourcebook. I bought version 1.0 but, I just received the new upgrade today. The new version is superior to the original version as it allows flaws to be taken based on a point based system. This allows a lot more choices to round out a starting character.

I do feel that a few of the advantages are too powerful for the down side you must take, but that is easily rectified with a few simple changes.

I've been waiting for something like this for a long time. The current d20 has always lacking in the character development arena. This is especially true when it comes to personal habits, personality traits, traits, etc. This book fits the bill very nicely. Nothing here is too overpowering and under-balanced. I would definitely recommend this book for DM's and players who want to tweak their characters in subtle ways. Well worth the money.

This is precisely the kind of thing that I think D&D is missing. I love this kind of flavor. It's what made White-wolf characters so interesting and I think this book has it for your basic d20 fantasy stuff. I'd be careful as the kinds of powers it gives you can get out of hand pretty fast. Maybe if you were in the habit of starting characters out at a higher level (say like 3rd or 4th), this wouldn't feel out of balance at all.

Excellent source material. I am working on integrating it into my campaign.