Complete Book Series

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The Complete Books of X were a series of splatbooks for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, which expanded upon both classes and races in various ways, including cultural examination, new skills and new kits.

All of these books were released as part of the "Reference Series", a set of optional rulebooks aimed at expanding the campaign in various ways. Specifically, the Complete Books of X were considered their own sub-set, with the unique item reference number of PHBRX.

The Complete Fighter's Handbook

The Complete Fighter's Handbook was divided into five chapters.

Character Creation is first and foremost a simple, easy to understand guide to creating your Fighter. It also includes expanded rules for using skills to create armor, bows & arrows, and weapons.

Warrior Kits adds the following new kits, and examines how kits interact with the various multiclassing rules, as well as how to abandon a kit (for plaers) and how to modify or create fighter kits (for DMs).

• Amazon
• Barbarian
• Beast-Rider
• Berserker
• Cavalier
• Gladiator
• Myrmidon
• Noble Warrior
• Peasant Hero
• Pirate/Outlaw
• Samurai
• Savage
• Swashbuckler
• Wilderness Warrior

Role-Playing is, well, all about how to roleplay fighters. It details certain archetypical (in Gygax's eyes, at least) fighter personalities and looks extensively at how to run a warrior campaign, including the level of magic in the world, how many types of warrior exist in the world, and campaigns focused on the archetypes covered in the previous chapter on kits. It ends with brief notes on running a military campaign and the differences between a campaign and a mini-series.

Combat Rules is perhaps the most stereotypical of the chapters; page after page of rules for upgrading combat, such as ambidexterity, style specialization, martial arts and exotic melee manuevers, all with the trademark convoluted mechanics of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. It's the longest chapter in the book.

Finally, Equipment is all about new gear and new rules relating to gear, such the effects of armor, wearing piecemeal armor, and so forth.

The Complete Book of Humanoids

This entry into the Complete Books series focused on "Humanoids", that nebulous term that basically meant "humanoid races which aren't demihumans and so are usually presuemd to be evil". Spiritual successor/brother to "The Orcs of Thar" for Mystara under the Basic/Expert D&D line, it was all about ading new races to the classic line up.

That's right kiddies, playable orcs, goblins and the like were a thing long before Warcraft came along.

This book was divided into seven chapters, not counting the introduction:

Chapter 1, "Humanoid Characters", was all about the mechanics of playing huanoids and how to feature them in campaigns, with four specific campaign models: "A Friend In Need" (the humanoid PC was rescued by the human/demihuman PCs and is owed loyalty), "Is A Friend Indeed" (the reversal; the human-kin were saved by the humanoid), "Hello Again" (the humanoid is a human-kin PC who fell afoul of Reincarnate) and "All That Glitters" (the humanoid PC is a hireling who forms a bond with the party). Ironically, the simple idea that, maybe, humanoid races in your setting are NOT handled the same way as in standard D&D settings never comes up - it would be a long time before D&D would be that open-minded.

Chapter 2, "Humanoid Races", lists the various new races made playable in this book:

• Aarakocra
• Alaghi
• Beastmen
• Bugbear
• Bullywug
• Centaur
• Fremlin
• Giant-kin, Firbolg
• Giant-kin, Voadkyn
• Gnoll and Flind
• Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Kobold
• Lizardfolk
• Minotaur
• Mongrelfolk
• Ogre and Half-Ogre
• Ogre Mage
• Orc and Half-Orc
• Pixie
• Satyr
• Saurial
• Swanmay
• Wemic

Chapter 3, "Humanoid Kits", introduces new subclasses for humanoid members of the Warrior, Wizard, Priest and Rogue classes:

• Tribal Defender
• Mine Rowdy
• Pit Fighter
• Saurial Paladin
• Sellsword
• Wilderness Protector
• Hedge Wizard
• Humanoid Scholar
• Outlaw Mage
• Shaman
• Witch Doctor
• Oracle
• War Priest
• Wandering Mystic
• Scavenger
• Tramp
• Tunnel Rat
• Shadow
• Humanoid Bard

Chapter 4, "Humanoid Proficiencies", as the name sugests, provides a list of new "humanoid appropriate" nonweapon proficiencies.

Chapter 5 is "Role-Playing Humanoids", which provides extended roleplay tips on a humanoid. Limited by the presumptions of D&D at the time, but still interesting, including examining tribal life, social & racial disadvantages, humanoid trait and campaign complications.

Chapter 6, "Superstitions", ties into the frequently primitive status of humanoids, examining all of the different superstitions and how to use them in play.

Finally, chapter 7, "Arms and Armor", talks about how the new races interact with existing armor & weapons, and introduces new humanoid weapons.

The Complete Book of Villains

Unlike the other books in the series, which were Player's Handbook Reference, this was part of the Dungeon Master's Reference sub-line, with the code of DMGR6.

The Complete Book of Necromancers

Unlike the other books in the series, which were Player's Handbook Reference, this was part of the Dungeon Master's Reference sub-line, with the code of DMGR7.