The Third Edition Player's Companion adequately provides additional flair and rules for each player Discipline. Additional flavor information is provided on The Passions as well.

For those desiring to play Earthdawn within the world setting created by the author, this additional material helps focus the player's role play along the intended Discipline lines. For those wishing to create their own backgrounds, tournaments and challenges the additional material is not necessary except for the higher circle discipline rules.

Complete Discipline rules for lower and higher circles should have been included in the Third Edition Player's Guide.

Neither the Player's Guide or the Companion PDFs display properly on an iPad.

Overall, the Third Edition Player's Guide adequately explains the game mechanics for Earthdawn RPG.

The Talents vs. Skills explanation could be written more clearly, with emphasis placed upon why a player would desire to choose a Talent over a Skill of the same name. The Red Brick Forum points out the paragraph that explains the difference between the two, but the Player's Guide should bring this important difference to light in a better way.

Combat movement rules are weak or non-existent. As written, those players that desire to implement a hex and miniatures tactical combat scenario will discover that the movement rules have enormous flaws. The Red Brick Forum was a good place to get some advice and assistance from players familiar with older versions of Earthdawn. Experienced Earthdawn players were able to explain how they have adapted earlier version rules, incorporated their own, or generalized tactical combat to the point that specific positioning was not required.

The "Step" based dice system that determines likelihood of success vs. challenges is interesting. However, it is also a bit complex for what it accomplishes. By introducing larger-valued dice and combinations of dice, the system provides the player with a greater statistical chance of achieving a success. The challenge is recalling what dice combinations go with what steps, and that everything has a different step value on your character sheet. A little practice improves the speed of tabletop play, but I am not convinced the complexity pays for itself by producing a better mathematical system.

There are those who will say the purpose of an RPG is not to be a mathematically precise system anyway. It is to provide a venue for telling an epic tale that involves the players. If one plays their RPG that way, then the complexity of this system is unnecessary. If one plays their game in such a manner as to require a balanced combat and skill system to allow for carefully designed encounters, there are equally balanced methods that require fewer table references during play.

The story behind the Earthdawn setting is interesting and has been enjoyable to play thus far. It provides reasonable justification for magic, monsters and adventures. The character Races and Disciplines provide a good foundation for individual development of characters along personal preferences, making the RPG aspect of the game design shine.