This edition of the rules varied from the 1st edition only by the appearance of the covers and the formatting change in the tables. Overall content was unchanged until the addition of Unearthed Arcana, the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide and the Wilderness Survival Guide.
Players Handbook: Covers all the rules for character creation, equipment, henchmen, spells, movement and combat. This book also introduces the new races of the gnome and half-orc as well as several new classes such as the druid and illusionist. It is also the first occurrence of the two-axis alignment system.
Dungeon Masters Guide: The DMG covered optional and expanded rules for character creation, aging, disease, lycanthropy, money, armor, hirelings, morale, time, spells, combat, experience, treasure, magical research and the adventuring environment.
Monster Manual: This book compiled and expanded the now extensive list of monsters from the Monsters & Treasures, Greyhawk and Blackmoor books.
Unearthed Arcana: This book added a new attribute called comeliness and revised the racial level limits. It also added additional classes such as the cavalier, barbarian, thief-acrobat, assassin and bard. It also added new rules for weapons as well as several new spells and treasure. It is generally regarded along with the survival guides a required books.
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide: Not only does this book offer rules and procedures for survival in the underdark, it also introduces the concept of non-weapon proficiencies (known as skills in most other systems). It also adds more equipment for the dedicated spelunker.
Wilderness Survival Guide: This book provides rules and procedures for wilderness play, including exposure and encumbered movement. It also presents non-weapon proficiencies as well as weather generation. The non-weapon proficiency rules are the reason why these books are considered to be mandatory.
Dragonlance Adventures: The new Dragonlance setting and novels by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman provided a rich setting to live in. This world was particular in its outlooks and featured replacement class such as the white and black wizards as well as new classes such as the barbarian.
Forgotten Realms: TSR had a contest for the next great D&D setting. The winner turned out to be Ed Greenwood and his setting called the Forgotten Realms. The boxed setting covered the main section of the realms and contained no modifications nor extensions to the existing rules.
Greyhawk Adventures: The new Greyhawk book presented players with the Oeridian pantheon as well as monsters, spells and magical items specific to the setting. It also gave description of the world itself as well as presenting a new rule for handling zero-level characters.
Oriental Adventures: This book details various rules for playing in an oriental environment. It presents three new races and ten new classes along with a new caste and honor system. Oriental equipment, spells, monsters and treasure abound in this tome. The highlight though, is the martial arts system which does an excellent job at giving one a kung-fu action theater feel. The last section deals with Kara-Tur, the eastern realms of the Forgotten Realms setting.
