I mostly got Advanced Race Guide in order to have a single book with all the information pertaining to both the basic races and those not-so-basic but still typical choices, such as goblins and aasimar. All that is perfectly excecuted and with quite more depth than I was anticipating.
I was pleasantly surprised to see some unique and original ideas, however, and the book ended up having far more races available than I originally expected.
The races included are:
7 Core Races: This get the deepest treatment, and include Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Gnomes, Hal-Orcs, Half-Elves.
16 Featured Races: Though not as detailed as the Core Races, they have a lot of stuff going on, including unique spells and special equipment. They include the Aasimar, Catfolk, Dhampirs, Drow, Fetchlings, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Ifrits, Kobolds, Oreads, Ratfolk, Sylphs, Tengu, Tieflings, and Undines.
14 Uncommon Races: Less detailed than above, but with enough information to be worth it. They include the Changelings, Duergar, Gillmen, Grippli, Kitsune, Merfolk, Nagaji, Samsarans, Strix, Suli-Jann, Svirfneblin, Vanaras, Vishkanyas, and Wayangs.
11 Additional Races: These are presented mostly as examples of the Race Builder, and consist of nothing more than a short explanation and the basic rules to use them as characters, being mostly monstrous creatures that probably won't fit in most campaigns. They include the Centaurs, Drider, Gargoyles, Gnoll, Lizardfolk, Ogres, Cathlain, Kasatha, Trox, Wyrwood, and Wyvaran.
So 256 pages dedicated to 48 races, their background, magic, gear, feats, and archetypes, as well as a pretty powerful Race Builder to make those not included.
I say well worth the money.
