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1 year ago ::
Jan 28, 2012 - 9:47PM
#61
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The Van Richten's Guides (both the AD&D 2e version and the 3.5 version). They added substantively to improving the horror mood of monsters used in Ravenloft games, and they were so entertaining to read that they were some of the few books that I kept after changing editions.
The AD&D Planescape books: Fantastic art. And please WotC, put tieflings back to their awesome variable appearances from that time.
Why Mechanics-Alignment Integration is Bad
Show
so why even play a fighter if you can play the paladin the exact same way behaviorally and get added power to boot. "Paladin" is about accepting better game-enhancing mechanics at the price of more rigid in game behavior.
Really? So it goes something like this?
Fighter: "I want to be a paladin."
NPC: "Really?"
Fighter: "Yes."
NPC: "Very well." Starts reading from a holy book while still in-character "Do you accept having to choose and stick to the lawful good alignment, eventhough neither of us actually knows that it exists or what it is?"
Fighter: "I do."
NPC: "Do you reject good game balance because you accidentally rolled a high Charisma?"
Fighter: "What?"
NPC: "I don't know what it means either."
Fighter: "Oh. Umm, ok I do."
NPC: "In the name of all that is metagamey and broken, accept these better game enhancing mechanics."
Fighter: "These what?"
NPC: "Just get out there and try to fulfill a million different people's notion of good while not violating and part of any of them."
So the system is designed such that every single hit needs to be described to avoid confusion? Here's a scenario. The players are nudists, everybody in the world are nudists, it's not weird, it's totally normal in this land. They are naked and they fight drakes taking damage throughout, but healing up with surges. Later they meet the guy who raised the drakes.
Part 1: I didn't describe any of the hits. What does he see?
Part 2: Lets say I described the drakes as biting the players, yet they healed up. What does he see?
D20 Modern Toon PC Race.
Mecha Pilot's Skill Challenge Emporium.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 28, 2012 - 10:11PM
#62
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Date Joined:
May 19, 2009
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I think we should all list the books that we've enjoyed over the years in various editions.
For rules sets, I have to give a nod to my inner grognard and go all the way back to the AD&D core books as definite loves, but 4th Edition is by far my favorite edition.
3.0's Psionics Handbook is a favorite.
3.0's Oriental Adventures was superb, and James Wyatt became my favorite rules designer for this.
4E's Dungeon Master's Guide.
4E Dark Sun's Campaign Setting and Player Guide, which I thought were the pinnacle of 4E, and takes the absolute vote for "Books I'm Most Likely To Cuddle With When Tucked In At Night."
D&D Home Page - What Class Are You? - Build A Character - D&D Compendium
"At Home, people tend to build characters that they want to play week after week, and watch it grow and evolve.. online, they tend to build weed whackers with a name. Great for whacking weeds, not so great at entertaining guests, or home decor." - Agonar
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1 year ago ::
Jan 28, 2012 - 10:16PM
#63
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2e Core books are a blast to read.
3e Forgotten Realms guide materials are golden.
4e I'm surprised no one has mentioned Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium yet. For being a book that is basically just a bunch of items, its amazingly well crafted, fun to read, and gives me story hooks! Take note, Wizards: This is what a great "item book" looks like. Those adventurer's vaults dont even come close.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 29, 2012 - 2:29AM
#64
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Date Joined:
Nov 27, 2006
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Basic & Expert rule books (the ones with the Eorl Otis art on the covers)
.AD&D PHB
.AD&D DMG
.AD&D Dieties & Demi-gods
.AD&D Fiend Folio
.AD&D FR box set (grey box)
.Too many B/E & AD&D modules to list, but notables include I6 Ravenloft, I3-5 Pharoh/Oasis of the White Palm/Martek, Keep on the Borderland, & U1-3 (Saltmarsh series).
.BECMI Gateteers
.AD&D2e Monsterous Compendium (the Hardbacked tome version, not the stupid binder)
.AD&D2e Von Ritchsons(?) guides for Ravenloft
.AD&D2e - most Ravenloft modules (though not the campaign setting)
.3.5 module Red Hand of Doom
.3.5 DMG2
4e - .......
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1 year ago ::
Jan 29, 2012 - 6:37AM
#65
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0E/Classic:
White Box
Supplement 1: Greyhawk
Moldvay/Cook Basic and Expert
Rules Cyclopedia
B2: Keep on the Borderland
X1: Isle of Dread
AD&D:
Players Handbook
Dungeon Masters Guide
Monster Manual 1 and 2, and Fiend Folio
World of Greyhawk Box Set
Dragonlance Adventures
Greyhawk Adventures
All "Classic" modules
Forgotten Realms Box Set, and FR1-FR6 expansions
Book of Lairs 1 and 2
AD&D Second Edition:
Core 3 books
Monstrous Compendium Annuals 1-4
Dark Sun Box set and monstrous compendiums
Forgotten Realms Adventures, Faiths and Avatars, Demi-human Dieties and Powers and Pantheons
Greyahwk: Scarlet Brotherhood
Tome of Magic
Wizard Spell Compendiums 1-4
Priest Spell Compendiums 1-3
Encyclopedia Magica 1-4
Ravenloft setting and Monstrous Compendiums 1-3
Planescape Monstrous Compendiums 1-3
Various Complete Handbooks, for players and DMs as well as historical reference books
3e:
Core 3
Complete Arcane
Complete Divine
Complete Warrior
Book of Vile Darkness
Fiendish Codex 1 and 2
Drow of the Underdark
4e:
Underdark
Draconomicon
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1 year ago ::
Jan 29, 2012 - 7:02AM
#66
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Date Joined:
Jan 13, 2008
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Man, some people thinking "favorite" makes for huge lists.
3.0's Book of Vile Darkness is one of my all time favorites. As a DM I love to freak my players out and tend to be pretty brutal, really opened some avenues there. Also if given the opportunity playing really twisted as a PC I will do so. It was a wonderfully versatile book for not only DMs but also players, which is what I always feel is most important in a supplement.
3.5 Draconomicon and Heroes of Horror (Returning to the BoVD idea there) Again books that give a depth to the game that both players and DMs can utilize.
* ALL of the monster manuals. I love monster manuals, looking through the monsters and their images/descriptions is a riot. Even if it's a system I don't like.
Strangely enough I can't stand Book of Exalted Deeds.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 29, 2012 - 2:40PM
#67
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Date Joined:
Jun 23, 2011
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Savage Species and Manual of the Planes were always my favourites - Savage Species for opening virtually everything for play, and MotP for all the fantastic landscapes you could find there. Besides those, I definitely liked Book of Exalted Deeds (because I'm a sucker for 'holy' climates).
Out of 4E, I liked most planar books - for the same reason I liked MotP in all the editions. Outside those, I don't think I have definite favourites, but I liked a lot more.
Check out my D&D-based play-by-post game, based on exploration and roleplaying. Agora
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1 year ago ::
Jan 29, 2012 - 2:47PM
#68
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Date Joined:
Apr 24, 2007
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Maztica Boxed Set
The Horde Boxed Set
Kara-Tur Boxed Set
Lands of Fate Boxed Set
What can I say, I have a huge fetish for ethnic menus.
Also
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3e)
Player's Guide to Faerun
Champions of Valor
The first two for introducing and refining the Regions system, and the third for Regional Backgrounds. I get huge mileage out of regional crunch.
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1 year ago ::
Jan 30, 2012 - 1:21AM
#69
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Date Joined:
May 11, 2009
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3.5
Savage Species
Complete Adventurer
Complete Scoundrel
Drow of the Underdark
Players Handbook II
4.0
Rules Compendium!
Heroes of Shadow
Heroes of the Feywild
I like the Draconomicons for hoard design.
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