Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Moscone 02-25-05, 04:40 AM	I'm sure many of you still have a lot of the old products that still get used in your 3rd Edition campaign. So post your favorites here and why they're still so useful to you. I'll begin: Black Drow of the Underdark book: Covers a lot of detail about the Drow not found in newer products. Cormyr: Maps of all the major places in Cormyr, especially Suzail. Grey Box: More info on Baal and Myrkul and other dead gods. Fall of Myth Drannor (Ancient Empires series): Extensive backstory on Drannor's fall, incredibly useful for when PCs end up there. Old Monster Compendium binders: The tons of extra creatures not yet produced for 3.5, such as the Mara (Great Walker), Dimensional Warper (ridiculous looking but still kinda cool). Kara-Tur, Al-Qadim, even the Mystara compendium with such classics as the Pegataur. Kara-Tur Boxed Set: Very comprehensive if a bit dated. Maztica Boxed Set: Ditto Horde Boxed Set: Ditto Al-Qadim Book and Land of Fate Boxed Set: Ditto.
Ssussunriyh 02-25-05, 04:52 AM	Faiths & Avatars Powers & Pantheons Demihuman Deities Drow of the Underdark Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark Demihumans of the Realms Warriors and Priests of the Realms Wizards and Rogues of the Realms Heroes' Lorebook Villains' Lorebook Sea of Fallen Stars Pirates of the Fallen Stars Pirates of the Nelanther The Sea Devils The City of Raven's Bluff the various Volo's Guides All contain fluff and flavor text that are helpful in setting the "feel" of FR, in one way or another, whether referring to people, creatures, places, events, history, items, etc.
Tempus665 02-25-05, 06:23 AM	FR Adventures Faiths and Avatars Tome of Magic (not FR, I know, but very useful)
Kuje31 02-25-05, 11:49 AM	Simple: All of them. :) I'd rather use the old lore then 3/3.5e's. There's just something that the new lore is missing. I don't know what it is but it leaves me feeling bored. :) But I never go to a game session without: The god trilogy The 1e and 2e box sets. The FRCS, even though, lately, I've felt it's still lacking in some info. And then what ever other sourcebook I need depending on where the PC's are.
Tarus 02-25-05, 12:14 PM	Cloak and Dagger. Maybe my favorite D&D book ever.
Another Gnome 02-25-05, 02:08 PM	I don't know what it is but it leaves me feeling bored. I'd say it's because the new stuff doesn't go so over the top with everything. I know it's not the fact of the matter, but reading 2E sources left me with the impression that every barkeep has a helmed horror as a bouncer and every village of 200 farmers maintains a standing army of 2,000 mounted knights and a pet dragon to boot. Also the trend of not making a distinction between fluff and mechanics most of the time was certainly not helping. :) Anyway, Volo's Guides are my favorite 2E sources, even if I ignore most of the stuff in them nowadays. Those tiny black-and-white maps simply have a strange appeal, and I have yet to try out the cooking recipes too.
Old Sparky 02-25-05, 02:56 PM	Simple: All of them. :) I'd rather use the old lore then 3/3.5e's. There's just something that the new lore is missing. I don't know what it is but it leaves me feeling bored. :) Agreed, I use all of it... because more history and background details make for a more comprehensive and immersive experience. Knowing where to look for what helps a lot, but I have a general idea of what book to flip through to find what I need. As for what 3/3.5e is missing that leaves you board, I'd have to say focus. The newer books try to cram so much into so little space that you get a nice mix of crunch and fluff, but the older resources were much more devoted to individual regions with lots more NPCs and trivial details plus a decently comprehensive history. Current fluff seems rather bland by comparison. Overall nice, but yes, leaves me feeling like its missing something.
Shemeska the Marauder 02-25-05, 08:08 PM	Current fluff seems rather bland by comparison. Overall nice, but yes, leaves me feeling like its missing something. The 3.x FR books are doing better in that though than the 'generic' DnD material. Compare the 3.5 Planar Handbook to the 2e Planescape books. It's like comparing a painting by one of the Old Masters to a black and white drawing by a 5 year old of the same thing. Sure it might cover more or less the same overall material, but good God is it lacking in depth, detail, and most ability to inspire. I look at the books that got me into DnD in 3e, then compare those to some of the 2e material and it's a stark contrast at times. Nothing gets written in character anymore and it gets very bland in the same style in every book. Some of the 2e books were just fun to read, now it's boring and then a statblock, then more blandness, then more stats. WotC has had DnD swing too far away from what some felt TSR went overboard with in 2e, and it's a detriment to the game. But, like I said, FR has been hit the least by this trend. Feel lucky.
Mendicant 02-25-05, 09:19 PM	I agree with Kuje. To be perfectly honest with you all, I don't even own anything 3.5 for FR! I am considering LEoF, but aside from that, I haven't found anything I can't convert myself from 2e or find on the WOTC site.
Meta_FR_DM 02-26-05, 01:17 AM	I use everything from Second Edition and Older and mix it in with all my Third Edition books, except for uber-dumb material like Spelljaming. I ignore anything having to do with Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog as well. My fave old stuff would be from the Grey Box. The DM's Sourcebook of the Realms is still the best book for getting me in the mood to 'think Realms'. It has got just that right feel to it, you know? A tight second would be anything Volo's. Those tomes are monstrously useful and always good to have around when a lazy DM needs names for people or places or magic items or what have you.
Moscone 02-26-05, 03:31 AM	I'll add also Warriors and Priests and Wizards and Rogues of the Realms books as well. As for what's lacking, I'd have to say it's probably the decision to discontinue the boxed sets- the boxes were able to hold EVERYTHING you could possibly need, as well as their own contents. Several maps, handout cards, clear plastic overlays, mini art books, two or three books for Players, DMs, and Adventures. Plus the boxes held all the other books you needed for the session you were running (a habit I still stick to, even if it leaves me with having to keep adding scotch tape to the box corners for reinforcement- My boxes are so chewed up now). I miss the boxed sets. I want them back. :weep:
protonik 02-26-05, 07:22 PM	What the 3e stuff is the sheer amount of material that they put out 2e. How many books did they release a year for the Realms? 12+? Not to mention the way that generic material was still geared to the Realms. With 3e we get maybe four books a year, 2 region books and one rulebook like the Player's Guide, Magic and Lost Empires. The early stuff (pre-Silver Marches) still had sufficient fluff to be Realms-ish while later products kind of floundered, trying to find a new identity. Without all those little releases that FR got in 2e days the Realms seems like a much smaller place... I tend to like the 3e material better but the 1e stuff, OGB and the FR series, were just as good as 3e. Jason
Moscone 02-27-05, 04:22 AM	I'll add 2 more to the list: The Moonshae Book and the book on Calimshan, Amn and Tethyr that came out for 1E. I've read Darkwalker on Moonshae, but not the rest of the series. The sheer volume of material covered in such a skinny little book, the sourcebook, offers plenty. I need updated info, I just refer to Realms 3E, which just gives the rundown on whats currently happening. Ditto for the old Lands of Intrigue (I think thats what it was called, feel free to correct me). My interest in Calimshan was sparked after reading Halfling's Gem. I bought the book second-hand, and wow! A map of Calimport and other places! But of course Realms 3E only gives cursory info. That's probably the best thing about the FRCS book, is that when used with the older material, it provides updates on what's happening where. Without the older books, you're scratching your head going "heh?" I feel sorry for the newer players who've had no exposure to 1 or 2E. And I feel sorry for the older players who've sworn off the older stuff and stick strictly to 3E and 3.5.
Draco Strang 02-27-05, 08:13 AM	Yea...I agree with Kuje and the gang. (hm....should be a musical group) Ya cant go wrong using it all, and I try to.
warlockco 02-27-05, 08:15 AM	Yea...I agree with Kuje and the gang. (hm....should be a musical group) Ya cant go wrong using it all, and I try to. Yep, with the exception of some Fluff being outdated and such, the 1E and 2E material is full of all kinds of great Fluff and a few things that can be turned to Crunch.
BHC_Crow 02-27-05, 10:25 PM	Lets see.. 2e.. 1. Box set. For maps little bit extra info 2. Atlas. Maps of course 3. Combat and tactics. For the more historical names of armor weaps 4. Priest/Wizard spell compendiums. For designing new spells. Just tweek the spells to fit 3e 5. Any of the old FR Accessories. some downloaded from here. 6. Monster Mythology. for write ups on certain deities that they havent written about for 3e 1e 1. Kara tur box set, and trail map. obvious 2. Old dmg, PHB for a few charts and names of things that you cant find anywhere else. most of this is pretty obvious. Until they cover some of this stuff in 3e we all gotta do what we gotta do.
SJE 02-28-05, 04:59 AM	I was hugely dissapointed with LEoF- I had looked forward to the Netheril chapter. But other than the effects of a Nether Scroll, it didnt tell me one thing that hadnt already been covered in the Netheril boxed set. Even worse, it was blander and more generic information. Oy vey. Rich Baker (I think) posted something that got picked up GamingReport.com that said 3.5 books are less specific and broader than previous editions so the market for each book is wider. That also makes for a less fascinating, less immersive read for the hardcore fan. SJE
Cole Deschain 02-28-05, 11:08 AM	I use any and all 1st or 2nd Ed stuff I can locate. Particularly since 3E seems to confuse "kewl ideas" with "good ideas."