Post/Author/DateTime	Post
anoxae 12-05-05, 07:06 AM	Right now, I only have available to PHB, DMG, and MM. I was wondering, what books do you use most, and refer to more often than others, and why. Also, myself being an avid Bard and Rogue player, I must ask; what would you suggest for that category as well? Thanks!
coldreboot 12-05-05, 07:10 AM	Right now, I only have available to PHB, DMG, and MM. I was wondering, what books do you use most, and refer to more often than others, and why. Also, myself being an avid Bard and Rogue player, I must ask; what would you suggest for that category as well? Thanks! Well those three books that you have are the essentials. The rest could be considered 'fluff'. However, The Complete Adventurer is apparently a great book, as is any of the campaign books if you want to play in an 'official' campaign world (ie Forgotten Realms, Ebberron etc). Me personally, I have the deities book, mainly because I find that kind of thing interesting, although I wouldn't say it adds anything substantial to the game. I also have the MM3 book for when my fellow players get too powerful or too complacent about what monsters they will face. (MM3 is brutal).
VerinBlod 12-05-05, 07:15 AM	If you like playing rogue and bard characters than you'll like the complete adventurer. MM2 and 3 are nice aditions to your game. Lots of scary and unusual monsters to throw at your PC's. Other good books that I like are Libris Mortis, Lord of Madness and Draconomicum.
MindWandererB 12-05-05, 07:36 AM	The other Complete books are fairly good (warlock and warmage classes from Complete Arcane change a lot about the game), but hardly necessary. I own the Races books (except Eberron) and they're not that great. The new Spell Compendium, however, looks awesome, especially if you don't own and don't intend to buy Complete Arcane and Complete Divine. Draconomicon is cool but I almost never use it (even for my dragon PC). Monster Manuals II and III are full of crunchy goodness, and I use both extensively, as well as the Fiend Folio. You're probably better off without the Book of Exalted Deeds (although the Book of Vile Darkness has some pretty good ideas- but I'd wait for the upcoming Fiendish Codex). I have heard that Lords of Madness is very good, and it's at the top of my wish list. Then there's the Expanded Psionics Handbook. If you like the idea of psionics, it's a very well-done book that includes material that adds a lot to the game. If you don't like it or would rather not have the complexity of a totally different spell system in the game, pass on it. Although I don't own it, I gather the same goes for Magic of Incarnum. If you plan to venture off the Prime Material plane, I highly recommend the Manual of the Planes. Although it isn't a 3.5 book, it's one of the better books they've made. Essential if you want to create your own cosmology. The Planar Handbook is pretty bad, though. Oh, and Arms and Equipment is crap. The 2e version of the book is a masterpiece, though (but largely useless in 3rd edition).
Tharin G'tal 12-05-05, 08:19 AM	I mainly refer to the 3 core books you've already got but i've also got complete adventurer, arcane and warrior as they've got some cool ideas to add to npc's, bbeg's etc. I've also got races of destiny, which is ok for roleplaying ideas, Book of Exalted Deeds, ok if you want to play a goody goody, and the Draconomicom which is plain cool and has a few handy bad guys in it. Oh and the DMGII has some handy stuff in there as well. Amazingly I picked up a copy of Complete Idiots Guide to D&D in my local library and thats just as handy as most of the above, as it's full of hints, tips and ideas... nuff said :D
digoraccoon 12-05-05, 08:23 AM	My players use Complete Adventure, Complete Warrior, & Miniature's Handbook a lot because they have a lot of useful feats to round out their characters. As a DM I use the Draconomicon to build some interesting dragons to interact with them. It also has nice fluff for the players if they like having ties to dragon kind.
Dhaerow 12-05-05, 08:31 AM	I own pretty much everything released by Wizard, untill a few months ago. My recommendations... A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe. This third party book is a must, if you want your medieval world to seem realistic, and and haven't studied medieval history. The Forgotten Realms/Eberron/Dragonlance/Ghostwalk Campaign Setting base book is a must, if you're running a game in that world. A region specific campaign setting book, for the area of your adventures, is also good to have. Sandstorm, Stormwrack or Frostburn, depending on the adventuring climate, would likewise be nice to have. Races of the Wild, Stone and Destiny are all really good books, which give a lot of insight into the different races' societies and lives. I'm not impressed by the new races, but everything else is top notch. Highly reccomended. If undead play a big part in your campaign, you should get Libris Mortis. If it is Dragons, you should get Draconomicon. If it is Aberrations you should get Lords of Madness. Heroes of Battle is a good if you are running a mercenary/military campaign. Arms and Equipment Guide is not a must, but it is certainly nice to have. I like some of the optional rules presented in Unearthed Arcana, but I'm not sure if it is worth getting the book, just for the few that you might use. I'm not impressed by all the "Complete" books. Just a bucnh of feats, prestige classes and spells. I reccomend just finding some compendiums online instead, like the ones found here (http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/). I've never had much use of the numrous monster books, except for the core one, of coruse. The Monster Manual has more than enough for me.
Aladdar 12-05-05, 09:35 AM	Well as a player, I suggest the Players Handbook, and everything in the Complete Series as I like them all a lot. Of course the Expanded Psionics Handbook if the DM is allowing psionics in the game. That should really give you everything you need there. For DM'ng, of course the Dungeon Masters Guide and the Monster Manuals. Whether you own all 3 is just a matter of preference. If you're a new DM, Dungeon Masters Guide II is really good as well. Of course if you're going to run in some of the prebuilt campaign settings then you'll need their books too. I tend to like to run in generic settings so I don't have them.
Nani? 12-05-05, 10:49 AM	You have the "big three". Anything else is based off of what your talents and the type of game you like. I would never buy a Eberon or Forgotten realms book unless I was playing in a campagien "long term" in those worlds which I know would last. Same goes for Vile Darkness/Exaulted Deeds. The Races books (of Stone, Destiny, Wild) are essentially elaborations of what is said in the players handbook and have very little useful material exept for a "cool" new race with purchase and expanded flavor text. One or two options might prove useful but I don't think they're worth the price of the book. The Complete Series is pretty good--get the ones that apply to the characters your likely to play. Monster Manuals are better for GM's then players. IMHO, other then 1, I think Fiend Folio and MM3 are a little better then MM2. The one with the most divided opinion: Unearthed Arcana. I think it is the best book Wizards has printed, period, end of story and I want UA2 right now. They're are an equal number of people who think this is a piece of c**p and feel just as strongly. Trying to put my bias aside, your opinion of this book, I think, is a matter of temperment, both of yourself and your GM. If your the player who always feels that one skill should be a class skill because it just makes sense (in your mind) rather then for munchkin reasons. Say you think your cleric should be less martial, more like a knowledgable medieval monk or perhaps want a bard more like a Norse Skald? Do you wonder how to design a character with just a wee bit of fey or doppelganger blood without unbalancing the game? Do you have or are you a GM who will work with others to do these things? If that is the case, this book perfect for you. If your GM is afraid of (perhaps rightly) of Munchkins, your satisfied with the classes as written, hate to mess with varients etc. Get something else instead. All the best, Nani?
DmMagnus 12-05-05, 11:06 AM	Liberis mortis :b: : many really cool monsters, spells and feats! Cool for really evil villains! That is the only "extra" book I got, but i really want the DMGII I have heard so much great stuff about it here at the boards!
serow_#R 12-05-05, 11:43 AM	complete adventurer, complete warrior and the expanded psionics handbook are good recommends :)
Sildatorak 12-05-05, 11:59 AM	I have to say that Complete Adventurer is the best of the complete series since it has the broadest applicability, with Complete Warrior coming in second. Every character does something based on skills and smart or fighting, but not every one does stuff with spellcasting and such. Of the races books, I think that races of stone or races of eberron were the best, though I would buy the Eberron CS before buying RoE. I've found that Unearthed Arcana is really worthwhile if you like to have variant classes, but not as useful for anything else unless you want to rework your entire campaign.
Belgarath 12-05-05, 12:18 PM	weapons of legacy, book of vile darkness, book of exalted deeds, dieties and demigods, the forgotten realms campaign setting, the fiend folio and the arms and equipment guide are my favourite.
Black Kitten 12-05-05, 12:32 PM	I tend to use humanoid opponents, so I own all the Completes, the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Races of Fearun (latter being used rarely, but useful at times). I like them all and I have used them to frighten both my PCs ('He does WHAT?!') and my DM ('You do HOW much damage?' and 'Let me read how you know the guy...' :OMG!
revnk 12-05-05, 01:06 PM	If you're DMing: Monster Manual II, Monster Manual III and Fiend Folio. While you're unlikely to ever use every monster, having the options and the power to keep players guessing is well worth the investment. The environment books (Stormwrack, Frostburn, etc.) have some good materials. Depending on your campaign, Heroes of Battle and/or Heroes of Horror might be useful. If you're using lots of undead, Libris Mortis. If you're using lots of aberrations, Lords Of Madness is an excellent source. Expanded Psionics Handbook, Book Of Exalted Deeds and Book of Vile Darkness are three of the most controversial books you could pick up, and are completely unnecessary unless you know up front that you're going to use one or more of them. (E.g. I do sparingly use options from BOVD--but only because I tend to run a darker, more horror-themed campaign than many DMs; if I were to run something with, oh I don't know, more of a Rurouni Kenshin feel, I'd shelve the book.) Unearthed Arcana is a volume of alternate rules--different ways of handling armor, special kinds of damage, other character-building options, etc. As such, I really would not recommend it to a new DM and would absolutely recommend it to an old DM: once you have the old tunes down, it's time to think about variations and changed riffs. Personally, I'm not a fan of the "Complete" series, but (as they say) YMMV. As for players: All you need is the PHB. Good luck and good gaming!
Millennium 12-05-05, 01:13 PM	Right now, I only have available to PHB, DMG, and MM. I was wondering, what books do you use most, and refer to more often than others, and why. Without knowing more details about your campaign, the best I can do is keep things generic. You've already got the most necessary books. After this, I'd say that Dungeon Master's Guide II is the next most useful. There is very little in the way of gameplay mechanics (though it has a few), but it's chock-full of guidelines, hints, tips, and other nice fluffy goodness. Frankly, Draconomicon is great reading even if you never use it in a game. It's got more crunch than DMGII, but it's still very heavy on the fluff, just the way I like 'em. It's longer than DMGII, so truth be told it's probably got about the same crunch:fluff ratio. Similar things could be said for Lords of Madness, and to a lesser extent Libris Mortis. On the next tier down I'd put the Complete _______ series, Fiend Folio, and the rest of the Monster Manual series. These books aren't campaign-specific, but they'll fulfill your appetite for useful crunch. The fluff in the Complete _____ series, however, may be even more valuable, as it gives some very interesting options for putting classes in roles that they aren't necessarily accustomed to or optimized for. If you're intrigued by psionics or Incarnum, then the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Magic of Incarnum should go on this tier as well. After this, the rest is just gravy. Very good gravy, in many cases, but gravy all the same. I will caution you about one thing: do not use either the Book of Vile Darkness or the Book of Exalted Deeds unless you plan on using both. They're meant to be used as a pair, and are frankly pretty broken when used alone. There are plenty of other reasons to dislike both books, but from a mechanical standpoint it's important to use both or neither.
Tolby 12-05-05, 01:47 PM	If I had to suggest one book it would be the miniatures handbook. feats, spells, monsters, new classes. Plus plenty of advise on using miniatures in your game. if your a DM you can never have too many monster manuals. as a player: any of the complete series to add new feats, classes, spells, etc. to my character. Dragonimicon, Libris Mortis, Forgotten Realms or Eberron and such only if your a DM (or your Dm is) intending to run those type of games.
TheScapegoat 12-05-05, 02:16 PM	Magic of Incarnum! My favorite book to date, i just wish i had had it before my friend started his campaign so many months ago, and im up to DM next so its gonna be awhile before i get to play a Totemist!
anoxae 12-06-05, 08:00 AM	Thanks for all the replies, guys.
StevenO 12-06-05, 08:09 PM	I assume access to the Complete Series. Of those mostly C' Warrior, Adventurer (which I'm not nearly familiar enough with), and the C' Arcane. If playing a specific setting I'd expect the basic campain setting book but usually not the others. I own some of the themed books (Libris Mortic, Draconimacon, Heroes of Battle) but would only recommend them if your using that specific material. I guess if play Psionics you basically need the Expanded Psionics Handbook since that is one of the few place for that information. My top choices: Complete Warrior (everyone has to fight and has a PrC for every base class) Complete Adventure (you say you play a skilled character) ____ Campain Setting of any official setting you use
metamind 12-06-05, 08:33 PM	All of the "Complete" series, the PHB, DMG, MM, EXP, and the spell compendium book that just came out (great for the group's spellcasters!)
Endarire 12-06-05, 11:42 PM	I second the Spell Compendium's nomination and add that you should get anything which you think you will use significantly or/and that sates your curiosity. -EE
anoxae 12-07-05, 03:33 AM	I second the Spell Compendium's nomination and add that you should get anything which you think you will use significantly or/and that sates your curiosity. -EE Haha, first time I've ever seen someone use the word 'sate.' Kudos on your vocabulary. :P
Vaalingrade Ashland 12-07-05, 02:00 PM	There are only three books I can reccomend to any DM: - DMG II - Unearthed Arcana - Arms and Equipment Guide (3E) I also really like: - Complete Warrior - Draconomicon - Savage Species (Templates... Mein gott, the templates!) Books to avoid: - Book of Vile Darkness - Book of Exhalted Deeds - Complete Divine (almost everything that was deemed broke in 3E ( :rolleyes: ) was put right back in with this book)
Rocketboy13 12-07-05, 02:06 PM	Also, myself being an avid Bard and Rogue player, I must ask; what would you suggest for that category as well? Complete Adventurer would be the best fit for this. If you are DMing, I go for one of the environment books (eg Sandstorm), or monster books (though not the MM2). :)
loaba 12-07-05, 02:44 PM	The Unearthed Arcana is a great compliment to the Core books (PHB, DMG, MM). However, you need to really look through the UA and understand all the nuances of the varient rules before you use 'em. There is a lot of good stuff in the UA that will make your game better, however there are few things too that will hurt your game. The trick is figuring what those things are (and it will be different from game to game).
Pellanor 12-07-05, 02:46 PM	Okay, I own most of the 3.5 DnD books up to a few months back, and here are my thoughts: Complete Books: I use these a lot for the feats and classes. I really like to do really weird multi-classing characters, and have huge fun building guys using all this different stuff. However, outside of creating Characters, these books don't have much. Races books: Meh. Lots of fluff on the various core races. Really handy if you want an all-dwarf game, or one that's sett in an elven forest city. Typically some of the least used books. Weapons of Legacy: I've looked through it, but never bothered to use it. Cool idea, but it didn't seem to be implemented very well. Draconomicon / Libris Mortis / Lords of Madness: Of these three books I've gotten the most use out of LM. Overall they have a lot of nifty ideas, but if you're not planning on using Undead (or dragons / abberations) then they're not really worth it. Draconomicon is a great book though, even to just read through it. I reall like the section describing just why dragons are as uber as they are. Frostburn / Sandstorm / Stormwrack: The three most used books I have. Okay maybe not, but when working on a campaign(rather then just NPCs) I use these books a lot. When my players descided not to go to the mountains in winter, and go sailing to the tropics for a vacation instead, I just put away frostburn, and pulled out stormwrack. They're really going to enjoy their "vacation" now. Unearthed Arcana: Cool book, but it can be hard to use. Some of the variants are just plane broken, while others are kinda cool. Defeinatly not high up on my list of books to buy for usefullness, but right up there with Draconomicon for coolness factor. MM II, MM III, Fiend Folio: More monsters to kill the PCs with. Really handy if you're getting bored of all the critters in the MM, or if your players are starting to memorize stats. DMG II: Really cool book. I'm quite enjoying it. I really like the section on interesting encounters, including an ice bridge, case sceanes, mobs and burning buildings. Arms and Equipment Guide: This one gets a giant "Meh" from me. Some of the stuff in there is fun, but there's very little practile stuff. Though I am going to be using it for the first time in my game, as the players have just bought themselves a ship, and plan on doing trade through pirate infested waters. Expanded Psionics: I really didn't like it at first (maybe due to a bad experience with the Psionics Handbook in 3rd ed), but now I find myself haveing to say "No, you already have 10 psionic NPCs planned. Put the book down". Manual of the Planes and the Planar Handbook: MotP is definatly the better of the two, despite being 3rd edition. Planar handbook has some cool stuff in it, but just doesn't have the same level of detail on the various planes that the MotP does. Mini's Handbook: This one has some nice stuff, and some not-so-nice stuff. There's definatly other books I would buy first. Book of Exhalted Deeds and Book of Vile Darkness: I like the books, but you have to have mature, experienced players in order to use them. Some of the most powerful material is in these books, stuff that without the RP requirments would be quite broken. While these books can be fun, make sure you're ready for them. Well I think that's all the books I have. I know I've missed some, but that's just the way these things work. Overall here's what I'd recommend: I don't like pre-built campaign settings, so I won't reccomend Eberron or anything like that. If you like the idea of having your PCs treck through a mountain pass, through waste deep snow, while fighting off hypothermia, and trying to avoid frost giants, or maybe traveling through the desert for days, searching desperatly for an oasis to refil on water, and trying to avod those damned scorpians, then I would get Frostburn, Sandstorm and Stormwrack as the first set of books. Otherwise put them off for a while. DMG II would be my next recomendation. Expanded Psionics would be right up close behind DMG II. Possibly above if you really like the idea of psionics. Next would be any of the Races books, of Libris Mortis / Draconomicon / Lords of madness that you would use in your game. If you want to use dragons, get draconomicon. If you want to use elves, get races of the wild. Don't bother with the ones you don't want to have a large roll in your game. At least not untill you have some more generic books first. After that most of the books are pretty equal. I wouldn't bother with Weapons of Legacy or the Arms and Equipment Guide untill you've gotten most of the others.
avatar6v7 12-07-05, 03:41 PM	if you want to take your campaign further then epic level handbook is a must! even if you just think you might do an epic campaign sometime get it. Its a brilliant book, it has a great list of epic spells, a very inventive spell creation systym, a huge wad of feats, great advice, some very juicy prestiege classes, a brilliant range of epic settings and a list of important epic NPCs for both the greyhawk and forgotten realms settings. Also the spell compendium is a must and getting the MM2 and MM3 is a good idea as most players will be caught unawares by the cretures.