I helped write a "best gifts" column for a site, but we didnt' have a category for RPGs. Add your recommended games!
* The Banewarrens: $18. Sword and Sorcery / Malhavoc Press. By Monte Cook. For 4th-10th levels. Return to Temple of Elemental Evil, move over. Monte Cook (do we really need to tell you who he is? has written one of the best dungeons ever. Not only is it packed with creative monsters, magical devices, and delver's challenges, but no less than (well that would be telling how many!) organizations are interested in The Banewarrens. And your PCs are right in the middle of it. GMs will need to hone their NPC skills, but even new GMs will enjoy running the dungeon.
* Tomb of Abysthor: $12. Sword and Sorcery / Necromancer Games. By Clark Peterson and Bill Webb. For 2nd to 8th level. Necromancer's slogan is "3rd Edition Rules, 1st Edition Feel". I'll say this further -- Tomb of Abysthor is 1st edition done **right**. ToA combines the variety of dungeon-stronghold delving players enjoy, with an adventure design that makes sense.
* NPC Essentials: Less than $10. 80-page PDF. RPG Objects. By Johnn Four. GM advice products are slowly appearing in the market, and NPC Essentials provides some of the best "from scratch" game design advice for NPCs I've seen. Not does it help you create NPCs, it provides advice in maintaining them, turning stat blocks and plot devices into living breathing characters. NPC Essentials also includes a mini-adventure and is usable in **any** RPG system.
* Everyone Else: Less than $10. 70-page PDF. Ambient Press. By Richard Ruthford and Michael S. Thibault. Need a bartender? Need a town guard? Need a seneschal? What's a seneschal? Everyone Else provides all the important -- yet nameless -- extras you need in an adventure. About 90 different profession's worth of NPCs are here, each with for different CL's of stat-blocks. The variety of professions alone will help the GM add color to a hamlet, town, or city. Works very well with NPC Essentials.
* Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering. $10. 33-pages. Steve Jackson Games. By Robin D. Laws. Robin D. Laws is one of the best known rpg (though not d20) game designers, and Robin's Laws was written for any rpg system. It helps GMs understand his gaming group, create adventures best suited for them, and provides advice on GM play. Very good for new GMs.
Merry Christmas and Happy Gaming!
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
* The Banewarrens: $18. Sword and Sorcery / Malhavoc Press. By Monte Cook. For 4th-10th levels. Return to Temple of Elemental Evil, move over. Monte Cook (do we really need to tell you who he is? has written one of the best dungeons ever. Not only is it packed with creative monsters, magical devices, and delver's challenges, but no less than (well that would be telling how many!) organizations are interested in The Banewarrens. And your PCs are right in the middle of it. GMs will need to hone their NPC skills, but even new GMs will enjoy running the dungeon.
* Tomb of Abysthor: $12. Sword and Sorcery / Necromancer Games. By Clark Peterson and Bill Webb. For 2nd to 8th level. Necromancer's slogan is "3rd Edition Rules, 1st Edition Feel". I'll say this further -- Tomb of Abysthor is 1st edition done **right**. ToA combines the variety of dungeon-stronghold delving players enjoy, with an adventure design that makes sense.
* NPC Essentials: Less than $10. 80-page PDF. RPG Objects. By Johnn Four. GM advice products are slowly appearing in the market, and NPC Essentials provides some of the best "from scratch" game design advice for NPCs I've seen. Not does it help you create NPCs, it provides advice in maintaining them, turning stat blocks and plot devices into living breathing characters. NPC Essentials also includes a mini-adventure and is usable in **any** RPG system.
* Everyone Else: Less than $10. 70-page PDF. Ambient Press. By Richard Ruthford and Michael S. Thibault. Need a bartender? Need a town guard? Need a seneschal? What's a seneschal? Everyone Else provides all the important -- yet nameless -- extras you need in an adventure. About 90 different profession's worth of NPCs are here, each with for different CL's of stat-blocks. The variety of professions alone will help the GM add color to a hamlet, town, or city. Works very well with NPC Essentials.
* Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering. $10. 33-pages. Steve Jackson Games. By Robin D. Laws. Robin D. Laws is one of the best known rpg (though not d20) game designers, and Robin's Laws was written for any rpg system. It helps GMs understand his gaming group, create adventures best suited for them, and provides advice on GM play. Very good for new GMs.
Merry Christmas and Happy Gaming!
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^