D&D 3E/3.5 Best Books for a DM to own? (3.5e)

[hunterofjello]

In your opinions, what are the best books for a DM to physically own for playing 3.5e?

I have access to tons of DnD resources on my PC, but having a pdf (or the SRD) and having a book in your hand are completely different.


At the moment I have physical copies of:

The Player's Handbook 3.5e
Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5e
Monster Manual 3.5e
Tome of Battle
Cityscape (borrowed)
Heroes of Battle (borrowed)

AD&D DM Guide
The Spell Compendium


For basic information about feats or base classes I can print out pages or copy a few sentences down from a random book off my PC. What I'm looking for are books that are especially useful to have in-hand while playing or for constant use.

I've been told that a copy of the DM Guide II 3.5e has a lot of useful information for DMs on how to roleplay. I've been told the same thing about Player's Handbook II 3.5e but for players (which might concern me less since I'm a DM). The Magic Items Compendium seems very desireable for generating magical items outside of the basic magic items from the DM guide. And the Arms and Equipment Guide looks like it could be useful, however I think it's 3e and might be the same stuff that's featured in the Magic Items Compendium.

Any information you can give about which books you find the most useful as a DM, think could help me improve my skills as a DM, or add a lot to the game by having in-hand would be much appreciated.


*edit*

Also, does anyone know any good places to purchase 3.5e books online other than amazon or ebay?

 

[Dandu]

Get a heavy book. That way you have something to throw at players who are being disruptive.

 

[hunterofjello]

Get a heavy book. That way you have something to throw at players who are being disruptive.

I usually use the player's dice for that sort of thing. I guess my large Accounting textbook could be useful for that.

 

[rgard]

In your opinions, what are the best books for a DM to physically own for playing 3.5e?

I have access to tons of DnD resources on my PC, but having a pdf (or the SRD) and having a book in your hand are completely different.


At the moment I have physical copies of:

The Player's Handbook 3.5e
Dungeon Master's Guide 3.5e
Monster Manual 3.5e
Tome of Battle
Cityscape (borrowed)
Heroes of Battle (borrowed)

AD&D DM Guide
The Spell Compendium


For basic information about feats or base classes I can print out pages or copy a few sentences down from a random book off my PC. What I'm looking for are books that are especially useful to have in-hand while playing or for constant use.

I've been told that a copy of the DM Guide II 3.5e has a lot of useful information for DMs on how to roleplay. I've been told the same thing about Player's Handbook II 3.5e but for players (which might concern me less since I'm a DM). The Magic Items Compendium seems very desireable for generating magical items outside of the basic magic items from the DM guide. And the Arms and Equipment Guide looks like it could be useful, however I think it's 3e and might be the same stuff that's featured in the Magic Items Compendium.

Any information you can give about which books you find the most useful as a DM, think could help me improve my skills as a DM, or add a lot to the game by having in-hand would be much appreciated.


*edit*

Also, does anyone know any good places to purchase 3.5e books online other than amazon or ebay?

I like to have the following handy:

Unearthed Arcana
Rules Compendium

Depending on what locales/types of environments are in your campaign, some of the 'Scape (including Sandstorm, Frostburn and the like) books would help.

That said, I do prefer Frost and Fur to Frostburn, but have used both.

On a general note with respect to being a better DM: practice makes perfect. In my experience, the more you DM the better you get at it.

As for book sources; if you are an not ebayer, try your local used book stores. My local one isn't that great in that they take the cover price and cut it in half for their price whatever the condition of the book. Come summer time another source is your local flea market.

When I have purchased books on Ebay, I've purchased several books from a single seller when the seller has agreed to combine the shipping for the entire lot.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Aus_Snow]

Honestly? The core three. They are -- still! -- vastly underrated, each and every one of them. But in particular, the DMG and MM. More so the DMG.

To this day, I don't know why. It is overflowing with solid rules, suggestions, advice, descriptions, options. . . you name it. Likewise, the MM has a whole chapter on making your own monsters, just to name one thing I've had to bring up in more than one thread here, because people apparently didn't know this! After years of owning these books, and allegedly using them. Amazing. But I won't go on about it any further.

Other books, eh? Hm. The AD&D 1e DMG gets mad props every other day or so on EN World, but you already have that one.

Toolbox, if you want some 3e stats with your tables. Otherwise, Ultimate Toolbox is, like it says, the best of its breed. Random tables for, well, everything. But it's system-neutral, except that some (only a very few) tables are to do with, say, Clerics or Sorcerers. But even so.

Advanced Bestiary or Book of Templates (the 3.5 version) are great, if you want some very easy-to-use methods of modifying monsters or NPCs, sometimes in quite strange ways (if you so desire) -- certainly good value, if so, and if any of your players are familiar with stats from the MM, for instance, you might really surprise them!

That's all that comes to mind at the moment.

 

[Ahnehnois]

The book I use most during play is the Magic item Compendium.

 

[Herzog]

DMG and Rules Compendium are my favored books for reference (the AoO Y/N table at the start of the RC only is worth the trouble of owning that book)

I find Lords Of Madness an incredible good source of information regarding abberations, nice to see that one worked out.

If you are looking for more specific setting information, I would recommend the Eberron books, but make sure you like the setting first. It tends to be a love it/hate it setting.

As to online sources for books: I have made some online purchases, mostly by going to Amazon, then finding out the names of their suppliers for used books, then obtaining from them directly. Take notice of their shipping costs, however. I ended up paying a lot more than I intended because the supplier charged shipping costs per item instead of per package. Also, if you're not from the country of origin, remember to check your taxfree import limits. (I got a surprise on that one as well when importing 500 dollars worth of books in one go. )

 

[Sunking]

it depends on what you like and the stile u play, but nothimg beats, after a couple of sessions and the players know a BBEG is aprocing to start the session with laying Book of Vile Darkness, Libermortis and Lords Of Madness on the table (offcourse you don't have to use them but the players will be scared)

but to realy help you more we would have to know what of style do you play, any world you prefere or do you use homebrew, focus on role or roll

 

[Touché]

I suppose it depends on the group your playing with. I for one love Complete Scoundrel and Complete Adventurer. Complete Arcane was kind of cool, but some of the prestige classes were really disturbing. (Alienist anyone?)

Complete Warrior was pretty boring,except for the Swashbuckler class which is hands down awesome. But that's all IMHO. XD

And you can cut a square into the middle of a books pages and stick a brick in there. Assuming they don't suffer from some sort of concussion or internal bleeding, the disruption is at an end!(and the police are on the way.)

 

[Voadam]

XRP's Monster Geographica series. 200 monsters for one terrain in each book arranged by CR. Very useful for at the table random monster use.

An NPC book, there are dozens to choose from, but something with a wide array of humanoid stat blocks you can grab at a moments notice and run with.

Unearthed Arcana. Great DM source for house rules to tailor the feel of the game to your tastes. I like the spontaneous divine casters and recharge magic variants.

Trailblazer has a lot of neat variant rules, sort of like Pathfinder plus action points stuff and healing between encounters rules.