DnD books (not settings) of older editions that are useful regardless of edition!

[Green1]

Even though in today's day, there are books which are, in my opinion, excellent resources for a 5e DM.

These are the ones I STILL look at from time to time. Not for rules that are obsolete. But for inspiration!

I will add stuff as it is brought up after review

4e

Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons and others.
Of all editions, the 4e Draconomicon I believe is the best version. Everything from regional aftereffects if an ancient baddie dies to lair ideas. Only thing is, no gem dragons.

3e/3.5

Stronghold Builder's Guidebook
THE book if you have characters building strongholds, cities, and other structures. A must for higher level games.

Hero Builder's Guidebook
For the backstory geeks among us, the best assist for creating a family history, both current and ancestral, that I know of.

2e and earlier

Wilderness Survival Guide and Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
These two books are masters in the class of running great outdoor campaigns.

World Builder's Guide
At a certain point, as a DM you transcend beyond just making sessions and trying to keep the rules straight/people happy. If you find yourself running a long campaign and want/need to create a world, this is for you.

1e Dungeon Master's Guide
Not only for old school cred. More resources and advice than you can shake a stick at, and though some of that advice is very dated (being oriented around an approach to RPG's that is simply not used anymore - or at least not understood) a LOT of it is still better than anything that's been published since.







Any others I am missing?

 

[Rune]

I always loved the 2e World Builder's Guide. Wish I still had a copy.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Advanced Dungeon & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide (1st Edition)
More resources and advice than you can shake a stick at, and though some of that advice is very dated (being oriented around an approach to RPG's that is simply not used anymore - or at least not understood) a LOT of it is still better than anything that's been published since.

 

[Green1]

I always loved the 2e World Builder's Guide. Wish I still had a copy.

Perused a pdf of the book. This would be awesome to keep on the shelf.

At a certain point, as a DM you transcend beyond just making sessions and trying to keep the rules straight/people happy. If you find yourself running a long campaign and want/need to create a world, this is for you.

Adding.

 

[Green1]

Advanced Dungeon & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide (1st Edition)
More resources and advice than you can shake a stick at, and though some of that advice is very dated (being oriented around an approach to RPG's that is simply not used anymore - or at least not understood) a LOT of it is still better than anything that's been published since.

Added

 

[Redthistle]

3E
Hero Builder's Guidebook
For the backstory geeks among us, the best assist for creating a family history, both current and ancestral, that I know of. Kindred in spirit to the 20 Questions in Legend of the Five Rings, except better.
One time, establishing a few details about the wood-elf mother of a Forgotten Realms half-elf PC I was working up one afternoon proved so fascinating that, all of a sudden, it was 2 AM and I had just finished writing a short story about her early life: abducted in her adolescence from eastern Aglarond by hirelings of a Red Wizard, escape from Thay fourteen years before the Tuigan Horde invaded Thesk, and the mystery of her disappearance after arranging for her son's apprenticeship to a sage in Phsant less than a year before the Horde arrived.
Uff da! That was going overboard for what was otherwise a simple bit of genealogical history. For the PC, finding out what had happened to his mother was a life-long drive.
You get the idea. An excellent resource for any edition of the game.

 

[Dorian_Grey]

2nd Edition: Creative Campaigning or any of the other Blue/Green/Brown books

- Even if you don't want kits or other rules, the descriptions are very useful.

2nd Edition: PO: Spells & Magic, Combat & Tactics

- Again, you don't have to use the books for the point buy system - but they are full of details and descriptions that are useful.

 

[Green1]

3E
Hero Builder's Guidebook
For the backstory geeks among us, the best assist for creating a family history, both current and ancestral, that I know of. Kindred in spirit to the 20 Questions in Legend of the Five Rings, except better.
One time, establishing a few details about the wood-elf mother of a Forgotten Realms half-elf PC I was working up one afternoon proved so fascinating that, all of a sudden, it was 2 AM and I had just finished writing a short story about her early life: abducted in her adolescence from eastern Aglarond by hirelings of a Red Wizard, escape from Thay fourteen years before the Tuigan Horde invaded Thesk, and the mystery of her disappearance after arranging for her son's apprenticeship to a sage in Phsant less than a year before the Horde arrived.
Uff da! That was going overboard for what was otherwise a simple bit of genealogical history. For the PC, finding out what had happened to his mother was a life-long drive.
You get the idea. An excellent resource for any edition of the game.

Added

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

The books I find myself coming back to:

4e: The DMG 2 - It's got some great advice for new and experience DMs.

3e: The Mother of All Treasure Tables - Makes for far more interesting treasure hauls than just gems and coins.

2e: Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog - Great for livening up merchant/bazaar shopping and food & drink details. Also great for when the PCs go off looking for some random item not in the PHB.

 

[Orius]

2e's World Builder's Guidebook definitely belongs on the list. Lots of good advice, and very little if any edition-specific crunch. It also came a pad of hex mapping sheets too, though a DM can probably find good sheets on the web somewhere to print out today.

Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog has always seemed pretty popular too.

The Complete Book of Villains, a 2e DM splat that was mostly all advice and little edition-specific crunch. Lots of good tips for the DM when creating villains and villainous organizations.