Mongoose Publishing d20/OGL: Best Books? (Updated: Sept/2012)

[Knightfall]

Original text: I haven't bought a lot of Mongoose Publishing d20/OGL books since I've heard that some of them are poorly edited. However, I'm curious about the slayer's guides since they are easy to find (in Edmonton) and usually really cheap. (I'm more aware of Mongoose's city books.)

Update: Sept 11/2012
I now own all of these of Mongoose d20/OGL books:

• Book of the Planes
• Highthrone: City Above the Clouds
• Power Classes: Heroes of Fantasy
• Quintessential Cleric II
• Quintessential Druid II
• Quintessential Half-Orc
• Quintessential Human
• Renegade Wizard's Spellbook
• Sovereign Magic: Mastery of the Land
• Stonebridge: City of Illusion
• Stormhaven: City of a Thousand Seas
• Slayer's Guide Compendium, Volume I
• Slayers Guide to Demons
• Slayers Guide to Derro
• Slayers Guide to Duergar
• Slayers Guide to Elementals: Primal Fury
• Slayers Guide to Giants
• Slayers Guide to Minotaurs
• Slayers Guide to Ogres
• Slayers Guide to Yuan-Ti
• Tome and Libraries: Secrets of the Written Word
• Van Graaf’s Journal of Dragons [PFRPG]

I also have the PDF version of the Conan: The Roleplaying Game (Pocket Edition) and a physical copy of Aquilonia - Flower of the the West, but I'm not as concerned with that setting (or the other OGL settings that Mongoose did [although that is changing]). I also have a copy of Signs & Portents, issue number 1 that came shrinkwrapped with the slayers guide to minotaurs.

I've updated my "to get" list, which I've posted at the end of the thread. To everyone who has commented on this thread with advice, I thank you. You have been helpful and have made me a fan of Mongoose's books.

Cheers!

Knightfall

 

[Alzrius]

Why not check them out yourself over on the Grand OGL Wiki?

 

[Knightfall]

Why not check them out yourself over on the Grand OGL Wiki?

I am aware of that site; however, I have to admit that I'd forgotten about it. There is a lot more there than the last time I checked.

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Knightfall]

The wiki only has one slayer's guide on it, and it is the one I own. Bummer.

 

[Deepfire]

I like the Drow War campagin from Mongoose - 3.5 I think. Nicely done epic campaign

There also was a Dragon *whatever* box - a not so bright adventure as far as I remember ...

 

[jaerdaph]

Slayer's Guide to the Undead is worth having if only because Gary Gygax was one of the authors (there's some little gems of wisdom and trivia from EGG in there). It's from the 3e era, not 3.5e. Essentially, it takes all of the undead monsters in the 3e MM and converts them to templates (which d20 Modern and 3.5e eventually did for some like the skeleton and zombie).

I also liked Slayer's Guide to the Yaun-Ti (published in the 3e Gentleman's Agreement era) - I thought it did a good job of developing a complete culture for these snake people.

If you were going to get any Quintessential Guides, my absolute favorite (and IMHO the best of a really mixed bunch) was The Quintessential Witch, followed by Quint. Rogue and Quint. Aristocrat.

 

[Knightfall]

Slayer's Guide to the Undead is worth having if only because Gary Gygax was one of the authors (there's some little gems of wisdom and trivia from EGG in there). It's from the 3e era, not 3.5e. Essentially, it takes all of the undead monsters in the 3e MM and converts them to templates (which d20 Modern and 3.5e eventually did for some like the skeleton and zombie).

Hmm, I like collecting material designed by Gygax. Something to consider.

I also liked Slayer's Guide to the Yaun-Ti (published in the 3e Gentleman's Agreement era) - I thought it did a good job of developing a complete culture for these snake people.

This is one of the slayer's guides I have the option of getting for $5.

If you were going to get any Quintessential Guides, my absolute favorite (and IMHO the best of a really mixed bunch) was The Quintessential Witch, followed by Quint. Rogue and Quint. Aristocrat.

Quintessential Aristocrat, from what is on the Grand OGL Wiki, looks like something I might like. I'm also considering the Witch book, which I'm assuming is v.3.0.

 

[Darrell]

I liked all of the 'Slayer's Guides,' but I have a tendency to prefer backstory and campaign ideas to new and/or expanded rules. Each of the Slayer's Guides read as a fairly cool "Ecology of ..." booklet. Some stuff I kept, and some I tossed, but I never regretted buying them. If you can find it, many of the early ones were eventually collected into a hardcover 'Slayer's Guide Compendium.'

 

[Knightfall]

I liked all of the 'Slayer's Guides,' but I have a tendency to prefer backstory and campaign ideas to new and/or expanded rules. Each of the Slayer's Guides read as a fairly cool "Ecology of ..." booklet. Some stuff I kept, and some I tossed, but I never regretted buying them. If you can find it, many of the early ones were eventually collected into a hardcover 'Slayer's Guide Compendium.'

Good to know. Thanks for letting me know about it.

 

[Crothian]

After playing a lot of 3e and owning most of the Mongoose books I found that they really got used less and less. I eventually got rid of all the ones you'd be looking at. There was a time they were useful, but as more books got published by other companies I found the group using other books then Mongoose's.