The best D&D books (Regardless of Edition)

[Tewligan]

1E Survival guides

As in the Wilderness Survival Guide and Dungeoneer's Survival Guide? Heh, you're one of the VERY few people I've ever seen say something positive about those two!

However, 1e DMG? Best. Book. EVER.

 

[Sanzuo]

I'm very partial to the Illithiad from 2E and the Book of Vile Darkness from 3E.

 

[Darkwolf71]

If we're counting D&D-like OGL, I'll add in Arcana Evolved. Great setting, and mechanics that tied in with the flavor. It gets severe balance issues with casters/non-casters past about 11th level or so, but that does little to dampen my love for it.

-O

Worthy of discussion; Forked.

 

[Obryn]

Supplement I: Greyhawk (OD&D)

Powergamer!



-O

 

[Remathilis]

World Builder's Guidebook

Planeswalker's Handbook (most of that was too good to exist in just PS)

Van Richten's Guides (Esp Vampires and lycanthropes)

DMG 2 (which previewed a lot of the excellent advice the 4e DMG would have)

 

[DaveMage]

1E DMG (I sense a pattern here...)

I think the Wilderlands Box Set from Necromancer Games could easily be used in any edition and is one of the best things to read for inspiration, or just pick up and play with.

The 1E and 3E Manuals of the Planes are awesome, as is the 2E Planescape box set.

 

[avin]

1E - monster manual \o/ (never read DMG)
2E - monster manual \o/
3E - monster manual \o/
4E - meh... for reading? maybe DMG...

 

[Psion]

World Builder's Guidebook, maybe?

The 1e Manual of the Planes

World Builder's Guidebook

Planeswalker's Handbook (most of that was too good to exist in just PS)

DRAGON CD-rom - There's a reason why this goes for so much on ebay...

All outstanding choices, heartily seconded.

Van Richten's Guides (Esp Vampires and lycanthropes)

Don't have lycanthropes but Vampires is good and I would add the excellent Van Richten's Guide to Liches and Van Richten's Guide to Mummies.

The 1E and 3E Manuals of the Planes are awesome, as is the 2E Planescape box set.

More excellent choices, more things I use to this day.

Let me add to the above:
DM's Design Kit by Aaron Allston. A great little 1e supplement that helped me move beyond dungeon crawl stage into epic fantasy tale stage. I still find it useful to get my though process moving.

As long as we are pulling in third party books, I'll say the Citybook series by Flying Buffalo.

 

[Plane Sailing]

For me, one of the best ones is the 3e manual of the planes - because it is so evocative. So many great descriptive images, and I'd imagine that the vast majority of it would remain useful for any system you wished.

 

[thedungeondelver]

1E Survival guides

man what