What 1e/2e books are still useful to a 3rd edition DM?

[Runesong42]

Let me see (thumbs through pile of old stuff)...

There's the AD&D 1st edition DM's guide. Chock full of great campaign creation information.

I also have a really old OD&D Rules Cyclopedia (a hardcover compilation of OD&D Basic, Advanced, Expert and the one after Expert box set rules) which has a chapter on recruiting henchmen and building a stronghold, with a complete process from clearing the land to income per peasant. Great stuff.

Dungeoneer's and Wilderness Survival Guides also handy reading for campaign construction.

1st ed. Oriental Adventures, if you want real information on how to do an OA campaign RIGHT. And by right, I mean with familiy backgrounds, histories, and ideas on hw to flavour a "traditional" feudal Japanese society. Heck, the charts in the back alone (Yearly, Monthly, Daily events) are worth the original cover price.

Moving on to 2nd ed...
Campaign Sourcebook and World Building Guide (I think... it's a small, skinny blue book the same size as the Complete Guides)
Castles guide (same)
Of the old Complete Guides, I'd highly recommend Bard's (because, really, there's no real definition of bards nowadays), Priest's (even with Deities and Demigods and the Complete Divine, this has your nuts n' bolts for roles of priests in society, building religions from scratch, and other general priestly info), and Humanoids (I just really like it because it adds a little more RP and society info for your staple PC-potential races).

Hope this helps!
- Dru

 

[Finster]

I won't go into specifics (because I'm Lazy) but I can give you the table of contents for the books.
Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide: logistics of play, styles of play, pacing and theatrics, uses of judgment, creating the campaign, creating the world, maps and map making, creating the adventure, making NPCs live, dungeon settings, the dungeon campaign, generic dungeons (rough details of 6 dungeons), typical map symbols, and a forced perspective map grid.
Creative Campaigning: Alternate Campaigns (Historical, Single Class, Single Race, Alternate Land sand People, Lost Worlds, Creating Another World, an example world called Chanak, and miscellaneous Campaigns), Alternate Adventures (The Master Outline, Strange Renaissance, Carnival of the Bizarre, Grave Plots, and a rondom encounter generator),What's Old is New (Ability vs. Ability checks, New uses for proficiencies, monsters, powers and treasures, and a section called Who Owns It?), Freestyle Campaigning (Setting Up, Character Group, Playing Freestyle, What the Players do Offstage, and Freestyle Adventures), Handling Players (Convention Gaming and Summary), Then there is a section that gives a brief description of each of the following setting that TSR was using at the time: Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, and Greyhawk.
The last chapter is entitled The Medieval Mindset.
The World Builder's Guidbook is a set of map making tools and Setting construction material. Chapters include: Worlds and Planetology, Continents and Geography, Kingdoms and Sociology, Citiies and Provinces, and History and Mythology. These are presented so that you may begin the process of setting creation from either end of the book (from large to small or vice-versa).
I hope this helps.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I won't go into specifics (because I'm Lazy) but I can give you the table of contents for the books.
I hope this helps.

Thank you, thats what I was looking for.

 

[Finster]

just trying to boost my puny post count.
You're welcome.

 

[nothing to see here]

Now I have another question:
What exactly is in these three books?
Just an example or two would help me decide which to buy.

Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide

Creative Campaigning

World Builder's Guidebook

Well, I happen to have the World Builders Guidebook in front of me here...here's the basic table of contents.

The books overall approach is simple...each chapter is designed to be used indepenantly from the others...so if you want to mess around with the cultures in your world, but could care less about plate tectonics...you can use chapter four without ever having to peek at chapter 1...furthermore within each section...not only are the different design options listed and explained but IN EVERY CASE, a table is provided for a worldbuilder to roll for a random design option if they're stuck.

INTRODUCTION

CH 1: APPROACHES: Breaks down worldbuilding for a DM starting from scratch...outlines seven distinct methods of starting to build a world. Also includes a GREAT d100 style chart filled with potential world 'hooks' (defining characteristics)...based on geography...race...culture history etc...

CH 2: WORLDS AND PLANETOLOGY: The chapter that sees the least use from me...provides a whole range of categoreis and tables for developing or modifying a world based on natural forces.

CH 3: CONTINENTS AND GEOGRAPHY: Great stuff...lots of categories to tickle the imagination...placing of deserts, mountains, rivers...etc...as well as the different kinds of each feature. The final section goes into "Human geography"...a bit of a misnomer as it focusses on scattering dominant and minor races (with almost every core 2ed staple race included) effectively across different regions.

CH 4. KINGDOMS AND SOCIOLOGY: Apply a basic cultural template to a local kingdom based on loose real world examples or develop your own. New mapping options for smaller scale maps.

CH 5: CITIES AND PROVNCES: Again the chapter is a bit of a misnomer...basically this chapter is great for turning your macro-level 'world' into individual sites that are fun for adventures...developing encounter tables...NPC's lists etc. This chapter is the only one that requires any real adaptation to 3e.

CH 6: History and Mythology: Perhaps the greatest single table in the history of fantasy gaming...you can in about four or five die rolls...detail an epic history for any kingdom or society no matter how old or young...interesting historical backstories is one of the hardest parts of world design...this table alone keeps the guidebook as one of only three previous edition volumes on my shelf.

hope it helps.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Well, I happen to have the World Builders Guidebook in front of me here...here's the basic table of contents.

Thank you! This clinches it, I'm getting this one. It has exactly what I need for my homebrew.

 

[Starglim]

Wilderness Survival Guide, and I'll also agree with the 1e DMG and World Builder's Guidebook referenced earlier. I sometimes look at the 2e Complete Handbooks for ideas rather than rules.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Wilderness Survival Guide, and I'll also agree with the 1e DMG and World Builder's Guidebook referenced earlier. I sometimes look at the 2e Complete Handbooks for ideas rather than rules.

At least some of the Kits give you a background and feat/skill choices right there for you.

 

[tylerthehobo]

Most of the early modules (esp. U1-2-3 and Temple of Elemental Evil...) are well worth the cash on Ebay. There's no big surprise to me that most of the most popular Neverwinter Nights conversions are the 1e modules - they were a blast. (Many total-party-kills in some of the klutzier ones, but a blast nonetheless...)

 

[Garnfellow]

Most of the early modules (esp. U1-2-3 and Temple of Elemental Evil...) are well worth the cash on Ebay.

I've been finding that the ESDs of these classic modules are just as useful, and a heckuva lot cheaper. $5 for the Queen of the Spiders, delivered instantaneously to my computer, and cutable-and-pasteable?