D&D 5E Previous Edition Material You Find Still Valuable for 5e

Sacrosanct

Legend

• Mar 11, 2015

• #1

Just like the title says. What material do you have from previous editions that you still find very valuable in your 5e games. I think what still tops the list for me are:

* 2e's Creative Campaigning guide. Info never gets old.
* AD&D Encyclopedia Magica series. Don't have enough magic items in the DMG? These books are a wealth of magic items, and super easy to convert to 5e.
* AD&D Rogue's gallery. 5e is pretty easy to stat out on the fly for low to mid level NPCs, and this book is chalk full of personalities. You really don't even need to adjust much to still have them playable in the 5e world.

 

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J

JTorres

First Post

• Mar 11, 2015

• #2

Monster Mythology from 2nd edition. Its mainly fluff but I find it an enjoyable read whenever I pick it up and I have been using it heavily as I go about building my homebrew world for my 5th edition campaign. I'm hard pressed to find a section of that book that isn't useful.

 

Vymair

First Post

• Mar 11, 2015

• #3

Prior edition maps from published adventures are always valuable. Even full adventures as a source for ideas. I still enjoy the Manual of the Planes for flavor about the various planar structures.

I'll probably repackage Ptolus into another campaign at some point as well. Great material in there.

 

Last edited: Mar 11, 2015

Ezequielramone

Explorer

• Mar 11, 2015

• #4

- spell & item compendium
- settings and ad&d adventures
- the third era specifics monsters books (draconomicom, lord of madnes, drow of the underdark, etc)
- my entire ad&d forgotten realms collection. Special mention to aurora's whole realms catalog, ruins of undermountain and spellbound.
- manual of the planes
- forgotten realms cities of mystery
- temple of elemental evil
- all the dragonlance classics adventures
- I have used the "shadow deck" from shadowfell with other editions abs I plan to use it with the new ed.
- tome of magic from second ed.
- of course, minis, maps and accessories.
- random tables (encounters, treasure, etc)
- faiths and pantheons, and all the deities line from ad&d.

 

Gecko85

Explorer

• Mar 11, 2015

• #5

1e stuff:

* Citystate of the Invincible Overlord (Judge's Guild)
* Various Midkemia Press stuff: Cities, Carse, etc...
* Various Flying Buffalo stuff: Citybook Vol 1, Vol 2, etc.
* World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting
* Lankhmar
* Modules, modules, modules

 

TarionzCousin

Second Most Angelic Devil Ever

• Mar 11, 2015

• #6

I regularly mine Volo's Guides for my Forgotten Realm campaign. They are a great resource for taverns, inns, and shops.

Sacrosanct said:

* AD&D Rogue's gallery. 5e is pretty easy to stat out on the fly for low to mid level NPCs, and this book is chalk full of personalities.

Click to expand...

Some of those NPC's can't be trusted:

[sblock]

[/sblock]

 

R

Reynard

Legend

• Mar 11, 2015

• #7

It's not really an older edition source but a lateral one: Pathfinder's Ultimate Campaign has lots of cool subsystems that are easily portable.

 

Sacrosanct

Legend

• Mar 11, 2015

• #8

Ah, of course modules I should punish myself for forgetting those. Lord knows I've ran games through over a half dozen AD&D models using 5e so far.

 

TerraDave

5ever, or until 2024

• Mar 11, 2015

• #9

5E seems to play well with other editions.

For me, I am using some "B" adventures, then will move on to some "X" and others.

Still use the 1E DMG, but I always use that. Speaking of X, have also taken a little from the Moldvay Cook Expert rules.

I am sure I will be using the 1E Monster Manuals and Fiend Folio and the Encyclodedia Magica at some point.

 

TarionzCousin

Second Most Angelic Devil Ever

• Mar 11, 2015

• #10

Reynard said:

It's not really an older edition source but a lateral one: Pathfinder's Ultimate Campaign has lots of cool subsystems that are easily portable.

Click to expand...

We're about to have some "downtime" in my 5E game and I suggested the DM look at my Ultimate Campaign book for ideas. There are bucketloads of good ideas in it.