D&D 5E Least Favorite WotC 5E Book?

[Parmandur]

If you ignore all the Acq Inc trade dress, underneath there’s actually a solidly decent set of rules for running a business as part of a D&D game.

The included adventure’s not half bad either.

Yeah, and I don't regret having it (particularly since the other two AdvebI own on Beyond are Lost Mines and Dragon of Icespire Peak!). Just...doesn't tickle my fancy the way that even the uneven 5E books do.

 

[MockingBird]

If you ignore all the Acq Inc trade dress, underneath there’s actually a solidly decent set of rules for running a business as part of a D&D game.

The included adventure’s not half bad eiteither

I definitely need to take another look at the book. I've heard a lot of good things about it. I'm definitely judging a book by its cover here.

 

[MockingBird]

It's not the best Adventure in 5E, but it's pretty good: it certainly set the mold WotC ended up mostly using to good effect, transitioning from the railroad of Tyranny of Dragons to a sandbox region. If you like the idea, I'd say it's worthwhile.

It's one those I've wanted to pick up but usually a new book comes out that I want more haha

 

[pukunui]

Princes of the Apocalypse - missed it when first released. I want it but I continue to see people say how poor it is.

I think the only thing that drags it down is that if the PCs decide to go after all four cults, it could get repetitive. Otherwise, it’s a pretty solid sandbox campaign with one of the best intro adventures since T1 (I’m talking about the optional “Trouble in Red Larch” bit here).

I haven’t run PotA as a campaign, but I’ve used a good chunk of it to great effect in other campaigns – and I think that’s a real selling point of all the 5e adventure books.

Need a giant’s lair? Grab one from SKT. Need an urban sewer dungeon? Grab one from Dragon Heist. Need an elemental cultist lair? Take your pick from the ones in PotA. And so on.

 

[Parmandur]

I think the only thing that drags it down is that if the PCs decide to go after all four cults, it could get repetitive. Otherwise, it’s a pretty solid sandbox campaign with one of the best intro adventures since T1 (I’m talking about the optional “Trouble in Red Larch” bit here).

I haven’t run PotA as a campaign, but I’ve used a good chunk of it to great effect in other campaigns – and I think that’s a real selling point of all the 5e adventure books.

Need a giant’s lair? Grab one from SKT. Need an urban sewer dungeon? Grab one from Dragon Heist. Need an elemental cultist lair? Take your pick from the ones in PotA. And so on.

Very much an intentional design strategy on Chris Perkins part: sure, the books provide a story thsr can, usually and by and large, be run as weitten: but all of the books definitely work as sorts of catalogs of pieces.

 

[cbwjm]

Keys from the Golden Vault. Again, it isn't one I've had any real look through other than whatever previews came out so it might have some good content in there, but the book itself just didn't grab me though to the point I'd forgotten it existed until I was reading a dndbeyond email.

 

[pukunui]

Keys from the Golden Vault. Again, it isn't one I've had any real look through other than whatever previews came out so it might have some good content in there, but the book itself just didn't grab me though to the point I'd forgotten it existed until I was reading a dndbeyond email.

I’m running it as part of an episodic Eberron campaign featuring an all-gnome party. I’ve been posting about my experiences so far (I’ve run two adventures and we’re partway through a third) here at ENWorld.

(On my phone on the bus so will find the link and add it here later.)

EDIT: Here's the link to my Golden Vault playthrough commentary thread: https://www.enworld.org/threads/keys-from-the-golden-vault-play-reports.697715/

 

[EzekielRaiden]

But have you read it?

Yes. That's a big part of why I dislike it so much. I can't get those hours back.

 

[Retreater]

My worst list...

Worst Core Rulebook
The DMG - should've provided better rules for DMs. Had lots of useless information about campaign pre-planning, but not much for designing traps or magic items, awarding treasure, different styles of games, or other useful advice.

Worst Intro Level Adventure
Waterdeep Dragon Heist - No Heist, railroaded adventures. Scant information on the city of Waterdeep. Designed to use less than 1/4th of content - so lots of wasted material. Completely anti-climactic ending.

Worst Setting Book
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft - Utterly missed the point of the original setting. Very few details about the actual settings ... could've just focused on like 3 of them REALLY well. Written with the depth of a tablespoon.

Worst Campaign Adventure (tie)
Storm Lord's Thunder - A convoluted plot. A terrible intro that demanded the party stumble into it without logic.

Worst Campaign Adventure (tie)
Rime of the Frost Maiden - Illogical weather patterns. Tacked on ending that had nothing to do with the rest of the adventure. Lawful Good cities committing organized human sacrifice. Dogs and cats, living together.

 

[Parmandur]

It's one those I've wanted to pick up but usually a new book comes out that I want more haha

Very fair. Weird thing to note is that, at this point, PotA has been in print longer than the core for 3E and 3.5...combined.