After the core, what is the "must have" 3.5 book?

[Nonlethal Force]

Totally depends on style. I like the following ...

For me:

I like psionics: XPH - and yes, I easily passed on Complete Psi

I like rule variants: Unearthed Arcana

I like options: PHB II

I like Dragons: Draconomicon

Unearthed Arcana doesn't usually make me top three, but it is easily fourth. The reason it doesn't make my typical top three is because most people don't get into variant rules. I love 'em!

 

[Psion]

Unearthed Arcana doesn't usually make me top three, but it is easily fourth. The reason it doesn't make my typical top three is because most people don't get into variant rules. I love 'em!

I like variant rules, but out of the book, I think that a typical game will only see a handful of the rules therein.

That said, the rules variants I use, I use every game. I don't know how I ever lived without the feat-substitution version of action points.

 

[Greg K]

What does Unearthed Arcana bring to the table?

It brings a lot of options.

My favorites:
1. Racial variants by environment (arctic, aquatic, desert, jungle)

2. Class variants. My favorites variants are:
a. Barbarian Hunter: gives up rage and gains the ranger's favorite enemy and combat styles.
b. Bard variants: bardic sage, divine bard, savage bard
c. Cleric: cloistered cleric and champion of good
d. Fighter: Thug
e. Monk: fighting styles
f. Ranger: urban ranger
g. Rogue
-- Martial Rogue: gives up sneak attack for fighter feats
-- Wilderness Rogue: Imo, much better than the Scout
h. sorcerer: battle sorcerer. I prefer this to the duskblade
i. specialist wizards variant abilities: replacement abilities for scribe scroll, familiar, and specialist bonus spells. This is what I had wanted as core for specialists.

3. Spontaneous Divine Casting
4. Spontanteous Domain Casting
5. Spell Point Magic system
6. Favorite Environment: a variant that replaces Favored Enemy.
7. Weapon Groups
8. Armor as DR
9. Action Points
10. hexes instead of squares
11. different summoning list setups
12. Incantions
13. Reputation
14. Sanity
16. Paladin and Rangers as PrC

Options that are interesting, but poorly handled and/or incomplete
Class based defense
Injury ( Mutants and Masterminds Damage Save
Wound Point/vitality

Some other available options (not a complete list)
Racial Paragons
Bloodlines
Gestalt Characters
Scion Feats and classes
Replacing d20 with 3d6
Alternate Skill systems
Character Traits/flaws
Craft Points
Damage Conversion
Reserve Hit Points

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Spell Compendium then PHBII.

 

[Greg K]

I guess I'll never understand the love some people have for the PHB2. I liked the cleric and druid variant abilities, some of the spells, some of the feats and the affiliations, but I didn't find enough content interesting enough to want to buy the book

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I guess I'll never understand the love some people have for the PHB2. I liked the cleric and druid variant abilities, some of the spells, some of the feats and the affiliations, but I didn't find enough content interesting enough to want to buy the book

See, I loved the classes - including the dragon shaman. Duskblade was worth it and is easily my favorite. Dragon Shaman comes in second, then beguiler, and then the knight. Additionally, I really like the class variants. The affiliations give a great perspective to in game organizations, although I wish they would have stayed away from things like skill boosts/bonus feats. I would have preferred non-tangible things like "provides guard for player's tower while away," "provides apprentice for player to man the business/school while adventuring," or even "borrow magical item of X value for Y days per month," or even "trade magical items on a 1 to 1 (gold based) basis." But, the concept is great. Honestly, though ... I love the retooling rules. The character rebuilding rules are cool, but in my opinion the retooling rules are excellent.

Typically, I don't even notice the spell section of most books. I catalogue 'em and often forget 'em.

Options that are interesting, but poorly handled and/or incomplete
Class based defense

I find the class base defense really well balanced. Plus, it's not really hard to extend it for the new classes. Any PrC that don't give armor proficiency doesn't change the class defense for the character. Any PrC that does give armor proficiency isn't that hard to figure out. What about it do you think is poorly handled or incomplete?

 

[Particle_Man]

PHB II saved the high level fighter.

Plus (not relevant here, since the OP is going off core +1, but still...) I am playing a Hexblade and love the "skirmisher" type given as example in the back of the book AND the alternate class feature.

Oh, and for DMs, the quickie 1-20 NPC character generator in the back is pretty useful, I'd say.

For players that love fluff, there is even fluff! Detailed ideas for character backgrounds and personality types.

 

[Psion]

PHB II saved the high level fighter.

Plus (not relevant here, since the OP is going off core +1, but still...) I am playing a Hexblade and love the "skirmisher" type given as example in the back of the book AND the alternate class feature.

Oh, and for DMs, the quickie 1-20 NPC character generator in the back is pretty useful, I'd say.

Yeah, the stuff I like about PHB II is the stuff nobody talks about. Feats, spells, NPC tables. Creative and/or interesting stuff.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

If you like psionics, XPH by a huge huge margin. It really adds more to the game than any other book published beyond the core three.

If you don't, then I would say PHBII. Four solid classes, and options (generally quite good) for all the PHB base classes. Add on a few fighter feats, and it is gold.

Past thsoe two, none really, though next I would say complete adventurer, as it has seomthing for everyone. Then the rest of the complete books (sans psionics) Then races, environment nad down the road.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I guess I'll never understand the love some people have for the PHB2. I liked the cleric and druid variant abilities, some of the spells, some of the feats and the affiliations, but I didn't find enough content interesting enough to want to buy the book

For me it is three things.

1. 4 solid base classes. Some people might not like them, but they are all good in my book. None of them seem to me to be niche characters either, though none are as versatile and can support as many builds as the PHB character classes.

2. The varients on all the other base classes from the complete series and beyond (Though one has to wonder why they did not put the four bases classes in the SAME BOOK into the lineup for different abilities)

3. Feats. Lots of good fighter feats for levels 12+ Especially ones that give free attacks for little investment. Fighters are all about attacks, and any feats that give extra ones are gold.

Affiliations nad the other stuff I could do without, but if I were a new player, the play options would be invaluable, espeially if all my freinds had never played before either. It was quite nostalgic reading for me.