Best Five RPG Books You Own

[tvknight415]

1. Rules Cyclopedia (Basic D&D) - complete role-playing in a single book. The title that qualifies for "if I was stuck on a desert island and could only have 1 RPG book, this would be it." Although I prefer Moldvay B/X version of the rulebooks for sentimental reasons, this is by far the best and most complete presentation of the Basic D&D rules.

2. Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook - amazing evolution of the 3.x rules. I'd rather play Pathfinder than 3.x D&D any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

3. Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set - while Domains of Dread would be my pick for a single-source of information on Ravenloft (in the "if I could only have one book" vein), the original boxed set is still the creme-de-la-creme presentation of the setting.

4. S1: The Tomb of Horrors - The ultimate Dungeon Crawl, bar none. Still getting inspiration from this module 20 plus years after I first saw it.

5. B2: The Keep on the Borderlands - I just can't leave this module off my top 5, even though there are probably better adventures in my library. The first D&D module I ever ran.

 

[Kafen]

Anyway...I was thinkin' there are probably some great books/products I need to buy, so, tell me, what are the five best RPG books/products you own...and tell me why.

RPG Must Haves

Fangoria #97: Zombies, Chucky, Cyborgs, and Magic Portals. The articles call me back to main stream concepts when I veer too far off.

October 1977, Terror Tales: The stories are a good over view of classic horror up to that point. I take much from the genre for my fantasy games.

August 1978, Creepy #100: The stories detail the modern/science fiction genre. I like the campy feel of the decade for my sci-fi games.

Central Casting Dungeons, Robert L. Sassone from Task Force Games: It's brief, concise, and focuses its vision on dungeon crafting. It's my Easy Button on crunch night.

Time-Life Books, Great Ages of Man, series, Classical Greece 1965: It's vintage! Joking... It's old, but it keeps my mind fresh on Greek Lore. My players find themselves facing much of the content on table top.

I know... It's not RPG stats, but I can pick most any game system and do something with it using the books. I have more on the shelf, but these obviously are my top five.

 

[Primal]

In no particular order (if there was an order, Freeport would be first):

Pathfinder RPG
Pathfinder Campaign Setting
Freeport
Midnight, 2nd edition
Forgotten Realms, old Grey Box (at the time, this was my nirvana)

A man after my heart! Here are mine (in no particular order):

Pathfinder RPG
Pathfinder Campaign Setting
Pathfinder Bestiary
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (3E)
Forgotten Realms, old Grey Box

 

[Mallus]

Mutants and Masterminds 2nd edition.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying 2nd edition.
Champions 4th edition.
Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved.
Book of Nine Swords.

 

[Stormonu]

My top 5

1) Moldvay & Cook Basic D&D: This set is the best blend of presenting rules and teaching the game. The Holmes was a little too heady and the versions that followed took up too much space teaching, making them difficult to be reference books. Also, they lacked B2 - IMO the best Basic adventure module of them all.

2) Tome of Horrors Revised: So many good, forgotten creatures in this book it is the best monster supplement beyond the MM, in my opinion. Just wish they had managed to do an actual print copy instead of just PDF (though I did print out my own copy for use).

3) Vampire, 2nd Ed: While I'm playing the New WoD with my players, I still love the 2E version best (sans the antitribue stuff).

4) Serenity: Good solid system. Personally I feel it is a revised and updated version of the Alternity system.

5) L5R - This was a game that sold me on the world detail. I'd bought all the books to read long before I actually played a game. Truly, the 3E version is the pinnacle of this system.

Other shout-outs would go to Deadlands, 7th Sea and Fading suns - all games with incredible worlds and elegant systems (though I wouldn't touch the d20 versions of any of them). Spycraft was also a dream system for me, it let me finally bring my C.OR.E. Vette spy world to reality.

Edit: Reading some of the other responses, I forget Star Wars D6 Revised and Expanded; my favorite system for my Star Wars fix.

 

[Cyronax]

My five, in no particular order:

- Star Wars SAGA (main book)
- D&D Rules Cyclopedia
- World of Greyhawk (1980 Folio Edition)
- Red hand of Doom (3.5 adventure)
- 4e DMG2

 

[Mournblade94]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st ed. rulebook: By far the best RPG flavor/setting material I've ever owned.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd ed. rulebook: By far the best RPG system/rules material I've ever owned.

AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide 1st ed.: By far the most useful/inspirational RPG book I've ever owned.

Basic/Expert D&D Rulebooks (1980 Moldvay/Cook versions): The simplest and most easy to learn fantasy RPG system/rules I've ever owned.

Original Star Frontiers SFRPG boxed set: The simplest and most easy to learn science fiction RPG system/rules I've ever owned.

Pretty much my list would mirror this except I would replace WFRP 2nd edition with the ALTERNITY PLAYERS HANDBOOK. I just scored the GENCON preview copy from 1998. GO me!

 

[ProtoClone]

CoC: Dreamlands - In the middle of writing a D&D style adventure set in this wonderfully horrifically weird land.

Delta Green - Never have I seen a labor of love come through the pages like I have with DG.

Mutants & Masterminds - have yet to play it completely but love making characters with it.

Prometheus - Despite what some people would say is a hard to justify "why" game, I think originality was on overtime for this one.

Changling - Once again, originality working overtime.

 

[jdrakeh]

CoC: Dreamlands - In the middle of writing a D&D style adventure set in this wonderfully horrifically weird land.

Me, too!

 

[Aus_Snow]

CoC: Dreamlands

Hm, good call. One of my most treasured RPG possessions, that's for sure. Just don't know if it'll be my fifth. . .

Chang[e]ling - Once again, originality working overtime.

Which one in particular? There are three, at least, that spring to mind.