Best Five RPG Books You Own

[GlassEye]

Den of Thieves - A 2e product and the best handling of thieves, errr... rogues that I've run across.

Faeries - An Ars Magica product with a folkloric take on fey creatures that I really like.

Elements of Magic Revised - A spellpoint magic system that really encourages creative magic use. The idea of magic traditions is slowly but surely bringing more depth to my campaign world.

Advanced Bestiary - Some really innovative ideas for altering monsters. Too many Dread [undead] perhaps but the others are gold.

_____ Name Tables - A series of name tables (Gaelic, Roman, etc.) by Terra Ferax Innovations. Has helped me out of a naming jam many times.

And I'll second these products that others have already mentioned: GURPS Vikings, Transhuman Space, & Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe.

 

[Ahnehnois]

3.5 Core - Well duh.

Unearthed Arcana - So many options, you can't not find some you like.

Complete Adventurer - By far the best of the complete books, with classes and feats that me and my players use regularly. I've never seen a better overall collection of prestige classes-things that should be prestige classes, are generic and usable in most games, aren't stupid in concept, and are well-balanced. Also dug an organization out of the back that I'm now using.

Libris Mortis - Currently running undead-heavy campaign. Couldn't have asked for a better selection of monsters and things to do with them.

Call of Cthulhu d20 - Besides having run a couple short games, this rules-lite book gave me tons of inspiration for storybuilding in general.

 

[jaerdaph]

Top five, in no particular order:

1. Masque of the Red Death original boxed set from TSR
2. Dark●Matter, Alternity version TSR
3. Thrilling Tales Omnibus Edition, Adamant Entertainment
4. True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Green Ronin
5. Blood and Spooks, RPGObjects

Honorable mentions:
The Psychic's Handbook, Green Ronin
Damnation Decade, Green Ronin
Swashbuckling Adventures (d20 7th Sea)
The Pirate's Guide to Freeport, Green Ronin
The Book of Unremitting Horror, Pelgrane Press
d20 Modern, WotC

 

[Karl Green]

Mine... hmmm... hard to chose so few, but...

- Iron Kingdom Monsternomicon vol. I
- Iron Kingdom, Five Fingers: Port of Deciet
- Star Wars Saga ed.
- All Flesh Must Be Eaten: Dungeons and Zombies
- Fading Suns Core Rules 2nd ed (even through I am not a fan of the rules I LOVE this book)

 

[Michael Morris]

1. PHB
2. DMG
3. MM
4. Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe
5. Unearthed Arcana

The only other book I use is one I wrote myself.

 

[jdrakeh]

I suppose that I should give JAGS: Revised Edition and honorable mention. It isn't the all-purpose, self-contained, tool-kit that Hero FRED is (i.e., it doesn't contain rules for magic or other powers, most notably) but the writing is much more accessible (i.e., not totally dry) and to its credit, everything covered in the pages of the core book is covered thoroughly and has been heavily playtested for mechanical balance.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Star Wars SAGA Edition, Magic Item Compendium, Legend of the Five Rings 3e, Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Ed, and Wheel of Time d20.

No particular order, really. They're all fantastic.

-TRRW

 

[Nightfall]

Geez...

Am I the only one that's bought this book!? I mean it's a GREAT book!

 

[Korgoth]

OK, I'll play!

1) Moldvay/Cook Basic & Expert Dungeons and Dragons rules. To me, the pinnacle of D&D.
2) 1e DMG. Gygax gygaxing. Even if you don't use a single rule from it, it's worth reading.
3) Gamma World 1e. Rock and awesome, triple-distilled in like 45 pages.
4) Call of Cthulhu leather anniversary sooper-dooper edition. It's got serious class.
5) Classic Traveller. An amazing game, though it really comes into its own with the supplements.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition
Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness
Arcana Evolved
Forgotten Realms: Faiths and Avatars
D&D 3.0 Players Handbook