DaveMage said:
The scenario:
You own the three D&D core rulebooks.
You have US$ 200 to spend on any D&D-related d20 print products, including WotC products. What are the best products out there? Presume you are paying list price, but for the sake of argument ignore sales taxes, shipping, etc.
...
(My ulterior motive for this thread is to help decide what to get someone who may be getting into D&D in the near future. I'd also like to offer pointers on what to buy after the core rulebooks. Thanks!)
Since you are talking about someone who may be getting into D&D, I am going to skew my comments toward the angle of s/he being a
player and not a DM.
I don't think it's the best idea to get your friend $200 of books at once when they are first starting. In fact, I think maybe the Basic Set or Adventure Game and just the Player's Handbook. Be willing to play a few adventures from the Adventure Game (they are short). I would also recommend a few novels, especially if your group is playing in a published setting that has novels written on it.
D&D Adventure Game ($10): If you end up buying this stuff later on, then I would say go for the Basic Set. The Basic Set will be out in September 2004, it retails for $25, but I think there will be more color and it will have the 16 D&D Miniatures to facilitate a transition from board games to role-playing games. The Adventure Game is pretty darned inexpensive at $10, it comes in a box, has a set of dice, simplified color character sheet of eight iconic characters, a simplified Rule Book for reading after the first few adventures, an Adventure Book, a poster map, and token pieces to represent the characters on the map.
Draconomicon ($40): Beautiful book. Lots of great stuff on the game's namesake creature. The huge block at the end isn't very useful for a player (the 120 dragons: personalities and stat blocks), but the rest of the book is great and even the spells and the monsters are good to read. Check out
Silven Crossroads' review of Draconomicon
Eberron ($40): Another beautiful book. Eberron is getting great reviews across the Internet, and it aims to capture cinematic elements that many RPGs try to recreate at the gaming table. In a way you can think of Eberron as D&D fantasy but if it had achieved the next level of innovation and integrated magic more into everyday life. Check out
Silven Crossroads' review of Eberron
Next, I think it is important for new players to realize that the rules are a foundation and there is a whole d20 universe out there that has some great books just waiting to be realized. If your friend is a fan of Harry Potter, then I would recommend the
Redhurst: Academy of Magic book. If he is a fan of dwarves or elves (and you know this from LotR), then there are plenty of good race-related books about there.
Midnight is a great contrast to many published settings where there is a balance between good and evil, but I'm not sure I would recommend it to a new player because it's good to know as a player that your character will make a difference and while setting Izraedor's plans back a few weeks or maybe months with your personal sacrifice, I think that most players get more reward by knowing their character's actions have a more lasting effect.
If your friend is into Babylon 5 or Stargate SG-1, then I would recommend those books as a backdoor way to get them to realize that they have do anything with role-playing, and those books are simply well done.
I think the other must have would be
Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed ($30): Well made book. Different but similar races and classes. The magic system is interesting. Also the whole system has great flavor to it that literally enforces role-playing with the ceremonies, oaths, and the setup of the world. Check out
Silven Crossroads' review of Arcana Unearthed
Money spent: $120, leaving you with $80 to spend on some things that you think your friend will like. There are Warcraft and Everquest books out there, but the Everquest system uses different power levels than D&D. A
subscription to Dragon Magazine isn't a bad idea either, but then your buddy may become one of those WOTC only buyers
)
