Best RPG books any system, any publisher
- Thread starter Crothian
- Start date
Holy Bovine
First Post
Classic Traveller. None of the later editions ever came close to these black n' red beauties.
Star Wars d20 Revised. I liked the d6 version but the newest one really got me interested in playing in the Star Wars universe. The old d6 version, where stormtroopers were less effective in their armour than out of it, never really appealed to me.
Warhammer FRP. Dark. Grim. Gritty. And all without angsty vampires!
Rules Cyclopedia D&D. My god what more could you cram into one hardback? Monsters, spells, 'prestige classes' and entire game world. Full colour maps. This is an esstential book for anyone who has ever played D&D.
Star Wars d20 Revised. I liked the d6 version but the newest one really got me interested in playing in the Star Wars universe. The old d6 version, where stormtroopers were less effective in their armour than out of it, never really appealed to me.
Warhammer FRP. Dark. Grim. Gritty. And all without angsty vampires!
Rules Cyclopedia D&D. My god what more could you cram into one hardback? Monsters, spells, 'prestige classes' and entire game world. Full colour maps. This is an esstential book for anyone who has ever played D&D.
Xeriar
First Post
Legend of the Five Rings main book (or books, though I think I prefer 1st edition)
- Bearers of Jade (Just worth the read, period)
- Otasan Uchi boxed set. It's a -CITY-!
H.O.L. - Human Occupied Landfill... Full of things that would make any grandma go blind, but... damn it's a riot.
Shadowrun (3rd edition) - One of the most beautiful settings around.
Ars Magica - nicely innovative magic system.
Paranoia - Trust in the Computer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned out pretty well.
Fading Suns had a beautiful setting, but nearly everything else was lacking IMO.
- Bearers of Jade (Just worth the read, period)
- Otasan Uchi boxed set. It's a -CITY-!
H.O.L. - Human Occupied Landfill... Full of things that would make any grandma go blind, but... damn it's a riot.
Shadowrun (3rd edition) - One of the most beautiful settings around.
Ars Magica - nicely innovative magic system.
Paranoia - Trust in the Computer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned out pretty well.
Fading Suns had a beautiful setting, but nearly everything else was lacking IMO.
The Cardinal
First Post
Delta Green - CoC at its best
Unknown Armies 2e - the only game fiction I've ever liked
GURPS Cabal - the WoD done right (and the magic system is a beauty)
GURPS Horror 3e - the ultimate guide to horror roleplaying
Suppressed Transmission 1&2 - every weirdness you'll ever need (incl. a great bibliography)
Aria - beautiful and inspiring
Unknown Armies 2e - the only game fiction I've ever liked
GURPS Cabal - the WoD done right (and the magic system is a beauty)
GURPS Horror 3e - the ultimate guide to horror roleplaying
Suppressed Transmission 1&2 - every weirdness you'll ever need (incl. a great bibliography)
Aria - beautiful and inspiring
Dirt
Explorer
Fantasy
Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide - Something that I ALWAYS felt was lacking from the GMG (of all versions) was material about GMing. I found the sourcebook to be helpful (even for experienced GMs).
Hackmaster PHB - The idea of a D&D parody kept me away from this little gem for quite awhile. But, once I read it (and it's a humorous and engaging read), I found some solid and interesting game mechanics...and it sparked some of that old AD&D nostalgia! Plus the new rules - penetration damage, extensive critical hit charts...fun stuff!
Any of the Joseph and Francis Gies books - great for adding some realism to your fantasy game.
SciFi
Shadowrun 3E - great game, great setting. The gritty cyberpunk genre thrown together with magic and fantasy races...
Traveller - solid game...but the races seemed to be inspired by a trip to the local zoo. Make some of your own races instead, and it makes a great scifi setting with more "hard science" than most scifi games can muster.
Star Frontiers - I love this game for nostalgia reasons...1st scifi game I ever played...I still flip through the books every now and then.
Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide - Something that I ALWAYS felt was lacking from the GMG (of all versions) was material about GMing. I found the sourcebook to be helpful (even for experienced GMs).
Hackmaster PHB - The idea of a D&D parody kept me away from this little gem for quite awhile. But, once I read it (and it's a humorous and engaging read), I found some solid and interesting game mechanics...and it sparked some of that old AD&D nostalgia! Plus the new rules - penetration damage, extensive critical hit charts...fun stuff!
Any of the Joseph and Francis Gies books - great for adding some realism to your fantasy game.
SciFi
Shadowrun 3E - great game, great setting. The gritty cyberpunk genre thrown together with magic and fantasy races...
Traveller - solid game...but the races seemed to be inspired by a trip to the local zoo. Make some of your own races instead, and it makes a great scifi setting with more "hard science" than most scifi games can muster.
Star Frontiers - I love this game for nostalgia reasons...1st scifi game I ever played...I still flip through the books every now and then.
I'm gonna put in an obscure one - started reading through it for the first time today, to prep for a mini-campaign I'm running.
Marvel Superheroes Deluxe City Campaign Set. Chock full of more juicy tidbits for supers gaming than pretty much anything around. You wanna know how far down a sewer tunnel is? It's in there. Wanna now what skyscraper foundations are like? It's in there. Need to know how many subway station NYC has? It's in there. Wanna know about the war between the rats and the frogs of Central Park? It's in there. Wanna know how to animate the Statue of Liberty to help defend freedom and democracy? It's in there.
I think you see the pattern
Marvel Superheroes Deluxe City Campaign Set. Chock full of more juicy tidbits for supers gaming than pretty much anything around. You wanna know how far down a sewer tunnel is? It's in there. Wanna now what skyscraper foundations are like? It's in there. Need to know how many subway station NYC has? It's in there. Wanna know about the war between the rats and the frogs of Central Park? It's in there. Wanna know how to animate the Statue of Liberty to help defend freedom and democracy? It's in there.
I think you see the pattern
Hjorimir
Adventurer
Marvel Super Heroes - Is super easy and encourages big flashy combat which is perfect for hero games.
RuneQuest - I loved to melee in this game. It wasn't complicated while it still managed to be realistic and gritty. I just wish that the magic system had a bit more flash to it.
Dungeons & Dragons - I have more fond memories in D&D than can be listed at this point.
Rolemaster - I love the sophistication of the system. The only downside is things can slow down too much as you reference all the charts. (ICE is getting ready to release a similar, faster system called HARP soon that has caught my eye for an upcoming game I'd like to run.)
RuneQuest - I loved to melee in this game. It wasn't complicated while it still managed to be realistic and gritty. I just wish that the magic system had a bit more flash to it.
Dungeons & Dragons - I have more fond memories in D&D than can be listed at this point.
Rolemaster - I love the sophistication of the system. The only downside is things can slow down too much as you reference all the charts. (ICE is getting ready to release a similar, faster system called HARP soon that has caught my eye for an upcoming game I'd like to run.)
WayneLigon
Adventurer
1. Strike Force for Champions 4rth Ed - a fascinating glimpse into a wonderful personal campaign world by the best Champions writer ever.
2. Traveller original books - Everything an RPG should be: elegant and self-contained in one package.
3. Call of Cthulhu, any edition. Again, self-contained. Great and unique RPG.
4. Cardboard Heroes. I mourn that no more are being made when it's obvious that they'd still sell well. I assume the Fiery Dragon counters sell well since they keep making new ones, so I'd think that means these would sell well again; why not re-issue all the old sets and more more new ones?
5. City State of the Invincible Overlord by Judge's Guild. Not the boxed pretty edition, the original vellum map and newsprint book in a ziplock baggie. Hours and hours of value in that one package, and years ahead of it's time. It remained pretty much the only real city book for a vast span of time, too.
6. Empire of the Petal Throne. Unique, but I never got it until years later because it was (at $30!) tremendously expensive (what with the vinyl maps and everything). I wish someone actually played this where I am.
7. RuneQuest. Ah, for the days when Second Edition RQ ruled the roost as far as providing a fantasy alternative to D&D. The first game (other than EPT) that came with this huge background and unique world setting. Lots of support for it, had it's own magazine, etc...
2. Traveller original books - Everything an RPG should be: elegant and self-contained in one package.
3. Call of Cthulhu, any edition. Again, self-contained. Great and unique RPG.
4. Cardboard Heroes. I mourn that no more are being made when it's obvious that they'd still sell well. I assume the Fiery Dragon counters sell well since they keep making new ones, so I'd think that means these would sell well again; why not re-issue all the old sets and more more new ones?
5. City State of the Invincible Overlord by Judge's Guild. Not the boxed pretty edition, the original vellum map and newsprint book in a ziplock baggie. Hours and hours of value in that one package, and years ahead of it's time. It remained pretty much the only real city book for a vast span of time, too.
6. Empire of the Petal Throne. Unique, but I never got it until years later because it was (at $30!) tremendously expensive (what with the vinyl maps and everything). I wish someone actually played this where I am.
7. RuneQuest. Ah, for the days when Second Edition RQ ruled the roost as far as providing a fantasy alternative to D&D. The first game (other than EPT) that came with this huge background and unique world setting. Lots of support for it, had it's own magazine, etc...
