Bestest of the Bunch: favorite dnd books from 1rst to now

[foolish_mortals]

girls,

which books do you like the best out of the stuff that's been printed since the beginning of dnd time?

I like:
G123, D1-3 from first
Al-quadim from 2nd(I wish I had planescape, that always sounded cool).
3rd had this albino drow module that was cool to have.

foolish_mortals

 

[MarkChevallier]

BECMI D&D:
Basic Red Box. Got me started.
Rules Cyclopaedia. An excellent summation.

AD&D:
Dungeon Master's Guide. Fun.
Deities and Demigods. I like monster stats, and this was the ultimate monster stat book. I mean, pretty useless, but entertaining reading.

2nd edition
Planescape, the base set. A breath of fresh air.
And the Faces of Sigil book (and most of the stuff, to be honest).

3rd edition
Player's Handbook. A revitalisation of one of my favourite games, making it relevant and catering to my tastes in game design. Showed what could be done by keeping the feel and updating the rules. Let 5E be as accomplished!
Deities and Demigods, again. For the same dumb reasons.
Lords of Madness. My favourite monsters in stupid overdetail I would never ever need to actually run a game. But fun.
Red Hand of Doom. An actually well-written epic adventure that worked well within the 3e mindset.

4th edition:
I quite liked the preview books. They got me enthusiastic.

 

[Dragonblade]

Not counting core books, because those are a given. Here are my favorite books from all the editions:

BECMI
Rules Cyclopedia (still holds a place of honor on my shelf)

1e AD&D
Unearthed Arcana
Oriental Adventures

2e AD&D
Tome of Magic
Dark Sun (ALL)
Planescape (ALL)
Complete Book of Elves, Fighters, Ninjas, Wizards, Psionics

3e D&D
Tome of Battle (BEST 3e book hands down, IMO)
Ptolus Hardcover
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Eberron Campaign Setting
Epic Level Handbook
Spell Compendium
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Unearthed Arcana

Pathfinder
Advanced Player's Guide
Ultimate Magic
Ultimate Combat
Inner Sea World Guide

4e D&D
ALL (but if I had to pick: Dark Sun Campaign Setting and Heroes of Shadow)


Hmm, I think its clear what kind of game I like by my favorite books.

 

[Gilladian]

2nd edition:
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
Wilderness Survival Guide

3rd edition:
Spell Compendium
Magic Item Compendium

Adventures:
Sinister secret of Saltmarsh - I've used it in one form or another in every edition I've run.

 

[Stormonu]

BECMI
Basic Edition Boxed Set (Moldvay edition)
B2 - Keep on the Borderlands
B4 - The Lost City
X1 - Isle of Dread
X2 - Castle Amber
GAZ1-14 Gazetteers of the Known World
Red Steel campaign

AD&D1
Unearthed Arcana
S1 - Tomb of Horrors
S2 - White Plume Mountain
I6 - Ravenloft
A1-4 Slavelord series
I3-5 - Desert of Desolation series
L1-3 - Lendore Isles series
U1-U3 - Saltmarsh series
GDQ - Giants, Drow, Queen of the Demonweb series
Forgotten Realms (gray) Boxed Set
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide
Wilderness Survival Guide
DM's Screen
Dragon Magazine

AD&D2
Aurora's Whole Realms Guide
Al-Qadim softcover rulebook
Dark Sun boxed set
Complete (Fighter, Thief, Wizard, Bard)
Spelljammer boxed set
Astromundi boxed set
Birthright boxed set
Ravenloft 1st boxed set
Return to the Tomb of Horrors
Illithiad
I, Tyrant
The Sea Devils
Reverse Dungeon
Dragon Magazine
Dungeon Magazine

D&D 3/3.5E
Unearthed Arcana
Complete (Warrior, Adventurer, Arcane, Divine)
Fiend Folio
Ghostwalk
Dragon Compendium I
Sandstorm
Stormwrack
Frostburn
Forge of Fury
The Standing Stone
Dungeon Magazine

4E
The Slaying Stone

Granted, 4E wasn't my style, so my interaction with it was very small.

 

[caudor]

Cleric's Challenge II (for reasons I can't describe)
Of Sound Mind - Kevin Kulp, I think
Ravenloft (original module)
Inner Sea World Guide (pathfinder)

 

[TerraDave]

A top ten (with a little cheating):

1E DMG
Moldvay Basic
Ravenloft
Descent into the Depths and Vault of the Drow (as a set)
Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun and lost caverns of Tsojcanth (as a set)
Tomb of Horrors (through editions)
1E Deities and Demigods
3.0 PHB
Monster Vault
Manual of the Planes (through editions)

 

[Greg K]

BECMI
Known World Gazetteers
B1: In Search of the Unknown
B2: Keep on the Borderlands
X1: Isle of Dread

1e
DMG
Role Aids: Witches (Mayfair)
I3-5: Desert of Desolation series
L1-L2: Secret of Bone Hill and Assasin's Knot
I6: Ravenloft
S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (not so much for the adventure, but for being the first appearnce of Baphomet, Grazz't, etc.
T1: Village of Hommlet
U1-U3: Saltmarsh
Forgotten Realms Boxed Set
FR 1-14

2e
Complete Druid's Handbook
Complete Thief's Handbook
PO: Combat and Tactics (TSR)
PO: Spells and Magic (TSR)
Faiths and Avatars
Powers and Pantheons
Demihuman Deities
Arabian Adventures
Land of Fate
Darksun (original boxed set)
Ravenloft: Realm of Terror

3e
Unearthed Arcana (WOTC)
Poisoncraft (Blue Devil Games)
Artificer's Handbook (Mystic Eye Games)
Book of Iron Might (Malhavoc Press) (IMO, much better than Tome of Battle or 4e Martial Powers)
Psychic's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Shaman's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Witch's Handbook (Green Ronin)
From Stone to Steel (Monkey God/ Highmoon)
The Bestiary: Predators (Betabunny)
Fiendish Codex 1 (WOTC)
Book of Fiends (Green Ronin)
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin)
Book of Templates (Silverthorne/Published by Goodman Games) (Deluxe Book of Templates Revised in PDF)
Redhurst Academy (Human Head)
A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe (Expeditious Retreat)
Beyond Countless Doorways (Malhavoc Press)
Experts 3.5 (Skirmisher Press)
Elements of Magic: Revised (EN Publishing)
Elements of Magic: Lyceum Arcana (EN Publishing)
Elements of Magic: Mythic Earth (EN Publishing)

Honorable Mentions
Book of Experimental Might (Malhavoc)
Trailblazer (Bad Axe Games)
Cavalier's Handbook (Green Ronin) sans the class itself
Book of the Righteous (Green Ronin)
Holy Warriors Handbook (Green Ronin)
Unholy Warrior's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Advanced Rules for Beginners (EN Publishing)
Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns (EN Publishing)
Noble Steeds (Avalanche Press)
Hot Pursuit (Adamant)
Hot Pursuit: On Foot (Adamant)
Frost and Fur (Monkey God/Highmoon)
Airships (Baston Press/Dragonwing)
Alchemy and Herbalists (Bastion Press/Dragonwing)
Torn Asunder (Bastion Press/Dragonwing)
Corsairs (Adamant)
Stormwrack (WOTC)
Heroes of Horror (WOTC)
Lords of Madness (WOTC)

 

[mkill]

Planescape Boxed Set
This was a rhetoric question, wasn't it?

For second place, I'd vote the 3rd edition PHB, because it raised D&D from the dead and ushered in a new era.