Books that proved worth the money spent

[Giltonio_Santos]

Around three years ago, I was looking for good stuff in the pile of used books of a big convention and found 2E blue cover “Of Ships and the Sea” selling for something like 5 bucks. The price was definitively worth taking a look, so I got it without a lot of hope.

Three years later, the book has seen a lot of use in my campaigns. I run D&D 3.5, but I just find it being useful to me all the time. I purchased the book out of curiosity, and it has been more useful than a lot of stuff I invested more money into.

So, I’d like to know from your own hidden gems, those books you didn’t expect to be that useful on purchase but proved worth each penny in your campaigns. Alternatively I’d also like to hear about books that theoretically would get a lot of use but just ended up full of dust in your bookshelf (my examples for this would be the d20 Modern RPG and some 3.0 splats)

Cheers,

 

[Loonook]

Around three years ago, I was looking for good stuff in the pile of used books of a big convention and found 2E blue cover “Of Ships and the Sea” selling for something like 5 bucks. The price was definitively worth taking a look, so I got it without a lot of hope.

Three years later, the book has seen a lot of use in my campaigns. I run D&D 3.5, but I just find it being useful to me all the time. I purchased the book out of curiosity, and it has been more useful than a lot of stuff I invested more money into.

So, I’d like to know from your own hidden gems, those books you didn’t expect to be that useful on purchase but proved worth each penny in your campaigns. Alternatively I’d also like to hear about books that theoretically would get a lot of use but just ended up full of dust in your bookshelf (my examples for this would be the d20 Modern RPG and some 3.0 splats)

Cheers,

To be honest, any book I pick up gets thrown into the useful pile. Usually there is some sort of bit or piece I can glean out of it, some useful information or thought-provoking tidbit. I'm actually discussing this phenomenon a bit in the little writeups I'm doing in this subforum.

One I have yet to get to (even in the outlines I've got ready) is A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe. Even though a lot of my games are themselves d20 Modern (and none of those supplements gather dust let me tell ya ) MMS:WE is an amazing little piece of discussion on so many different topics that it isn't funny. Some really dull writing hides some great concepts and some real gems to work with.

Hmm, probably should write a bit about them...

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[megamania]

Blizzard's World of Warcraft Monster manual.

I don't play the game but I collect monster books. I didn't expect to find a lot of new stuff but I have come to really like the BBEG section. Its hard creating unique Epic level villians.

 

[Andre]

A couple PDF's: City Guide I, and City Guide II: Coffer of Coins by Dark Quest Games were remarkably helpful. I used roughly 80-90% of the material in fleshing out my towns. A few locations didn't catch on, but most were a big hit with the players.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Books I didn't expect to be useful, that are. . . or were? Not many. I'm pretty careful what I buy, usually.

Thieves' World (Green Ronin's version) is one such. I mean, it sounded cool and stuff, but it wasn't until I just bought it one day, kind of on a whim, that I realised just how cool - and truly useful - it is.

Incidentally, Of Ships & the Sea is something I've also got a lot of use out of, but I knew that would be the case beforehand.

 

[jdrakeh]

I don't buy something if I don't expect it to be very useful

 

[Captain Tagon]

Burning Wheel.

I picked it up for novelty factor after all the hype it gets and ended up falling in love with a lot of the ideas it presents. I don't use the system often, but a lot of the philosophy behind it influences almost any game I play.

I could say the same thing for Spirit of the Century and Zorceror of Zo.

 

[Sanguinemetaldawn]

So, I’d like to know from your own hidden gems, those books you didn’t expect to be that useful on purchase but proved worth each penny in your campaigns. Alternatively I’d also like to hear about books that theoretically would get a lot of use but just ended up full of dust in your bookshelf (my examples for this would be the d20 Modern RPG and some 3.0 splats)

d20 Fields of Blood / Book of War is really good, especially if you augment it with bits from Heroes of Battle that you like.

Of course, you do have to run a game that includes a lot of warfare and estate management oriented situations, for it to be that useful.

Also, Unearthed Arcana for 3E. A lot of the stuff is reprinted from elsewhere but having all alternate rules compiled into one book is very handy. Even if you only use half the book, its more than worth it. But I wasn't really surprised by that...that expectation is the reason I bought it.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I've been DMing 3E since 3E came out and have gotten heavy use of the following:

Complete Adventurer
Magic Item Compendium
Rules Compendium
Spell Compendium
Tome of Magic
Unearthed Arcana
Eberron Explorer's Handbook
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Forgotten Realms Player's Guide
Shackled City Hardcover
Dragon Compendium, Vol. I

Masque of the Red Death
Portals & Planes
Sorcery & Steam
Advanced Player's Guide
Arcana Evolved
Transcendence
Complete Book of Eldritch Might

 

[blargney the second]

The books I've bought with the biggest unexpected bangs for my buck have been:

Tome of Battle - a touch of feats or class levels from this book on monsters is great fun.
Magic of Incarnum - ditto.
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin) - aka how to screw with your players' heads.
DMG, MM1, PHB - they're all in the SRD, but it's even better to have both the SRD and the books.
Magic Item Compendium - phenomenally handy, it's seen very heavy use in every single game.

Those books have all seen way more use than I ever anticipated.
-blarg