Class Books - which do you recommend?

[Brother Shatterstone]

For fighter-types, Masters of Arms is one of my all time favorite books. It is ALL about feats and classes specializing in different weapon types/style.

Ohhh I just saw the reviews and I have a new book on my wish list.

Also I would like to add GR's books, the Unholy Warrior handbook is just awesome... I've thought many times of DMing just so I can play with this. but to get the most use out of it you need their Book of Righteous for the Holy Warrior and Unholy Warrior are interchangeable in places. BoR is a must have anyway.

 

[Pants]

Complete Warrior - 4.5/5 (Does pretty much everything right, although the fact that it took WotC two times to get some of these right is starting to very slowly lower my opinion of them. Plus, I'm not too fond of the Weapon Combo PrC's. Still a good book despite all of that.)
Sword and Fist - 1/5 (What a stinking pile of excrement)
Song and Silence - 1/5 (See above...)
Tome and Blood - 4.5/5 (Great spells, great feats, great PrC's. I love this book)
Masters of the Wild - 3/5 (Not bad at all, some balance issues, but it's still a 'nice' book).
Path of the Sword - 2/5 (Incidentally, I found it better than Sword and Fist, but still a major letdown).

 

[Dark Jezter]

I must say that I'm very impressed with Complete Warrior. It has a very good selection of feats, spells, core classes, prestige classes, and magic items. It also has neat rules for gladiatorial combat and mercenary campaigns. It's everything that Sword & Fist should have been.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

I must say that I'm very impressed with Complete Warrior. It has a very good selection of feats, spells, core classes, prestige classes, and magic items. It also has neat rules for gladiatorial combat and mercenary campaigns. It's everything that Sword & Fist should have been.

Just one caveat: Over half of CW is classes. This is why, though I like the feats and other stuff, I don't feel it's worth paying full price (unless, of course, you like lots of prestige classes ).

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Just one caveat: Over half of CW is classes. This is why, though I like the feats and other stuff, I don't feel it's worth paying full price (unless, of course, you like lots of prestige classes ).

Ten dollars is hard to beat if you ask me...

 

[diaglo]

the splatbooks for 2000ed are just that. splat the sound of excrement hitting the fan.

CW is a nice change. but not big enough for the price. it is worth 60% off. retail. not on sale.

i would suggest gleaning a little from Book of the Righteous


and the Quintessential stuff is ...meh....not really much. i haven't bought any of them, though, i've read all of them.

 

[johnsemlak]

One think about Green Ronin's class books is that the Master Class series are all based on a new core class, which you may or may not want to add into your game.

BTW, Green Ronin's race books are extremely good im my limited experience. Hammer and Helm is my most used d20 product.

They are really hit and miss, but I really like some of the Encyclopedia Arcane books for adding a bit of flavor to the magic.

For arcane spellcasters the Book of Eldritch might is certainly worth a look (either I, II, or III, or the Complete book).

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I'm mostly looking for books that expand the capabilities of existing classes, not invent new ones.

On that note I'll throw my own hat in the ring.

The Heroes of High Favor books are designed around the "favored class" of the various races. Although there's material in each book that's specific to the race, most of the design work is intended to be useful to adherents of the class, regardless of race.

In addition to 10 multiclass prestige classes (the favored class mixed with every other class) there are new Feats of particular use to each class. Tucked in between the Feats and the Prestige classes, about 1/3 of each book, are new rules specific to each class:

DWARVES (Fighters)
Craft Masterwork Weapons and Armor
Fighting Styles

HALF ORCS (Barbarians)
Crossbreeding Animals and Beasts (Handle Animal Skill)
Craft Savage Weapons/Armor
Craft "Shoddy" Weapons/Armor
Initimidate in Combat

ELVES (Wizards)
Customizable Specialist Wizards
Spell Wards
Metamagic by Spell School
Ley Lines/Power Nexuses
Spell Design Templates

HALFLINGS
Pick Pocket Knacks
Dirty Fighting
New Bluffs and Feints
Craft (lashworking)
Craft (ropemaking)
Craft (trapmaking)

Here's a link to ENworld reviews:
http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=publist&which=Bad+Axe+Games

EDIT: I should mention, in most cases we've uploaded the entirety of these class-specific rules as previews. Feel free to grab em for free from our website.

 

[krichaiushii]

I will second the comments on Malhavoc's Books of Eldritch Might. Feats, spells, PrCs, alternate classes, and locations. And now available in a 3.5 compilation.

Malhavoc also has the Book of Hallowed Might, with volume 2 in the works.

Green Ronin, Mystic Eye Games, Mongoose, and likely others all have multiple books covering arcane magic in varying degrees of quality and specificity.

 

[Nightfall]

I'm biased too. Player's Guides by S&SS are at least much better than WotC old splat books. Complete series I'm liking but not as much as S&SS. Check out EN World for reviews of them.