Class Books - which do you recommend?

[MerricB]

Part of the problem with class books are the different assumptions that go into making them.

I admit that I'm most happy with the assumptions of the WotC designers with regards to the Complete series - the form of D&D fantasy they promote is one I'm very comfortable with.

There's not going to be one set of books that everyone will be happy with, but I'm interested in seeing the other options - if not for myself, for my players.

Cheers!

 

[CRGreathouse]

Sword and Fist: 0/5
Defenders of the Faith: 1/5
Tome and Blood: 2/5
Song and Silence: 1/5
Masters of the Wild: 2/5
Complete Warrior: 3/5

Path of Faith: 2/5
Traps and Treachery: 1/5
Spells and Spellcraft: 3/5

HoHF: Dwarves: 3/5
HoHF: Half-Orcs: 3/5
HoHF: Elves*: 2/5
HoHF: Halflings:4/5

For comparison, here's how I rate some popular products:

Hero Builder's Guidebook**: 1/5
Savage Species: 3/5
Manual of the Planes: 5/5

* The book is very good, but loses points in my eyes for Improved Weapon Finesse (despite careful wording) and a creative, but not too useable, Spell Design section. It otherwise rates 3/5
** For experienced players. It's good, I've been told, for introducing new players to the game.

 

[Crothian]

THe players guides are very good, but at least half of the info seems very scarred lands oriented and makes it tougher to use. I have been slowly picking them up.

The wizards books had some good ideas, but we don't even crack them open anymore.

The Path of books I like very much. They have great ideas, and have expanded rule options. I like to see new ideas done new ways.

The Quint books are very hit and miss. Psion has a good idea on what's good, but I'd also add the Sorcerer to his list.

Heroes of High Favor are very good.

I'm looking forward to seeing MYstic Eye Games Players Advantage.

 

[MEG Hal]

This one looks interesting to me. I'll have to check to be sure it is based on 3.5 before ordering it. Mystic Eye Games has always done me proud though.

All 3.5 goodness and glad we do ya proud, it is selling well and Monk is being worked on as we speak. Charles, the lines author is great with this stuff!

 

[Ghostwind]

Add my vote to the four Path of books by Fantasy Flight Games. They go a long way towards expanding the character options and get a lot of use in my campaigns.

Also a second strong vote for Master of Arms from Second World Simulations. A solid piece of work.

 

[Psion]

The Quint books are very hit and miss. Psion has a good idea on what's good, but I'd also add the Sorcerer to his list.

Putting it on the list twice?

Since Ghostwind showed up, I am reminded of a book that I missed: Spells & Magic by bastion. A nice magic book with lots of neat ideas for PrCs, spells, and items. Some of the PrCs can be expanded to full 20 level classes.

 

[Derulbaskul]

My opinions:

- WotC Splatbooks were very uneven and, on average, a waste of money.
- What I have seen of the Quint books has made convinced never to buy Mongoose products (the reviews I've read for Conan mean that I am about to change my mind...).
- Path of... books are good to very good. The Legendary Class mechanic is superb.
- CW is very good.
- CBoEM is very good.

The others I haven't read.

 

[Crothian]

Putting it on the list twice?

Yes, it's that good

 

[Durandal]

As class books go, I think I'd have to vote with the majority here on the WotC splatbooks - taken altogether, they were very average, though I think Tome & Blood and Masters of the Wild were the best of the bunch.

The Quintessential books are OK - more information than the WotC books, but not always well-balanced, so it's really more of a case-by-case basis.

I'm a big fan of FFG's Path of... books - of course, this could be because I'm about to start playing Dawnforge and I really like the idea of legendary classes, but there's also a lot of good flavor material in these books.

Speaking of flavor material, I think that the Scarred Lands Player's Guides are full of flavor, and while some of it is very setting-specific, much of it either comes with nots on adapting it to other settings or is pretty easy to figure out on your own.

And, while not strictly class books, I think that Bad Axe's Heroes of High Favor books are great. In general, I like to play elven-type races, but after picking up all four Heroes of High Favor books, I can't figure out which to play next - there's just a ton of good stuff in these books, they're fairly cheap, and portable. That's probably about all the big ones, so if I had to recommend only a few, I'd say:

Heroes of High Favor (all of 'em)
Path of the Sword and Path of Faith
Player's Guide to Fighters and Barbarians and PG to Wizards, Bards and Sorcerors

 

[MerricB]

For a set of class books, one thing that is terribly important to me is that all be of about the same quality. If one is better (more unbalanced) than the rest, or if one of is inferior quality, then players of that class feel discriminated against.

It's one reason I won't allow the Q books in my campaign, and one reason that I was terribly disappointed in the old 2E Complete Handbooks. Sure, some of them are good, but there are some that are absolutely terrible. As a DM, I don't want to have to examine every aspect of a book to see if it is balanced - if there are a few areas that don't work, the entire book is tainted.

Good writing and editing is also essential. If I fall asleep reading the book, then something is wrong. If I get angry reading the book due to basic grammatical errors, then it's not going to hold my attention long enough.

Having a set of books for various classes by the same publisher rather than different publishers is desirable because it's more likely that all are working from the same assumptions. (Not always true, alas!)

Cheers!