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<blockquote data-quote="Jack Daniel" data-source="post: 8653884" data-attributes="member: 694">OD&amp;D1: This game is sparse enough that all of the supplements feel core, but The Strategic Review contains vital clarifications on combat and magic as well as three whole classes (rangers, bards, illusionists). I also consider the blue-cover Basic Set to be the indispensable introduction to this edition, since it plugs even more holes than the newsletter.AD&amp;D1: Deities &amp; Demigods really is the fourth core rulebook; it contains at least one piece of vital information lacking in the PHB (what happens if you have an ability score of 19, which is entirely possible for a 1st level elf, dwarf, halfling, or half-orc PC?). While I hold the Monster Manual II and Fiend Folio in higher esteem than all the later hardcovers, I don't think I can call them &quot;essential.&quot;OD&amp;D2: If we consider the Basic through Immortals Sets and the Rules Cyclopedia to all be &quot;core,&quot; there are really only a handful of candidates for &quot;essential&quot; supplements — the AC (Accessory), GAZ (Gazetteer), and PC (Creature Crucible) lines. Of these, it's really only PC1–4 that have semi-core status at my table. (Although the Creature Catalog — AC9/DMR2 — also sees frequent use in my campaigns, it's once again just an extra monster book, not something I can call truly vital to running a game.) The Gazetteers that expand on demihumans (GAZ5, GAZ6, GAZ8, GAZ10) are useful but probably not essential.AD&amp;D2: So many candidates here. Books I personally wouldn't run a game without: the Complete Psionics Handbook, Complete Ninja's Handbook, and Complete Barbarian's Handbook, plus Player's Option: Combat &amp; Tactics and DM's Option: High-Level Campaigns. Oh, yeah, and The Scarlet Brotherhood — gotta have the official 2e monk!D&amp;D3: Once again, so many books to choose from. If I were ever to run a 3e campaign again, I'd probably need the Psionics Handbook and Oriental Adventures at the very least. Maybe Savage Species and Unearthed Arcana. Quite possibly The Book of Nine Swords (or as it's sometimes affectionately called, The Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic) would prove essential to combatting caster supremacy.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jack Daniel, post: 8653884, member: 694"] OD&D1: This game is sparse enough that all of the supplements feel core, but [I]The Strategic Review[/I] contains vital clarifications on combat and magic as well as three whole classes (rangers, bards, illusionists). I also consider the blue-cover Basic Set to be the indispensable introduction to this edition, since it plugs even more holes than the newsletter. AD&D1: [I]Deities & Demigods[/I] really is the fourth core rulebook; it contains at least one piece of vital information lacking in the PHB (what happens if you have an ability score of 19, which is entirely possible for a 1st level elf, dwarf, halfling, or half-orc PC?). While I hold the [I]Monster Manual II[/I] and [I]Fiend Folio[/I] in higher esteem than all the later hardcovers, I don't think I can call them "essential." OD&D2: If we consider the Basic through Immortals Sets and the [I]Rules Cyclopedia[/I] to all be "core," there are really only a handful of candidates for "essential" supplements — the AC (Accessory), GAZ (Gazetteer), and PC (Creature Crucible) lines. Of these, it's really only PC1–4 that have semi-core status at my table. (Although the [I]Creature Catalog[/I] — AC9/DMR2 — also sees frequent use in my campaigns, it's once again just an extra monster book, not something I can call truly vital to running a game.) The Gazetteers that expand on demihumans (GAZ5, GAZ6, GAZ8, GAZ10) are useful but probably not essential. AD&D2: So many candidates here. Books I personally wouldn't run a game without: the [I]Complete Psionics Handbook[/I], [I]Complete Ninja's Handbook[/I], and [I]Complete Barbarian's Handbook[/I], plus [I]Player's Option: Combat & Tactics[/I] and [I]DM's Option: High-Level Campaigns.[/I] Oh, yeah, and [I]The Scarlet Brotherhood[/I] — gotta have the official 2e monk! D&D3: Once again, so many books to choose from. If I were ever to run a 3e campaign again, I'd probably need the [I]Psionics Handbook[/I] and [I]Oriental Adventures[/I] at the very least. Maybe [I]Savage Species[/I] and [I]Unearthed Arcana[/I]. Quite possibly [I]The Book of Nine Swords[/I] (or as it's sometimes affectionately called, [I]The Book of Weeaboo Fightan Magic[/I]) would prove essential to combatting caster supremacy. [/QUOTE]

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