Good first-time PDF?

[Mercule]

Okay, I'll be spending 15ish hours on a plane or in airports in a couple of weeks. I'm thinking that it might be a good time to get my first PDF. Thing is, I'm hesitant about PDFs and about 3rd party products (haven't bought any non-WotC products for d20, yet), so I don't want to sink much money into it. $5 (give or take) sounds about right, but it doesn't sound like that's too difficult to find.

I figured people around here would have some recommendations. Here're my criteria:

• Around $5. Even if I can't use it later, $5 for a book to read on a plane isn't bad -- as long as I enjoy it.
• Non-DRM PDF. I'll be putting this on my iPAQ. Pocket Acrobat will handle most formatting issues well enough, but DRM will not work.
• Something readable. This is to entertain me. I don't want just a list of monsters, spells, PrCs, etc.
• Something a bit different. I don't want just a 3rd party Complete Warrior type of book. Elements of Magic sounds like it might fit the bill, here, but I'm not sure of everything that's out there.
• Flavorful. I'm debating about getting the Eberron hardbound for the trip, instead. I'm not sure I want to carry the added weight, though -- I'm really good at travelling light. Also, if it's got things (gods, cities, states, concepts) I can loot for my homebrew, that's great.

There're probably some other things I'm looking for, but those are the ones of which I'm aware.

 

[Klaus]

Hi, Mercule!

Try downloading the free World of Karathis PDFs from www.fierydragon.com :
Religions of Karathis - details the religions of the campaign
West Wood Barony - details the area featured in several Fiery Dragon products
Himrak War Party - An adventure set in the West Wood

Just follow the link to GM's Day page! Did I mention they're free?

 

[JoeGKushner]

Most of Philip Reed's products are a pretty good read. His one on the mind-flayer replacement (all open text) or his construct PC style race, are both pretty small, well illustrated and amusing.

 

[blargney the second]

These are the top four PDFs that I've purchased, and every single one is easily worth the admission price! (All $10 or less.)

Johnn Four's NPC Essentials is simply excellent. How to make more interesting NPCs and how to get it across to the players.

Malladin's Gate's St John's College of Abjuration is quite an entertaining read, with a nice balance of rules and a vivid setting.

EN Publishing's own Tournaments, Fairs & Taverns is very colourful and useful on many levels. The racing and chasing rules alone have added a lot of excitement to my games!

Finally, Expeditious Retreat's Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is an amazingly coherent work on accurately representing a fantastic society similar to medieval europe.

Enjoy your flight!
-blarg

ps - You might be able to find better prices if you shop around - I just grabbed the links from RPGNow.

 

[Breakdaddy]

If you havent already, it might be interesting to read A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe (I think thats the full title). Dunno the price though.

 

[Turanil]

15 hours trip in a plane?

I would rather suggest to buy some good battery for the notebook.

Now, you could make a search on the Internet and get some free PDFs, there are many (I have almost 450 MB of them on my harddrive). For example, you could download the Amethyst 260 pages free setting (see link in my signature), and peruse it at leisure. If finally you don't like it, it would have been free.

In any case, getting a printed book is more pleasant to read when you are in a plane, or in a hotel, etc.; but it's just me.

 

[Desdichado]

ENWorld's Steam & Steel as had good reviews so far. I've only "flipped" through my copy so far, until I can get a hard copy, because I despise reading things on the screen like books, but what I've seen so far is interesting, different, and quite useful.

Otherwise, I'd recommend going with Eberron. It does have a ton of stuff to loot, and nothing beats the feel of a book in your hand while you're curled up uncomfortably in an airplane seat trying to juggle a bag of pretzels, a cheap soft drink in a little cup and your nice shiny $40 book on that stupid little tray thingy that comes down from the seat in front of you.

Unless of course, you're flying for business, you're company is footing the bill, and your flying business class. Then you can actually be marginally comfortable while you fly, and you can put hot damp towels on your forehead while your at it.

 

[DanMcS]

I like Four Color to Fantasy (revised or original, they're not totally different critters).

Elements of Magic gets good reviews around here. Both can be found at rpgnow.

If you're open to non-d20 pdfs, Wushu: The Ancient Art of Action Role-Playing is $5 on rpgnow and great, and has several free pdf expansions on their website. I also like SteveD's There Is No Spoon, which is free, so you might as well get it and read it.

 

[Mercule]

Well, Eberron is definitely still an option. The question isn't whether I'll buy it, so much as whether I'll do it for the trip. I've got fairly broad shoulders, though, and I really have problems with space on planes (unfortunately, I'm footing the bill, so coach it is). I have unpleasant images of sitting by another big guy and trying to open a book of that size comfortably.

Right now, I'll probably grab "Magical, Medieval Society" and a couple of the free ones that people have listed. More suggestions are welcome, though.

I would rather suggest to buy some good battery for the notebook.

It's an iPAQ (Pocket PC), so it's got pretty good battery life. Plus, that's the round trip time, so there'll be plenty of chance to recharge. St. Louis to Portland, Oregon and back, with layovers.

 

[RangerWickett]

This thread warms my heart.

Mercule, what's your email addy?