Name your favorite D&D book

[JVisgaitis]

Wow, this one is tough. Ruleswise, I really enjoyed the Players Options Series, particularly Skills & Powers and Combat & Tactics. While it could be greatly abused, it brought some great flexibility to the existing system.

Other then that, I would vote for either Dark Sun or Planescape. Two great settings that I miss greatly in this incarnation of D&D.

 

[loki44]

Players Guide to the Wilderlands

City State of the Invincible Overlord

 

[NTZ]

No surprise. . .

First book I though of was FF. It seemed like every creature in there had some good details to go along with it. Plus it had githyanki!

NTZ

 

[the Jester]

After thinking about it for days, I am going to have to say the 3e Manual of the Planes, with the 1e DMG and Return to the Tomb of Horrors as honorable mentions.

 

[Seeten]

Libris Mortis. I was so inspired, my last 3 characters have been full on Necromancers. I love it. Love it. Love it.

Planescape Campaign Setting is an honorable mention, as is the 1e DMG with the Efreet on the cover. I had to con my father into buying it for me, and I was 6. Conning a university professor when you are 6 is tough, but I managed it.

 

[MetalBard]

It'd be tied between the City of Splendors boxed set and the Planescape boxed set.

 

[Psion]

It's odd as the 2e Ninja book is very often listed as one of the worst 2e products.

Probably because those who didn't buy it assumed it was munchkin, and so did those who did.

 

[FireLance]

Tough choices. I'm just going to list the ones I can think of.

Uncaged: Faces of Sigil. Interesting NPCs linked by a web of plots from one of the greatest settings ever created. As Harys Hachys says, a sure winner!

Blood Enemies: Abominations of Cerilia. Dozens of unique, powerful and flavorful enemies for another great setting. I loved the idea of evil magic slowly corrupting a villian even as it gave him special abilities.

Dragon Kings: Epic-level transformational prestige classes developed years before the concept had a real name. Fired up my imagination for high-level, high-magic, high-power gaming like nothing before.

[Note: the idea of bloodines both good and evil, and epic-level transformational prestige classes played an important role in one of my homebrew 2e campaigns]

Eberron Campaign Setting: A breath of fresh air in gaming. Changed the typical D&D conventions in new and good ways.

Complete Adventurer: Excellent mix of crunch and fluff. In particular, I love the "Ascetic" and "Devoted" line of feats.

Book of Exalted Deeds: If only you knew the power of the light side... This is the reason why Good still wins even though Evil has no principles.

 

[RFisher]

D&D Expert Rules Booklet edited by Cook/Marsh c. 1981.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Hands down, 3.5 Unearthed Arcana.

Following closely, however, and roughly tied, are Expanded Psionics Handbook and Four Color to Fantasy. With the core books and these three, I could game for the rest of my life and never run out of campaign, setting, and house rule ideas.

As much as I prefer d20 Modern's class system to D&D's, I can do so much more with D&D using these books.