Oldies but goodies: 1e/2e books you still use?

[Psion]

Hey all,

there are too many possible answers for this to be a poll, so I'll just throw this out there. Name 5 or fewer products from prior editions of the game that you still use in some capacity in your 3e game or game planning.

Those who are not currently in a 3e game need not apply. I don't care to know that you are still running a 2e game and your 2e PHB comes in real handy.

Anyway, here are my picks:
1) World Builder's Guide: Still an invaluable resource for making up details of a world, edition change notwithstanding.
2) Complete Book of Villains: A marvelous book full of ideas for villains.
3) Dungeon Master's Design Kit: A 1e "cookbook" with lots of ideas for NPCs, adventures, and situations.
4) Dungeoneer's Survival Guide: The rules stuff is nearly useless nowadays, but it has a great fleshed out Underdark setting that I use for my campaign.
5) Monster Mythology & Demihuman deities: I don't do realms, but the realms borrowed most of the demihuman deities off from Greyhawk, fleshed them out, and put them here. A good guide to deities for non-human races. (Okay, that's two, but I use them in the same way).

 

[WSmith]

Any topic that has a 1e in it, I feel compelled to reply.

The Dungeon Master Design Kit, has always and will always be one of my favorite products. I have so many photocopies of those forms I don't think I will ever use. Being a good impromtu DM, I would roll for a plot hook and red herring and such several minutes prior to an adventure and let it run.

Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide: the name is quite a misnomer. It is more of "how to be a good DM" and the information in most of the book crosses all verson of D&D, and is applicable to other RPGs too.

I love my 1e DMG. It always makes somekind of appearance, mostly for the random dungeon generator.

 

[Christian]

1. 1E Dungeon Master's Guide. How can anyone DM without it?

2. Dungeon Master's Design Kit. (Hey, you too, huh? I thought I bought the only one! ) The random tables help generate new and unique ideas when I'm in a rut, and the forms also come in handy ...

3. The Book of Lairs & The Book of Lairs II. A collection of mini-adventures, usually based on just one creature from the Monster Manual. I think the idea was to give the DM something to grab if his % in Lair check came up positive on a wandering monster. Some neat adventure ideas to tie the lair into a plot in there, though, too.

Um, that's it, really. I still have my 1E Player's Handbook and Unearther Arcana, but mainly for nostalgia-I don't use them for anything. My 2nd Edition books are all making the 'fill' in a landfill somewhere ...

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

*1e MM&MM2 - For monster pictures and info on matters infernal.
*2e Guide to Hell - For some of the info on the Hells, even though a lot of it I don't use.

I'm currently using my copy of Village of Hommlet for my Greyhawk campaign.

 

[Kamard]

1. Birthright boxed set.
2. World Builder's Guidebook.

 

[Thorin Stoutfoot]

Heh

Temple of Elemental Evil, of course. The 1e adventure. Using it weekly. It's amazing how scared the players are to actually enter the temple.

 

[S'mon]

1. 1e DMG - The Great Tome still rules!
2. 1e Dungeoneer's Survival Guide & (much less) Wilderness SG
3. 1e Fiend Folio, Monster Manual & Monster Manual II for critters not in 3e
4. 1e Legends & Lore for deities
5. Occasional look at 2e Complete Villain's Handbook & Complete Priest's Handbook

Oh yeah, 1e Manual of the Planes., 2e Monster Manual, the list goes on...

But 1e DMG stands head and shoulders above the rest, it's the only one I use almost as frequently as the 3e DMG and more often than the 3e Monster Manual.

 

[drnuncheon]

Right now I've got only a few of my old pre-3e books still around, all of which have been mentioned before:

- World Builder's Guide - just generally useful, even if you're not playing D&D. The Dungeon Builder's Guide was unfortunately not nearly as good. I actually purchased both products to use with 3e, the WBG was definitely worth it.

- Campaign Sourcebook & Catacomb Guide - good notes for planning a story-oriented campaign.

- 1e DMG - how can you do without the 'Random Hooker' or the 'Potion Miscibility' tables? The mystical properties of gems? The 1e DMG had such bizarre random info...


Regarding the other often-mentioned product - is the Dungeon Master's Design Kit available as an ESD, or is it difficult and expensive to find?

J

 

[mearls]

Here's what I've used/will use in the near future:

Return to the Keep on the Borderlands: I based an entire 3e campaign around this module. A great "dungeon & town" package.

Ravenloft: I'm using the original module as a barony in the on-line campaign I'm starting up. You know, normally I would be a bit nervous about revealing facts like that in forums my players may read, but Ravenloft is so well done, and such a tough module, that any of my players who read this would probably be better off not knowing its coming.

Saltmarsh Series: One of most overlooked, and underrated, of the early modules.

City of Greyhawk Boxed Set: My favorite all-time RPG city. It's pretty much what got me into Greyhawk.

I don't find myself using too many of the rulebooks. I did like the Dungeon Builder's Guidebook. If the World Builder's is much better, I should pick up a copy when I'm next in NYC, if the Compleat Strategist still has copies.

- Mearls

 

[Maerdwyn]

1)Birthright set - very adaptable to 3e
2)Deities and Demigods
3)Oriental Adventures products, for the Kara Tur setting
4)Modules, Modules, Modules.