Planescape: What's the best stuff?

[mfrench]

I have a chance to get some old TSR Planescape stuff from a friend: boxed sets, accessories, adventures, I don't know what else. If there anything specific that I should look for? What are the real gems, and what do I need to get into the setting?

 

[DaveMage]

I know this isn't going to be much help, but, really...it's all good!

If I had to put a rank order on them, I'd say get the box sets first:

Planescape Box Set
Planes of Chaos Box Set
Planes of Law Box Set
Planes of Conflict Box Set

 

[Ambrus]

The boxed sets are indeed nice, but if you love Sigil then I'd be on the lookout for:

In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil
Uncaged: Faces of Sigil
The Factol's Manifesto

All three are great and would be at the top of my list. If you're hoping to get the best adventures modules, the perenial favorites seem to be:

The Eternal Boundary
Harbinger House
Dead Gods

For great adventure/supplements, I'd recommend:

Faction War
Hellbound: The Blood War

Like DaveMage said; they're all great really.

 

[Huw]

IMHO, and bearing in mind I ran a lot of Planescape on the Inner Planes using my own adventures:

• The monstrous compendia supplements.
• The Planes of ... boxed sets (Law, Conflict, Chaos).
• Guide to the Ethereal.
• (not strictly Planescape) Manual of the Planes, 1st edition (which you'll probably find easier to get hold of than some of the above).

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

I really enjoyed (and got the most use out of, both in regards to Planescape and for other settings) On Hallowed Ground (all about the Gods, what planes they live on, and other groovy God stuff) and The Inner Planes (the elemental planes, the energy planes, the para-elemental planes and the quasi-elemental planes....I kinda miss those last two these days).

 

[Shemeska]

It really does depend on what aspects of the planes that you're going to emphasize, and how much in Sigil you're going to be. But without any distinction, I'd rank the following as my favorites in no specific order:

1) Faces of Evil: The Fiends
2) Uncaged: Faces of Sigil
3) Factols Manifesto
4) Hellbound: The Blood War
5) Planes of Conflict
6) On Hallowed Ground
7) The Inner Planes

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Factols Manifesto

I love this book.

 

[ruleslawyer]

IMHO, all you need to get into the setting is the main boxed set. That said, I think the three big boxes (Planes of Law, Planes of Chaos, Planes of Conflict) are extremely useful to any game (including a mainly Prime-based game that involves incursions into the Outer Planes). My favorite OTHER Planescape products (ranking far behind these in terms of "essential-ness," but not otherwise) are:

-Uncaged: Faces of Sigil
-The Factol's Manifesto
-Harbinger House
-Dead Gods

Between these and the usual stable of 3e material, I think you're set.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I think you should take everything your friend has to offer. This stuff can be hard to find and expensive on Ebay.

That said, I use Factol's Manifesto and the Player's Primer to the Outlands the most. Next on my list are the Planewalker's Handbook and On Hallowed Ground.

 

[Mouseferatu]

1) Faces of Evil: The Fiends

I just sat down to finally read my PDF copy of this the other day, only to discover that the file's messed up. A little ways into the book, it shifts from Faces of Evil to one of the 2E drow books. Seriously.

And RPGNow is claiming that I have no more downloads left, so I can't even try to get a new copy.