recommend some pdf's!!

[GlassJaw]

I've been on a pdf kick lately (I love Steam & Steel) and I want to know some of your favorite pdf's. I'm interested in picking up some new things but there's a pretty extensive list of things that are available and I'm sure I'm not aware of some good products. So here's your chance to recommend some of your favorites (mention why if you can) or if you wrote one, pimp away!

 

[Crothian]

Well, I've got a rather large PDF collection and have reviewed over a hundred to date. So, anything in particular that you are interested in subject wise? I'll highlight some of my favorites.

Forgotten Archetypes 1: The Gunslinger: THis is a simple way to introduce gunpowder into a game. They keep the technology simple, but the best thing I like is the option to make getting combustion from gunpowder a special ability that someone needs a feat to do, its almost magic like. That limits the effectiveness of who can use it allowing guns, but keeping them from ever being widespread.

Blood and Brains: The Zombie Hunter's Guide: Zombie fun. THis is light hearted but can be used for a serious campaign. It is designed more for d20 modern but the ideas and monsters can with a little work be used in fantasy. THough I guess the ability to turn them really makes Zombies not as fun.

Spectrum Shift: Unlikely Heroes Compilation: This I like as the classes are a little more mundae but still usible. They have a purpose more so then just being an adventurer. It a bit more realistic and I really want to try them in a low magic game.

Secrets of Theurgy: If you have any intention of using the Mystic Thheurge from the DMG get this. It is a better way of doing it though it doesn't make that class obsolete.

The Quintessential Aristocrat: This takes the NPC class from the DMG and makes it useful. There are great ideas and I love this for important NPCs.

Legends of Avadnu: Great and creative high CR monsters. It is a great addition to their monster book Denizens of Avadnu which is not a PDF.

Buy the Numbers: Class less D20, this is another book I'm waiting to use.

Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition: If you like Templates this is a must have. THis makes normal monster exciting again as templates can really change a creature not just in power but in use and appearence.

Dice and Dramatics: Here's one you might not be aware of as it is the only book they put out I think and it really never got talked about. It is about role playing and has some great ideas and directions in it. It is more useful for people new to role playing or seriously want to try to get better at it.

Bluffside City on the Edge (pdf): I love Bluffside and support it no matter hat format it takes. It is simple the best city for d20 IMO.

Possessors: Children of the Outer Gods: Highly creative alternative mind flayers. While they are a bit similar to them there are enough differences to really freak out your players. The art by Christopher Shy is top notch and they are creepy and have great potential. I made great use of them.

DM's Guide to the Demi planes: No review on this one yet, but it is filled with great ideas and great new planes. It has a lot of potential and is ripe with creativity.

 

[Macbeth]

I haven't read that many PDFs, but I would recommend checking out all the companies that donated stuff to the donation drive here at EN Wordl. As far as I know most of them make top notch products, plus they helped out EN World by donating stuff.

As for PDFs I own, Elements of Magic by EN Publishing is good, but very heavy on the crunch, which isn't a bad thing, just something you should know. Book of Iron Might by Malhavoc is also good, but the Manouver system isn't quite as good as I'd like. At first I thought it was great, now I'm slightly less enthused. Regardless, it still has plenty of good stuff.

 

[Psion]

• Blood and Fists and Blood and Fist Hong Kong Knights - what martial art action in d20 modern should be. Highly customizable, well researched, and fun. Everybody was kung-fu fighting...
• Blood and Brains - another hit from RPG Objects, this one lays out zombie bashing action, with a little tongue in cheek humor.
• Arms and Armor 3.5 - A great collection, updated to 3.5.
• Spells & Magic - I use this one so much, I think the electrons are getting dog-eared. Sam Witt's masterpeice. It includes a variety of prestige classes (some of which can be retooled as core classes), spells, and feats. The prestige classes take some clever spins on balancing, and have some neat magic theories worked into them. Some of these are so neat, I based major organizations in my game on them.
• Complete Minions - The 3.5 remix. Lots of monsters suitable for PC races, many sinister outsiders as well, all with interesting campaign ideas right as part of the text.
• Book of Templates Deluxe Edition - A very nice resource for making unusual encounters or brewing unique monsters.
• Beyond Countless Doorways - A flurry of great planes for planar gaming, many also suitable as alternate campaign worlds (though it's big enough I recommend the hardcopy.)
• Book of Eldritch Might I & III - The classic magic supplements.
• Book of Hallowed Might I - The best kept secret in gaming. This book is loaded with role-playing friendly variants, particularly suitable for a chivalrous campaign.
• Hyperconscious - The classbook for psionics, with the great mindscapes combat system, lots of interesting prestige classes and powers, and a nifty little adventure.
• Librum Equitis Compiled - More prestige classes than you can shake a stick at. You won't use them all, but you will find one that you can use (or more.)
• Thee Compleat Librum ov Gar'Udok's Necromantic Artes - The FIRST great undead book with a bad Latin title.
• Elements of Magic - I used to roll my eyes when people would talk about point spell systems. This changed all that.
• The Pact System Doc (free PDF from Second World Sims) - A nifty little system that adds some interesting depth to summoning.
• The Collected Mind's Eye pdfs on the WotC site - It's free, if you like psionics, you should nab them.

Librum Equitis has loads of great prestige classes
Blood & Fists is great for kicking some asses
Artifacts of the Ages' new book has rings
These are a few of my favorite things...

 

[lp]

Aah, can you narrow down the genre? d&d, d20 modern, d20 sci fi... ?

Anyway my big votes:

sidewinder recoiled: spectacular wild west game, won some ennies, they have the main book in pdf (now published and printed by a larger company), and 2 smaller location books. very very very good stuff.

legends of excalibur: arthurian high adventure (that doesn't suck). lots of interesting rules, beautiful maps, too many ideas for me to decide what to do with it.

buy the numbers: I actually didn't buy this for me, I bought it for my math geek friend because I knew he wouldn't. He loves the mechanics behind the game, and was designing something similar of his own... I am also waiting to use this one in a game.

Hmm.. other ones to check that I won't type about because I have to sleep:

Darwin's World 2: Tons of pdfs, post apocalyptic.. awesome

Blood & Circuits: d20 modern gadgets & making smart characters cool.. awesome

that is all for now, good luck narrowing them down!

 

[Eremite]

Don't go past the eAdventure Tiles by Skeleton Key Games!

They are wonderfully useful both for those DMs who are "mapping challenged" but also for creating a really evocative site for a major battle.

Of course, no post about PDFs could be complete with a recommendation for Monte Cook's great products.

 

[lior_shapira]

I recommend

Dweomercraft: Familiars, which is a book about familiars of all types and styles for spellcasters

Expeditious Retreat - A Magical Medieval Society, both volumes 'Western Europe' and 'Ecology and Culture' are very interesting and contain lots of information (no prestige classes !). The first one describes how a medieval society would look with magic present and the second focuses on world building

Oh, and everything by Malhavoc, you cant fall on that

that's my 2 cents, lior

 

[GlassJaw]

in particular that you are interested in subject wise?

Well I guess I'm most interesting in low-magic stuff as well as weird technology and creatures (especially along the Cthulhu lines).

Lots of great ideas guys! I'll start to take a look at some of them.

 

[DMH]

The Enchiridion books from ST Cooley all have useful material including new types of magic items and craft rules (Treasures and Obects D'Art) and Elided Enduements of the Expanse has a new type of class (synergy).

Mad Kaiser's Bazaar series can help fill a city with shops very quickly. They also have a ton of new materials.

Mad Kaiser's Toxicant has real poisons and alternate rules for them to make them more realistic (and that doesn't necessarly mean deadly).

A Swarm of Stirges is fairly narrow in scope, but there is stuff that doesn't have to be used with them (undead, negative energy rules, a new fey).

I just got Visions: Stitches and it has a bunch of good ideas for flesh golems and other horror critters.

Book of Templates (DE) is the best monster book I have period.

Something I do not have, but what sounds interesting, is Dryden: Friend or Foe. They are weird, Lovecraftish beings.

Don't forget free stuff like Ink & Quill and Horrors of Pennance from Bastion.

 

[philreed]

Well I guess I'm most interesting in low-magic stuff as well as weird technology and creatures (especially along the Cthulhu lines).

Lots of great ideas guys! I'll start to take a look at some of them.

Ronin Arts has a lot of products for low-magic games.

101 Mundane Treasures is probably your best bet.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=300


Possessors is perfect for cthuloid campaigns.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=725

And the related Construct Mechanus PDFs are certainly off-beat.