Recommended D&D Products

[The_Gunslinger658]

Hi ya-

Thinking about getting back into the RPG hobby but there is so much new products out there, I cant decide which ones I really want. So, what top ten products would the denizens of en world recommend?


thanks

Scott
Lord High Sheriff of Chicago

 

[Thotas]

Well, since I don't know anything about your tastes, I can give you a list of 10 that I think have the highest Generic Utility, but just about anybody who posts on these boards will likely point out at least one that they personally have absolutely no use for ... if I had to list my own faves, you'd see even more Green Ronin products. Anyway, here ya go.
--- from WotC:
Manual of the Planes
Expanded Psionics Handbook
--- from Green Ronin:
Hammer & Helm
Book of the Righteous
Book of Fiends
--- from Legends and Lore:
Portals and Planes
City Works
Dungeon Craft
from Malhavoc
Complete Book of Eldritch Might
Cry Havoc

Yes, I know, eyebrows went up over that last one. Awfully specialized for a list of generic stuff. But I've never known a DM who didn't want some way to handle whole armies on the battlefield at once, and I just feel better with it on my shelf thereby. Besides, with your screen-name, it just seemed a good fit.

 

[The_Gunslinger658]

Thanks friend;

This is what I am talking about, people recommending their Top products so I can get an Idea of whats good and not good.

What is Cry Havoc? And ya, I like very doomed bound campaigns. But to be honest, Doomed Battalions is an Advanced Squad Leader module that I play alot of.

Scott
Lord High Sheriff of Chicago

Well, since I don't know anything about your tastes, I can give you a list of 10 that I think have the highest Generic Utility, but just about anybody who posts on these boards will likely point out at least one that they personally have absolutely no use for ... if I had to list my own faves, you'd see even more Green Ronin products. Anyway, here ya go.
--- from WotC:
Manual of the Planes
Expanded Psionics Handbook
--- from Green Ronin:
Hammer & Helm
Book of the Righteous
Book of Fiends
--- from Legends and Lore:
Portals and Planes
City Works
Dungeon Craft
from Malhavoc
Complete Book of Eldritch Might
Cry Havoc

Yes, I know, eyebrows went up over that last one. Awfully specialized for a list of generic stuff. But I've never known a DM who didn't want some way to handle whole armies on the battlefield at once, and I just feel better with it on my shelf thereby. Besides, with your screen-name, it just seemed a good fit.

 

[Pants]

My Top 10 (not including the Core books):
Draconomicon (Book of Dragons) - WotC
Manual of the Planes - WotC
Fiend Folio - WotC
Creature Collection Revised - S&SS
Creature Collection II - S&SS
Book of Vile Darkness - WotC
Book of Exalted Deeds - WotC
Tome of Horrors - Necromancer Games
Magic of Faerun - WotC (Not very FR specific, has some great spells in it!)
Unearthed Arcana - WotC (big book of variant rules, very nice)

Not very generic stuff, but since my library is rather 'small' I have a limited pool to choose from.

 

[MerricB]

What is Cry Havoc? And ya, I like very doomed bound campaigns. But to be honest, Doomed Battalions is an Advanced Squad Leader module that I play alot of.

Cry Havoc is Malhavoc Press' miniature/mass combat system. I'd very much recommend you don't get it, as it has a bunch of fundamental flaws.

The abstract battle system is generally better received, but that's only about 15 pages of the work.

Cheers!

 

[Krug]

You can look at previous Ennie winners/nominees.

 

[Thanee]

If you don't have anything, if you want to start with D&D / d20, you need...

1) PHB 3.5
2) MM 3.5
3) DMG 3.5
4) a pencial and some paper
5) d20
6) d6
7) d8
8) d4
9) d10
10) d12

...plus some friends (but I suppose you have those already )

Other than that, I personally like the following (limited to d20):

- Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (plus sourcebooks)
- Mutants and Masterminds (superhero d20 game)
- Star Wars revised edition (well, if you like Star Wars, that is)

Bye
Thanee

 

[sir_ollibolli]

Bad Axe Games - Book Of Unusual Treasures
Atlas Games - Crime And Punishment
Green Ronin - Freeport - City Of Adventure
Fiery Dragon - Counter Collection Gold (If you are not into Minis)
Malhavoc - Arcana Unearthed
Bottled Imp - Lords Of The Night - Vampires, Liches Zombies
Mystic Eye (Natural 20) - Tournaments, Games & Taverns (or as PDF)

 

[belfore]

My Favorite Products are:

-WoTC-
Manual of The Planes
Fiend Folio
Book of Vile Darkness
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Forgotten Realms Lords of Darkness
Expanded Psionic Handbook

-Mongoose-
Slayers Guide to whichever monster suits your monstercentric campain (for GMs)
Quintessential to whatever character class you are playing

-Fast Forward Entertainment-
The Book of All Spells

Just a few of my favs anyway, but I have paticular tastes. I am primarily a GM and generally buy books if they look like a good read. Which is why most of my choices are flavor based rather than mechanics based.


Belfore

 

[Belegbeth]

You know, there is so much crap out there, and even the quality stuff has utility depending on your specific campaign needs, that the question you ask is impossible to answer.

For example, people earlier in this thread have recommended "Book of Exalted Deeds", but I think it's a pile of exalted garbage. Other people have recommended various "Forgotten Realms" products, but IMO the Forgotten Realms were best left fogotten.

Get the core books. Then get *Unearthed Arcana* to fine tune the game as you see fit. Beyond that, come up with a campaign idea, and decide which books to buy on the basis of that.