The best D&D books (Regardless of Edition)

[Korgoth]

If all I had was the 1E DMG and the 1E Fiend Folio I could run all the D&D I'd ever want, and thus I rank them as a tie.

Ah... the FF. Now that's a sweet book! Weirdo monsters are cool.

 

[CleverNickName]

My favorite D&D books by edition:

BECMI: the Rules Cyclopedia. If I had to pick a second one, I would pick "The Isle of Dread."

AD&D: The "Desert of Desolation" series. I never played AD&D; I just picked these modules up and converted them to my BECMI game. Even though they are the only AD&D books I have ever bought, they are seriously good.

3E: "Nyambe: African Adventures." It's one of the most original and detailed campaign settings out there. But I'm probably biased.

3.5E: I really liked "Weapons of Legacy" (and the reworking of "White Plume Mountain" to promote it.)

 

[Angel Tarragon]

01. Dragon Magazine Archive (recently burned all the pdfs to a single DVD)
02. 1E Dungeon Master's Guide
03. Castle/City Sites
04. Dark Sun 2n Edition Campaign Setting, Revised
05. 2E Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Boxed Set (both)
06. Karameikos/Glantri 2E Boxed Sets
07. Red Steel/Savage Baronies Boxed Sets
08. 3E PHB II
09. 3E Magic Item Compendium
10. 3E Spell Compendium
11. 3E Tome of Magic (Just for the Shadowcaster, Pact Master was intriguing but inherently flawed)
12. 3E Stormwrack
13. 3E Oriental Adventures
14. 3E Rokugan Campaign Setting
15. Pathfinder Beta
16. Complete Book of Eldritch Might
17. Book of Hallowed Might
18. Relics & Rituals
19. Bluffside: City on the Edge
20. Beyond Countless Doorways

 

[Irda Ranger]

The responses so far are awesome. Thanks to everyone.

Just to make clear, I was NOT asking for "Best books by TSR/WotC", I really meant "The best books to have with you for playing D&D, regardless of the edition you're playing." If that means the TV Guide, 2nd Week of June '84 Issue, then so be it.

04. Dark Sun 2n Edition Campaign Setting, Revised

The original was sooooo much better.

 

[knightofround]

I loved the Van Richten guides. I wish there were more products like that. (And nah the "slayers guide to..." series didn't do it for me) I also continue to use the world builder's guidebook.

One truly awesome book I haven't seen mentioned yet is 3E's stronghold builder's guidebook. Man my players loved that thing.

 

[Knightfall]

1E Deities & Demigods
1E Manual of the Planes
1E Oriental Adventures

2E Creative Campaigning
2E Legends & Lore
2E PLANESCAPE On Hallowed Ground

3E Manual of Planes
3E Unearthed Arcana

D20
Beyond Countless Doorways
Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe

 

[The_Gneech]

Just to make clear, I was NOT asking for "Best books by TSR/WotC", I really meant "The best books to have with you for playing D&D, regardless of the edition you're playing." If that means the TV Guide, 2nd Week of June '84 Issue, then so be it.

In that case, add Tome of Horrors to my list.

-The Gneech

 

[Nebulous]

Monte Cook's Ptolus campaign guide is a work of genius. I'll probably never actually USE it...but man, that's one cool book to flip through.

I guess for actual table usefulness, i'd have to vote for the Dragon Magazine CD compendium. Can't beat it for sheer volume of searchable material in one place.

 

[Allister]

No love for the Monstrous Arcana series for 2e?

The only product that did any decent work on the Sea devils (sahaugin). The one for the beholders and illithids weren't that bad either...

 

[Simon Atavax]

No love for the Monstrous Arcana series for 2e?

The only product that did any decent work on the Sea devils (sahaugin). The one for the beholders and illithids weren't that bad either...

Great books, all of them. Great to read, that is. But for actual game/campaign use I found them far too specialized to be very useful. Just my $0.02.