aramis erak
Legend
All my favorites are pretty much worhless outside their own systems.What is your list of all-time Top 3 RPG supplements (i.e. books specifically written as supplements for RPGs)? These are those books that are awesome, multi-utility, supplements that you get a tremendous amount of use out of, regardless of the system they were originally designed for. In no specific order, mine are:
I collated a book of names for my L5R games, complete with Kanji and rough meanings, making use of SCA source lists as well as several that are modern (and thus not used by the SCA). I've done similar in TOR and in Pendragon. These three contribute more to verisimilitude in play than any other supplements I've ever bought.
Now, for within their system uses... World Builder's Handbook (Digest Group) - world detailing for Traveller. It's the MegaTraveller era combination of Grand Survey and Grand Census from the CT era.
Close second is Starship Operators Manual Vol 1. (Vol 2 never came out.) Same company, same game and era, a detailing out of life on Traveller Starships.
Third? it's for Albedo 1e/2e: The Ship Sourcebook. If you want a simple yet realistic fusion torch era starship paradigm, this is your book.
The stat range for Albedo is vaguely compatible, too. And Chessex (or perhaps Paul Kidd) got Albedo up on Drive Thru... as well as the ship sourcebook. Albedo does presuppose FTL. but leave off the FTL decks for system ships if you want...
Honorable mention to Character Law/Campaign Law for Rolemaster - Campaign law includes some really awesome advice on geography; in many ways, it's why I minored in physical geo. (Unfortunately, the uni didn't approve the minor program until AFTER I graduated.)