What 3 WOTC books to buy????
- Thread starter broghammerj
- Start date
Arkhandus
First Post
As a player:
Player's Handbook II, Spell Compendium, and Magic Item Compendium. Assuming your DM will allow those materials, they'll expand your choices a fair amount and, in the case of PH2, improve the power of fighters and such to be less significantly disadvantaged (though it's got some useful stuff for spellcasters too, of course).
As a DM:
Lords of Madness, Cityscape, and Dungeonscape are probably good choices. I dunno about the last one though, it may or may not be more worthwhile than the Dungeon Master's Guide II.
Other:
Overall, really, I'd suggest the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, Lords of Madness, and either Draconomicon or Player's Handbook II or Monster Manual III. This covers a broad spread of player material and DM material, and adds some coolness to the game.
The PH2 is not, however, quite as useful if you get the Bo9S, since PH2 has some material that helps Fighters become stronger, while the Bo9S makes Fighters rather obsolete and boring by comparison (not useless, just comparatively less effective, since Bo9S classes are warriors that nearly match spellcasters in power; they're slightly weaker than spellcasters, but can use their cool attacks in every battle, so they have more endurance but less oomph; also, Bo9S classes kinda suck at range, since they have access to only a handful of kinda-minor ranged attacks, and little if anything that helps a bit with ranged weapons).
Fair warning though: apparently many people who dislike anime also hate the Book of Nine Swords because some parts of that book have an anime or wuxia style to them. Some parts though are quite suited to standard D&D folks like knights, swashbucklers, or holy warriors. If you don't mind anime or heroic, over-the-top action in D&D, then the Book of Nine Swords should be a good investment. It makes warriors really fun and interesting to play.
Player's Handbook II, Spell Compendium, and Magic Item Compendium. Assuming your DM will allow those materials, they'll expand your choices a fair amount and, in the case of PH2, improve the power of fighters and such to be less significantly disadvantaged (though it's got some useful stuff for spellcasters too, of course).
As a DM:
Lords of Madness, Cityscape, and Dungeonscape are probably good choices. I dunno about the last one though, it may or may not be more worthwhile than the Dungeon Master's Guide II.
Other:
Overall, really, I'd suggest the Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, Lords of Madness, and either Draconomicon or Player's Handbook II or Monster Manual III. This covers a broad spread of player material and DM material, and adds some coolness to the game.
The PH2 is not, however, quite as useful if you get the Bo9S, since PH2 has some material that helps Fighters become stronger, while the Bo9S makes Fighters rather obsolete and boring by comparison (not useless, just comparatively less effective, since Bo9S classes are warriors that nearly match spellcasters in power; they're slightly weaker than spellcasters, but can use their cool attacks in every battle, so they have more endurance but less oomph; also, Bo9S classes kinda suck at range, since they have access to only a handful of kinda-minor ranged attacks, and little if anything that helps a bit with ranged weapons).
Fair warning though: apparently many people who dislike anime also hate the Book of Nine Swords because some parts of that book have an anime or wuxia style to them. Some parts though are quite suited to standard D&D folks like knights, swashbucklers, or holy warriors. If you don't mind anime or heroic, over-the-top action in D&D, then the Book of Nine Swords should be a good investment. It makes warriors really fun and interesting to play.
w_earle_wheeler
First Post
Just a note: I see that many people highly recommend the Spell Compendium and the Magic Item Compendium.
Personally, the MIC is high on my "want" list, but since I don't actually own it (and haven't read it), I can't recommend it yet.
Personally, the MIC is high on my "want" list, but since I don't actually own it (and haven't read it), I can't recommend it yet.
Steel_Wind
Legend
I recommended the Phb2, MIC and Spell Compendium. I wanted to make an observation with resepct to the suggestion these are "players books".
While the PHBII might be more of a player book - I would disagree that the Spell Compendium and MIC are not DM books. They most certainly are.
Last I checked, the DM runs the encounters and the majority of spellcasters in the game. Similarly, when it comers to equipping NPCs and determining treasure - that's the DM's role, not the players.
I use the Spell Compendium every session I run during the game. I use the MIC between sessions for the most part - but the treasure tables are damned useful.
It would be an extremely rare book out of the 90 some WotC hardcovers available that sees use every session as a DM. The PHB, the MM and the Spell Compendium are the books that do see contiuous use when I run - and the MIC is quickly taking that place within my sessions as well.
Hell - I use the DMG less than I use the Spell Compendium.
It's pretty hard to recommend something other than Spell Compendium and MIC to anyone over the competing choices because they feature an organized integration of the best of 70 other books.
For a third book? Sure - you can slot a lot in there as a dealer's choice. The PHB II is better than most as it expands the choices available to your NPCs and to your players both. I'm not sure if most DMs are comfortable allowing their players to choose options, spalls and classes from books the DM does not own. In my experience, most DMs don't like it.
While the PHBII might be more of a player book - I would disagree that the Spell Compendium and MIC are not DM books. They most certainly are.
Last I checked, the DM runs the encounters and the majority of spellcasters in the game. Similarly, when it comers to equipping NPCs and determining treasure - that's the DM's role, not the players.
I use the Spell Compendium every session I run during the game. I use the MIC between sessions for the most part - but the treasure tables are damned useful.
It would be an extremely rare book out of the 90 some WotC hardcovers available that sees use every session as a DM. The PHB, the MM and the Spell Compendium are the books that do see contiuous use when I run - and the MIC is quickly taking that place within my sessions as well.
Hell - I use the DMG less than I use the Spell Compendium.
It's pretty hard to recommend something other than Spell Compendium and MIC to anyone over the competing choices because they feature an organized integration of the best of 70 other books.
For a third book? Sure - you can slot a lot in there as a dealer's choice. The PHB II is better than most as it expands the choices available to your NPCs and to your players both. I'm not sure if most DMs are comfortable allowing their players to choose options, spalls and classes from books the DM does not own. In my experience, most DMs don't like it.
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