What are the MOST USED pre-3e D&D/AD&D books.

[Ottergame]

Another spin off topic, I'd like to know what books other than the core PHB/MM/DMG you saw used the most (not what you liked the most) back in the days before 3e.

It seemed like every group I played with had Skills and Power and Complete book of *whatever*. I never cared much for S&P though I too had a collection of Complete books going.

 

[Flyspeck23]

In this order:

World Builder's Guidebook
Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide
The Complete Book of Villains
Creative Campaigning

Really, these were not only the books I liked the most, but also those that were used the most - mainly because a) my players usually don't care that much about more options (don't ask me why), and b) some of the stuff in these books proved to be useful for other RPG systems.

 

[Melan]

None. Seriously, we didn't use any - except a few modules. In this case, the award goes to Ruins of Undermountain. Boy, we loved that one.
I banned splatbooks and (later) S&P by my table.

 

[EricNoah]

I still keep my copy of Aurora's Whole Realms Catalog within reach when adding detail to my treasures and town/city locations.

The 2e FR deity books (Faiths & Avatars, etc.) saw a lot of good use during my 3E FR campaign.

 

[Silver Moon]

When role playing with my kids, regardless of the edition being used, I keep the Second Edition Monster Compendium with me. It's great to have all of the critters together in a big single volume with the full color pictures of each to show as visual aids.

 

[Voadam]

Monster manual II
I made a specific effort to try to work a different critter from here in every game I ran for a while.

We used UA for a lot of race options.

Almost everybody had some style specialization from the Complete Fighter

Tome of magic and complete wizard for spells.

Oriental Adventures for martial arts.

 

[diaglo]

OD&D(1974) boxed set.

all the other rules come from this one.


OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

 

[WayneLigon]

I still use the various Basic D&D Gazeteers a lot, for maps. The maps in Greenwood's Halflings book (Basically the best of the entire lot; here we get a real name for the halfling race, as well as what I think are the very first depictions of halflings as something other than disgusting little butterballs.

The city maps from various modules (before the 'FR Style' ruined that source), particularly the UK-produced modules (which always had, hands down, the best maps in any TSR project until unless it was Dragonlance or the original Ravenloft module). Night's Dark Terror maps still see a lot of use, as do the maps from various OA modules.

 

[Crothian]

Planscape stuff. I used some old moduels for fun like against the giants and the S series.

 

[Flyspeck23]

Monster manual II
I made a specific effort to try to work a different critter from here in every game I ran for a while.

Truly impressing


[OT

all the other rules come from this one.

OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

Sometime I wonder... what kind of car you're driving / TV you're watching / computer you're using.
I didn't even know that there are any DOS browsers out there, but obviously there are

[/OT]