What Are The Top 10/25 D20 Fantasy Product Must Haves?

[fusangite]

Hmm. That's pretty subjective. For me, I'll cast my votes for

-1e DMG

My solution was just to photocopy the pages on gems and, of course, the Wandering Prostitute Subtable.

 

[Knightfall]

My Top 10 d20 System/OGL Products

1. Freeport: The City of Adventure
2. L&L Mythic Races
3. Frost & Fur: The Explorer's Guide to the Frozen Lands
4. Bluffside: City of the Edge
5. The Complete Book of Eldritch Might
6. L&L Spells & Spellcraft
7. Redhurst: Academy of Magic
8. L&L Seafarer's Handbook
9. A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe
10. City State of the Invincible Overlord

Honorable Mentions: Beyond Countless Doorways, Gary Gygax's Necropolis, Player's Advantage: Rogue, Relics & Rituals: Excalibur, The Complete Guide to Treants, and Valus.

 

[Knightfall]

Glad to see both Bard's Gate and RAR getting some love. But come on, some Scarred Lands stuff HAD to be good once a long time ago...

Well, I bought the revised version of the original Creature Collection, does that count?

Plus, I must say that Bard's Gate is pretty cool,but I haven't really read through it yet. Actually, I haven't been reading much lately. The hockey playoffs had me kind of distracted.

Cheers!

KF72

 

[Nightfall]

I'd prefer if you got CC Revised but eh. Thanks anyway Robert.

Don't worry I was distracted too but I had already Bard's Gate.

 

[Treebore]

Nightfall, why don't you just tell us what from the Scarred Lands setting belongs in the top 25?

I like Hollowfaust and Mithril and Genev., but they aren't things that I would put in a top 25 all time list, I listed things that were very memorable for me and I get a lot of use out of. Mostly modules in my case. I would definitely recommend checking out the Scarred Lands because there is a lot of good stuff, but not as top 25 all time products. Otherwise I would also mention a fair bit of Kalamar material.

I did think about Relics and Rituals, lots of ideas in there, but since I don't use it or the ideas I didn't list it.

For the record, Dungeon is used heavily by me. Many adventure locations are used in my campaigns, and a lot of NPC's. But since they are nominally WOTC I did not put them in the list.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Wilderlands of High Fantasy box - Necromancer Games
City State of the Invincible Overlord hardcover - Necromancer

I just don't own much, if ANY, non-WotC product that qualifies beyond these. I don't NEED much beyond the Core Rules in any case and so do not buy much. I intend to get hold of the PHII and Iron Heroes, but I think these will be my first D&D purchases since the two listed above.

 

[00Machado]

I am curious to know which fantasy D20 products are considered to be a makeup of a quintessential d20 collection.

Sound Off!

I DM and don't just play.

Not everyone will have DM focussed books on their list, but just to elaborate a little on why some would make it onto my list and not others, I consider them to be classics when I can use them across campiagns, even across genres, and keep going back to them again and again for idea. If I read a book, and I feel like there will be campaigns worth of material there, not just adventures worth, it's a top tier product.

Also, for my uber d20 gaming experience, indeed, for my uber gaming experience period, I'll rely on things learned in some non-d20 books

1 DM Design Kit from 1st edition
2 Aaron Allston's Strike Force - the treatise on planning a campaign and delivering the play experience to everyone at the table applies to any genre
2b - Treasure Tables GM site. The resource in general, but the interview with Robin Laws really sticks out as a highlight (Very useful, but not getting it's own number because it's both free, and not a product per se
2c - Roleplayingtips.com, again, no cost

If only d20 can be allowed into the list, then I'd get DMG II and Book of the Righteous instead of the above.

3 - Dragon Magazine appendix from ebay
4 - Dragon Article from Tracy Hickman on How Not to Play D&D
5 - Power of Faerun
6 - Heroes of Battle (I'd substitute another for this - like maybe Manual of the Planes - if your group wouldn't be into battlefield scenarios, but having played for years, I had wanted a resource like this for a long time). If not interested in battle field scenarios, then probably Book of the Righteous
6b Ivid the Undying PDF - Free online. The ideas within on progressing PC's through the levels, ultimately topping out at where the explore ancient mysteries of the world and multiverse still stick with me and make me a better GM for having read the info
7 - Dungeon subscription if you play and GM. If you never GM, then make this a subscription to Dragon
8 - Manaul of the Planes
9 and 10 - Probably d20 Modern, and one of the expansion books, either d20 Future, or d20 past. I don't play it, but if I was trying to build the most flexible ten book d20 resource library to give me the most amount and variety of gaming, I think these books really expand your options.
If that's not of interest, then I'd add
9 - A setting book, if for no other reason that to mine it for ideas, and get an idea of what you might include in your own settings. As far as what's out today, I think I'd pick Forgotten Realms, though I suspect Ptolus might become my new benchmark once it's out
10 - A book in support of the setting. Probably Player's Guide to Faerun. If not using a setting though, then I'd put the Spell Compendium here.

 

[Greg K]

Mercenaries (AEG)
Wilds (AEG)
A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe (Expeditious Retreat)
Cityworks (Fantasy Flight Games)
Seafarer's Handbook (Fantasy Flight Games)
Traps and Treachery (Fantasy Flight Games)
Wildcraft (Fantasy Flight Games)
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin)
Advanced GM's Guide (Green Ronin)
Psychic's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Shaman's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Witch's Handbook (Green Ronin)
Complete Book of Eldritch Might (Malhavoc)
Book of Iron Might (Malhavoc)
Book of Roguish Luck (Malhavoc)
Quintessential Monk (Mongoose)
Quintessential Rogue (Mongoose)
Quintessential Sorceror (Mongoose)
Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose)
From Stone to Steel (Monkey God)
Experts (Skirmisher Press)
Unearthed Arcana (WOTC)
Spell Compendium (WOTC)
Stormwrack (WOTC)
Redhurst

Other d20/OGL games
Grim Tales
Rokugan
Swashbuckling Adventures
True20

 

[Wombat]

Since the point is to no longer have WotC on the list, let me replace Liber Mortis with Hollowfaust -- fits the same general vein, so to speak