What are your favorite pre-3e D&D/AD&D books.
- Thread starter johnsemlak
- Start date
johnsemlak
First Post
Interesting how several products which were on the 'worst' list are now appearing here.
Joshua Randall
Legend
The Complete Thieves' Handbook - never mind all the broken 2e rules and kits; this book is chock full of great campaign ideas and tidbits for, er, rogues. The tables for randomly generating thieves' guilds are an outstanding resource.
Brother Shatterstone
Dark Moderator of PbP
Players’ Option: Skills and Powers , the real first chance to make a completely unique character.
Gladiator Handbook, was a Dark Sun product but was usable in any campaign that had gladiator pits. Unique and interesting rules and character concepts.
I’ll always remember my first blind gladiator. 
Gladiator Handbook, was a Dark Sun product but was usable in any campaign that had gladiator pits. Unique and interesting rules and character concepts.
I’ll always remember my first blind gladiator. 
Cthulhu's Librarian
First Post
Basic Set-Moldvay edition
Expert Set-Cook edition
Fiend Folio
Deities & Demigods (with Cthulhu & Elric)
Greyhawk Campaign Box set (1983 edition)
Expert Set-Cook edition
Fiend Folio
Deities & Demigods (with Cthulhu & Elric)
Greyhawk Campaign Box set (1983 edition)
francisca
I got dice older than you.
Moldvay edited Basic and Expert sets: some say the rules are wonky. I find them to be simple and hell of a lot of fun.
X2: Castle Amber: first module I read that I felt immersed in and could not wait to get to the end.
1983 Greyhawk boxed set: This is the standard I measure other settings by.
Someone mentioned that the GH boxed set is skimpy by today's standards. I find it to be "just right". The amount of material is more than sufficient to give the big picture view of the world and get the creative juices flowing for the DM, without drowning you.
Of course, this may be a function of age, as there was nothing else for me to compare to at the time. I had no idea that Judge's Guild or anyone else existed at the time.
X2: Castle Amber: first module I read that I felt immersed in and could not wait to get to the end.
1983 Greyhawk boxed set: This is the standard I measure other settings by.
Someone mentioned that the GH boxed set is skimpy by today's standards. I find it to be "just right". The amount of material is more than sufficient to give the big picture view of the world and get the creative juices flowing for the DM, without drowning you.
Of course, this may be a function of age, as there was nothing else for me to compare to at the time. I had no idea that Judge's Guild or anyone else existed at the time.
D+1
First Post
- Unearthed Arcana - New classes, weapon specialization, new spells, etc. We used virtually everything in it.
- Ravenloft - Even though I never really ran the setting, just the modules, its advice on running a game was invaluable to me.
- City State of the Invincible Overlord - I still use it today. How could I NOT include it? REALLY looking forward to the 3E revision.
- Complete Fighters Handbook - Probably the only 2E splatbook really worth a damn, it's the only one that really saw use for me - and like UA it saw a LOT of use.
- The Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting - simply because it was the setting of choice for 9/10 of the games I've run or played in since it's first release.
Melan
Explorer
Dark Tower - probably the best dungeon adventure I have ever seen. Written by the incomparable Paul Jaquays, it offers several imaginative and deadly challenges, traps and NPCs in an inspired dungeon environment. Also, unlike many other dungeons from any D&D era, his dungeons are a lot more interconnected - there are several stairways, isolated sub-levels and so on than usual.
City State of the Invincible Overlord and the Wilderlands series - as mentioned before, these are all good (if a bit sparse on details) and offer tons of customization while remaining DM (Judge-
) friendly. My players will enter the City State about three or four sessions from now and I am already giddy with anticipation.
Undermountain - I still like it more than Rappan Athuk. Undermountain's dungeon maps are the best in any non-Judges Guild product. I ran several adventures in it, mostly low to mid levels. Only parts of it were populated, but that was part of the charm. Avoid the sequels - they are awful.
City State of the Invincible Overlord and the Wilderlands series - as mentioned before, these are all good (if a bit sparse on details) and offer tons of customization while remaining DM (Judge-
) friendly. My players will enter the City State about three or four sessions from now and I am already giddy with anticipation.Undermountain - I still like it more than Rappan Athuk. Undermountain's dungeon maps are the best in any non-Judges Guild product. I ran several adventures in it, mostly low to mid levels. Only parts of it were populated, but that was part of the charm. Avoid the sequels - they are awful.
francisca said:
I tend to agree, although a few statted out NPCs at below the quasi-deity level would have been nice - the detail on Heward, Keoghtom etc is great, but Bigby, Mordenkainen, Robilar and such would have been more immediately useful, and the scenarios could have been properly fleshed out with stats. As it is they're more inspirational nuggets rather than scenarios. Some fantasy art would have been nice too. Nothing beats those enormous hex maps though.
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