What are your favorite pre-3e D&D/AD&D books.
- Thread starter johnsemlak
- Start date
Masque of the Red Death was pretty. Planescape had lots of whiz-bang gizmos and cool factor. But Birthright defines the ultimate campaign setting/ruleset for me.
I still experiment with it. Birthright rules for far-future planet-ruling games. Streamlined BR rules for simpler domain management. Birthright, invaded by space dragons and marines from Dragonstar. Replacing sources and ley lines from BR with nexuses and ley lines from HoHF:Elves. Slotting in Cry Havoc rules to replace the war cards. Slotting in De Bellis Multitudinis to replace the warcards. Playing in the Birthright setting using Exalted rules.
Birthright will always be my default setting when I'm getting a game together.
I still experiment with it. Birthright rules for far-future planet-ruling games. Streamlined BR rules for simpler domain management. Birthright, invaded by space dragons and marines from Dragonstar. Replacing sources and ley lines from BR with nexuses and ley lines from HoHF:Elves. Slotting in Cry Havoc rules to replace the war cards. Slotting in De Bellis Multitudinis to replace the warcards. Playing in the Birthright setting using Exalted rules.
Birthright will always be my default setting when I'm getting a game together.
DaveMage
Slumbering in Tsar
In no particular order...
Return to the Tomb of Horrors (Box Set)
Faiths & Avatars (one of, if not THE best 2E value - only problem is that it made clerics the best class to play by far (IMO))
Planescape Box Set
Planes of Chaos Box Set
Planes of Law Box Set
Planes of Conflict Box Set
Return to the Tomb of Horrors (Box Set)
Faiths & Avatars (one of, if not THE best 2E value - only problem is that it made clerics the best class to play by far (IMO))
Planescape Box Set
Planes of Chaos Box Set
Planes of Law Box Set
Planes of Conflict Box Set
Treebore
First Post
I6 Ravenloft-This module helped me grow up from "roll" playing to "role" playing and Strahd is still the most feared NPC in any campaign i run. That's IF the group ever figures out who's behind everything.
Bloodstone Mine Modules- Taught me how to run a high level game that was still a challenge to the characters. Also brought home the idea that there is always something out there bigger and badder than you are.
FR (Forgotten Realms) Taught me to run a game according to my vision, not what is published. Plus the "Chosen of" concept is something i love.
Ravenloft Campaign setting: Taught me how to make an overwhelmingly depressing and gritty setting to be fun to play. Made me a better DM and my players much better players.
Judges Guild and especially City State of the Invincible Overlord, taught me to let my imagination just run free. The new release is doing it to me all over again!
Tomb of Horrors- Taught me character death can be fun.
Lich Lords-Taught me even a badly written module can be turned into one of the best modules of all time. Thats why i will buy almost any module, no matter how bad it looks. Thanks Roleaids!
Egg of The Phoenix- Taught me what a rich, multi-layered, story could do for a campaign. In other words, the story doesn't have to end with the module. It is much better if it does'nt.
Dragons by Role Aids, taught me the value of having a strong, preferably detailed, idea of the physiology and culture of your main monsters. The book itself wasn't very useful, but the idea was great. Proven by all the Ecology supplements that came out years after.
The Compleat Alchemist- I still use it.
Grim Tooth's Traps- Who knew traps could be so much fun?
Best of Dragon Volumes 2 thru 4. I still use a lot of this material as well. Even some of 5, just a little.
Dungeon Magazine- For so many memories and helping me learn to put my ideas in a meaningful format.
Ed Greenwood- For making me realize how good the game can be.
Greyhawk: It is where my gamer self was born. How can you not love home?
Faiths and Pantheons: Forcing me to see Clerics as something a lot greater than healing machines. And giving me a format with which to formalize those ideas.
Unearthed Arcana: for making me realize you don't have to stick with the "standard" rules.
Bloodstone Mine Modules- Taught me how to run a high level game that was still a challenge to the characters. Also brought home the idea that there is always something out there bigger and badder than you are.
FR (Forgotten Realms) Taught me to run a game according to my vision, not what is published. Plus the "Chosen of" concept is something i love.
Ravenloft Campaign setting: Taught me how to make an overwhelmingly depressing and gritty setting to be fun to play. Made me a better DM and my players much better players.
Judges Guild and especially City State of the Invincible Overlord, taught me to let my imagination just run free. The new release is doing it to me all over again!
Tomb of Horrors- Taught me character death can be fun.
Lich Lords-Taught me even a badly written module can be turned into one of the best modules of all time. Thats why i will buy almost any module, no matter how bad it looks. Thanks Roleaids!
Egg of The Phoenix- Taught me what a rich, multi-layered, story could do for a campaign. In other words, the story doesn't have to end with the module. It is much better if it does'nt.
Dragons by Role Aids, taught me the value of having a strong, preferably detailed, idea of the physiology and culture of your main monsters. The book itself wasn't very useful, but the idea was great. Proven by all the Ecology supplements that came out years after.
The Compleat Alchemist- I still use it.
Grim Tooth's Traps- Who knew traps could be so much fun?
Best of Dragon Volumes 2 thru 4. I still use a lot of this material as well. Even some of 5, just a little.
Dungeon Magazine- For so many memories and helping me learn to put my ideas in a meaningful format.
Ed Greenwood- For making me realize how good the game can be.
Greyhawk: It is where my gamer self was born. How can you not love home?
Faiths and Pantheons: Forcing me to see Clerics as something a lot greater than healing machines. And giving me a format with which to formalize those ideas.
Unearthed Arcana: for making me realize you don't have to stick with the "standard" rules.
Sanackranib
First Post
auroara's whole realms catalog
all of the players options series esp the skills and powers - gotta love all that flexability.
all of the players options series esp the skills and powers - gotta love all that flexability.
johnsemlak said:
Favorites-- Well I tried to avoid D&D before 3rd edition. Oh I ran a bit of Second Edition but all I ever had was 3 core, monsters compedium (the elsucko ringbinder ones) and IIRC Complete Thief and Fighter. Thats it
Most of the time I either played short games (3 or 4 sessions) or something (anything! else) I don't feel quite as negative now but back then well....
My favorites from that Era were
Complete Fighter -- Mostly Balanced well enough for my game anyway. I always liked the Myrmidon Kit -- its flaw "you look like a soldier" was a social flaw and therefor didn't really balance the gimmie "a free weapons specilization" but I didn't mind
Complete Thief-- This was a great book. Mostly balanced and a lot of fun stuff like Investigator kits and a nifty thieves guild system. I ran a thieves game for a while it with the book. Great Stuff
D&D Cyclopedia-- I never actaullu played this but D&D all in one book was just cool. I stil think a lightly modified D&D Cyclopedia with a single Companion volume (with all Creature Crucibles and Immortals rules and this and that) and a single Mystara/Holllow Earth book would be the perfect D&D and if it existed one of my Desert Island Books
Whole Realms Catalog -- It was just neat
MrFilthyIke
First Post
Pre 3e?
Ghost Tower of Inverness. Have the module AND the novel.
Dieties & Demigods (w/ Elric and 'Thulhu..IA! IA!)
Taladas boxed set
Planescape (all)
Dark Sun (all)
Ravenloft (most)
Complete Fighters and Dwarves
Too many others too name.
Ghost Tower of Inverness. Have the module AND the novel.
Dieties & Demigods (w/ Elric and 'Thulhu..IA! IA!)
Taladas boxed set
Planescape (all)
Dark Sun (all)
Ravenloft (most)
Complete Fighters and Dwarves
Too many others too name.
I joined the hobby only in the middle of the 90s, and about the only pre 3ed stuff I own is the Complete Handbooks series and some Dark Sun. My favourite of these is the the Complete Handbook for Gnomes and Halflings, especially the Halfling part. I like those halflings much better than the 3ed version even if they are basically only copied out of LOTR. The book on Dwarves is also quite good as the book on Bards, although the latter's kit were very overpowered.
I also liked the Birthright setting, although never used the whole domain-stuff (ruling provinces and so). The world was cool, bloodlines were cool, manhunting elves were very cool...
I also liked the Birthright setting, although never used the whole domain-stuff (ruling provinces and so). The world was cool, bloodlines were cool, manhunting elves were very cool...
Brother Shatterstone
Dark Moderator of PbP
but not in my case.Psion said:I blame drugs.
I would also add birthright, which is by far my favorite campaign setting.
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