What are your top 5 D20 Companies

[Razuur]

Just what the subject said - and WHY? (I would include WOTC in this group)

1. Atlas - They made Nyambe and Occult Lore. 'nuff said.

2. Bastion - One word: OATHBOUND.

3. Green Ronin - Just for the Book of the Righteous alone.

4. Alderac - Mercenaries, Magic, War, Evil, and Swashbuckler were great.

5. Kenzer - The quality behind anything Kalamar is suberb.


Honorable mention for Privateer Press simply due to the goodness that was Monsternomicon. It is the only product of theirs I have bought, and can't wait to see what is next.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Razuur

 

[Tsyr]

Wizards... despite my occasional badmouthing of them, their products are generaly quite good, and lets face it... they did do the core rules and all? Besides, OA, CoC, WoT... all great products too.

FFG: The Legends and Lairs series is amazing, and Dragonstar is great too.

Mongoose: Some of the slayers guides are good, but the best stuff is the various Encyclopedia Divine/Arcane and the Quint books. Crunchy goodness. Plus, you can't forget Slaine.

AEG: A few of their Word books were good... I liked Mercenaries and Magic alot, myself... but also for Rokgaun. All of the Rokugan books have been quite good.

Actualy, I'm gonna change my number 5... Sov. Press. Sov Stone is a great setting with some great new core classes, and the best magic system ever published for D20 (Come on, elements of magic, unseat that title!)... And they are helping to bring Dragonlance D20 into being, and that gives them soooo much in my book. (I'm sorta a Dragonlance junkie...)

 

[Dragongirl]

1) Mongooses Publishing - Because they do great suppliments that balance crunchy with flavor that I find very useful.
2) Green Ronin
3) WOTC

Don't really have a 4th or 5th, no one else stands out to me so far.

 

[Crothian]

1) FFG: My favorite. Their Legend and Lairs series has so many great ideas and few problems.

2) Mongoose: They have many books that can easily be fit into any campaign. They take chances by covering new topics and having new mechanics to stretch what d20 can do.

3) Mystic Eye (Thunderhead Games): Bluffside, what else do I have to say?

4) AEG: These guys always had go ideas, and now they are showing they can write good mechanics and have excellently organized books.

5) Creative Mountains Games: These guys can do NPCs as well as anyone. They don't have much out, but if they keep the quality up they will become a house hold name.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

1) WotC

2)Green Ronin

3)Malhavoc press

4)Fiery Dragon productions

5)AEG

 

[Gothmog]

I'd go with this list, with highest being #1. I also have trouble with naming 5 companies, so I'll list 7.

1. Green Ronin (Book of the Righteous, Legions of Hell, and Armies of the Abyss were incredible).

2. Sword & Sorcery/Necromancer Games (R&R I and II were good, with lots of cool ideas. Although I haven't gotten the chance to play Scarred Lands, its definitely quality. And just about anything Necromancer games releases I am a sucker for- great production values and you gotta love guys whose idol is Orcus!).

3. WoTC (The core 3 books are great, but they have slipped down in quality since then. However, I have been reading the BoVD since Tues, and I have to say that book has impressed me more than anything they have done since 3E came out).

4. Mongoose (Their Encyclopedia Arcane and Divine books are great, as are most of the Quentissential series. Maybe not the best stat-wise, but TONS of innovative and cool ideas).

5. FFG (Traps & Treachery I and II, Path of the Sword, Path of Magic, and Spells and Spellcraft were all great books with tons of diverse ideas).

6. AEG (Magic, Mercenaries, Evil and Monster were really good).

Other great products are KOK Players Guide (Kenzer), Monsternomicon (Privateer), Liber Bestarius (Eden Studios), Occult Lore (Atlas), and I already know Tome of Horrors will be a must-have!

 

[Ghostwind]

1. Bastion Press (but I'm biased on that one for obvious reasons)
2. Fantasy Flight Games - Legend & Lairs series is strong stuff
3. Wotc - despite the criticisms, their books are pretty sound
4. Green Ronin - Consistent level of quality - Hammer & Helm, Book of the Righteous, Legions of Hell, Freeport (need I say more?)
*5. Mystic Eye Games/Thunderhead - Bluffside is excellent
*5. Privateer Press - Monsternomicon is the best monster book to date (IMHO)
*5. AEG - Spycraft is a solid setting.

* 3-way tie

 

[Darke]

1. FFG (all Hardcovers - they just rock)

2. Green Ronin (Legions of Hell, Armies of the Abyss and of cause Freeport-Stuff)

3. WotC (FR-Stuff, Corebooks, MotP & PsiHB, OA, and BoVD)

4. Privateer Press (Iron Kingdom seems to rock if the campaign book will be as good as the Monsternomicon)

5. Thunderheadgames/Msytic Eye (Bluffside)

5. Malhavov Press (BoEM, ITCK)

5. AEG (Spycraft, Rokugan)

5. FDP (Counters, Counter, Counters & OSM I plus Queen of Lies)



das Darke

 

[Sulimo]

I havent bought a wide variety of d20 material, so I couldnt nominated even a top 5 list.

But of what I've bought I'd list:

1. Kenzer co (although I guess they are more a D&D company rather than a d20 company)
2. Sword & Sorcery Studios

Which is rather ironic, given the campaign I use is Scarred Lands. I just really like the way the Kalamar product line has developed and the variety of products we've seen so far.

 

[Teflon Billy]

WotC: Well, they are WotC after all. Where would D20 be without them? Manual of the Planes is an incredible product, and the FRCS has set the bar for campiagn settings.

Green Ronin: Their products have never been less than above average quality, and have in many instances been top-notch (Freeport: City of Adventure and Legions of Hell come to mind). When I finally get my copy of Mutants and Masterminds they will likely displace WotC for me.

AEG: Spycraft is wonderful. Best non-sword and sorcery D20 thing I've come across. Rokugan matched the quality of WotC's FRCS.

Thunderhead Games: Bluffside, City on the Edge convinced me that THG was a serious contender here. Talking with the staff at Gen Con sealed that opinion. It's not D20, but I love Giant Monster Rampage.

Fiery Dragon: 5th place here was a tossup between Atlas and Fiery Dragon. Fiery Dragon takes it on the strength of their adventures (Of Sound Mind should've taken the ENnie), their Counter Collections (I prefer actual figs, but these things are such a great idea for those who don't) and the personalites of their staff.