What are your top 5 D20 Companies

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

Tough One. As a founding member of OSA ( over supplementers annonymous ) I'm gonna feel bad for those that don't make my list. Lets just say that many publishers not in my top 5 definitely have offerings that are better than SOME of the products offered by the guys on my list.

1. Sword & Sorcery - Scarred Lands stuff especially
2. Green Ronin - I have been happy with the consistancy here
3. ATLAS - Nyambe is good, but I use the PENUMBRA stuff a lot
4. FFG - good plug into any campaign type stuff
5. TIE between Malhavoc and Fiery ( can't lump them in with S&S?)

Honrable mentions go to Privateer and Eden studio's, but they need to publish more d20 before they make my fav list...

 

[MerricB]

This is going to be a pretty short list:

WotC - just because they're good. I don't like everything, but its rare to see a product without a few ideas I can use.

Okay. List over.

Why so? It's because I haven't seen a wide enough range from other companies to make a fair assessment. I certainly pay attention to anything put out by Necromancer Games and Malhavoc Press, and anything by Rob Kuntz, Gary Gygax, Monte Cook or Bruce Cordell regardless of the imprint.

Thinking about it, I have five products from Necromancer Games, so I might as well add them to the list:

Necromancer Games. On the strength of Necropolis & What Evil Lurks. (Whilst I like RJK's Maze series, I have some serious problems with their presentation).

Cheers!

 

[jaerdaph]

1. Atlas Games (esp. Occult Lore and Nyambe)
2. Fantasy Flight Games (Legends & Lairs hardcovers, esp. Spells and Spellcraft)
3. Green Ronin Publishing (Freeport and pretty much everything)
4. Sword & Sorcery (Ravenloft, Relics and Rituals)
5. It's a tie: AEG (Spycraft/Shadowforce Archer, Swashbuckling Adventures); Mongoose Publishing (esp. Quint. Rogue and Encyclopedia Arcane: Necromancy)

Honorable mentions go to Otherworld Creations (Forbidden Kingdoms), and Citizen Games (Sidewinder). I only own one product each from these companies, but look forward to more

Edit: Yowza - I forgot Monte! Add Monte Cook's Malhavoc Press under Sword and Sorcery!

 

[Sidran]

1 FFG Traps and Treachery I, and II Rock, as well as most of the other Legends & Lairs

2 Sovereign Stone Just recently aquired their books-love them tremendously

3 AEG Spycraft rules

4 WoTC The Core Rules alone put them on my list

5) Malhavoc Press Makes here out of sheer Charismatic power

 

[chatdemon]

1. Green Ronin: Freeport is excellent, the master class books are cool, and the Book of Fiends series rocks.

2. Sovereign Press: I love the alternate mechanics for magic in the Sov Stone setting, and the books are full of great ideas.

3. Thunderhead: Bluffsides is cool, I'm not all that fond of Mystic Eye's other stuff though.

4. Alderac: Dungeons, War and Evil are must haves.

5. Sword & Sorcery: great stuff all around. And Slitheren kick ass!

 

[Nightfall]

Well I'm sure everyone knows I'll put S&SS and those under their banner in the top, BUT I'd go like this for other d20 stuff

1. Dark Portal Games: What can I say I love White Robes and Black Hearts

2. Thunderheadgames/MEG: Bluffside is great and so was Blight Magic

3. Green Ronin: I've loved the Freeport Saga and I am enjoy EVERYTHING else, especially Book of the Righteous.

4. Atlas Games: Since they put out Touched by the Gods, they've remained a favorite.

5. Tie: Privateer Press for Monsternomicion, Eden Studios for Liber Beasterius, Mongoose for their vast supplies and Fantasy Flight Games for good ole Will Upchurch! Wil, you rock!

 

[Selganor]

1. Fiery Dragon (great adventures and background on the world)

2. Bad Axe Games (and that just on two products)

3. Mongoose (the Collector's Series are the best "class books" I know)

4. Necromancer (even if most of the adventures are a bit too "dungeony" for my group)

5. Sword & Sorcery (including Malhavoc Press)

 

[Jaws]

Top 5

1. WotC (PH, DMG, MotP, CoC, FR, OA, BoVD)
2. Kenzer (KoK, PG, GM Screen - I can't wait to get my hands on this)
3. AEG (Spycraft, Mercenaries)
4. Green Ronin (Book of the Righteous, Freeport, and Ultramodern Firearms)
5. This one is up for grabs. Malhavoc, Bastion, FFG, Fiery, Mystic Eye (Thunderhead included)
6. Necromancer Games when Tome of Horrors comes out.

Peace and smiles

j.

 

[Theuderic]

Necromancer Games. WOTC of course. I look foreward to the Judges Guild's releases. Gygax's works with Troll Lord Games I include as well but that's about it. Oh ya and Sovereign Press's Sovereign Stone.

 

[johnsemlak]

Besides WotC...

Admittedly, I haven't tried many d20 products out there. Much of this is from reading reviews and surfing this site.

1. Necromancer Games (Its S&S but I really like NG--Necropolis and Tome of Horrors say it all)
2. Sword and Sorcery/Malhavoc/Fiery Dragon
3. Fantasy Flight Games (mainly because of Traps and Treachery)
4. Green Ronin
5. Mongoose

Edit: I do want to try Atlas's Nyambe.

But hey, there are loads of great companies and products out there. And so many of them fill niches quite well.