What book you think is a must have? -- ANY for D&D

[woodelf]

I get really skeptical when trying to label any book except the core books as 'essential'. In fact, I think that's one of the great things about 3rd edition, is that much more effort is put into ensuring that only the 3 core books are needed to play. Unlike 1e, where modules would frequently require access to MMII, FF, etc.

I'll go one further: the only essential book for a D&D game is a players' handbook--you can get the D&D3E PH, Arcana Unearthed, EverQuest, or whatever. There's really not that much necessary content in the DMG, and you can always create your own monsters.

That said, i probably wouldn't run a D&D game with less than a players' handbook (AU, in my case)and Dynasties & Demagogues. IMHO, the paltry support for non-combat conflict in the core rules is simply not acceptable. [that is, i can run a game with Over the Edge, but if i'm going to have the level of detail D&D3E has for combat, i want just as much detail for other actions.]

 

[Holy Bovine]

I own Traps and Treachery and find it a very good resource for the new NPC class, PrCs and trap descriptions (I love traps). It also has a lot of the fine details that make a really memorable Thieves Guild. if you are running a one-city based campaign i would strongly recommend it.

I would also heartily recommend the Player's Guide to Wizards, Bards and Sorcerers from S&SS. This is a 'must-have' for anyone who plays any of these three classes and I really think this is what the WotC classbooks should have been like. Some cool tidbits inculde - 100 research tomes found in a wizard's library (including what knowledge skills they enhance), enchantments and enhancments to your spell books (including rules for small and large sized books), songs and sotries bards can use to enchance their spells, and the list goes on (and on). Don't worry too much abbout it being tied to the Scarred Lands, those elements that would have to be converted (PrCs mainly) come with author notes for converting them into any campaign (ie for the Moonwitch it tells you what kind of diety would need to be present in your game world to effectively utilize the class). It is, IMO, the source book for arcane using classes.