What books should I buy?

[BiggusGeekus]

I recently received about $75 in Amazon gift certificates, and need to decide which 3.5 D&D books I will buy with it.

I am trying to chose what to buy from this list:

Eberron campaign setting (or any other Eberron book people like),
Locations books (Frostburn, Sandstorm, Stormwrack),
Psionics books (Psionic Handbook, Expanded Psonic Handbook, Complete Psionic),
Planar books (Planar Handbook, Manual of the Planes),
Miniatures Handbook,
Some of the creature-type books (Draconomicon, Lords of Madness),
Magic of Incarnum,
Tomes (Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic),
Weapons of Legacy,
Heros of Battle,
Heros of Horror,
Monster Books (MM II, MM III, MM IV, Fied Folio),
Savage Species,
Forgotten Realms: Underdark (and some of the other newer FR books might be interesting).

Hmmm.
OK, the key thing is to make that $75 work for you. I would strongly suggest a subscription to Dungeon or Dragon.

Failing that I would just read the reviews for the products you mention. It isn't like you can combine a Forgotten Realms game with an Eberron game without invoking a planar game. So just buy the books you think you'll like.

 

[Herobizkit]

Given your Harry Potter interest, I would highly suggest the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Forget about the original; either it was 3.0 edition, or simply an inferior product. EPH gives you a 'new' kind of magic system, one that I've always felt should have been the core D&D magic mechanic.

I really can't vouch for any of the other books on your list. But if you wanna spend 75 bucks, could you pick up the Iron Kingdom's series of handbooks for me?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There's a lot of stuff I'd reccomend.

Savage Species is one of my favorite WotC books. Its not perfect, but it has loads of ideas.

If you get the Expanded Psionics Handbook, there's no reason to get the Psionics Handbook- the former is the 3.5 update & improvment on the latter. Complete Psionic is a decent supplement to the Expanded handbook, but you should also consider buying Hyperconscious (a 3rd party psionics supplement by Bruce Cordell) and Dragon #341 (it has about 10 Soulknife feats).

2 others I'd reccomend unconditionally: Book of the Righteous and Dragon Compendium volume 1.

For D20 variant FRPG settings, Swashbuckling Adventures, Iron Kingdoms, Iron Heroes, and Midnight 2Ed are all excellent, equal to AU/AE in quality.

For a slightly more modern game consider Nyambe and Northern Crown. Etherscope is pretty cool, but I'm not 100% sold on it.

The Dragon subscription is a fine example of thinking outside of the box- you'll get a lot of bang for your buck.

 

[diaglo]

Will you sell it for ten?

i'm still using mine so it's not for sale.

Eberron campaign setting
Miniatures Handbook,
Draconomicon
Magic of Incarnum,
Weapons of Legacy,
Fied Folio,
Savage Species,

these are my suggestions from your list. but for $75 you are only gonna be able to buy 2 of them at most.

 

[Psion]

Eberron campaign setting (or any other Eberron book people like),

I think Sharn's pretty good, but if you only want a small investment, I'd hold off picking up Eberron for a while unless you are jazzed on starting a game in the setting.

Locations books (Frostburn, Sandstorm, Stormwrack),

These are all decent, again depending on the game you want to run.

Psionics books (Psionic Handbook, Expanded Psonic Handbook, Complete Psionic),

Skip the Psionics Handbook (it's replaced by Expanded Psionics Handbook, a much better book.)

I'd recommend getting Malhavoc Press's Hyperconscious before investing in Complete Psionic; it's a much better book.

Planar books (Planar Handbook, Manual of the Planes),

Get Manual of the Planes. It's an excellent book full of ideas.

I'd skip Planar Handbook unless you know you will be playing/running a game with a focus on the planes.

Miniatures Handbook,

Skip it. Its about 1/5 usable content (much of which has been reprinted).

Some of the creature-type books (Draconomicon, Lords of Madness),

Draconimicon is excellent.
The others are decent, but worthwhile if you like or plan to use the creature type.

Magic of Incarnum,
Tomes (Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic),
Weapons of Legacy,
Heros of Battle,

All skippable, IMO

Heros of Horror,

Decent, if somewhat subtle. Consider it if you want a more ravenloft or other horror feel.

Monster Books (MM II, MM III, MM IV, Fied Folio),

Depends on your monster taste. I'd consider getting at least one or two of these if you plan to GM.

Savage Species,

Unless you know you want it, skip it.

Forgotten Realms: Underdark (and some of the other newer FR books might be interesting).

FR campaign book is a good campaign book, but a bit dated. Consider it if you would like to start an FR game (if you only plan to play one, get the 3.5 PG instead.)

So, in summary, a good shopping list might be

1. A location book
2. Expanded Psioncs Handbook (and possibly Hyperconscious)
3. Manual of the Planes
4. Heroes of Horror
5. Draconomicon
6. A monster book.

 

[Aus_Snow]

XPH
CPsi

Anything else is 'even more optional'.


(from that list, that is.) Too much stuff I can think of that I could otherwise metnion.

 

[sckeener]

What I liked from your list:

Frostburn
Sandstorm
Lords of Madness
Tome of Magic
Heros of Horror,
Savage Species

I've gotten a lot of use out of Savage Species, but if I had to pick only two ($75), then I'd choose Tome of Magic and Heroes of Horror.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

My Favorite books from your list are:

Ebberon Setting Book ( Ebberon's "Sharn" is good city setting book too )
Lord of Madness
Fiend Folio
and
Draconomicon

in that order

XPH is also good in you need Psionics
I like MM2 too

 

[Evilhalfling]

1. XPH if you or DM/Players want to try psionics. It adds alot to the game.
2. Draconomicon does pretty, pretty things for dragons or dragon hunters, the stated dragons with personalities and goals are worth the price.

3. The FF is my fav of the monster books - more in this book cried out to me 'use me'
than in any of the later books.

4. Manual of the planes
5. Heroes of Horror

 

[Psychic Warrior]

Considering some of my most recent purchases I will say these

Weapons of Legacy (I am in love with how the rules work for these. It is how I would like all magical items to work in the future)
Draconomicon (simply the best book on dragons that I have ever seen. The depth and breadth of the detail is truly amazing - best of all it isn't all just Feats & Prestige Classes! *joy*)
Monster Manual 3 (I wasn't too keen on this at first but there are some exciting and interesting creatures in this book; 2 new Rakshasa, Lifeleech Otyugh, Abyssal Stalker, 5 Trolls (including Crystalline & Cave), 4 Yugoloths, Eldritch Giant and others I really want to add to my games)

and one that I don't have but all idications are it is something i would love

Heroes of Horror The reviews and previews I have seen really make me want to oen this - I'd also put Lords of Madness and Libris Mortis in this category too.