D&D 5E What gaming aids from previous editions do you still use?

[The Green Hermit]

I will look at whatever edition has info on local cities. We aren't worried about timelines matching up with the current canon, so no worries there. Also, I have a 4e DMG adventure that I am planning on tacking on to the end of our current campaign, assuming we last that long. Hopefully by then I will either know how to adapt it or will have found somebody else's cheat sheet! (I know one is at least in the works.)

 

[Laurefindel]

I still have my old photocopied version of AD&D The North box set in my DM's binder as my go-to reference document for my FR games. Otherwise I periodically consult the 3.0 FR campaign setting book.

I also kept all my Birthright Player's Secret guide to [domain] books which I consult every once in a while, always surprising myself thinking "wow, that was good stuff!", find inspiration from them, then forget all about Birthright for a year or so until I stumble on these booklets again, reading them and thinking "wow, that was good stuff!", and continue the cycle.

Actually, I think I'm due. If you excuse me, I'll be by the RPG bookshelf for a while...

 

[MNblockhead]

sigh I traded away all my TTRPG stuff for alcohol in college.

But when I got back into TTRPGs with 5e I did go back and bought some old Role Aids stuff from 1e, including the book on Dwarves and the Dungeon Design.

I also bought the 2e book on Illithids on DMs Guild and the PDFs of the original Greyhawk

Mainly I mind prior edition stuff for fluff, but I do like the Goodman Games republishing of classic old modules with updates for 5e.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I use my 3rd edition FR book and map.

 

[atanakar]

2e: Page 144 of the DMG (revised edition) has a list of 133 medieval NPC professions. Very useful when creating town or when rolling for a random location.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I still occasionally use my 4E-era soda bottle rings to denote conditions on the minis on the table.

 

[Quickleaf]

I get a lot of mileage from Matt Finch's Tome of Adventure Design, AEG's Ultimate Toolbox, my 2e Monster Manual, and 1e DMG though my 5e DMG has given the older one a run for its money recently. Besides this small selection of excellent books, most of the resources I use either online or self-created these days.

 

[Shiroiken]

1E DMG is filled with useful (and useless) charts that are awesome. 2E had a TON of rule generic supplements great for any edition. Setting books as a rule are always useful. Maps can be reused pretty much forever.

 

[Hriston]

In my current 5E campaign, I’m using the 1E DMG for random tables, etc., the 1E MM for monster ecology and treasure type, and the World of Greyhawk Glossography for the random weather tables.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

1E DMG is filled with useful (and useless) charts that are awesome. 2E had a TON of rule generic supplements great for any edition. Setting books as a rule are always useful. Maps can be reused pretty much forever.

Yes! I was very happy when I saw, to my surprise, several of those old 2e books listed as recommended reading in the 5e PHB. 3rd and 4th edition always seemed to try to ignore all content from earlier editions and exist in this kind of hermetically sealed D&D-o-sphere. I've been thrilled to see the game reach beyond that.