What RPG books/manuals do you really regret buying?

[devilish]

My most recent regret is the "Book of Immortals" from Mongoose. I didn't quite pay full price, but close (like $27). It doesn't suck, exactly , it's just not what I was looking for (I was looking for something like the Immortals rules from basic D&D). I tried to sell it on ebay, and couldn't. (I set the minimum bid at $9 with $2 shipping, which apparently is more than anyone wanted to pay).

Just looking at it irks the heck out of me, so I am seriously considering setting it on fire or something. (well, not really. But it does angry up my blood).

I second that. I was hoping for basic Immortal Rules/Primal Order d20/Epic level and beyond
type book from this and didn't get it. Don't hate it, necessarily, but that's because
I'm not looking at it right now.

 

[Glyfair]

They are of such a poor production value, and the Encyclopedias of Demons and Devils are so bad with regard to the rules that I'm embarassed to have paid full price.

The Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils has to be #1 on my list. I knew the rules were going to be shaky before I bought it. However, that many Demons and Devils had to have a lot of ideas to mine. Unfortunately, every time I go through it, it fails to inspire me. I think it's far too rules oriented a book for a company that has shown such disdain for actually following the rules.

 

[Nightfall]

Psion,

Some days it's so scary how much you and I agree...Especially regarding CW's Samurai, the Builder's Book and Deities and Demi-gods. Thank god I kept with The Divine and the Defeated. Now THERE was a book on gods.

 

[Psion]

That's odd, we've gotten great use out of that book and never had any problem with feat balance at all. :\

Well, many of the feats are fine.

But the book is so chock full of feats that it doesn't take a very big ratio to make for a lot of bad feats.

Some feats are pulled into the book without context, like the AC boosting feats from Swashbuckling adventures -- it is clearly intended for a game with few other sources of AC improvement.

But some feats are majorly abusive. Take assassin strike. Sneak attack, instant death, no save? No thanks.

I allow the use of FEATS for my game. But I require my explicit approval of all feats from it, for reasons I consider obvious.

 

[reanjr]

FRCS
Monsters of Faerun
All the class books except for Sword & Fist (not including the Complete series)

 

[Psion]

Thank god I kept with The Divine and the Defeated. Now THERE was a book on gods.

Hmmm... I think what makes Divine & Defeated useful is not the divine section (though it is relevant), but the DEFEATED section. I never suspected until I got the book how much plot-fodder was in the material on titans.

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah well titans are good plot fodder. I just wanted more details on Chardunites, Vangalites and Tanilites. (Madriel and Corean I knew well enough and Belsameth is just plain cool.)

But the defeated section I'll grant you has LOTS of ideas for cults, cultists and revivication of each titan.

 

[Turjan]

Yeah well titans are good plot fodder. I just wanted more details on Chardunites, Vangalites and Tanilites. (Madriel and Corean I knew well enough and Belsameth is just plain cool.)

Don't forget Enkili . I found this a most inspiring god .

Edit: What books do I regret? Too many. But the most obvious offenders have been listed several times in this thread:

Deities and Demigods. What was this book good for again?
Book of Exalted Deeds. Ravages anyone?
Arms and Equipment Guide. Truly exciting.
Savage Species. This one was nearly as fast obsolete as it was published.
Stronghold Builder's Guidebook. Even WotC did not deem it worth the use of a spell checker.
The Secret College of Necromancy. To cite at least one 3rd party book.

As I could go on for a while, but I'll leave it at that.

 

[pogre]

Hero Builder's Guidebook - The only purchase I out and out regretted. Fortunately, it was early and heavily curbed my later d20 spending.

 

[Soel]

Ghostwalk - Just wasn't at all what I was expecting. Still trying to eke out something workable from it.