What should I buy?

[MrFilthyIke]

Actually, how's this- assume I like what you like. What do you consider indispensable?

Spell Compendium gets a lot of use.

I also really liked Dungeonscape.

Frostburn is a great arctic resource.

One of those and you can't go wrong.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

OD&D(1974) boxed set

Geez, you think he's made of GOLD?!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

1. Expanded Psionics Handbook
2. Player's Handbook II
3. Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords
4. Complete Arcane
5. Complete Adventurer

 

[GreatLemur]

Yeah, if you're just going to pick up one book, I've got to second (or third?) the Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium, or Unearthed Arcana. The first two are great, widely-applicable resources for both PCs and NPCs, while the last is an awesome toolboxe for customizing the most basic rules of your game (although, personally, I'd call it a starting point more than anything else).

But if you'd rather just throw a new and interesting subsystem into your game to give the players something cool to try out, or to give your campaign a unique feel, there are always the Expanded Psionics Handbook, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Magic, and Tome of Battle. Each one of those books offers a few new base classes which use a totally new magic (or magic-like) system (or, in the case of ToM, three new magic systems), which could be really great if your players are tired of the usual elements of D&D, or if you want to introduce antagonists in your world with an exotic array of abilities.

 

[Murrdox]

I love doing things dealing with the planes.

I couldn't go without the Manual of the Planes.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

If you're going for a single WotC book and also enjoys open content, Expanded Psionics Handbook is probably your best choice. It's full of good stuff, the majority of which also happens to be open content. If you don't like the flavor of psionics, you'll still have a great system all around to work with.

Cheers,

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Player's Handbook 2 (New classes, new feats, lots of good info), Complete Adventurer (Scout! Glee! Also, some interesting info), Tome of Battle: Book of 9 Swords (Fun classes, less silly per day mechanics. Woo!), and Magic Item Compendium (Yay! Loots and Lutes!) are my advice.

-TRRW

 

[Thaumaturge]

Spell Compendium
Magic Item Compendium
Player's Handbook II

If you like to tinker with the rules (like I do)
Unearthed Arcana

This is my list as well. Though, I'd put PHBII above the Magic Item Compendium.

Thaumaturge.

 

[blargney the second]

Spell Compendium
Magic Item Compendium
Player's Handbook II

If you like to tinker with the rules (like I do)
Unearthed Arcana

Ditto. The variant magic books are really quite cool as well.

If you haven't looked at the Eberron Campaign Setting book, you really ought to just browse through its pages at least once.
-blarg

 

[RSKennan]

Thanks everyone. I ended up going with the Spell Compendium. I've only read a few entries, but I feel like I got my money's worth.