What's the best you've ever gotten for your buck in gaming products?

[johnsemlak]

What gaming products (books, accessories, etc) have you gotten the best bang for your buck? Think in terms of actual use you get from the product. What books do you reach for several times a session?

Here's my (non-inclusive list) list:

• 3.5 PHB -- no brainer. Get's used every game
• 3.5 MM Absolutely essential for DMing, though I don't use it as a player unless I'm a summoner
• Battlemat (can't remember which brand it is)--perhaps my most essential D&D product. Used in every game session.
• Counter Collection I and II -- These get limited use now but earlier they were used every session. They're a pain to use in 3.5 at times.
• 3.5 DMG -- gets used pretty often, both by players and DMs
• 3e Unearthed Arcana -- we rarely use large amounts of it, but since it was published it has seen limted use in every campaign we've run

EDIT: Oops, forgot dice

 

[BiggusGeekus]

In no particular order:

• 3.5 core rules
• Magical Medival Society: Western Europe
• GAZ3: Principalties of Glantri
• Dragon/Dungeon subscription
• Dragon CD-ROM
• Battlemap
• Counters
• Unearthed Aracna (am I the only fan of this lovely, lovely book?)

I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've ever gotten. But those were the ones that I've enjoyed the most. GAZ3 is my most treasured gaming book. I lub it 4 ever.

 

[demiurge1138]

The core rulebooks and Eberron Campaign Setting are what I'm currently getting the most value out of, but in its day my FRCS saw a lot of use.

Demiurge out.

 

[fafhrd]

2 recent purchases have made me almost willing to shelve most of my d20 product.
Tact-Tiles
Arcana Unearthed(yeah I know I'm a little late on that one)

 

[alsih2o]

GenCon.

Seriously. Now, admittedly, it si cheaper for me to go than most. I get vacation when I feel like it mostly and have a free place to stay.

But I got exposed ot new gaming styles, got free schwag, got to try new games, saw other DM's work...it was some of the best return per buck ever, long term or short.

 

[johnsemlak]

[*]Dragon CD-ROM

I was tempted to add this to my list, as it's definitley one of my favorite products. I'm not sure how much I use it in game currently, however, though certainly the individual magazines saw some use when I had them in print.

 

[Turjan]

If I take the question literally, then it's "Experts" from Skirmisher Publishing; I got it as a freebie from the game shop where I used to buy my stuff . At first look, I thought the shop owner wanted to get rid of something that nobody wanted (which was probably right ), because the production values looked particularly shoddy. When I read a little bit further, I found it to be one of the best source for NPC's I've stumbled upon up to now .

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I was tempted to add this to my list, as it's definitley one of my favorite products. I'm not sure how much I use it in game currently, however, though certainly the individual magazines saw some use when I had them in print.

I use it constantly. I'm the only one in the group who has it, so I can mine 250 magazines worth of ideas without any of them knowing where I'm getting my stuff. That's probably why my list is as long as it is. I get my ideas mostly from staring at things until my eyes bleed and the stuff I listed is great backdrop. So I'm not really using things like GAZ3 for the rules, I'm using it in the way of wondering who the next villian should be and flipping through GAZ3 and running into that Scottish lich guy and thinking "Hmmmmmm".

 

[Voadam]

Srd.

 

[DMH]

You wrote gaming, not d20 and with that in mind:

Alternity GMG and PH, 5th edition of Gamma World, Book of Templates (DE)*, Shaping the Self*, GURPS Uplift, Oathbound (all 5 books)*, Torn Asunder*, Minions 3.5*, Toxicant*, and Arms and Armor 3.5* (* are d20 books or files).

As much as I want to, I don't use Transhuman Space, Blue Planet or Aquavita much.