Which D&D author/designer do you like best?

[maddman75]

I'm rapidly becoming a Monte fanboy. The last three products I've bought (Book of Eldritch Might, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and Book of Vile Darkness) really wowed me. He seems to write in a style similar to how I DM, if that makes any sense. Plus he has a good community and is probably the most open and accessible with his online fans than any of the other 'big hitters.'

 

[roytheodd]

Monte is my favorite, by Gygax is making a strong comeback. I'll buy anything penned by one of these two and so far in 3rd Ed they haven't let me down. They both create tools and supplements from a DM perspective for DMs - I really like that.

 

[Numion]

Monte is my favorite, by Gygax is making a strong comeback. I'll buy anything penned by one of these two and so far in 3rd Ed they haven't let me down. They both create tools and supplements from a DM perspective for DMs - I really like that.

Gygax writes 3e stuff? I thought his 3e stuff was mostly conversions done by third parties..

 

[VorpalBunny]

I have to go with:

Gary Gygax: I love everything he did for basic and 1e, and now his 3e stuff is knocking my socks off too.

David Cook: The 1st ed. Slavers series are some of my favorite modules.

Bruce Cordell: Bastion of Broken Souls, Heart of Nightfang Spire, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, Sunless Citadel - all great stuff IMO.

Ed Greenwood: I'm a drooling Forgotten Realms fanboy but I also think his Geneavue: Stones of Peace for the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting is top notch.

Monte Cook: Dead Gods and CoC d20. When he's good, he's very good.

James Wyatt: Oriental Adventures and City of the Spider Queen. Great stuff.

 

[johnsemlak]

Gygax writes 3e stuff? I thought his 3e stuff was mostly conversions done by third parties..

You're right, sort of.

Gygax's Necropolis was a straight conversion to 3e by the Necromancer Games folks.

A lot of the stuff he does for Troll Lord Games is dual system compatible--3e and Lejendary Adventures. I'm not sure, but it's likely someone besides him handles the 3e-rules specific stuff for those products.

His Slayers Guide to Dragons for Mongoose is co-authored by him and someone else.

 

[Berk]

If we coulda had more then one pick I woulda picked in this order.

Monte Cook - He is just the man in the biz. Everything he has done is excellent. Plus he is a kick ass kinda guy. Very friendly.

Bruce Cordell - He is the second man in the biz. What he did with the psionics system is amazing. The way he turned it around so now psionics are a unstopable force like they always used to be.

Skip Williams and SKR - Deffinatey major ball players in the industry.

 

[pogre]

Carl Sargent.
Awesome D&D stuff and for his stint at Flame Publishing - I loved that old WFRP stuff.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

I voted for Gygax; to me his 1e DMG transcended gaming and was a primary on forms of government, statistics, gemology, and of course literature with the canonical list of fantastic literature in the appendix. I am eagerly awaiting his _Everyday Life_ book and his _World Builder_ book.

If I could add a name to the list, I'd add Chris Perkins. I almost always like what he writes.

 

[Kilmore]

I could not in good conscience vote for anyone other than Gary Gygax, not so much because of what he's doing now, but because of what he has done. If it weren't for him, the gaming industry would not be the same. That may possibly even extend to computer and console gaming as well, who owe to D&D as much as other tabletop roleplaying games do.

Props to Col. Pladoh.

 

[LostSoul]

I voted for Monte Cook, but I'm not familiar enough with everyone else to give them a fair shake (or perhaps I am, but didn't recognize their work). I don't think that Monte is perfect, however; I'd much rather see a supplement from some of the people on these boards. Barsoomcore for one. Hong (that's right) for another.