Your least-favorite pre-3e D&D/AD&D books

[Dark Jezter]

I'll start...

Complete Book of Elves: After the excellent Complete Book of Dwarves, I was expecting this book to be just as useful and interesting. Unfortunately, I was proven wrong. Not only did it introduce some severely overpowered class kits (bladesinger and archer, anyone?), but the descriptions of elf society, culture, and lifestyle depicted the point-ears as being perfect in every way (another suppliment that's guilty of this is Evermeet: Island of the Elves). I was practically expecting to see a line that said "Elves are so good and pure that their urine can be bottled and sold as a minor healing potion." I know several DMs who refused to use this book in their campaigns, and I understand their reasons.

Maztica: Kara-tur and Zakhara (Al-Quadim) were both interesting campaign settings that shared a world with Faerun. I don't know why, but Maztica just didn't seem to be nearly as interesting as those other settings. Besides the strange rules regarding magic, I wasn't real crazy about the Church of Helm becoming Spanish Conquistadors and terrorizing the Aztec/Mayan/Incan-like natives. While I'm sure some people might have gotten into this setting, I'm definately not one of them.

 

[MerricB]

Going back even further:

Wilderness Survival Guide - unfortunately, this treatment of wilderness adventuring failed to excite me at all and introduced a bunch of dubious rules.

Terrible Trouble of Tragidore - the worst module ever printed for 2nd edition AD&D, unfortunately bundled with the 2E DM screen.

D&D Supplement IV: Deities, Demigods and Heroes - you really have to see it to believe it. No descriptions of the deities, just their stats. Thank you, Robert J. Kuntz and James Ward.

Cheers!

 

[Gez]

I'll go with the CBoE too.

 

[Ahrimon]

I don't really understand the hatred towards the complete book of elves? I liked the book. I didn't really like some of the classes in it, but I really liked the rest of the book. Maybe since most people have that dark side inside them, they have trouble believing that a near utopean society could exist even in fantasy. I'll admit that I'm sick of the constant elven subraces. I mean really. We don't need a different subrace for every cultural difference.

Back on topic...

I didn't really like ravenloft. It always seemed like too much of a railroad to me. The mists roll in and poof, your in a world you can't escape from and everything wants to kill you. I like the ambiance, just not the setting.

Ahrimon

 

[johnsemlak]

D&D Supplement IV: Deities, Demigods and Heroes - you really have to see it to believe it. No descriptions of the deities, just their stats. Thank you, Robert J. Kuntz and James Ward.

I can see why this book would draw criticism. Unfortunately, it started the trend of 'statblock' diety compendiums.

I love it though. It has so many pantheons, many of which were never publsihed elsewhere. Teh descriptions are short, I agree. I supposed the book was primarily aimed at those who whated to have gods battleing gods or even PCs.

 

[diaglo]

D&D Supplement IV: Deities, Demigods and Heroes - you really have to see it to believe it. No descriptions of the deities, just their stats. Thank you, Robert J. Kuntz and James Ward.!

now, now. you really have to read the foreword. it talks about the trend of gamers to Monty Haul their way to godlike status.


edit: and to answer the original post....i would say the UA. i still contend EGG wrote it for his powergaming scions.

 

[TiQuinn]

Oh god, there's so many.

But the absolute worst of the worst, in my opinion, were the following:
Wilderness Survival Guide, Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, Child's Play, Gargoyle, Puppets, The Falcon series, Vecna Lives, Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep (adventure), all the Dragonlance "Dragons of" modules, and the Lankhmar series.

These were the epitome of bad editing, bad design, boring play, railroading, and the result of a "let's throw crapola at the board and see what sticks" mentality.

 

[diaglo]

Oh god, there's so many.

But the absolute worst of the worst, in my opinion, were the following:
Wilderness Survival Guide, Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, Child's Play, Gargoyle, Puppets, The Falcon series, Vecna Lives, Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep (adventure), all the Dragonlance "Dragons of" modules, and the Lankhmar series.

These were the epitome of bad editing, bad design, boring play, railroading, and the result of a "let's throw crapola at the board and see what sticks" mentality.

i completely agree. and the trend continues even today.

 

[S'mon]

Anything by Dale 'Slade' Henson. His Lankhmar stuff has to be seen to be believed, I doubt he ever read a Leiber novel. In fact all the 2e Lankhmar stuff is pretty appalling (trolls, fire giants and red dragons in Nehwon?).

Also, I was severely underwhelmed by 'Slavers', the 1999 retread of the Slave Lords series - it seemed utterly dull and colourless.

 

[S'mon]

I did like the 1e Dungeoneers' Survival Guide though, it had a good mix of rules, a detailed setting, and that picture of the harem girls being menaced by an ogre... The Wilderness SG sufffered from being all rules and rather dull.