[d20] What non-WoTC books have you gotten the most use out of?

Zachary The First · September 06, 2006, 10:55:16 AM

So....books by Alderac, Green Ronin, Goodman Games, Bastion, FFG, The Game Mechanics, Ronin Arts, etc, etc, etc....which d20 (Fantasy, not Modern) books have been most useful to you?

For me, I found FFG's Legends & Lairs series to have some really nice bits. Seafarer's Handbook has seen a lot of use, as has Wildscape and Traps n' Treachery. Plus, I picked some of the series up for $5 each about two years ago when FFG ran this crazy sale.

FickleGM · September 06, 2006, 10:58:39 AM

For me, I guess that AEG's Toolbox has been the one that I have used the most.

Caesar Slaad · September 06, 2006, 11:03:23 AM

Last D&D campaign I ran saw a lot of use of:

Hyperconscious (Malhavoc Press)
Beyond Countless Doorways (Malhavoc)
Classic Play: Book of the Planes (Mongoose)
Portals & Planes (FFG)
Seas of Blood (Mongoose)
Ultimate NPCs (Mongoose)
Book of the Righteous (Green Ronin)
Advanced GMs Guide (Green Ronin)
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin)
Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition (Goodman Games/Silverthorne Games)
Toolbox (AEG)
Feats (AEG)
Relics & Rituals (Sword & Sorcery)
Creature Collection II (Sword & Sorcery)
Requiem for a God (Malhavoc)
Tome of Horrors (Necromancer)
Tome of Horrors II (Necromancer)
Eldritch Sorcery (Necromancer)
Ultimate Divine Spellbook (Mongoose)
Spells & Magic (Bastion)

jrients · September 06, 2006, 11:06:31 AM

Monster's Handbook (written by Mike Mearls, published by FFG) is my number one non-Wizard book. It's written for 3.0 but I still find it very handy for making or modifying critters. I often use it in tandem with Tome of Horrors.

Abyssal Maw · September 06, 2006, 11:09:31 AM

Back when I did 3.0 (I'm doing 3.5 now) we used the two Green Ronin demon and devil books (Hordes of the Abyss and Legions of Hell), as well as the Monsters Handbook and a couple of others. I still use some systems and templates from Monsters Handbook. Although I'm a bit better at hacking monsters on my own now.

I seem to recall having some kind of nautical or seafaring supplement I used a lot too.

obryn · September 06, 2006, 11:10:33 AM

Far and away, Arcana Evolved since I've been running a campaign with it for a year and a half.

-O

Mcrow · September 06, 2006, 11:11:28 AM

I liked the FFG tool books, some were written by Mike Mearls IIRC.
Most of the Green Ronin books are real good, really liked the Advanced series.

Vellorian · September 06, 2006, 11:12:33 AM

A friend of mine gave me some D20 books last winter and they made the best possible kindling you could imagine! The burned evenly and hot, igniting the wood in the fireplace just splendidly!

Aside from that, I've had very little use for OGL, SRD, D20 or actual D&D material.

This was posted in gest. I would never burn a book that I could sell on eBay.

Zachary The First · September 06, 2006, 12:36:17 PM

Quote from: Caesar SlaadLast D&D campaign I ran saw a lot of use of:

Hyperconscious (Malhavoc Press)
Classic Play: Book of the Planes (Mongoose)
Portals & Planes (FFG)
Seas of Blood (Mongoose)
Ultimate NPCs (Mongoose)
Book of the Righteous (Green Ronin)
Advanced GMs Guide (Green Ronin)
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin)
Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition (Goodman Games/Silverthorne Games)
Toolbox (AEG)
Feats (AEG)
Relics & Rituals (Sword & Sorcery)
Creature Collection II (Sword & Sorcery)
Requiem for a God (Malhavoc)
Tome of Horrors (Necromancer)
Tome of Horrors II (Necromancer)
Eldritch Sorcery (Necromancer)
Ultimate Divine Spellbook (Mongoose)
Spells & Magic (Bastion)

Holy crap! That's a lot of books for a campaign! But hey, so long as you got what you wanted out of it...

Balbinus · September 06, 2006, 12:41:47 PM

I haven't run much d20. Were I to I would look for the name Mearls on the cover and go by that. He knows his stuff d20 wise and I have considerable trust in his ability to get it right.

Caesar Slaad · September 06, 2006, 12:49:34 PM

Quote from: Zachary The FirstHoly crap! That's a lot of books for a campaign! But hey, so long as you got what you wanted out of it...

Heh... if you could see the bookshelves that sit next to my gaming table.

I was only mentioning things that I know to have used in multiple sessions. I use lots of smaller supplements like Ronin Arts planar supplements (I run a planar/seafaring game) as need suits from session to session. I might draw from 4 or so resources for a session. Things like Book of the Righteous contributes sort of continually across the campaign. (Cause the deities are always there as background details, right?)

Aren't you a palladium fan? You can't tell me you didn't tap that many RIFTS books over a campaign?

Caesar Slaad · September 06, 2006, 12:51:46 PM

Quote from: BalbinusI haven't run much d20. Were I to I would look for the name Mearls on the cover and go by that. He knows his stuff d20 wise and I have considerable trust in his ability to get it right.

I have a few other trusty names, like Gareth Hanrahan (rpgnet's mytholder), Robert Schwalb, and Patrick Younts.

Zachary The First · September 06, 2006, 12:53:32 PM

Quote from: Caesar SlaadAren't you a palladium fan? You can't tell me you didn't tap that many RIFTS books over a campaign?

Ouch.

Guilty. :bow:

Balbinus · September 06, 2006, 12:55:13 PM

Quote from: Caesar SlaadI have a few other trusty names, like Gareth Hanrahan (rpgnet's mytholder), Robert Schwalb, and Patrick Younts.

Gareth knows his stuff, I wasn't wholly taken by his OGL Horror book but it definitely had some great ideas. The whole ties thing or whatever it was called.

Who are the other two? I don't know them.

Also, if Spycraft 2 with the errata fixed ever gets published in dead tree I plan to buy that. You can get the revised version in pdf, but that book is way too big to make a pdf practical IMO.

GRIM · September 06, 2006, 12:55:25 PM

Iron Kingdoms.