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View Full Version : [3.5] Best books for expanding our groups options?



expirement10K14
2010-06-28, 10:31 PM
So me and some friends have recently picked up DnD again after a long hiatus, and are looking to expand our available sources. Between us all we have Core, all of the completes but psionic, PH 2, Dungeonscape, Heroes of Horror and Tome of Magic. I am looking into acquiring Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (I played in it once and plan on running it for our group) and Magic of Incarnum. Is there any books that our group should definitely look into getting (one player wants to get psionics, and other wants to get just one of the race books).

In a nutshell- what books have the most information/best quality for the price?

gallagher
2010-06-28, 10:33 PM
you really should get teh psionics book, because it is a good source for a different casting group that isnt totally OP, tome of batte is a must, and the magic item compendium

PId6
2010-06-28, 10:34 PM
Tome of Battle, by far. This greatly expands melee options and makes melee worth playing. It's the best balanced book in 3.5 and is incredibly well-written.

After that, I'd recommend Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium.

CubeB
2010-06-28, 10:39 PM
Tome of Battle for sure. One of my favorite books.

arguskos
2010-06-28, 10:40 PM
I'd actually recommend the Compendiums (Spell/Magic Item) over Tome of Battle. You aren't hurting for subsystems, and the Compendiums matter for every single possible character you could ever make. After those, grab ToB, if it's your speed.

tyckspoon
2010-06-28, 11:06 PM
Second/third/whatevering the Compendiums. Spell Compendium is one-stop shopping for any sort of spellcaster, so you don't have to go flipping through six books to reference your spell list any more, and Magic Item Compendium is just utterly excellent for anybody who wants to get magic items. It's especially handy for that low-mid level range where you can trivially afford all the mundane gear you could ever want, but can't yet afford a lot of magic stuff- the book has a lot of trinkets and lower-power (but very useful) items especially for the 500-2000 GP price range, which you don't find in very many of the books.

DragoonWraith
2010-06-28, 11:17 PM
Tome of Battle.

Followed by Magic Items Compendium.

After that, I'd consider Spell Compendium and Rules Compendium.

But basically, your spellcasters can be Core-only and they'll do fine. You don't need Spell Compendium. And Rules Compendium has only a little to add (though, note, I don't DM and therefore am not really the target audience; as a DM, you might want it - but it's not going to add options).

But what you do need is melee that works. Currently, you don't have it, other than Magic of Incarnum, which are decidedly strange meleers. Tome of Battle will do a great deal to rectify that situation, and Magic Item Compendium is much more important to martial characters than spellcasters.

CubeB
2010-06-28, 11:21 PM
Tome of Battle.

Followed by Magic Items Compendium.

After that, I'd consider Spell Compendium and Rules Compendium.

But basically, your spellcasters can be Core-only and they'll do fine. You don't need Spell Compendium. And Rules Compendium has only a little to add (though, note, I don't DM and therefore am not really the target audience; as a DM, you might want it - but it's not going to add options).

But what you do need is melee that works. Currently, you don't have it, other than Magic of Incarnum, which are decidedly strange meleers. Tome of Battle will do a great deal to rectify that situation, and Magic Item Compendium is much more important to martial characters than spellcasters.

That's why I support ToB.

Magic Item Compendium is very useful. Spell Compendium slightly less so. But Tome of Battle is the Melee book for 3.5e.

lsfreak
2010-06-29, 12:02 AM
Tome of Battle, definitely.

Magic Item Compendium is very good. Tons of new options, including cheap magic items and new things like runestaves and eternal wands that are extremely useful.

Expanded Psionics would be good if it weren't available in whole from the SRD.

Spell Compendium is good, but a good chunk of the spells are reprints/updates from things you already have. I'd definitely get ToB and MIC first.

Magic of Incarnum is excellent, though the most complex subsystem. It dwarfs every other subsystem for initial learning curve, though once you get the system itself down, the number of combinations isn't as overwhelming as, say, binding. It does melee extremely well, a few other things fairly well, and plays very well with a lot of the other subsystems.

HunterOfJello
2010-06-29, 01:03 AM
Tome of Battle if you want to mix up all the melee classes.

Spell Compendium if you want to add tons of options to all of the spellcasting classes.

Magic Item Compendium if you want to add in tons of fun and interesting items for all types of characters



and Unearthed Arcana if you really want to mix all your **** up and come out with some crazy new campaign rules, concepts and designs



~~

Expanded Psionics Handbook along with Magic of Incarnum and a list of extra Monster Manuals also deserve mentions

(that's MM III, IV, V, Fiend Folio, Fiendish Codex I & II, and more)