What set of books should I buy for a friend who has never read the series?

[anaconomist]

I was thinking that Dungeon Crawling Fools is an obvious choice, since it starts off the series. But does it end early enough that I should also be getting No Cure for the Paladin Blues, or even more, to really draw someone into the series?

I'm also thinking about Start of Darkness and On the Origin of PCs, mostly because I'm interested in reading them myself too. But I worry about how much someone would understand of those books if they hadn't read the main story first.

Which books make sense to give someone in order to present the series to someone and get them hooked? What order should they be read in (if prequels are included)?

Sadly, I don't have enough money to buy all 6 books.

[Gray Mage]

I think that Dungeon Crawling Fools and No Cure for the Paladin Blues are the ones to go, with On the Origin of the PCs being the third if you have the money. I say NCPB because it's when the true plot kicks in.

[Crisis21]

Start with Book 1. Several things in the prequel books will likely not make sense unless they have at least read that. Book 2 is the next that I would give them personally.

On origins of PCs is good if they've already read book 1 and are more interested in the character backgrounds rather than the continuation of the plot, and I wouldn't give them Start of Darkness until after they have at least read Book 2, possibly Book 3.

[Darthteej]

Start of Darkness is a MUCH better book, most of Origins gets revealed in the online series, and it's not really that funny. However, it really doesn't make sense until after the War and XPs arc.

[Mystic Muse]

Start of darkness is kind of a depressing book to start on. I suggest one of the books of the main strip first.

[Gift Jeraff]

Dungeon Crawlin' Fools should be read first, of course. I think the best point to read Origins would be sometime before the redesign/overall change in tone (#198 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0198.html)). SoD is best read between War & XPs and DStP, I think.

Though if I had to recommend one to hook someone it'd be War & XPs because I think it has the best mix of humour and action thus far. But then again, I'm a :thog: fanboy. :smalltongue:

[Cybertoy00]

I concur. Dungeon Crawlin' Fools is the best way to start the series because it starts at the beginning. You don't need to buy any of the prequel books, because like The Giant says, they are only for added flavor, like bonus material on a DVD (Paraphrased from Book -1 introduction):roach:

[Mauve Shirt]

DCF and NCftPB, then SoD and OtOoPCs if you want, then WaXPs and DStP.

[NerfTW]

Start of Darkness should not be read until the battle of Azure city anyways. It contains spoilers for a lot of later stuff, such as the Snarl, the gates, Redcloak's true purpose, etc. Just because it's numerically -1 doesn't mean it's supposed to be read first at all.


Honestly I'd just tell them to read the online comic, starting with strip #43 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0043.html). It's where actual plot starts up. Every time I tried to start reading the strip years ago, I'd get bogged down in the dungeon crawling jokes and stop. Only with the introduction of the Linear Guild did I stick with it.

And you don't need to know very much to follow the plot at that point. Get them hooked, then they can go back and read the first 43 to get stuff like Eugene's ghost plot points.

If they really want the books, then Dungeon Crawling Fools would be the obvious first choice, since it's the start of the comic.

[Dr.Epic]

I'm also thinking about Start of Darkness and On the Origin of PCs, mostly because I'm interested in reading them myself too. But I worry about how much someone would understand of those books if they hadn't read the main story first.

I wouldn't start off with the prequels. Go with the first two books, but if you convinced your friend to read enough of OotS so they would know about the Snarl then go with the prequels.

[The Succubus]

DCF and NCftPB, then SoD and OtOoPCs if you want, then WaXPs and DStP.

I think Mauve Shirt's developed Redhead Speech Disorder.

[Morgan Wick]

Start of Darkness is a MUCH better book, most of Origins gets revealed in the online series, and it's not really that funny. However, it really doesn't make sense until after the War and XPs arc.

Well, I finally got around to buying both prequels (and DCF; methinks No Cure might be next in line for a reprint, because it was the one book I didn't see in any of the stores I went to, and I'm not inclined to order any of the books online) and honestly, I think SoD is best read in the middle of War and XPs. The scene with Eugene and the Oracle spoils the "Oracle is a kobold" secret, but later in the same section, the joke that Xykon killed Fyron for his crown isn't as funny if you know that already. I think there's at least one other point in SoD that works best read before a certain point in War and XPs.

I don't know how many of you properly understood the OP's question, as a lot of people gave recommended reading orders, but not the best book for getting someone who may not have even heard of OOTS before hooked on the series. DCF is the closest thing OOTS has to a self-contained story, but it's not that representative of the awesomeness OOTS would become, especially if you're giving it to someone who's not an RPG fan.