[D&D 3.5] What are all of the alignment / religion books again?

[INoKnowNames]

I'm going to try to brush up on my basic knowledge of D&D's cosmology, for the sake of making sure that my own characters (and their ranks in K-Religion) aren't smarter than I am. And a lot of that has to do with the various Gods, Outsiders, Demons, Devils, Fiends, and whatnot that make up most of the realms, along with those realms themselves.

Now, while some Dms make up their own god info, I better at least know the basics that will apply to most games. So what books should I read? I know to go through...

Book of Exalted Deeds
Book of Vile Darkness
Deities and Demigods
Faiths and Pantheons
Fiendish Codex 1 and 2
Planar Hanbook

Any others? And which are the most important to know?

I remember a conversation a while back about why Good doesn't simply vanquish all Evil, and the Abyss and whatnot, that I didn't really know much about. I'd like to.

[MilesTiden]

Complete Divine, for one, as well as Complete Champion. :smalltongue:

[Karnith]

Manual of the Planes is technically 3.0, but on-topic.

[Squirrel_Dude]

There might be setting specific ones for Forgotten Realms or Eberron, but I'm not aware of what they would be called, or if those topics are just rounded into the general campaign setting guides.

[Karnith]

There might be setting specific ones for Forgotten Realms or Eberron, but I'm not aware of what they would be called, or if those topics are just rounded into the general campaign setting guides.
Faiths and Pantheons is Forgotten Realms (and in the OP), but you just reminded me that Faiths of Eberron is a book. The cosmologies for the settings are detailed in their respective campaign settings, though.

[hamishspence]

Champions of Ruin and Champions of Valor are Faerun-type expansions of BoED and BoVD.

Exemplars of Evil also could be said to be a BoVD expansion in that respect.

Heroes of Horror also discusses neutral alignment (in a bit less detail).

[Karnith]

Champions of Ruin and Champions of Valor are Faerun-type expansions of BoED and BoVD.
Lords of Darkness, another 3.0 book, also details a number of evil organizations in the Realms, including the church of Cyric and the Cult of the Dragon.

Exemplars of Evil also could be said to be a BoVD expansion in that respect.
Ditto Elder Evils.

[hamishspence]

The biggest difference is that Champions of Ruin, Champions of Valor, and Exemplars of Evil, actually talk about alignment, personality traits and flaws, etc- whereas Elder Evils doesn't really do so (though it does expand the list of Vile feats).

[Karnith]

The biggest difference is that Champions of Ruin, Champions of Valor, and Exemplars of Evil, actually talk about alignment, personality traits and flaws, etc- whereas Elder Evils doesn't really do so (though it does expand the list of Vile feats).
It does contain a fair amount of fluff on the Elder Evils themselves, though, which are a part of D&D's cosmology.

[Xefas]

Heroes of Horror also discusses neutral alignment (in a bit less detail).

Has there ever been a fan project to do a book on the unspeakably and irredeemably neutral? The Book of Notable Neutrality, or something to that effect?

I feel like WotC left a big gaping hole in their product line.

[hamishspence]

There are Neutral items to match the Good and Evil ones (Book of Perfect Balance, Talisman of Neutrality). And a Neutral clerical domain (Balance).

Most of these are in the Forgotten Realms book Underdark.

Though the Regalia of Neutrality are in Arms & Equipment Guide.

[Eldan]

Fiend Folio, because otherwise, IIRC, you are missing the Rilmani and have barely anything on the 'loth.

I also recommend looking into Planescape, even if it is AD&D, since the books are usually almost pure fluff. AD&D statblocks are tiny.