Buying books

[Deus Mortus]

Alright, so I'm in my first group and everything is going well and I'm having a lot of fun, however having to look up everything in other people's books is rather a pain in the ass, so I wonder if there are any books I should get (I only have PHB II atm), I prefer spellcasting types and am using 3.5.

Any book will do, but my DM will have to approve it, so no over the top gamebreaking stuff, atleast that is what I am told? So what books should I get (budget isn't really a problem, but keep it around 5 books, I still have to read them)?

[Deathcow]

Complete Arcane and Complete Divine are always cool for caster types. I've heard Complete Mage is fairly good as well. If you only have the PHBII at present, picking up the PHBI and DMG is advisable. Or did you mean that you have the core books, plus PHBII? Just curious.

Anyway, avoid Unearthed Arcana if you want to stay away from the utter gamebreakage. That book is so rediculous it's not even funny.

[BCOVertigo]

I would guess Spell Compendium, Complete Mage and Arcane are all good choices, as well as the standard issue PHB. Beyond that just grab whatever looks the shiniest.

[Raum]

As you mentioned, it's probably best to check with your DM to see which books he allows. Having said that, here are the ones I'd recommend, in approximately the order I'd recommend.
- PHB
- PHB2
- SC (for caster types)
- ToB/BoNS (for monk & fighter types)
- CMag (for caster types)
- Specific worldbooks if you're playing in a supported WotC world.
- The rest of the Complete series. (CMag is listed first because it's spells aren't in the SC.)
- The environment books.

I left BoED and BoVD off the list because I dislike them personally...if your group uses them add them where ever. I recommend against ToM, unless you want to play a Duskblade. I couldn't stand MoI.

Caveat: This is my opinion. Take it for what it's worth. I don't plan on debating the merits of individual books here. :)

[Deus Mortus]

I only have PHB 2, Raum could you please dit away the abbreviations to full names, if I knew the abbreviations, I would know the books and I don't which is why I made this topic xD :P

[Indoril]

I'd say Complete Arcane, Complete Divine, Complete Mage, Spell Compendium, Tome and Blood, and Player's Handbook are some books that have already been listed that are good for casters to own.

Unearthed Arcana is nice because it provides some different ways of doing things (I like the Specialist Mage variants, but everything in this book you should clear with your DM).

Complete Adventurer is good. Lots of prestige classes and several other nifty things.

Magic of Incarnum is again a variant form of play, but if your DM allows it it's really cool.

The Tome of Magic...more different play styles. Again, clear this with your DM.

[Roland St. Jude]

I only have PHB 2, Raum could you please dit away the abbreviations to full names, if I knew the abbreviations, I would know the books and I don't which is why I made this topic xD :P

We have a common abbreviations list stickied at the top of this forum: here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18512) to assist you! :smallcool:

Then I would recommend:

PHB (you say you only have PHB II, so I thought I'd mention it. It is great to have and explains things better than just reading the entries in the SRD.)

Spell Compendium
Complete Mage
Complete Arcane

Then explore. Get something that'll expand your horizons of what D&D can be. Pick up the Expanded Psionics Handbook or Tome of Battle (which may just make you want to play a meleer!) or the Epic Level Handbook (neither balanced nor often used, but I thought it was interesting.) You know, just pick up something that looks interesting, even if not immediately useful in your game.

[Raum]

I only have PHB 2, Raum could you please dit away the abbreviations to full names, if I knew the abbreviations, I would know the books and I don't which is why I made this topic xD :P
Sure.

- PHB Player's Handbook
- PHB2 Player's Handbook 2
- SC (for caster types) Spell Compendium
- ToB/BoNS (for monk & fighter types) Tome of Battle / Book of Nine Swords (this is one book.)
- CMag (for caster types) Complete Mage
- Specific worldbooks if you're playing in a supported WotC world. Here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndlist&brand=dnd&year=All&tablesort=2) is the entire list of WotC D&D books. You can use the search function to pull out books for whatever world you play in.
- The rest of the Complete series. (CMag is listed first because it's spells aren't in the SC.) These include: Complete Arcane, Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Complete Adventurer, Complete Scoundrel, and Complete Psionics.
- The environment books. These include: Stormwrack, Sandstorm, Frostburn, and Cityscape.

I left BoED (Book of Exalted Deeds) and BoVD (Book of Vile Deeds) off the list because I dislike them personally...if your group uses them add them where ever. I recommend against ToM (Tome of Magic), unless you want to play a Duskblade. I couldn't stand MoI (Magic of Incarnum).

I did forget a couple, you'll need XPH (Expanded Psionics Handbook) if you use psionics in the game. Draconomicon, Lords of Madness, Libris Mortis, and the various Monster Manuals are all good if you're going to be DMing. Some of them do have content for players also, but I'd leave them for later if you're on a budget.

[Deus Mortus]

Well I'm going to get DMG, PHB, Complete Mage and Complete Arcane.

Now normally I always go hardcover, but seeing how rules change over time should I just get paperback and how about spending another 5 bucks on a DVD with the book?

[Renegade Paladin]

None of those are printed in paperback to my knowledge. If they are, I'm surprised; I'd been told that WotC had made a business decision to not do any more paperback sourcebooks because they didn't sell as well.

[The 8th Sin]

By "spellcasting type" you're including psionics right? Consider getting Expanded Psionic.

[Deus Mortus]

None of those are printed in paperback to my knowledge. If they are, I'm surprised; I'd been told that WotC had made a business decision to not do any more paperback sourcebooks because they didn't sell as well.

I saw a few paperbacks there, so if they aren't paperback, I guess the decision is moot xD

[Roland St. Jude]

Well I'm going to get DMG, PHB, Complete Mage and Complete Arcane.

Now normally I always go hardcover, but seeing how rules change over time should I just get paperback and how about spending another 5 bucks on a DVD with the book?

I believe the only one of those four available in paperback is the PHB - and then only in the "Player's Kit" which gets you some other stuff, but costs the same as just a PHB hardcover.

One potentially cash saving move may be to buy the PHB, DMG, and MM bundled together. Sometimes that's cheaper.

[Deus Mortus]

I'm not really going paperback for the cost, but the fact they would be easier to carry around ;)

[Viscount Einstrauss]

If you're a card-carrying Barnes & Noble member, you can get the whole core set for about $65. Free shipping and far cheaper if you buy them all one-by-one, oddly enough. Buying the bundle will cost you an extra $10 and forfeit the free shipping. B&N is weird sometimes.

Addendum- That's if you order it online. Costs significantly more in the store.

[Fat Daddy]

Well I'm going to get DMG, PHB, Complete Mage and Complete Arcane.

Now normally I always go hardcover, but seeing how rules change over time should I just get paperback and how about spending another 5 bucks on a DVD with the book?
That's 4 you mentioned you were getting 5 books. I'd really look at getting Spell Compendium as well. It bundles all the spells from a wide range of sourcebooks into one easy to use tome. Almost a must have for casters IMO.

[Deus Mortus]

Well I am now the owner of the entire Complete series, Races series, PHB and PHB II, DMG, MM and SC, my shopping habits scare me...

[Person_Man]

Player's Handbook, PHBII, and the Spell Compendium are all your really need to play in 90% of the games out there. Other books are useful for certain niches, but not necessary.

Other people may disagree, but I would say that you should definitely avoid the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide if you're not going to DM. You only get to be a D&D virgin once. After you've fought enough monsters, seen enough traps, and discovered enough magic items, their abilities, effects, and powers lose a big piece of enjoyment that come from the surprise and mystique.

Trust me on this one. Enjoy being new at the game, and don’t rush into buying every book just because they’re cool. Ease into it and buy the supplements one at a time. It’ll be far less likely that you will burn out or get bored of the experience, and D&D will still be an enjoyable hobby for you 20 years from now.

I suggest buying used versions of the books online. You can usually get them for 1/3 of the sticker price or less (especially the PHB), and they work just as well as new books. (Duh).

[Deus Mortus]

Well I want to Dm when I'm a bit less new to the game, I love to build worlds, I'm an avid RPG modder, but I'll heed your advice and steer clear for it for now and well buying books, I have a big income and if I bought the entire series I got a cool poster, I'm really bad at budgetting xD

[Deathcow]

DMG is a good idea just for the magic items, though. The rest isn't really necessary if you're not DMing.

And good gravy, how much spare cash do you have? That's got to be a couple of hundred dollars' worth of booklist there...

[Deus Mortus]

DMG is a good idea just for the magic items, though. The rest isn't really necessary if you're not DMing.

And good gravy, how much spare cash do you have? That's got to be a couple of hundred dollars' worth of booklist there...

Way too much to be honest, I tend to give a lot of it to charity, but it just seems to pool up, I'm weird like that.

[God_of_Luck]

Heroes of Horror has some good material (and a good Sorcerer PrC!). Even if you are not into Horror campaigns, it is a great read if you want to improve your PCs, NPCs and stories.

[Roland St. Jude]

...
Other people may disagree, but I would say that you should definitely avoid the Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide if you're not going to DM. You only get to be a D&D virgin once. After you've fought enough monsters, seen enough traps, and discovered enough magic items, their abilities, effects, and powers lose a big piece of enjoyment that come from the surprise and mystique.

Trust me on this one. Enjoy being new at the game, and don’t rush into buying every book just because they’re cool. Ease into it and buy the supplements one at a time. It’ll be far less likely that you will burn out or get bored of the experience, and D&D will still be an enjoyable hobby for you 20 years from now.

This is the best gaming advice ever. Especially if you have a good DM.

[Renegade Paladin]

On the other hand, you could have a DM who loves to screw with you. While huddling over the DMG with the other players looking at cursed magic items and refusing to let you see.

My first DM was a cheat. I didn't know the rules and he took advantage of that to screw with me to no end. I was playing a dwarf, so he told me trolls weren't giants and I couldn't check. The lack of the dodge bonus to AC almost killed my character when the party dumped me to fight one by myself at level 5. The only magic item he ever let me have was a helm of opposite alignment. He actively schemed with the other players to either bump off my character or make him evil because that's the way the rest of the party was sliding and he couldn't even be bothered to find out what the character's alignment actually was. (He had assumed lawful good, when it was not.)

So no, I can't advise automatically trusting the DM to treat you fairly when you don't know what's going on. So find out what's going on. It's a hell of a lot more fun that way than having the entire game dropped on you because the guy behind the screen is feeling bored and knows you can't call him on it.

[TheOOB]

I wouldn't even think of getting any other books until I have the core rulesbooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monsterous Manual). I also would heavily consider getting the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Tome of Battle, both introduce new magic systems and allow whole new characters types.

Other then that try to get books no one in your group has. Most books (like the complete books) dont need to be referenced all that often so you don't need everyone to have their own copy.

[Deus Mortus]

Well my Dm is pretty good, this is the fourth group I tried and I really like the vibe, I'm currently running a 5 part introduction campaign to D&D so I can learn the rules after that I'll roll into their current campaign at lvl 14, so I know the DM is good, the only time I noticed him bending the rules was to save my char's ass :P

[Person_Man]

On the other hand, you could have a DM who loves to screw with you. While huddling over the DMG with the other players looking at cursed magic items and refusing to let you see.

My first DM was a cheat. I didn't know the rules and he took advantage of that to screw with me to no end. I was playing a dwarf, so he told me trolls weren't giants and I couldn't check. The lack of the dodge bonus to AC almost killed my character when the party dumped me to fight one by myself at level 5. The only magic item he ever let me have was a helm of opposite alignment. He actively schemed with the other players to either bump off my character or make him evil because that's the way the rest of the party was sliding and he couldn't even be bothered to find out what the character's alignment actually was. (He had assumed lawful good, when it was not.)

So no, I can't advise automatically trusting the DM to treat you fairly when you don't know what's going on. So find out what's going on. It's a hell of a lot more fun that way than having the entire game dropped on you because the guy behind the screen is feeling bored and knows you can't call him on it.

From your perspective, I completely understand why you would want the DMG.

But I would say that if your DM is going to screw you, no amount of rule knowledge will help. He's the DM. Lord of the world in which you play. If he wants to smite you, then your PC shall be smote. If that happens repetatively for no good reason, go find another DM.

[Renegade Paladin]

Yeah, the one time he let me see the DMG was to look at the helm of brilliance description. He out and out told me that's what the helmet I had was.

[Roland St. Jude]

Yeah, the one time he let me see the DMG was to look at the helm of brilliance description. He out and out told me that's what the helmet I had was.

So perhaps the second best gaming advice ever is: don't game with jerks. (I'm pained by the fact that that was your first gaming experience. Grrr.)

[Deus Mortus]

Yeah my first game experience wasn't awesome either, but not as bad as that, I just went up a level at every kill and got ****loads of artifacts...

[Matthew]

So perhaps the second best gaming advice ever is: don't game with jerks. (I'm pained by the fact that that was your first gaming experience. Grrr.)

Yes indeed. These two pieces of advice are very good.

[Renegade Paladin]

Eh. I still game with those jerks, only we're not in high school anymore, and now I'm the DM. :smallamused:

[RandomNPC]

gotta toss in my two cents.

PHB, DMG.
theres your core spell list and magic items. pluss now you can make and equip all your own characters.
Complete series, as they apply to you
Spell Compendium.

on the conpendium, i have my players tell me what they want and why, if its to make a silly crazy unbalancing gwabba monkey, then no, if it fits the character, and isn't to silly, then go for it.

[RaistlinandPals]

As the others have said, Complete Arcane and Complete Mage are definitely good choices (gotta love those reserve feats). Spell compendium is handy for everybody and a must have. Also, in my opinion every player should have a PHB and PHB II is kinda like a card game expansion pack, it has cool stuff, but not the basics you need.

[Deus Mortus]

BTW I got my books in, haven't had a chance to read them yet, but didi have to install yet another book shelve, I think I just have to make two more shelves and all my walls are covered with Books/DVD/Games/CD's