One book 3.5

[Mr. Anon Omys]

Other than the player handbook, what one 3.5 book would you most reccomend for a group? We only have the player handbook and the draconomicon, and one player recently received a gift card for one dnd book, so which one should he buy?

[Prodan]

Either Tome of Battle or PHB2 if that is not available.

[Morph Bark]

Dungeon Master's Guide and the Monster Manual.

PHBII, ToB and Expanded Psionics Handbook are good too to start with.

[gdiddy]

The advice above me is sage.

ToB or PHB2.

[ArcanistSupreme]

Either Tome of Battle or PHB2 if that is not available.

I second this (e)motion.

[Lord Loss]

You need the monster manual and DMG to play the game. Assuming you have these, it would largely depend on whether you're playing or DMing.

For players, I'd reccomend PHBII or a book from the Complete Series. (If you like Dragons, get Races of the Dragon)

For DM, I'd have to say another monster manual (I'm a fan of #3) or one of the species books, you particularily like Lords of madness or Libris Mortis. If you like horror themed D&D, get heroes of horror.

EDIT: Forgot about the SRD XD.

[IonDragon]

I've got a sneaking suspicion this is feeding the trolls but....

Tome of Battle. You can get the basic rules from the SRD so you don't actually have to buy the DMG and MM. If not ToB, one of the Compendiums would be good. Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium.

I didn't think they gave away gift cards 'for one book', I thought they usually had a cash value, which is most assuredly not enough for you to find a copy of ToB.

EDIT: ninja'd due to more complete response (x4)

[balistafreak]

I was initially going to say the Dungeon Master's Guide, but that's online here, along with the Monster Manual I, Unearthed Arcana, Player's Handbook, and Expanded Psionics Handbook. There's also the Epic Level Handbook and Divine Somethingorother, but those two are pretty poor and useless. You won't need any of those books with this site - the hyperlinks make navigating the SRD faster than flipping through the book, too. It's basically better in every way.

So, you'll be getting a splatbook.

Tome of Battle, so you can ignore those silly and weak Core classes and play melee types that keep up with the Cleric, Wizard, and Druid. Use Psionics (available on the SRD!) to replace the Core casters and you'll have a much better balanced party than before.

NOT the Tome of Magic, which isn't worth buying for the Binder class alone, no matter how awesome we think those are.

The PHBII is also useful, but probably not as much as ToB.

I might also recommend either the Spell Compendium if your party is completely casters, but I doubt it. That, or the Magic Item Compendium, which is full of neat and wondrous toys for players who love toys more than anything.

[Bagelz]

I would suggest at least trying to borrow a dmg if not own one. There is alot of good advice for dms of all experience levels (sometimes even experienced dms need reminders or new ideas).

but its true that the srd supplies everything you need (mechanics wise).
Books are full of info that is not mechanics though.

Its tough to point out one suppliement, because most of what you want as players is prestige classes, and most splat books have prestige classes for casters, or for physical fighters, but not both.

[Morph Bark]

Going over it all, besides what I said earlier:

I agree with the Compendiums being good (Rules Compendium too), though some Spells or Magic Items in them are too powerful sometimes. Still handy though.

Dungeonscape is also a very good book. Very very good book, for both players and DMs. If you're more of a city-player in campaigns, get Cityscape instead.

The Complete series can be good, but it depends on what your party favours. Complete Psionic will require the XPH first, so that one is out. Complete Mage/Scoundrel/Champion are out too since they are better with one of the Complete books that actually has new base classes in it (Arcane/Divine/Adventurer/Warrior; the former two are seen as the better ones, personally I think Complete Arcane is the best one).

The Races of books are fair, but also depends on things. Since Humans are generally the best race out there, perhaps Races of Destiny is your thing, though Races of the Dragon has good stuff too. Races of Stone and Races of the Wild have nifty stuff in them, but are more situational and really race-dependent, so it's only good if you're into dwarves/gnomes/elves/halflings.

The monster books are good for DMs (MMI-V, though MMIII is the best besides the first), plus Fiend Folio and the type-specific ones -- you already have the Draconomicon, which was my own first book ever! There is also Libris Mortis for undead and Lords of Madness for aberrations, which also grant nice stuff for players.

Then there are the three books that are rather dependant on your kind of campain: if it is very much dealing with water, seas and sailing (pirates!), then Stormwrack; if it is desert-based, then Sandstorm; if it is always cold, then Frostburn.

The Eberron Campaign Setting gives nifty stuff too, though I haven't read into it a lot besides the Artificer, which is an awesome base class; one of the strongest too.

Dragon Compendium is one of the Compendiums you might not want to get, since it is Dragon Magazine stuff and it's not always that great. (The only Compendium I don't recommend, in fact.)

Tome of Magic I don't recommend since only the Binder is really good, which is only 1/3rd of the book. The Truenamer (another 1/3rd) is a tangled up class that is only good in lower levels and extremely broken and rather unplayable in the high levels.

Magic of Incarnum is extremely nice once you get a hang of its mechanics, but you might want to get the hang of other stuff first.


I think that just about covers it for non-campaign-specific books. The only FR book I really like to recommend is the Underdark one, but only because it's the Underdark.

[Ormagoden]

First off

This has alot of links to stuff that has been published online and is thus free.
It is an absolutely awesome resource.

With regards to your choice of book.

Magic item compendium is filled with lovely things for everyone.
The Players Handbook II has a few new classes and alot of fun stuff.

The Tome of Battle has been recommended by a few people but I'm not familiar enough with it to say one way or the other.

Good luck and happy shopping.

[Optimystik]

If you can just have one splatbook, definitely ToB. Casters are happy, melee is happy, everyone's happy.

[Prodan]

I was initially going to say the Dungeon Master's Guide, but that's online here

XP tables not included.

[Morph Bark]

I was initially going to say the Dungeon Master's Guide, but that's online here, along with the Monster Manual I, Unearthed Arcana, Player's Handbook, and Expanded Psionics Handbook. There's also the Epic Level Handbook and Divine Somethingorother, but those two are pretty poor and useless. You won't need any of those books with this site - the hyperlinks make navigating the SRD faster than flipping through the book, too. It's basically better in every way.

You don't always have access to the internet or a computer during sessions though, especially since that can be really distracting. Trust me, after having played a few campaigns where everyone had a laptop for their dice-rolling and character sheets, I felt it was just way too annoying, distracting and creating a barrier between the members of the group. Only the DM should have one during a session, and perhaps even then it is a good idea to turn off the internet unless it is really needed, since otherwise the DM might get distracted too.

[Mr.Moron]

Consider this post another vote for Tome of Battle.

[Optimystik]

XP tables not included.

So memorize/recalculate 'em, it's not hard. What's WotC going to do, repossess my brain?

You don't always have access to the internet or a computer during sessions though, especially since that can be really distracting. Trust me, after having played a few campaigns where everyone had a laptop for their dice-rolling and character sheets, I felt it was just way too annoying, distracting and creating a barrier between the members of the group. Only the DM should have one during a session, and perhaps even then it is a good idea to turn off the internet unless it is really needed, since otherwise the DM might get distracted too.

That's why I can't wait for tables like these.

[Aotrs Commander]

XP tables not included.

You could just pinch the tables from Pathfinder's SRD, come to that.

[balistafreak]

Trust me, after having played a few campaigns where everyone had a laptop for their dice-rolling and character sheets, I felt it was just way too annoying, distracting and creating a barrier between the members of the group. Only the DM should have one during a session, and perhaps even then it is a good idea to turn off the internet unless it is really needed, since otherwise the DM might get distracted too.

Well, that's your group. We use laptops all around, though not for dicerolling - that should be done in front of everyone. If your players are getting distracted by the shiny internet for something other than D&D, that's not the computer's fault, it's their's. At least, that's my opinion.

Computers also let you use chat programs as a more efficent way of passing notes, although I haven't coordinated that yet.

As for the online SRD not having the tables for XP/Levels and WBL, my own question is, why haven't you memorized them yet? Lurk moar.

[IonDragon]

You could just pinch the tables from Pathfinder's SRD, come to that.

I (and many others) have the XP tables on our DM screen.

[Draz74]

Assuming you don't need to get the DMG (so you can figure out basic things like how much XP it takes to level up, and how much wealth characters are supposed to have):

Magic Item Compendium.

No other book will improve all the characters' experience like this will. Tome of Battle is great, but it's mostly (not completely!) useless for half your party. MIC, on the other hand, benefits everyone.

[Xallace]

I was about to say "Unearthed Arcana," but I just remembered it's part of the SRD (under "Variant Rules"). It's good to have for trying out different things, or using as inspiration for your own variations.

With that said, I suggest PHBII. Gives everybody new options.

[Morph Bark]

With that said, I suggest PHBII. Gives everybody new options.

Teamwork benefits yay!

[AstralFire]

Tome of Battle. Magic Items are easy to stick with core and a few DM juryrigged houserules, IMO.

[Tinydwarfman]

XPH! Psionic are awesome! And more balanced! Just forget about the soulknife and it's fine. Look online for some fixes for it or something. Or just take the PsyWar ACF and be a soulknife+

[EvilJoe15]

Since A good portion of the Tome of Battle is availible for free(Warblade here; Maneuvers Here).

I'd recommend the Sell Compendium. I almost never play a caster without it.

[DragoonWraith]

Without question, Tome of Battle. No other book (PHB included! ...assuming the SRD is available, of course.) is more important to 3.5 for me.

It's also the best written book printed for 3.5, hands down, without competition.

[Merk]

Tome of Battle as a first choice. Magic of Incarnum otherwise.

[Lord Loss]

Teamwork benefits yay!

Aern't those from DMGII?

[Knaight]

Tome of Battle as a first choice. Magic of Incarnum otherwise.

Seconded. This brings in the Swordsage, Crusader, and Totemist. Well, and the Soulborn, but nobody cares about them. And that other Incarnum class nobody cares about. Plus, you now have the manuevers and Warblade in convenient written form.

Of course, this assumes the card is for 1 D&D book, not the price of. If it is the price of, get the GURPS core book.

[Lans]

I would get Magic of Incarnum and pinch the warblade from the website.