What are your favorite splatbooks, and why?

[Jolly]

I've been looking to expand my library, but it's tough to know what would be the best choices for my rather limited budget. Obviously "best" is subjective, so let me outline what I'm looking for. And of course you can always just talk about what you like and why, maybe I'll get some ideas I didn't have before. :) I'm mostly thinking of 3.5 DnD, D20 Star Wars, WFRP, and Dark Heresy here.

I am most interested in skilled/rogue-like characters (or improving those type of characters) and non- or less- Vancian casting systems.

[Hirax]

Complete Scoundrel, for luck feats and skill tricks
Races of Stone, for feats, some races (check out the whisper gnome), and some misc. equipment.
Oh, and the Magic Item Compendium. You'll find lots of useful things in there.

[Volthawk]

I love Magic of Incarnum, just because I find the mechanics fun. Plus, Totemist is so cool.

[JoshuaZ]

I've been looking to expand my library, but it's tough to know what would be the best choices for my rather limited budget. Obviously "best" is subjective, so let me outline what I'm looking for. And of course you can always just talk about what you like and why, maybe I'll get some ideas I didn't have before. :) I'm mostly thinking of 3.5 DnD, D20 Star Wars, WFRP, and Dark Heresy here.

I am most interested in skilled/rogue-like characters (or improving those type of characters) and non- or less- Vancian casting systems.

For non-vancian casting I'd recommend Tome of Magic. However, only 2/3rds of it are really worth it. This book presents three new magic systems, pact magic, shadow magic and truenaming. Pact magic is very well-done with the fluff and mechanics interacting very well. The shadowcaster is a bit weak and the flavor and mechanics don't quite match up. The third section is the truenamer. And despite absolutely wonderful flavor, the mechanics are completely borked. At most levels, truenaming is much too weak, and this continues until 20th level where you then get what amounts to Gate-at-will. But pact magic is so well done that book is almost worth it just for that. And the shadow magic is ok. So I'd recommend this book as the best 3.5 non-Vancian systems out there.

[Tyndmyr]

Complete Mage, Arcane, and Scoundrel are books I use over and over and over again. Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium are also used a fair bit, but those are more expensive.

Dark Heresy is an excellent choice as well, if you're looking to branch out into non D&D systems. The setting is awesome.

[Random NPC]

Inb4TomeOfBattle

great melee splatbook filled with goodies for everyone! Swordsages are nice skill monkeys

[Fax Celestis]

I consistently find myself returning to Monster Manual V, Player's Handbook II, Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, Unearthed Arcana, and Complete Scoundrel.

[Tyndmyr]

Oddly enough, Im not a big fan of MMV. It's the most expensive currently of the MM line(and more expensive than most other 3.5 material as well).

Plus, there's only so many monster themes, yknow? If it wasn't printed in 1-4, odds are pretty good it wasn't a great concept to begin with. A lot are very similar in theme to earlier stuff. Im not saying it's worthless, but probably not a great splatbook buy.

I must agree with UA and ToB, though. Both very unique, and add many options.

[Keld Denar]

Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium, and Tome of Battle. Between these three books and Core, you are boosting nearly everything up.

I'm also partial to Magic of Incarnum.

[Fax Celestis]

Oddly enough, Im not a big fan of MMV. It's the most expensive currently of the MM line(and more expensive than most other 3.5 material as well).

Plus, there's only so many monster themes, yknow? If it wasn't printed in 1-4, odds are pretty good it wasn't a great concept to begin with. A lot are very similar in theme to earlier stuff. Im not saying it's worthless, but probably not a great splatbook buy.

I must agree with UA and ToB, though. Both very unique, and add many options.

MM-V does things with monsters no other MM did, and the monsters in it are interesting, thematic, and very well-designed (with the exception of the shaedling).

[Tetsubo 57]

Expanded Psionics handbook.

Magic of Incarnum.

PHB II.

Though I guess it would really be a death match between XPH & PHB II.

[Reynard]

Tome of Battle, Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium.

[Traveler]

RotD, DrM, DroE, and the Droconimicon. Guess why.

[Darklord Xavez]

Splatbook? Huh?
-Xavez

[thompur]

Tome of Magic, Tome of Battle, UnEarthed Arcana, Complete Arcane, Magic Item Compendium, Spell Compendium.

[Greenish]

MoI and ToB, for their awesome subsystems.

Magic Compendium, for many great revisions* and cool new booty.

*Though there are a few not-so-cool (looking at you, Parrying).

For skillmonkey lovers, Dungeonscape has the Factotum, as well as a handful of fun ACFs (Trapkiller, Dungeon Crasher…).

[Edit]: Sharn, the City of Towers is also cool despite the crunch being mostly supbar.

[Kurald Galain]

The 2E Tome of Magic is a favorite of mine.

But in terms of what you could actually use, how about PHB2?

[Darklord Xavez]

So a splatbook is...
-Xavez

[Fax Celestis]

So a splatbook is...

...an add-on book. The term originally derived from old book listings that marked non-core material with an asterisk (*) which looks sort of like a splat on the page in certain fonts.

[Darklord Xavez]

...an add-on book. The term originally derived from old book listings that marked non-core material with an asterisk (*) which looks sort of like a splat on the page in certain fonts.

Thank you. I am distressed that I had to ask twice.
-Xavez

[Fax Celestis]

I am distressed that I had to ask twice.

I am surprised you did not just Google it or go to Wikipedia.

[Eldan]

Let's see...

Favourite Rules: Tome of Battle (3.5). Tome of Battle is a close second.

Favourite Fluff:
In the Cage: Faces of Sigil (AD&D). Planes of Chaos is great as well. For 3.5, I like the monster books, like Lords of Madness or the Draconomicon.

Interestingly, I don't like Complete Scoundrel very much. Most Skill Tricks are, in my opinion, things every character should be able to (try to) do without investing points in it.

[Darklord Xavez]

I am surprised you did not just Google it or go to Wikipedia.

Because not everything is on either site.
-Xavez

[Zaydos]

Because not everything is on either site.
-Xavez

That's why I found out by clicking Random on TVtropes.

That said to the OP's question:

Favorite Fluff: Draconomicon and Races of Stone.
Favorite Crunch: that's harder; the more I see of it the more I like Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, and even Magic of Incarnum (I don't know how it works yet). I (due to a love of dragons) also like Dragon Magic solely for the Dragonfire Adept within it.
For Skill Monkeys: I don't know exactly. Both of the aforementioned Tomes and Magic of Incarnum have characters that can fill that role, and I guess there's Complete Scoundrel.

[The-Mage-King]

• Tome of Battle
• Expanded Psionic's handbook
• Magic Item Compendium
• Spell Compendium
• Oriental Adventures
• Unearthed Arcana

If I need melee, I turn to ToB, OA, and UA.

If I need magic, well...

[Zephyros]

If you liked Dark Heresy, and don't know how to expand on it, may be you should check out Rogue Trader and Deathwatch.

[dsmiles]

Pale Designs (Non-WotC).

[DementedFellow]

I love Sandstorm. It actually accounts for all sorts of environmental hazards and how people and creatures can thrive in such wastelands.

It also holds on of the most overpowered PrCs in 3.x Can't do much better than that :)

[Zaydos]

I love Sandstorm. It actually accounts for all sorts of environmental hazards and how people and creatures can thrive in such wastelands.

It also holds on of the most overpowered PrCs in 3.x Can't do much better than that :)

Ooh is it the one that turns you into a dry lich?

[DementedFellow]

Ooh is it the one that turns you into a dry lich?

Indeed that would be it. I always wanted to play a Walker in the Waste, with the voice of Christopher Walken. Walken in the Waste.