DnD Books

[evil-frosty]

OK i am thinking of buying the following books and i would like the Playgrounds opinion of if they are good books to buy, worth it and if you guys think there are better books out there please tell me.

I am looking at Tome of Battle, Players Handbook 2, Libris Mortis, Magic Item Compendium, Complete Adventurer, Races of the Dragon, Races of the Wild.

I already have core, spell compendium, complete divine, complete arcane, magic of incarnum, book of exalted deeds and book of vile darkness.

So what are your guys' thoughts?

[Break]

Not sure how good the two Races books are, as I haven't taken a good look at them, but the others are solid - especially ToB.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Good books. Maybe not Libris Mortis, but the rest are defiantly good.

[Gralamin]

Races of the Dragon is pretty solid. Race of the Wild, not quite so much. The rest are great.

[AstralFire]

I am looking at Tome of Battle, Players Handbook 2, Libris Mortis, Magic Item Compendium, Complete Adventurer, Races of the Dragon, Races of the Wild.

1. Tome of Battle - YES YES YES YES OMG YES YES YES
2. Recovering from spontaneous combustion of yeses
3. Player's Handbook 2 - Yes
4. Magic Item Compendium - I don't really think it's necessary, honestly. I can make up cool items for my players easy, and I never cared much for players getting a significant portion of their power from items anyway.
5. Libris Mortis - I don't like undead. I hear good things from those who do, though.
6. Complete Adventurer - Solid, but not as solid as some of the others here. Has some neat feats, though.
7. Races of the Dragon - It really doesn't add anything. I hate dragons, but I know dracophiles who say the same.
8. Races of the Wild - Best thing about this book is the Raptoran, which Wizards put online in a web preview.

[jmbrown]

# Races of the Dragon - It really doesn't add anything. I hate dragons, but I know dracophiles who say the same.

It also included your favorite race, dragonborn.

[oxinabox]

In order of shear Awesomeness:

Tome of Battle,
Magic Item Compendium
Complete Adventurer (some Great Feats there)
Players Handbook 2
Races of the Wild.
Races of the Dragon
Libris Mortis (haven't actually looked at this one yet)

However you should also consider complete warriors.
I would put that one the list at number 3 (above complete Adventurer)

[ColdSepp]

Tome of Battle is a must. A MUST.
MIC is very useful.
PHB2 is very useful.
RotD is very good, IMO
CAdv is very good, IMO
RotW is meh, IMO. Acceptable, but not good.

LM - Never used, don't like undead, so can't comment. I hear others like it.

[AslanCross]

1. Tome of Battle---Absolutely. Get this.
2. Players Handbook 2---Lots of good things here.
3. Libris Mortis---This is mostly a DM book, but its contents are pretty solid.
4. Magic Item Compendium---A lot of the items here are pretty well-scaled, actually, and many are interesting situational tools. I don't think I've come across anyone saying items in it were broken. It also gives pretty good alternatives to the DMG's method of generating treasure.
5. Complete Adventurer---I think the Scout is a good reason to get this book. Good feats and some interesting PrCs as well.
6. Races of the Dragon----Not really necessary. I just bought this for completeness since it was for sale 60% off.
7. Races of the Wild---I hear this is the best Races book. I also got it. I think the racial substitution levels are pretty good.

[jmbrown]

As a player, Tome of Battle is nice.



Three new classes that everyone plays to death and abilities that (try) to put martial classes at the same level of spellcasters.

As a DM, I love Libris Mortis and Races of the Wild. I'm a sucker for anything that has ecology and other world building fluff in it.

edit: Libris Mortis has the slaymate, the creepiest D&D enemy IMO since the baby-strangling doll golem in 2E.

[RTGoodman]

Tome of Battle, PHB2, and MIC (to a lesser degree) add a lot to games. That's a good thing. ALL the Complete books (including the ones you didn't mention) are probably worth having, except maybe CPsi. (Yes, I actually like CChamp - some of it, at least.) The two Races books you mentioned are okay, but not my first choice (that definitely goes to Races of Stone). Libris Mortis gets a resounding "meh" from me.

[Eloel]

ToB gets martial characters on par with stuff like Beguiler & DN. Like!
PHB2 is a lacking book imo, but it does have some interesting stuff in it.
MIC has BROKEN stuff, along with fun stuff. Custom items are always more fun though.
Libris Mortis, is possibly the 2nd best in the list, after ToB. It's just that expanding on undead, and it has fun options both for characters and for the DM (mostly DM though)
CAdv is tied to 1st place to best Complete book, with CSco, imo. It has great classes, great feats and is generally great.
RotD has quite good races, what with Spellscales, Dragonborn and, of course, Kobolds. Who doesn't like Kobolds?
RotW, worth it, if only for Raptoran & Racial sub levels. Raptoran PrCs are like the cherry on the cake.

You have a solid list there, buy them if you really want to expand your 3.5 library (and not 4e)
Note: I'm a 3.5 player with no experience on 4e

[AslanCross]

MIC has BROKEN stuff, along with fun stuff. Custom items are always more fun though.

Since you're the first person I've heard say that, which items are broken? Just curious, as my mind typically doesn't stamp "broken" immediately until someone shows me some crazy combo.

[oxinabox]

Since you're the first person I've heard say that, which items are broken? Just curious, as my mind typically doesn't stamp "broken" immediately until someone shows me some crazy combo.

umm Armour/weapon enhancement crystals.
awesome but some would consider them broken. I don't but i can see that some would

Cos take my +3 cost sword (+1, and then keen, and then shocking (+1d6 shock damage every hit) or even pure +3 bonus*), it would cost me 16,000 gp to add flaming (+1d6 fire damage every hit)
but for 3,000 gpi can add a lesser enhancement crystal, or energy assault fire, and get the same effect as flaming.

It's a dm book, assuming no magic-marts.



* the rule technically (and explicitly) stat must be a +3, not including special properties like keen and shocking, to use greater crystals, and a pure +1 for lesser. and a masterwork quality for least.
But most people don't play with these rules it makes it less fun.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

umm Armour/weapon enhancement crystals.
awesome but some would consider them broken. I don't but i can see that some would

Cos take my +3 cost sword (+1, and then keen, and then shocking (+1d6 shock damage every hit) or even pure +3 bonus*), it would cost me 16,000 gp to add flaming (+1d6 fire damage every hit)
but for 3,000 gpi can add a lesser enhancement crystal, or energy assault fire, and get the same effect as flaming.

The flaming ability is so weak that there's no reason to charge a +16,000 for it.

The paradigm shifting makes people uncomfortable, but it is only chancing because it was flawed in the first place.

[KIDS]

All of those you listed are pretty good, imo. Among them, PHB2 and Tome of Battle are my favorites, most useful and best written.

[PId6]

Honestly, MIC is absolutely necessary IMO, since it just adds so many great items that the DMG doesn't have. I'd also say it's pretty well balanced, with the possible exception of a few items, the only one that immediately comes to mind being the Belt of Battle.

[kentma57]

Tome of Battle: solid if a bit powerful

Players Handbook 2: exelent book, I consider it core in all games I run

Libris Mortis: looked at it once or twice, not very good unless you want lots of undead in you campaign(then you will need it anyways).

Magic Item Compendium: like the Spell Compendium, fun cool additions to the game, recomended if you think you/your players stand a chance of finding any of the items in it.

Complete Adventurer: Great book use it every time I build a stealth/finnes character

Races of the Dragon: never used it

Races of the Wild: never used it

Hope I was some help

[T.G. Oskar]

OK i am thinking of buying the following books and i would like the Playgrounds opinion of if they are good books to buy, worth it and if you guys think there are better books out there please tell me.

Will see how it goes:

Tome of Battle

It's a great book. Most people joke that it's an attempt to make D&D have techniques just like some manga and anime series, but that's just one of the things. It's a pretty nice handle at boosting martial classes, and the flavor is quite decent. It's no mistake most people just abuse of it.

Classification: *****

Players Handbook 2

It introduces new classes, new alternate class features, some quite decent spells for all classes, the all important retraining feature...and something for fluff. Also, teamwork benefits if I recall correctly. Oh, and some people love the feats in here. All in all, a solid buy.

Classification: ****

Libris Mortis

Unless you're seeking to beef up your undead battles, don't get this. Most of the feats and prestige classes are best suited for DMs, and most characters won't get too much from it. The only PCs which would gain some benefit are clerics, necromancers and Dread Necromancers.

Classification: 1/2. * if a Nightstick-abusing DMM Persist/Quicken Cleric is around

Magic Item Compendium

AKA the D&D catalog. It's nice since it has expanded and enhanced custom magic item creation files, and also a nifty index for most of the items around. It also has weaker versions of powerful items, and also some utility items. All in all, another solid buy.

Classification: ****

Complete Adventurer

Ninja, Scout, Spellthief, a set of so-so prestige classes, some tools for adventurers, new uses for skills and feats that give advantage to skill-monkeys. It's just as much of a solid buy as any Complete book, aside probably the last few ones. Except Complete Champion, that's on an entirely different league.

Classification: ***

Races of the Dragon

Yeah...the one that has Dragonborn, tools for kobolds, and stuff for people who wants to get more into dragons. Dragon Magic is the book that gives a bit more of love to characters, but it's so-so. It gives some love to Sorcerers, so you may want to show this book to them in any case.

It also has the Wings spells for Sorcerers, which give them a bit more of love.

Classification: ** Add an extra * if your group is Sorcerer-heavy.

Races of the Wild.

Well, I can't say much about this. Arcane Hierophant Erm...it has Raptorans, it has the Elven language. Arcane Hierophant Oh, you may be interested in the Elven blade weapons, which are like rapiers but of different sizes. Arcane Hierophant Perhaps the prestige classes, but I dunno which may be useful, and most of them are limited to the races presented there. Arcane Hierophant Perhaps the Ruathar, for elven benefits? Arcane Hierophant! Oh well, I'll let others decide for me. ARCANE HIEROPHANT!!!!

Classification: **** with Arcane Hierophant.

[oxinabox]

Tome of Battle: solid if a bit powerful

ToB isn't OP.
it's just that plain pure fighters are Under Power, without magic items.

My lvl 7 warblade (wielding a Fullblade) can hit at max (once every 5 rounds):
2d8+5d6+1d4+9, against a single oponant.
(oooh he cirts on a 17-19, and has +7 to confirm, I wanna play my warblade!)

out lvl 6 sorceress can fireball for 7d6 agaist many many enemies, every round.
How can ToB be OP?

Admittedly I'll out damage the pure fighter by approximately 35% overall (most of which is cos i'm wielding a fullbade and he's using a waraxe), but i can't wear good armour, and take a penenlty to my AC (so i can do an extra 1d6 damage.)
So He'll out live me by alot.
AC 15 vs AC 21

Most people suggest not playing ToB and Core fighter in the same game.
Warblade, replaces fighter, and suppliments barbain in Multiclass.

SwordSage supplements, rogue, ranger.
Crusaider: replaces/supplements paladins

[Talic]

I'd recommend Comp Adventurer (to round out your Comp collection), then ToB (Melee versatility), then Libris Mortis (Fun times).

[Jair Barik]

Ah LM
Good book, includes some nice monsters, decent items, some nice PrC, great system for playing as an undead, some cool new spells and domains, a few small dungeons and also some very good stuff on undead in general including Exorcising spirits and undead diets (some undead need to feed others don't) and some sample undead using previous templates with new variations (fast unkillable zombies yay)

As said above it is very much a DM guide as bar the MoS, True necromancer and the Pale master the other Prestiges are pretty much only for a game DMed by someone with LM.

The book has a few big flaws despite being generally good the main ones being
-Annoying spelling mistakes
-Repetitive, 2 of the PrC's are near identical IMO, 2 scary monsters use exactly the same idea.
-The undead PrC are to be honest rubbish, 3 lvls each little fluff, basicallya different option for DM monster progression.

I'd recommend it but as everyone else has said only as a DM who intends to play an undeadr game (just as you would only get the Ice,Sand and Sea books if you were DMing such places). that said I am going to find it invaluable for a pbp game called Helga's crossroads where each player designs their own region of the world and take it in turns to DM.

[AslanCross]

umm Armour/weapon enhancement crystals.
awesome but some would consider them broken. I don't but i can see that some would

Cos take my +3 cost sword (+1, and then keen, and then shocking (+1d6 shock damage every hit) or even pure +3 bonus*), it would cost me 16,000 gp to add flaming (+1d6 fire damage every hit)
but for 3,000 gpi can add a lesser enhancement crystal, or energy assault fire, and get the same effect as flaming.

* the rule technically (and explicitly) stat must be a +3, not including special properties like keen and shocking, to use greater crystals, and a pure +1 for lesser. and a masterwork quality for least.
But most people don't play with these rules it makes it less fun.

Well, I never did get why the cost on enhancement bonuses progresses geometrically anyway. A +3 longsword is nowhere near as effective as a +1 keen brutal surge longsword would be. I'd think the minimum enhancement bonus rule actually makes them worth having since enhancement bonuses stopped being useful they turned DR X/+Y into DR X/magic and DR X/epic.

[Lord Loss]

It really depends what you want to do. I suggest PHBII or Races of the Dragon. PHBII gives not only three good classes (and a bad one), but a bundle of new feats and multiple chapters on expanding charcter background/goals. It also has some alternate class features (for each class, excluding the new ones in the book and the Dread necromancer) which are (usually) pretty good. IF you use a Sorcerer/Barbarian and always roll low on the Barbarian dice, and take the alternate class feature, you can get Rage 24/7 (literally). As for Races of the Dragon, it's epically cool. Dragonborn, Kobolds, Spellscales... :D!

[Talic]

-The undead PrC are to be honest rubbish, 3 lvls each little fluff, basicallya different option for DM monster progression.

With respect, that's what they were supposed to be.

The PrC's are supposed to add variety to the monsters, not define them.

Full 10 level PrC's are a defining portion of what something IS. In this instance, I believe that design wanted the underlying monster to define what it is, and the PrC's to only accentuate that, rather than overpower it.

[#Raptor]

I'd get Races of Stone before Races of the Wild - RotW got a few nice things, RoS got tons and tons of awesome things.

ToB... everytime I try to take a look at I get to the point where it says "Blade Magic". Then everything turns black and 2 hours later I can't remember what happend, but I've got a new Frenzied Berserker build. *shrugs*
It gets lots of love here though and most people don't have that allergic reaction to the whole blade-magic thing.

Races of the Dragon - I wouldn't quite say its a requirement if you want to build a Sorcerer that doesn't suck, but it certainly goes a looong way towards that goal. Though its not only good for Sorcerer players. If you like Sorcerers: 5/5. If you don't: 3/5.

PHB 2 - Yes
MiC - Yes.
Libris Mortis - meh.
Complete Adventurer - Solid, though there are better "complete x" books. Have you considered Complete Warrior? Imho its one of the best ones, if not the best one of the completes. Again, depends strongly on what you prefer. If you never play regular melees (brb, ftr) but often play rogues or rangers, its great.
If its about 50/50, then go with Complete Warrior.

[AslanCross]

ToB... everytime I try to take a look at I get to the point where it says "Blade Magic". Then everything turns black and 2 hours later I can't remember what happend, but I've got a new Frenzied Berserker build. *shrugs*
It gets lots of love here though and most people don't have that allergic reaction to the whole blade-magic thing.

It's interesting to note that only two of the nine disciplines are explicitly magical---Desert Wind and Shadow Hand. These are the ones that deliberately involve manipulation of energy.

The "paladin" discipline (Devoted Spirit) is divinely-flavored, but strangely enough they're (Ex). The Crusader's Smite ability is also (Ex), as opposed to the Paladin's, which is (Su). No idea why that's the case, but I think it's pretty cool that a crusader can stride into an Anti-Magic Field cast by an enemy caster and wreak havoc.

<Evil Wizard> Your gods cannot help you with my magic in the way!
<Crusader> My faith pierces the heavens. The light of my god shines down through the clouds. *GREATER DIVINE SURGE*

The rest of the disciplines?

Iron Heart: I'm actually that badass.
Tiger Claw: I can out-Drizzt Drizzt.
White Raven: My blows are strategically and tactically-relevant.
Diamond Mind: I have amazing powers of concentration.
Setting Sun: I can exploit your strength and turn it against you.
Stone Dragon: HULK SMASH!!!!

I agree on the name of the chapter being lousy, but they do a great deal more explanation than that.

[evil-frosty]

Thank You for all of your advice. I switched out Libris mortis with complete warrior and i just dropped the idea of RotW. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.