Best 4e books?

Piestrio · January 06, 2013, 01:34:11 PM

I liked some of the fluff from 4e, (aside from stupid names for EVERYTHING), and now that stores are just giving away 4e books I thought it might be time to grab any that are worthwhile.

I have no interest in the rules or mechanics, fluff and inspiration only.

What's your take?

Gabriel2 · January 06, 2013, 01:42:13 PM

I found the mini-dungeon books (Open Grave and Dungeon Delve) to be more useful than they first seemed. They have little mini-adventures that are easy to use when there's no time or inspiration to put together a more interesting session. They also typically have little sparks of ideas and can be used as cores or side-quests of larger homemade adventures.

Piestrio · January 06, 2013, 01:43:03 PM

Quote from: Gabriel2;615206I found the mini-dungeon books (Open Grave and Dungeon Delve) to be more useful than they first seemed. They have little mini-adventures that are easy to use when there's no time or inspiration to put together a more interesting session. They also typically have little sparks of ideas and can be used as cores or side-quests of larger homemade adventures.

Kind of like the old book of lairs?

jeff37923 · January 06, 2013, 04:34:54 PM

Even though I don't like 4E, the Dark Sun Campaign Setting is a pretty good book and I am happy to have it to supplement the rest of my Dark Sun material.

TomatoMalone · January 06, 2013, 04:43:20 PM

DMG2 has some good general advice and a write-up on Sigil.

PHB2 classes are, mechanically and thematically, the best interpretations of those classes in the game's history, AFAIAC, particularly Bards, Druids, and Barbarians. Also, racial paragon paths, which you could adapt the themes of to your preferred edition of choice.

Zak S · January 06, 2013, 04:45:20 PM

Hammerfast is a decent city supplement, as they go.

Planet Algol · January 06, 2013, 04:51:08 PM

Dungeon Tiles

Bedrockbrendan · January 06, 2013, 04:51:37 PM

I have heard good things about the Dark Sun book.

Zak S · January 06, 2013, 04:52:33 PM

Quote from: Planet Algol;615276Dungeon Tiles

LOL.

Gabriel2 · January 06, 2013, 04:53:39 PM

Quote from: Piestrio;615207Kind of like the old book of lairs?

Yes, very much like a more fleshed out Book of Lairs.

Gabriel2 · January 06, 2013, 04:55:55 PM

Quote from: Planet Algol;615276Dungeon Tiles

I use these quite a bit. In fact, I prefer them to using my dry erase battlemat.

Planet Algol · January 06, 2013, 04:56:10 PM

Quote from: Zak S;615278LOL.

On second thought I retract that statement, there were too many dang water tiles in the Dark Sun pack.

Make Dark Sun tiles. Include an significant proportion of tiles including water and boats. WTF?!?!

This Guy · January 06, 2013, 05:00:51 PM

Echoing approval of the Dark Sun Campaign Setting and the Open Grave book. I also like one of the Essentials Monster Manuals: Threats of the Nentir Vale, which quite accidentally provides an example of how to run a sandbox campaign in 4E.

Piestrio · January 06, 2013, 05:06:07 PM

Thanks guys, what about the feywild and shadowfell (gah, those names!) books? Are they just crunch?

Zak S · January 06, 2013, 05:22:41 PM

Quote from: Piestrio;615286Thanks guys, what about the feywild and shadowfell (gah, those names!) books? Are they just crunch?

I got swagged Shadowfell a while ago and it's just...the stat blocks are sooooo long and the formatting is soooooo full of padding you have to flip through that it didn't seem worth it to chew through it and get a holistic view and find the dungeon underneath.

So maybe that's useless or maybe it's useful.

I think I've picked it up like 4 times and tried to get something out of it and put it down.

The Slaying Stone is flawed but has an easily decent non-railroady adventure underneath.