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Author Topic: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?  (Read 14853 times)

hedgehobbit

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #30 on: July 30, 2021, 08:53:14 PM »
First edition Stormbringer rule book. It's got everything: great rules, great art, and a great setting.
« Last Edit: July 30, 2021, 08:55:30 PM by hedgehobbit »

Heavy Josh

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #31 on: July 30, 2021, 08:53:57 PM »
The first one that leapt to my mind was Life on Terranova 2nd Edition, for Heavy Gear. It's pure setting, but it's all adventure hooks, character ideas, and campaign ideas. And really comprehensive as a setting book as well.

There are others, but that is the first that came to mind.
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David Johansen

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #32 on: July 30, 2021, 11:03:14 PM »
Well, it'd have to be pretty comprehensive, a book that requires supplements can't be "best."  Unless, of course, you're in the business of selling supplements.
That seems to be a common sentiment in this thread, but it makes no sense to me. It's like saying that Empire Strikes Back can't be the best Star Wars movie, because you need to see Star Wars first. Obviously, you can't play a supplement without the game, but there's nothing stopping a supplement from being better than the game its based on.

I agree with you on this. The best RPG book could in fact be an adventure or supplement I think. I've played plenty of games with so-so core books that had outstanding supplementary material.

If you can't play it without another book, how can it be "best"?
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Shasarak

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #33 on: July 30, 2021, 11:21:42 PM »
If you can't play it without another book, how can it be "best"?

You define best.
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thedungeondelver

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #34 on: July 31, 2021, 12:57:35 AM »
1e AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide.
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Lunamancer

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #35 on: July 31, 2021, 02:11:59 AM »
1E DMG.

It's not even a close.
That's my two cents anyway. Carry on, crawler.

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Shawn Driscoll

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #36 on: July 31, 2021, 12:58:57 PM »
Serenity RPG.
Not Traveller? Who are you, and why have you kidnapped Shawn!
My mind read "Second" and not "Single" in the thread title.
I guess, I would still go with Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition. Just the Core Book. The rest of 2nd edition is crap mostly. The 1st edition splat books are much better still.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2021, 01:01:15 PM by Shawn Driscoll »

oggsmash

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #37 on: July 31, 2021, 02:20:36 PM »
 Best period, I have to agree with DMG1e, alot of that vote is nostalgia based, BUT I do find myself looking at other GM guides for other games and thinking they are lacking when I read through them. 

   I would say one book complete game best would be DCC, because it does a good job of complete rules, leaving a setting fairly up to the GM, BUT evoking a definite flavor for the GM to use for the game.   Mythras in this regard is a definite close second. 

   SWADE is the best general game system I have. 

  I know that was sort of three answers, but I find I have varied tastes, and the best answer can be subjective for me.  Best product though I would agree with DMG 1e.

RebelSky

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #38 on: July 31, 2021, 04:00:10 PM »
Single Book:  Earthdawn 1st Edition

Multiple Book Ruleset:  Earthdawn Classic Edition Gamemaster's and Player's

Well Earthdawn is one of THE best rpgs ever designed so this is a nice choice. 😎

I don't know if I can pick a best but I can pick a most impressive, which is the Infinity 2d20 core book. It's impressive because the designers created an rpg from a fairly heavy and crunchy miniatures game and not only pulled it off, but they did it by designing the rpg in such a way where you don't need miniatures to play it. Furthermore, it does what Shadowrun has spectacularly failed at doing by making Combat, Hacking (in Infinity Hacking is like Magic), and Social Conflicts seamlessly intertwined and all use the same action turn structure.

Plus it's just visually stunning.

If I had to pick an OSR book i'd pick my copy of the Stars Without Number Omnibus, which is 1100 pages of every SWN 1e book compiled in one book.


Jaeger

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #39 on: July 31, 2021, 06:42:41 PM »
Warhammer fantasy role play 1e.

One of the most complete all in one rpg rule books ever made. Every thing from the art to the writing is full of tone, flavor, and atmosphere.

There is a reason whfrp has such a dedicated following.

If only they could do an edition without attaching a fucking mediocre system to it every time.
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Arnwolf666

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #40 on: July 31, 2021, 08:14:03 PM »
Ad&d 2E domains of dread

Eirikrautha

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #41 on: July 31, 2021, 10:38:24 PM »
Ehhh, everyone else has already said 1e DMG, so I'll pick something else just to be contrary.  The 1e Fiend Folio.  Some of the most amazing and flavorful monsters ever (Githyanki, Drow, Death Knight, Flail Snail, Hook Horror, Slaadi).  Sure, some of them had appeared in adventures or periodicals, but for many of us who didn't follow those closely, the FF was our first exposure to monsters as compelling as those derived from mythology.  Really changed the way that the people I knew thought about monsters.  Great book.

Jam The MF

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #42 on: August 01, 2021, 01:15:04 AM »
Now that I've thought about it a great deal, I will say the AD&D 1st Edition Monster Manual. 

It was the first, of the core books released for AD&D; but it was also very compatible with Original D&D.  It grew the offering of published Monster stats for the game in a massive way, and it took the game beyond little paper booklets.  It was the herald of things to come.  It was the point when the game made the jump to hardcover books.

I own all 3 core books for AD&D 1st Edition; and the Monster Manual is where it's at, for me.  Give me that book, and i can make up the rest of a playable game at the table.
« Last Edit: August 01, 2021, 09:17:12 AM by Jam The MF »
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yancy

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #43 on: August 01, 2021, 04:23:21 AM »
I'll go with the first or second edition of Stormbringer. Complete game, one book, just the right length, did a much better job of laying out the world of the Young Kingdoms and explaining the Law/Chaos/Cosmic Balance 'mythos' than Moorcock ever did in his books. Had ample rules and descriptive background stuff, but left some things open to interpretation (particularly magic) and didn't suffer from the bloat of later editions.

I don't particularly like the Elric novels anymore, but I still like the version of the Elric world portrayed in that book. Chaosium was really good at making games based on previously existing settings, once upon a time.
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Ratman_tf

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Re: What's the Single Best RPG Book, you can think of?
« Reply #44 on: August 01, 2021, 05:00:56 AM »
I've been racking my brain and I think I'm going to have to go with the Moldvay Basic rulebook. It's got everything to play Levels 1-3, in a single 64 page book.
Strong second contender is Chromebook Vol 2. All of the Chromebooks are super neat, packed with gear and lore and adventure ideas. I had to pick one, so it was Vol 2.
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