Atlas Games:
Nyambe
Bad Axe Games:
Trailblazer
Bottled Imp:
Lords of the Night series
Goodman Games:
Sky Captain's Guide
Green Ronin:
Plot & Poison
Wrath & Rage
Hammer & Helm
Aasimar & Tiefling
Shaman's Handbook
Book of the Righteous
Unholy Warrior's Handbook
Hamunaptra
Malhavoc Press:
Book of Eldritch Might
Requiem for a God
When the Sky Falls
Chaositech
Arcana Unearthed
Necromancer Games:
Eldritch Sorcery
Paradigm Concepts:
Slaves to the Moon
Lords of the Peaks
Unveiled Masters
Radiance House:
Secrets of Pact Magic
Villains of Pact Magic
Sword and Sorcery:
Relics & Rituals
Relics & Rituals: Excalibur
Players Guides
Wizards:
Unearthed Arcana
For me it was: Seas of Blood by Mongoose publishing pretty sure that is OGL. Gave good information on boats, and their hp's and how to sink them. Also was a good base to make airships with the damage rules and repairs ;).
And another favorite that's been mentioned is the Iron Kingdoms book from Privateer Press. Was a good idea just needed a lot of polishing. Gunmages and Felcallers and Trollkin :). Also a ton of the good feats and stuff ended up in the magazine No Quarter by Privateer Press too. Used to have them all till some flooding took em out. But great references just need some polish.
I've read a lot of great 3rd party books, but the ones that actually get used in my campaigns are Malhavoc Press; mostly the Books of Might. Generally, the variant rules on early HP were much appreciated (but I was sure to include the limit on magical healing as well, which would probably hut more a higher levels). I would have loved to try the variant fighter options from Experimental Might II, but my second choice book(s) usually intervened:
The Iron Heroes books (originally under Malhavoc, I think they're now Fiery Dragon). I found that usually, while everyone else was picking full casters or mixed melee/casters, there was someone who didn't want to mess with magic. The Iron Heroes systems generally made them drool (especially since the token system gave them something to plan and manage the way the casters and semi-casters got to do with spells); to help them mix, I warned them that magic wouldn't work on them - no magic items, no magic healing, no buffs. They were OK with that.
Finally, Arcana Evolved; my players usually favored the Magister over the SRD Wizard. Excellent flexibility in casting, and the other class features had a great flavor (being able to choose what the Magister's staff was made of, for example). I personally loved the new races and alternate classes, but they weren't as popular with my players. In addition, the racial levels were great, especially with the ability to take racial levels and change races (I worked it into a slow, willing transformation into a vampire for one player, and he regrets that we don't play more often so he can watch it happen). So, specifically, Magister-style casting with a bigger spell list; it probably needs a few other tweaks to bring it alongside Pathfinder casters vice SRD casters.
From what I remember of the OGL blurbs in those books, most of the classes and spells and magic items were OGL. Don't have them handy, so I can't be certain.
I've dabbled with some others, but the best books that aren't on this list I heard of via Pathfinder Adventure Paths (namely, Tomes of Horror series, and the Advanced Bestiary). This thread is a little old, so I'm not even sure you're looking for this stuff any more...but a Magister-style caster or some Iron Heroes-style non-casters (or anti-casters) would be amazing alongside the other changes from Pathfinder Core and the APG.
I havent seen it listed but Fantasy Flight's Midnight campaign books.
I think it was 3.0 OGL
The new classes, (interesting but perhaps not balanced) and particualrly the variant magic system they had in place.
I rather enjoy the products of 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming... and I use the Time Thief and Godling from Super Genius Games in my local group's game.
+1 For the MIDNIGHT Campaign Setting and the umpteen supplements they published. I am lucky enough to own them all and it still holds one of the few coveted places on my current gaming bookshelves.
The rules I liked:
I especially liked the Heroic Paths. It worked on giving abilities (much like the PF Sorcerer bloodlines do), per character level --regardless of race or class(es) taken. Given that magic behaved differently in this setting, it gave the 3.5 classes an edge against Izrador's legion evils.
I thought about (but I never tested) adapting the Heroic Path system in an attempt to downplay ECLs for non-core races in vanilla 3.5ed., much like taking levels of --say-- a 'minotaur' class as detailed in WotC's Savage Species. There would also have to be equivalent ones for the core races to keep things balanced, and lastly, please let me remind you that this was back in the days of 3rd and 3.5ed., so I don't know how well this would translate to PFRPG.
All the OGC for the MIDNIGHT Campaign Setting may be found here.
Specifically, the Heroic Paths may be found here.
Andrew Gale
SAGAWORK STUDIOS
edit: I had a Dornish Giantblooded Defender (a monk equivalent class) in one campaign. He was 55, had a shaven head, a big walrus mustache, a tartan kilt and an oversize ogham-carved quarterstaff called Ydgrasl. Despite the heinous mashing of cultures, he was the character that made me realize that unusual character concepts are sometimes cool.
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I have never been big on 3rd party products outside of the material Paizo produced for 3e, but I am fond of the Legends & Lairs stuff. I still use ever one of them I own.
My favorites are:
Sorcery & Steam
Necromantic Lore
Seafarer's Handbook
Mythic Races
Darkness & Dread
Dungeoncraft
I also liked Monte Cooks the Year's Best d20 and WotC's Heroes of Horror.
I tend to run dark campaigns/adventures with a lot of undead and a big Cthulhu influence, so Heroes of Horror, Darkness & Dread and Necromantic Lore still get used quite a bit.
I like steampunk themes so I use Sorcery and Steam when I can. I just don't mix this with sword and sorcery fantasy very often. I tend to use this material with d20 Modern.
Mythic Races is always popular with players because of the non-core races.
Monte Cooks Year's Best gets pulled out a great deal because of the alternate classes, races and monsters.
Seafarer's handbook is helpful for running adventures at sea/on water. As a true blue land lubber who can't even swim, this proved useful on more than one occasion.
Dungeoncraft is also one that I use from time to time. It isn't one of my favorites but there is some good information in it. Especially the environmental hazards.Although the GMG has kind of replaced this for me.
For Pathfinder I like a lot of the "Genius" products, especially the classes. Death Mage, Dragonrider and Shadow Assassin are my favorites so far.
Tome of Secrets gets used in almost every game because of the races and classes.
One type of product that my group(s) & I have never used is stuff dealing with prestige classes. I'm amazed at the number of people I see expressing how much they like them online because I have never played with any group that uses them. I've tried to incorporate them into games and encourage their use, but no one, myself included, cares about them. I don't even bother reading the sections of rulebooks (Pathfinder RPG included) that contains prestige classes. They just don't interest me. I'd rather have core/base classes, but non-core races.
The majority of my 3rd party purchases were for the d20 Modern game. My only issue with the system is the use of advanced (prestige) classes and the generic base classes.
Imperial Age is a favorite of mine and I really like Etherscope. I also bought a lot of the horror, pulp and space/future supplements put out for d20 modern. Thrilling Tales was one of my favorites for d20 pulp.
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I'll also give a lot of credit to Malhavoc Press; Monte Cook, Sean Reynolds, and Bruce Cordell were my gaming trinity for a long while. ^^ While the Books of X Might, Arcana Unearthed/Evolved and some of the event books (ie, Requiem for a God) have been mentioned, I'd like to give special attention to Bruce Cordell's psionics stuff. I love psionics, and If Thoughts Could Kill, Mindscapes, and Hyperconscious are still probably my favorite psionics sources ever.
The UndeFEATable stuff has some good feats for prestige classes and others looking to empower a character concept. You already sell it here, but I think some of those feats would be good even in core.
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I use Green Ronin's Advanced Gamemaster's Manual a lot.
I really liked Mongoose Publishing's "The Quintessential Monk" because it really brought in lots of source material-inspired rules, classes, options & weapons that helped monk players build PCs that better fitted their martial arts dreams.
As it stands on the core rules 3.x & PFRPG, its actually hard to make a monk that strongly echoes martial artists from movies or legend. This is particularly so because the core-rules class abilities are more or less "Shao Lin" flavoured, whilst the core monk weapons are essentially "Okinawan".
Fans of the various weapons featured prominently in many Shao Lin styles got options for those in the Quintessential Monk, and mechanics that reflected how these weapons are used in martial forms.
As a monk player I've found a lack of monk-flavoured feats amidst the core rules, but the feats in QM let you, amongst other things, specialise in certain forms (such as using a quarterstaff as a reach weapon, which is what is done in a number of real-world forms).
Debate about the monk being poor BAB, or MAD, etc. mattered less because I got to build the monk of my dreams.
Hey there folks,
I have a question for the community and I would love to hear your opinions.
What are your favorite 3rd party rules supplements from the 3.0 and 3.5 eras? What parts of that product were best? What specific rule or mechanic saw the most use in your game (ie, spell, feat, magic item, piece of gear)?
Now for a couple of caveats...
1. Open Content products only.
2. 3rd Party only please.
3. Skip monster books, that is not what I am currently interested in.
4. This thread is not for discussion. Please post up your favorite products only.That is all. Thanks for your suggestions.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
Jason,
If I could pick one thing to bring into Pathfinder from a 3rd party, 3.x product, it would be Combat Rites from Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved. The freedom that it gives martial characters is good.
In my opinion, I believe reworking this for Pathfinder would be ideal for Ultimate Combat. Perhaps, with some instruction for how to add it to existing classes.
I use Green Ronin's Advanced Gamemaster's Manual a lot.
That is one of my must-have books. And the fact it's author, Owen Stephens, writes most of SGG's material is one reason I buy so much of it.
Hey there folks,
I have a question for the community and I would love to hear your opinions.
What are your favorite 3rd party rules supplements from the 3.0 and 3.5 eras? What parts of that product were best? What specific rule or mechanic saw the most use in your game (ie, spell, feat, magic item, piece of gear)?
Now for a couple of caveats...
1. Open Content products only.
2. 3rd Party only please.
3. Skip monster books, that is not what I am currently interested in.
4. This thread is not for discussion. Please post up your favorite products only.That is all. Thanks for your suggestions.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
Jason, my favorite and most read book for the last four years has been Ptolus. The accompanying books (Book of Hallowed Might 1 & 2, Chaositech, Book of Iron Might, Complete Book of Eldritch Might-all three in one books, and even some UA stuff from Malhavoc) were always present before you and Monte started having conversations on what should improve an already solid system.
The books that Green Ronin and Necromancer Games did that you reference are now canon at my table. I must say if you do glance at anything I recommend it would be Sorcery and Steam. This is a great book to take your world into the early Industrial Age with magic.
I reference Ptolus quite a bit when doing work underneath Droskar's Crag and Kaer Maga. Flavor, that is all. Other than all this, I thank you.
I personally found a lot of material from Monte Cook's IRON HEROES to be inspirational, especially for low magic campaigns. The drawback system for magic items allowed magic in the game without it becoming mundane and ordinary, characters thought twice, and even three times before resorting to powerful but risky "magic", and the arcanist class was a real character of mystery and dangerous arcane knowledge. You just have to love the looks on players faces when the arcanist yells, "alright!! im gonna try this spell, get ready to run for it!!", lastly, the feat mastery was an excellent idea, with the option to invest further feat choices into those you already know for improved effects.
I also like the MIDNIGHT game material for reasons already described by previous postee's
both product lines create great atmosphere, and to me that is at the heart of roleplaying :)
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Hi Jason,
thank you guys for bringing two great 3e classics (ToH and Advanced Bestiary) to a lot of people's attention.
I'd point out two more books in the same line: "Creature Collection" (Swords & Sorcery (White Wolf)), the first 3e monster book ever. The 3.0 version of that book was somewhat rushed and had some stat and balancing problems, similar to the original ToH. Nevertheless I still refer to this book due to its unique monsters which easily bring up images of possible scenarios in the reader's mind.
The other book is the "Book of Templates (Deluxe Edition)" (Goodman Games, respectively Silverthorne Games): If I had to choose between Advanced Bestiary and Book of Templates, it would be a hard choice. Similar high quality, hard cover binding in both cases, 250 vs. 190 pages of content, different pattern of organizing the templates, but without much overlapping. So actually I recommend both. I am looking forward to see some of these monsters/ templates in future PF products.
Ok. There is Ptolus. What am I to say? It'd be great if there could be an official spot in Golarion to place Ptolus. And of course many PF comptatible new Ptolus products by Monte would be appreciated very much by a lot of folks out there! :)
Kr,
Günther
I enjoy sea adventures and run them as frequently as possible so I'd have to say:
Seafarer's Handbook: Sourcebook of Ships, Oceans, and the Beasts Therein (Legends & Lairs, d20 System)
and
Salt and Sea Dogs: The Pirates of Tellene
Easily the two best rpg books on sea adventuring.
Another fan of the rituals system here. I'd considered at one time making a world where rituals were *it* for magic.
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I have to vote for Mongoose's Encyclopedia Arcane too, the whole series is great for both GMs and players with all kinds of options and interesting subsystems. My favorite by far was Crossbreeding (explaining how to magically merge two creatures, how we get those owlbears that are running around all over the place), but Necromancy was awesome too.
I would also vote for Simple Tricks and Nonsense by Octavirate Press, when you combine it with the new Pathfinder system for cantrips it makes spellcasters feel much more magical and gives some good low-level options. I use it in every game I run.
Okay, kind of a necro...but hey, it's stickied.
Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved. Quite a bit of the material from Fantasy Flight (Legends & Lairs) and White Wolf (Sword & Sorcery). Green Ronin, Bastion Press, and AEG are at least worth cherry-picking, as is some of Inner Circle's Violet Dawn material and Old Kingdom's Bronze Gods.
I was not, on the other hand, generally impressed with Mongoose.
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Hammer and Helm is hands down one of the best books.
Plot & Poison and Wrath & Rage (the Green Ronin books in the same line devoted to Drow and Orcs) are also amazingly good. Fang & Fury, devoted to Vampires, is pretty cool as well.
I've recently picked up Seven Civilizations, from Penumbra / Atlas Games, and, like Seven Strongholds, it really rocks. I'm still looking around for copies of Seven Serpents and Seven Cities, but if they stand out as well, I'll be very pleased.
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Guide to Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.
I had lots of fun helping translate that into Spanish back in the "Advanced 2.0" days. Quite an addition to any campaign for a grown-up party.
Monte's book with the spells broken out to 20 levels.
I loved it, my group, not so much.
Though I think some of it was laziness about relearning whole spell lists (4e's downfall with these guys too).
I doubt this counts;
Paizo's Critical Hit Deck.
Used it once, never played without since.
X-crawl stuff from Panda Publishing through Goodman Games.
Not sure if any of it is OGL;
But we still use some of the feats and spells ( and lots of equipment ) with PF.
We actually play X games using PF sometimes when the old band is back together.
Magical Medieval Society: the Silk Road
Just great.
Tome of Horrors!
Sorry had to.....
Ultimate Feats ,Mongoose Publishing
Dragonstar!!!!!!
I don't know if it's open content, but the Aerial Adventure Guide rocks.
So does Legends and Lairs Seafarer's Handbook, Sorcery and Steam, and Necromantic Lore. Seas of Blood is good, too.
The best, though, is the Advanced Bestiary from Green Ronin for customizing monsters and Psionics Unleashed from Dreamscarred Press for adding some psionics to your Pathfinder.
I'm curious if any of this stuff was updated for PF RPG. Does anyone have examples of something being updated?
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Secrets of Pact Magic and Villains of pact magic are two of my favourite books. They see extensive use at my table. Cheapy, they both got a pathfinder update booklet downloadable here
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Templates
Advanced Bestiary (Green Ronin Publishing)
Book of Templates: Deluxe Edition 3.5 (Silverthorne Games)
Traps
The Wurst of Grimtooth's Traps (Necromancer Games)
Lairs & Legends: Traps & Treachery (Fantasy Flight Games)
Monster
Creature Collection I (White Wolf Publishing)
Creature Collection II (White Wolf Publishing)
Creature Collection III (White Wolf Publishing)
Book of Unremitting Horror d20(Pelgrane Press)
Ignoring the Tome of Horrors, since it's already been converted.
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The World of Warcraft 2nd edition D20 books had a lot of content which was open. [SNIP]
The Ley-Walker PrC. Nothing else has really touched on the Druidical relationship with magical leylines tropes like this.
Eeenteresting. This is the second time I've heard that the WoW d20 conversion had some good stuff in it. I grabbed the EQ d20 conversion, and it blew (IMO), so I just avoided the WoW one...
I have been wanting to see a good leyline-related bit of game material for some time, and haven't yet seen one that wasn't lackluster or problematic. I'm gonna have to track this down, I think!
It's hardly popular enough to warrant such a thing, but I'd kill for a Dark Ages of Camelot d20 adaptation. I'd only maim for an Age of Conan adaptation, and perhaps buy someone lunch for a Shadowbane adaptation. :)
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The Ley-Walker PrC. Nothing else has really touched on the Druidical relationship with magical leylines tropes like this.
The Menhir Savant addresses it a little bit.
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What are your favorite 3rd party rules supplements from the 3.0 and 3.5 eras? What parts of that product were best? What specific rule or mechanic saw the most use in your game (ie, spell, feat, magic item, piece of gear)?
The book over which I'm most obsessed is Liber Mysterium, the Netbook of Witches. So far as I can tell it's a PDF only product, but it's free and full of great fluff for witch characters. To quote from the site's description: "In its 200 pages you will find 13 new witchcraft traditions, 7 new prestige classes, and new skills and feats. A complete magic section that contains over 100 new spells, occult powers, ritual magic, coven spells and magic items. New challenges are presented to your witch characters with new monsters, NPCs, and adventure hooks."
Deities & Demigods 3.5 and some of the feats from the Ultimate Feats Guide (I believe 3.0...sorry if these don't fit the criteria, but it's what I miss).
Monkey Grip...very important to me as well as some, if not all the ancient gods.
A friend of mine started a new campaign recently based on D20 modern and Twilight 2013. The rest of the group and myself included absolutely loved it!
What are your favorite 3rd party rules supplements from the 3.0 and 3.5 eras? What parts of that product were best? What specific rule or mechanic saw the most use in your game (ie, spell, feat, magic item, piece of gear)?The book over which I'm most obsessed is Liber Mysterium, the Netbook of Witches. So far as I can tell it's a PDF only product, but it's free and full of great fluff for witch characters. To quote from the site's description: "In its 200 pages you will find 13 new witchcraft traditions, 7 new prestige classes, and new skills and feats. A complete magic section that contains over 100 new spells, occult powers, ritual magic, coven spells and magic items. New challenges are presented to your witch characters with new monsters, NPCs, and adventure hooks."
I loved working on that project. I wish I'd done a better job of proofreading and editing it though. I am so glad you like it.
Debby
The single thing I'd LOVE to see Pathfinderized is something I only this week discovered was open content and that is the Sanity rules. I always just lifted them from Call of Cthulhu d20 but I discovered they also appeared in Unearthed Arcana with a subtle D&D tweak.
Admittedly, both of the below subjects are not quite open content related.
I too really enjoyed Sorcery & Steam but I should point out that it was for the steampunk ideas not the rules themselves. My last game featured the firearms and vehicles extensively from that book and I discovered quickly that the rules are very unbalanced. Pathfinder has already done firearms with more finesse and playability. More steampunk themed materials would be great to see.
The other thing I'd like to see would be something akin to Deities and Demigods as mentioned above. There are a lot of gamers that love the notion of playing in the style of ancient Greece, Egypt, Norselands, etc. Some alternate pantheons would be great though I'm not sure what the marketability on such a product would be.
Not sure if it's open content, but the Slayer's Guides have had the largest impact on our games by far. They really made us rethink the things we were fighting all the time.