Phew This'll be a long a post, but certainly reward to read by the end of it. Don't worry about 2E replacing anything, as that takes time to do and is at least two years aeay from being a thing, even if it's fulling released this year. Playing D&D/Pathfinder really is the Nerdiest, Nerd thing I've ever done, and it is a lot of fun! Watch +DawnforgedCast's Session 0 video and download his checklist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0FmGxmJLiw That checklist will help you out greatly in starting out as a GameMaster/Dungeon Master or as a player to learn what you want in a game, for a new group, with or without veteran players. However, if you're one as the GM and you have a vivid imagination, or are good with thinking on the fly (believe me, it gets better with time) then you'll already have a headstart on the majority of GMs out there. A great beginning module that has a little bit of everything, adventure hook (i.e., reason why your players should be doing this), NPC interaction, wilderness adventuring, dungeon crawling, is the Hollow's Last Hope module for 1st Level Players as it works for both D&D and Pathfinder. You don't really need the print version, since you can download it for FREE at Paizo's website https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Hollow%27s_Last_Hope

I greatly recommend you get the Pathfinder RPG: Beginner Box ($25-$35) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601256302 it is a different game, but the rule set is uber-simplified and honestly, superior to the D&D Starter Set ($15), and is worth the extra money. The Beginner Box literally has the all of the beginning needs for play. Pre-generated characters, blank character sheets for the four classes (Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, and Fighter) with either of the three races (Elf, Dwarf, and Human) that are easy to introduce new players to, a flip out map that you can use dry-erase- or wet-erase markers, and permanent markers on (all of which can be erased off, I use these wet-erase makers that are $9 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFGW because I'll draw camp fires with brown, yellow, orange, and red colors, green helps with trees and shrubbery, blue for water, and black for everything else), a Hero's handbook, and really, really, good GM guide, plus thick, cardboard punch-out marker pawns of various Monsters, NPCs, Player characters, and other creatures, that amount to a wealth of miniatures that would take a lot of money and time to paint them all up, plus they're easier to store in the box. Unfortunately, it only comes with one set of dice, so it wouldn't hurt to get these on these 7 sets ($12) on the cheap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDJNE93 and pass them out to your players, or if they have their own, then you'll have plenty of extra multiples of dice, which will come in handy during combat with spellcasters and sneak attacks by Rogues. I handed them out to my players after they told me what their favorite colors were. =P

That'd would be all you'd really need to start, $30ish Beginner Box, plus $10 for markers, and $10 more if you or your players need dice. Now, what follows is what I used for my first GMing of a game, based on many different people's recommendations. In order to make combat work in a logical way that I could understand, I bought the Pathfinder Combat Pad $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601255470, along with those wet-erase markers from earlier. It's usefulness has been far better, and worth it's price in gold, to use than a cheap $1 store notebook, when I would have to erase or rewrite when players would defeat monsters or would hold their actions, or would tell them the wrong initiative bonus to start (lol!). Again, rather use a dollar store binder, I bought the Pathfinder GM Screen $16ish https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252161, because it was short enough for me to look over rather than 3-ring binders or a paper folder at the actual game table. Speaking the table, I bought the Chessex Battlemats https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015IQO2O this is a link to the smaller one ($20), since I bought the Megamat ($35), only because I had a large table, and players could use it as a coaster for drinks too (even though I did have coasters, to prevent spillage). As an added bonus, I recently discovered the Condition cards $10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252854, to use with Pathfinder, and they are great to hand out to players (as you would already know these conditions since it's written behind the GM Screen) so they know what condition they are in at a glance. Keep in mind though, you only get 4 or each, so if you are lucky enough to have more players, it wouldn't hurt to buy an extra set (however, it would be strange if all of your players had the same condition).

Now, let's say you enjoy Pathfinder, and you bought the Core Rulebook $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258879 (if it's a hardcover, always look inside for the Sixth edition printing, the paperback will already be that edition) but are getting tired of looking up Monster stats online, then grab the Paperback version of the first Bestiary $16 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258887 which has the great majority of all of the "regular" monsters in either D&D or Pathfinder. If you're not much of an artist, then there's the recently released Pathfinder Traps and Treasures Pawns Collection $25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259719 but be warned that you only want to place on the board AFTER the players find out what it is or after they trip it since it does have text explaining what it is as a trap, and if you're use the treasure ones, make sure you add whatever is actually printed on the tile is IN the list of treasure you give the players, because they can and will ask about, "can't I grab that cup or sword, it's on the tile?" ;)

Lastly, if you enjoy being the GameMaster/Dungeon Master, the storyteller, the world builder, then I'd recommend getting the Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide $15 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259492, which again, can be applied to both RPG games. And if you what better weather effects to throw at your party than what is presented in the CRB and GMG, then Pathfinder Ultimate Wilderness $30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259867 has all that you need, and then some, plus some cool spells and tons of new animal companions and familiars for spellcasters alike, and a new shapeshifting melee-fighting class called the Shifter, which is pretty neat to use (albeit, you may want to check out Paizo's website for any official errata or clarifications, just in case). If you want to actually create a campaign and are having a hard time coming up with ideas, locations, groups/factions, kingdoms, races, then one more purchase, which is what +DawnforgedCast used for his Pathfinder games seen here is the Inner Sea World Guide $45 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252692 It is pricey, but again, very much worth it, to create your own world or to use the pre-made world, as well. Remember, the Beginner Box, Markers, and Dice is really all you need, the rest of this is to expand out. I hope this helps you and anyone else out as well. =P

Here's a list of resources and products that will help you get started with D&D 4th edition.

Free Resources

The quick start rules are free and cover most of what a player needs to know to play the game, plus a few pregenerated characters; it lacks rules for character creation and advancement, and a few other advanced rules and options, but it's a good resource for those who don't yet own the books. Some additional pregens can be found at DungeonMaster.com.

Some other free resources were posted by /u/Dracoprimus, including a bunch of links to free adventures. Another good free adventure is EN World's Island at the Axis of the World, part of their Zeitgeist adventure path.

Kassoon's 4e crib sheet is a handy reference. Sly Flourish has a DM cheat sheet that can also be quite helpful, though you may have trouble making sense of it without access without a core DM resource.

Core Rules & Content

The following items are those you need to play a more robust campaign or adventure (you could technically get by without some of them, but you will be limited). You can save a few bucks by buying used. Ideally, each player (including the DM) should have a copy of a player resource, but in a pinch the players can share one player book for character creation/advancement, and then get by with the quick start rules linked above. Only the DM needs the DM resources.

• Player resource: Heroes of the Fallen Lands (alternatives/supplements: Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms, the 4e Player's Handbook)
  
• DM resource: The 4e Dungeon Master's Guide (alternative/supplement: the 4e Rules Compendium)
  
• DM resource: The Monster Vault (buy a new or like-new copy so you can be sure you get all of the included components). You could probably get by without a monster resource if you run published adventures that include monster statblocks, as most do, but if you want to roll your own campaign or improvise, a solid monster resource is recommended.
  
  With those three products, you have everything you need to run a level 1-30 campaign.
  
  You should check out the errata and updates for any books you acquire -- especially the older ones, like the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide.
  
  D&D Insider & Extras
  
  A D&DI subscription can substitute for the resources mentioned above to a large extent, and supplement them with tons of content, but reading through online glossary entries and a bunch of scattered articles isn't the best way to learn the rules. I would still recommend getting the core books even if your group has a DDI sub, and a DDI subscription is strictly optional.
  
  There are also many source books that I won't mention here, which include additional character options and content for the players and DM: new races, classes, powers, feats, items, monsters, traps, etc. along with accompanying lore. Personally though, in lieu of buying lots of extra source books for extra character options and monsters, I'd get a DDI sub. It gives you virtually everything published in those books, plus useful tools such as the Character Builder and the Monster Builder. The online compendium is also a much quicker and more convenient reference than a stack of books. I would recommend a D&DI subscription for any active DM or heavy player.
  
  Game Aids
  
  The following items are either necessary or very helpful to running a live, in-person game. If playing online, a virtual tabletop can cover these functions. Roll20 is the easiest virtual tabletop to get started with, and it's in active development. MapTool is a somewhat more robust, but many players have technical issues with it, and its pace of development seems to have slowed.
  
  
• Battle mat: A blank, reusable flip-mat, like the Paizo basic flip-mat, plus some dry- or wet-erase markers. This is a good option for drawing up a quick map on the fly.
  
• Alternative battle mat: A gridded easel pad, which you can get at an office supply store for around $17 for 50 sheets (which will last you a good long time), plus crayons, markers, or colored pens/pencils. This is a good option for either preparing detailed maps before the session, or drawing up a quick map mid-session.
  
• Alternative battle mat: Yet another option for battle maps are poster maps and/or dungeon tiles. An even more upscale option are Dwarven Forge products; those utilizing the sturdy "dwarvenite" material are particularly nice. The DM's Craft YouTube channel has a lot of tutorial videos for creating nice-looking but inexpensive environments.
  
• Dice: You'll need enough dice for everyone. Bulk dice like Chessex Pound O' Dice can be a good way to go. In a pinch, you can get by with a single set of dice shared by the group. At minimum you need one each of the following: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20.
  
• Miniatures, tokens or other character markers: The Monster Vault includes some cardboard tokens. You can make your own tokens, use dollar store plastic soldiers, Pathfinder Pawns standup tokens, buy miniatures of a range of qualities and price points (Reaper minis are nice), or buy products that come with miniatures, like Descent and the D&D Adventure System games. The latter two options are standalone D&D-like board games which also include dungeon tiles. Some miniatures come pre-painted, others are unpainted; note that painting unpainted minis isn't as difficult as you might imagine. In a pinch, you can use coins, bottlecaps or anything else that's a suitable size to represent characters and monsters.
  
• Optional: Pipe cleaners, which can be bent into shapes to denote the corners of zones, or cut into pieces which can be bent into small loops, which can then be hung on miniatures to denote status conditions.
  
• Optional: 3x5 index cards can be handy for initiative tracking, passing notes, or creating power cards or monster statblocks.
  
  Products to Avoid
  
  The following are products that I sometimes see recommended (or would recommend myself) but happen to be overpriced or are not worth it for some other reason.
  
  
• The Monster Manual, and other 4e monster resources published before June 2010. The third Monster Manual was released along with updated math to govern monster attack bonuses, defenses, hp and damage, which was used in subsequent publications. In addition to the math updates, WotC got better at overall monster design as the edition matured. Other than the Monster Vault, some good monster resources include the Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, the Dark Sun Creature Catalog and Monster Manual III.
  
• The "Red Box" Starter Set. While it would be a fair value at its retail price of $20, it seems to be out of print, which means it's selling at inflated prices. The product itself is mediocre. It provides a fast, but not necessarily good introduction to the game.
  
• The DM's Kit. This is actually a fine product, and contains a DM's Book which is a good substitute for the DMG or Rules Compendium. It also includes a very high quality adventure, the Reavers of Harkenwold. In addition, it comes with DM screen, two double-sided poster maps, and some cardboard punch-out tokens, and a small monster book. Unfortunately, the DM's Kit also appears to be out of print, and at the time of this posting is selling for well over $100 used. It's good, but not that good.

Fantasy recommendations:

• The Way of Kings is the first book in the Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson. It’s a bit of a slow start – the book is around a thousand pages – but Sanderon excels at world building, internal consistency, and “avalanche” endings where many plot threads come together at once.
  
  
• Unsouled is the first book in Will Wight's Cradle series. Will’s series emphasizes intense action and long-term character growth. They’re much shorter and faster paced than most of the other options on this list.
  
  
• Mother of Learning is about a novice mage who gets stuck in a month-long time loop. The magic system is something of a mix between D&Dish schools of magic and anime-style training exercises. We learn more about the magic system as the protagonist does. Lots of fun twists on the genre in there, too.
  
  
• Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers by Ishio Yamagata is fantastic if you enjoy fantasy mixed with mysteries. Not all of it has been translated yet, but the first couple books are out.
  
  
• Worm is a web serial about a young girl who develops super powers. It's dark, internally consistent, and features characters that use their abilities at least somewhat intelligently.
  
  
  LitRPG recommendations:
  
  In terms of published Western LitRPGs, I'd say Ascend Online is my favorite. The central protagonist isn't a complete psychopath like a lot of LitRPG protagonists, and he immediately starts treating the highly intelligent AI NPCs as people. That's a huge selling point for me, since it's so rare to see LitRPG protagonists that are friendly to NPCs.
  
  Also, rather than immediately jumping into save the world stuff, it's reasonably paced. The main character doesn't start out with any crazy game breaking abilities, and the setting itself feels largely realistic - it feels very similar to a futuristic version of Everquest.
  
  My other favorite Western LitRPG is Threadbare, which focuses on a bunch of teddy bear (golem) gradually learning about the world around it, and undertaking a determined quest to protect his little girl “owner”. It’s both heartwarming and surprisingly insightful.
  
  In terms of non-Western LitRPGs, Log Horizon is my favorite. The author has clearly played MMORPGs, and the tactics used in there - both by the main character and other characters - feel like the types of things real people would do in a MMO setting. Once again, the main character also takes NPCs seriously and treats them well, which is a big plus for me. Shiroe for Log Horizon is probably the closest character I've seen to someone with my own background in a book.
  
  I also love So I'm a Spider, So What?, which is a hilarious story about a girl who gets reincarnated into an RPG setting as a tiny spider monster. Fortunately, she can grind to get stronger! It's a bit of a strange one, but tons of fun. Note that this one is not strictly going into a VR game - they're just reincarnated in a world with RPG stats. It's a little different, but similar.
  
  If you like the idea of a protagonist exploiting a bunch of bugs, check out Kono Sekai ga Game da to Ore dake ga Shitteiru. I enjoyed the first book a ton. The second book started getting into tropes I didn’t enjoy quite as much.
  
  One of my other recent favorites is The Tutorial is Too Hard, which focuses on a main character transported into a dungeon on “Hell” difficulty that needs to make his way through to the top floor. We see a lot of his analytical process, which makes the story much more enjoyable to someone like me. This is probably my favorite ongoing story.
  

Fellow fan of series here! Let me see...

Young Adult
Percy Jackson series is fun (and finished, too, I think).
Artemis Fowl series isn't quite as good as Percy Jackson IMHO, but it's got a following.

Fantasy
Harry Dresden series This is one of my favorites. Harry is Chicago's only professional wizard. There are a ton of these books and they are still going strong.
Game of Thrones These are great...but unfinished. If you watch the show, reading the books does help you get even more out of the story, I think.
Wheel of Time Another good series. There is a LOT of this series and it's finished. (Thank you, Brandon Sanderson!)
Mistborn Speaking of Brandon Sanderson... This one is very good. I highly recommend reading the Mistborn books before trying the Stormlight Archive, but only because as good as Mistborn is, Stormlight Archive is even better.
Stormlight Archive Amazing. Man, these are good. The series isn't finished, but the two books that are available are some of my favorites ever.
Kingkiller Chronicles I loved the first book. I could not freakin' believe I enjoyed the second one even more. The third one is still pending.
Temeraire Dragons in Napoleonic times. Super cool premise! This one is not finished (I don't think, anyway).
Gentlemen Bastards Con men in a fantasy realm. It's pretty light on the fantasy elements. Very light, I'd say. I'd also say that it has some of the very best swearing that I've ever come across. :D

Scifi
Old Man's War I'm almost finished this one--it's amazing!

Horror/Thriller
Passage Trilogy I've heard these described as vampire books...maybe zombie books... It's apocalyptic for sure. Great books!

Mysteries
Amelia Peabody Egyptology + murder mysteries. Super fun, but trust me...go with the audiobooks for these. They are best when they are performed.
Stephanie Plum Total popcorn reads. If that's your thing, shut off your brain and just enjoy.
Walt Longmire These get particularly good as it goes along. The main character is a sheriff in modern day Wyoming. (Side note: The TV show is also great--just don't expect them to stick to the books.)

Graphic Novels (Everything recommended can be gotten in a "book" format instead of only in comic form, in case that matters. I've gotten most of these from my local library.)
Locke & Key Eerie as crap. Love the art! This one is on-going.
Y: The Last Man All the men on the planet drop dead in a day...except for Yorrick. REALLY good. This is the series that got me reading graphic novels. Plus, it's finished!
Walking Dead I am not a zombie fan...but I like these. They're not done, but I've read up through volume 22 and am still enjoying them.

Other
OutlanderI have no idea how to categorize these or even give a description that does them justice. I refused to pick it up for AGES because it sounded like a bodice-ripper romance and that's not my bag. But these are good!

I hope there's something in there that'll do for you. Have fun and read on!

Edit: Apparently, I need to practice formatting. :/
Edit 2: I forgot to add the Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1).

Some of my favorite books available on Kindle Unlimited:

They Mostly Come Out At Night and Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick

Paternus by Dyrk Ashton

Danse Macabre by Laura M. Hughes

The Half Killed by Quenby Olson

A Star Reckoners Lot by Darrell Drake

Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe

Jaeth's Eye by K. S. Villoso


Here are some that I haven't read, but have heard mostly positive things about:

The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes

Revenant Winds by Mitchell Hogan

Ghosts of Tomorrow by Michael R Fletcher

A Warrior's Path by Davis Ashura

Valley of Embers by Steven Kelliher

Faithless by Graham Austin-King. He also has another series, The Riven Wyrde Saga, beginning with Fae - The Wild Hunt

Ours is the Storm by D. Thourson Palmer

Path of Man by Matt Moss

Threat of Madness by D.K. Holmberg

To Whatever End by Claire Frank

House of Blades by Will Wight

Path of Flames by Phil Tucker

The Woven Ring by M. D. Presley

Awaken Online: Catharsis by Travis Bagwell

Wolf of the North by Duncan M. Hamilton

Free the Darkness by Kel Kade

The Cycle of Arawn Trilogy by Edward W. Robinson

Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw

Benjamim Ashwood by AC Cobble

The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson

The Queens Poinsoner by Jeff Wheeler

Stiger's Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit 

Rise of the Ranger by Philip C. Quaintrell 

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

Devil's Night Dawning by Damien Black


Here are some older fantasy and sci-fi books that I enjoyed:

Tales of Nevèrÿon by Samuel R. Delany - African inspired S&S by an extremely talented writer.

Witch World as well as other good books by Andre Norton

Swords and Deviltry The first volume of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser by Fritz Leiber - Many of the tropes of the rogue/thief came from this legendary duo created by Leiber. And it's worth noting that Leiber actually coined the term Sword & Sorcery. This collection contains 3 stories, two average origin stories for each character and the final story is the Hugo and Nebula winning novella "Ill Met in Lankhmar" detailing the first meeting of Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser.

Swords Against Darkness - A '70s S&S anthology. It has few stinkers, a few mediocre stories, and a some really good ones. Poul Anderson and Ramsey Campbell both have awesome stories in this anthology that are well worth checking out. For some reason, there were quite a few typos in this book, it was slightly distracting, but may have been fixed since I read it.

The Best of C. L. Moore by C. L. Moore. I read this earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. The collection is all sci-fi and one Jirel of Joiry story, which is her famous female Sword & Sorcery character. I was suprised by how well her sci-fi stories held up, often times pulp sci-fi doesn't age well, but this collection was great. Moore was married to the writer Henry Kuttner, and up until his death they wrote a bunch of great stories together. Both of their collections are basically collaborations, although I'm sure a few stories were done solo. His collection The Best of Henry Kuttner features the short story that the movie The Last Mimzy was based on. And, if you are into the original Twilight Zone TV series there is a story that was adapted into a memorable season 1 episode entitled "What You Need". Kuttner and Moore are two of my favorite pulp authors and I'm not even that into science fiction, but I really enjoy their work.

Aw! <3

Like, what books I'd recommend, or just....stuff to do underway that would be in the self-improvement area? The big two that jump out as underway activities are always "save money, and work out."

What platform are you floating on?

So the first thing I do with all my proteges is I hand them the grading sheet for Sailor of the Year/Quarter and a blank evaluation, and I ask them to grade themselves. Not everyone wants to be, or needs to be, Sailor of the Year or a 5.0 sailor, but if that's the standard the Navy has set as "the best," then at least we have a guideline of what we should be working toward, right?

One thing that was pretty big at my last command was the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Instruction here. One thing that is a really easy way to gain community service hours while underway is to make blankets for the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society's "Budgeting For Baby" class. You can crochet (that's incredibly easy, I promise) or you can google one of the thousand DIY no-sew blanket tutorials. If you belong to a Bluejacket Association or Enlisted Association or whatever, you may be able to get them to fund the cost of buying the material...or even ask the FCPOA if they'll give $50 to the cause. You can head over to Jo-Ann's or Fabric.com and check out their discount sections too. NMCRS offers 30 hours per blanket. Taking an hour out of your Holiday Routine for the entire float.....most of the DIY no-sew blankets only take an hour or two to make, sooooo. Collect those hours. Add in a COMREL or two, and there's no reason you can't end a float with over a hundred hours of community service. This is particularly great if you have a friend or two to make blankets with you....snag one of the TVs on the messdecks and watch a movie while you crochet. You can also contact a local homeless shelter and see if they need hats and crochet hats for them. Obviously not a good suggestion if you're stuck underway on a submarine with no space, but if you're surface side--good to go.

Books I'd suggest, well, hm, this could get out of control pretty fast, but off the top of my head:

• Personality Plus by Florence Littauer or her work specific version
  
  
• Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
  
  
• It's Your Ship by Capt Abrashoff
  
  
• Starship Troopers
  
  
• Ender's Game (Ender and Starship are obviously straight scifi but there are some really awesome leadership principles/concepts/ideas that are worth mulling over. They've both been on past CNO's recommended reading lists too....and they're just fun to read.)
  
  
• For money, while, like, 99% of his stuff is "Duh!" I can't discount the practical steps he outlines, so Dave Ramsey's books, particularly Financial Peace is worth reading. His whole book is basically the wiki in r/personalfinance, but if you're wondering how to get your finances straight I recommend picking up this book. Just, in general. Good basic information and a starting point. Not saying you need it, but "saving money" just happens underway by virtue being trapped out on the ocean =)
  
  
• Leaders Eat Last

Finally had some more time to read, picked up books mostly on Kindle Unlimited with some exceptions on Novel Updates.

Stuff in bold is stuff I really like and can recommend, stuff italicized is stuff I'm not sure about but you should probably read anyway.

Picked up

Arcane Ascension: (Kindle)

1. Sufficiently Advanced Magic
   
   LitRPG, School, Dungeon/tower
   
   Story had a pretty decent hook in the beginning, characters are decently fleshed out although I do hope book 2 has more character development.
   
   The MC is a recovering loner with interesting family dynamics due to an unfortunate grandfather, militant father, and a missing brother.
   
   I would have enjoyed this story more if I read it in chunks as the author is trying to create something new with depth and that ruined a bit of the immersion for me.
   
   After reading 2/3 of the story I took a break and read other stuff before coming back to it and the last 1/3 was very enjoyable; then again the last bit was mostly plot development instead of world building.
   
   Completionist Chronicles: (Kindle)
   
   
2. Ritualist
   
   LitRPG, cleric?, puns?
   
   Same author as the Divine Dungeon series linked below.
   
   Compared to the Divine Dungeon series this story is much more enjoyable since the MC is human and already has a personality.
   
   Divine Dungeon: (Kindle)
   
   
   
3. Dungeon Born
   
   
4. Dungeon Madness
   
   
5. Dungeon Calamity
   
   Dungeon core, cultivation, puns?
   
   Pretty interesting premise but it is my first dungeon core story; story is pretty good and told in the POV of two MC's, a dungeon (Cal) and some shepherd who learns to cultivate.
   
   In book 1 Cal is still developing as he was just Born which made it slightly more difficult to get into due to not much character development but the different POV's makes things easier to read. If you're okay with book 1 which was enjoyable but focused more on setting the foundation of the story then you should like books 2 and 3 much more.
   
   Awaken Online: (Kindle)
   
   
6. Catharsis;
   
   LitRPG, Anti-hero?, Necromancy, glass cannon
   
   A bit of an aside but this really made me feel nostalgic for Legendary Moonlight Sculptor even though there isn't much in common.
   
   The prologue set the tone for the the story and while it could be too soon to tell I'd say he's only mostly anti-hero.
   
   Story is a bit cliched and there isn't much tension but it's pretty well written and does a nice job overall differentiating itself.
   
   Fields of Gold
   
   Mild Mary Sue, hunting, isekai, reverse harem?
   
   Phew, finally have something to fill the void that is Volare. (Even though I have 3 other novels I'm bulking up to binge later)
   
   Just when I think I'm free of all food porn from previous completed novels they ambush me with this. y u do dis /u/Etvolare (and Myst), some of y'all have gotta be foodies and I'm concerned it's a criteria in novel selection.
   
   Another Mary Sue story with hints of a reverse harem but that's probably unlikely. Her immediate family loves her but everyone else.. fuck 'em, except for maybe that one gentle aunt.
   
   The S-Classes That I Raised
   
   Time rewind, yandere, taming
   
   Weak asshole MC turns over a new leaf with his time travel and patches things up with his younger more OP brother.
   
   Ascend Online (Kindle)
   
   LitRPG, Crafting, taming
   
   Solid story but it's a bit average, pretty good read overall but character development is kinda weak.
   
   I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire
   
   Mecha, "anti-hero", ^^^ha! futuristic, isekai, misunderstandings, long life span
   
   MC gets betrayed pretty badly by his wife due to the involvement of a third party who gets off on the grief and misery of others. MC reincarnates to another world and is mistrustful of women, gets abandoned by his parents and ends up doing some territory management in the pursuit of being evil later.
   
   Demon King, Retry!
   
   Overpowered, loli, misunderstandings, territory management?
   
   Think of this as a more lighthearted, shallower take on Overlord for a younger audience, maybe.
   
   A Demon Lord’s Tale: Dungeons, Monster Girls, and Heartwarming Bliss
   
   Non-harem harem?, Wish fulfillment
   
   Strong MC with a soft spot for ladies.
   
   
   ***
   

   Still reading
   

   
   Trash of the Count’s Family
   
   Restaurant seems to be going well, some more of Cale's background is being very slowly teased through the story which makes it all the more understandable he wants to chill.
   
   Ascending, Do Not Disturb
   
   Apparently another story where cuteness is justice regardless of gender; two justices have been unlocked so far: cuteness and deliciousness.
   
   The Beloved Imperial Consort
   
   Strict mother and chill father? That'll be a fun baby, smart little monkey.
   
   Lucia
   
   Lucia is hangry and the damn grapes aren't in season yet.
   
   The hubby is gonna have some serious blue balls if he doesn't find something to busy himself with.
   
   Assassin Farmer
   
   The assassin organization has changed hands with the death of the idiot boss.
   
   MC has plenty of people waiting on her now (much to her distaste) and new house(s) are being built for her and her hubby's brothers.
   *
   Edit**: forgot to add the Arcane Ascension series and labeled the ones on Kindle Unlimited.

I just ran my first session as a new DM with LMoP last week! I'll jot down my experience running a group of 4 beginners. (so take my advice with a grain of salt as a beginner that has not finished the campaign)

---
First, read through the books in the Starter Set! (If you can afford the Player's Handbook, that is a good idea as well.) I highly recommend going through the rulebook (or Basic Rules) then at least skimming through the entire LMoP module. You don't have to memorize everything but as a DM it is important to have the idea of the setting in your head.

For combat, you have to decide if you are going to run "Theater of the Mind" or battlemat+miniatures for combat. Theater of the Mind is more flexible and requires less preparation but battlemats give great visuals at a cost of preparation and supply.

Then you have to decide if you think your players would want to make their own characters or not. For my beginner group, I decided that they would be a lot more invested/excited if they could identify with their own creation so I chose to not use the pre-generated character sheets. Once you are comfortable with the rules of D&D enough, set a date to meet with your group.

Since we had to make characters, I held a Session 0 to introduce the basic concept of what to expect in committing to D&D as well as character creation. I highly suggest making characters together a separate day before Session 1 because it usually takes a decent amount of time for the first time (3ish hours for me).

My Session 0 looked like this:

• Introduction to D&D
  
  
• Explaining all races, classes, backgrounds and letting them pick
  
  
• Giving character sheets, rolling stats
  
  
• Guiding them through the char sheet by referencing DNDBeyond for background/race/class bonuses
  
  After everyone was done, I let them take home the character sheet and work on character appearance, personality, and background story.
  
  The week after, we had Session 1. Make sure you actually read through the LMoP module in depth, at least up to Part 1-2 beforehand. I also decided to take some elements of this supplement Part 0 for LMoP to use as a tutorial for my players. Then, begin your adventure! My party took a lot longer than I expected and only got to the entrance of the Cragmaw Hideout after 3 hours.
  
  Good luck to your campaign, I'm looking forward to my second session!
  
  ---
  
  Some recommended guides I used:
  
  
• Matt Mercer tips (all DM's love this man)
  
  
• Don't Stop Thinking guides (great graphic visuals and in-depth coverage)
  
  
• Matt Colville tips (gives a good idea of how D&D should look like at an advanced level)
  
  
• DungeonDudes (channel that covers good topics)
  
  
• DNDBeyond (amazing website for the Basic Rules, classes, and races)
  
  
• OneCritWonder LMoP tips (helpful overview of the module)
  
  
• LMoP enemies (generator that adapts to how many players you have)
  
  ---
  Supplies I personally prepared (BUT ARE OPTIONAL):
  
  
• Beginner dice (shared with my beginners, they are planning to get their own sets soon)
  
  
• Custom character sheets (a bit overwhelming at first but I find helpful for each class)
  
  
• Spell cards (I don't think many people use these but I find it an amazing resource to give your players if they are spellcasters)
  
  
• Battlemat (use with Wet-Erase markers)
  
  
• Paper minis (dedication and time required, can use coins, legos, or anything instead or even real miniatures if you can afford it)
  
  
• DM Screen (the official and most standard and affordable screen)

4e is pretty simple. Even simpler than that is Swords and Wizardry which is made to resemble old school DnD. Microlite 74 is similar but does not hew as closely to any incarnation of DnD. All of these are free.

Swords and Wizardry has quick start rules here. I listed some beginner modules for it.

>Is there a D&D "basic" set in its latest incarnation?

You mean like this?

The Red Box, then Rules Compendium, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, and then the Monster Vault.

The Red Box comes with some premade characters and a quick adventure. Its pretty cheap and will help you determine if this is the system you want (note your free options.)

If you like it, then:

Then the Heroes book will help you guys build characters.

The Rules Compendium contain all the... rules. (What happens on each players turn, etc etc).

Monster Vault has monsters for the DM.

Not a lot of good adventures available for 4e though, though if you like 4e and want to run premade stuff for it, some options are laid out here.

You also have the option of subscribing to a service called DnD Insider, which will give you access to, among other things, an online character builder for the players and a monster builder for the DM with all the stuff from the books,. It costs like 10 bucks a month... but its an option that you should be aware of.

You might get some recommendations for Pathfinder, because redditors love them some Pathfinder (which is based off DnD 3.5 so if you know that, you know PF). It's a good system--I'm playing it right now--but its so complex that I have some trouble recommending it to absolute beginners in good conscience. You can look into it here. If you do go with it, I highly highly recommend a character builder like PCGen.

EDIT: Fixed some links.

For (currently) free Kindle books, David Weber's On Basilisk Station is the first book in the space-opera Honor Harrington series. The second book The Honor of the Queen, is one of my favorites in the entire series. Eric Flint's 1632 turned into a massive and awesome alternate-history series. If you'd like to delve into Alaskan-based murder mysteries, give Dana Stabenow's A Cold Day For Murder a try as the first in the some eighteen book Kate Shugak series.

For paid Kindle books, there's Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus is the beginning of the dystopian Silo series; the followup Shift Omnibus is actually a prequel trilogy that I haven't gotten yet but is very readable. Naomi Novik's first novel in the alt-history Temeraire series, His Majesty's Dragon, is currently $.99.

In print, Elizabeth Moon's military fantasy The Deed of Paksenarrion is available used for a very affordable price and is an epic series. The Cage was my introduction to a fantasy universe written by SM Stirling, Shirley Meier, and Karen Wehrstein. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is a sort of alternate history/light romance series set in Scotland that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Brent Weeks' assassin-based (excuse me, wetboy) fantasy Night Angel Trilogy was recently released as an omnibus edition. Empire from the Ashes collects Weber's Dahak sci-fi trilogy into an omnibus edition. Weber and John Ringo co-wrote March Upcountry and the other three novels in the sci-fi Prince Roger quadrilogy. If you haven't tried Harry Turtledove's alt-history sci-fi WW2 'Worldwar' series, In the Balance starts off a little slow plot-wise but picks up good speed. EE Knight's sci-fi/futuristic fantasy Vampire Earth starts off with Way of the Wolf. Mercedes Lackey wrote the modern-fantasy Born to Run with Larry Dixon, and the rest of the SERRAted Edge books with various other authors. Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk and slightly dystopian Snow Crash is hilarious and awesome. Maggie Furey's Aurian is the first of a fantasy quadrilogy that I enjoyed many years ago.

If you're at all familiar with the Warhammer 40k universe, the Eisenhorn Omnibus is Dan Abnett's wonderful look into the life of an Imperial Inquisitor. He's also written a popular series about the Tanith First-and-Only Imperial Guard regiment starting with The Founding Omnibus. He also wrote the first book in the Horus Heresy series, Horus Rising (I highly recommend reading the first three novels together as a trilogy and then cherry-picking the rest).

... and if you've read all that already, I'll be impressed.

Edit: Why yes, I do read a lot. Why do you ask?

Try The Riyria Revelation by Michael J Sullivan. Great, fast paced series with two of the best protagonists in fantasy. Starts a bit trope-y, and some of the tropes don't go away, but he has a way of turning many on their heads, and taking others and doing them really, really well. The first book is fun, but as the series progresses it gets better and better and the scope goes from small scale to worldwide in a very natural way. And the series is considerably shorter than something like WoT, not taking forever to get going.

Also, The Emperor's Edge books by Lindsay Buroker are absolutely delightful. Another quick, not crazy deep series, but with wonderful characters that feel like real people. Seriously, it's almost impossible not to fall a little in love with the main character as the series progresses. Fun action, witty dialogue, etc...They're great. Also, the first book in the series is free on Amazon.

Lots of great advice here. I'll try not to repeat too much.

Regarding your struggle to describe things, have you tried using tables? If I draw a blank on what a room looks like, I grab a list of 20 or 100 room descriptions and roll some dice.

There's a ton of free ones everywhere, and here is a list of all the tables in the DMG. If you want to really break it down, scroll down to "Dressing and Embelishment" here for 100 floors, 100 walls, 100 ceilings, and much much more. Finally, Table Fables has a bunch of good ones in one neat little package. My copy is filled up with tabs and gets used almost every week.


Regarding your players not engaging in RP, I solved this problem in my game by putting them in situations that they had to act their way out of.

For example, I introduced a lodge run by retired adventurers that have valuable information about monster weaknesses and such. They're just a bunch of old dude who want to drink and relive their glory days all day long; so to apply for membership you had to tell a tale of your most glorious adventures. Whomever told the best tale wins! Even if the RP is cringey, most players will come up with some pretty hilarious stuff and everyone will have a good time.

Another idea is to give them a mission where they have to assume a false identity and deceive someone. Or just make them need to persuade somebody. Royalty or nobility work great for this because they don't care about gold and have bodyguards, so they can't be bribed or intimidated; making the party's only option to engage in some RP.

Another good trick too spice up combat a little is to have your monsters say creepy shit during battle. Little things can go a long way to adding some depth or making a generic orc encounter more memorable.

Lastly, check out r/dmacademy. Super supportive community and tons of great advice.

Good luck!

I've bought a fair amount of ebooks on Amazon recently and I think most of them are books that a lot of people here would enjoy (heck I heard about most of them through here!).

The Preorders:

Underlord - The sixth book in the Cradle series which is described as a Western Xianxia series. A lot of people here don't really like the Xianxia genre and I agree with their criticisms of how many main characters are very villainous, under-developed enemies and female characters, the economies of cultivation aren't logical, poor scaling in conflict as you go from one city to interstellar in scope, and awkward prose. But I bring up all of these flaws to say that the Cradle series completely avoids all of the typical flaws in Xianxia and has a very smart character who sets out to cultivate smartly instead of bullheadedly.

And the sixth book is coming out in March! (Get the box set. It has the first three books and is cheaper!)

Exhalation - Who here hasn't heard of Ted Chiang, the master of short stories that perfectly appeal to the r/rational crowd? The same guy that we literally use as an introduction to rational fiction. Well, if you enjoyed his first collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, you'll love hearing that the second collection is coming out in....May! (Ugh....really May? I don't think I can wait that long!)

The books you can read right now!:

The Beginner's Guide to Magical Licensing - Has a similar start to Unsong where a magical college-graduate, minimum-wage, sweat-shop worker stumbles on a powerful spell and sets out to start his own business competing with the powerful. The parts of the story that follows afterward makes a whole lot more logical sense than Unsong however. (Used to be online for free, but now you'll have to pay the price for your ignorance if you want to read it! (Nah, I lied.))

Six Sacred Swords - If you liked the Arcane Ascension series, but wished there was more dungeonnering and less of school shenanigans, then look no further! In some ways it's a lot like reading a very good DnD session played by really savvy players who never follow the 'standard' way to solve problems.

The author of Six Sacred Swords made a recommendation for The Ruin of Kings. He said that it reads like a Locke Lamora-esque rogue protagonist, telling the story in a style similar to Kvothe, in a setting similar to Game of Thrones. I haven't bought the book yet, but the review was interesting enough that I wanted to include it in my list of recommendations.

Senlin Ascends - I haven't read this yet either, but skimming through it, I see some fair bit of social manipulation/combat that I think people here would like. Plus the Tower of Babel setting is something that appeals very strongly to me.

Polyglot: NPC REVOLUTION - A lot of people here seem to really like LitRPG and Artificial Intelligence, but almost no one seem to ever question the implications of the NPCs in LitRPG stories having human-level intelligence.

Small Medium: Big Trouble - It's by the same author who wrote Threadbare that people here really liked. Similar to Polygot where the NPC is the main character who needs to deal with players, but smaller scale in scope. There's a lot of fast-talking to convince selfish sociopaths to do what you say.

Q is for Quantum - I was going through my older ebook orders when I found this one. It's the single best introduction for quantum mechanics that I have ever read (not that I've read too many of those). It focuses on building an intuition for the subject and once you've read through the book, you will understand on a gut level what superposition means. Note that it's meant as an introduction for the subject, so don't expect it to cover everything, just what's need to get started learning about quantum mechanics. But I'd still recommend it to experts if only for a better way to explain their subject to their peers and laypeople.

I used to date a girl who was totally dismissive of sci-fi - "it's all that ridiculous pew-pew lasers Star Wars rubbish" was the way she'd characterise it.

I overcame this with the first book of Michael Moorcock's The Dancers At The End of Time series, which she loved, but I also managed to ruin it by buying all three books in a big collection. She overdosed on them within about 3 or 5 days, about 100 pages from the end of the last one, never to touch sci-fi again.

The Dancers At The End of Time is very atypical sci-fi, rather the way The Hitchhikers' Guide is - I consider it a Shakespearean farce in novel form - but I believe it underlines the fact that sci-fi can be anything we want it to be.

It seems like this edition is all three of the novels, and I'm surprised it's only 600 pages long - the edition I bought for my gf weighed about 1/2 a kilo. I suggest starting your wife on this edition, which I believe quite slim and easy to get through.

I recommended Morgan's Altered Carbon to an acquaintance recently. He's a bit of a boy, and loves the Terminator trilogy the same way I do, but his gf is disinterested - however I believe that she too read and enjoyed Altered Carbon, lured in by the promise of its one or two steamy sex scenes. The novel is a crime thriller and the protagonist, Kovacs, is a lone hero much like the Jack Reacher character of Lee Child's novels. If she likes Jack Reacher, she'll certainly like Altered Carbon, it's just the same - well, actually, better - but with a slight William Gibson flavour.

I second the suggestion of The Time Traveller's Wife, but with reservations - there's nothing else within the genre that's written so sensitively. Sci-fi is about exploring possibilities and TTTW does that, but it's kinda a love story first, and sci-fi second. Actually, I kinda think all sci-fi should be as good, or wish that all sci-fi made you appreciate the characters as much.

My favorites are the ones that fix mechanical weaknesses or add to missing conceptual space in 5e (which is also what I try to do in my own DM's Guild offerings!) I try to stick mostly to official, published things to keep my player's heads from exploding, but there's a few I really like:

• The Revised Way of the Four Elements Monk by /u/SpiketailDrake is generally considered the best of its kind, a homebrew "fix" for one of the two famously lackluster subclasses in the PHB.
  
  
• The Compendium of Forgotten Secrets is an absolutely massive resource, mostly for Warlocks but not entirely. Though the balance is sometimes questionable I love it because it has tons of amazing flavor, no part of it is boring and it has lots of cool ideas, both lore and interesting game mechanics. One of my players showed it to me and I fell in love.
  
  
• Not sure if it actually counts as "homebrew" so much as "third-party sourcebook", but the Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press is a great additional Monster Manual for DMs wanting more, very popular in the community. They just came out with the Creature Codex too, though I haven't seen enough of it to weigh in. Some monsters in ToB are a little on the strong side and there's a bit of weird conceptual repetition in the ideas, but it has so many to offer that it's still very much worth the purchase.
  
  
• While I haven't tried it myself, many people speak well of the Pugilist class made by Ben Huffman. It fills a useful conceptual niche in 5e, a non-monk unarmed combat specialist.
  
  
• In the same vein, Matt Mercer's Blood Hunter is a popular brew. Originally Witcher-inspired, it's gone through a lot of revisions and playtesting.

??? Like for inspiration?


For world building/city feels/flavor I like "Invisible Cities", which is a collection of tales from Marco Polo put together by Italo Calvino, translated from italian by William Weaver (here's a link I found on google for it)


For character creation, honestly read any fantasy. Wheel of Time has characters you can easily make character sheets for, excepting maybe Rand al'Thor. I also just read "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss, which was great for learning how a wizard/bard might work, as well as an innkeeper. Also, recorded book is boss.


But if you want to buy just one book, and you want something amazing and fast and simple I highly recommend "Table Fables" by Madeline Hale (it's on amazon for less than $11). This book has roll-to-make lists for almost everything, from PC and NPC creation to random loot, to monster attacks! This helps especially with random encounters and smoothing-over awkward "wait I have nothing planned for THAT direction"-moments, it's great! Here's a link to that too!.


Hope that helps, that's what I use, PM me if you need anymore help :) also, I think the more you read the more fun these games get

I'm a fairly budget DM (but I had an edge as you'll see). Here is what my solution for minis was:

Via BGG I was able to for a few of the Dungeon and Dragon Board Games ex: Wrath of Ashardalon. This gave me a decent enough set of minis but most importantly: multiples of many of them as many of them come in groups of 2-4. This is kind of a cheat as I have a large collection of board games and was looking to swap some out anyway.

Then I purchased Pathfinder Beginner Box. Its a good price and you get a playmat, mini adventure, dice and a bunch of Pathfinder Pawns. These pawns are great and come with bases which lead me to my next purchases.

I was very happy with the way the Pathfinder Pawns worked out for me to "fill in the blanks" where I didn't have any minis. Pathfinder offers a lot of sets for their different adventure paths for between $15-20 via amazon. They don't come with bases but the beginner box solved that for me. Best part of these sets, in my opinion, is they come with plenty of multiples.

My players use a mix of minis from the board games and their own painted ones they bring. I pick a mix of minis and pawns with a preference towards all of one if I can help it. The pawns are fantastic and if I didn't have the option of the board game I would be totally happy just using those. The only thing I might do in that situation would be to pick up individual minis for "bosses". While the art on the Pathfinder Pawns are generally good to excellent quality scale is really lost on the larger creatures imo.

As for actually running combat, I'm style finding my DM style but I've settled on a mix of 4 similar yet different methods depending on what I want the encounter to emphasize.

For quick, "uncomplicated" encounters or ones that I may want to not emphasize combat I use theater of the mind. In my experience the second a grid comes out players think combat. The speed of theater of the mind is appealing to me. As for technique: with theater of the mind I tend to narrate everything except killing blows and run turn order by starting with the characters name and a description of the state of the battle every turn.

If TotM seems a bit too imprecise I break out the minis/pawns and run what I call Table of the Mind. We put the minis/pawns on the table and use them without a grid. Keeps things quick and snappy but gives the players something to reference. For this method and all others below I assign initiative to one of my PCs.

If environmental effects are more of a factor I use "zones". I stole this from Sly Flourish. I tend to use it less often than any other method but I like having it in my bag of tricks so I'll mention it here. Essentially I place the pawns/minis on index cards with each card representing a vague location in the battle and features within that location.

For complicated encounters or for those I get DM Crafty with nothing beats a good ol grid map. The flipmat from the beginner box is always in my bag but I have a larger Chessex map for bigger battles. I like to supplement it with either interesting mechanics or bling. I'm working on a one shot right now for my friend's birthday where two of the battles will take place on gridded maps one of which involves me placing cardboard "trees" on it and the other a complex series of teleportation doors. PCs love bling and I love blinging out. It's amazing what you can do with cardboard and paper; it's equally amazing how a description of a battle changes my awful craft skills into an epic fight!. I do not think I could run my teleporting door encounter without a map to ground my players. It would be too confusing and demand too much memory from all involved.

Sorry this got so long O.o

You have so much wonderful reading ahead of you! I am almost a tiny bit jealous. :-)

Try Tamora Pierce's novels for sure. They are all good, but her earlier books are geared more towards young readers than some of her newer ones. Personally, I would start with the [Protector of the Small] (http://www.amazon.com/First-Test-Protector-Small-1/dp/0375829059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407034954&sr=1-1&keywords=first+test) series. If you like it, you can go back and read the two earlier Tortall series (the Song of the Lioness series and the Wild Magic series). If you like it but find it a little juvenile, read the [Daughter of the Lioness] (http://www.amazon.com/Tricksters-Choice-Daughter-Lioness-Book/dp/0375828796/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407035106&sr=1-1&keywords=tricksters+choice) series and the [Beka Cooper] (http://www.amazon.com/Terrier-Legend-Beka-Cooper-Book/dp/0375838163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407035135&sr=1-1&keywords=becca+cooper) series instead.

For the Arthurian element, definitely consider the Mists of Avalon, which is the Arthurian myth retold from all female POVs, including Morgaine (aka Morgan Le Fay).

However, without a shadow of a doubt, my all time favorite fantasy novel with a female POV is the Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon. It's actually a trilogy published as an omnibus edition and is one of my all-time favorite books. I have read it a million times and I still feel the same sense of joy when I get ready to start reading it again. Honestly, I can't really describe the impact this book has had on me, especially as a woman who loves fantasy and sci-fi. I hope you will give it a try!

*edited to add links and fix a few embarrassing typos!

I don't read much historical fantasy, but I have read some and some more alternate history if you are in to that. I haven't read the one you spoke of in your post, so not sure exactly what balance of history and fantasy (or time period) you are looking for. However, I will list here for you many that I have read:

The Shadow of Albion - Andre Norton and Rosemary Edghill Alternate England

Black Ships - Jo Graham This one is about Troy. some romance

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Novik Napoleonic War with dragons.

Daughter of the Forest - Juliet Marillier The author says it isn't historical, but it is based somewhat on history/legend. Ireland as it is being exposed to Christianity. Based on The Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale "The Wild Swans" Definitely a good bit of romance in this one.

The Wild Swans - Peg Kerr Another based on the Anderson Fairy Tale. 2 stories in one. One set in the 1800 about a curse, and the other set in the 1980s about AIDS. Not my favorite, but an interesting parallel.

Bright Sword of Ireland - Juliene Osborne-McKnight This one is more mythic and definitely has "romance". It's about Mebd's daughter. Not my personal favorite, but the ending definitely stuck with me. Also deals with interactions with Christianity

Newton's Cannon - Gregory Keyes Okay, haven't read this one yet, but I've been meaning to get around to it.

Young Adult

Sorcery and Cecilia OR The Enchanted Chocolate Pot - Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

A Matter of Magic - Patricia C. Wrede

A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

These above are set in London/England in 1700-1900?. They are all relatively light reading.

The Fetch - Laura Whitcomb This one is set during the Russian Revolution. Teen love.

A Certain Slant of Light - Laura Whitcomb This one is set in the present day, but one of the main characters is a ghost from the late 1800s.

There're also quite a few novels in historical fantasy romance. But most of them are definitely more on the romance side.

*edited for formatting

I love this thread idea, though I feel like it's already mostly covered by the "What did you read this month?" thread. Still, far be it from me to not shove my preferences in everyones face.

Anything Lindsay Buroker puts out. Most known for her Emperor's Edge books. First one is free, just try it. Steampunk, bit of romance, fun cast of characters. It's nothing revolutionary, honestly, but I just have so much fun reading her stuff and I can't even tell you why. I'm just an absolute addict and she provides the crack in a timely manner. You think Sanderson writes like a machine? This woman must have self-triplicated somewhere along the line. 5+ books a year.

Next up would be J.S. Morin's Twinborn books. It's not exactly unknown on here, but it still needs a mention. Two series, one building on the other. Excellent work-building, cool characters, can't wait for what the author does next. It's mostly traditional Fantasy as you can get, but featuring Pirates, Magic, Empires, Demi-Gods and as of the 2nd series Steampunk, bit of SF and Transhumanism. Excellent stuff.

I also greatly enjoyed the short, fun read that was Larkspur. Not unknown on here either as the author frequents /r/fantasy relatively often, but still. MORE DAMN YOU!

Also, [Fae - The Wild Hunt] (http://www.amazon.com/Fae-Wild-Hunt-Riven-Wyrde-ebook/dp/B00IWOW2Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417986097&sr=1-1&keywords=graham+austin+king) by Graham Austin-King. He has a promo thread for the 2nd volume up on here right now anyway, but who cares? I loved the first book. Dark fairy-tale, novel approach to multiple POV story-telling. Can't wait for tomorrow. (2nd book release)

Lastly, [Book of Deacon] (http://www.amazon.com/Book-Deacon-ebook/dp/B0036FTF4S/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417986518&sr=1-1&keywords=book+of+deacon) by Joseph R. Lallo. Counting by the Amazon reviews it isn't exactly obscure, but I never saw it mentioned on here. Quite traditional "chosen one, save the world" Fantasy, but what makes this series is the diverse cast. There's a human magician and there's a fox and a dragon and... I'll just shut up now. Traditional in many ways, not so much in others.

It's hard, in my opinion, to levy that kind of criticism at a DM. What I would suggest is to just tell him all your ideas when you have them. My brother and I are both DM's and I play in his game and I hope he'll get a chance to play in mine. I am constantly gabbering ideas I come up with for my game to him. He obviously can't do the same, because I play in his game. I am a person that loves the challenge of design, so I'm pretty consistently developing new pieces of designs from world building, to mini games, to encounters, to narratives, to situations, etc. He has stolen or at least been intrigued by many of my ideas, which I love (since I can't always run them myself). I often ask him for design advice as well, so it's not one sided. He can't tell me about his ideas, but he can provide input on mine. Having consistent design discussions with a fellow DM can do wonders for both of your work.

Discuss Design for Fun: I think what you'll find is that if you just tell him design ideas you come up with just for the sake of discussing design for fun, your DM will naturally begin to pick things up and start experimenting with your ideas. You'll probably find that your ideas inspire them to come up with their own. I strongly encourage facilitating design discussions with anyone that has interest, including your DM. If, after a couple of weeks of discussing design, your DM still hasn't upped their game, that's when I would confront the issue. Say "hey, we've talked about a dozen different ideas, but you don't seem to be implementing anything new into the game. What's the deal?"


New D&D Supplements: Another really helpful tool for a DM (especially if they don't have the time to create interesting homebrewed scenarios) is the book Tome Of Beasts: https://www.amazon.com/Beasts-Wolfgang-Baur/dp/1936781565

The monsters in that are great and much more difficult than the ones in the monster manual. I still prefer designing my own stuff, because there are 400 monsters in that book and it takes a while for me to go through it. Just an example of a beautiful design in the book is the Living Wick. It's a construct, that comes to life when their wick is lit and they attack (or serve their master). They can also burn their wick in a single go and explode, doing a decent amount of damage for a low level party (like a toned down fireball, but I recommend turning it into a full on fireball). The trick to beat them, aside from killing them, is to dowse their wick. You might homebrew them a tad so they can fight against your players by also making them either immune to fire, or cause fire to make a massive chain reaction that causes them to explode. Also, using them as an ambush and having them tackle the party and explode.

Here's an idea I had for my low level from the tome of beasts: "You enter through the large doors. It's pitch black in here, but as you walk you can here your foot steps echo in what must be a massive chamber. If you create a light (or have dark vision), you can see that this is a great reception chamber, entirely made out of a deep blue marble. The walls are accentuated with impressive pillars. The marble chamber has such a high, elaborate ceiling that goes up about 50 feet. The hallway extends to the a decorated portcullis at the end. Along the full length of the hall are a parallel series of pedestals. Sitting atop the pedestals are a dozen or more statuesque figures, all positioned in various 'thinking' sitting poses. A closer inspection reveals that they are made out of wax. Above the hearth you entered is marble slab, jutting out from the wall with two metal tubes extending out of it. When the players walk close enough, two brilliant jets of fire shoots out from the turret above the hearth, illuminating the dark marble of the chamber. These two lines of fire rocket downward and the jet across the backs of the wax statues, before arcing back up into the ceiling and dispersing. The wax statues are now lit, like a candle from a protruding wick on their back. This dim glow is the only light in the room. The players here a quiet hiss (like the sound of a burning fuze) come from the burning wicks. They suddenly come to life in fluid, short bursts of movement. They move unnatural, almost like dancers. They move quickly and suddenly for seconds at a time, and then come to a complete stop, and then moving again. They all turn towards the players and immediately sprint towards them."

tl;dr: Start creating discussions about game design to bounce ideas with them, so they get a chance to hear some cool design thoughts without it becoming uncomfortable. Recommend the book Tome of Beasts

Ok so there have been a lot of good books suggested in this thread but many of them are much longer than what you asked for and quite a few of them are very "artsy" thinking type books. I love many of those books like Murakami for example but I wouldn't recommend them for someone who wants to ease himself back into reading.

I'm going to give you some easy, fun books, the equivalent of a Dwayne Johnson movie. They are all around 300 pages, they don't use fancy literary devices that make things hard to keep track of, they all have things inside them that make you think but they don't FORCE you to have to think. Just some short fun adventures you can go on inside your head.

Mort by Terry Pratchett is quite short, it's funny, and it does cool things with words without using big words. You'll get what I mean if you read any of the good Terry Pratchett books.

https://www.amazon.com/Mort-Novel-Discworld-Terry-Pratchett-ebook/dp/B000W967UQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526312251&sr=1-1&keywords=mort+terry+pratchett

I always get the spelling of this one wrong but Temeraire is an easy fun read. If the idea of the napoleonic wars being fought with dragons sounds like an interesting idea to you, check out the first book.

https://www.amazon.com/His-Majestys-Dragon-Temeraire-Book/dp/0345481283

The warrior's apprentice is fun, the main character gets himself into some ridiculous situations and shamelessly scams his way out of them.
https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Apprentice-Vorkosigan-Saga-ebook/dp/B005DNGSUU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526312634&sr=1-1&keywords=warrior%27s+apprentice&dpID=51ZlzTB8y7L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I'll skip over the classics (Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick) as they've already been covered.

• Peter F Hamilton is incredibly good, I'd suggest starting with the Confederation Universe series. Very long, and can get a little heavy, but in my opinion, absolutely superb hard sci fi. The universe is similar in size and scope to that of Tolkien's, the science is detailed and well constructed, the space combat is awesome, and I found the characters believable and easy to empathize with. Judging from your criteria, I have a feeling that this series may be just what you're looking for.
  
  
• As others have suggested, Alastair Reynolds is an absolute stand-out in today's sci fi line-up. His Revelation Space universe is complex, engaging and has some of the best science theory I've read. He also includes a lot of biotechnology / biological themes in his work - which is a refreshing change from the nanomachines / cyborg / tech-heavy staples that seem to dominate a lot of modern sci-fi. There's an incredible sense of tension that is maintained for the entire series, more-so than any other modern anthology I've read.
  
  
• Richard Morgan is another of my personal favorites. If you want action-heavy, quality sci fi, look no further. I'd recommend starting with the Kovacs series, (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies) they're equal parts Noir / Drama / Action / Sci-Fi / Awesome. Not much space combat, but the ground combat is really, really good.
  
  
• If you haven't read Robert Heinlen's original Starship Troopers (Don't judge it by the movie; seriously) I'd highly recommend it. Not much you can say about it, except that the movie cut entirely too much of the thought provoking content out.
  
  
• John Steakley's Armor is superficially similar to Starship Troopers, but it's far more weighted on the psychological trauma of war; the action is almost ancillary - in fact, where Starship Troopers tends to glorify war a touch, Armor tends to question the validity and purpose of war in an advanced society.
  
  Finally:
  
  
• I'm not going to say anything other than: "Do yourself a favor and read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash."
  
  Seriously. No space combat, but without doubt one of the most entertaining fiction I've read in any genre, and a superb example of dystopian sci-fi. For god sakes, the hero - Hiro Protagonist (I know, right?!) - is a Hacker / Samurai that works for the mafia. Delivering pizzas. Trust me on this: Go with it, you won't be sorry.
  
  Hope that helps and wasn't a Great Wall of Boring Text :-)

Players don't need much. I agree with BenDunno's suggestion - PH1 is a good place to start. Depends on what they feel like playing. Community opinion is mixed on the Essentials builds in Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms, but these builds are fully cross-compatible with the rest of 4th Ed, so if people want to play them, it won't cause a problem. A few players in my group tried out Essentials characters and had fun with them.

The Rules Compendium is amazingly handy for both players and DM's - easy to carry around, clearly indexed and consolidated.

(btw, I included Amazon links for clarity, but if you've got a dedicated game store near you, buy from them instead - your FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) is a really important part of the gamer ecosystem - give 'em all the support you can :) )

Hey! Loved Redwall and the other associated stories when I was growing up. I was an avid fan and owned the first 10ish, but the quality of story went down as more came out. :(

Now the real trick is figuring out what you're asking, so I'll take a few stabs. If there is a specific aspect about Redwall you really want to reflect in your new reads let me know and I'll expand the selection. :)

Like Redwall as in intelligent animals:

Light On Shattered Water:
Human finds himself in an alternate dimension where cats evolved instead of humans. I first read in around 2000, and last read it again this year, still very enjoyable.

The Chanur Saga:
Anthropomorphic cat aliens. Pretty decent adventure, though the tech is a little silly but not bad considering it was written in the 80s.

Watership Down:
Rabbits in England trying to live their life. And adventure type stuff happens. A classic for very good reason.

Like Redwall for epic adventure and battles

Malazan Book of the Fallen:
Epic in every way. Hands down my favorite book series. Never has any other book given such a sense of scale to the world. Everything has a history, and Erikson writes in a way that you want to know more, about it all.

His Majesty's Dragon:
I originally only picked up this book because the summary sounded like a joke. Napoleonic era England, insert dragons as the aerial corps. I brought it with to work, read it on my breaks and lunch, and after getting off at 9pm ended up staying at wprl until 5 am to finish it and the second book in the series.

I've got a binder and a small notebook. The binder has all the "ready to go" adventure stuff in it. The notebook contains all the "on the fly" stuff that happens mid-game. I make up NPC extras on the fly, so I jot them down here. Crap my players ask me that I didn't think of til just that moment gets added here too. Until recently, I also used it for initiative tracking (I've just gone magnetic wet-erase strips).

My "on the fly" stuff is later transcribed into my Google Docs if I feel it won't come up again for a bit. If it's super central/important to the current D&D adventure, I'll put it in the binder too, otherwise, I can always flip back a page on my notebook.

I use Google Docs cause it's in the cloud and I can very quickly pull it up on my phone if I need to.

I also have:

• Table Fables book for fast and funny random generation. I seriously recommend this book, it's awesome (and I'm not being paid to advertise it).
  
  
• Mini's for the whole adventure area they're currently in (whether plastic, metal, or paper)
  
  
• I use Pathfinder loot cards for the "cool" loot as giveaways to the players. I either handwrite or print out/cut/glue the stats to the back of the card.
  
  
• All my physical D&D books are also in PDF format on my Google Drive. Carrying a ton of books around is no fun, I take the DMG with me and that's it. At least 50% of my players have their PHB with them if it's really needed. If I need something else, it's on my Drive, grab phone, look up, done.
  
  
• An email draft that I update with how the story progresses. When a current adventure arch of the campaign ends, I email this out to the players as a recap along with how much downtime I'm giving them to do as they please before the next adventure sets in.
  
  
• A messenger bag dedicated to all things D&D that I haul to the game. That way I don't have to empty and refill it between games. Things that need to stay in the bag, stay in the bag in one location.
  
  
  
  Oh, my binder contains the following:
  
  
• Print outs of the monsters for the whole adventure. I'm a graphic designer, so I use InDesign to layout clips of the Monster Manual together on multiple pages to condense the info I need down.
  
  
• Print out of the general adventure/campaign and mini maps (these have enough white space on the pages that I can jot down notes specific to one particular area.
  
  
• A sheet or two of the "cool" treasure I plan on handing out. I mix custom items with WotC items, so having them all listed out together helps me a lot.
  
  
• An excerpt from Volo's Guide to the North for the area since the game I'm currently running is in the Sword Coast region. If I was running a homebrew world, this would be replaced with my own similar notes about the general area and population, etc.
  

It depends on what you're looking for. The campaign guides will give you a lot of old rules that won't always translate very good into 5e, but might give you some ideas on table resources like special subraces or divine domains. The 3.0 Campaign Setting will give you a good overview on the whole continent, which can be helpfull to get a bit of a taste on what the different regions are like. The "Players Guide to Fearûn" of 3.5 will give you a bit more insight into the planes (although I'd use the World Tree and Blood River only as additional transistive planes on top of an astral plane and not instead of one) and the "Races of Fearûn" have a nice overview on the different species and subraces that the players might want to play, although it's not so easy to translate those rules into 5e. If you're interested in translations of at least 2 of the 4 additional subraces of Elves the "Races of Fearûn" has to offer, I've worked on the Wild Elves and Moon Elves and I think they could work out the way I've mixed and matched their features now.

If you just want an overview on the History of the Realms, then there's a book even for that: "The Grand History of the Realms" provides you with the earliest history of the Forgotten Realms, over the creator races, with maps of that time and images of structures and creatures, some contemporary writings of those creatures, and up to the beginnigns of 4e story.

Uh! And then theres "Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms" with a bit of insight into the ways of living, by Word of God.

If you play Pathfinder, then note that they put all their rules and bestiary online for free and so you can save some serious dough. You can then spend your money on things like battle mats, paper miniatures, and adventure modules. They have an upcoming beginners box that would probably be perfect for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KPv80QsBfI

If you play D&D 4th Edition, you kind of have to choose between the original line and "Essentials" line (it's very confusing). Personally I say go with the Essentials line because it is easier, cheaper, and (to me at least) "feels" more like what D&D is supposed to be like. WotC doesn't publish anything online for free like Paizo, so you'll have to buy some stuff. I recommend:

• At least one copy of Heroes of the Fallen Lands (class book for fighters, clerics, wizards and rogues: ~$14 on Amazon
  
• Optional: At least one copy of Heroes of the Fallen Kingdoms (class book for rangers, druids, paladins and warlocks): ~$14 on Amazon.
  
• Semi-Optional At least one copy of the Rules Compendium:~$14 on Amazon. The reason I list this as semi-optional is because most of the rules you'll need as a beginner are contained in the class guide books
  
• Monster Vault. This contains monster stats and a whole bunch of tokens. ~$20 on Amazon.
  
  If no one wants to play a ranger, druid, paladin or warlock at first you can skip the one book and meet your $60 budget. Eventually you'll probably want to get a Dungeon Master guide of some sort. The kind of information in those books is mostly generic advice on how to run games and handle personalities, so it's possibly to buy an older used copy from the original line even though you are playing Essentials. Hell, since it's just generic advice, you could even buy the Pathfinder guide (which is amazingly well written) and use it for D&D.
  
  In summary - I think it's easier for you to meet your budget by going with Pathfinder, since they publish a lot of material for free, leaving you to spend your money on the adventure modules which is where all the fun is anyways. It's unanimous that Pathfinder does a much better job on published adventures too, since they are a company that started off as an adventure publishing company and that is their strength. However, D&D 4e (especially Essentials) is much easier to play, but you won't have as much money left over to spend on adventures (and those adventures kind of suck).

The Moon is A Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein

> Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, "modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean." He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was the last of these Hugo-winning novels, and it is widely considered his finest work.

> It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people--a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic--who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is the winner of the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

I haven't found anything quite like Mother of Learning but it happens to be one of my favorites since it hits everything I like in a book. One of my favorite aspects of MoL is how the main character progressively learns new things and get stronger. This is demonstrated a lot in the litRPG genre (which has a lot of ties with video game RPG style leveling up) so I think any fan of Mother of Learning would like litRPG.

Here are some good litrpg books on kindle:

1. Survival Quest. Book 1 in the Way of the Shaman series by Vasily Mahanenko. It is written originally in Russian but professionally translated into English. The main character is a prisoner placed into a Virtual Reality MMORPG to mine ore and soon he develops all kinds of unusual high level crafting and professions while finding continuous rare epic level questlines. It has tremendously fast pacing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I really like the focus on the crafting aspects of MMORPGs and also how the main character chooses to take unusual and clever paths in completing quests and follows his intuition instead of relying on strategy guides and such (mainly because as a prisoner he is unable to access the outside internet). My only gripe is that there might a little too much Deus Ex Machina at times but really enjoyable read otherwise. 5 of the 7 books have been translated into English so far and the last two should be translated by the end of 2017. https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Quest-Way-Shaman-LitRPG-ebook/dp/B00VQRW14E/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1495212440&sr=1-3&keywords=way+of+the+shaman
   
   
2. Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko. Book 1 in a new litrpg series. The main character joins a new immersive MMORPG and finds a rural village where he establishes roots. The NPCs are uncannily lifelike and he worries that when the main base of players reach the village they will abuse or treat the NPCs poorly. His real life friends meet up with him and they work hard to defend the village from an incoming army of violent players. Really cool story, the characters level up and gain new skills, magic, and abilities. https://www.amazon.com/Ascend-Online-Luke-Chmilenko-ebook/dp/B01M01ET8E
   
   
3. The Dragon's Wrath Series by Brent Roth - Really cool main character who builds his own village in VRMMORPG and starts caring for the NPCs as real people. He develops a unique fighting style and becomes really strong but his village becomes a target from other jealous players/guilds. Warning: This series might not finish though since the author has bad health and he has delayed book 4 for quite some time. Best series in the genre though. https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Wrath-Virtual-Dream-ebook/dp/B00W2L8VGU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1495212376&sr=1-1&keywords=a+virtual+dream
   
   
4. Viridian Gate Online - https://www.amazon.com/Viridian-Gate-Online-Cataclysm-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01MU0DYXW/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1495212396&sr=1-2&keywords=viridian+gate+online
   
   
5. Project Daily Grind. Mirror World Series - https://www.amazon.com/Project-Daily-Grind-Mirror-LitRPG-ebook/dp/B01AF0Z3CE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495742577&sr=8-3&keywords=mirror+world
   
   
6. Eden's Gate - https://www.amazon.com/Edens-Gate-Reborn-LitRPG-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01MV2A0L4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495742620&sr=8-2&keywords=eden%27s+gate
   

Do you have an adventure picked out? There are free Pathfinder Society adventures that you can run I'd recommend The Phantom Phenomena and then First Steps Part I: In Service to Lore. Both have lots of little quests you're doing so your players can feel like they accomplished lots of things in however long your session is. Or else the Pathfinder Box is great too. It comes with over 80 pawns you can use to represent characters and monsters and does a really good job at introducing people to the game.

I'd also recommend using pre-gen characters and not spending time on character creation on your first play. It's best to get people up and playing so they can learn how the system actually works before deciding what they want their character to be.

I'm pretty sure WotC came out of the gate with the affirmation that they wouldn't release more than a few books a year (most of which are adventures). I get the business decisions, they don't want to flood the market.

For those who want more, there are tuns of fantastic third party books and top-tier homebrew to be had. Check out dmsguild.com and it's parent, DriveThruRPG.com. Some of my favorite third party books (and PDF's) include:

• Kobold Press' Tome of Beasts and it's followup Creature Codex, two fantastic and huge Monster Manual type books. The monsters within tend to be a little over-tuned, but highly original and IMHO most the MM creatures are too weak as it is. Wish you had more fey & celestials, or crazy demon lords and dragons? These are the books for you. Kobold Press also has their own setting called Midguard though I don't own the books.
  
  
• The Heroes of the Orient & Monsters of the Orient by Mark A has some very cool new material, including two new classes, new feats, and stuff for existing classes. Very popular on dmsguild.com
  
  
• Matt Colville's Strongholds & Followers has great rules for player's constructing their own strongholds or coming together to build/repair a castle, raise an army and go to war with your campaign's villain!
  
  
• I am particularly fond of Onyx Path Publishing, known for fantastic writers, and RPG heavy games, like 20th Anniversary World of Darkness (V20, etc), Chronicles of darkness (my group's favorite game series), Exalted, Pugmire, and more. They also have a 5e setting called Scarred Lands. It's based on a somewhat lesser known 3e setting of the same name Set in a world like classical Greece, only an age later, after the world was scarred by the war between the gods & the titans.

I highly recommend The Second Super by Logan Rutherford. It's has 4 books already and the whole series is amazing. Very similar to Drew Hayes Super Powereds, but starts in a world new to super heroes.

I'd also recommend The Awaken Online series. Characters are in a similar age group and although it's a online RPG driven narrative, the character and story development has a similar feel to the way Super Powereds is developed. It's a fun, immersive and addictive read.

hey man! little update for you. so the switch is definitely an upgrade. a major upgrade. i am absolutely loving 5e. its making my job as the Dm a lot easier and all of my players seem to like the much more role play centered, streamlined game play of it. we dont have to keep track of as many numbers and its really freeing for the players at a role play stand point, and me from a story telling stand point. another great thing about it if you're a dm is that there are so many books available! i bought the standard players handbook, monster manual, and Dungeon masters guide and they are all solid upgrades from 3.5 especially the dm guide. and with volos guide to monsters, and Xanthars guide to everything also available there are so many more options for fights, npcs, and playable characters. so i 100% recommend the switch if you are considering it. you will not regret it.

i also highly recomned this DM screen...lots of super useful info, and none of the fluff. DM screen

Either the Pathfinder Beginner Box or the D&D Red Box Starter Set will give you everything you need to start playing a simplified version of the full games, all in one box. Buy it, invite friends over, unwrap the box, start playing.

The rules are written in such a way as to let players get started immediately, but the person running the game (the Dungeon Master or Game Master) will probably want to look through it for a few minutes beforehand.

If you like the tutorials, you might move on to the full games. I like Pathfinder, so I'll focus on that one.

If you want to play the "full" Pathfinder game, you don't need the Beginner Box, instead you need:

• One copy of The Core Rulebook
  
• One copy of The Bestiary
  
• One set (or more if you want) of polyhedral dice, such as this.
  
• One character sheet per player [PDF]
  
• Some pencils
  
• Some tokens to represent characters and monsters (pennies, nickels and dimes will do)
  
  All other books you will see listed are optional: they provide more options, more content, more ideas. Don't buy them until you need more. You may never.
  
  You only need one set of books and dice, but having more copies will make life easier. It's totally optional. All of the important Pathfinder content is available for free on the internet in multiple locations, so technically you could skip the books altogether if you needed to. In practice it's nice to have a hard copy.
  
  Also, there are thousands of RPGs out there you could play instead of D&D or Pathfinder, but I would say try them after you've gotten your feet at least slightly wet.

You seem like you want to prepare. I'm also a person who prepares, so here are things you can do to come feeling like you have:

Email (or text or whatever) the GM and ask what version you're playing.

4th edition, D&D 3.5, Pathfinder or 5th edition are all very likely candidates, and all play different enough you will want to know a bit of the difference. The first night you don't necessarily need to have your own copy of the book, but it will be a lot easier if you do going forward.

If the group is totally new, everyone will be rolling characters. If you meant the group is new to you, and they're already playing, ask what character classes they have already.

You may be happy looking up what 'good' character classes are for that edition are (depends on how competitive you are)

Bring a cheat sheet on it the edition you're playing, a small notebook, 2 mechanical pencils, and a set of polyhedral dice

Cheat sheets:

5th Edition: http://www.enworld.org/forum/rpgdownloads.php?do=download&downloadid=1042

4th Edition: http://kassoon.com/dnd/crib-sheet/

Pathfinder Edition: https://sites.google.com/site/paolospathfinderpage/cheat-sheets

3.5 Edition: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?231897-3-5-Rules-Cheat-Sheets

You really need to look into which version it is to get specific recommendations from /r/rpg that will be at all helpful. Once you do get that answer on what edition you're playing, find 2 easy to play classes by asking here, or looking up "tier lists" on the internet.

If you're really up for it, after finding out what version it is, go buy the players handbook for that version, read it, and watch an hour or two of "Actual play" on the internet for that version.

__

Most of D&D is about 1> Standing in the right place 2> Hitting the baddie with your big stick/magic spell 3> Not falling into traps 4> Getting loot. The game is incredibly oriented on loot and small magical items that give bonuses to attack and defense. So when an item comes up that's appropriate to your character, ask for it! Don't be a hog, but don't make the mistake of not taking enough.

When making your character, there are a lot of okay choices, a couple really really bad ones, and some superlative ones. You're unlikely to figure out the superlative ones without looking them up, but you'll probably be able to avoid the really horrible ones.

If you're worrying about the Roleplaying part, instead of the game playing part, the book "Impro" is excellent at explaining how to play characters well (the chapter on status is worthwhile on life in general)

Swan Song - Robert McCammon Of the books I read last year this was my favorite.

Old Man's War - John Scazi - It's a pretty fun Military Sci-fi series

Leviathan Wakes - S. A. Corey - Near space, space opera.

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson - Epic Fantasy with an interesting magic system, good place to start with a popular author

The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie - "Grimm Dark" fantasy, he does an interesting thing by playing with a LotR style quest.

The Black Prism - Brent Weeks - Interesting Magic system, one of my favorite ongoing fantasy series. Much better than his first trilogy IMHO

Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch - Funny urban fantasy series that takes place in London

His Majesty's Dragon - Namoi Novik - Napoleonic* war + dragon's, fun quick reads.

Sevenes - Neal Stephenson - Stand Alone sci-fi novel about human's trying to survive in space as the world ends.

I can suggest more if you want, and I assume you've probably read at least some of these. Hope you enjoy some of them at least though.

I checked the Getting Started/Learning to Play thread and he recommends starting out with the Red Box starter set since it's only $20 but it's actually $90 on Amazon. (I PM'd him about it.) He recommends 4e or Pathfinder. The thread is old but it was updated 12 days ago.

Is this an okay alternative?: 5e D&D Starter Set

Or perhaps I should start out with the Pathfinder Beginner Box? as mentioned in the Choosing an edition thread.

I have 4 players and I would be the DM. Their attention spans tend to drift if things get TOO complicated and they are better at keeping up when someone already knows the rules instead of everyone learning at the same time. That being said, I want to be able to jump into something that will basically introduce us to the game mechanics in an easy and smooth as possible kind of way.

I really want to get into D&D with this group of friends and they already like some of the more "involved" board games in the world. I just need to keep them captivated. It might be folly to try but I want to give it a shot. I feel like there is a whole world of gaming that I am missing out on.

Thanks for the advice.

Edit: Sorry to drop this on you in this thread but I figured it was as good a place as any...

Edit: My fear is that the 5e will be overcomplicated and using Pathfinder would be easier... I don't know. Ahhh.

His Majesty's Dragon has an interesting take on Dragons. It's the first book in the Temerarie series. It's an alternative history story set in the 1800s where Dragons are used in the UK military. It's been a while since I've read it, but it's well written and unique concept. Definitely worth a read. You can get here on Amazon or here on Audible or here on Barnes & Noble.

There's also Seraphina, which is a murder mystery in a high court. The accused killers, are dragons. It follows a young court musician as she tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. This one is very interesting, but it's geared towards a young adult audience. I still enjoyed it a lot, but keep that in mind if you look into it. It can be found here on Amazon or here on Audible or here on Barnes & Noble.

There's also Dragonflight, which has a lot of the inspiration for the "Dragonrider" character concept concept. It's also a series called The Dragonriders of Pern. I'm a little more wary of recommending this one. It's good, but it's also harder to read. It has just a touch of that old sci-fi slowness from the 60s, but if you can get past that it's pretty good. It's available here on Amazon or here on Audible or here on Barnes & Noble.

Those are the only Dragon-specific books I can think of at the moment. If I come up with anymore I'll add them. If you want any other book recommendations I'd be happy to help.

Edit: Added Dragonflight.

If you have another $30 or so I'd try and pick up a physical copy of the Beginner's Box. It comes with dice, quite a few handy physical props (pawns and a flip mat) and a greatly simplified set of the rules. It also has a short 'solo adventure' to get your feet wet and introduce some concepts.
http://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box/dp/1601256302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398370528&sr=8-1&keywords=Pathfinder+Beginner%27s+Box

I'd then read the rest of the BB thoroughly, then watch the following video of one of the Pathfinder developers DMing a newbish group through that same BB adventure, following along in the adventure to see if understand.
http://www.twitch.tv/npccast/c/3193589
(Also see a similar thread with helpful info on http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qqoh?New-Guy-want-to-start-Pathfinder-RPG).

Alternatively, or in addition, you could see if a local game store runs any open Pathfinder sessions and hopefully join one that is friendly to newcomers. An alternative is to watch the www.roll20.net LFG forums - every couple of weeks it seems someone DM's an "Intro to Pathfinder" or beginner-friendly session/campaign, and all you need is a computer and a microphone.
https://app.roll20.net/forum/category/22

Good luck and welcome to a great hobby!

For some more ancap fiction threads and posts I have assembled

I listend to a talk David D. Freidman gave at Duke on Stateless and Semi-Stateless Societies in Fiction and Semi-Fiction. (Blog post) (Audio)

I was curious about the pieces he mentioned, so I decided to make a list of them.

*****

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein

The Ungoverned - Vernor Vinge

True Names - Vernor Vinge

Oath of Fealty - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The Syndic - C.M. Kornbluth

The Domination of Draka (series) - S.M. Stirling

Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin

The Probability Broach – L. Neil Smith

The Great Explosion – Eric Frank Russell

The Cassini Division (Fall Revolution Series) - Ken MacLeod (I don’t believe the books by this author are mentioned but I believe this is the one concerning the “Einstein” in the capitalist enclave.)

Harald - David D. Friedman

Salamander - David D. Friedman

**
Here are also some links to other threads on the subject that have been posted in this sub:

I need some help on compiling a reading list on Anarcho-Capitalist, Libertarian and techno-commercialist novels, plays, etc.

Any An-cap friendly novels out there?

A permanent catalog of fiction with AnCap themes (please feel free to contribute)

Any representations of a stateless society that is positive in fiction?

Agorist fiction?

Anarch Capitalist Fiction List?

I have provided Amazon links. Most of these pieces can be found online, but I will leave that to the reader.

I can greatly recommend the Beginner's Box. It's not free, but if you split the cost among 4 players and DM it goes down to 7 Euro each. https://www.amazon.de/Pathfinder-DEC132328-Pathfinder-Rollenspiel-Einsteigerbox/dp/1601256302/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_2?crid=2VCG2RCWEDPKJ&keywords=pathfinder+beginner+box&qid=1556896408&s=gateway&sprefix=Pathfinder+beginner+&sr=8-2-fkmrnull

It uses a simplified ruleset that can be used up to level 5 and you can upgrade the characters to the core rules anytime you want. Plus there is an adventure included, some pawns, 4 pregenerated characters (5 if you include the barbarian you can download) and a map. And you can download additional adventures at Ulisses Spiele.
Also the character sheets are just two Din A4 pages with all information neatly arranged. So you can test the whole system for weeks on end before committing to buy more.

I personally learned to play with the beginner box rules and from there it was easy to expand via AoN and the likes. I just think it's much easier to get started if you have a book you can read back to front

Table Fables 1 and Table Fables 2 are a couple pretty awesome books for worldbuilding inspiration. Volume 1 has a bunch of tables with inspiration for loot, magical items, tavern names, festivals and celebrations, etc. Even menu inspiration for what's being served in that tavern you just had to name. Volume 2 has a lot more general world inspiration- villain motives, quests and plot hooks, etc. Kind of like a big collection of writing prompts to get a story moving. They aren't edition-specific or game-specific, so if your friend GMs other fantasy-type games, these would still be relevant.

some of the more popular ones:

Cradle: journey of a young man as he grows to become ever more powerful, first 3 books are free on Amazon right now:

https://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Foundation-Collected-Book-ebook/dp/B076G8DVN6

​

Riyria Revelations, starting with Theft of Swords, follow the adventures of a warrior and an assassin with a mysterious past.

https://www.amazon.com/Theft-Swords-Revelations-Michael-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B005N6MDBA

​

If you like RPG computer games, there is a whole section of fantasy and SF books categorized as litRPG or gameLit which are easy to pick up and are fun to read. Some examples:

-Awaken Online

-Limitless Lands

-Everybody Loves Large Chests (can also be read for free online)

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/8894/everybody-loves-large-chests/

Well, we're still really new to the game.. we only started playing in August. However, if you want to get a good idea of what gameplay is like and/or how to build a character, check out these links:

• 
  One group's weekly D&D game, recorded live
  
• 
  Dungeons & Dragons Official Homepage
  
• 
  Character building help: 27 Questions to Ask your New Character
  
  Also buy these books:
  
  Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
  
  Heroes of the Fallen Lands
  
  D&D Rules Compendium
  
  These first two books are all about the character races and classes, and the last one is just a comprehensive list of all the game rules. Like I said, I've been playing since August, and I haven't read all of them cover to cover, because so far the only parts that have been pertinent to me were about building my character and leveling up. But there's a good, strong description of the gameplay in there, so you should get a pretty good idea of how it works.
  
  Hope this helps!

The Red Box for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons is more of a quick start than a full game. If you're wanting to run a full game in that edition, you'll want to pick up one of the following books:

• Heroes of the Fallen Lands This has character creation rules for Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard, and Ranger.
  
  
• Heroes of Forgotten Kingdoms Rules for Druid, Paladin, Ranger (different build), and Warlock.
  
  I'd also recommend the Rules Compendium as it has all the rules needed to run and play the game (outside character creation).
  
  These books are under $20 and you may be able to pick them up for less than $10 used. They're also Prime eligible (depending on the seller) on Amazon. They're also digest sized, making them easy to take with you when you travel. The Rules Compendium is available as a digital download as well.
  
  You can also find multiple character creation programs online, such as Hero Lab that are detailed enough you don't actually need the books. I believe the Dungeons & Dragons Insider character generator is still available online. Unfortunately, these require a subscription or software purchase. Other programs can do the same thing, but they're fan created and some of them go way over what's legally allowed by the license to do.
  
  These all assume you're wanting to stick with 4th Edition. If not, you can easily ditch it and make use of the accessories of the Red Box. If you want to go with D&D Next (the playtest of the edition that will launch this summer), you can pick up either of the Encounters seasons written for that edition because they include the playtest rules. Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle and Dreams of the Red Wizard: Scourge of the Sword Coast are available now.
  
  You can also go with Pathfinder, which is a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition. The Pathfinder Beginner's Box is one of the best introductory bundles I've ever seen, and it has rules for character creation and advancement for 1st through 5th levels (though you're limited to Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, and Cleric and Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling). However, you can use the Pathfinder Reference Document to expand on that for free.

The best thing you can do is to find someone who has some experience to show you the ropes for at least a few sessions. If you start asking around among your friends, you're likely to find someone who has a fairly decent grasp of it. Failing that, find a local gaming store and ask around for someone willing to GM for you. Tabletop gaming is one of those hobbies that makes 100x more sense once you've actually done it.

As for a game system, i personally like to suggest starting with D&D 4th edition. It's simple, most gamers know how to play it, and the general fantasy setting is one you're going to see a lot in other games. Once you have some experience under your belt, i suggest you try out some other games/genres (i like Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade, and Savage Worlds).

Good luck and have fun! Feel free to ask me any additional questions :)

I just started Monster Hunters by Larry Correia--I'm less than halfway, so it's too early to give it a complete review, but so far, I'm enjoying it--not perfect, but a fun first in a series. It definitely reminds me of DF, but the protagonist is a normal human. Lots of monster fights. It's nice and long, and if you have a Kindle or Kindle app, you can get it free: http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-International-Hunters-Book-ebook/dp/B00APAH7PQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452481390&sr=8-1&keywords=monster+hunters+correia

History is cyclical. Science fiction authors that lean libertarian or ancap seem to understand this more than political philosophers and journalists. One of my favorite examples would be The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, and all of Heinlein's works in that universe.

The desire for liberty pushes us out into the frontier, to a new horizon. Out there, freedom reigns. You're away from the centralized state apparatus, the military, the police and public corporate entities. For years or decades (or at other times in history, centuries), life just seems to go on somehow without these institutions of coercive force.

Eventually, society at large spreads out toward the now well-established frontiers, and thus the state takes over, the military has reign, the police are instituted, corporations buy up businesses or expand their chains to the region. Freedom quickly diminished, and the calls for it quiet down as most people find the comfort all too preferable.

But then what happens? The process starts all over again, when new lands are discovered by intrepid explores.

Well here's the thing... the colonization of space and our advancement to the stars gives us something that the Earth never could: a effectively limitless frontier. If we have the technology to travel freely from planet to planet, and the possibility of forging new settlements based upon current (i.e., future) technology at will, then there is no permanent frontier town that the state apparatus can catch up to.

Hence, Free Space. Anyone selling an end-of-history anarcho-capitalistic era is ignorant of history. But in the distant future, anarcho-capitalism will exist in a free space, because space is limitless, and there will always be room for any option.

Yeah, you say you've hit the classics, but did you read all of them?

Neuromancer is my favourite book. Not just in the cyberpunk genre. So I'll more-than-second that recommendation. I agree that Burning Chrome is very good.

Mirrorshades (a short story collection) is also pretty good.

http://www.amazon.com/Mirrorshades-Cyberpunk-Anthology-Bruce-Sterling/dp/0877958688

Altered Carbon is excellent noir/cyberpunk.

http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Takeshi-Kovacs-Novels/dp/0345457692/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372885278&sr=1-1&keywords=altered+carbon

this is my favorite series i just started reading this one.

the first one is here https://smile.amazon.com/Land-Founding-Chaos-Seeds-Book-ebook/dp/B0172GEB68?ie=UTF8&qid=1465083761&ref_=sr_1_3&s=digital-text&sr=1-3



book teaser for the first one so you don't have to look


Getting eaten alive is the worst! Stabbings, maimings, and corrosive black magic are not that great either, but you really don't want to be a wolf treat!
That is the kind of hands on, “teeth on,” education you get when you are summoned to The Land.
James did not want to be summoned!
Not really... well a maybe, just a bit!
But he had certainly not AGREED to be summoned!
…
Well technically speaking he HAD agreed, but good god, who had the time to read all of that fine print when there was epic gaming to be done!
When DangerZone Industries had released the latest and greatest VRMMORPG, James, and millions of other virtual reality players, had sought purpose and self-definition in this new world. The tag line "Live the life your soul was meant for," had captured the hearts and minds of his entire generation.
"The Land," was the largest and most dynamic virtual reality game of all time. James and his friends had devoted countless hours, and become one of the top teams in the game. They were at the brink of greatness, but then there was this light! (it was predictably white, but whatever!)
When he was actually summoned to The Land, it was both disturbing and exhilarating. When he then became entangled in the eternal war of sprites and goblins, the unsavory practices of the local king, and had a memorable night at the inn called the Whistling Hen, he came to one clear conclusion: Again, getting eaten alive is really REALLY the worst!
While uncovering such deep philosophical knowledge, James will forge a place in this new world, and hopefully avoid the machinations of those who want him to destroy it. What does it mean to be a Chaos Seed anyway???

Needs? Dice and the PHB.

Wants? Lots of generators, luckily some great ones have been appearing on the app stores for mobile.
I personally love random tables, Table Fables is a great little book I picked up not long ago.
and if you are playing online, pyromancers is a great dungeon creators tool.

Oh my god, I am so hot for this book (and was pleasantly surprised and violently vindicated when I guessed the content of the link correctly).

If you're into historical fantasy, I have to push Naomi Novik's Temeraire books. The grandness is less condensed but there are six sweet, sweet books, and more on the way.

[edited to add more books]

If you include mythology, I recall liking The Lost Books of The Odyssey by Zachary Mason quite a bit.

In terms of fairies and weaving tales, In the Night Garden and its sequel The Orphan's Tales by Catherynne M. Valente have excellent and complexly tangled story lines.

Other favorites: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, anything by Terry Pratchett, perhaps even Robin McKinley?

If you like Savage Divinity and don't like MMO-ish rulesets, you might considering checking out Xianxia. I'd consider it kind of a LitRPG-adjacent genre, I guess? Clear stages of power progression without any sort of Game Mechanics or blue boxes at all. There a quite a few web novels translated from Chinese you might like, but the starting point I recommend is Coiling Dragon (on the web here or on KU here), and if you like it you have a TON of web-based reading material ahead of you my friend. If you want an English-native take on the genre /u/Will_Wight is doing a great job with his Cradle series.

The Land is pretty ok, you just have to get past A.K.'s writing idiosyncrasies. Everybody Loves Large Chest is an online serial. It's very gory, weird, and weirdly sexual. Ascend online is a great fantasy mmorpg. Really well written. Awaken online is very good book from the perspective of the "villain". Dark. Survival quest is pretty good Russian translated litrpg. Patch 17 is from a guy stuck in a mmorpg hell. Dragon's wrath is kind of just a town building litrpg, but is enjoyable enough. Unbound deathlord is pretty good dark book about the underdark, or whatever he calls it in that book.

It's really not as complex as it seems. The rule books are thick, yes, but once you cover the basics you can get into action and use the rule book as a reference. That's why I recommend getting a starter box. It will give you the basic rules (maybe 30 minutes of reading), leave the complex ones for later, and let you learn as you play. It will guide both the DM and the PCs at the same time.

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "the" rule book. There are quite a few different versions. D&D V1 and AD&D V2 are considered ancient. They're really, really old and outdated. I'd recommend you start with version 3.5 OR "Pathfinder," which is very, very similar to D&D in its gameplay under a slightly different name. Check this out.

It's a great way to break into the world of tabletop RPG, and you can supplement your collection if you decide you enjoy it.

All it really requires is you saying to three or four friends/family members "Hey, wanna try this out?"

Use of Weapons and, everything else by Iain M. Banks. Amazing stuff. Trust me.

The Blade Itself and the rest of that series by Joe Abercrombie.

Altered Carbon and the rest of that series as well as Thirteen and The Steel Remains, and it's sequel (still waiting on book 3) by Richard K. Morgan. He's pretty amazing.

That would keep you busy for a long time and are all pretty amazing. Seconding Dune, which is amazing, and the Name of the Wind which is great but very popcorn.

But really, if you were to read everything by Iain M. Banks you would be a better person.

Edit: The Sparrow

Most of what's on here is fairly classic straightforward detective stuff, which is great, but I've always been a sucker for mysteries that merge with other genres or do unusual things. A good handful if that's your bag:

• The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster - 3 short novels packaged together and vaguely related. Also a pretty great mindfuck book
  
• Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem - detective novel whose narrator has Tourette Syndrome
  
• The Alienist by Caleb Carr or In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff - Historical fiction/mystery taking place around the turn of the century and during the dawns of forensics/criminal psychology/criminology
  
• Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan - Sci-fi/hardboiled detective novel in a future where the human mind can be digitized and backed up off-site, rendering murder irrelevant. Terrific book, I find myself compelled to reread it and its sequels every year or so.
  
  Those are all more or less "detective fiction" style mystery, if you're looking at the broader genre I cannot recommend The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon any more highly. I haven't been sucked into writing like that in a long long time.
  

Actually, I have read all her other works! And I like the first four books of the series she wrote (the first book of that series was her first book) a lot more than I like Uprooted. Though I do really like Uprooted! Her one previous series is military SF (well, military fantasy)/alternate history--it's set in the Napoleonic era (early 19th century) where, besides the Navy, there's also the Aerial Corps, consisting of crew-manned dragons. Books 1-4 are AWESOME. (Book 5 is interesting and good, Books 6 and 7 are okay, not great--Book 8, which is the last book in the series, is coming out sometime this year.)

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

The absolute best way to get started is the Starter Set. It's everything you need to get started including some dice and an adventure. As you get more into it, you'll want to pick up the Players Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master's Guide (If you don't want to get them all at once, I recommend getting them in that order.) Also very useful is a Dungeon Master's Screen. Moving into more advanced stuff, Xanathar's Guide to Everything is a book full of a bunch of optional rules to spice up the game, and Volo's Guide to Monsters gives more monsters for players to fight, and some you can actually play as. If you need more adventures to run, Tales From the Yawning Portal is a nice big book of dungeons.

I started DMing fairly recently as well, and like you I tried to find some quick reference guides to keep things rolling smoothly. I typed up some stuff, printed it out, had it nearby...

And found I didn't need it. The game is exceptionally deep and complex, but surprisingly accessible. So long as your character sheets are correct then they'll tell you the most important info, you won't need to worry about calculating stuff on the fly. Just ask for relevant checks and make sure your players know what modifier to add (this is where character sheets being correct helps!).

It may be helpful to have a reference of what can be done in someone's turn in combat, but even then when starting out people will just move & attack. I wouldn't worry too much about doing anything else, unless your players ask about it.

The most important thing is being able to improvise. Go with the flow, be flexible, and learn to say 'yes, and...' (unless what they want to do breaks your game).

If you really want a quick reference, then the official DM screen from Wizards has a bunch of useful info on the inside of it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dungeons-Dragons-C36870000-Dungeon-Reincarnated/dp/078696619X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539533391&sr=8-1&keywords=dm+screen

I'd go with Ascend Online if you're looking for a book with an actual game.

If you want more of a fantasy with game elements, Sufficiently Advanced Magic is where it's at. (While I admit that I know the author personally and have some bias, it's an Amazon Bestseller.)

If you prefer something modern-day and like a good zombie story, The Alpha Virus is a great read, though it's still a work-in-progress.

For a series with great characters and emotional impact, The Wandering Inn is an ongoing web serial of considerable length, and updates frequently.

You've likely read most of these, but here are a few suggestions:

• The Space Trilogy - C.S. Lewis. Underappreciated works by Lewis - in many ways Narnia for adults. These books are a work of supposition. What if there is intelligent life on other planets that have not fallen into sin? What would that look like?
  
• Watership Down - Richard Adams. This is a book about rabbits. Not anthropomorphized rabbits, but rabbit rabbits with their own language and mythology, who care about and experience the things rabbits experience. It doesn't sound like it should work, but it is utterly captivating.
  
• Dune - Frank Herbert. A captivating epic in a richly detailed universe. Themes of politics, religion, and technology iterweave in a fascinating tale.
  
• Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, and Xenocide - Orson Scott Card. The tale of a child trained to be the commander of earth's defenses against alien bugs. The sequels feature the same character but in an utterly different tale. The books are very different but both one of my favorites. The recent movie didn't do it justice.
  
• The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein. Heinlein is a genius, but his books often disappoint me halfway through. This one doesn't. My favorite of his works.
  
• The Mote In God's Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. After colonizing the hundreds of stars, mankind finally makes contact with an intelligent alien race for the first time. They are utterly foreign and seemingly benign, but with a dangerous secret.
  
  I can recommend others if you've already hit all of those already.

That's a great question. Especially since the Realms are constantly changing and in flux. Or at least it seems that way. Coupled with a rich history and meta-story, it can be difficult to really figure out what the hell is going on currently aside from trying to read each and every novel out there. While that's do-able for some, it's not realistic for most.

Probably the best book I can recommend is Elminster's Forgotten Realms. It came out during the end of 4e and while is considered a 4e book, it really isn't. It's actually "edition agnostic," which is just a fancy way of saying that you can use it with any edition of D&D without any hassle. There are no actual stats for stuff within, it's all story stuff. Which is cool. It's like the gazetteers of old.

The only problem with the above is that it came out in 2012, and so its Sundering info is minimal, if it exists at all.

As far as more up to date information, specifically regarding The Sundering, there is the Forgotten Realms Wiki, though I cannot speak to its quality or accuracy.

Good luck and happy gaming.

If you want a really good book to go for, I have an off the wall suggestion. Pick up, "Elminster's Forgotten Realms".

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greenwood-Presents-Elminsters-Forgotten-Realms/dp/0786960345

The base setting for 5th Edition is Forgotten Realms anyway, so unless your GM is specifically going against the flow, this will likely be useful. Additionally, this is written (at least in part) by the guy who originally designed the setting of Faerun in Forgotten Realms. It's a great read, and all it is, is background information about how people in Faerun live day-to-day. Things everyone would know like, how the temples are run, what kind of food they have, how the calendar works and what the regular festivals are. It's great for making the world feel like a living breathing world.

The Strike at Shayol Ghul details Lews Therins attempt to shut the bore.

Speaking of the Strike at Shayol Ghul, there is The World of Robert Jordan's a Wheel of Time also known affectionetly as the Big White Book (BWB) or Big Book of Bad Art (BBBA). It delves into a lot about cultures, features write ups of each forsaken, pokes fun at the covers and includes the entire text of Strike.

There was a short story called New Spring included in Robert Silverberg's Legends, this was later expanded into the novella New Spring

The short story about Bao is not considered connanical and is included in the short story collection Unfettered

Eye of the world was re-released for a YA market in two parts with a new prologue Ravens

The Interview Database, just click a topic that looks intresting and prepare to lose a day or two

The Wheel of Time FAQ back in the mists of time (late 90's early aughts) this was the best resource for all things WoT related. It hasn't been significantly updated since about book 10 (i mean, yes there were updates, but nothing on the scale and detail that it used to get). Gives great insight into what the fandom was pulling its hair out about during the two years+ between books. Also, some of the info is evergreen like historical references etc.

There was a terrible video game that has almost zero to do with the series.

There was a d20 based D&D rule set released and a adventure that explained how Taim got to Rand in time to rescue himat Dumai's Wells. RJ later came out and said that this was completely made up by the authors of the module and had nothing to do with the series, which was a BIG clue about Taim's allegiance.

I feel like im missing something, but I can't put my finger on it, so I will leave you with a random fact that you should know

Tar Valon is a vagina

The Sims 3

For a giveaway, I'd probably have people post something relevant to the game they're interested in such as personal art, favorite song from the OST, or favorite YouTuber's video related to the game. Something along those lines.

On the subject of RPG content, my favorite system is Pathfinder because it's one whole system in a book and it's a well-made system. Basically D&D 3.75. d20 stuff is probably the best system-independent content. I haven't looked much into that sort of thing. I've mainly played D&D and White Wolf games.

Yeah, no I don't think so. I've read the entire Ringworld series. The ring structure seems like the only similarities to me.

From what I know of Halo, the armor and Master Chief character seem inspired by John Steakley's Armor I've read this twice now, it is a really fun read.

http://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687

BTW this was published in 1984, well before any Halo stories.

Edit: I really have to recommend the audio book too, the narration and voice acting are awesome. (listen to a sample here)

Akuma mentioned it, and I also want to suggest picking up the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. It's absolutely phenomenal in terms of detail about regions, events, history, setting, etc. You will see a lot of mechanics for 3.x, but it's easy enough to disregard or even use their fluff to convert and make stuff for 5e FR.

Also worth picking up is the 4th edition book (Ed Greenwood Presents) Elminster's Forgotten Realms. It has a lot of "on the ground, personal level" detail and fluff, like what people eat in different regions, how they worship, etc. Neat book, fun read.

We use this book: https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Roleplaying-Game-Fantasy/dp/0786919965

I think it might be the same as yours.

​

We haven't started converting it to 5e yet. We agreed to do a few one-shots with the original system and if people feel like it needs work we will convert it. I you start doing it sooner then us I'd be more than interested to take a look at it, converting a whole game to a different system is no small job and I wish you the best of luck!

Not sure how official it ever was but there was a system made for 3.0: https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Roleplaying-Game-Fantasy/dp/0786919965

Those archetype are certainly a lot more party friendly thanks.

I'm not well-read in the genre so I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but Will Wight's Cradle series sounds as though it might interest you. The series isn't complete, but there are five completed novels in it.

Amazon link for the first book, Unsouled

Amazon link for the first three as a package deal.

I would recommend it if you're a fan of cultivation, spiritual techniques, and the zero to god journey. It also has a more western style prose that for me was more enjoyable to read.

That's great! All my books happen to be free too! You can find them on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Ascend-Online-Luke-Chmilenko-ebook/dp/B01M01ET8E


It'll say that the book costs $6 there, but that's because I'm running a sale for the next forever. During this sale each book comes with a sense of pride and accomplishment for being able to help an author eat and warm his house this winter.

I hope you take advantage of it! This sale will only last until the end of time!

Ah. Yeah, sorry you bought the wrong product if you want to get in to Pathfinder =(

It's not your fault though! There are a ton of products for Pathfinder. If you want to get started in it, I'd suggest getting the Beginner box if you are completely new to tabletop RPGs, or going directly to the Pathfinder Core Rule Book if you feel more confident about it all.

The way the game is played is that you have a party of people (usually 3-5 people) who are role playing as various characters doing their thing in the world, and one more person (the DM, GM, Sotryteller, whatever name you call him) who is the world. He plays all the non-player characters, the monsters, the environment, all of it.

If you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to answer them!

Also if you have the MM and are looking for yet more monsters for your campaign, OR have players like mine that all know the MM by heart and it becomes a challenge to surprise them constantly with new and creative monsters... check out The Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press

Its worked great for me so far.

Pathfinder Pawns are a very good alternative to plastic minis. They won't have some of the more iconic D&D baddies like Beholders, but that is a minor complaint. I also use the Paizo battle mats but that is just because I got them for free somewhere. I lay a piece of plexi-glass over the map and just use a dry erase marker on the plexi. Way easier to clean up than the maps.

Tome of Beasts is a great supplement full of 5e monsters.

I like using the Dungeon Crawl Classics dice set. It is a simple, fun way to have "unique" monsters or abilties that roll odd dice to hit or for damage. Players always get a kick out of using something like a D30 when they roll to attack.

I'm mostly into litRPG so that's what my recommendations will focus on.

everybody loves large chests was already a great webnovel but the author also published on amazon. you can still read it for free on royal road if you want. it features a truly evil monster as primary character who was never human to begin with, so it's quite a different take on the litRPG genre.

life reset is a VR based litRPG with the focus on the MC having been turned into a monster character against his will and ending up stuck in the VR world, with emphasis on city building.

Awaken Online is also a VR based litRPG but the main character kinda turns into a big villain. sort of.

Dodge Tank combines an interesting post-apocalytpical but very futuristic 'real' world combined with a VR world.

The Land/Chaos Seeds transportation litRPG with a bit of a contentious author who has a tendency to shove every fun idea he has into the story at the expense of actual story progression, but if you like the idea of city building litRPG I'd certainly still recommend it. there are plenty of other aspects that make up for it.

I strongly recommend a KU (Kindle Unlimited) subscription on amazon, typically there are deals this time of year

the genre is blessed in that practically every litrpg book of note is available on KU

among KU, I'd recommend starting with Life Reset and Ascend Online

for online litrpg, as mentioned Royal Road is a great source. Some of the ones of note there:

• Azarinth Healer - brawling tank (female protag, and don't let the title fool you, it's a bit of a running joke where people underestimate her because she's 'just a healer', then she beats the crap out of them)
  
• Delve - deep dive into the math and system geekery
  
• Chrysalis - reincarnated as an ant
  
  adjacent to litrpg is progression fantasy, which is all about, well, progressing from weak to strong and small to big
  
  on KU the Cradle series is based on eastern cultivation novels and Divine Dungeon is a fantastic intro to the dungeon core genre
  
  on RR, Mother of Learning is absolutely stunning
  
  
  there aren't many with female protags, but of the ones there are, practically all of them are OP, including Siphon and Metaworld Chronicles. Among the ones that aren't, you have Stonehaven League and Forge of Destiny (also cultivation like Cradle, you can keep up with the original quest here)

The Deed of Paksenarrion is a wonderful series. Follows a woman from farmhand to hero in a wonderful way that feels...just different, but familiar. If you've ever played DnD it actually feels a lot like a really well written campaign. All three can be found in a single book here

You might like Unbound Deathlord - the MC is fairly amoral in that one.

Awaken Online might also be to your liking.

I also like to recommend Unsouled, which is basically a xianxia novel written by an American. IMO cultivation / xianxia novels are basically litrpgs, with weird names slapped on top of the numbers.

Another one that kinda sorta straddles the line of LitRPG is Super Sales on Super Heroes - it's a superhero novel, and the MC's power is that he can spend "points" to upgrade things.

Premades are great if you're going that route. One of the best 3rd party resource books out there imo is the Tome of Beasts. I'm running CoS right now. After getting Tome of Beasts I paged through it quickly to see what creatures I could weave into the story. Came out with about 15 undead/creepy things to use. Volo's I did that same thing and came out with 4 creatures I might throw in. Highly recommend Tome of Beasts for any DM.

LitRPG as a Genre is very fond of this sort of thing and it can be considered as a Sub-genre within LitRPG. You'll get a better list at /r/litrpg but some of the first things that come to mind are

• Chaos Seeds (The Land) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34234639-the-land
  This one splits opinion, i wasn't a massive fan, but a lot of people do like, and it fits well with what you are asking for.
  
  
• Awaken Online
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J0E8Z8A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
  I really enjoyed this one - if you like LitRPG and VRMMO in general I'd recommend it.

This is a campaign specific screen for Tomb of Annihilation. If you’re looking for a general screen, the DM Screen Reincarnated that Wizards makes is really the best option. I hemmed and hawed back and forth over which screen to get and I’m really happy with the standard one. I use this because a player in my campaign bought it for me and its great for the specific module.

The best general overview of the Realms I've found is Elminster's Forgotten Realms. It's system- and edition-neutral, and talks about many aspects of the Realms, including common festivals, education, literacy, and other elements that explain how this fantasy world is different than others. That said, the 5th Edition Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide gives you more stats and recent history, so it might be the more practical book.

That said, I recommend that you don't try to be completely true to the Realms. There's just far too much history and geography to learn if you want to be accurate. Start small and read up what you can, but feel free to shift things around as you see fit.

While reading the books is the most legitimate source; there is the slim possibility that you could find the D20 RPG book in a library. I did say slim? I probably should be honest and say next to extremely unlikely; as it's out of print from 2001- but it depends on your size of library system, etc. Or you might know a RPG friend that has one.

WoT D20 RPG Source book

Covers the system (while doing some D20 conversions) but does give a great overview of what could be possible with the magic system it and summarizes it in one book.

First off, check out ereaderiq where you can curate a list of kindle books to watch for price drops. It will send you an email so you can grab it. Also it has suggested price points to watch for and a history of the price.

I recommend The Emperor's Edge which is free. It' s steampunk fantasy mystery series and the first book is free. The rest are I think less than $5.

There are also a number of cheap agatha christie collections for the kindle. I would read the reviews to see what the quality is though. Happy reading!

ALL of John Ringo's Posleen War series. I always recommend people start with Gust Front even though it's #2 in the series. You can decide for yourself whether you want to follow the Cally O'Neal story arc - I didn't care too much for it personally, but there are plenty of other stories in that universe (Ringo's nothing if not prolific) to keep you busy.

Once you're grounded in the 'verse you can branch out to the books he wrote with other authors; Watch on the Rhine features rejuved Waffen SS soldiers fighting to defend a limp-wristed Germany from the invading aliens. Yellow Eyes chronicles the defense of the Panama Canal.

Ringo is far & away my favorite military sci-fi author. He has another series in a different universe that begins with March Upcountry and is also awesome (written with David Weber btw).

Other authors... have you read David Feintuch? Midshipman's Hope is the first one I think. After the 3rd or 4th book in that series they get a little stale but I enjoyed them for a while. The Starfist series is kind of fun if you can handle a formulaic approach to the prose (more or less the same story in every book IMO).

I didn't care too much for Kratman's A Desert Called Peace but my dad (retired Air Force) did. I'll second the Scalzi & Haldeman recommendations too, and not just the books already listed - their entire bibliography (both guys) is solid.

I'd be furious with myself if I didn't include Steakley: Armor is one of my all-time favorite books and I try to re-read it once a year.

I'll keep thinking - I know there is more out there.

Thanks again, you've convinced me to get the DM Kit and core rule book (hopefully it supplements the D&D for dummies book i got). Theres been come conflicting advice but your reasoning makes sense.

But for players we'll need at least one players book between them if they want to level and stuff or create new races right? So This?
Or what others have been recommending

Lastly 3 Gameplay questions.

• As a DM when i role for initiative, if theres like 6 minions do i role once for all of them and they all go in a row or is it always a separate role for each creature?
  
  
• When the players enter the room i put down the goblin or two they see. but behind a door or around the corner theres some more. I read i should roll initiative for them from the start. but when do they engage? Would they hear the battle or 'war cry' from a goblin being attacked or is it eyesight or do i make it up based on the environment/creatures?
  
  
• Lastly how do i divvy up treasure? I've found a lot on this and apparently everyones got their own way so im curious as your thoughts? The end of the adventure in red box lists 9 parcels with 3 of them being magic items and i am to divy them out across the adventure. 2 of them are story based and can be unlocked so i assume they count, but there are 7 possible encounters. The others i throw in here or there? some people say its easiest for the party to have a collective bank so i might just wait till the end and let them sort it out. At least my first game so i can concentrate on other stuff.
  
  Thanks again

Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven is pretty good.

Alas, Babylon is one of the classic post-apocalyptic scifi novels. As is a "A Canticle for Leibowitz", mentioned above.

EDIT: I just noticed that "Lucifer's Hammer" won the Hugo award, which is a big deal if you didn't already know. Another book that comes to mind that you might like is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Not quite the same genre, but similar, and a real classic as well. And really good!

Just a few updates.

Been playing Everquest's TLP server with my brothers. Really fun. My brother just got crack, so we're all happy.

Dark Souls remastered is a bit silly. I'm running my SL 20 sorcerer that can only have +5 weapons through to get Dark Bead and blow up some lowbies. Basically just have to down Four Kings and Artorias. Shit is hard. The online community is huge right now. It's seriously the best its ever been in any Souls game because it actually fucking works for once.

New Path of Exile league comes out Friday. I took Monday off and am working from home on Friday. Doing some 10 hour shifts so I can get off work earlier, too.

Will Wight's new book also comes out Friday and the first three books in that series will be free on Amazon. If you like Wuxia at all, you should read it.

The commonly accepted pronunciation, as determined by the creator of the Forgotten Realms is like now or cow or prow.

EDIT

This pronunciation may be specific to the Realms, or universal to all planes.

Source: This super awesome book I got in the reddit Fantasy exchange.

Not a novel, but Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms is a great resource for Life and Trade in the realms, including information about slave trade. I don't have my copy handy right now, but I think there's a few pages of information about it in there. Overall just a great book to own when playing in the Realms.

I'm reading Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein right now. It takes place in the year 4272 in an interplanetary human civilization with "the Senior", who's been alive since the 1940's (and who's genes aided research into 'rejuvenation clinics' for the wealthy and connected), giving his life stories and wisdom to the leader of a planet who wants to leave and colonize a new world. It's a fascinating read, and gets into some decent scientific detail too. Heinlein also wrote Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers.

>quintessential LitRPG novel -- the best one that's also the best example of the genre and its style

A single one doesn't exist yet.

https://www.amazon.com/Land-Founding-LitRPG-Chaos-Seeds-ebook/dp/B0172GEB68 is often how most people find the genre based solely on marketing/promotions. However, if you read the book after reading high quality fantasy novels it's likely you'll be disappointed.

The best books are in sister genres. https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6 for cultivation, and https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB for progression fantasy.

For D&D4e, I recommend starting with Essentials. Personally, I prefer 4e because it has balance and encourages working together. You can get the 4e Red Box, but it is slightly inconsistent with everything else and will only take you so far. Anyway, here's a minimal shopping list:

• Heroes of the Fallen Lands
  
• Rules Compendium
  
• Monster Vault
  
  The Essentials DM kit is also good. With the exception of the Red Box, all 4e material is compatible across the board, so adding in new player options or DM stuff is as easy as picking up a supplement or getting a DDI subscription.
  
  If you've never played before, WotC holds an "Encounters" programs on Wednesday evenings at local gaming stores. It is specifically designed to introduce players to D&D as well as sell their latest product. If you live in the DC metro area, I can give you some pointers on where to go, if you're interested.

My recommendation would be to go pick up some 2nd, 3rd or 4th edition sourcebooks for dirt cheap at Half Price Books or online. The Forgotten Realms sourcebook from 3.5 is what I am currently using, it has a removable foldout map of Faerun, and detailed lists of major sights throughout the realms, including descriptions of the major cities, ruins, etc.

I've heard good things about the Greenwood Forgotten Realms book as well.

You can probably also find sourcebooks specific to Waterdeep, Neverwinter, etc. though I don't know the specific titles.

The point is that generally speaking the edition doesn't matter when it comes to background materials, physical descriptions, major characters, history, politics, factions, maps, etc. It just doesn't. So do yourself a favor and buy this stuff cheap from older editions.

Also, keep in mind that while you are building off of an existing world, and there is something cool about that, the minute you start to play in it it's YOUR world. None of these sourcebooks are going to have every single detail fleshed out, and often will just give you the flavor of a particular city, a few major landmarks, etc. From there on you should create your own landmarks, taverns, interesting characters, history, etc.

This is the book that I use a lot:
http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Campaign-Setting-Dungeons-Roleplaying/dp/0786918365/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478819&sr=1-2&keywords=FOrgotten+Realms

Here are more:

http://www.amazon.com/Greenwood-Presents-Elminsters-Forgotten-Realms/dp/0786960345

Neverwinter book:
http://www.amazon.com/Neverwinter-Campaign-Setting-Dungeons-Supplement/dp/0786958146/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478789&sr=1-4&keywords=Neverwinter+source+book

Waterdeep book:
http://www.amazon.com/City-Splendors-Waterdeep-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/0786936932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478895&sr=1-1&keywords=Waterdeep

http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Realms-Atlas-Karen-Fonstad/dp/0880388579/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417478853&sr=1-3&keywords=FOrgotten+Realms

Hope that helps. Also buy 4th edition stuff now if you ever think you want it. Lots of stores are having fire sales moving their 4th ed stuff.

Sorry for the long links but I'm on mobile. I use these. Yes they are intended as dnd monsters but the creatures are very easily adaptable. I'm using these 2 books for inspiration in a dungeon world game at the moment.

Tome of Beasts https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781565/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wKGzCbCPJ9KQ8

Creature Codex https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936781921/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6HGzCbN9F22K2

If you're completely new to DnD, I'd go for either DnD 3.5 or Pathfinder. Neal uses an apparently very homebrewed 2nd Edition, so, you're not going to be playing the same game with regular old 2e stuff. It's clunky and aged, and he (presumably) still uses it because it's what he's always used, so he's used to it, and he's ironed out the kinks.

So, yeah, the most recent edition of DnD is 4e, which is commonly considered to be a little bit too dumbed down, but it doesn't really matter that much if you're new. Still, the books are expensive, so you should try to look into the different versions and find out which one sounds like you'd prefer it. 3.5 and Pathfinder are very similar, as Pathfinder is actually based on 3.5 with a couple things done to streamline some of the combat. Also,the art in the books is really pretty (completely superficial, but it's nice,) and you don't have to buy a rule book, player handbook, AND a bestiary, just the core book and a bestiary if you're DMing, so it's like thirty bucks cheaper, AND Pathfinder is backwards compatible with 3.5 books, so... yeah, that's also nice. They also have a DM's guide which is all about how to make and run a game. Pathfinder and 3.5 both have a bunch of ancillary resource books too, like NPC and equipment books. I know Neal has at least one weapons book, but they aren't necessary; they're just extra guidance.

I don't have the campaign specific ones. I did want to interject that "crap" is HIGHLY subjective. While it might not be the best per se, it isn't as bad as people say. It just isn't a one-screen-fits-all. Everyone wants something different.

FYI they are putting out a new WotC one this Fall and from looking at screenshots it seems better laid out and more optimized.

The Gale Force 9 screens are made specifically to complement the adventure with adventure art and specific info on the DM's side. So unless you REALLY like that Curse of Strahd art, I wouldn't worry with any of the GF9 screens. But I can't speak to the quality.

Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated

Picture of the new screen being used by Matt Mercer

Lindsay Buroker is awesome. Her Emperor's Edge series is one of my favorites from the last few years. The first one of that series is free on Amazon if you want to try it. [Linky] (http://www.amazon.com/Emperors-Edge-Lindsay-Buroker-ebook/dp/B004H1TDB0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420050103&sr=1-1&keywords=emperor%27s+edge)

if you're in the US, look into overdrive. they team up with libraries to let you digitally borrow audiobooks. dunno if it's available outside of the US.

if you're not picky about what books you get, there are services like audiobook boom which give out specific free audible books in exchange for reviews. i've been using them 1-2 months now and haven't paid full price for a book in a while.

you can also checkout whispersync deals. sometimes it's possible to buy a kindle ebook for < 4$ and add on the audiobook for < 4$, which ends up being cheaper than just the audiobook. the most popular books are usually more expensive, so look into the lesser known authors. here's an example where the ebook is free and the audiobook is 1.99$ after you get the ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00APAH7PQ

Have you grabbed "Tome of Beasts" from Kobold Press?
https://www.amazon.com/Beasts-Wolfgang-Baur/dp/1936781565/

It's not "official", but it's pretty high quality. Many of the creatures are pulled from their Midgard campaign setting, so that may be your best source.

I finished The Deed of Paksenarrion (it's a three book trilogy released as one) by Elizabeth Moon this summer and I adored it. Lengthy character build-up, a beautifully described world setting, and really enjoyable if you're looking for a fantasy novel with a female main character.

Most of the characters in The Windup Girl are Thai or Chinese.

The Left Hand of Darkness messes around with gender in interesting ways. (Also, Ursula K. Leguin is an all-around fantastic author.)

Robert Heinlein can be a controversial author, but many of his works had non-white protagonists. Manuel Garcia O'Kelly-Davis from The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is multiracial, and Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers is Filipino, if I recall correctly.

Someone else in this thread recommended The Brief But Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, and it's not exactly SFF (more in the vein of magical realism) but it is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

Lets include more nonsense in this pointless debate.

4e D&D outsells Pathfinder!

4e Amazon Sales Rank: #4,549

Pathfinder Amazon Sales Rank: #14,423

Lets all just play the game you enjoy. Who cares which sells better.

The only thing the game does assume is that everyone has the Core Rulebook and the PFS Guide

You can get a pdf version here for 9.99 : http://paizo.com/products/btpy88yj?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Core-Rulebook

Or if you want the physical copy go to amazon and save a lot of money here: http://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Core-Rulebook/dp/1601251505/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377006408&sr=8-1&keywords=pathfinder+core+rulebook



Now the guide to PFS play can be found for free at : http://paizo.com/products/btpy84k4?Guide-to-Pathfinder-Society-Organized-Play

Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (all by Garth Nix) are pretty spectacular if you're into fantasy.

Juliet Marillier also writes a lot of fairy-tale retellings that have female protags, if that's your cup of tea. The Sevenwaters Trilogy is pretty good.

Edit: Ooh, also The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon (this is epic fantasy, but she also writes a lot of female protags in her space operas) and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. Those two are fantastic, don't know why they didn't spring to mind right off!

Edit 2: For less spoilery linkage.

> there's a strong case that a lot of the postmodernist bullshit could be easily countered by a strong religious identity

AMEN TO THAT.

> the most optimal balances of personal freedom vs controlling the worst aspects of human behavior

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon is a good trilogy with a female paladin being the main character. Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson also has a good lead female role throughout it and is also a great read.

The Takeshi Kovacs trilogy by Richard K Morgan was pretty great. Last good scifi I read.

http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Takeshi-Kovacs-Novels/dp/0345457692/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240608120&sr=8-2

Try Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon or Walter John William's Hrdwired for some good cyberpunk. For a good post-apocalypse novel you might like Earth Abides by George R. Stewart.

I make use of a wide variety of tools ranging from donjon to Table Fables and a bunch of things in between. I would like to say that I take the time to generate a list of names in advance, but in practice I don't really do that and I will just whip out one of many tools and have that name prepared in a few short seconds with a description if I can't think of one on my own.

However, if you are more... motivated than I am then you should make sure to have a list already made. Also, remember to cross names off the list as you use them.

Based on the current pacing of the story I would say somewhere around 15 books for the current series. Than the story should transition to the next level but that will be a separate series in the future.

I dont recommend waiting for it to be complete. These books are amazing and Will has been very consistent releasing 2 books / year

There is a promo that ends today. First three books are free as a box set

There are a lot of entry points. Which one is best will probably depend on your level of gamerness (if that's a word?).

If you don't do much tabletop gaming (or your only boardgames are from Hasbro), the D&D fifth edition starter set is a great place to start. Eventually, your group will have to get the DM Guide,, Player's Handbook, and maybe the Monster Manual after you finish the sessions from the starter set.

If you're more of a gamer, and you like min/maxing, let me recommend Pathfinder. It's an offshoot of the 3.5th edition of D&D (considered by many to be the heyday of D&D's systems. Here's their beginner box - the great thing about pathfinder is that after you finish that box, you don't need to buy anything. Ever again. there are resource pages all over the internet where all of the source material is available for free. (premade campaigns, you'll have to buy if you want to use them, though, but that's the same as D&D).

Another option if you're a starwars fan, is the new Star Wars RPG by fantasy flight. There are different source books and begginer boxes depending on if you want to focus your adventures around smugglers and normal folk on the edge of civilization or members of the rebellion

As mentioned by u/pb_rpg the Waterdeep City Encounters of DMsGuild is a great asset to have to hand. Additionally, the book Table Fables comes in handy quite frequently when improvising pickpocketed items or fleshing out shops.

> You have previously mentioned familiarity with pathfinder... WotC owns >the franchise, they're publishing books for it.

Well I can't be blamed for misconstruing this.

That you can get the books cheaper than list price on Amazon doesn't matter. I can get anything cheaper on Amazon, including other RPGs. The cost difference is still the same and you should support your local game stores. They are central to having an active local gaming community.

Nevermind that two copies of Pathfinder at $31 is less than your $66 set anyway. Lets not even worry about Pathfinder though. It is essentially just an improved version of 3.5. The award winning SotC is also $30 from amazon and you could get two of those as well. You could get the core Savage Worlds rules plus the Fantasy Companion and Deadlands for that price. Thats good for at least 3 completely different campaign settings.

I can see that we will never agree on this. Consider taking Savage Worlds for a test drive. It won't cost you anything but time.

Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. It blends genres (mystery + noir + SF) and I think does a great job of introducing a novice to SF .

[Edit] FWIW, I purposely avoided the "classics" as I think many of them would be quite dated to today's audience and would not be a good intro into the genre. But I would hope that as their taste in SF evolves that they would find the classics on their own and would be better able to appreciate them.

They all seem to be for 8-14yr olds...

Edit: Oh. Maybe that's what the OP meant. I got excited because I thought it would be a bunch of great books for guys, not for kids.

In case that's what you came looking for too, here's a couple of greats:

Beat the Reaper It's like House meets the Sopranos, except better.

Altered Carbon The most bad ass futuristic sci-fi book, ever.

I liked it, but I was introduced to it by my dad (sci-fi nerd) when i was 14 or something. It is a fast, fun read, but it will not change your life or anything. I read it a second time a few years ago. I still liked it.

It is basically the same setting as starship troopers, but there isn't much time dedicated to social philosophy or whatever. It reads faster, more like Ender's Game. it mostly focuses on the specific missions and the obstacles the main character must overcome in order to survive. It goes into a lot more detail about power armor and fighting bug-like aliens.

The story is told in two perspectives (through two main characters) and I think one of them is more interesting than the other. So like 1/3 of the book kind of drags a bit (relatively) and I just want to read through to get back to the other guy. I think it's worth it, but some people (in reviews on amazon, etc) hate it. Some parts of it are really cool though.

I don't think this book rivals Neal Stephenson or William Gibson or anything, but it totaly kicks Terry Goodkind's ass. Also, it has half a star more on Amazon than either Snow Crash or Neuromancer. That's kinda bs, but ARMOR is a good, fast read.

EDIT: Seems like major retailers usually carry it (Barnes&Noble, Hastings, etc), and I often notice copies of it at used bookstores.

EDIT2: He also made the list of finalists: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/07/138938145/science-fiction-and-fantasy-finalists

A bit more of a pleasure read, but still insightful.
Starship Troopers by Heinlein.

Also worth a read is the book of Joshua in the Bible. Read from a tactical mindset, you can gain insight into military tactics and troop management.

The Emperor's Edge series has a female protagonist I liked a lot. It's a fun light read and the first book is free on Kindle.

I absolutely love the Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game based on the D20 system for lore. I used to play a lot of D20 on other systems but never this one. Didn't matter though - it's a fun reference. Find it here!

It's pricey, but AEG's Ultimate Toolbox has tons of good stuff in it. I've also heard good things about the Table Fables books available on Amazon, but don't have any personal experience with them.
 
Lately, Hubris has been my go-to for adding in weird terrain features and plot hooks.

I usually prefer to get people interested in reading philosophy obliquely, through pop. philosophy or fiction with philosophical themes. So much depends on what you are interested in...

Fiction:
A good overview like Sophie's World

Military Ethics / Social Responsibility Starship Troopers

Science and Faith Contact

Somewhat easy philosophy

Ethics: The Basic Writings of John Stuart Mill

Mind: Consciousness Explained

War: Just and Unjust Wars

>Anyone read this book?

Dude, it's practically the Citizen Kane of cyberpunk. Dated, hard to grasp and totally genre changing. I loved it when I discovered it in the early 90's but truth be told it's been surpassed several times.

Read it, and if you find the themes interesting try Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan.

No book will prepare you for law enforcement, it has to be touched, smelled, heard, and seen. If you're already a cop then the best thing you can do to be better is to be a well rounded human being and books can help with that.

Here's the recommended reading from some of the prior threads I was able to find in the sub.

1. On Killing
   
2. On Combat
   
3. Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement
   
4. Intro to Criminal Evidence
   
5. Blue Blood
   
6. 400 Things Cops Should Know
   
7. Cop: A True Story
   
8. [Verbal Judo] (https://www.amazon.com/Verbal-Judo-Gentle-Persuasion-Updated/dp/0062107704/)
   
9. [What Cops Know] (https://www.amazon.com/What-Cops-Know-Connie-Fletcher/dp/0671750402/)
   
10. [Into the Kill Zone] (https://www.amazon.com/Into-Kill-Zone-Deadly-Force/dp/0787986038/)
    
11. Training at the Speed of Life
    
12. Sharpening the Warrior's Edge
    
13. The Gift of Fear
    
14. Deadly Force Encounters
    
15. The Book of Five Rings
    
    I've read a good portion of the above listed. I highly recommend Emotional Survival and going to see one of Gilmartin's talks if he's in your area. Below are a few of my personal suggestions.
    
    
16. Meditations
    
17. Blink - Not sure if I buy it, but interesting to think about.
    
18. [Armor] (https://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687/)
    
19. Iron John: A Book About Men
    
20. The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics
    

I would recommend The Land by Aleron Kong and Daniel Black by E. William Brown. Daniel Black can get a little raunchy, if that is not something you are looking for you might want to skip it. Both book series are excellent and worth a read.

The standard 5E DM screen is excellent.

The starter set is also excellent.

Gary Gibson does some credible space adventures. The Shaol sequence was pretty enjoyable.

A bit harder edged but brilliant is the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy from Richard Morgan. Start with Altered Carbon.

Also Neal Asher's Polity Agent series has a lot of good action tinged with horror.

On amazon kindle the first book is free

https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Hunter-International-Hunters-Book-ebook/dp/B00APAH7PQ/ref=nodl_

The whole series is excellent

I picked MHI up a while back (free Kindle version + $1.99 to add narration), but I haven't listened to it yet. Good to know it's enjoyable.

I really enjoyed Ready Player one!

Some of my favorite sci-fi:

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Heinlein


Course of Empire, by Eric Flint and KD Wentworth


Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy, by Robert J Sawyer (Trilogy starting with Farseer)


Uplift Series, by David Brin, (trilogy, starting with Sundiver)


A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge

Probably too late for this weekend, but what you want is this: https://www.amazon.com/Greenwood-Presents-Elminsters-Forgotten-Realms/dp/0786960345/

That's the book Ed Greenwood put together talking about what everyday life's like in the Realms. Very interesting if you're looking for those sorts of tidbits.

As I said, if you think it won't work simply because people will try to force their view of things onto society, I won't disagree. Humans, especially having seen how effective govts currently are at curtailing "bad behavior" in other places, seem to want to wield that power and control for themselves.

> I think libertarian societies just tend to allow themselves to form a central governance.

Yes, the bad side of an an-cap society is that it doesn't forbid anything ... even the creation of a govt. But I would say it is people that allow the creation of govts, not "libertarian societies".

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress described that process pretty well.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.