Best ff ever miscellaneous round 1

[tyrion]

Now we get into the next batch of books. I thought I'd include books in this group that aren't part of the main series. I've also included in this group the basic rpg books as two of them were published in the smaller book format, and then thought I might as well add out of the pit and titan as well.

Going forward, I will do two votes each round and eliminate two each round, unless you prefer one vote and one elimination. Books 41-50 and so on coming up from tomorrow.

[kieran]

It's a bit hard to compare gamebooks to the rpg books. I guess I'll go for Titan because to be honest, I've never done more than flick idly through it. For my second vote I'll go for Fighting Fantasy. It's a good read but Riddling Reaver is much more interesting.

[Wilf]

Wow. This is a really tough round, because I adore all of them.

Have voted for the last two, because being guide books rather than game books, I don't find myself returning to them so often.  They are still both excellent, though.

[deadshadowrunner]

I find Out of the Pit very dull. Reading about a whole bunch of monsters isn't very interesting. My second vote goes to Warrior's Way I guess. Can't really comment about it since I don't remember much of it, which is never a good sign.

[Peter]

I'm on record as saying I was never a fan of the attempt to tie all the books together by creating the world of Titan. I viewed them as separate, stand-alone books/games. I had better vote accordingly.

Out of the Pit is useful if you are creating a scenario, Fighting Fantasy and Riddling Reaver can be referenced, but Titan is not necessary.

[bloodbeasthandler]

With this round it's a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but it's still interesting to hear other people's opinions. 

Titan is one of the best of the lot - the pulling together of the disparate and varied books into a world. And thinking about it, it's probably the FF book I've read the most. 

[a moderator]

It's a bit like comparing apples to Kallamehr.

[sylas]

The bottom 3 make for some excellent reading even if you don't use them for any campaigns.

[tyrion]

I also own a two player gamebook (or rather two two player gamebooks) called glade of dreams, where you either play a warrior or a wizard. Like clash of princes, also illustrated by John Blanche. I think these came out later though. I think the two player part is implemented better, but it's still just a gimmick.

I do enjoy out of the pit, in the same way I enjoy the monster manual. Or fiend folio, with some excellent illustrations by Russ Nicholson (especially the githyanki and githzerai, but that's another thread entirely, I'm sure).

Titan looks good as an idea, but reading it after a proper campaign setting (e.g. forgotten realms, even the first edition), it just doesn't read as well. Maybe the aff version is better?

I do have a soft spot in my heart for the introductory rpg, as I ran the adventures while in school. Shaggradds hives of peril would make a good stand alone gamebook dungeon i think, there's just so much you can do.

[The Count]

Clash of the Princes never did anything for me.

[vastariner]

I really enjoyed Clash of the Princes, although it was a bit shonky at times in warrior/wizard occasionally apparating out of nowhere to tie the storylines back in together.

Also that it seems Marc Gascoigne forgot about them when doing Titan! because he missed Gundobad out entirely. But it is part of the same universe - see the interlinking with Seas of Blood...