We talk a lot about gameplay and mechanics, but I’m curious to get some feedback from the community on the following: which games have books that are just really beautiful objects? Like, when you hold them in your hands, they just feel special. It could be for a variety of reasons; color, paper quality, and artwork come to mind, but also things like layout and typeface can have a similar effect.
I’ll do mine here: the core rulebook for Dungeon Crawl Classics. In addition to having a ton of old-school fantasy art (which is catnip to me), the sheer size and weight of the book gives it the feel of some great, ancient tome. The layout is also terrific, with the drawings often taking up the whole page, and the text sort of artfully arranged within. The whole book has a sense of exploration about it, which I love.
Which book would you recommend, and why?
Nobilis. It’s a nice coffee table book.
Nobilis. It’s a nice coffee table book.
Night Witches – Oh man. The book feels old (and it’s going to smell great in a couple years). The art is so precise yet emotionally deadly. The layout really evokes the time and place. It’s just fantastic. It was worth the wait!
Night Witches – Oh man. The book feels old (and it’s going to smell great in a couple years). The art is so precise yet emotionally deadly. The layout really evokes the time and place. It’s just fantastic. It was worth the wait!
Torchbearer – Torchbearer really took me back. Everything about it evoked summers spent reading second-hand 1st ed D&D books.
Torchbearer – Torchbearer really took me back. Everything about it evoked summers spent reading second-hand 1st ed D&D books.
This is my current favorite:
https://youtu.be/8edsY2QpmBQ
The game world is thematically complex, and the interior layout looks like this:
https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/139/266/eb5b4ce82bde485e435e204ab5bd15cf_original.png?v=1421225240&w=680&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=454be5556196d3d20ff96c6856b5dd97
This is my current favorite:
https://youtu.be/8edsY2QpmBQ
The game world is thematically complex, and the interior layout looks like this:
https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/139/266/eb5b4ce82bde485e435e204ab5bd15cf_original.png?v=1421225240&w=680&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=454be5556196d3d20ff96c6856b5dd97
Paul Czege I’ve never heard of that game before, but wow, that is breathtaking!
Paul Czege I’ve never heard of that game before, but wow, that is breathtaking!
DCC, I have two versions of it.. Dungeon Alphabet is its little cousin. Burning wheel gold is also lovely
DCC, I have two versions of it.. Dungeon Alphabet is its little cousin. Burning wheel gold is also lovely
Eadwin Tomlinson Burning Wheel Gold is my second-favorite (tied with Misspent Youth). Torchbearer is way up there, too.
Eadwin Tomlinson Burning Wheel Gold is my second-favorite (tied with Misspent Youth). Torchbearer is way up there, too.
not really an RPG but I have a copy of the “Black Art of 3D Game Programming” by Andre LaMothe
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Art-Game-Programming-High-Speed/dp/1571690042
its a code reference book, one of the better ones but it is also themed like an ancient spell book and has inscriptions and runes all over it. wish I had the index here because the chapters all have titles like “summoning and controlling Phantoms with 3D matrixes!” very nerdy, very useful. also I got mine at a half price store so its slightly musty and the pages crackle, like a spell book should.
not really an RPG but I have a copy of the “Black Art of 3D Game Programming” by Andre LaMothe
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Art-Game-Programming-High-Speed/dp/1571690042
its a code reference book, one of the better ones but it is also themed like an ancient spell book and has inscriptions and runes all over it. wish I had the index here because the chapters all have titles like “summoning and controlling Phantoms with 3D matrixes!” very nerdy, very useful. also I got mine at a half price store so its slightly musty and the pages crackle, like a spell book should.
I just now have my copy from having backed the Kickstarter. I don’t even know if he has a page up yet for people who missed the Kickstarter to buy it.
I just now have my copy from having backed the Kickstarter. I don’t even know if he has a page up yet for people who missed the Kickstarter to buy it.
Isa Wills probably has many more
Isa Wills probably has many more
Hey…looks like you can get it from Amazon. http://soltabletoprpg.com/
Hey…looks like you can get it from Amazon. http://soltabletoprpg.com/
As far as a lovely book, Fates of the Norns is truly exceptional. That said, the game system is essentially not something I would ever play. I have also been completely blown away by the quality of the books from Modiphius (many of which I would happily play; Mutant Year Zero in particular comes to mind). While I know the system isn’t much loved by many, the Fantasy Flight Star Wars game books have amazing production value (and I personally have had alot of fun with the system even if the dice mechanic is a bit offputting). I would also second the opinion of Marshall in regards to Night Witches.
As far as a lovely book, Fates of the Norns is truly exceptional. That said, the game system is essentially not something I would ever play. I have also been completely blown away by the quality of the books from Modiphius (many of which I would happily play; Mutant Year Zero in particular comes to mind). While I know the system isn’t much loved by many, the Fantasy Flight Star Wars game books have amazing production value (and I personally have had alot of fun with the system even if the dice mechanic is a bit offputting). I would also second the opinion of Marshall in regards to Night Witches.
Sean Smith I have seen Fate of the Norns in my FLGS, but, like you said, the rules are a turn-off. It is definitely a great-looking book, though.
Sean Smith I have seen Fate of the Norns in my FLGS, but, like you said, the rules are a turn-off. It is definitely a great-looking book, though.
Oh, no one has mentioned James Raggi’s Lamentations of the Flame Princess modules! In addition to just generally being beautiful, the hardcover ones feel like children’s books in your hands. Whether that’s intentional or not, it’s a fun juxtaposition with the content.
Oh, no one has mentioned James Raggi’s Lamentations of the Flame Princess modules! In addition to just generally being beautiful, the hardcover ones feel like children’s books in your hands. Whether that’s intentional or not, it’s a fun juxtaposition with the content.
Not a big favourite of mine in other respects, but Tenra Bansho Zero is a lovely item with its slipcase.
Not a big favourite of mine in other respects, but Tenra Bansho Zero is a lovely item with its slipcase.
Joshua Fox Many moons ago, I was making a TBZ AW-hack, but then just got…overwhelmed. It’s a great set, though – and only $50 U.S.!
Joshua Fox Many moons ago, I was making a TBZ AW-hack, but then just got…overwhelmed. It’s a great set, though – and only $50 U.S.!
For game books that are beautiful to look at and hold, that have stellar production qualities, and have settings that are mind blowing… These few games are tops for me.
Tenra Bansho Zero and Eoris: Essence. Both of these games, from pure quality of production and the art chosen… Especially Eoris, that game literally looks like an art book you’d see on a coffee table and be proud to show it off.
Eoris looks like someone poured their soul into it.
A short hop down the ladder of beautiful awesomeness is the entire print run of Legend of the Five Rings 4th edition. If you’ve flipped through these books, you know what I am talking about. It will be very difficult for FFG to improve on the quality of this game now that they own it.
For game books that are beautiful to look at and hold, that have stellar production qualities, and have settings that are mind blowing… These few games are tops for me.
Tenra Bansho Zero and Eoris: Essence. Both of these games, from pure quality of production and the art chosen… Especially Eoris, that game literally looks like an art book you’d see on a coffee table and be proud to show it off.
Eoris looks like someone poured their soul into it.
A short hop down the ladder of beautiful awesomeness is the entire print run of Legend of the Five Rings 4th edition. If you’ve flipped through these books, you know what I am talking about. It will be very difficult for FFG to improve on the quality of this game now that they own it.
I feel like the bar for beautiful books has been raised in recent years. With most lines going full color and a lot of faux-leather special editions coming out. The Dark Eye did it with their fifth edition and it looks really good and feels nice, good art direction too. But it is not too special considering D&D has been doing it for years. Still good times to have the option to get books like this instead of badly glued softcovers.
The downside might be rising prices to go with what now is standard production quality. Those can exclude poor players like students, who usually are a good crowd to recruit new players from. But paying 50€ for a book is a pretty steep price for a 12 year old or someone just scraping by in college or someone without a good job.
What sticks out from the wealth of high quality books are good choices how to use that production budget. I have to mention A Red and Pleasant Land, especially since we are not talking about author or content. It is a gorgeous book that in the choice of paper and binding is really nice to touch as well. Zak’s art works well in it too. The choice to have cloth instead of faux-leather and a small size also makes it stick ouf from a flood of often hard to use giant tomes.
Since the first rpg product I got was a boxed set I always loved those. Opening a box and slowly unpacking what is inside has a fascination to me that paging through a book, however beautiful, never could replace. A treasuer chest / birthday present kind of feeling.
The format is often used for city descriptions like the great London box by Cubicle7 for Cthulhu games. Or for campaigns. I however like setting boxes the most, where you really have a new world inside. I have to mention the old Dark Sun boxed set which had a great map too. Also again going for The Dark Eye, they had a great line of “regional” boxed sets where they described part of the continent with cool maps and everything. Recently Die Dunklen Zeiten (the dark ages) is a favorite of mine, rekindling that childhood feeling. Also the box is really packed with high quality material describing the whole continent of the setting at a different point in the timeline. Opening new genre nuances. Good art direction really helped too.
In the end RPGs are books of utility that have to be useable at the gaming table. Of course they can also be beautiful and works of art. But like an instrument they have to be played and might get dented. So I like products the most that look and feel great but still are great to use at the table. Destributing the books out of a boxed set where they are needed is such a case. Putting a small volume in your pocket for travel also. Pointing at the perfect picture for a monster, culture or place can really do wonders sometimes.
Shoutouts at other products that have been exciting to me or I am looking forward to: Dreamhounds of Paris for art direction, The Dracula Dossier, The Fall of Magic scrolls but also in a way the Shadowrun 2nd Edition core book, that back then convinced me cyberpunk was a cool thing just by it’s looks.
I feel like the bar for beautiful books has been raised in recent years. With most lines going full color and a lot of faux-leather special editions coming out. The Dark Eye did it with their fifth edition and it looks really good and feels nice, good art direction too. But it is not too special considering D&D has been doing it for years. Still good times to have the option to get books like this instead of badly glued softcovers.
The downside might be rising prices to go with what now is standard production quality. Those can exclude poor players like students, who usually are a good crowd to recruit new players from. But paying 50€ for a book is a pretty steep price for a 12 year old or someone just scraping by in college or someone without a good job.
What sticks out from the wealth of high quality books are good choices how to use that production budget. I have to mention A Red and Pleasant Land, especially since we are not talking about author or content. It is a gorgeous book that in the choice of paper and binding is really nice to touch as well. Zak’s art works well in it too. The choice to have cloth instead of faux-leather and a small size also makes it stick ouf from a flood of often hard to use giant tomes.
Since the first rpg product I got was a boxed set I always loved those. Opening a box and slowly unpacking what is inside has a fascination to me that paging through a book, however beautiful, never could replace. A treasuer chest / birthday present kind of feeling.
The format is often used for city descriptions like the great London box by Cubicle7 for Cthulhu games. Or for campaigns. I however like setting boxes the most, where you really have a new world inside. I have to mention the old Dark Sun boxed set which had a great map too. Also again going for The Dark Eye, they had a great line of “regional” boxed sets where they described part of the continent with cool maps and everything. Recently Die Dunklen Zeiten (the dark ages) is a favorite of mine, rekindling that childhood feeling. Also the box is really packed with high quality material describing the whole continent of the setting at a different point in the timeline. Opening new genre nuances. Good art direction really helped too.
In the end RPGs are books of utility that have to be useable at the gaming table. Of course they can also be beautiful and works of art. But like an instrument they have to be played and might get dented. So I like products the most that look and feel great but still are great to use at the table. Destributing the books out of a boxed set where they are needed is such a case. Putting a small volume in your pocket for travel also. Pointing at the perfect picture for a monster, culture or place can really do wonders sometimes.
Shoutouts at other products that have been exciting to me or I am looking forward to: Dreamhounds of Paris for art direction, The Dracula Dossier, The Fall of Magic scrolls but also in a way the Shadowrun 2nd Edition core book, that back then convinced me cyberpunk was a cool thing just by it’s looks.
Oh man, where does one start. A Red And Pleasant Land is just beautiful and my gold foil edition of DCC is to die for. I have a super special place in my heart for the 2nd edition hardcover of Vampire: The Masquerade. Oh, I almost forgot, the hardcover of Mouse Guard 1st edition is wonderful.
Oh man, where does one start. A Red And Pleasant Land is just beautiful and my gold foil edition of DCC is to die for. I have a super special place in my heart for the 2nd edition hardcover of Vampire: The Masquerade. Oh, I almost forgot, the hardcover of Mouse Guard 1st edition is wonderful.
Oh, I also love the Hillfolk art.
Oh, I also love the Hillfolk art.
Just picked up Night Witches and it’s really nice. The nice suede feel cover, the excellent graphic design and layout, and the illustrations all make it a great book.
Also love the illustrations and look of Lacuna though the layout could use work as it’s hard to find the right rules sometimes. Same goes for the old Chill 2nd ed game, great illustrations and look but the layout could use work. The latter has a place in my heart as its one of the first games I ran as a GM.
Just picked up Night Witches and it’s really nice. The nice suede feel cover, the excellent graphic design and layout, and the illustrations all make it a great book.
Also love the illustrations and look of Lacuna though the layout could use work as it’s hard to find the right rules sometimes. Same goes for the old Chill 2nd ed game, great illustrations and look but the layout could use work. The latter has a place in my heart as its one of the first games I ran as a GM.
Red and pleasant land, Vornheim, perilous wilds
Red and pleasant land, Vornheim, perilous wilds
I’d like to add I think the fiasco books (depending on the version) have lovely covers and the graphic design brilliantly conveys the game flavour.
I’d like to add I think the fiasco books (depending on the version) have lovely covers and the graphic design brilliantly conveys the game flavour.
Red & Pleasant Land I think is one of the top. And the book is very functional.
Red & Pleasant Land I think is one of the top. And the book is very functional.
Okay, so Warhammer Fantasy RPG oozes atmosphere. I adore the Enemy Within campaign. Love just leafing through these books and absorbing that gritty germanic vibe.
Okay, so Warhammer Fantasy RPG oozes atmosphere. I adore the Enemy Within campaign. Love just leafing through these books and absorbing that gritty germanic vibe.
I think I’d also have to throw in Zak S. other book as well Vornheim because its about the only book ever designed as a rule “DM tool”. It IS more an object than book. And because of that I think it kinda beats out a lot of others due to its inherent functionality.
I think I’d also have to throw in Zak S. other book as well Vornheim because its about the only book ever designed as a rule “DM tool”. It IS more an object than book. And because of that I think it kinda beats out a lot of others due to its inherent functionality.
Shadows of Esteren. Nobilis 1E and L5R 4E are also pretty, but SoE is at the top of the pile for me.
Shadows of Esteren. Nobilis 1E and L5R 4E are also pretty, but SoE is at the top of the pile for me.
For me, I find a lot of beauty in the Mouse Guard RPG book and boxed set. Both of these just came back into print in the past week, so you are likely to see them in your FLGS. Fondle them, and look at the pictures. The mechanics (Burning Wheel) are another story, but the books are beautiful.
I also really like the Numenera books. They are so gorgeous to look through, feel, and touch. Each of them is like a work of art.
For me, I find a lot of beauty in the Mouse Guard RPG book and boxed set. Both of these just came back into print in the past week, so you are likely to see them in your FLGS. Fondle them, and look at the pictures. The mechanics (Burning Wheel) are another story, but the books are beautiful.
I also really like the Numenera books. They are so gorgeous to look through, feel, and touch. Each of them is like a work of art.
I really love the size of the DCCRPG modules. They are short and punchy with amazing maps. I wish there was more space to share the maps with the players, so more people at the table could enjoy them.
I really love the size of the DCCRPG modules. They are short and punchy with amazing maps. I wish there was more space to share the maps with the players, so more people at the table could enjoy them.