Norbert Matausch asked in his German blog the question: which ten printed RPG books would you keep, if you had to go into exile. Hasran, blut_und_glas, Dave, yandere and yennico present their Top 10. An overview of the Top 10 of other player could you find in the German Rollenspiel Almanach and in German forum Tanelorn.
yennico
1. Earthdawn
This is one of my favourite settings ever.
2. Cyberpunk 2020
Same here.
3. Savage Worlds
A rules set for F!F!F! campaigns.
4. Star Wars WEG
One of my first rpgs, and one I like to remember.
5. Rifts Atlantis
A great setting, I like Tattoo Magic, but bad rules, so it’s just for cannibalizing for other systems.
6. Al Qadim Campaign Setting
Arabian Nights, enough said.
7. Eberron
Fantasy with the special something.
8. Don´t Rest your Head
Weird, but good.
9. Talislanta
A non-Tolkien fantasy setting with interesting races.
10. The last book is a city book: either Night City Sourcebook, Lankhmar City of Adventure, Corrinis, City State of the Invincible Overlord
blut_und_glas
1. d20 Modern (core rules)
2. The Red Star (campaign setting)
d20 Modern is a great iteration of the d20 System in its own right, and The Red Star would probably feature prominently in my list of comics for the island as well.
3. SLA Industries (core rules, XS)
SLA Industries loses a lot of potential without Karma (and optionally the Contract Directory), but is still doing fine just with the core book (the XS version is sufficiently sturdy, too).
4. Earthdawn (German core rules, first edition)
Nostalgia. And a great game.
5. Nobilis (core rules, second edition)
With flowers. The most beautiful version of the game. In the end, this is about printed works after all, so that has to count for something.
6. Sorcery! (volume II, Khare Cityport of Traps, German version)
Being limited to just a single volume of Sorcery! is quite a letdown, but Cityport of Traps simply is the best of the four. In its stead, a Fighting Fantasy collected edition would trade quantity for quality.
7. Blue Planet Moderator’s Guide (v2)
8. Blue Planet Player’s Guide (v2)
Sun, sand and cyberpunk. v2 uses up to slots due to the two volume core rules, but despite the sweet damage system and the more compact presentation of the single volume v1, the Synergy rules of v2 are simply more interesting.
9. Mutant Chronicles (core rules, second edition)
10. Mishima
With Mutant Chronicles it’s mostly about the sourcebooks really, but especially Mishima is pretty useless without the core rules. Imperial or Bauhaus would work a bit better in a stand alone capacity, but even so, the single slot gained by leaving out the core rules wouldn’t be enough to fit in the two volume of rules for HERO System 6th Edition. Wasteworld would be a possibility though.
yandere
1. D&D 4E – Rules Compendium
2. D&D 4E – Heroes of the Fallen Lands
Probably my favored D&D edition, and you need at least these to books to play.
3. SLA Industries – 2nd Edition Core
To get my futuristic urban horror fix.
4. Legend of the 5 Rings – 4th Edition Core
This is a fun little fantasy game with Japanese flavor.
5. Nobilis – Great White
One of the strangest and most beautiful books I have in my RPG collection.
6. Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic Game
Superhero RPG with short and intersting rules. Probably good to play shonen animes.
7. D&D 4E – Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
For a bit more variety in my D&D sessions.
8. Maid – The RPG
Just. Because. Don’t. Ask.
9. GURPS – Basic Set Characters
10. GURPS – Basic Set Campaigns
If I have forgotten something, I think this will fix it.
Dave
1. Runequest II – Empires
2. Legend Core
3. Low Life – The Rise of the Lowly
4. Al’ Quadim Campaign Setting
5. Birth Right Campaign Setting
6. Tome of Corruption
7. Qin – The Warring States
8. SLA Industries Core
9. SIFRP Core
10. Stars without Number
Hasran
1. SLA Industries
2. Unknown Armies
3. Star Wars d20
4. HERO
5. Mage: The Ascension 2nd Edition
6. Nobilis
7. d20
8. Deathwatch
9. Agone
10. Violence