The Sale guide is great, thanks! Do you know of something similar but for core rules? Current or past.
I'm repeating my answer to him below. I assumed they are already familiar with all the major retroclones and original games, therefore I focused on a bit more “exotic” recommendations:
The Majestic Fantasy RPG. An OD&D game based on Swords & Wizardry Core. Interesting mix of many different things based on several decades of play.
Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne. The original was built on OD&D chasis. I don't run it as-is, but rather use it for inspiration (e.g., early skill system, interesting take on fighters, etc).
Adventures Dark and Deep CoreRulebook & Bestiary. An alternative imagining of what AD&D 2E might have been if Gary remained in control. A lot of classic, but good stuff.
DriveThruRPG is running a big sale until end of July. There are few special items that are 75% off, but most are around 30% off.
Here are twelve big-ticket items where discounts make the most difference:
Original Adventures Reincarnated #7: Dark Tower (5E or DCC version). A three-book set reviving an old classic by Jaquays. Worth getting it just for the original.
The Northlands Saga Complete. a compilation of ten adventures set in stereotypical cold north. Probably enough for several years of gaming. Tenfootpole has reviewed first four adventures back in the day (NS1, NS2, NS3, NS4).
Classic Gaming Negative Space print bundle. Includes On Downtime and Demesnes, Artifices, Deceptions, & Dilemmas, and Bestial Ecosystems Created by Monstrous Inhabitation trilogy covering downtime, environs, and monstrous ecosystems.
Onyx Path Publishing is having an anniversay sale on DriveThruRPG, with everything discounted for 50% off. I used to opportunity to pick up some of Scarred Lands and Sword & Sorcery products I had on my wishlist for long time:
All of the above are 3E/3.5E products, but I am primarily interested in ideas, concepts, and maps that I can cannibalise and repurpose. I also got beastiaries because I was advised that many monsters in Slumbering Tsar were from Creature Collection books. Perhaps they will be of use one day, when I get to converting the 800 page tome. Who knows.
Frog God Games is running another flash sale, this time for Lost Lands books:
The croak-tastic celebration of Frog God Games turning 15 is still hopping right along! That’s right; we're throwing a party, and you're invited. From April 15–21, 2025, we’re slashing prices on The World of the Lost Lands, our official campaign setting, by a whopping 50% across all formats.
There are currently two Greyhawk specific bundles on DriveThruRPG:
Exploring the World of Greyhawk (7 books): World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting, The City of Greyhawk, WGR4 The Marklands, From the Ashes, Greyhawk Wars, Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins, and WG7 Castle Greyhawk
Adventures in Greyhawk (7 adventures): T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil, T1 The Village of Hommlet, S1 Tomb of Horrors, WGA4 Vecna Lives!, Crypt of Lyzandred the Mad, WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, WG9 Gargoyle
Total discount for each bundle is around 36%. I am not sure how long will the bundles be available for.
The Northlands Saga Complete is a compilation of ten adventures set in stereotypical cold north. Probably enough for several years of gaming. Tenfootpole has reviewed first four adventures back in the day (NS1, NS2, NS3, NS4). Swords & Wizardry versions were collated in 2015 and published in the big omnibus titled Northlands Saga Complete:
DriveThruRPG is running 40% sale off many titles in celebration of GM's day.
The whole TSR catalogue (OD&D, D&D, AD&D 1e, and AD&D 2e) is discounted as well. Below are several series that are worth getting but are rarely talked about.
AC (ACessory) modules were 11 publications for the basic line. AC1, AC9, and AC10 are great supplements for any basic game or its retroclone:
DMGR (Dungeon Master's Guide Rules supplement) books were published during the heyday of AD&D 2e overproduction. Still, I found something useful in each:
Another great sale I stumbled upon, this time by Frog God Games / Necromancer Games. They are celebrating 25 years so every month few books go on sale. This month The Lost City of Barakus (d20 and Swords & Wizardry) is 75% off and Heart of St. Bathus (OSE) is 60% off. Both are by W.D.B. Kenower who is one of my favourite authors. The Lost City of Barakus is a great module that has everything you need for a campaign. Heart of St. Bathus I haven't had the chance to run yet, but it is a gem that needs polishing since FGG dropped the ball on editing, laying it out, and presenting the information in acessible manner.
Advanced Adventures OSRIC (AD&D 1e retroclone) line by the Expeditious Retreat Press is on sale for 50% off until end of February. At the moment it counts 46 modules. Here are some of my favourites that I am happy to recommend (sorted by level range instead of module code):
Modules have nothing to do with each other (except few exceptions like Shadowvein and White Dragon Run), and they are easy to integrate in any sandbox game. Page counts are small, text is dense, maps are play-oriented. Just how I like it.
I'm selling part of my Necrotic Gnome collection. All books are mint, unused, and some of them are still shrink-wrapped. Shipping from EU; bank transfer preferred within EU, otherwise PayPal is fine.
I'm selling four different lots:
LOT A: Old-School Essentials Box with Classic and Advanced Fantasy (Kickstarter edition), 160 EUR
LOT B: Carcass Crawler zines (Kickstarter editions), 60 EUR
LOT C: Necrotic Gnome adventures (Kickstarter editions), 80 EUR
LOT D: Old-School Essentials Classic Game Set and Advanced Expansion Set (Kickstarter editions), 140 EUR
Lists and photos below.
LOT A: Old-School Essentials Box with Classic and Advanced Fantasy (Kickstarter edition)
LOT C: Necrotic Gnome adventures (Kickstarter editions)
80 EUR
NG-0011 The Hole in the Oak
NG-0001BX Winter's Daughter (uncensored version)
NG-0020 The Incandescent Grottoes
NG-0021 Halls of the Blood King
NG-0022 The Isle of the Plangent Mage
NG-0023 Holy Mountain Shaker
LOT D: Old-School Essentials Classic Game Set and Advanced Expansion Set (Kickstarter editions)
