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AD&D – D&D Campaign Ideas from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons – Manuals, Handbooks and Supplements

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons books

Whether you call it AD&D, ADND, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons or Advanced Dungeons and Dragons it does not matter.

The content published by TSR is massive, but you do not need to own or employ every book to set up a game of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons.

In this post you will find a structured and organized list of the books published.

I have identified the following main categories:

  • Core Rulebooks (The Player’s Handbook, the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monstrous Manual, plus other very useful, but non essential, stuff)
  • DMGR (Dungeon Master Guide Rules supplement)
  • PHBR (Player’s Handbook Rules supplement)
  • MC (Monstrous Compendium other than the base Monstrous Manual)
  • HR (Historical Reference)
  • Encyclopedia Magica

For some of these books I have spent some words to review the content.

If so, you will find the link to the post.

Have a look at the AD&D campaign settings to discover excellent content for your game sessions.

CORE RULEBOOKS

Player’s Handbook Revised

Player’s Handbook (1989), by David “Zeb” Cook with Steve Winter and Jon Pickens after Gary Gygax, is the first core rulebook for the AD&D 2e game. It was published in February 1989.

Dungeon Master Guide Revised

Here is the essential manual for the AD&D game Dungeon Master. All the information you need to create and run thrilling, swords-and-sorcery adventures is clearly laid out in the Dungeon Master Guide. Learn all there is to know about magical spells, hundreds of magical devices and treasures, battles, travel, experience awards, and more. This fresh, new format is your guidebook to the challenging world of the AD&D Dungeon Master.

Monstrous Manual

Need a monster? Look inside, where more than 300 new peices of full color art show what the monsters really look like! This book contains more than 600 monsters including all the creatures from the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Volumes 1 and 2. In addition, there are monsters from the other MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Volumes, and some creatures never seen in the second edition AD&D Game before.

Book of Artifacts

Incredible magic for all campaigns! The Book of Artifacts will help every adventure reach new plateaus of mystery, danger, and epic excitement. Within these pages is the most complete collection of legendary and obscure artifacts ever assembled for the AD&D 2nd Edition game. Each enigmatic token or powerful relic has a detailed history, special powers that truly fit the theme of the item, and even tips on how to introduce – or remove – the artifact from a campaign.
Read the review

Legends & Lore

Legends & Lore has now been revised for use with the AD&D 2nd Edition rules and expanded to 192 pages. It describes dozens of deities, heroes, and monsters from 11 different cultures. Special attention has been paid to the priests who worship the deities represented in this book. Each entry outlines the spells and powers granted to followers of a specific faith. In addition, you’ll learn about the cultures that worship the deities within and be provided with new spells, magic items, and character classes.

Tome of Magic

Take your spellcasters to limits they have never reached before! With over 200 new spells and magical items, Tome of Magic stretches the horizons of every wizard and priest in the AD&D 2nd Edition game. 

DMGRDungeon Master Guide Rules supplement

DMGR1 Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide

Whether you’re a novice DM getting ready to referee your first AD&D game or an old pro who’s running an established campaign, there’s something for you in the Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide. We’ve included dozens of helpful tips to help you better organize your games, design adventures, and make your NPCs come to life. In short, there’s something for everybody in this exciting addition to the AD&D game system.

DMGR2 The Castle Guide

Imagine a world of knights in shining armor, mighty castles, and high chivalry. In this book, you’ll find a wealth of information desgined to allow any DM to create a campaign world based on feudal Europe. Sections address life in a feudal culture, new Battlesystem rules for the resolution of sieges, a quick resolution system for massive military campaigns, and an assortment of generic castles to spark your imagination.

DMGR3 Arms and Equipment Guide

DMs and players alike will be thrilled to find answers to these and other equipment questions all in this book, the Arms and Equipment Guide. Lavishly illustrated, this book provides valuable descriptions and diagrams for a variety of armors, weapons, and barding, as well as important items of clothing and equipment. This is the essential volume for the well-equipped character!

DMGR4 Monster Mythology

Maglubiyet… Blibdoolpoolp… Diinkarazan… Panzuriel…. Such names are whispered in the dark on the far side of midnight, or muttered fearfully around jugs of wine when old, scarred adventurers tell their tales. They are the unseen, unknown things worshipped by monsters and monstrosities.

DMGR5 Creative Campaigning

DM:“OK, you’re all sitting in the tavern when…”
Players:“Oh no, not another tavern scenario! We’re tired of those! We want something different!”
If this sounds like your latest gaming session, Creative Campaigning can help: This book is loaded with ideas and suggestions that will make even the most jaded players sit up and pay attention. Everything from alternate settings to variant rules to really strange adventures is included.
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DMGR6 The Complete Book of Villains

A paranoid warlord, a bitter drow priestess, a power-mad archmage, a sly dwarven assassin – not all the characters in the AD&D game went the way of the heroes. Villains (beings dedicated to committing evil) are the most dangerous of all foes, and thus the most useful of tools a Dungeon Master has to create a memorable campaign. This book presents the most complete guidelines ever offered on creating villains for role-playing games. Miss this advice at your own peril!
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DMGR7 The Complete Book of Necromancers

Necromancers like Kazerabet and their priestly counterparts have mastered many dark, forbidden secrets. This tome reveals these mysteries to the Dungeon Master, who will find new NPC kits and volumes of necromancer’s minions, familiars, secret societies, poisons, magical items, enchanted tomes, and dozens of new wizard and priest spells, plus the deadly Isle of the Necromancers, a portable setting which can be placed into any existing campaign.

DMGR8: Sages & Specialists

In the dangerous, fast-paced world of adventuring, knowledge means survival. In a age of legends, even the greatest heroes need technical advisors. Inside Sages & Specialists you’ll find ten new NPC specialist classes–from apothecary to seer, from engineer to scribe–each with his own special talents and insights. In addition, this book contains a host of new rules that directly affect the lives of PCs everywhere. Add depth to your campaign with these unique and three-dimensional NPCs.

DMGR9 Of Ships and the Sea

Of Ships and the Sea is packed with information on the ships of the AD&D game, rules for sailing them to exotic lands, and two system for conducting naval combat. The action extends below the waves, too, as this book also reveals the secrets of underwater adventuring and exploration-rules for travelling, fighting, and casting spells underwater, new spells, new magical items, and a new character kit, the fathomer.

PHBRPlayer’s Handbook Rules supplement

PHBR1 The Complete Fighter’s Handbook

Who says fighters are the poor cousins of the AD&D game? No one will say it aloud after reading the Complete Fighter’s Handbook: 128 pages of mind-expanding advice on how to make your fighter the leanest, meanest threshing machine for leagues around. New weapons, new proficiencies, new fighting styles, and fighter “kits” make this optional AD&D accessory a useful item for players and DMs

PHBR2 Complete Thief’s Handbook

Hide in shadows, move silently, find traps, open locks – if you thought that was all a thief was good for, think again. The masters of skulking and skullduggery are a force to be reckoned with. Is anyone or anything safe from a person who might be anywhere, anytime? Learn the thief’s most closely guarded secrets in this devious accessory for the AD&D game.

PHBR3 The Complete Priest’s Handbook

Clerics have long been among players’ favorites, but now there are new priest characters for your gaming enjoyment! Within these pages are new rules for mythos-specific priests, guidelines for creating mythoi of your own, how-to’s for making new priesthoods. Also here are new priest “kits,” so you can play a fighting monk, an amazon priestess, a savage priest, or even a peasant priest (among many others).

PHBR4 The Complete Wizard’s Handbook

If you thought all wizards were alike, think again! The masters of magic now have a new guide to creating more interesting and imaginative mages, just when you thought you had them figured out. The Complete Wizard’s Handbook will put a whole new twist on wizards, from personality and dress codes to schools of magic to building that dream laboratory.
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PHBR5 The Complete Psionics Handbook

Are you ready for the mind-blowing potential of the psyche? This handbook describes over 150 paranormal powers: telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, biofeedback, out-of-body travel, plus many amazing talents never before revealed. The psionicist is a completely new character class for AD&D games, both for player characters and NPCs

PHBR6 The Complete Book of Dwarves

Battle axes and beards. Good companions when travelling underground. Handy with tools. If that was your view of dwarves, you need The Complete Book of Dwarves. Discover 24 new character kits, new weapons, and new possibilities, including six dwarf subraces, new proficiencies, strongholds, origin myths, and a look at dwarven personalities.

PHBR7 The Complete Bard’s Handbook

Thief, musician, clown, actor, acrobat – just a partial list of the many twists on the bard class to be found in this book! Seventeen bard kits, multitudes of abilities and powers, new magical items, new proficiencies, rules for gaining patrons and followers, over 100 bardic instruments, and much more await you within. The Complete Bard’s Handbook gives you everything you need to create a bard the world will never forget

PHBR8 The Complete Book of Elves

Detailed in this tome are their societies, rituals, and myths – and their physiology and psychology. Descriptions of every kind of elf abound. Rounding out this information are 11 new kits; new optional rules and suggestions for running elven campaigns; and special elven equipment, spells, and magical items. Forget what you thought you knew about elves – The Complete Book of Elves sheds new light on this mysterious race!

PHBR9 The Complete Book of Gnomes & Halflings

Clever illusionists and sly practical jokers. Brilliant burglars and easygoing farmers. Now The Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings reveals the secrets of these two popular races – their culture, beliefs, and subraces (including two new subraces), as well as 28 new character kits, from the gnome Goblinsticker to the halfling Forestwalker. If you enjoy playing gnome or halfling characters, or if you’re a DM interested in creating an all-gnome or all-halfling campaign, this is the book for you!

PHBR10 The Complete Book of Humanoids

Look out, adventurers, they’re here! This handbook describes in detail over 20 humanoid races that can be run as player characters – from mischevious pixies to stubborn minotaurs, from the lizardlike saurial to the savage half-ogre – and many more in between. In addition to many new character types, this handbook contains new proficiencies, humanoid kits, unusual equipment, and a few new surprises that will open worlds of adventure within any ongoing campaign. Move over, common adventurers, The Complete Book of Humanoids is here!

PHBR11 The Complete Ranger’s Handbook

Forest guardian, border runner, bounty hunter, and more – the full potential of the ranger class has never been plumbed. Until now. Come learn the inner most secrets of one of the most popular AD&D character classes. Details on every part of the ranger’s life, from allied forest brethren to unusual outdoor equipment. With 15 new and exciting character kits, this book is an information-packed accessory for the AD&D Game. A special appendix give the rules for the original AD&D ranger class.

PHBR12 The Complete Paladin’s Handbook

In the fight against evil, the paladin stands as Good’s supreme, undaunted champion. This 128-page accessory helps you play the noblest warriors of the AD&D game. Create or enhance your paladin with new proficiencies and equipment, new rules for bonded mounts, and paladin kits like the divinate, envoy, ghosthunter, skyrider, and the indomitable wyrmslayer.

PHBR13 Complete Druid’s Handbook

Druids love forests, true – but they love the arctic tundra, tropical rain forests, broad savannas, and fungi caverns of the Underdark, too. This 128-page accessory expands the living world of the druid in the AD&D 2nd Edition game, bringing new homes, character kits, personalities, spells, magical items, herbal lore, and a hundred details on druidic society, sacred groves, and high-level aspirations.

The Complete Barbarian’s Handbook

In savage wastes that would kill a civilized adventurer, the barbarian thrives. Marvel at the barbarian’s mystic talismans, rough equipment, and uncanny survival proficiencies. Choose from new character kits like the forest lord, mage killer, dreamwalker, ravager, and the ever-popular brute. Is barbarism the natural state of humankind? The Complete Barbarian’s Handbook can help you find out.

PHBR15 Complete Ninja’s Handbook

Superhuman feats of skill and daring are the stock in trade of the fearless warriors known as ninja.
This 128-page accessory gives you all the information you need to role-play exotic ninja, lone wolf operatives, and other character types – new character kits, special rules, and description of the ninja’s unique weapons and equipment.

MCMonstrous Compendium other than the base Monstrous Manual

MC1 Monstrous Compendium Volume One

At the heart of any good AD&D adventure, you’ll find great monsters — dragons, giants, trolls, killer oozes, shadows, and who knows what else!
This first Monstrous Compendiium gives DMs and players 144 pages of new and improved monsters, with all-new illustrations, expanded descriptions, and complete statistical data, all in an easy-to-read, easy to reference format. Players can organize the monsters in this pack, alphabetically, according to when they show up in an adventure, according to monster type, or any other way they see fit.

MC2 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two

The other half of the core monsters for AD&D 2e, originally released as looseleaf sheets to fit in the original Monstrous Compendium binder

MC8 Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix

Welcome to the Monstrous Compendium volume that finally details the powerful creatures unique to the outer planes. These denizens of the planes can be powerful allies or terrible enemies. From aasimon to zoveri, and everything between, this supplement is a must have for any DM planning to run an adventure in the outer planes.

MC14 Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix

Look to your weapons! Here comes a horde of the strangest creatures ever to inhabit the worlds of the AD&D game. The denizens of the original FIEND FOLIO tome are back, updated and expanded for the AD&D 2nd edition game. Treat yourself to an in-depth look at the peculiar achaierai, vicious stilt-legged birds that roam the infernal planes – and they also hunt closer to civilization. Find out what xvarts do for fun, but don’t expect them to play fair! The menagerie inside includes leaping gambados, grenzied gorbels, and other old favorites. Several brand new creatures, such as the beautiful but haughty gem dragons join them. Don’t pass up your cance to get to know these astonishing creatures.

Monstrous Compendium Annual – Volume 1

Virtually all of the monsters that appeared in TSR’s 1993 AD&D product line, plus many of those that appeared in the 1993 issues of Dragon, Dungeon, and Polyhedron magazines, are brought together in this first release in an annual series of Monstrous Compendium supplements. This book is crawling with more than 100 denizens of the land, sky, sea, and underdark, waiting to creep into the nearest adventure.

HRHistorical Reference

HR1 Vikings Campaign Sourcebook

“From the wrath of the Northmen, O Lord, deliver us…”
Now you can take your campaign and player characters into the realms of the Northmen. This is no mere fantasy world – this sourcebook is set in the historical world of Viking legend. Included in this sourcebook are new character classes, new magic, new spells, new monsters, new treasures, and the necessary background information on the life and times of the Vikings. Numerous floorplans and full-color map of the Viking world give you a complete roleplaying package.

HR2 Charlemagne’s Paladins Campaign Sourcebook

Charlemagne. Conqueror, statesman, lawmaker, the greatest medieval king of Europe. His reign lasted forty-four years, but his influence was felt for a thousand. From the chaos of the dark ages, he forged a kingdom that rivaled Roman Byzantium in its power and prestige. Join the noblest heroes of the age – mighty Roland, Bradamant the warrior maiden, arch-bishop Turpin, and Malagigi the wizard – on royal quests and wars against the Lombards, Moors, Saxons, and Vikings.

HR3 Celts Campaign Sourcebook

Celts – from those powerful barbarians who ruled Europe for centuries and challenged the might of Rome came the Druids, bards, and even the original legend of King Arthur. They ranged from Scotland to Greece and from Spain to Asia Minor, trading, raiding, and establishing a culture that is still alive today. Join mighty heros like the legendary Cu Chulainn or the woman-warrior Boudicca in wars against the Romans or the giant Fomorians, compete in feats of skill like chariot-jumping and spear-catching, or wander the half-world of the elflike sidhe.

HR4 A Mighty Fortress Campaign Sourcebook

All for one, and one for all!
From 1550 to 1650, Europe was torn apart by constant warfare. Social order collapsed under countless religious and civil wars. This was the age of Elizabeth, Francis Drake, Cromwell, Richelieu, D’artagnan, and Captain Blood. Bold mercenaries carved kingdoms out of the chaos; inquisitions and witch hunts raged; brazen pirates plundered the Spanish Main.

HR5 The Glory of Rome Campaign Sourcebook

“It is heaven’s will that my Rome shall be the capital of the world.”
One-thousand years of history are woven around the story of Rome. With this AD&D game supplement, PCs can stand fast before a mass of charging Gauls with Julius Caesar, vie for the emperor’s attention in the coliseum, bellow oratory in the senate, or dispense the pax romana to the ends of the earth in the name of the emperor Hadrian.

HR6 Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook

“Future generations will marvel at us, as the present age marvels at us now.”
– Pericles, Athenian statesman
Their names were Achilles, Odysseus, Jason, Heracles, and Alexander. Their deeds pitted them against monsters, men, and the known world. They were Greeks, and theirs was the age of heroes. This supplement, Age of Heroes, transforms this epic time of myth and history into an exciting AD&D setting, with details on spells, magical items, new character kits, maps, pictures of ancient Greek life, and a starting adventure.

HR7 The Crusades Campaign Sourcebook

Nine hundred years ago, the Dark Ages ended. But a new and terrible age then began, one of great conflicts: brutality and heroism, terror and courage, glorious victory and disastrous defeat. Western Europe turned its eyes eastward toward the Holy Land and moved to take it from the Saracens. But the forces of Islam would have none of this, and under the call of jihad they arose to meet the invaders.
The Crusades supplement presents the lad of Outremer as a powerful AD&D setting, with historical background and maps; new character kits; details on strange magic and fantastic beasts; and adventures. It is a violent and dangerous world, but one of promise and hope as well.

Encyclopedia Magica

Encyclopedia Magica, Vol. 1 [A-D]

The Encyclopedia Magica is a four-volume series that describes every magical item for the AD&D game. These items have been collected from rule books, campaign settings, supplements, adventures, and magazines dating back to 1975. This essential reference tool puts the power of more than 20 years of AD&D history at your fingertips!

Encyclopedia Magica, Vol. 2 [D-P]

The Encyclopedia Magica is a four-volume series that describes every magical item for the AD&D game. These items have been collected from rule books, campaign settings, supplements, adventures, and magazines dating back to 1975. This essential reference tool puts the power of more than 20 years of AD&D history at your fingertips!

Encyclopedia Magica, Vol. 3 [P-S]

The Encyclopedia Magica is a four-volume series that describes every magical item for the AD&D game. These items have been collected from rule books, campaign settings, supplements, adventures, and magazines dating back to 1975. This essential reference tool puts the power of more than 20 years of AD&D history at your fingertips!

Encyclopedia Magica, Vol. 4 [T-Z]

The Encyclopedia Magica is a four-volume series that describes every magical item for the AD&D game. These items have been collected from rule books, campaign settings, supplements, adventures, and magazines dating back to 1975. This essential reference tool puts the power of more than 20 years of AD&D history at your fingertips!

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS COMMUNITIES

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D 2nd Edition)

AD&D (Advanced Dungeon & Dragons) 2nd edition fans

Old school TSR gamers

GP Adventures Old School Roleplaying Group

Old School Gamers