What's the one book you wish you HADN'T bought?

[Extra Anchovies]

There's been a number of "which books are good" threads lately, so I thought I'd try something different. What's the one 3.X or Pathfinder book that you have a physical copy of, but that you really wish you hadn't purchased? This includes books received as gifts, because we're allowed to wish that the gifter had spent their money on something else.

For me, it's a 3.0 Psionics Handbook. I got it well after the XPH was out (and, I think, even after 4e was released), but I thought that I'd need the (non-expanded) Psionics Handbook before buying the Expanded Psionics Handbook, because if it has "Expanded" in its title it's clearly an add-on.

[ZamielVanWeber]

I actually like my all books to varying degrees. Complete Psionics does anger me sometimes with its strange decisions and bad editing. I mostly regret not having more books, although I admit managing to get my hands on the 3.0 Players Guide to Faerun was a bit disappointing, since it was long after the 3.5 one had come out, but before I found out that it had some out.

[Renen]

The book that I consider my most interesting purchase, and SOMETIMES wish I never bought: Book of erotic fantasy

[Gnome Alone]

The book that I consider my most interesting purchase, and SOMETIMES wish I never bought: Book of erotic fantasy

But now you know all about the reproductive cycle of oozes!

[Solaris]

Don't buy anything from Avalanche Press.
Just don't.

[AvatarVecna]

But now you know all about the reproductive cycle of oozes!

Mind if I quote this? Maybe it's just me, but I found this line hilarious.

[Gnome Alone]

Mind if I quote this? Maybe it's just me, but I found this line hilarious.

Be my guest.

[(Un)Inspired]

Oh god definitely the Big Book Of Prolapsed Rectums, it's terrible.

Oh wait, just d20 books? Then I've got to say the white wolf Mask of Red Death 3rd edition book. The flavor for the setting is superb but the editing must have been done by a person with a brain injury.

[ngilop]

Tome of Battle.

[Gnome Alone]

Oh god definitely the Big Book Of Prolapsed Rectums, it's terrible.

"Daw, shouldat least got da abridged version"

[Snowbluff]

"Daw, shouldat least got da abridged version"

*shakes head*

You have to go for the full volume. It's a real page turner and a good coffee table book.

[(Un)Inspired]

It was like staring the devil in the eye for a thousand pages.

[Gnome Alone]

Tome of Battle.

Cuz you could have like sixty bucks back?

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Cuz you could have like sixty bucks back?

I was thinking something similar, more along the lines of "if you bought it retail it was a decent investment".

I'm perfectly happy with everything I bought retail. I did have a bunch of books I bought in a lot from a friend which included enough blah books that made the lot barely worth the discounted rate I bought them at like a third party hell book, Ghostwalk and 3.0 PHB and DMG.

[jedipotter]

3X Psionic books just yuck, such a waste of time and space to make an ''alternative magic system for no reason''.

I'd say Tome of Battle, but I never bought that horrible book. I did ''own'' one for a minute or so....but it's ashes now.

[Just to Browse]

Monster Manual II. That book was just... just awful.

[Extra Anchovies]

Monster Manual II. That book was just... just awful.

I have to agree, it's been a darn long time since I looked at anything in that book.

[Tvtyrant]

Monster Manual II. That book was just... just awful.

I liked the MMII. There were a lot of great stuff in there, as long as you were willing to re-CR everything.

[Curmudgeon]

Probably Unearthed Arcana, given that most of it's available online, for free. Means it's money I could have spent on another book.

[Emperor Tippy]

Complete Psionics. Considering that it is the only hardback 3.0/3.5 book that I returned to the store.

My current copy was actually a gift from a friend who used to own a bookstore and was otherwise going to be trashed because of damage.

---
Rules Compendium is also in contention. Complete Scoundrel maybe as well.

[Psyren]

None. Knowledge is power.

[Alent]

Ultimate Combat.

Nobody in our group really liked it except the group's un-optimizer/kenny, and by the time the campaign ended and we got to make new characters using it, enough of it was on the PF SRD that nobody noticed when I stopped bringing it.

It isn't really a bad book, but I was expecting more of it than it had to give.

[Nousos]

Anger of Angels, as much as I loathe pretty much all of the author's work, I could get past all of that for a book giving me a stated out heirarchy of angelic evil bane smiting war machines. (which is what the fluff was) As I should have known, pretty much every part of the book was a mess, ranging from laughably over or under CR'd stats and LA to horribly weak and unusable prc's. Even the fluff didn't seem in any way logical.

Oddly enough I don't regret buying obscure campaign setting books that I rarely touch.

[Khedrac]

For me it's the 3.0 psionics books, but I did get lucky - I saw my friend's copy of the Dungeon Survival Guide before I bought one.

[Brookshw]

Exemplars of Evil, had some useful things but too many pages spent on npc plot hooks I'll never use.

[atemu1234]

Tome of Battle.

Why? Just money reasons?

3X Psionic books just yuck, such a waste of time and space to make an ''alternative magic system for no reason''.

I'd say Tome of Battle, but I never bought that horrible book. I did ''own'' one for a minute or so....but it's ashes now.

We know your tome of battle qualms, and don't want to turn this into another thread on that.

Also, I can agree with complete psionics, but EPH is alright.

[Petrocorus]

3X Psionic books just yuck, such a waste of time and space to make an ''alternative magic system for no reason''.

Even the XPH? Just because you think another subsystem is useless

I'd say Tome of Battle, but I never bought that horrible book. I did ''own'' one for a minute or so....but it's ashes now.

Tome of Battle.

What's the problem with ToB?

[atemu1234]

What's the problem with ToB?

H-shh-shh-shh-shh! Don't ask, just don't bleeding ask!

[StoneCipher]

BoEF...don't ask...

[Psyren]

To the folks asking "why ToB" - you're not ever going to get every D&D player, even fans, to sign off on that book - you're just not. Trying is a waste of time. And I say that as someone who is 85% in favor of ToB. (With the unofficial errata, I'm 90%, and with Path of War instead I'm 95%.)