For those of you who are either running a 3rd Edition D&D or playing on one, what is your take on the D20 (non)D&D books? I'm talking about stuff like Relic & Rituals, Magic of Faerun, and the creature books. These aren't official D&D expansion but the rules are the same.

For the most part I think they provide interesting ideas and concepts. Most spells and creatures don't transfer to D&D without hurting the balance in my opinion.

Do you find that these books work in your campaign? Do you find them balanced? What is your take on them?

I could have sworn I replied to this a while ago, but I guess not.

I use the FR books along with the separate class books. I don't necessarily use ALL the rules in them, it just depends on the current campaign setting. As far as the other d20 books, I skimmed through them in the book store to see what they were all about, and I wasn't extreamly impressed. Nothing really stuck out to me. I would consider using them if they had some cool optional rules, new weapons, feats, skills, etc. One of these days I'll go back and look through them more carefully.

Aside from the core rulebooks for 3E, the coolest supplement I've seen has been Relics and Rituals by Sword&Sorcery press. Badly written, cringe-worthy at times. But some very cool ideas. The tatoo magic they list dovetailed very nicely with some ideas I was already, *ahem*, liberating from another RPG into my world. The new spells are very, very good. Useful, but still at the same power level as the other spells in the PHB of the same level. And the ritual magic section actually can give some justification for why your PCs are always busting in on evil cultists doing some weird ritual. A lot of problems, I'll admit, but the good far outweighs the bad(IMO)

I'm not as big a fan of the 3 character books that Wizards has put out, but the fighter one is actually pretty neat. And I haven't picked up the FR books, so I can't really judge.

Cullain

All the FR books are really good. Great stories and artwork.

We use the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting (3rd edition). Excellent book that makes that the DM doesn't have some things for they are already in the boko etc. Ah and I love Fearun! :)