What (type of) Book Would You Spend $100 On?

[philreed]

Okay, in this thread the majority of responses indicate that people aren't interested in spending $100 on a monster book. Which leads me to wonder what type of book people would spend $100 on.


In thinking about it, I'd not so much spend $100 on one game book (the size would be so large as to make the book difficult to use) but a box or otherwise collected set of books.

For example, an RPG that included maybe 5 or 6 books -- a DIFFERENT player's handbook for each class and a GM's guide. The idea being that a game group buys this $100 product and each player selects a class. Each PHB includes all of the rules and the rules appropriate/necessary to that class only. The GM's guide includes summaries of the class rules, all of the game rules, plus all of the GM-type stuff.

But what type of (game) book would you spend $100 on?

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I can't imagine I'd ever pay $100 dollars for ANY game book. A set? Maybe. But believe you me, I'd look for an online retailer where I could beat that price.

 

[drothgery]

I think you're right on about the 'set of books' thing; any book with $100 worth of content is probably too big to use at a tabletop.

But here's an idea... If I DM'd anything other than the occasional PBP, I think I'd probably pay $100 for a 'DM's Edition' campaign setting, of everything you need to run a campaign in World X.

- 1 high-quality core rulebook (~300 page hardcover, full color, etc.), which would also be available separately
- 1 book of NPCs and organizations, complete with stats for potential allies and enemies of all levels (or at least all non-epic levels)
- Lots of maps -- world, major nations, major cities, etc.
- 1 mega-adventure (~200 page paperback)

 

[F5]

For a gaming book? I might pay $100 for a computerized DMG that indexed every rule published, automatically statted NPCs, created campaign-appropriate maps, and dispensed beverages.

I think $30 is too much for a gaming book. Drothgery's run-down of a all-included DM's edition campaign boxed set is a good one, but I probably wouldn't pay more than $60-$70 for it, and that's pushing it...

I guess I'm just a cheapskate...

 

[diaglo]

none. i wouldn't pay $100 for any currently produced rpg book or set of books.

i'd pay that for an OoP item that was in a limited release. but that's about it.

 

[WayneLigon]

I guess I would have to see it first. I can't imagine spending $100 (or whatever it was online, since for something that expensive you can bet I'd look for the best deal I could find despite liking to support my FLGS) on a single book. I just cannot see me getting enough out of it to justify the price.

 

[Shade]

I'd consider shelling out $100 for any of the following:

• A book similar to Ed Greenwood's Nine Hells articles in Dragon, that goes into incredible depth on any (or all) of the lower planes.
• A complete 3.5 update of an entire defunct campaign setting, such as Dark Sun or Spelljammer.
• A book with all the monsters that have ever appeared in Dungeon and Dragon magazines, all updated to 3.5 with artwook by Wayne Reynolds.
• An updated Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting detailing every region in the level of detail given in the regional sourcebooks.

Even for one of those, I'm still unsure if I'd fork over $100. That is just far beyond the normal thresholds I'm comfortable with.

 

[Gentlegamer]

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd edition, set of three books, by Gary Gygax.

If only it existed.

 

[Wombat]

I can't imagine I'd ever pay $100 dollars for ANY game book. A set? Maybe. But believe you me, I'd look for an online retailer where I could beat that price.

Have to agree here.

A game book that costs $100 would be huge and would probably include material that is useful for players and for the GM, but you wouldn't want the players looking at the GM section, so it kinda defeats the purpose. Equally it would have to be about as humungous and unwieldy as the WLD -- impractical, and also constantly a worry about whether the spine would break on it.

I don't really understand "collectible" volumes, pre-determined "collector's items", so the gold-printed, dragon-hide-bound book that would cost $100+ would also be of little use.

In the end I would pay that kinda money for a set of books, but probably would be most tempted if the set cost significantly less (15%?) than buying the books individually.

Nope, no single volume.

 

[Kelleris]

I have a pile of books already, so if I found a book that exactly nailed something I've been looking for for a long time, I'd drop a hundred bucks on it in a heartbeat, just because I know I'll use it all. It would just replace the next three high-quality but not designed-using-invasive-telepathy books I would've bought.

For instance, if someone published an XPH-like book with rules for a technologist core class, complete with its own device subsystem, I'd pay a hundred dollars for that.

But a book that was designed to cost a hundred dollars, as compared to something worth a hundred dollars? I can't think of anything.