Should a DM buy the player splats?

[Stoat]

When I used to DM 2E, I didn't buy many of the player splat books because I was a student, and I couldn't afford them.

When I used to DM 3E, I bought a lot of the player splats because I could use them to make NPC's.

After I started DM'ing 4E, I stopped buying player splats because 4E NPC's are different from 4E PC's and because the Compendium gives me any information I need about PC-specific abilities.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I find this topic pretty funny. The very idea of who should or should not be buying hobby goodies is laughable.

Rpg books are toys/leisure items purchased purely for pleasure. Any person should just buy whatever they think that they will enjoy owning.

The very idea of thinking that owning a particular book entitles one to use its contents as a player in any game is pretty funny too.

 

[DragonLancer]

Do you mean the player's version of the Inner Sea setting guide or the full version?

Sorry just curious!

I have both. The players get access to the players version for ease of reference during game, but they can use the spells, PrC's, equipment and feats from the main hardcover version.

 

[Aeolius]

These problems never seem to pop up, for online games. My players never borrow my books and it is assumed that I do not allow the use of materials from books I do not personally own.

That being said, of course DMs should buy player-oriented splatbooks. NPCs are the DM's characters, after all. My players are well aware that I have been itching to unleash my spellstitched swarm-shifter dread necromancer emancipated spawn half-scrag sea kin lacedon with aboleth grafts at some point in the game.

 

[Umbran]

spellstitched swarm-shifter dread necromancer emancipated spawn half-scarg sea kin lacedon with aboleth grafts

We now have Aeolius's entry in the "longest monster name" contest....

 

[Aeolius]

We now have Aeolius's entry in the "longest monster name" contest....

unless you need a single-worded entry, in which case I submit my half-fiend vampiric ixitxachitl... the vampyrmyrmyxachitl

 

[Zelda Themelin]

[/QUOTE]
That being said, of course DMs should buy player-oriented splatbooks. NPCs are the DM's characters, after all. My players are well aware that I have been itching to unleash my spellstitched swarm-shifter dread necromancer emancipated spawn half-scrag sea kin lacedon with aboleth grafts at some point in the game.[/QUOTE]

Oh I have read this so many times I want her stats

 

[Dice4Hire]

In my experience DMs buy a lot more books than the players, but my experience is limited.

In my group we have two DMs and each of us has bought most of the books. One of hte players buys no books and the other bought the PHBI

The DMs set the rules for character creation and it varies by campaign, but we usually include as many options as possible.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Thing is, there are two kinds of players. Those who DND seriously and those who take DND as just a game. The people who take DND seriously will end up buying there own stuff, but what about those who just want to play a game? There not the type to sit around studying a DND book all day, and probably won't know what their options are unless the DM points them out. Therefore, A DM should collect some books for his players who are just playing a game.

Um, the people who aren't playing it "just as a game" are doing what, exactly, Blackleaf?

 

[prosfilaes]

Um, the people who aren't playing it "just as a game" are doing what, exactly, Blackleaf?

They're spending time arguing about it on web forums, of course.