Do you modify/write-in your game books?

[innerdude]

There's a demon waiting in the 9th Level of the Abyss to capture the souls of all who write in their books.



I really can't fathom ever writing in a rulebook. It really would feel . . . dirty. Unholy even.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'm fascinated that people think writing in a book is wrong somehow.

 

[Zaukrie]

 

[GMMichael]

. . . Writing in RPG books is, I suspect, a Grognard thing that's been getting less common as the average quality of RPG books went up.

Makes sense. It's easy to write in a book that already looks like it's printed on a notebook. But the "errata" thing seems pretty common these days, and I would much rather reference just the primary book, with notes, than reference both the book and its errata.

My personal game books are designed as spreadsheets. So if I modify anything, it's the game-specific spreadsheet, not the book/original.

 

[el-remmen]

I'm fascinated that people think writing in a book is wrong somehow.

Ideological indoctrination by primary school teachers/librarians.

 

[CleverNickName]

I never write in my books, except maybe to put my name inside the cover. Maybe.

If I need to bookmark something for a gaming session, I usually just put a Post-It note in while I'm prepping my materials, and then remove it after the game.

I come by it honest; I worked in a library for 4 years.

 

[Bilharzia]

There are three kinds of book owners.

The first has all the standard sets and best-sellers—unread, untouched. (This deluded individual owns wood-pulp and ink, not books.)

The second has a great many books—a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance.)

The third has a few books or many—every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. (This man owns books.)

HOW TO MARK A BOOK
by Mortimer J. Adler

How To Mark A Book - by Mortimer J. Adler

I have to mark this video NSFW - Not Safe for Whales - in this context whales are rpg book buyers who largely fit into the second category above. The rpg 'industry' relies almost entirely on these people, who make up 90% of the market for rpg books.

The below video includes many potential triggers which make it NSFW - minor offences such as post-it notes give way to more serious practices like written paper notes attached to scraps of paper, multiple marginalia, some filthy video of dog-earing (not sure how that got onto YouTube), then final Full-Page notes, and some very hardcore highlighting often using mixed colours on a single page. If you've watched similar documentaries about a person's descent into depravity and a wasted life, this is one such story. You have been warned.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Mea culpa. I am a former librarian. The thought of writing in my books gives me both heebies and jeebies.

Ideological indoctrination by primary school teachers/librarians.

 

[el-remmen]

Thank you for sharing this video! I love it! A kindred spirit! I dog-ear the FLARN out of my books (also my favorite book of all-time is Moby Dick).

 

[ART!]

I have to, to prioritize the things I know I'm going to wish I had prioritized. I use tabs, highlighters, tiny post-its, underline stuff, and add notes in the margins.

As a kid, I picked up underlining and writing notes/comments in my books from my dad, the very-old-school college professor.