Anybody Use just the Core Rulebooks? Why? Why not?

[Ranger Rick]

Just the core books. That and the SRD that is online. There is plenty there to use. However, I do not play as much so that helps not being bored through repetition.

 

[TerraDave]

Depends on the game, but usually no; most everyone in our group has been gaming for over 10 years, and those that haven't are big on variety. Using nothing but the core ruleset gets boring quickly.

I am sure there are people who been playing a lot longer (10 years isn't long by EnWorld standards) with games like CoC, Castles and Crusaders, the D&D rules cyclopedia, and yes probably the core rules...that aren't bored

 

[reanjr]

I usually play core + setting. I don't normally allow anything from the Races of... and Complete... series. Currently I'm running a planar campaign, though, and I am much more laissez-faire about that.

 

[kenobi65]

In one of the campaigns I DM, it's probably 98% core rulebooks. The players aren't interested in using much from the other books (and they don't *own* any other books, for the most part), and I've been running them largely through pre-written WotC adventures, so we've been just fine without all the extras. I think we've got 2 or 3 feats from Complete books being used, and one or two items from the Arms & Equipment Guide, but that's it.

The other campaign I DM has a little more from the other WotC books, but not a lot. It's in the FR, so a few PCs are taking advantage of FR-specific races, spells, PrCs. We've only got 1 non-WotC "thing" at all (the Battleblade Scion PrC from The Game Mechanics "Swords of our Fathers", which was reprinted in Unearthed Arcana not too long after the campaign started anyway).

 

[Desdichado]

I am sure there are people who been playing a lot longer (10 years isn't long by EnWorld standards) with games like CoC, Castles and Crusaders, the D&D rules cyclopedia, and yes probably the core rules...that aren't bored

Our group is made up of players that have all played longer (with the exception of one guy's wife who only started playing five years or so ago. I think it says something that in our Eberron game, every single character is using a brand-spanking new Eberron specific race or class.

 

[Methos]

Not to sound like an old fogey, but...............

Depends on the game, but usually no; most everyone in our group has been gaming for over 10 years, and those that haven't are big on variety. Using nothing but the core ruleset gets boring quickly.

I mentioned to my wife the other day, that I've been playing D&D for over 25 years.................most of the rest of the group since the mid-80's, so we've seen pretty much everything since the old "Red Box Basic Game". I still have my PHB, DMG, MM and Deities and Demigods (including stuff like the Cthulu mythos which was nerfed in the revised Deities and Demigods) 1st edition books. Sigh...........those were the days.

Cheers

Methos

 

[shilsen]

Our group is made up of players that have all played longer (with the exception of one guy's wife who only started playing five years or so ago. I think it says something that in our Eberron game, every single character is using a brand-spanking new Eberron specific race or class.

I think that does make a difference. I'm running an Eberron game too, and I'm allowing most (not all) things from the core books and the ECS. Things may be taken from the Complete series of books on a case-by-case basis. So far, we've used one prestige class and three spells from there, so you could say my campaign is 99%+ core (counting the ECS material as core for the setting).

 

[dreaded_beast]

As an experienced player, I love having all the optional (WotC only) books available for use.

As a DM, I find it a headache to handle since I am relatively new to DMing, so my next campaign will be strictly Core, at least from the beginning: 3.5 PHB, DMG, MM, and the Thin 32-Page Greyhawk Gazeteer.

As the game progresses and I become more comfortable with the group, we may add more supplements later.

 

[Luce]

I use the core books and ToH about 95+% of the time. But then again I tend to run Dungeon mag adventures almoust exclusivly(2nd& 3rd edition). I beleave many DM use variety of monster books so they are able to supprise the players. As writen in 2ed dmg ~Soon the players will discover that charecters of level X can defeat maosnter Y with ease, but monster Z give them trouble, or some thing in that spirit. Players start to (delibertly or not) figure how "tough" a tipical representative of a given race is and divise preaty effective tacktics against its race(which is resonable-it shows they are interested in the game). By trowing [at them] monster they did not recognice keep them at their toes.

That said, I believe one can keep a 3-4 year campaign without the need to use anything but the "3 core".

 

[John Morrow]

Why wouldn't I just have a campaign (for a change) using just the "core rulebooks", meaning only PH, DM Guide, and MMI, II, III (I consider all 3 MM to be core).

Is there a reason why you don't consider the Fiend Folio "core", but MM2 and MM3 "core"?

I've been allowing your "core" + FF + EPH + Arms and Equipment + the four Complete books + a smattering of Forgotten Realms stuff. If I had to do it over again, I'd definitely ban the Forgotten Realms stuff (with a single possible exception) since I'm not running my game there and it rarely fits right. The Complete books are useful for additional prestige classes and feats but I could probably do fine without them, too. EPH is used for a specific part of the game and I could do without that, too.

In fact, if I revise my current campaign setting for reuse and possibly putting it up on the web or something, I may just stick to the SRD core (including some of the additional Divine material) and create prestige classes that really fit my setting. I've used only a handful or so of creatures from the MM2, MM3, and Fiend Folio and wouldn't miss them much if I didn't use them. The main thing I'd have to make up for in Arms and Equipment are the extra poisons, the individual bits of clothing, and some of the odd trade goods but I could probably work around that.

So my suggestion is to go for it and even consider limiting yourself to just the basic MM. There is plenty there to run an interesting game.

(Edit: mentions of Arms and Equipment)