Core Books only or Everything?

[DungeonMaster]

Core only DM.

I use core 3rd edition rules, no "prestige classes" and a single variant (power components) from the DMG.

I'm currently questing for some sort of balanced and impressive 3rd party material because frankly I havn't found any yet.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I use a wide array of material, but I do go over anything before I give the green light to be used in my games.

Kane

 

[Spade4u]

I say everything is important, but only use what you need. almost all of my players basically know some magic, I got the Complete Arcane and Tome and Blood manuals with all the other good stuff (PH, DMH, MM).

 

[DragonLancer]

As DM I allow the corebooks, whatever setting material I am using at the time, plus a select list of feats, spells, MI's, PrC's and such from other books that I own. I also don't allow anything from a product I don't own myself.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

All available sources, and I encourage players to bring other materials to my attention.

My current campaign has run three sessions; my players and I have employed eleven books. I'm using Conan the Roleplaying Game as my Core, the Iron Kingdoms for firearms rules, d20 Modern for class defense, a mix of Modern, UA and Spycraft for action points, a homebrew action structure, the PHB, OGL Steampunk and Complete Adventurer for PCs' classes, Complete Arcane for a pair of major NPCs, and I just slapped a few templates on a Monster Manual monster.

If I were going to play "Core Only," it would be Modern, Conan or Steampunk. Not that I would...

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

Count me into the "Whatever you like" crowd. I just tell the seed of the story and let the players guide it along it shape. Small things like the combat rules and the like merely get in the way, I let whichever player is most worried about them bring things up as they go if it matters that much. We're pretty close to freeform, with the character design as a good snapshot of their types of abilities and the rules and dice as loose suggestions of how the "script" for our "tv show" should have been written.

 

[Hodag]

All according to a theme

What I use depends on the campaign. I love Swashbuckling Adventures' and Sovereign Stone D20's magic systems and Arcana Unearthed. I've run Eberron with the Complete Series and Expanded Psi and it worked out fine. I use a lot of homebrew stuff and snag whatever rules fit the circumstances best.

 

[the Jester]

I voted 'core plus medium other'... I don't ban anything based on source, but I heavily evaluate anything before allowing it into my game.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I would basically allow anything at least for a while to try it.
But I have found that my players never want anything outside of the core books.
As as DM the only thing I have used outside the core are Monster books/supplements.
I am open to anything but don't usually bother cracking open a book just to look for a feat/skill for a npc or foe.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

My players tend to be core only (since they only really buy the PH). I, however, will use any and all supplements I have around me to create the perfect villain or villains for each and every game.