D&D Rules Compendium: How useful would it be to me?

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[MENTION=20307]Jan van Leyden[/MENTION]
I can't speak to the quality of the PDF but the book itself is good. What I did is compressed the most commonly used information from there (and other sources) into a really sweet DM cheat sheet: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?307923-4e-DM-Cheat-Sheet

I'm a big fan of less is more when it comes to managing book/papers while I'm DMing. I want only three things in front of me:

1) DM Screen: I print the first three pages of that cheat sheet in landscape format and insert them in my savage worlds customizable three panel landscape GM screen. It's awesome.

2) Adventure: Usually this is a tablet with uploaded PDF / Evernote of current adventure, along with any random encounter tables and list of NPCS names. Sometimes it's a printout, depending on my needs and time.

3) PC/Monster Cards: When I am prepared, I follow the suggestion of Sly Flourish to organize initiative with cards across the top of DM screen. These cards include the name & picture of each PC/monster and defenses, along with (on my side only) any special notes I want to remind myself of.

A little off topic, but when I'm set up this way I maybe reference the Rules Compendium 1x during every other session for an esoteric rule.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Go for it, it contains the most up-to-date 4E rules and its very useful!

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, I'm a fan. Its a pretty good book. It will definitely give you some updated core rules on a few things, though nothing you MUST have. The skill, skill challenge, and mounted combat rules got some fairly extensive tweaks, and in general it is a pretty good reference. People are right though, it contains NOTHING in terms of specific game material. For instance there is an explanation of how armor works, how weapons work, etc but no equipment tables, which sometimes limits the utility of the thing a bit.

 

[Warunsun]

It is an essential book to own a hard-copy for use at the table. It is an amazing reference work for 4E. I also bought the PDF for use in-between sessions to do text searches. I highly recommend a printed copy over the PDF if you are only going to get one of them.