Do We Need any more d20 books?

[Psion]

Well, on Morrus' rant, one of the things I thought about, was do I personally need any more d20 books? I'm not talking about wanting but actual needing.

I don't need RPG products at all. I find need to be a pretty strong word. RPGs to me are luxuries.

There are, however, several shades of "useful and productive in giving me a campaign that I want." Taken in that vein, I find that there are very few d20 products these days I find very urgent to buy. I already have shelves and shelves of d20 stuff that I almost feel like I am missing out on using. I could stop buying d20 stuff today and feel well supported in a number of campaigns I am interested in for some time to come.

The best I can offer is products that "play well into things I am interested in running." The most recent such products for me was Beyond Countless Doorways, which is rich fodder for my planned "Sailors on the River of Worlds" game. I really need... er, would find extremely accomodating... the hardbond version of this when it comes out.

 

[Desdichado]

Well, heck, I don't need any RPG books at all, much less more of them. There are plenty of other activities that compete for my hobby attention; the novel I want to write someday, my Playstation, my Dreamcast and (hopefully following my next birthday) my xbox. Spending time with my wife and kids. Watching movies. Reading books. Watching TV. Working out (something I've been wanting to get serious about for years.) So need is really the wrong word. But I get what you mean.

And on that front, I also don't need any more RPG books. I buy very few new ones these days, it seems. And the ones I buy are more curiosities than needs; a "hey, this might be fun to read, and maybe raid a few ideas from" kinda thing. My setting is running fine on material I already have, and will continue to do so indefinately. For that matter, the next half dozen or so settings I could imagine running will also work just fine on what I already have (or at least, on what is already in print.)

There are plenty of things I'd still like to buy, and plenty that I still will buy, but I certainly don't need any more RPG books. In fact, although I was initially against the ideas of more fully integrating minis into my RPG, I'm actually more interested in picking up Warhammer, Confrontation and Warmachine minis for my d20 game than I am books these days.

 

[buzz]

Well, people already covered the "need v. want" thing. Lord knows I don't need any more d20 books, much less RPG books in general (just ask my wife!). I was even considering posting a thread asking what percenteage of your gaming collection have you actually *read*, much less use on a regular basis. Given how many lines I'm currently purchasing regularly (Core D&D, Eberron, AU, d20M, M&M, Burning Wheel, HERO) and sporadically (Misc. Malhavoc, GR, RPGObjects, Atlas Games, HeroQuest, Grim Tales, Alternity, Planescape and now GURPS), I already have enough RPGs to keep me occupied, *just as reading material*, for many years.

But I can't stop. I love getting new game books. I love browsing my FLGS or Amazon. I love getting a look at the hot new products. I am forever deluded that, yes, I *will* be able to get my group to try Burning Wheel/HeroQuest/GURPS/Tri-Stat/Whatever... so I should keep buying it. I am a RPG publisher's wet dream.

Seriously, I need help.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, before this topic gets derailed into, "I don't need RPGs, only food, air and shelter to a limited extent."

Let's put it this way, in game mechanics, are there areas sorely lacking in the d20 mechanic rule set? I think so.

 

[JoeGKushner]

A good book (novel), for DMs looking to run games involving economics, is David Liss' The Coffee Trader.

www.davidliss.com

This book, and his other books, are easily some of the most inpiring books I've read in the last few years. Each is loaded with ideas a DM can swipe and, more importantly, they all inspire a slightly different way of thinking.

I see your call and buy it!

NO seriously, just ordered the Coffee Trader and Conspiracy of Paper from Amazon. I shared the love so hopefully David is giving you the tumbs up for this post.

 

[Crothian]

THere is one book I do need along with food and shelter: Thieves World d20. I need that book

 

[Psion]

I also feel the area of beleivable world generation in SF is a lacking area in d20.

 

[JoeGKushner]

A good book (novel), for DMs looking to run games involving economics, is David Liss' The Coffee Trader.

www.davidliss.com

This book, and his other books, are easily some of the most inpiring books I've read in the last few years. Each is loaded with ideas a DM can swipe and, more importantly, they all inspire a slightly different way of thinking.

I see your call and buy it!

NO seriously, just ordered the Coffee Trader and Conspiracy of Paper from Amazon. I shared the love so hopefully David is giving you the tumbs up for this post.

 

[Aaron2]

Well, on Morrus' rant, one of the things I thought about, was do I personally need any more d20 books? I'm not talking about wanting but actual needing.

What I need is a "d20 System" Handbook that has all the rules for D&D plus rules for modern, low or no magic, sci-fi, spy, western, pulp, horror, etc. All in one book, all 100% fully compatable with D&D. That's all I need.


Aaron

 

[diaglo]

i'm still waiting for the Complete Idiot's Guide to d02 Roleplaying.