Good lord, so many books...

[Tewligan]

A couple of nights ago, I was looking at the dozens upon dozens upon dozens of d20 books on my shelves. I realized that I could easily count the ones I've ever used in a game as a player or DM on two hands, with fingers to spare. Hell, there are several books in there that I bought just because they sounded cool, and then never even bothered to READ them, let alone use them in a game. By comparison, last night before the D&D game I was flipping through my DM's old copy of Star Frontiers. That game had, what, 2 or 3 tiny supplements? There wasn't a huge glut of books detailing rules for every creature or planet or culture or sexual fetish or whatever. And it was fun. You didn't have piles of books to wade through to find an obscure rule that someone - maybe someone no more qualified to be publishing rules than you or me - published, in the hopes of squeezing out every possible perk or bonus or loophole. You knew the rules, or you at least knew that they could easily be found. Game sessions moved along at a brisk pace, and GM's could whip up a ruling on something without fear of contradiction from the corners of a forgotten book. Sigh.

Hell, I'm not even really sure what the focus of my complaint is. Something between "I spend too much money on stuff I never use" and "I miss the time when gaming was simpler". Oh, and I'm not pining specifically for Star Frontiers, although it was sweet - it's just the example that my fevered brain seized on after seeing it again last night. I dunno. Maybe I'm coming down with Diaglo Syndrome or something, but I'm liking this d20 arms race less and less.

 

[omnimpotent]

I hear your pain, man. Perhaps we should form a support group. "Splatbooks Anonymous" No, the initials are all wrong, and already taken.

I guess we have to face up to it - we like to read RPG books, even those we don't ever intend to use. I bought all five of the WotC splatbooks, even though after reading the first two I knew I would never use more than two pages worth of material from any one of them. As a DM or as a player, almost nothing in any of those books was so great I felt they were worth carrying to every game session. Granted, I'm not that crazy about prestige classes, or more feats that give you a +2 bonus to two skills. I cannot imagine how much all the Quintessential guides cost, or what that collection would weigh, or what backpack they would all fit in. You would probably have a lot of prestige classes, though.

And game systems or campaign settings that you love, but cannot imagine how you would get your players to get into? Two shelves full of those babies.

As to making gaming simpler, heck, we just imposed a moratorium on just about everything outside of the 3 main books. Speeds up the game, and nobody has to buy the Quintessential Lefthanded Albino Half-Fiend Darkelven Arcane Archer/Assassin unless they really want to read it. Every once and a while a spell or feat from the WotC five will sneak in, but not without GM approval. Those kinder, simpler days are just a splatbooks bann away.

Now adventures, that's different, no possible way you can have enough of those. More=Better.

 

[Crothian]

You have books you don't use? I don't understand. Okay, I've got books I don't use, but there are for more that I use. The ones I don't use I give away. I gave away three today and I'm mailing out 4 more come monday. And I agreed to give away more in an upcoming contest.

But the point is I always find uses for good books. I'll reference a few dozen different books setting up a campaign. For me that's part of the fun, fitting together things that don't always fit that well.

 

[Altalazar]

I have every Wizards book except the Dragonlance and Diablo stuff. And the Dragonlance I may get one of these decades.

I have a handful of other d20 products for D&D. Ok, and I have Cthulu and all of Ravenloft, but I love Ravenloft.

I haven't had time to use ANY of them recently. Though I did use all of my D&D books up through the time I stopped gaming due to no time.

While I can understand the sentiment of having books unused, I do love books, so I don't feel bad about having them. And since I've bought them about as they come out (or from Amazon in some slightly larger orders) it really hasn't felt like it cost much. 20-40 bucks a month really is basically free, compared to all of my other life's expenses.

And the books just look so nice on my bookshelf.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

You have books you don't use? I don't understand. Okay, I've got books I don't use, but there are for more that I use. The ones I don't use I give away. I gave away three today and I'm mailing out 4 more come monday. And I agreed to give away more in an upcoming contest.

But the point is I always find uses for good books. I'll reference a few dozen different books setting up a campaign. For me that's part of the fun, fitting together things that don't always fit that well.

Hey Crothian, who won your "best monster design" contest at RHF? I was too late with my entry, but I checked that thread many times, and never saw a winner...
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I too have many books I never use. Some I give away or trade but usually I send them to Noble Knight Games for trade credit after I saw a final farewell...