How do you use pdf's

[Eben]

With all the buzz on drivethru and DRM (still not sure what this exactly is), I wondered how people use their pdf's. I think it's great pdf is a means of getting oop products.
But how do you use them around the gaming table? Without having to print them out obviously. Do you use them on a laptop, can you put them on a pda? I'm a commuter and like to read on the train, can I do this on a pda? (I don't use one, so I don't even know if it's possible.)
You get the picture. (Perhaps somebody more knowledgable might like to set up a poll when there have been listed some options)
Peter

 

[MerakSpielman]

I don't use electronic devices at my table (with the exception of a calculator). But I only have a small handful of pdfs, so I just print them out.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I unethically print them out at work and put them in a three-ring binder that I steal, again, from work. Gaming PDFs are my way of sticking it to The Man.

This isn't exactly a great solution, incidentally. The three-ring binders that one steals from work aren't meant to be read in any convient fashion. They're designed to be held open during meetings so you can pretend to be following along with a presentation, when you're really statting out your next character in the margins. When you flip the binder out, the left page is always blank, unless your work copiers are better than the ones we have (we have crappy coppiers because some people overuse them by printing personal stuff instead of work-related material). So a 64 page book turns into a 128 page monstrosity. Plus, the pages aren't even so it's really easy to get paper cuts. The average gaming PDF in a three-ring binder is deadlier than ninja stars. Watch out for them.

 

[Wombat]

If I am going to use them at the table, I print out the small bit I want. Often this is an interesting rules variant, some spells, or perhaps a PrC I think the group might be interested in.

I mainly use pdfs as idea mines. Often these are books that I was so-so about buying (Diamond Throne -- only wanted the PrCs and magical items, definitely not the setting), or else they are interesting tidbits other people have not really delved into (the Kaiser's Bazaar series is fantastic this way!). So the material may well work into my campaign background material or even into an adventure without the pdf ever being printed.

 

[Pravus]

For the most part I use PDFs as a resource when I am at work and all my books are at home (I do all my printing at work). Of the few only on PDF products that I own I have printed them out and placed in a binder at home but still have the PDF on my work PC and backed-up on a CD.

 

[Samothdm]

1) I buy all of my PDFs at work (during lunch or after work) using their T-1 line. I save them to my work hard-drive (with IT persmission) and save them to CD to then upload onto my my crappy little laptop at home. I've also put some up on my secure FTP site as "back-up" in case I lose the CD or get a new computer at work (although the IT dept. here is pretty good about copying everything over, even stuff that's personal).

2) I have printed out entire books at work, using my own paper and later put them in a folder or just held them together with a big clip.

3) I have copied sections (usually NPCs and monsters from adventures) to Word, modified them, and then printed them out in small type and taped them onto little 3" x 5" index cards.

4) I've printed out player handouts for adventures like Monte's Banewarrens and also maps.

5) I've printed out short sections, 5-10 pages, to take outside to read during my lunch so I don't have to lug a whole book around. I can fold it up and put it in my pocket when I'm done.

 

[Psion]

I really don't print whole PDFs out anymore. I used to, but it became quite a hassle. I might print specific material I use in a game.

I use them when preparing material for a game, either as direct reference or copy and pasting appropraite materials in my note.

I use a laptop at my gaming table and refer to it when playing as needed when a book is not preferable or available.

Most importantly, I use it to preview print products that I am not sure about.

 

[Voadam]

I've read them online and I've printed some out.

I mostly use them as cut and paste resources for character options, (feats, classes, spells) and for DM resources. For instance I have made custom done out spellbook files with all the spells my character has and it is much easier to cut and paste to create it than to transcribe every spell. Similarly I have started compiling a huge monster sourcebook to get things into one file with a quick reference CR file.

We do our games mostly by e-mail now and I do a lot of cut and pasting from sourcebooks. We mostly use the srd, pdfs I own, and some print stuff I have transcribed.

 

[just__al]

Well, I have PDF versions of every gaming book I own in print. I do most of my planning at a computer so it makes sense for me (I won't go into how I got them but I don't have PDF's instead of buying I have them in addition to buying)

It's very nice to be able to prepare my game notes and probably go the entire session without having to fumble for books.

 

[eris404]

I unethically print them out at work and put them in a three-ring binder that I steal, again, from work. Gaming PDFs are my way of sticking it to The Man.

I hate to admit I do the same thing. At my job, they used to hoard old, empty binders that no one ever used - they buy nice new ones in pretty colors that coordinate with their presentations. I started taking them on the sly until I saw someone throwing them out one day and was able to claim them for my own. Waste not want not.

So a 64 page book turns into a 128 page monstrosity. Plus, the pages aren't even so it's really easy to get paper cuts. The average gaming PDF in a three-ring binder is deadlier than ninja stars. Watch out for them.

And don't forget they are heaaaav-eeeeee. I mean, try lugging around just the SRD in a binder on the subway to someone's house.

But to the original question, I copy and paste special abilities, feats or spells into my character sheet so that I don't have to lug around three binders worth of stuff.