painandgreed
First Post
Books that I've never used in actual gameplay?
D&D 3.x
Total:14
Used:4
D&D 3.x
Total:14
Used:4
How many game books on your shelf have you never used?
- Thread starter Jack Spencer Jr
- Start date
20 books, all used
Good morning,
I have 20-21 books, over half are 2E. At various times I've used almost all at least a couple times. Mining them for ideas is the main use. I have only ever bought one or two adventure modules, so all these books are source type books. I like the crunchy bits. I don't think I've ever used all of any book except the DMG and PHB. The various 3E pdfs like Eldritch Might (used 5-6 times) and Songs of Power (only used once) were cheap enough to warrant limted use. I bought the pdf Academy Handbook: Abjuration College (?) from Malladin's Gate Press, and have not used it yet, but have direct plans to do so soon. I used Tome and Blood and Quintessential wizard to flesh out PrC's I had already introduced into the campaign I DM, but I didn't use the books' info unaltered- tweaks were necessary.
I play Neverwinter nights, so the FR campaign book lends me insight and info on the free mods out there, even though I don't use the book for tabletop play. I also read the FR novels, so the Book helps there too.
I keep the old 2E books like Encyclopedia Magica and the old Source books (the blue, the green and the red) for reference material-- especially the castle book and the old wizard book.
Good morning,
I have 20-21 books, over half are 2E. At various times I've used almost all at least a couple times. Mining them for ideas is the main use. I have only ever bought one or two adventure modules, so all these books are source type books. I like the crunchy bits. I don't think I've ever used all of any book except the DMG and PHB. The various 3E pdfs like Eldritch Might (used 5-6 times) and Songs of Power (only used once) were cheap enough to warrant limted use. I bought the pdf Academy Handbook: Abjuration College (?) from Malladin's Gate Press, and have not used it yet, but have direct plans to do so soon. I used Tome and Blood and Quintessential wizard to flesh out PrC's I had already introduced into the campaign I DM, but I didn't use the books' info unaltered- tweaks were necessary.
I play Neverwinter nights, so the FR campaign book lends me insight and info on the free mods out there, even though I don't use the book for tabletop play. I also read the FR novels, so the Book helps there too.
I keep the old 2E books like Encyclopedia Magica and the old Source books (the blue, the green and the red) for reference material-- especially the castle book and the old wizard book.
Exquisite Dead Guy
First Post
*GASP* Get rid of game books? Who does THAT!?!? 
I've more than a few books that I purchased knowing they'd probably never get thoroughly used. I just enjoy reading `em.
Maybe we should start some sort of support group for people that can't stop buying supplements.
I've more than a few books that I purchased knowing they'd probably never get thoroughly used. I just enjoy reading `em.
Maybe we should start some sort of support group for people that can't stop buying supplements.
mhacdebhandia
Explorer
I've got lots of roleplaying books, d20 and otherwise, that I've never used. Ether I'll get around to using them one day or they'll forever remain simple sources of ideas - either way, I enjoy reading them and collecting them.
Wraith Form
Explorer
Ditto. Including back issues of Dragon & Dungeon going back several years and many game systems/"modules" (the old-school term for adventures) that have nothing to do with d20.Turjan said:I have lots of books I haven't used anything from directly. I like to read gaming books for ideas or just for the fun of looking how somebody did what he wanted to achieve. In a sense, I use many gaming books in the same way I use most of the other books I have: I just read them, and if they were good, I might read them again. Sometimes, I use some ideas out of them.
E.g., I bought the Dragonlance Campaign Setting, when it sold for 60% off, although I was sure I would never ever play a Dragonlance game, only in order to look whether it contained a few cool ideas. I also have books for gaming systems that I do not intend to play, because of the same reason.
catch & release
Luckily, the number of game books that I have but don't use is decreasing. d20 brought an explosion in my purchasing of gaming material: books, minis, and even board & card games. Beforehand, I had learned with 2e that I liked the core D&D game and Dungeon magazine. The 2e brown books were my negative experience with rules inflation. I still have all my 2e stuff. I just can't bring myself to part with it, yet. When 3.0 hit, I stayed away from all the D&D d20 supplements; but I was a sucker for other games set in different genres. Some were good. I've even kept a few so far. But others I just read and sold--sort of my catch & release program for gaming material. I've got a few more candidates to get rid of right now, but I'm still mulling it over. I find it hard to part with the books, but I seldom miss them when they are gone. I always get something out of them, even if it's just the knowledge of what I don't want to play. I also enjoy the thought that someone who gets one of may old books may also enjoy it or put it in play.
Time, effort & participation are the real issues. I barely have time to read all the cool stuff I would like to have. I have (painfully) learned that I don't have time to play or run very much of it. Of the few things that are great enough to play, the effort needs to be minimal. The game needs to be essentially plug & play for me to embrace it: easy rules & modules for RPGs; very simple mechanics for other games. I can't (at least I usually won't) spend a lot of preparation time on a game. There are too many other awesome, easy options for that. Lastly, participation is at an all-time low for me and my fellow gamers. They are mostly interested in D&D with other RPGs & games tolerated at various levels (if at all). Since my interests vary (sometimes wildly--both as a DM & as a player), it is a tough situation.
My solution has been to try to minimize my investment in gaming to the extent possible. I buy less, but I still buy plenty. I work less at gaming, but I still play quite a bit. I find my enjoyment return on that less investment is more satisfying. It sounds like you have done the same by selling off some books that you didn't (and likely wouldn't ever) use.
Good for us.
Luckily, the number of game books that I have but don't use is decreasing. d20 brought an explosion in my purchasing of gaming material: books, minis, and even board & card games. Beforehand, I had learned with 2e that I liked the core D&D game and Dungeon magazine. The 2e brown books were my negative experience with rules inflation. I still have all my 2e stuff. I just can't bring myself to part with it, yet. When 3.0 hit, I stayed away from all the D&D d20 supplements; but I was a sucker for other games set in different genres. Some were good. I've even kept a few so far. But others I just read and sold--sort of my catch & release program for gaming material. I've got a few more candidates to get rid of right now, but I'm still mulling it over. I find it hard to part with the books, but I seldom miss them when they are gone. I always get something out of them, even if it's just the knowledge of what I don't want to play. I also enjoy the thought that someone who gets one of may old books may also enjoy it or put it in play.
Time, effort & participation are the real issues. I barely have time to read all the cool stuff I would like to have. I have (painfully) learned that I don't have time to play or run very much of it. Of the few things that are great enough to play, the effort needs to be minimal. The game needs to be essentially plug & play for me to embrace it: easy rules & modules for RPGs; very simple mechanics for other games. I can't (at least I usually won't) spend a lot of preparation time on a game. There are too many other awesome, easy options for that. Lastly, participation is at an all-time low for me and my fellow gamers. They are mostly interested in D&D with other RPGs & games tolerated at various levels (if at all). Since my interests vary (sometimes wildly--both as a DM & as a player), it is a tough situation.
My solution has been to try to minimize my investment in gaming to the extent possible. I buy less, but I still buy plenty. I work less at gaming, but I still play quite a bit. I find my enjoyment return on that less investment is more satisfying. It sounds like you have done the same by selling off some books that you didn't (and likely wouldn't ever) use.
Good for us.
VorpalBunny
Explorer
Remathilis said:
For Pete's sake.. WHY? Decipher's LotR is a kick-ass game, and the CODA system captures the feel of the setting quite nicely, IMO. Definitely give it a chance before deciding to convert over to d20.
In regards to the original question, I've got a lot of game books that I'll never play. I read all of them, and mine most for ideas, but some just never make it into rotation at my table.
Off the top of my head: Deadlands, Deadlands d20, Weird Wars, Ars Magica (hopefully that'll change), Decipher's Star Trek, Darwin's World, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, Cthulhu Dark Ages (hopefully that'll change too), Gamma World 6th, Babylon 5, Necropolis, and Rappan Athuk.
Ankh-Morpork Guard
First Post
I've played or used at least one thing from each of my books at one point or another except one. Stagate SG-1 d20. I would LOVE to use it, but just never have yet. The books so great, and I've only not gotten the others because of the lack of use I've gotten out of the core book so far.
francisca
I got dice older than you.
d20: 67 books, have used 14 (21%)
AD&D: 64, have used 49 (77%)
Basic/Expert: 41, have used 29 (71%)
Judges Guild, misc versions of D&D: 18, have used 9 (50%)
Other: 22, used 12 (55%)
The fact that I only have used 21% of my d20 stuff, which is vastly D&D (only Conan, Excalibur, and Darwin's World are not D&D), was really surprising to me. I mean, I knew I had gotten more out of the older editions, but I had no idea how skewed the numbers were. Lest you think this is only because the older games have been around so long, I can tell you for certain, that isn't the case for me. I played the older editions from 81-87, then started again as just a player in 99. I have steadily DM'd 3.x since 2001, having now played and DM'd more 3.X than I ever did back in the day.
As I am hanging up my 3.5 DM hat at the end of the year (I'll still be playing RPGA LG and probably in a 3.5 group), most of my d20 stuff will soon be headed to e-bay.
AD&D: 64, have used 49 (77%)
Basic/Expert: 41, have used 29 (71%)
Judges Guild, misc versions of D&D: 18, have used 9 (50%)
Other: 22, used 12 (55%)
The fact that I only have used 21% of my d20 stuff, which is vastly D&D (only Conan, Excalibur, and Darwin's World are not D&D), was really surprising to me. I mean, I knew I had gotten more out of the older editions, but I had no idea how skewed the numbers were. Lest you think this is only because the older games have been around so long, I can tell you for certain, that isn't the case for me. I played the older editions from 81-87, then started again as just a player in 99. I have steadily DM'd 3.x since 2001, having now played and DM'd more 3.X than I ever did back in the day.
As I am hanging up my 3.5 DM hat at the end of the year (I'll still be playing RPGA LG and probably in a 3.5 group), most of my d20 stuff will soon be headed to e-bay.
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