D&D 5E To own 5E books or not to own 5E books that is the Question

[Seramus]

Both!

My players are pathologically incapable of not spilling crud on my books, so I bought physical copies of the books then downloaded the PDF guilt free. The physical copies sit in my library shelf looking dramatic and spiffy. I use the PDF at the table because bookmarks are insanely handy, and I can't stain anything with my greasy mitts.

 

[Hastati]

I don't care if people don't buy the books, but I won't allow any pirated material at my table. If you're going to use it, then support the company and buy it. Using the basic rules or SRD is fine, they are available for free. Sharing a purchased book is also fine. Stealing is not fine.

 

[Kabouter Games]

As a creator in this space, I take a very dim view of pirated material (as you might imagine). I will not have it used anywhere near me, unless the user has also purchased a copy of the printed material.

I don't have a problem with using the SRD or Basic Rules. If that's all you need to play your character, I'm fine with that. My wife, for example, plays a Fighter using only Basic Rules content.

Cheers,

Bob

www.r-p-davis.com

 

[Warmaster Horus]

My players all have them. However I find most of them peaking at their phones for info instead of books these days.

 

[jasper]

● Tell them that in order to advance to lv.10+ they must have a physical copy of the PHB.
Anyone who doesn't no longer advances.

● Anounce that you'll be running all your games "old school style, circa about 1985" starting ____. Wich means that in addition to a higher lethality, that the use of phones, tablets, laptops etc during your game are now banned. Because that's not how we played it back then.

newbie nerd! newbie nerd!
At the top of Every hour of game play ccs must.
Take out the trash (good luck if you running in a con)
Let the dog out.
put the dishes into the dishwasher.
change his younger brother diapers. (if no younger brother. MhBlockhead will wear adult diapers to the game).
Get up and find the remote for dad.
Because that how it was done in 1985.

 

[guachi]

Oh, another reason I use digital copies of my PHB and MM while I type things up on my computer is that even with limited handling both my PHB and MM have pages falling out. My PHB completely fell apart only a few months after I bought it.

When I create adventures at home, I only use my digital copies of the MM and PHB when I look stuff up. It isn't the convenience. It's actually easier to have my PHB and MM open on my desk. It's that the books are junk.

 

[BookBarbarian]

When I started 5e I was a player that bought all the books as they came out. Unsurprisingly I now DM. Since I started my most recent campaign using Adventures in Middle Earth, i get PDFs of all the books and use them in conjunction with the 5e basic rules PDF.

It's nice, if a spontaneous D&D game happens, than ik have everything I need on a laptop or tablet.

 

[manduck]

I work in the creative field and have a lot of friends that work in the creative field, like games, comics and film. So I have a zero tolerance policy for pirated material at my table. I'm lucky enough to play in a large group. A couple of us bought the books and share with the rest of the group, if they can't pick up their own copies. So anytime someone needs a book to level up or whatever, they just come to the game a little early and take care of it. Then we just pass the book around during the game, if anyone need to look something up. So really, it's not much of an issue for our group.

Now, if you don't want players using pirated stuff at your table, just have their character constantly get robbed by pirates. They get hijacked or wake up with stuff stolen after a rest. If they complain, just tell them that the kingdom they're in doesn't really do anything about piracy as it's not really hurting anyone.

 

[cheeseguy]

Actual copy. It not only supports the game makers, but it also is hard copy, not changed rules and or explainations

Sent from my Z963VL using EN World mobile app

 

[Miladoon]

I hate errata so I am not buying anymore crap. Make a product that is ready when it is released. Talk about pirates, jeesh.

EDIT: Also, it is kinda hard to tell my players to buy a PHB when mine fell apart and I present the PHB to them in three separate folders.

When I am not complaining about the quality of product, I am buying core books, only.