What books do you use EVERY session?

tensen said:
For me, the DMG has always been a non-requirement for play. Any use is prior to the game.. writing down the stats for any magic item needed. And a little research for setup. But it has been rarely needed in 2nd and 3rd editions. It saw much more heavy use back in 1st edition.
Yep, me too. I don't include it on my list anymore either.
 

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It depends on what you mean by "use". If you mean "open and read from", then there are no books that I use every session, not even the PHB. If you mean "utilize a rule from", then there are many.

By the narrowest definition of the latter, I would still say only the PHB is used every session. And that is only because I actually roll (unobtrusively) for any Diplomacy, etc. checks during role-playing.

By a more relaxed interpretation, amounting to what the PC's have immediate access to, I'd say

-Player's Handbook -- duh
-DMG -- once they have even one magic item, the rules need to be at hand.
-Monster Manual -- Summon Nature's Ally
-Unearthed Arcana -- We use spell points and alternate Death and Dying rules (among others)
-Complete Warrior -- Swashbuckler and non-caster Ranger
-Complete Divine -- Spirit Shaman
 

I seem to be the only one...

The three I normally pull out at least once:
Player's handbook, Master of Wild, Magic of Ferun

Only the Player's handbook though is a guaranteed for each and every session.
 
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Well, use "every session" is problematic. There has probably been at least one game where we didn't even look something up in the PHB. That's pretty rare, though.

Normally, it would be PHB every time, and maybe the MM, but I tend to write all monster stats down in my notes to minimize that.

I rarely open the DMG at the table.

But there is a set of books I bring every time we game (I'm DM). And that list is:
Core books
Bluffside
Artificer's Handbook
Torn Asunder
Requiem of the Gods
Philip J. Reed's book of unusual treasures
 

I use the Core Books every session without fail.

Most sessions will also include the 2e FR box set and the Tome of Horrors.
 

Core 3.5e books -- including the DMG and MM
Manual of the Planes
Book of Vile Darkness
Expanded Psionics Handbook

... except that one time that we didn't roll any dice or use any books (just decent RPing). They've been plane-hopping recently.

-- N
 

For my 3.5e game:
PHB, Mongoose PPG, AEG's Toolbox

For My D20 Modern Game:
D20 Modern Core, Blood & Guts Modern Military, and (from now on) Grim Tales

TONS of other stuff gets used most sessions, but the above are used almost without fail.
 

I use the following in my games both as a player and a GM, as a GM I try to stick to the 3.5 rulebooks only...

Core 3.5 Books
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Sword and Fist - Assorted Feats
Quintessential Monk - Pressure Point Attacks
 

Breakdaddy said:
For my 3.5e game:
PHB, Mongoose PPG, AEG's Toolbox

Toolbox sees heavy use in the current campaign I'm playing in. But then again the ENnie the DM earned for it is sitting on the shelf behind him.


of course the ability to just grab one of several hundred books from the shelves around us for use, tends to limit the number of books that see use in every game.
 

The only book I can say I use every session is the PHB, by default.

I usually use the DMG and MM, but not always.

Book of the Righteous saw a lot of use in the last campaign; Splat books (X&X and Quintessentials) are used very irregularly.

Oh, and the house rules and player notes -- those are DEFINITELY used every session.
 

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