D&D 5E What Books Would You Buy

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Beyond the core three, I like quirky character options and cosmology stuff, so Savage Species, Manual of the Planes, and Deities and Demigods would be on my "most likely" list. I've never had much use for the Survival Guide type books, though, and, since I prefer to use PDFs at the table, Rules Compendium style books aren't all that useful to me (and boring as hell to read).

 

[DEFCON 1]

Fair enough! That concept makes me break out in hives, but I have to admit that it is logically sound.

Don't worry... I think they have epi-pens that can take care of that.

 

[Stormonu]

Sight unseen? Nope. Subscription based? Not on your life.

If 5E looks promising after reviewing or getting in someone else's game, I'll consider picking up the the PHB, DMG and MM only. And PDF copies if they're about $5 each for the electronic version.

Gone are the days I pick up half a dozen supplements, God forbid sight unseen after 4E.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I ended up purchasing quite a few of the Type IV D&D books (Draconomicon, Manual of the Planes, The Plane Below, The Plane Above, Underdark) in addition to the core three (and the second core 3) even though I played only a few sessions of the game before deciding that it wasn't for me.

That is all to say that I will likely buy several of those titles listed even if I don't end up playing much of the Type V D&D. If I do find it to my liking, it is quite likely that I will buy all of those titles, and more.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

Unless it's an abominable trainwreck I'll probably end up getting everything they release. Just gotta be me!

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

While I want a lot of the books in the poll, the type of book I really want is like the third edition Heroes of Battle or Heroes of Horror. Books that cover a campaign or adventure style in significant detail.

I also really loved the Races of X books. Props also to the environment books, like Cityscape.

 

[Umbran]

Except my point is that yeah, you're keeping content... but its content you're never going to ever use again, so what difference does it make whether or not you still have it?

"Never" is a long time.

Back when it was in print (like, 1997 or so), my roommate found classic Deadlands. We fiddled around with it to test how it worked. He ran a six-session arc. And then shelved it. It sat on his shelf for more than a decade.

Then, I came along and decided I wanted to run a game. He wasn't able to join the group, but has given me his collection of books on extended loan, and I've been running a campaign from them for a few years now. At the time I started, I don't think the books were yet available as pdfs. If someone I knew hadn't hung on to books they would never use again, I'd have been out a great campaign!

Which is not an argument that we should all buy physical copies. Just saying that hanging on to them isn't necessarily irrational, either.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Which is not an argument that we should all buy physical copies. Just saying that hanging on to them isn't necessarily irrational, either.

Oh don't get me wrong... I don't begrudge anyone that is able to keep all their physical gaming items. In fact, I always get a pang of jealousy when I see photos of players who have "gaming rooms" in their houses with bookshelves chock full of stuff. But I'd be lying if I thought any of that stuff would ever get any use from me.

Gaming material for me tends to be as ephemeral as movie tickets. I have no problems spending the cash for the length of time I'm going to get enjoyment out of them... but once their time is done, I can let them go. Which is why my answer is always easy when people ask how or why we're willing to go along with it when WotC "is making us buy the core books again" for a new edition. Because to me... I bought tickets to The Avengers and 4E... I greatly enjoyed my time with them... but now they are offering me The Avenger 2 and 5E. New and different products that I also want to pick up and enjoy... rather than just stay more years on the previous ones. And if I never pick up a Blu-Ray of The Avengers and the DDI servers shut down on 4E's materials so I really can't experience them again the same way... no big deal to me. Because I'll be enjoying The Avengers 2 and 5E now instead. And then several years down the road, The Avengers 3 and 6E.

 

[Mostlyjoe]

Core 3, Psionics, Manual of the Planes, Deities and Demigods.

Give me my classics.

 

[Storminator]

I picked Rules Compendium only. I don't foresee a lot of either playing or running in the immediate future, so a single book with all the rules would be enough. I'd be able to see what they did with the final version without throwing too much money away.

PS