What constitutes your "comfortable" level in a campaign?

[Imaro]

I probably should have worded the title better, but what I'm really asking is when you run or play a "comfortable" campaign of D&D how many and what books do you use? I think for me it's something like this

3 corebooks
first four complete books
PHB II & DM II
Iron Kingdom Character Guide and World Guide + Monsternomicon.

So about 12 books total. This is about my limit, once I get beyond this in rules content I start to feel a little overwhelmed. What about you guys?

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

I used to have a decent collection and tried to use it all and yeah it was a bit overwhelming. Then I sold most of my collection to pay rent. Now, as the collection very slowly gets rebuilt, I have a "comfortable" way to bring it all back in...

In my new campaign world, created from the core rules only after the big sell-off, stuff from other supplements doesn't exist in that world until I hold the book in my greedy little hands. The world's first True Necromancer from Libris Mortis is taking his first few levels in it in the campaign now. There's never been one before, because prior to my purchasing that book, nothing from that book existed in the world.

So, in terms of comfort level, it allows me to keep very careful control of what I use and how, and allows a slow expansion of that comfort level as my collection expands. It's also why I try to only get one book at a time and thoroughly peruse it, read it, and integrate it before contemplating my next purchase.

 

[Corsair]

I can handle anything that isn't an entire new system (MoI, ToB, ToM, DrgM, etc)

 

[Odhanan]

Maybe around 20/30 books total? I like to use a few core elements to the game, and then pick and choose in a wide variety of sourcebooks.

The core elements I'm talking about would be, specifically about the Praemal Tales, the 3 core DnD books, Ptolus, Spell Compendium, Magic Item Compendium and Complete Book of Eldritch Might. Seven books.

Beyond that, that's pick and choose.

 

[Agamon]

Usually, its the 3 core books, the 1st 4 Complete books, the 2 Compendiums and the PHB2, carte blanche for the most part. Then, as a DM, I'll use a monster form here, as spell from there, etc, to keep the enemies interesting.

 

[Destil]

I don't really allow a wholesale book. If someone wants something specific from a book (feat, class, spell) I look at it and think it over, usually re-write it in my own opinion of game balance and allow that.

So far I've allowed the PHB and 3/4 classes from the psi-handbook (well really 1/4 from psi, since I redid the psion and soulknife from the ground up) and the Artifactor from the Eberron book. Plus most of the feats and spells from those books. Everything else is I'd want to review first.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I'd allow everything I own (unless I ban something, of course), and other stuff as well, provided I get to see it beforehand.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I can't really think in terms of books. I might "use" Complete Adventurer, for example, but that use really only constitutes 1 PrC and a feat in a given campaign. I might "use" PHB II in my campaign, but that really only constitutes some spells and class variants. Throw in some stuff I'm using for NPCs, and that'll add maybe a half dozen to a dozen rules per session. So, books isn't really an acruate term.

Do people really use significant portions of any book in any given session?

 

[S'mon]

Whe I ran 3(.5)e D&D up until December last year, I could cope with 3 rules hardbacks at the table - PHB, MM & DMG. It was pretty rare to refer to the DMG though, the PHB saw a lot of perusal on rules issues and the MM was consulted mostly for monster special abilities not described in the scenario.

Now I run the OGL D&D variant Castles & Crusades, which has 2 books, PHB and Monsters & Treasure, I'm finding this a lot easier.

 

[caudor]

I can handle anything that isn't an entire new system (MoI, ToB, ToM, DrgM, etc)

Me too. I do try to rotate fresh material in, for example Magic of Incarnum, but I must first sit down, read the book, and digest what I can. That's like my Sunday morning reading.

While preparing for a game, I don't have time to learn as I go, so I restrict game content to books I am familiar with. With new systems, it sometimes takes more than one reading before I'm comfortable enough to allow it in game.

Of course, my players have trouble keeping up with the new systems as well. At least I'll have plenty to delve into when I get put in the retirement home Move over the checkers, we're playing D&D, vintage 2007.