What Do Your Players Think of Splatbooks?

[DarkJester]

I like the splat books both as a DM and as a player. After a while just running core starts to feel like old hat, and the same goes for running core only characters. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with just running core, I just like to have broader options.

 

[Shadowslayer]

My guys are pretty indifferent to them.

They'd probably like them more if I actually allowed them to use ill-gotten pirated copies of them. But I don't, so they're pretty much stuck using the books I own...which aint' many.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Punish them.

Run core only, until they are begging you for the return of said splatbooks.

I would except I think that one player would actually like that better and I'm the only one that owns them. I want them to get use out of the books that I have spent my hard earned dollars on. I don't want them to just gather dust on the shelf.

(And I do realise that your comments were tongue-in-cheek )

Olaf the Stout

 

[MerricB]

My players - in general - love the options they open up. That said, they react to these options in different ways.

Cheers!

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

In the group I am currently running for, I have 8 players, and none of them have any splatbooks.

In my previous group, I had 4-5 players, and only one had splatbooks (he had all or most of them).

I think my player's feel that a $30 investment in the PHB is a big step, and they want to get as much out of the game with as little of a financial investment as possible. And, IMO, just the core 3 books can take any game very far.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

In the group I am currently running for, I have 8 players, and none of them have any splatbooks.

In my previous group, I had 4-5 players, and only one had splatbooks (he had all or most of them).

I think my player's feel that a $30 investment in the PHB is a big step, and they want to get as much out of the game with as little of a financial investment as possible. And, IMO, just the core 3 books can take any game very far.

Out of the 5 players in my group, only 1 of them actually owns a 3.5E PHB. I think 1 of the other players has a 3.0E PHB. He borrows a 3.5E PHB off a player in one the games he DM's to use at my game. The other 3 players don't have any books at all.

I don't know if it is the financial investment, the dislike of "splatbooks" or the fact that they're just not as into gaming as much as I am.

I do find it a little strange that 3 of the players have been playing in my game for 10 months now and none of them own a 3.5E PHB.

Olaf the Stout

 

[ThirdWizard]

Love 'em. I'm waiting to borrow Scoundrel from one of 'em so we can start using it in game.

 

[Greg K]

For Vampire, they are all for splats. However, for DND, one player doesn't particularly care for the majority of WOTC offerings that he has seen while the others seem to have no interest in splats other than what I provide. This works out fine for me as, imo, most WOTC splats ("Complete" and "Races of") not worth purchasing since I find 10 percent or less of the content in most WOTC splats to be worth adding to the games I run .

 

[pawsplay]

This works out fine for me as, imo, most WOTC splats ("Complete" and "Races of") not worth purchasing since I find 10 percent or less of the content in most WOTC splats to be worth adding to the games I run .

I tend to buy them used, and consider the remainder at x5 cost to be okay value. It's very hard to add value, dollar for dollar, once you get past the core.

 

[Sound of Azure]

I allow the Spell Compendium, PHB II and a couple of other splatbooks that I own, such as Races of the Dragon and Complete Divine, into my game. A couple of players continually mock them though, saying how that they are overpowered and uber, despite having only read the spells, feats, etc.

This started to grate on my nerves a bit. I asked them to knock it off and they have for a bit. I was wondering though if this is a common thing or if it is just my players who do this?

Olaf the Stout

I think I know who you mean...

I've only had one player (a guy I lived with briefly) mock splatbooks, and that was only because he's in the middle of writing his "perfect" supplement/setting. Of course all other things are inferior!

That being said, I've seen many a person mock particular parts of some splatbooks, but not the very concept of them. Options are good.