How Many Books do You Take to a Game?
How Many Books do You Take to a Game?
I bring this up because in another post Digital Boy mention bringing 20+ GURPS books to game. Also, JC brought all his Star Trek books (5 or 6) to a Star Trek con game he ran. So, my questions is when you run an rpg how many books do you bring to the game?
To answer my own question I usually bring 1-3. For something like a World of Darkness game I would need to bring the corebook, the setting book, and sometimes I'll bring a book with a lot of NPCs in it.
To answer my own question I usually bring 1-3. For something like a World of Darkness game I would need to bring the corebook, the setting book, and sometimes I'll bring a book with a lot of NPCs in it.
- Digital_Boy
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In my own case, since I generally play GURPS exclusively, I tend to bring only the applicable books that are needed for the game, i.e. if we're playing a Banestorm game, I'll bring the Basic books, Banestorm, Fantasy, Magic and whatever other sourcebooks happen to be applicable.
That is a downside to the flexibility of the GURPS system: you need a bazillion books. The other major downside to GURPS is the layout of some reference material, e.g. you read about a skill modifier and it refers you to a page in another book.
That is a downside to the flexibility of the GURPS system: you need a bazillion books. The other major downside to GURPS is the layout of some reference material, e.g. you read about a skill modifier and it refers you to a page in another book.
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In my current D&D game, I end up bringing a lot of books... all three core books, the "2" books (PHB2, MM2, etc) and some other books that I am using, such as Open Grave. Other players tend to bring other books (ones I don't have) such as the Adventurers Vault and the FRPG.
In addition, I bring the adventure and all my notes, tiles for miniture use, graph paper, dice, etc... it all makes for a pretty heavy backpack. :)
CHris
In addition, I bring the adventure and all my notes, tiles for miniture use, graph paper, dice, etc... it all makes for a pretty heavy backpack. :)
CHris
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[quote="cczernia"]So, my questions is when you run an rpg how many books do you bring to the game?[/quote]
These days, none.
If it's one of my own FATE-based games, I'll have my notes on my laptop. If it's D&D, I'm more likely to use the Compendium online.
Then again, this Sunday when I run Fantasy HERO, I'll likely bring FREd.
Mike Olson
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"In this economy, it's not easy to feed a growing family. So we eat Haunkkah gelt for dinner and look at a picture of broccoli." --Paul F. Tompkins
Spirit of the Blank: A blog.
Roll Some Dice: Another blog.
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[quote="opwunder"]None....a lot of notes but no books...[/quote]
You don't count, Mr. Home-brew systems only. :P
As a player, I've done everything from none to all the books I have. However, it's been so long since I was just a player, that I can't honestly answer that question. Probably the core rule book if I had it.
Chris
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[quote="BlanchPrez"]You don't count, Mr. Home-brew systems only. :P[/quote]
Just seeing if anyone was paying attention...shoulda known you'd remember... In all truth though, those notes take up over two file cabinet drawers these days...somehow something new always comes up...
A writer is congenitally unable to tell the truth and that is why we call what he writes fiction. – William Faulkner