• Welcome to The Campaign Builder's Guild.
 

To buy, or not to buy. That is the question...

Started by Numinous, March 04, 2006, 05:13:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages1 2 3 4
User actions

Numinous

March 04, 2006, 05:13:16 PM Last Edit: March 04, 2006, 11:02:48 PM by WitchHunt
WoTC has produced a staggering amount of extra material for the use of both DM's and players.  But how much of it do we really use?  And how much of that should we use?  I realize this is largey a homebrew forum, but I'm just wondering here...

What material do you use?  What publishers do you buy from.  Any recommendations on how much to use?  Are there any virtues in core only?
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

Raelifin

#1
March 04, 2006, 05:48:23 PM
All my material is custom or core. I don't buy anything else anymore.

Senkennomei

#2
March 04, 2006, 05:48:25 PM
Arms and Equipment: BUY

Complete Warrior: Buy

Complete Adventurer: Buy

Complete Arcane: Buy, but only if you are a spellcaster

Complete Divine: Buy, but only if you cast divinations

Expanded Psionics: Buy

Underdark: Buy, lot of good races and rules

Serpent Kingdoms: NOT BUY

Draconomicon: Buy, but only if you want to play a dragon

Savage Species: NOT BUY

Eberron CS: Buy

Races of Eberron: Buy

Magic of Eberron: Buy

Faerun: NOT BUY (It's not as good as Eberron, you're better off with homebrew. The only exception is Underdark.)

Races of the Wild: Buy! This was the first book I bought after core, and I never stop using it!

Sandstorm: Buy, but only if you want to venture into deserts

Stormwrack: Optional. You don't really need it.

Magic of Incarnum: Optional. It's a fun magic system, but I wouldn't buy it unless you want to use it.

Unearthed Arcana: Buy, but only if you want alternatives to the Core


"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone." - Michael Corleone
My Gallery

Senkennomei

#3
March 04, 2006, 05:50:20 PM
Quote from: RaelifinAll my material is custom or core. I don't buy anything else anymore.

Yea, and that's why I keep on having to give you the rules for special equipment. Heck, I had to explain the cost and weight of a hammock to you!
"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone." - Michael Corleone
My Gallery

Kalos Mer

#4
March 04, 2006, 05:52:14 PM
I used to buy a whole lot of materials.  I've got a BUNCH of stuff from 2e.  (Granted, a lot of it was Planescape stuff that got well-used and well-loved).  Players Option stuff, etc.

In 3.x e, I've been much more cautious.  I generally only buy from WotC, with rare exceptions.  Rather than buy and then peruse, I check what people are saying on the boards, I pick it up and flip through it once or twice before I buy it, etc.  I also tend to buy only if I feel like I need to fill a void in my current game.  (IE, I'm going to pick up Heroes of Battle, because I want to have something which covers mass combat in that sort of way.)

The virtue in core only is simplicity and that the core rules are (usually) pretty well balanced within each other.  Mixing and matching from various supplements can create horrors no designer ever dreamed of.
My Setting:   

Numinous

#5
March 04, 2006, 05:54:37 PM
I've purchased the completes, and i plan on buying the Races series as well, including Eberron.  My problem is, I have a tendency to buy the books, andthen want to use everything in them...  This results in many kitchen sink ideas which invariably crash...
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

Kalos Mer

#6
March 04, 2006, 05:58:50 PM
That's an impulse that needs to be curbed.  You only have to use the parts of books that you want to use.  To do more is not 'getting your money's worth', it's paying to have your game overly complicated.

For instance, I bought Complete Arcane.  I loved the concept of the warlock, I borrowed some magic items and some spells in addition, and also fully read all the flavor text for inspiration as well.  But I also left out some stuff - the warmage has absolutely no place in my game, for instance.  And that's fine, I don't feel like I 'wasted' my money.
My Setting:   

Numinous

#7
March 04, 2006, 06:04:26 PM
Yeah, i'm seeing that problem now...  i don't have much actual experience yet, so I don't know how my setting, or campaigns for that matter, will work out yet...  As I mentioned in my thread, I'm going to sart clipping soon, which is good first-step for my kitchen sink rehab.

EDIT:  I officially state that I don't care if this topic wandes a bit, as long as it doesn't have any major off-topic lapses...
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

CYMRO

#8
March 04, 2006, 06:31:19 PM
I use the Core, I use XPH, I use the MMs.
I use UA.

The rest gets the occasional perusal for bits of inspiration.

Numinous

#9
March 04, 2006, 07:18:22 PM
As of right now, I have a reasonably small collection of books...  I am definitely looking into the XPH though, as I've paged through it several times and it looks good.
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

Wix of Bel-Air

#10
March 04, 2006, 07:39:19 PM
Books of Vile Darkness has a lot of cool new mechanics in it.
DMG 2 is good, but it has a lot of metaphorical stuff and things you don't want to read. Plus it has the city of Saltmarsh totally explained which is cool, but i'll never put it in my campaigns.
Savage Species is a bit of a waste of money. Some simple mechanics and that's about it.
Any monster manuals you should buy: The more the merrier!  !lol
Eats brains here! Ugh!
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.
[spoiler=Cthulhu]"To obtain a deep, restful, and fulfilling sleep, you must first submerge yourself in your cyclopean city of hideous non-Euclidean geometries beneath the sea, and then let your body die. But don't worry! As long as you continue to emanate enough evil thought-energy to influence and control your many worshippers throughout the untold eons, they will resurrect you when the time comes. I guarantee it!" [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Wash]
Yes. Yes, this is a fertile land, and we will thrive."

(as Stegosaurus) "We will rule over all this land, and we will call it... 'This Land'."

(as T-Rex) "I think we should call it...your grave!"

(Stegosaurus) "Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"

(T-Rex) "Ha ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh...now die!"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Stanza 11]
No! penury, inertness and grimace,
In some strange sort, were the land's portion. "See
Or shut your eyes," said Nature peevishly,
"It nothing skills: I cannot help my case:
'Tis the Last Judgment's fire must cure this place,
Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free."
[/spoiler]

Numinous

#11
March 04, 2006, 07:48:44 PM
Really?  I heard savage species was alright...  and what with everyone wanting to play a monster these days, I thought it would be cool, or at least useful to have around...
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!

Kalos Mer

#12
March 04, 2006, 07:51:08 PM
Aww, but Metaphorical stuff is so much FUN!  

What do you mean, anyway?
My Setting:   

Elven Doritos

#13
March 04, 2006, 08:26:39 PM
Savage species is outdated (using entirely 3e mechanics: One of the biggest changes in the conversion was to monsters).

Also, other than some generic campaign advice, its most useful aspect was its appendices.

And I'm a big fan of Magic of Eberron, the Eberron Campaign Setting, the Draconomicon (must-buy), Lords of Madness, and Shackled City Adventure Path. I also have subscriptions to Dungeon and Dragon magazines, primarily for idea-mining.

-Elven Doritos
Man of La Mancha
Oh, how we danced and we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away all of the lights
We've always been out of our minds
-Tom Waits, Rain Dogs

Numinous

#14
March 04, 2006, 08:51:24 PM
I'm getting a subscription to Dragon soon, but I'm not sure I can afford both it and Dungeon.  I have Draconimicon, but it isn't really all that useful, unless you're running a dragon centered campaign.
Previously: Natural 20, Critical Threat, Rose of Montague
- Currently working on: The Smoking Hills - A bottom-up, seat-of-my-pants, fairy tale adventure!
Print
Go Up Pages1 2 3 4
User actions