D&D: Drowning in expensive books?
I went into a bookstore to look at Cityscape. There used to be a time when I would buy all of the rulebooks released for D&D. Not necessarily campaign setting specific stuff, but rules expansions, class books, etc.; I was a junkie. But enoug crappy, useless, over-priced books from Hasborg had taught me my lesson. I looked before I bought to make sure I would get enough out of a book before plunking down $30.
And nowadays, $30 doesn't buy much of a book. The prices go up and the books get thinner. Plus it's a double-edged sword... the more stuff that comes out for D&D, the more difuse the game gets, the less likely I am to need or even want a given book. While looking at Cityscape, I noticed several other books that I didn't have. I flipped through a few and didn't see anything that said "buy me know", even with a 25% off coupon in my pocket.
Add to that the fact that I'm an experienced GM. I can come up with a lot of stuff on my own, The biggest thing I saw in Cityscape was the notion of guild membership giving in-game benefits. I don't need a book to specify that; now that I have the notion I can come up with bennies for the guilds in my campaign world. Know what I'd pay $22.50 or even $30 for? Software that would let me do maps like the ones in the book. I find mapping software to be cumbersome, I find it easier to draw by hand then scan in as mapping software can't meet my needs.
But back to the topic at hand. How many books do we need with a new race or three, a couple of classes that are bastardized combination of previous classes, a couple of prestige classes and a sprinkling of feats?
Of course, the hardcore collection of 47 books will be rendered moot when D&D 4.0 comes out.
(If you disagree and feel the urge to have every book, feel free to visit my friend Shadowdragon. If you tell him I sent you he might even give you a nickel off. Or maybe not.
And nowadays, $30 doesn't buy much of a book. The prices go up and the books get thinner. Plus it's a double-edged sword... the more stuff that comes out for D&D, the more difuse the game gets, the less likely I am to need or even want a given book. While looking at Cityscape, I noticed several other books that I didn't have. I flipped through a few and didn't see anything that said "buy me know", even with a 25% off coupon in my pocket.
Add to that the fact that I'm an experienced GM. I can come up with a lot of stuff on my own, The biggest thing I saw in Cityscape was the notion of guild membership giving in-game benefits. I don't need a book to specify that; now that I have the notion I can come up with bennies for the guilds in my campaign world. Know what I'd pay $22.50 or even $30 for? Software that would let me do maps like the ones in the book. I find mapping software to be cumbersome, I find it easier to draw by hand then scan in as mapping software can't meet my needs.
But back to the topic at hand. How many books do we need with a new race or three, a couple of classes that are bastardized combination of previous classes, a couple of prestige classes and a sprinkling of feats?
Of course, the hardcore collection of 47 books will be rendered moot when D&D 4.0 comes out.
(If you disagree and feel the urge to have every book, feel free to visit my friend Shadowdragon. If you tell him I sent you he might even give you a nickel off. Or maybe not.
posted by Oz at 6:23 PM
1 Comments:
I'd give them at least a dime off and split it with you. I tend to agree rather vigorously with basically all you just said which is pretty bad considering I'm in the business of selling all of those books that don't add much to the game. Of course they add the pocket book of the WotC.
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