Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lint trap 05-06-05, 02:45 PM	One of the biggest obsticals my group faces in D&D is the financial one. We get by alright; we all make heavy use of the SRD, and we take turns buying releases and make sure to share with each other (I don't think there's a duplicate book among us), but still, altogether we've spent hundreds of dollars playing this game. As hobbies go, this isn't the most expensive, but it costs a hell of a lot more than 'Frolf.' I was just wondering how y'all managed the monetary aspects of a D&D addiction (pooling resources, trust funds, etc).
Santrilla 05-06-05, 02:49 PM	Well, our group usually plays either core rules (i.e. the 3 books) or completely made up things. Most of us have acquired at least a PH via birthdays or christmas, or by saving up. Occasionally we'll all chip in to get something, like Unearthed Arcana, but usually we just make do.
CzarGarrett 05-06-05, 02:52 PM	Shoplifting and black market economy. But seriously, I generally keep myself from buying more than 1 book every 2 months or so at regular price. After some time, I can often get them on ebay or the like for cheaper.
olshanski_home 05-06-05, 03:25 PM	The DM needs the DMG, one MM, and PHB. (As a DM, I'd also buy an adventure or two, but I am too busy with work to write up adventures myself... you could also download adventures for free). The players need the PHB. That's all you need. I would also shell out $13 for a battlemat... then use coins, poker chips, dice, or whatnot to represent the miniatures. You are set. If you start getting all "complete" or "Races of x" or "Divine" and everything else, then you are going to expend far more money than you need to.
OamuTheMonk 05-06-05, 03:27 PM	My wife has a habit of taking a reporter's notebook with her every time we go to the bookstore, just in case she finds a spell she likes in one of the books we don't own. She'll just sit down at a table in the cafe, pull out her notebook, and transcribe the whole thing. Time consuming, I'll grant you, but it is an easy way for one to scoot some small amounts of content into the game without breaking the bank.
Santrilla 05-06-05, 03:30 PM	My wife has a habit of taking a reporter's notebook with her every time we go to the bookstore, just in case she finds a spell she likes in one of the books we don't own. She'll just sit down at a table in the cafe, pull out her notebook, and transcribe the whole thing. Time consuming, I'll grant you, but it is an easy way for one to scoot some small amounts of content into the game without breaking the bank. That's so lucky. All the bookstores with cafes in them where I live have stopped stocking D&D books. We can only get them in the hardcore comic book stores now. :weep:
Black_Dog 05-06-05, 03:40 PM	I have run a successful RPG club for nearly 20 years. We own most of the books for most of the systems we play. How do we do it? We have 8 memebers who pay into a collective fund every week they attend. This allows us to afford a new book every month or so, although normally the fund far exceeds what we actaully need, allowing us to spend money on other books from other RPGs just for a taste. As an aside, we also pay into a Christmas fund that allows us all to go out for a meal and down a few pints every Christmas. I have found this works very well indeed. My wife manages the finances and the book lending (the players are allowed to take books home whenever they want-just like a library). We keep our chrages low (50p - about 1 dollar per week for the books and the same ammount for Christamas). No one minds paying in, after all for 5 or 6 hours of entertainment every week, it's such a small fee to pay!
Mike W 05-06-05, 04:07 PM	Well, I am pretty frugal in general, and I tend to have a few books worth of 'petty cash' saved up. If I really want a book, I'll grab it when it comes out, but if I'm not sure, then I'll wait a few weeks and get it through the bookstore I work for, at a 30% employee discount. It really helps to have a job, though. I've been working since I was 16, so setting a little cash aside for books hasn't been a problem. If you don't/cant work, then you're in for a rough time - I suggest saving up gradually. Books are a major investment (especially if you're me and have half a million of them :eek: ) but they're worth it.
Shemeska the Marauder 05-06-05, 04:07 PM	I don't live in my parents basement, I have my own place, and I'm employed. DnD impacts my monthly budget less than does my consumption of diet soda. It's not a big deal and honestly I can't see how it would be unless you either don't have a job (which given the health of the economy would be odd long term) or are underage.
lugnut71 05-06-05, 04:11 PM	I don't live in my parents basement, I have my own place, and I'm employed. DnD impacts my monthly budget less than does my consumption of diet soda. It's not a big deal and honestly I can't see how it would be unless you either don't have a job (which given the health of the economy would be odd long term) or are underage. And is generally healthier than diet soda. I'm much the same D&D isn't an expensive hobby unless you need every single book. Heck buying one book a month is cheaper than going to the movies weekly. (In some cases going to the movies period.)
Keenath 05-06-05, 04:12 PM	Personally, I have a job. :D Outside of that: I only buy books that are actually involved with the campaign I'm in -- Why buy Faerun when I'm playing in Eberron? Why buy Races of the Wild if there's nothing in there that I'm particularly interested in? And among the five people in the group, we end up with SOMEBODY that has most of the books. Take advantage of the local bookstore and read some of the books there, so you can get an idea of what you want to actually buy.
Shemeska the Marauder 05-06-05, 04:52 PM	And is generally healthier than diet soda. I'm much the same D&D isn't an expensive hobby unless you need every single book. Heck buying one book a month is cheaper than going to the movies weekly. (In some cases going to the movies period.) Heh. Diet soda is probably healthier than the water in most areas. There's nothing bad in them unless you have phenylketourea, unless you subscribe to the insanity that is the anti nutrasweet / anti splenda cranks. But yeah, DnD is a fairly cheap hobby unless you habitually buy everything.
VerinBlod 05-06-05, 04:52 PM	For me I just buy them, like one every month or so. But only if I really like the book. Although it's beginning to look like I begin to own something of a library. :D I try to save for it so money isn't the problem. Although if you're unemployed or still in college it could be a problem to save for it.
JadeSpider9643 05-06-05, 05:23 PM	I got my PHB by trading across game lines for store credit, and I picked up MM3 used from a friend who was getting out, he sold it to me for $5.
Phrennzy 05-06-05, 05:28 PM	I have a job. I play core only. Done and done. Except for the plastic crack habit. Must...get...an...Umber...Hulk!!!
Thanatos02 05-06-05, 05:37 PM	Simple, my friends and I are Communists. "Hey do you need the DM's Guide today, Comrade Than?" "Why, that would be splendid, Comrade Nick!" Ok, we don't call each other Comrade, and we're not really communists, but we pretty much just share our books based on who needs/wants them at the time. It really doesn't cause many problems. YMMV.
Aeromus 05-06-05, 06:20 PM	Drop me an email at aeromus@alltel.net I'll hook you up with my old books = P
Skyblade 05-06-05, 06:40 PM	Of course, there are various other not-as-legitimate means of, shall we say, "acquiring" the books. You just have to know where to look. ;)
krichaiushii 05-06-05, 07:27 PM	Many companies also offer legitimate copies of their product via pdf. See RPGNow.com or DriveThruRPG.com for examples. Pdfs are often cheaper than print books, though if you don't (or can't) read from a computer screen you'll be in trouble, as printing off some of the books can get expensive. But if your main use of books is to sprinkle a bit here and there into your game, then pdfs are the way to go. Plus, your needed storage area is cut down.
Kalrin 05-06-05, 07:41 PM	Well... I own a semi-extensive collection, and I do know it can begin to hurt the pocketbook after a while... The big secret is not buying every book, just the ones you like/think you will use. My library is running about 15 books now, and I've got about 300 mini's. *Smiles* I also tend to be the D&D junkie of whatever group I'm in
Big Tom 05-06-05, 07:44 PM	I spend the cash only if I have it to spare. I'm semi-employed, with little cost of living (what with my Dad helping my out with my education and books), and I plan before I buy: -I dig Dwarves and Gnomes, so I bought RoS. I don't plan on getting any other Races books, as they hold no appeal. -I use home brew settings, so I have no need for Faerun or Eberron. -I make use of the books that the others I play with own. -I like my combat characters, so I got CW, but not CA or CD, as others I play with like those, so they got them. -Diligent SRD use, 'nuff said. Also, I make use of online auction sites, where books can often be found for $5-$10 off cover price, if you look hard.
Nalgoth 05-06-05, 07:55 PM	No televison programming. With what I would spend on that, I can buy two books a month. Hate T.V. anyway.
lint trap 05-06-05, 09:05 PM	Many companies also offer legitimate copies of their product via pdf. See RPGNow.com or DriveThruRPG.com for examples. Pdfs are often cheaper than print books, though if you don't (or can't) read from a computer screen you'll be in trouble, as printing off some of the books can get expensive. But if your main use of books is to sprinkle a bit here and there into your game, then pdfs are the way to go. Plus, your needed storage area is cut down. That's a good idea. PDF's never occured to me. Are there any legal restrictions on copying, sharing, etc? Not that I intend to follow them, it just seems like an obligatory question on a WotC site. I'll hook you up with my old books = P Thanks for the offer, Aeromus, but my group is doing alright with what we have. If there's ever a fire, though, I'll look you up.
Cathon 05-06-05, 09:13 PM	I have a job, and I don't buy everything. That's it in a nutshell. I've been considering buying $60 or so in books since they are on sale on Amazon lately, but last year I bought Unearthed Arcana, Complete Divine, and the Miniatures Handbook, and that was my total purchases for the year. I spend a lot more on video and computer games, personally, but I chalk them all up as part of my entertainment expenses, and it is still cheaper than many people's cable bills or a Starbucks habit. I used to get all my books at games stores, but all the decent ones in my area have closed down, so I shop online instead. (The sad part is that I live in the San Fernando Valley in LA, you'd think there would be enough people to support some stores.) If you shop around you can easily save 10-20% off of the list price on a book if you get it from the right place. Costs also vary depending on whether you are a player or a DM. As a player you can get by with just the PHB, dice and maybe a miniature (if you don't just borrow them from a friend like me). Other books can be useful, but aren't necessary. The only non-core book I've used extensively for one of my characters is Complete Divine, which was quite useful for my druid. As a final note, I and another longtime player created a campaign to introduce a bunch of novices to the game at my office, after hours. We liberated a white board, brought dice, our books, and some game tokens. The players in that game have never bought a book yet, borrow everything from us (I think one guy bought his own set of dice), and we got by without miniatures or a battlemap. And everyone has fun. It doesn't go as smoothly as when it is the other group that is just 3 of us veteran players, but they have their own interesting dynamic. It doesn't need to be that expensive a hobby.
DM Denubis 05-06-05, 09:47 PM	One of the biggest obsticals my group faces in D&D is the financial one. That's a good idea. PDF's never occured to me. Are there any legal restrictions on copying, sharing, etc? Not that I intend to follow them, it just seems like an obligatory question on a WotC site. There are no words to describe how quickly, cleanly, and efficiently you have just brained me.
VirgilCaine 05-06-05, 09:54 PM	I don't live in my parents basement, I have my own place, and I'm employed. DnD impacts my monthly budget less than does my consumption of diet soda. It's not a big deal and honestly I can't see how it would be unless you either don't have a job (which given the health of the economy would be odd long term) or are underage. That's a LOT of diet soda. Who loves diet soda? Shemmy loooves diet soda! But yeah, D&D is no big deal unless you are going to buy lots of stuff.
AzarKing 05-06-05, 09:58 PM	I buy each book as I need or want it. I earn enough money to do this comfortably. Simple :)
Sargon 05-06-05, 10:39 PM	Of course, there are various other not-as-legitimate means of, shall we say, "acquiring" the books. You just have to know where to look. ;) I call it Bear Share ... Also i scored big i have a friend who has a high slight of hand modifier.
Contrast 05-06-05, 11:03 PM	Who loves diet soda? Shemmy loooves diet soda! Is it true? As for the subject of this thread, I have; 23 D&D books, 3 D20 modern books, and the first two Sword & Sorcery Creature Collections. All acquired through various means such as returning bottles and cleaning my elderly grandmother's house for her. If you want it, work for it.
Shemeska the Marauder 05-06-05, 11:14 PM	That's a LOT of diet soda. Who loves diet soda? Shemmy loooves diet soda! But yeah, D&D is no big deal unless you are going to buy lots of stuff. *chuckle* About 2L a day, 'cept on weekends when I run games and then... well... some people chain smoke, I chain drink, and I'll polish off 6L or so on Sundays.
TheCarrionCrawler 05-06-05, 11:17 PM	Simple, my friends and I are Communists. "Hey do you need the DM's Guide today, Comrade Than?" "Why, that would be splendid, Comrade Nick!" Ok, we don't call each other Comrade, and we're not really communists, but we pretty much just share our books based on who needs/wants them at the time. It really doesn't cause many problems. YMMV. "In soviet Russia, dice roll you!" :P
SnowbearK 05-06-05, 11:30 PM	:uh-huh: :nonono: The sheer brilliance of some posters... :rolleyes: (directed at the most obvious folks, not you CarrionCrawler. ;) ) Anywho...being employed helps. Being employed with a credit card helps even more. Being employed with a credit card and having broadband internet access 24-7 is much better. Getting to know the natives at the FLGS very well...priceless. I'm also a collector. I've finally managed to convince my wife to let me start putting bookshelves up in our room also, since the nine (7ftx4ftx1ft) units in my office are filled up now. D&D is by far the most inexpensive hobby I've ever had, and it's got an unbelievably low cost-fun ratio over the longterm. I once had to explain to my CFO about how I could still play D&D, and his jaw just about floored when I laid the math out there for him. As for soda consumption, nutrasweet makes me puke. If they ever bring back Mountain Dew Pitch Black (or Surge) and make it with splenda though, I'll buy it direct from the manufacturer by the truckload. In cans of course, so that I can get roughly a 5% return on my investment -- depending on how you look at it though, you get a much larger return on the investment, but just wizz it away... ;) Until then, I'll just have to settle for Code Red by the 2ltr.
JimmyJustice 05-06-05, 11:43 PM	its called a job, get one.
happymoocow 05-06-05, 11:58 PM	Our group keeps all the books at one house. Only one of each book. I bought the complete series (except warrior which leo bought), the races (except destiny becuase that's just a waste of moola), draconimican, planar & MM3. Leo bought psionics and phb. Jason got DMG and MM. So basically I bought most of the books. However we only have one copy of all of them. Most of the PHB stuff we memorized by now so we do just fine.
weasel fierce 05-07-05, 01:48 AM	The three core books can be found on ebay for some 10 dollars. Thats all you'll really need for some 5 years of gaming.
Thanatos02 05-07-05, 02:29 AM	If it helps, my caffine is supplied by 2-liters of Coke and coffee. Ye gods, coffee. My parents and friends are concerned with my consumption. Having been a barista, though, I've learned to stop worrying and love the bean.
snowlynx 05-07-05, 08:11 AM	I have a job, and I don't have a lot to spend my money on. Rent for apartment, and basic neccessities. We share books within the group; two to three player's handbooks to pass amongst the group seems to be enough. (Of my other hobbies and bad habits, only eating at resturants and playing video games seem to be expensive.) Most of my supplement books, I didn't buy: they were given to me as gifts, or I did buy them using gift certificates I'd been given so that I wasn't paying much for the books. I do buy miniatures and I did buy the battlemat for the group; I have to say if you're going to buy minitaures, to go plastic- the metal ones look a LOT nicer but I don't have to glue the plastic ones back together every few weeks. (The metal ones are very bendable and so they break easily when not being taken care of.) You should be able to find some books cheaper if you look online, if you're trying to save money.
mcnoo 05-07-05, 11:07 AM	It's a nightmare this whole cash thing isn't it? I'm (barely) living on my student loan, when all of a sudden in the same spring all that new white wolf stuff comes out, along with the new DMG, and then i randomly decide to spend £100 on assorted LARP weaponry. It's amazing i have enough money left to do all the mandatory heavy student drinking. Frankly i have no idea how I manage to stay alive on £40 a week for food, drink, travel and luxuries like rp, although i think my overdraft helps.
mcnoo 05-07-05, 11:08 AM	I've learned to stop worrying and love the bean. As in coffee or "flicking the"?
Brave Sir Bevier 05-07-05, 06:31 PM	I can appreciate your situation. One place I can send you is overstock.com There is another place that sells very cheap online...I'll get back to you with that. ~Bev
Edymnion 05-07-05, 07:24 PM	Used book stores are a D&D player's best friends.
Shadow Weaver 05-07-05, 08:34 PM	I scour second hand book stores enough to get lucky once in a while. I picked up the Draconomicon, Book of Exhalted Deeds, and 3.5 PHB in perfect condition at Half-Price Books (as well as older edition books I like to read for fun). I also found Urban Arcana for $6. If it's something I decide I absolutely can't wait for, like Complete Adventurer, then I'll cough up the cover price at my FLGS.
Arcanis the wacher 05-07-05, 09:29 PM	Many companies also offer legitimate copies of their product via pdf. See RPGNow.com or DriveThruRPG.com for examples. Pdfs are often cheaper than print books, though if you don't (or can't) read from a computer screen you'll be in trouble, as printing off some of the books can get expensive. But if your main use of books is to sprinkle a bit here and there into your game, then pdfs are the way to go. Plus, your needed storage area is cut down. until your pc dies :weep:
Emanuel Faust 05-07-05, 09:50 PM	D&D is my least expensive hobby as well. Mainly because once you buy a supplement, you have it. That's it. Yes, there are a lot, but you don't need all of them to play. That and anything my group wants that I can't afford, they will buy. :D It works well. I get what I want, they get what they want. As opposed to my former WotC habit, Magic. Magic costs over 3US each pack for 15 cards...it gets a tad pricey.
HypnoticMonk 05-07-05, 10:20 PM	I recently bought both the PHB and DMG online at Amazon.com. Buying them both only ran $42 with shipping. If you buy one of the D&D books , they have sales built in for buying a particular second book. Having said that, having been through a college career where I lived on nothing but ramen noodles for months, a business where I had to decide between keeping the electricity at the store or my water at home ( the store won), a business partner that drained $30K+ out of our business accounts, a girlfriend that took almost $1000 out of my bank account before skipping town, and various other financial hardship issues(I'm quite fine now, thank you), I know what it's like to have to squeeze every penny.. even during times when I was working 3 jobs at the same time. When I hear people flippantly answer "get a job" without knowing the whole story, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I wonder who this side of Bill Gates is immune to being in some level of financial hardship at some time. In other words, don't judge without all the facts unless you want to look rude, crude, insensitive, and just generally clueless.
lint trap 05-07-05, 10:29 PM	When I hear people flippantly answer "get a job" without knowing the whole story, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I wonder who this side of Bill Gates is immune to being in some level of financial hardship at some time. Word. I just maxed out my work study financial aid award, am about to graduate with a philosophy degree (soon to be unemployed), and have about $30,000 in loans breathing down my neck. It's good to know that I'm not the only impoverished D&D player on the boards. Anyway, some of y'all have given me some great (and occasionally extra-legal) advice, and though I doubt I'll follow up on all of it, it's greatly appreciated. God bless the used book market.
Count Arioch the 28th 05-07-05, 10:34 PM	I remember when 3.5 came out, I was broke. What I did was used the SRD to play for quite a while until the financial thing straightened up, and didn't use any extras. Extras are nice, but when you've got the core three, then you're good to go.
amethal 05-07-05, 10:35 PM	I can appreciate your situation. One place I can send you is overstock.comHandy if you live in the USA. Based on the postage they quoted me to the UK, they must ship overseas in gold leaf envelopes. When I was a student, I survived by buying no roleplaying stuff for the entire time. Now I have a job I can afford a couple of books a month. My main problem is finding room to store them (housing costs are very high where I live) so I've started buying PDFs instead. I certainly don't need any more books. I have enough stuff to last a lifetime, so if my circumstances change (e.g. having children) I won't be losing out on D&D. I just won't understand a word when you guys are talking about the latest Races of Wherever.
Ty 05-07-05, 10:58 PM	You know, I found one cure. You work a crap load of hours, which results in less free time for say going to the movies, which results in the ability to purchase more books... but then again, you start losing time to play... Seriously though, if you want to play D&D, WotC has made it simple and almost free with the SRD. You don't need anything else other than dice, some paper, some pencils, and an imagination. Other expansions you can find all over on the web, typically for free. If you want to purchase the books and expansions, etc., budget for them. This is simple economics here. For the price my wife and I went to a bad movie (the "Interpreter" is way too predictable so save your money folks) and dinner out rather than cooking dinner in and renting a movie/using 'On-Demand', I could have bought 2 books from WotC (or 3 through Amazon), 4 third-party books, or a half a case of miniatures. If your in high school, college, close to bankruptcy, etc., no offense but save pennies and really think about whether you need that book about aberrations. This is a game of imagination. For years my friends, brother and I all played with nothing more than a players handbook, a couple of hand-me down modules, a DM's guide, and a Monster Manual. Another option is using Ebay. You can get good deals there as well. Class dismissed.
Titan W 05-07-05, 11:03 PM	We shae our books... sicking most of the cost on the people with money (Which I for one don't have)... so then I borrow them... read them from conver to cover twice, and memorize them... simple as that... my mind is my resource... although there are sometimes blank spots... but I know most of it by memory...
Rellik Laires 05-08-05, 01:02 AM	alright i didn't take time to take a look at all the posts but i kno for one my group is very wealthy with books and none of us have jobs besides chores and 5 bux a day for lunch money. now this is sad because we are all 16-18 and don't have jobs but besides that we have nearly 1000$ work of books since the time we started about 100$ in dice. not to mention the cost of copys for character sheets pencils / refills , and soda and food for the sessions. we have 3 camp's going on and are all designated to a day or by vote on get togethers on day off's. we have nearly 50 books. we have all chipped in for the books and has taken us years for our library. we got most of the books for our party for x-mas and birthdays but i work on and off in cunstruction and make about 200bux each time i do most of that goes towards clothes but i will usually buy 1 or 2 books with it. and the rest of my party gains allowence and saves it up. we have a phb per player (6) dmg mm( mm2 mm3 libris mortis book of exalted book of vile all the races and complete books unearthed arcana book of ultimate feats book of ultimate player concepts tournemnts , fairs and taverns and the list keeps going we have 3.5 and 3.0 but only play 3.5 as of now most of our splat books are 3.0 but are easily able to be used in 3.5 now we are not your average geeks at all except for 2 of out players lol.i myself goes out friday nights and get a couple of girls go drinking , 3 of our players have girlfriends. we are our average teenagers but if u ever step foot into the room of our play area our dark secret unwinds lol. now are all these books need ??? of course not but in our party dnd has become and addiction much like a drug .we started off small (no character sheets one book one set of dice) much like a marajuana state of a drug addict. now we have made our own custum character sheets our own campaign setting (still being worked out) nearly 2 sets of dice per player , we have finished 3 campaigns (finishing the entire story) and are still working on another 3.my father is a carpenter and when i get to use his tools and get money for wood i'm going to make our own dnd table (slots draws and a pull out panel that flips for a battle grid and as a hex map cup holders whole works) now if you think that your a dnd addict look at my group as herion addicts of the game. Does anyone know of a good DnD Rehab? i almost forgot to mention that we buy all of our books off of amazon with the buy 2 and save like nearly 20-25 bux. so that helps. we also didn't bother with buying campaign settings and instead created our own.right now we have created the map and i'm looking foward to upgrading it into map size lol we are all in the middle of creating citys within all the countries and another party member is writing the story (he's in 2 college course of writing at the HS) so we hope that turns out well. when we finish our campaign setting i'll try to get it up online to send out to every one , if its good enough copyright it. the whole creating your own campaign setting takes alot of time and alot of planning as well as a few skills (drawing maps,story ideas and plots, and the biggest skill needed being Patient) But in the long run you and your friends have spent alot of fun together working on this and at the end you can all look back at it and say wow look at what we have acomplished. through my eyes its worth the wait
R-man 05-08-05, 06:00 AM	My wife and I are both employed with good jobs. We both play D&D and only need to have duplicate copies of the PH, all other books are good to have only one copy. We also don't buy every book. We own most of the WotC published material but are missing a couple of the less used books. We only own a little of the third party material that is out there. The exception is we buy almost every module that we can find. We both DM and neither has time to be writing up adventures so we use published material regularly. And yes we have a subscription to Dungeon magazine. We are expecting to be teaching our oldest daughter how to play shortly the younger one still has to work on her reading comprehension first. They are 10 and 8 years old. They are already enjoying playing D&D minis however. :D :D :D
VirgilCaine 05-08-05, 07:22 AM	If your in high school, college, close to bankruptcy, etc., no offense but save pennies and really think about whether you need that book about aberrations. This is a game of imagination. For years my friends, brother and I all played with nothing more than a players handbook, a couple of hand-me down modules, a DM's guide, and a Monster Manual. Another option is using Ebay. You can get good deals there as well. Class dismissed. And if you're too lazy to make up your own monsters and adventures, there's lots of those free on the 'Net and/or this website.
xRedCometx 05-08-05, 10:29 AM	My group has 6 people in it and 1 is the usual DM but the other two most experienced DM a good amount and we share the books that we buy.
kuhTHOOloo 05-08-05, 11:35 AM	I've learned to stop worrying and love the bean. Sigged. Ah, the joys of Dr. Strangelove.
Aeolus91 05-08-05, 02:40 PM	I have no job (laugh all you want; I'm 13) but I have about a trillion books. I personally buy a bunch of mine used off the Internet. I also use a lot of old 3.0 books (much cheaper) and update them, takes 2 seconds. My campaign has so many house rules, made up classes, made up races, etc. that we basically do not need books. I've memorized all the core rulebooks anyway (No joke, I read them over and over for fun.) and if I can't remember a rule, I make it up. Player: What's the range increment for a heavy catapult again? Me: Ummmmm... 140 feet. Player: Okey dokes! And the game goes on. Another good idea is to check video game stores. A couple times I've gone to Electronics Boutique and found that they accidentally ordered D&D books (Usually right after they stock a new D&D video game; they think that they're video game guides) and once they figure it out, they sell them for about $5 apiece to unload them. Recently I got 3 new books for 15 bucks in total at the local EB.
WindOwl 05-08-05, 02:46 PM	Does WotC sell PDFs?
Aeromus 05-08-05, 04:36 PM	I would tell you where to get the PDF's.... But, alas if I did I'm afraid I'd be banned.
VirgilCaine 05-08-05, 07:21 PM	Does WotC sell PDFs? Yes. At the same price as the hardcover book.
Graiskye 05-13-05, 03:16 PM	I guess if your young or unemployed perhaps, but really. A couple a other hobbies of mine, loves is more like it, RC airplanes, guitar. A decent nitro plane rig to get started will run around a thousand before you get flyin(appx) 1 plane! A good electric guitar will run a couple thou, though you can haunt the shops and find a deal, and a decent high end 100 watt tube amp, ha another two thou, so I look at D&D as the cheap hobby Im into. A different perspective. Grai
Gallamine 05-13-05, 03:26 PM	A great way to not have to spend a dime on books is check your local library. That's where I'm getting all of my books from.
Dave Stebbins 05-13-05, 09:11 PM	until your pc dies :weep: Last I knew, both RPGNow and DTRPG allowed you to re-download the PDFs you've purchased in the past. Does WotC sell PDFs? They sell PDFs of most of their recent releases (but not the core rule books) at DTRPG (.com) for, as VirgilCaine pointed out, full cover price.
RogerWilco 05-13-05, 09:22 PM	I have a job too, and having just recently switched from 2nd ed. I'm actually quite glad I can just buy the books I want. It's a lot less expensive as MtG used to be... Thirdly, when I was a student I did a lot of illegal copying, both computer games and some DnD stuff, I kind of feel obligated to purchase stuff legally from those companies, even if I might have played more WC2 as WC3. My 2nd ed. DM owns everything 2nd edition, it's an investment for years. I basically decided that now with 3/3.5 it's my turn. I can basically afford the 1000 or so euros it will cost to buy nearly everything. I think the local gaming shop will have a significant increase in DnD purchases the comming year.
ORC_Paradox 05-13-05, 09:26 PM	It's not THAT expensive. Consider the folks that buy all the new release video games each month at $50 a pop! And if you really think D&D books are expensive, then you've got a HUGE sticker shock waiting for you when you go to college. (When I went- books were running $80- $90 for four months of use. I know for a fact those average prices have gone up.)
Armoured Priest 05-13-05, 10:09 PM	As other posters have mentioned, D&D is also my "cheep" hobby. I own a fair few of the books plus some other d20 products. For the last 5 years 2000 USD would be a fair estimate of what I've spent. Compare that to the monies spent on music instruments:Hamer EG (awesome deal 300$, no, I didn't buy a hot item :D ) Ampeg Amp used $150 from friend of the family. He paid 1000+ for the thing when it was new. Roland Keyboard $750. Diigital 8-Track $800. Computer specially tweeked for music production $2000. (This is a build it myself price tag on top of it). Trombone w/F trigger $1200. (Primary instument in college...speaking...) College music BA music education $15,000. (Admittadly, music is becoming more career then hobbie, but you get the point). My other hobbie, Video Games, the Gamespot meter figues my collection to be worth around $20,000 USD (yes 20K), I didn't spend that much, as used games cost less, but around 12,000 is what my estimates are at. Hope it didn't sound like bragging (although I am quite proud of my VG collection :D ), but this is to illustrate that D&D is only as expensive as you make it. I personally mostly buy only the stuff that I think I'll need. The tree core books, the four main splat books, and some extra supplimental stuff for my home campaign.
KismetRose 05-14-05, 06:29 PM	I do my best with gaming books as with my college books to never pay full price. I make full and prodigious use of the internet as a source of lowered prices, and I have done pretty well. I have also asked for gaming books for Xmas, birthdays, and other holidays as appropriate. I have also been blessed to have very generous friends. =)
Zagan 05-14-05, 06:42 PM	personally i must admit I DONT ! there are too many crapy books unworthy buying so i just buy the really cool ones and limit myself to the core books and when i want smth. new i just borrow one from my friends, as easy as that. And if i can i buy them cheaper as pdf files. Some of you might say they are unhandy etc. but with a laptop its a good read. just my :twocents:
phant0m master 05-14-05, 07:25 PM	I use the SRD for my core needs, then because I always play meele characters I bought CV and CW. I doubt that I will ever play anything but a human (is there a word for someone who loves feats more then anything?) so I don't buy that races books. I'm not a DM so no campaign settings, and I think the dessert and blizzard books are just wastes of time. Although I have heard miniatures has some intristing feats in it......
Elly 05-14-05, 08:50 PM	My entire group, including myself, is underage and therefore can't hold down any real jobs... however, we've never found it a problem. Our DM has a DMG and MM, roughly three fourths of us have PHBs, and we get everyone additional books on their birthdays. If somebody doesn't have a book they need, we just play like good little girls and boys and share ^.^ Aside from that, you don't really need a battle mat or anything. Couple o' dice and you're set. All things considered, it's a cheap hobby. Or it can be as expensive as you want... one of the greatest things about DnD is that there's no set cost.
Zadara 05-15-05, 04:50 PM	I actually own only the XPH, but I make a point of knowing all the stuff I need for my char, reading from the SRD. Of course the people I play with have every single book ever released, so that helps ... :p
General_Ridley 05-15-05, 05:38 PM	I don't afford it. I bring what I have and every 8 months or so maybe uy something new. If I need d6's, I raid board games.
dasneakygit 05-16-05, 05:14 PM	How do i afford it, I have a good job. As far as how much I spend, I play alot of Warhammer Fantasy Battles and Warhammer 40k, so D&D is my cheap hobby. Yes the game store loves to see me coming... :bigeyes: I am a gaming junkie what can i say... :twitch:
High Octane 05-16-05, 06:59 PM	I cant. I do anyway. Actually when I started I had dispensable income. My friend is in debt like 100 grand and still goes on ebay buying first edition books where and when he can.
devinmdp 05-16-05, 10:49 PM	I was just wondering how y'all managed the monetary aspects of a D&D addiction (pooling resources, trust funds, etc). By making six-figures. Devin
Thuragrun 05-16-05, 10:59 PM	D&D is my cheapest hobby. Smoking costs more. Hockey costs more. My son's hockey costs more. My daughter's hockey costs more. Hell, my weekly gas costs to get back and forth to work costs more than I spend on the 1-3 books and 2-3 boxes of minis that I purchase each month.
xRedCometx 05-17-05, 06:32 AM	The best way to afford D&D if you don't have a job is to share the D&D books throughout your group.
Wulfgar 05-17-05, 07:07 AM	I fake my own death every few years for the insurance money. :plotting: Works like a charm.
RogerWilco 05-17-05, 05:15 PM	Hell, my weekly gas costs to get back and forth to work costs more than I spend on the 1-3 books and 2-3 boxes of minis that I purchase each month. I car-pool to work, this has 2 benefits: - I need to ride my bike for 30 min. 3 days/week, some sorely needed excersize. - I spend about 35 euro's less on gasoline, or about a book a week! @Armoured Priest :mymy: :eek: I have a reasonable good job, but those numbers are nowhere near what I can afford even for a car. But then I don't make 6 figures like devin...
Manwe1977 05-17-05, 05:54 PM	I make good money, so I buy most of the books I want when they come out. The problem is I'm also a garden-variety collector, and I can't stand not having all the books. So what I do is set up a wishlist on Amazon. This previous Christmas, I got something like a dozen non-core D&D books and 3 or 4 Star Wars RPG books, not to mention about two dozen new novels. Now granted, I have a big family and my parents and grandparents still buy me presents at Christmas and my birthday like I'm 8, but if you're under 16 and can't work regularly, it's a great way to get the non-core books you want. If you can't figure out a way to make 30 bucks to buy a core book, you're not looking hard enough. I mean, if you're over 18, go sell plasma. (ahhh, broke in college and needing beer money days). You could buy a book a week selling your plasma, actually. Okay, that's not the suggesting I logged in to post, but the wishlist thing is. That's golden. Just remember to let your family know you have one on Amazon, and wait til a present-getting occasion.