|
I have one request that has gone away from DND. Remember 2nd edition you got a three ring binder for the MM back then. If you wanted to buy lets say the Dark sun monstermanuel or MM2 you got a pack of monster sheets with easy to photocopy pictures which were pre-punched to go into your 3 ring binder. I happend to come across it from the "+2 trunk of retirement" (collection over the last 22 years) and wondered if that was ever going to make a comeback. 3.5/3.0 had bound books, so if ytou wanted 1 monster from MM# and 1 from MM@ and the core book for the rest, you had to lug three separate books. Thoughts???
I have one request that has gone away from DND. Remember 2nd edition you got a three ring binder for the MM back then. [snipped]
Thoughts???
Well I'm sure that the first printing will be a bound copy of the MM, but it would be a lot of nostalgic fun to have aring binder version too. I wonder if you could get WotC to do a sort of Print on Demand version of the MM's that were ring bound.
Hrm, I remember those too. I always had trouble with losing pages though (maybe that speaks to my organizational skills ...)
I doubt they'll be going this route, although the idea of an electronic document with ready to print pages would be interesting. Still need a three ring hole punch though.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
|
Those three ring binders were a great concept, but sucked in implementation. First, there were the physical problems: the pages fell out, the cover got bent if you put stuff on top of it, the rings themselves requently became unaligned. Then, there were the problems with usage - if you did want that one monster from MM#1 and you took it out, there was a high probability you wouldn't actually return it to MM#1 when you were done (at least if you possess my organizational skills). Also, if you wanted to, say, consolidate all the MMs into one volume, you were thwarted by the single page monsters. So, if MM#1 had Death Dog and Dobble Dog on either side of the same page, and MM#2 had Dibble Dog and Dragon, Plaid, you suddenly had a significant organizational problem.
Better solution is to have pdf copies of your books and access to a printer. Then you can just take out the pieces you need as you need them. I routinely print out monsters and spells from the SRD and extra maps from pathfinder.
I generally transcribe monsters that I will be using into my own shorthand form of statblocks and print that out. It takes a bit of time (especially at higher levels, it can take a while) but pays off lots in speeding up my DMing. More than likely, I'll keep this up in 4E (transcribing the monsters also ensures I'm not surprised by any abilities most of the time ...)
Cheers! :)
|
My AD&D MM is still in great shape. My 3rd edition MM is in good shape. My 2nd edition MM is a coverless binder because the cardboard fell apart from being used too much. Some of the pages within have the holes ripped as well.
I agree with Sebastian. I thought the binder to be a great idea at first but it just didn't last
My AD&D MM is still in great shape. My 3rd edition MM is in good shape. My 2nd edition MM is a coverless binder because the cardboard fell apart from being used too much. Some of the pages within have the holes ripped as well.
I agree with Sebastian. I thought the binder to be a great idea at first but it just didn't last
Oh, the binder version of the MM did indeed have real problems. You could easily lose pages. That's why I suggest a Print on Demand style of production. That way you could get pages you lsoe reprinted.
My recent forays into the print on demand market have taught me way way to much about paper quality recently. The largest problem with the old MM binders were simply the quality of them. The binder was cardboard not hard plastic, and the quality of the paper could have been much thicker, sturdier paper. It would have lasted longer that way.
It's strange what products survive the ages and which break down easily isn't it?
|
|
It's strange what products survive the ages and which break down easily isn't it?
When Gygax had the original Ad&D books printed up, he really went for quality binding. The longer my books last the more I appreciate that early focus on quality.
Sadly the 2nd edition books were not so well put together. The spine of my 2nd ed PHB is a mess, just an ugly brown cardboard strip from where the outer edge has worn off. The 2nd ed. DMG is only in good shape because I didn't use it as much. My 3e PHB cover has pulled loose from the binding on one end.
Yet when I look at my AD&D books, they are all in excellent shape.
|
|
True you could lose pages and that the binder did fall apart or worse the rings got misaligned, but overall it was a great product and it was pretty easy to just take out and have it sit in front of you rather than an open book. Plus if you ran more than one monster you dont have to thumb through a book. Stats I would write behind those photos for quick reference and lost no pages for many years. We rarely use MM2 or MM3 at all because of lugging yet another book. The online pdf's from rpgnow work great that you can print them, and have a small card for each monster, but alas with a new edition they hit the +2 retirement trunk.
I have one request that has gone away from DND. Remember 2nd edition you got a three ring binder for the MM back then. If you wanted to buy lets say the Dark sun monstermanuel or MM2 you got a pack of monster sheets with easy to photocopy pictures which were pre-punched to go into your 3 ring binder. I happend to come across it from the "+2 trunk of retirement" (collection over the last 22 years) and wondered if that was ever going to make a comeback. 3.5/3.0 had bound books, so if ytou wanted 1 monster from MM# and 1 from MM@ and the core book for the rest, you had to lug three separate books. Thoughts???
If you sign to DDI, you should be able to access any monster you want through the Rules Database, I think. Then you can print it and bring to your table.