My group is done play testing PFRPG, and we like it. I have another group where everyone has their own books, but I would still like to own my own.
I'm pretty much sold on the CRB and Ultimate Magic. Personally, I hate the implication of firearms in a fantasy setting, so I am considering skipping out on Ultimate Combat. Ultimate Equipment also looks handy. What are the other most important books to have a physical reference to at the table?
EDIT: The Advanced Player's Guide and Advanced Race Guide are also on my list, and I am considering the Game Mastery Guide.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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If you are playing a class from APG, or using an option from UM or UC, it's handy to have those at the table. The gun-related elements are a pretty minor section of UC, and if you are running a martial type character, you might want to reconsider that book (and, alternatively, if you only run caster types, you can probably skip it).
If you are playing a summoner of any stripe (including a cleric/wiz/druid/etc. with access to Summon Monster/Animal), you may want to consider picking up a copy of the Bestiary.
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CRB is the only necessary book. Bestiary is a great pickup. Everything else is by preference.
ARG is all right if you like the additional options for existing and new races. I do, but I rarely use the new races. My group is literally humans and elves right now. Like 8 characters, counting cohorts. Two Elves. Everyone else is human. We don't use the new races, like, at all. But I like the new options for the standard races.
UC is really meh in my opinion. The eastern stuff is OP junk (especially the armor - weapons not so much for the most part), and if you don't want firearms, you can just say "no firearms". It's really that simple. If you're running, that is. The perks of being a DM.
APG is pretty good. The classes are interesting enough (if complicated in the case of the Alchemist and Summoner), and the new feats, spells, and traits are all useful.
GMG wasn't great, in my opinion. The first few chapters are good (regarding players and the handing a group, etc), but the rest is all idea for running adventures and campaigns. That's not a bad thing, but it's kinda whatever for spending real money on. If you have a decent bit of cash, the PDF is probably worth it.
Equipment is the worst book ever. Cool new toys sounds great, until all the characters in your group have them, and it becomes an arms race between the PCs and the NPCs, and now everything in the world is a swift action (like drawing potions, wands, scrolls, etc), weird combinations you have to adjudicate, strange items you've never heard of before...ugh. I hate it. Others love it. Get a second opinion.
Core Rulebook of course. I would recommend the group invest in one of each of Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and Advanced Player's Guide to have handy at the table. It is nice to have the book handy if you are playing one of the classes out of it. Our table runs a fairly low-technology table and it is easier to stay engaged if you have the books available, rather than busting out the laptop or smartphone.
Advanced Race Guide was fairly excellent, but you may not need it for table reference. I bought it because it was pretty.
If you are DM'ing, it's wise to have a Bestiary handy, and the Ultimate Equipment guide is nice for treasure, though the random treasure tables were a bit underwhelming. Ultimate Equipment guide is also pretty.
Strangely enough, I find that I don't get a lot of use out of the physical core books.
I find, as a general rule, it's more important to have the physical setting books, and the adventure paths for actually absorbing the information you need as a DM. I can't really process those sort of things, and adequately prepare for a game, unless I take the time to sit down and read it cover to cover. For the actual rules, and crunch, like all the core rulebooks, the bestiary books, etc. I prefer to refer to the PRD. It's much easier to find stuff on the fly, and it might not sound like such a big deal, but those books are SO MUCH HEAVIER. Seriously, that is an important consideration for me, because I don't have a car, and I really don't like having to lug around half a dozen 400 page hardcover books to each session.
TBH I plan on investing in an Android Tablet as well as picking up a few paper copy books, so I will have access to both.
Our 3.5 collection spanded 3 copies of the player's handbook and 2 copies of the DMG, so we are used to having spare copies around. The main books are nice to have in case of electronic failure, or when I need to have my laptop/tablet because I am pulling my info off it because 1) I don't want to take all the time to copy all the work I've already done creating NPCs and encounters onto paper, 2) I don't have access to a printer to make myself a nice binder of the stuff that's just going to change and become outdated anyway, and 3) I like trees.
CRB, UM, APG, and the Bestiary seem to be the big winners here. Time will tell if Ultimate Campaign is worth it, I am hoping so, I have high hopes for that book.
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As someone who works off of PDFs, let me tell you it's a ton easier to have the bestiaries in print handy...and anything players can use for player creation.
I gotta disagree on this one. The hyperlink search functions are a blessing. I got some of those "only hard copy books for me" guys in my gaming group. I find everything within seconds on my laptop while they page clumsily through their hard copies.
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My group is done play testing PFRPG, and we like it. I have another group where everyone has their own books, but I would still like to own my own.
I'm pretty much sold on the CRB and Ultimate Magic. Personally, I hate the implication of firearms in a fantasy setting, so I am considering skipping out on Ultimate Combat. Ultimate Equipment also looks handy. What are the other most important books to have a physical reference to at the table?EDIT: The Advanced Player's Guide and Advanced Race Guide are also on my list, and I am considering the Game Mastery Guide.
I really regret getting Ultimate Combat. Just had nothing for me (aside from the fact one of my players wanted to play a Ninja). Really should have done more research on it and then I would likely have gotten Ultimate Magic or another Bestiary instead.
So, imo, good purchases for just starting out are the CRB, Bestiary and maybe APG. I would likely just stick with the first two though.
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As someone who works off of PDFs, let me tell you it's a ton easier to have the bestiaries in print handy...and anything players can use for player creation.I gotta disagree on this one. The hyperlink search functions are a blessing. I got some of those "only hard copy books for me" guys in my gaming group. I find everything within seconds on my laptop while they page clumsily through their hard copies.
YMMV.
I can, too...but not always...and if I need multiple pages from the same book, that's another thing I find having the hard bestiary handy for. Of course, with the d20dfsrd...well, that helps...a lot.
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My group is done play testing PFRPG, and we like it. I have another group where everyone has their own books, but I would still like to own my own.
I'm pretty much sold on the CRB and Ultimate Magic. Personally, I hate the implication of firearms in a fantasy setting, so I am considering skipping out on Ultimate Combat. Ultimate Equipment also looks handy. What are the other most important books to have a physical reference to at the table?EDIT: The Advanced Player's Guide and Advanced Race Guide are also on my list, and I am considering the Game Mastery Guide.
I really regret getting Ultimate Combat. Just had nothing for me (aside from the fact one of my players wanted to play a Ninja). Really should have done more research on it and then I would likely have gotten Ultimate Magic or another Bestiary instead.
So, imo, good purchases for just starting out are the CRB, Bestiary and maybe APG. I would likely just stick with the first two though.
The one I regret is the game mastery guide. Its more of a newbie book. In that function its awesome. However, I had plenty of GM experience and was hoping GMG would be more like DMG II from 3.5 (awesome book by the way!)So the GMG may be a good book for you pyschoticwarrior if you are newer to GMing. It does have nice NPC tables and lots of advice. It is nice to just sit back at home and read on free time.
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As someone who works off of PDFs, let me tell you it's a ton easier to have the bestiaries in print handy...and anything players can use for player creation.I gotta disagree on this one. The hyperlink search functions are a blessing. I got some of those "only hard copy books for me" guys in my gaming group. I find everything within seconds on my laptop while they page clumsily through their hard copies.YMMV.
I can, too...but not always...and if I need multiple pages from the same book, that's another thing I find having the hard bestiary handy for. Of course, with the d20dfsrd...well, that helps...a lot.
Miles vary true that. One of my players also GMs, we rotate. He puts those little tabby 3M deals on the pages he knows he will need for the session. Hes good about being prepared. Me? Super lazy; so opening multiple bestiaries or SRD pages is easy and just tab clicks away from the info I need.
As someone who works off of PDFs, let me tell you it's a ton easier to have the bestiaries in print handy...and anything players can use for player creation.I gotta disagree on this one. The hyperlink search functions are a blessing. I got some of those "only hard copy books for me" guys in my gaming group. I find everything within seconds on my laptop while they page clumsily through their hard copies.
I agree. I have a spell book app and one that has all the main pathfinder books for my phone and tablet (plus pfsrd); good to go.
The one I regret is the game mastery guide. Its more of a newbie book. In that function its awesome. However, I had plenty of GM experience and was hoping GMG would be more like DMG II from 3.5 (awesome book by the way!)So the GMG may be a good book for you pyschoticwarrior if you are newer to GMing. It does have nice NPC tables and lots of advice. It is nice to just sit back at home and read on free time.
Thanks for the advice but I've been at the GMing game for quite a while now (my first RPG book was the Moldvay BD&D book - read the hell out of that thing) I was thinking more along the lines of someone who has played RPGs before but not Pathfinder.
\That being said I love reading GM advice books like the GMG - they often have useful tidbits (or int he case of the 3E DMG II whole chapters!) of great advice/tables/random stuff that i find useful.
My group is done play testing PFRPG, and we like it. I have another group where everyone has their own books, but I would still like to own my own.
I'm pretty much sold on the CRB and Ultimate Magic. Personally, I hate the implication of firearms in a fantasy setting, so I am considering skipping out on Ultimate Combat. Ultimate Equipment also looks handy. What are the other most important books to have a physical reference to at the table?EDIT: The Advanced Player's Guide and Advanced Race Guide are also on my list, and I am considering the Game Mastery Guide.
The GM guide I typically use to replace NPC's in 3.5 modules.
UM isn't all that essential, focus on the core stuff of: Core book, APG, ARG, UE. You will also need the 3 Bestiaries, but check them first to see what is in each, as the second one had lots of Japanese/Chinese stuff in it, and the 3rd had lots of Indian stuff.
The one I regret is the game mastery guide. Its more of a newbie book. In that function its awesome. However, I had plenty of GM experience and was hoping GMG would be more like DMG II from 3.5 (awesome book by the way!)So the GMG may be a good book for you pyschoticwarrior if you are newer to GMing. It does have nice NPC tables and lots of advice. It is nice to just sit back at home and read on free time.
Seconding the love for 3.x DMG II. That is an excellent book for advice for any game. I think every DM should have a copy, regardless of which system you prefer.
I used to have the DMG II. There's nothing in it that the Gamemastery Guide doesn't, save the Companion Spirit rules.
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My group is done play testing PFRPG, and we like it. I have another group where everyone has their own books, but I would still like to own my own.
I'm pretty much sold on the CRB and Ultimate Magic. Personally, I hate the implication of firearms in a fantasy setting, so I am considering skipping out on Ultimate Combat. Ultimate Equipment also looks handy. What are the other most important books to have a physical reference to at the table?EDIT: The Advanced Player's Guide and Advanced Race Guide are also on my list, and I am considering the Game Mastery Guide.
The GM guide I typically use to replace NPC's in 3.5 modules.
UM isn't all that essential, focus on the core stuff of: Core book, APG, ARG, UE. You will also need the 3 Bestiaries, but check them first to see what is in each, as the second one had lots of Japanese/Chinese stuff in it, and the 3rd had lots of Indian stuff.
Bestiary 3 is the one with oriental mythology monsters. B2 is more focused on "traditional" D&D monsters and outsiders.
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If you're planning on getting a tablet and pdfs, then I'm going to go with saying just the CRB and APG. I also say the Bestiary if you like finding your own monsters by thumbing through books looking at pictures, otherwise... there's an app for that. I have all the hard cover books, and over 50 of the soft cover books. Besides the CRB and APG, they almost all sit on the shelf and I use pdfs for everything else. (I blame PFS rules of needing the splash books if you're going to use anything from them.)
Also, I agree with the poster who said that you should buy a physical copy of any adventure you plan on using. Not only is it easier to highlight and tab up a physical copy , but if your tablet is your main source of information then you'll need it available to reference in conjunction with the adventure.
Spend all the extra money you save on physical copies and invest it into a better android tablet.