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Yes, I'm serious. Have you read the entire Core Rulebook from cover to cover?
I tried to read it when I first started playing, then quickly realized that I needed to just jump around to the parts I needed at any given time.
Now that I spend 40-45 minutes per day commuting by train, I've had more free time for reading. So I've been trying to read it, but I keep getting sidetracked, either reading stuff for my job or reading adventures that I'm going to GM soon instead. So far, I'm up to the equipment chapter. At my current rate, it'll be at least a few months before I finish.
Just thought this would be an interesting question to ask the most die hard fans of the game who frequent these forums.
Nope.
I generally just look up whatever rules I need at the time on the SRD and remember them for later.
The only time I've actually even opened the CRB PDF I have is to look up exact page numbers for other people.
I haven't (generally doing what Rynjin does), but I did start reading the whole 3.5 PHB from cover to cover. I stopped when I got to the spells chapter :)
I read the 3.0 and 3.5 PHBs cover to cover when I first got into playing D&D and bought the 3.5 book instead of the 3.0, which all of my friends had. Instead of trying to return or exchange the book, I read through both to find all the differences (I didn't know about things like the PDF on the WotC site with all of the changes between editions already listed).
I haven't done a cover-to-cover read of any other rule books since then. I'll read a full chapter here or there, but otherwise just look for specific items.
Yes I have...
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In its entirety, yes. Straight through from cover to cover, chapter by chapter, no.
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I-
I never learned to read
I just guess at things and then stare my players down if they disagree
I read the whole thing in order, except for the spells which I saved for last.
I read the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide except for spells and magic items.
Read the part of the PHB in 3.0, the whole PHB+DMG in 3.5 except for spells other than when my character or someone I DM'd had the spell, and read in PF I read Core except spells and specific magic items until I have to look them up. By now I've probably read all spells and magic items.
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I downloaded and read the entire user manual on my dishwasher in the apartment I'm renting (as well as the washer/dryer). And that's not a topic I find interesting. Note this was not my first of either type of device and just read them to see if anything special about them.
So yes, I did indeed read my Core Rulebook all the way through, including the spells. Though I honestly did skim the spells quite a bit aside from the fun ones (fireball!), mostly just giving the descriptions a read.
I'm also the guy who reads the rulebooks for new board games when my friend buys them.
I don't even own a copy. My group has three at the table, but I pretty much just use the PRD. Open Content is awesome.
I don't even own a copy. My group has three at the table, but I pretty much just use the PRD. Open Content is awesome.
Agreed!
I read the combat and magic chapters all the way. (mind you, "spells" is a separate chapter) but other than that i just look things up on case by case.
And this thread show why so many folks do not understand anything on this message board...... What a shame I have read 1st ed DMG & PHB, 2nd ed DMG & PHB, 3.0 DMG & PHB, 3.5 & DMG & PHB, and pathfinder core.
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I'm trying to remember when I stopped reading through entire core books, and started cherry-picking. I'm not sure I read 3.0 entirely; I know I never read the 3.0 DMG for more than the Incorporeal section (...)
I think it's the "what is roleplaying?" section in most books that sets me off skimming. At that point I start going through the stuff I actually need: class levels I'm likely to reach, feats within the plausible tree for that class.
I do a lot of research on rules questions though. So knowing the combat and magic item chapters is pretty vital.
It's stuff like the Environment chapter that can really surprise me... lots of interesting stuff that you never read because you think you already know all that.
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It's not an engrossing read, or at least not for me. Your mileage may vary, I suppose. I get bored reading about rules. If it were background content mixed up with the rules it'd be a more enjoyable reading. I'd rather have lighter rules, actually, but that's just me.
And this thread show why so many folks do not understand anything on this message board...... What a shame I have read 1st ed DMG & PHB, 2nd ed DMG & PHB, 3.0 DMG & PHB, 3.5 & DMG & PHB, and pathfinder core.
And you never bothered with the monster manuals, you lazy slob!
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Huh, that's funny. I'm pretty sure I read most monster manuals/bestiaries that cross my path.
At some point it's "yeah, I've read a D&D core book before.. I'll look up specific stuff if I think it's going to be different".
Meanwhile I enjoy monster books as a source of inspiration for the next session.
Twice
I've read most of the SRD, and the person GMing the game has mentioned most of the things changed from 3e.
The statistics and charts and formulas (like the combat maneuver stuff) are really all I need. I ignore the flavor text of things at my leisure. :)
Of course I have. Front to back, the whole thing.
Timmy fell down the well, send Lassie for help.
Timmy fell down the well, send Lassie for help.
Lassie botches her Peception check.
Timmy dies a horrible death.
In all seriousness, no I have not read it cover-to-cover, and I don't see a need to.
Through my time spent playing 3.0 and running/playing Pathfinder, I think I've got all the basic rules in my head where they need to be, with my GM Screen and laptop at the ready for spot rule look-ups when needed.
In the course of playing PF, I've probably read most of the sections at least once, but not straight through. There's a few chapters that everyone needs to read all of at some point, but even most of those don't require a straight front to back reading.
I-
I never learned to read
I just guess at things and then stare my players down if they disagree
I've been on both sides of that situation. Good times.
Don't even own it, I must confess. I have spent many a day looking through the PFSRD though, and bank most of it in my head. For your average encounter, I may only have to look up a condition or a specific skill check DC once or twice.
I came to PFRPG straight from AD&D after a looong hiatus so yeah I thought the least I could do was read the book. I think I may have skimmed the spells though.
I must admit, I rely mostly on the SRD. I only got a PDF of the rulebook recently, for three reasons, primarily: To have something I can bring on a laptop or my phone when I don't have internet access, For the art because the art is amazing, and lastly it's $10, which is well worth the utility of having a pdf which I can take on a phone.
From Cover to Cover, excluding the spells section.
And this thread show why so many folks do not understand anything on this message board...... What a shame I have read 1st ed DMG & PHB, 2nd ed DMG & PHB, 3.0 DMG & PHB, 3.5 & DMG & PHB, and pathfinder core.
Why would that follow? Despite not having read any of the books straight through from cover to cover, I've read all individual sections of the 3.5 and PF core books (PHB, DMG, MM, CRB, Bestiary) a large amount of times (countless times for most sections; only a few times for certain monsters I rarely use).
Wait, we're supposed to read the thing? Not argue over it? Not use it as a weapon (simple weapon prof., 1d6 damage, crit on 20, bludgeoning damage, range increment 5 feet)? I've been doing it wrong all this time?
In all seriousness, yes, read it from end to end. Now I reread it from time to time but only for whatever section suits my needs/desires.
I have a copy and have read the whole thing. Every time I learn a new system, the first thing I do is read the rulebook cover to cover- a habit I picked up from when I used to play Warhammer. I felt for a long time that I would be doing the other players a disservice if I didn't "have my rules straight" before I arrived. However, having moved to PF and other RPGs with the multitude of splat books, that just isn't feasible anymore. I still read each core book all the way through though to ensure I understand the basics.
I've never read it cover to cover. It's too awkwardly written for my taste, and frankly boring.
I peruse it for the parts that I need, and I check the d20PFsrd site, which I find more accessible: it's better organized, more searchable and comes in more manageable chunks than the Core Rulebook.
I have kind of a process-oriented approach to the Core Rulebook: when I play, and in preparation of my DMing, many questions arise which I (try to) solve by reading the relevant sections in the pdf or in the d20PFsrd
(In fact, I don't even own a physical copy of the Core Rulebook ; I've been meaning to acquire it for a long time now, but I find myself spending my money on nice Paizo/3rd parties pdfs instead ; plus, I'm waiting for a 6th reprint of the CRB, because I yearn for the most "perfect" [i.e errata free] physical book... fully knowing that such a perfect thing can never truly be of this world :-)
If I can't figure out what the rules really mean or entail (a frequent occurence, I must admit x-), I hit the Paizo forums... and I'm enlightened.
Seriously, the sum of experience and rules-smart on these forums is astounding ! Plus, the folk here are (for the most part) very friendly.
And when people don't agree about RAW/RAI/anything, the debates help me acquire a more independant mindset vis-a-vis the rules (plus, some of these debates are quite funny : "martial characters can't have nice things/casters are gods ; the monk/rogue is doomed ; 3.5 FTW/Pathfinder is the lose" really crack me up nowadays - repetition comics, anyone ?)
Did I read it cover to cover? Yes. Did I retain what I read? Oh man, the friggin thing is a tome like no other. I am still rereading portions all the time, forgetting and then hitting the SRD.
No, but I looked at all the pictures.
Yes but not in the last nine months.
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Yes, I'm serious. Have you read the entire Core Rulebook from cover to cover?
I tried to read it when I first started playing, then quickly realized that I needed to just jump around to the parts I needed at any given time.
Now that I spend 40-45 minutes per day commuting by train, I've had more free time for reading. So I've been trying to read it, but I keep getting sidetracked, either reading stuff for my job or reading adventures that I'm going to GM soon instead. So far, I'm up to the equipment chapter. At my current rate, it'll be at least a few months before I finish.
Just thought this would be an interesting question to ask the most die hard fans of the game who frequent these forums.
From the front cover to the back, including the advertisement. I often reread sections to re-familiarize myself with certain rules.
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I live in Louisiana, and at least on two separate occasions, i've had hurricanes knock my power out (more recently) and decided to spend my time reading (in full) every Pathfinder RPG book i own (which is all of them).
As of the last hurricane I've read in completion up to the Ultimate Equipment. So that makes it:
Core Rulebook (3x)
GMG
Bestiary 1, 2 (almost done with 3)
Advanced Players Guide
Ultimate Combat/Magic/Equipment
...and most of the Advanced Race Guide.
During the last hurricane, I had ordered my UE and was surprised UPS delivered it the day before the hurricane made landfall...the next day, we lost power...and that is how I read that book from cover to cover in a week. Fun times. I always come out of those things like "oh...now I understand that obscure rule no body knows about..."
I read the first and second edition rulebooks front to back, but back then I had time to do such things. I was a wee lad.
Repeatedly, and yet there's still always things to learn, or which I need to go back and double-check from time to time.
I'm a fast reader, and I find learning PF stuff fun. That's pretty much all there is to it.
I read it on a regular basis, over and over again, but I still forget how some things work.