When you start up a new game do you expect everyone at the table to have their own copy of the rules? Do you loan your books out? Do you send out PDF copies of the rules before the game starts?

I can't think of a single game I've played/GMed where everyone owned the game... most of the time it's just the GM.
Usually there are photocopies of relevant rules pages floating around the table... and lately it's not unusual for the GM to send out a PDF of the complete rulebook.

Ignoring the complicated/nonsensical legalities of the whole situation... what do you think is the norm? Is there a significant ethical difference between loaning your book at the table, or even to take and read... vs. giving someone a PDF copy?

I'm not talking loading it up on a torrent for the entire world... just within an actual group of players.

Most games allow you to photocopy for personal use anything within the game. So I imagine that its okay to send a PDF to someone who wants a copy for the purposes of playing in your campaign. As long as you aren't selling it to them you shouldn't really feel like you've crossed a line. I guess there could be an exception to this (ex. if you give everyone a copy of the game on pdf and one of them says 'great now I don't have to buy it to run my own game'). But I can't imagine that happening.

When I ran Mage, I routinely photocopied out the general information about what could be accomplished using the different spheres of magic. It made it much easier for the players to quickly find out what they were capable of doing with their magic. Which was never as grand as they thought it should be.

Quote from: IceBlinkLuck;410876Most games allow you to photocopy for personal use anything within the game.

That's not true. Most games permit you to photocopy select pages for personal use, though it's not going to ruffle too many feathers. That said, I don't have a problem with people sharing my PDFs within their group.

Quote from: brettmb;410877That's not true. Most games permit you to photocopy select pages for personal use, though it's not going to ruffle too many feathers. That said, I don't have a problem with people sharing my PDFs within their group.

Ack! busted. Yes, you are correct. That's what I get for posting in a rush and not really thinking about it.

Well, my opinion involves post-scarcity economics...

...so in order to avoid a long rant, suffice it to say no, I don't have a problem sharing a PDF within the group, so long as they don't upload it anywhere online.  Especially considering the ones I've purchased have my name embedded in them!

However, most of the time I don't have to lend it to them, for obvious reasons.  I still encourage the purchase of physical books within my group, though, as they're easier to reference at the table, and it helps support the creator(s).

I know of quite a few groups that do not play with any books at all.
The players make up their characters and the GM makes up his setting, scenarios and adventures.

In most other cases I usually see that the GM has the books and they share the books as needed with the players at the table.

Usually 1-2 people will buy a hard copy, and the rest make do.  As a DM I always make sure I have a hard copy.  Sometimes I even have two copies if I find a spare one on the cheap.

I don't like using only PDFs, but if there's one available I'll send one out if a player asks.  I'd let them borrow a book so I'll let them see a PDF.

Round here players aren't generally expected to buy game related books. Considering that, historically most games I've played have lasted no more that 4-5 sessions, buying the rules for every game I play in would seem like an overkill.  

I also shy away from heavy crunch systems so there generally isn't much rule-checking required so that might explain it too.

I'm just guessing but I think the switch from "you describe what you want to do and the GM tell you what to roll" to "everyone needs to have their own copy of the rules" style of play started with D&D3e. Might have been a WoD thing too, not sure but WoD players always seemed to have more books on their taables than anyone else.

In the groups I game(d) with it has almost always been a case of only the GM having a rulebook. In my current WFRP campaign, we have two rule books, which is nice, since the system is new to most of the participants. Copies will be passed around and lend to people who need/want to check out stuff.

The big exception was the D&D 3.5 group I played with a couple of years ago. Back then, almost every player had his own copy of Players Handbook at hand and at a normal night there was 3-4 copies of the Dungeon Masters Guide by the table.

Quote from: Simlasa;410874When you start up a new game do you expect everyone at the table to have their own copy of the rules? Do you loan your books out? Do you send out PDF copies of the rules before the game starts?

I never expect players to own a copy of the rules. As I don't run systems where "system mastery: is important, players don't need to be rules experts. They can just tell me what they characters do I'll tell them what happens/what to roll.

I'm currently running Microlite75 and I print out copies for my players. Half never bother to bring them and I suspect about one-third have never read them beyond what little info they need to play their character.

As for the ethics of loaning books, I see nothing wrong with it. Yes, authors/publishers would like everyone who wants to read their book to buy a new copy instead of borrowing a copy from a friend or the library -- or buying a used copy. And I'd really like everyone to take out a contract with me for computer service too.  Reality bites.

I don't have an answer on PDFs as I don't really use them in games. I need a printed copy to run a copy from. I would have no more trouble loaning out my printed copy of a PDF than I would any other book.

• No, I never expect everyone to have their own copy of the rules.
• Yes, I do loan books out.
• I usually give out a PDF document containing information on the setting, basic set up, house rules, that kind of thing after our first brainstorm session and before the characters are generated.

It's also not uncommon since legal game PDFs are common place for me to print out copies of spell lists and such for the players during the game. I did that with Arcana Evolved for instance, and it worked great in practice.

I hope usually most GMs out there are not expecting players to own the rules. I'm guessing this is the case, particularly as the use of laptops and various props become more and more common place in gaming.

I don't make my friends own their own copies of video games or board games that we play...I see no reason to make them do the same with RPGs.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;410911I don't make my friends own their own copies of video games or board games that we play...I see no reason to make them do the same with RPGs.

Exactly.

I loan physical books where needed - usually not applicable.

I share books at the table during play.

If the game is one I wrote, I will send game pdfs to the players if needed - usually for IRC play only. I can and do ignore my own copyright!

If the game is not one I wrote, I will send only short bits of text if needed - unless there is a legal freely downloadable version, in which case I will send it or link to it as required. I do not violate anyone else's copyright!

-clash

I have 12 copies of the Players Handbook I let folks use if the need is there.

Most of my group have their own, so at this point it's just the new guy and my wife who need "loaners".

I got that many PHBs because when I have con gamed I made sure every seat had one at it.