What book would you save from the fire?, and which would light the BBQ? Options

[Snow_Fox]

I was just wondering, when you look at your SR books/compendium/files which ones do you enjoy the most
This can be you like the presentation or rules or something writen there really gave you a new outlook on the SR world Or maybe the real world?

And which ones do you think were so bad that you consider going back in time just to cosh the writer over the head to stop him/her from putting it in the post to the editor?

[Snow_Fox]

For the best,I'd say I like the original Seatle SB, because it didn't just give the rules or corps but really makes the city seem like a real living place, not just a rule book.
That and the 1st Ed Rigger Black Book. Which had few choices than other RBB's but with a picture of each car and color advertisements added in, it expanded the vehical pool for the game.

Ironically the one I find most useless was the 2nd Ed RBB. The rules seemed to be so poorly slapped together that I honestly don't know of anyone who fonud them completely workable.

[Chance359]

Book I'm saving, Sprawl Sites, Shadow Tech, or Fields of Fire.

Books I'm gonna let roast: Shadows of Europe (just never felt the material had a place in any of my games)

[knasser]

Coporate Shadowfiles, I would save. Without question.

I'd say Emergence for the one I'd leave behind, but I only have the PDF version. Mind you, if I saw Chance259's house on fire, I would personally dash in and rescue his copy of SoE. I'm still waiting for the promised PDF of that to become available.

[The Exiled V.2.0]

I'm still waiting for the promised PDF of that to become available.

*uncomfortable* A PDF version of SoE is available.
However, I don't believe you'd be able to purchase it.

[Prime Mover]

One day few years ago I had to move quickly and had to choose which of 20 years worth of gaming stuff to take and what to leave behind on short notice and limited moving space. Not a fire but close enough. I had to leave alot behind and in my rush when I got to my SR pile I saved all none rules filled books except the current edition at the time which was 3rd. I'll tell ya one thing if had it to do over I would have made more room in cab of the truck and brought it all. What I miss the most is my very first copy of 1st edition that was held together with duck tape and dreams and my hard cover 2nd edition that bore the stains of gaming in strange places on short notice.

[Chrysalis]

I guess if I had to save one gaming book it would be my mint condition signed Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader book signed by Rick Priestley himself.

I don't advocate book burning because of shades of Nazi-ism. But nearly all of my other books I am donating to the local gaming organization do as they wish. I possess a keen intellect, a good eye and a steady hand. All else is ephemeral.

-Chrysalis

[KCKitsune]

I would love to have all my rule books as a PDF file and then give away the hard copy to my local gaming store. A 16 GB thumb drive would be more than enough space to store ALL of my gaming books (back that sucker up on multiple Blu-Ray disks.)

[Chance359]

Knasser: If I saw you run into a burning house to get my copy of SoE, I'd atleast tell you what shelf it was on. Wanna buy it before it goes poof?

[DocTaotsu]

Blue Planet Players Guide

The system sucks but the source material is pure money. For Shadowrun books I think I'd save Arsenal. That one seems to bring my players the most joy so it'd be a pity to lose it.

I too would never burn a book (I have a hard time writing in them, even textbooks). However if I was running from said fire and could grab all my books save one it'd probably be Target: UCAS. That book had a great deal of nothing to offer.

[knasser]

*uncomfortable* A PDF version of SoE is available.

Ah, right. I'd kind of like to buy it actually. Though speaking of which...

Knasser: If I saw you run into a burning house to get my copy of SoE, I'd atleast tell you what shelf it was on. Wanna buy it before it goes poof?

Sure. How much? Don't forget postage to the UK. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I saw one used on Amazon.co.uk for £105.57, I kid you not - go check. Am not going to pay that much!

K.

[TKDNinjaInBlack]

I too would never burn a book (I have a hard time writing in them, even textbooks).

I was going to burn a bible once just to prove I had no qualms about burning religious material. But when it came to actually doing it, I didn't want to set it on fire in the dorm because I didn't want the place to burn down and it was really cold outside and starting fires on campus was kind of a big punishable offense.

Inherently though, I feel burning a book is rather barbaric and would not do it in any real kind of practice. The whole act was more or less a who could push taboos pissing contest.

However, I'd save all of them. Damn OCD collector's mentality. I'd carry the whole damn bookcase right out of the building. I'd leave that horrid copy of Cyber Hero I picked up in an auction lot though. Absolutely atrocious.

[Snow_Fox]

I agree with not burning books. I have burned one in my life and it was a college text that I found so damn frustrating I wanted to purge myself of the anger it caused. The class was 'the philosophy of time' and yeah it was as bad as it sounds. Damn class should have had a blue police box in the corner.

[Wesley Street]

I'd also save my Seattle Sourcebook. I think it's the ideal model for location set books, a Rick Steves-style tour guide with runner commentary.

I'd re-enact Farenheit 451 with my copy of Rigger 3 though that has more to do with my own disappointment in buying a SR3 rules supplement and hoping for something I could use with SR4. Should have looked at the compatibility list first.

I have a fairly complete set of SR Sourcebooks (I'm only missing Native American Nations vols. 1 and 2) and I don't think there's a one that I truly dislike.

[Pendaric]

I have lost my RP book collection once before. It was harsh.
From my SR collection I save everything but if pressed to one it would be my rebound hardback BBB 3rd Ed. Other than that my Whfrp core BBB and realms of sorcery (that I waited a decaded for them to print).

[darthmord]

Heh, I lost nearly all of my gaming collection to a house fire. Unfortunately, it was *MY* house. We got out okay but the only parts of my collection that survived were the few items that were protected from water/fire/heat damage and the parts that were downstairs (since the fire was upstairs).

Most of my AD&D 2nd edition collection survived. My Vampire / Mage / Werewolf collection bought the farm. While sad (they were books after all), it wasn't much of a loss.

I lost nearly all of my SR collection. I know my SR1 and SR2 main books made it. They are now safely esconced away. But the rest of my books, like the Street Samurai Catalog (1st printing / un-edited one), Rigger, Matrix, etc... those are all gone.

My collection is worse off for it.

[tete]

for SR...

I would pick the old 1e Seattle book to save and Prime Runners to burn (though it does go for $$$$$ on ebay)

General RPGs

I think I would either save my Dark Ages Vampire Limited Ed or GURPS 3e hardback (heh we can play it all with gurps)
burn... combat and tactics for AD&D 2e

[DocTaotsu]

Uggh... I have vague and not very forgiving memories of Combat and Tactics.

I do miss the faux leather bound supplments though. The arms and gear book was one of my favorite for years (grenade staff! chainmail rules!)

[Fortune]

I had to leave behind my entire RPG collection when I was forced to rapidly vacate the country back in '97. That included the entire Shadowrun line up until then (including the stuff I won in the election and other cool Con things (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif) ), as well as the whole Rolemaster catalog and pretty much everything released up until then by TSR, and many other assorted things. Not to mention tens of thousands of dollars worth of Magic Cards that went missing in the shuffle.

Not a happy camper was I.

[Fortune]

On topic, I'd have kept my copy of Dunklestein's Will (with all the bonus trappings), or the Greenwood-autographed Forgotten Realms box set if I could have done so.

As for burning, F. A. T. A. L. comes to mind, although TOON and Dark Sun are close contenders. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[DocTaotsu]

Wait... You have... a copy of a FATAL? Wh... why? Isn't it like the one ring?

[Platinum Dragon]

Wait... You have... a copy of a FATAL? Wh... why? Isn't it like the one ring?

For the lulz? I'd love a copy of FATAL, just so I could boggle at the ridiculousness of it. =P

[DocTaotsu]

There are no lulz in FATAL... there is only darkness.

Of course I've never personally read it but the RPG.net reviews were pretty damning (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Orifice size charts? Depth and breadth? No thank you.

[Cain]

My Opinion of FATAL (Warning: Not Exactly Work Safe.)

Of my Shadowrun books, Harlequin would be the one I'd save. Of my general gaming books, it'd be a tossup between that and Everway's Spherewalker Sourcebook. My autographed SR1 BBB would be in close contention.

Of my Shadowrun books to keep my kid warm on a winter night, R2 and Emergence would top the pile.

[TKDNinjaInBlack]

Of my Shadowrun books to keep my kid warm on a winter night, R2 and Emergence would top the pile.

Really, not a fan of Emergence?