Sharing Materials

[warderbrad]

Hello all,
I am attempting to answer questions of my gaming group. I play in a group which is using Roll20. Having experienced FG I would like to encourage the group to make the move. Many of us are local but there are a few who are remote so that is why we use virtual table tops. My question is about the books and such. In a normal gaming group you would encourage people to have their own books but it is not required. I know that with an Ultimate License that the Host can share their books with the players. My question is this: lets say the group all has Full Licenses and one of the players (not the host) has an Ultimate License and wishes to share his PHB with someone who does not have it. Can this be done?

[Zacchaeus]

No the owner of the electronic version of the PHB would have to be the host for that to happen. Generally it's the DM who owns most of the material (just like in the paper version).

[warderbrad]

I was worried that would be the case. Our group of 8 people has 4 DMs. While it would be possible to ask everyone to get the PHB (7x$50 = $350) or to ask just the DMs to get ultimate licenses and the PHB like me (3x$165=$495) this could easily be a stopping block to getting the group from wanting to make the move. I am sure that if they could use mine when I am just another player that they would eventually want to get it for themselves just because it would be easier for them when not in the game, but requiring it as an upfront cost may be a deal killer.

[kylania]

All of you get the Full License for $40 and one of you gets the PHB and during character creation you just connect to the PHB guy regardless of who's going to eventually run the campaign. That way you all can DM for each other at a slightly lower cost.

Till we figure out how to give someone a book like you can in real life this is one of the few drawbacks of FG. That and the ability to switch who is DM regardless of license status (ie, at least one Ultimate license should allow any single person connected to DM).

[warderbrad]

That was a fall back position I had thought of, it does have the limitation that access to the spells and equipment and other things while in game play would not be available (outside of what is available via SRD). I am not complaining so much as a little disappointed that it is going to be so hard now to convince the group to make the change. Unless I can find a way to afford to just get it all for them as a gift or something.

[Zacchaeus]

You can take out a subscription license for (I believe) $10 or so per month rather than fork out for a full one off payment for the ultimate license. Doing it that way your 4 DM's could buy the PHB and a subscription which would cost about $60 for the first moth and $10 thereafter. Also bear in mind that a subscription to FG now comes with the basic rules for free and you also get the recently released SRD which is essentially a cut down PHB, DMG and MM all rolled into one. Now the latter isn't the same as the full PHB, MM and DMG but there's an awful lot of material in there. More than enough to get everyone started and, as time goes on, you could pick up the full PHB when budgets allow.

[Griogre]

I'd just like to add that if the player has a book, the player can open the book and use it (with the DM's permission) even if the DM doesn't have the book.

There are also some more esoteric options that would keep the cost down by avoiding having everyone get the full PH. Its possible to buy parts of the PH, with the class packs. You can have the player's gift the current DM on steam just the class pack they want to play in that game, thus giving the current DM a custom PH of just the character classes in use for that campaign. The player could just buy the packs for themselves as well.

[Mirloc]

I've seen the cost discussion several times since I switched from Maptools to Fantasy Grounds.

Here's the way I see it: I view the whole "but if I want to DM I need to buy the books too?" side. Yes. Yes you do. Just like in traditional pen and paper if you want full-time access to the books - you have to buy it. I know some people short on cash tend to share books - I get that. But if I want to play on Maptools, Roll20, or (with the possible exception of the WoTC virtual table top, if that's even available anymore) just about every virtual tabletop system out there, I can manually input my own data.

Now with the SRD release you do get a solid set of rules to start with, you have a VERY solid starting point and you get that free. If you want something not referenced directly in the books, you just need to make a new module (and there are many great guides on how to do that here) and input any rules, monsters, items, etc you may want in your campaign.

[damned]

With the combination of the Wizards and Smiteworks offering both the Basic Rules and the complete SRD for free with all licenses the barrier to trying it out is very very low. $10 for a single GM in the group or $4/month for each player. Try it. If you like it let each GM make her own mind up about what other stuff they want or need. My personal opinion is to grab the PHB early. It is the one you will use the most. When the players start breaking out from the initial modules you run you might want the Monster Manual. When they start getting up levels and challenging the GM you might want the DMG.
I think there might be less of the PHB/MM/DMG sold - at least initially but I think people will continue to upgrade to them over time.

[JohnD]

If you are DMing, ask your players to chip in $5 or $10 each, or more if they can manage it. When you think of the number of hours of fun with friends that buys, it really isn't much.

I have a decent FG library across multiple rulesets and even with those expenditures my cost/hour of gaming is under $0.20 since joining. You can't beat that.