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Do you write notes in your RPG books?

Started by Spinachcat, October 12, 2016, 04:41:37 AM

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Spinachcat

October 12, 2016, 04:41:37 AM
Quote from: Wraith;923848Also, as someone who likes to write notes in the margins of RPG books, the borders, no matter how great, are a pain in the ass. That's real estate that could have had my notes.

I cringe at the thought of defacing my books, but I may be the weird one here.

How many of you like using the margins and white space in the books to add your personal notes?

Do you get bummed when books don't provide you doodle space?

AsenRG

#1
October 12, 2016, 04:53:22 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat;924553I cringe at the thought of defacing my books, but I may be the weird one here.

How many of you like using the margins and white space in the books to add your personal notes?

Do you get bummed when books don't provide you doodle space?

Only in the PDFs, from where I can remove them;).
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Bren

#2
October 12, 2016, 04:58:42 AM
Quote from: Spinachcat;924553How many of you like using the margins and white space in the books to add your personal notes?
I'll sometimes add notes for errata. Very rarely I'll note a house rule change, though now I usually use a post it note for that.

QuoteDo you get bummed when books don't provide you doodle space?
Not even a little bit.
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RunningLaser

#3
October 12, 2016, 09:16:44 AM
I have in Savage Worlds- but it was mostly the errata changes.  I'd use a pen and cross something out, one part I just printed the errata and taped it over the page IIRC.  Used a highlighter on the weapons tables.  Highlighted other stuff too.   Made it easier to use as a reference.

This is why I like getting rules in pdf, then getting them printed (spiral bound is good, something that lays flat on the table is awesome- printme1.com is great for this).  You don't feel as bad doing it to a printed copy.

Bedrockbrendan

#4
October 12, 2016, 09:28:44 AM
I write in all my books. The moment I see a shred of evidence that paper feels pain, I'll stop.

I like being able to take notes or add details in the margins. Sometimes I use stickies if there isn't space. At the end of the day, my players care about the experience of play, not whether there are marks inside the book itself. I find I run games better when I add notes to improve play in the margins (whether it is a module or core book).

K Peterson

#5
October 12, 2016, 10:30:33 AM
Nah, just can't do it. I've marked up pdfs, and I've printed out pages from pdfs, marked them up, and had them available at the table. But I don't write in books.

Skarg

#6
October 12, 2016, 11:47:30 AM
It depends. For TFT, I just put tabs on the pages so I could find the things I frequently would want to look up.

For other games, usually it's just correction to typos and errata.

However for GURPS 4e where they put a crapton of irrelevant shit and newbie rules and other stuff I don't use, and then made better rules for things and put them in advanced subject books and PDFs, I don't even use the books except for reference or cut & paste sources. I'm down to building my own manuals that combine things from multiple editions, other game systems, and house rules, and that exclude the irrelevant or inferior rules sections.

crkrueger

#7
October 12, 2016, 11:53:48 AM
When I was young, and could read my microscopic notes written with a .07mm mechanical pencil: FUCK YEAH!!

Now that I can barely even read the original AD&D Players Handbook: NO! Are you out of your goddamn mind!?

Although even back in the day, my written notes were mostly in adventures not rulebooks, but I did photocopy tables, errata, etc out of Dragon and staple them into my Rulebooks.

Yeah, my eyes suck.

In the era of PDFs, I've been known to make my own rulebook too, so I can adjust all the text without mutilating the product.
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Bedrockbrendan

#8
October 12, 2016, 12:03:32 PM
Quote from: CRKrueger;924607When I was young, and could read my microscopic notes written with a .07mm mechanical pencil: FUCK YEAH!!

Now that I can barely even read the original AD&D Players Handbook: NO! Are you out of your goddamn mind!?

Although even back in the day, my written notes were mostly in adventures not rulebooks, but I did photocopy tables, errata, etc out of Dragon and staple them into my Rulebooks.

Yeah, my eyes suck.

In the era of PDFs, I've been known to make my own rulebook too, so I can adjust all the text without mutilating the product.

I hear you on this one. When I read for an hour or more, my eyes feel like Lloyd Bridge's looked in Airplane when he sniffed the glue. It is a killer when watching subtitled movies too. I hate when RPG books have tiny print and no margins. I've even thought of cranking up the font size in my own books (but figure people with good eyesight might feel ripped off).

Ratman_tf

#9
October 12, 2016, 01:17:33 PM
Never have. In this modern age, I've taken to typing up and printing out house rules and notes a lot more though. So much nicer than my scribblings in a notebook.
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Simlasa

#10
October 12, 2016, 02:34:51 PM
Never.... but I do write in a lot of my other books. I underline and write thoughts in the margins or argue with the author... but game books are sancrosanct for some reason, I don't even use post-its to tab the contents.

Psikerlord

#11
October 12, 2016, 04:14:38 PM
I write and highlight in my rulebooks, mostly to remind me of important things at a glance. Of all my books, I wrote on Shadowrun the most!
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Omega

#12
October 12, 2016, 05:07:40 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;924553I cringe at the thought of defacing my books, but I may be the weird one here.

How many of you like using the margins and white space in the books to add your personal notes?

Do you get bummed when books don't provide you doodle space?

Once with the AD&D PHB to note in two bits of errata. And one in the DMG to correct the falling damage rules.

A few spots in the 5e PHB since I have a first printing which has ALL the printing errors and omissions.

Once in SPI's Universe to correct the sword damage since it was misprinted.

Spinachcat

#13
October 12, 2016, 05:58:12 PM
Quote from: BedrockBrendan;924608I hate when RPG books have tiny print and no margins. I've even thought of cranking up the font size in my own books (but figure people with good eyesight might feel ripped off).

I wonder if people would feel ripped off with a larger font, or would the easier read enhance their experience?

Omega

#14
October 12, 2016, 06:03:33 PM
Quote from: Spinachcat;924647I wonder if people would feel ripped off with a larger font, or would the easier read enhance their experience?

Easier to read for fucks sake!

As a playtester Again and again I have to hammer into designers heads that their paves DO NOT PRINT READABLE since the font is so tiny.

White Wolf and a few others loves to print some rules in just short of microfiche scale. Even back in the 90s I needed a magnifying glass to read their rules cards and one game had the whole booklet in itty bitty font.
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