I buy every book on release, not only as a GM looking for more game options/rule, but also as a fan of both the license and the RPG FFG have created. With my group of friends, we have been playing since the EotE beginner game was released. When the EotE rulebook came out, only one out of a group of 5 picked up one as well.

When Enter the Unknown was first announced, I realised that I didn't want everyone at the table relying on me to buy every single one of the books to then bring with me week after week. I quickly discussed with my friends that I didn't want to bring everything with me week after week. Not only that, I was also concerned that game play would slow down with everyone passing around a single copy of each book (similar to how we shared the Core Rulebooks for the first few months) looking for one little thing.

The solution was an amicable one, similar to what happened with my previous Pathfinder groups. If a player wanted the goodies found within a Career Sourcebook (minus species, which everyone has access to everything when creating a character) then that player should have their own copy of it. That way, players could plan advancements at home, learn more about their career, not rely entirely on me and support the game with a single purchase.

Thankfully this worked out really well and everyone at my table has ended up buying at least 3 of the 5 career books up until now to get access to the different tech and skill trees. For this group it was a fair deal and they all ended up buying a copy of Lords of Nal Hutta upon release based on sheer love of the Hutts alone.

So they don't support the game as often as I do and only one hasn't go any of the CRB's, but they still do when something really special to them shows up.

What does everyone do with their groups? Do you share one book between many or do you have a similar rule to mine to prevent the group being entirely dependant on you? Are members of your group similar in buying one copy of everything?

We buy what we want. There are multiple CRBs but not splatbooks. Anyone who plays a spec needs to know their spec. I'd let people borrow the book to study up but we try and limit the 'looking stuff up' time at the table. We are on D&D now but it is a house rule, particularly for casters, you need to know your spell list. If someone gets in the habit of looking things up we have a house rule, 'the countdown', five count and you make a decision what to do or lose your turn. I'd apply it the same way to people and their specs.

I buy all of the books anyway, so I leave it to my players how they want to handle their own stuff. We never really reference the books during play, and the only time they look them over is when updating their characters, or to see what new cool stuff is in the latest book. I know one player has bought both CRBs, but I don't think he has any of the splat books. He also recently bought two sets of dice.

So pretty much, my books sit off to the side looking pretty and enticing

We wound up with multiple copies of EotE (just about 1 per player) and multiple copies of the GM screen. Beyond that, I've been buying everything for all ranges and the other main GM has been buying his own set. That leaves one other player who picked up the Hired Gun book for her hired gun character.

So. . . yes? Kind of?

Also, I think it's completely reasonable for a GM who is tight on money to say "If you want the career books, you're on your own for those". allowing them to focus on sector books and canned games.

As a player I usually buy only the books that affect my characters. That way I have the reference material on hand and don't have to worry about someone forgetting to bring what I need for my character.

no, I've always bought all the books for my group, but when they get something, it's always shared as mine are

I don't make my players buy anything. They have bought a few of the books, by I didn't require them to do so.

I purchase the books because I enjoy revisiting and playing games long after they have stopped production. I also hate borrowing books, and I like to be able to GM with all of the information at my fingertips.

That said, I don't expect anyone else to shell out $60 for a core rule-book unless they want to. I bought two copies of the EotE core rules to avoid issues at the table and during character creation. By the time FaD comes around I will have a core rule book of some kind for every player.

My players are adults, I leave it up to them what they buy. Personally I'm a GM and I just want to, so I buy all the books. Most of my players aren't dedicated gamers who buy a lot of RPG products anyway.

I have bought everything. 2 of my 4 players have bought the core book. One player has bought some of the splat books.

When Fly Casual came out, i just gave it to one of my players who has a Duel blaster wielding Merc Solider, opened to the Gunslinger talent tree. He bought the Specialization for his character at the end of the session.

He doesn't need it every time he rolls a die.

Talent Tree pdfs make referencing the book far less common at my table.

As GM and general Star War enthusiast I buy every book that comes out. After I get a chance to read through any new purchase I'm happy to lend it out to any player who'd like a chance to read through it. Most of my players go ahead and buy the sourcebook for their careers once they've had a chance to look through my copy. One player out of my group bought the CRB which is great because now there's always a copy floating around the table and I can keep mind behind the screen turned to whatever page is relevant to what we're doing.

So no, I don't force anyone to buy anything. They usually pick up book relevant to their characters as they come out.

My group hasn't bought any of their own, but my group is small, consisting of my wife, sister and myself GMing. Beings we are such a small group, I find myself getting the books as and when I can. Though my wife has asked me a few times about when that bounty hunter book is expected.

If my group were bigger, I would likely ask if anyone were interested in a book I didn't have, if they could bring it themself, but it has been a non-issue thusfar.

I always end up buying all the books for whatever we're playing because I'm always the GM. I don't mind; they've got families and other financial responsibilities. I have just me, and therefore some surplus hobby cash. On the other hand, I don't loan out my books either. If I bought 'em, they're going home with me.

One time, with 7th Sea, one of my players bought the Vodacce nation book and gave it to me. Another player did the same thing with the Law Dogs book from Deadlands. So it's extremely rare that my players buy any of the books themselves.

I’m not a GM, but I have bought every FFG SWRPG book that has come out so far, with the sole exception of the EotE Beta, because I got into the game after the EotE CRB had come out. But I do have both of the other betas.

We have other guys in our group who might buy a book or two, and the GM works at the game store where we play and he buys a lot of books with his employee discount, but I think that I might still have more of the books than our GM does.

I know that I am the only guy in the group who has spent any money on any of the FFG SWRPG cards, including the Adversary decks. I’ve bought a few of the Specialization decks, but didn’t find them that useful and don’t plan on buying any more.

I think it’s unlikely that this pattern will change much in our group, but I’m okay with that.

I'm the GM and I'm buying all the books as the only one in the group who can afford it without second thoughts.

I don't think you need more than one of each for the whole group. As a nice side effect I can filter which material to make available to my players and when.

But then, I don't really approve of the players reading the rules; it is hampering their creativity and makes them think game mechanics.

I usually buy as many of the books as I can afford. The GM has them all though. I prioritize on content that interests me. Sooner or later I will probably get Far Horizons even though it is of no real interest to me just so I can update Wookiepedia. Fo some reason not many people bother to create pages for FFG created ships and vehicles there. I usually don't get the books for a month or two and I still have created several pages for that kind of thing.

No I don't. Though one of my players did by the Core books too.

EotE is the one RPG I love and I thinnk it is a conspiracy that, due to contract ickyness, it is very unfriendly to blind readers. I'd buy everything but can't use them.

Actually, seeing as I live with the GM and he has all of the books, I don't think I would need to. But I'd read them!

I buy all the books, since this is pretty much an RPG that I'll be playing for a long, long time. If I have to travel for game I'll only bring the books that I think will be immediately relevant, but when I run the game I'm usually doing so at home.

As for my players, I don't require that they own any of the books, but some of them do anyway.

My group buys what we want/need. Usually this means that everyone buys the core rules and any book they will need to play their character. If someone can't afford something we don't make a big deal out of it, especially for the guy working two jobs to support his wife and kids.

I will note that we typically only play characters that we have reference material for. While those PDFs floating around with the talent trees are great, they don't tell the complete story. Players will use the PDFs for day-to-day references but choose not to play something unless at least one person in the group owns the book. Which is typically me since I've found myself in a place to be able to afford to properly support my hobbies, so I've been buying all of the player reference books for whatever game we're currently playing.

I don't make my players buy anything. Anyhow, I fully intend on buying most of what this game has to offer anyway, because I thoroughly enjoy it. If someone in my group wants to use what I got, great! If they want to buy their own that's great too! Too me its all win win, especially if they want to keep on playing this great game.

I buy all the books, I need them to plan. I don't really want them to have to many books I want thewould rely on creativity on not see any spoilers in the books. Its my job to worry about the mechanics etc.

But they are a pain to carry anything not from the CRB or an adventure book I have to remember.

I would probably encourage them to buy specialization decks (because I haven't seen one and also would be easier for them) but I'm pretty sure those decks are too expensive to ship

I just hope they supply me with some coke and come up with more good ideas for their characters

I just hope they supply me with some coke and come up with more good ideas for their characters

Pretty sordid game you're running, there.

I'm a play-by-post GM, so it's a different ball o' fish. I buy all the books for my own enjoyment/reference, but aside from the core rules (which they've all bought anyway!), I insist that they buy the books for anything else (species excepted) that they want to have. Like many of you table-toppers might not want your books lent out or passed around, I definitely don't want to have to transcribe things for people.

I also buy all the books in english as GM - and translate the rules (talent trees, equipment, starships...) them for my players (cause not all of them can read english). I really like to support ffg for having the sw license and hope that they´ll publish many, many other sw books