I've bought every book so far except JoY and OaA1 for adventures, and Far Horizons and Stay on Target for careers. I will eventually be getting those, but neater stuff comes out that I want to get first - my AoR game is working their way through the stuff from the beginner box, beta, and GM kit still so they're back-burner. One of my players picked up a set of dice for the table at large, and another picked up two sets for mostly personal use (they stay at his end of the table, though anyone can roll them if needed). One almost picked up Fly Casual but hasn't yet, and the EotE game is turning into an FaD one anyways so that may be for the best.

*Whups, edit for the OP's question - I don't make them buy anything, and they're welcome to pick something up if they really want to, but since I have or am getting all the ones they want, they're okay using my copies on game day.

I buy the books that I want or think I need. I don't require my players to have them, however I do like when they have financial interest in the game. If they have the books, it shows they're really interested in the game.

However, as others have said, i have more disposable cash than most, and I make a good living so I can buy the books for myself. I rarely lend them out other than at the table.

Nope; I even share my dice.

We get 1 core per 2 players. And if someone wants to play a specific class, they grab that guide book. Everything else, I collect because OCD is me! I hate having holes in my RPG libraries. Unless its D&D. Then I gave up after those 3.x Weather books.

The issue doesn't really come up.

The people I play with are mostly old school gamers (as in old 50 years+) an have been gaming since the start of it all. There are normally multiple copies of all the books of a system at the table anyway for anyone to use.

Whoever is GM'ing however does set the 'rules' for the game s/he is running depending on the tone they want. It is not uncommon to say 'Core Book only", "Core Book plus Splat 1 and Splat 3" or "All Books".

It really depends on the GM and the campaign.

After I complete my current D&D5th game, I have proposed a SW game and the group has accepted with some enthusiasm. I'm in the planning stages for a May/June start and haven't solidified just what books/options will fit the story. When my ideas settle in, we''ll have a get together and talk about PC concepts. Then it will be time to fold their character concepts into the mix and set a date for group character creation. Once we have the PC's, I'll spend final time tweaking the adventure to compliment the PC's and then set a start date.

By the time we play everyone will have their own core book and most of the applicable splat books anyway.

In my group I buy ALL the books.

I share all the books at the table on game day, I DO NOT lend the books out between sessions.

If my players want it .. they must go get it or wait to use it on game days.

In my group I buy ALL the books.

I share all the books at the table on game day, I DO NOT lend the books out between sessions.

If my players want it .. they must go get it or wait to use it on game days.

I also allow my players to make a social call between games to look at the books. This is necessary anyway, since I keep everyone's character sheets with my game stuff.

Ugh... at the risk of sounding like a total d-bag, I make considerably more than the other guys in my group because I'm the "old guy". They're all younger than me, still in college or just starting their careers. Any way you dice it, in any hobby, money is a thing. I'm not going to ask them to sacrifice anything for the sake of our weekly game.

I lend one of my CRBs out as often as needed. I bought two. If they ask to borrow one of the other ones, I'd need a fairly compelling reason *not* to lend it to them.

I'd much rather they have their own books. A better familiarity with the rules would certainly speed gameplay up, but I can't enforce that.

I really, REALLY like OP's solution of requring the purchase of the appropriate splatbook to gain access to what's in it for their PC. Like I REALLY like that. If were playing with strangers at a game shop, that might be a thing. But these guys are my friends. I'm not going to do that.