GMs: What kind of material is most useful to you?

[phoenix240]

For forum posts, what do you find the most useful?

 

Poll to follow

[Echo3Niner]

I voted other.

 

What I really like, is a "theme" book; with tons of plot line elements that a GM can either weave together to make a whole campaign, or just use to help fill in a game.  Material on a place and cultural element.

 

Example: Chicago Underworld.  With information about the city, and all the organized criminal elements within.  Each section, besides giving great ambiance and themetic principles for a GM to pull from, also has local NPC's for use in that area, and plot elements of what those folks are up to.

 

Making it a "living document", by just posting about what's going on at a point in time, keeps the game fresh and makes it feel alive; like even if the characters were not there or involved, these things would be happening.

 

Covering the larger strategic elements of the OC crime leaders and a "5 year plan" for each, helps a GM integrate what these "families" will be doing going forward into their campaigns as well.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Of those choices, the adventures/scenarios is, but a very close second is settings and locations.  Maps, layouts, interesting places and notes on them are all very useful.  For example, a train station with all the basic info on how it works, what is there, how security is, the defenses, weights, and body of various items, etc: handy for GMs.  

[Zane_Marlowe]

I voted for scenarios and adventures because a good scenario gives you something to play immediately and because you'll get characters, settings, maps, etc., in the body of the story. I tend to love reading, but rarely end up using the more encyclopedic references. (What percentage of the three volume Champions Villains books have you actually used at the table?) Note also that this is how Paizo introduced people to Golarion and its characters.