Sam Hawken, writer-guy

They're just games.

Every roleplaying gamer I know has more systems, supplements, and adventures than they will ever use in their lifetimes. And chances are good that those already overlarge collections will be even more extensive a year from now because that’s how their hobby works. The publishers count on this, which is why there’s always something new to get.

Occasionally, I try to stop myself from buying something new. Sometimes, I succeed. Most of the time, though, I don’t, and that means yet another book, zine, or PDF is on the pile.

I want to use all this stuff. I never bought something intending not to run it. But there are a limited number of days in the year, with only so many players. No matter how cool the idea I might have, it butts up against the reality of the situation. And remember this: all those players out there? They have huge collections they want to use, too!

I’d love to move methodically through my library of games, running each one in turn. I can only imagine the satisfaction of running the last game for the last system and saying, “I did it.”

That will never happen, not to me, you, or anyone.

The best thing we can do is run and play regularly. What we get to, we’ll get to. What we don’t, we won’t. No amount of sweat and fretting will make a bit of difference in the end.

Relax. They’re just games.