A good problem to have.

The True20 Companion came out this week, and not for the first time, it got me thinking about the downside of being an Ennies judge.

"The downside of being sent copies of the best products gaming has to offer," you ask?

Yeah, I know, it's petty. The downside in question is that there are a lot of great books that either have just come out, or will be coming out soon, and I have no idea which ones will be entered or what I'll be receiving. Not having a lot of disposable income right now, and knowing that I may well have to pick up a few core systems so I can better understand some of the accessories that will be coming in, I can't really justify buying books that I may be getting for free any day now.

Being both a collector and a slave to my need for immediate gratification, this is going to seriously cramp my style. Luckily, in this case, there is a nice, cheep PDF option, and thus I have the best of all worlds. I can read it now and get a jump start in case it is entered, I don't have to lay out a lot of cash for something I may soon have a print copy of, and if it does get entered, I have a PDF copy for ease of use during play and a nice print copy for ease of every day reading.

The problem is, that won't always be the case. GURPS Ultratech, for instance, was recently released, and SJGames probably won't be releasing a PDF for a while. Of course, I'm probably safe there, since I don't think SJ has ever entered the Ennies before, but I hold out hope. No one can question their production values.

So, how many more of these silly little quandaries will come up? Who knows. Like I said, I know it's petty, but I can't help it. The practical side of me is deep at war with my need for gaming goodness.

Luckily it looks like the gamer side of me has won initiative. I'm going to buy a copy of the True20 Companion.

My excuse? I need to go grab a PDF of Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition anyways, since it looks like I'll be getting a copy of Golden Age in my first shipment.