3 core books vs. 1 core book

[Testament]

White for World of Darkness has more then one book. To play Vampire you need the Wod book and the Vampire book...same for Mage and Werewolf. GURPS has 2 main books for its new edition.

In theory, you only need the WoD book and the Fatsplat. In practice, its a nightmare to give any direction without more info, IME and others. Werewolf in particular, you really need either Hunting Grounds: The Rockies and/or Predators.

 

[Staffan]

Rolemaster has always been more than one book.

Actually, there was a variant of RMSS, called Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying Game, that could be played with just one book. They managed that by limiting it to 10th level or something like that, and possibly by excluding some of the classes - I don't have it myself, so I don't know exactly what they did, but it's supposed to be playable as a single book.

Something similar could be done with D&D. Looking at just the core books, there are 120 pages of spells and 70 pages of magic item lists. If I wanted to make a one-book version of D&D, those are the main places I'd start cutting the fat out of.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Actually, there was a variant of RMSS, called Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying Game, that could be played with just one book. They managed that by limiting it to 10th level or something like that, and possibly by excluding some of the classes - I don't have it myself, so I don't know exactly what they did, but it's supposed to be playable as a single book.

Something similar could be done with D&D. Looking at just the core books, there are 120 pages of spells and 70 pages of magic item lists. If I wanted to make a one-book version of D&D, those are the main places I'd start cutting the fat out of.

It's one boxed set, but it's multiple books because the spells are in seperate folios. Unless I'm thinking of something else, but I'm pretty sure that's what you're talking about as I have it, and it's great.

And for D&D, they have done something simiillar. It's the D&D boxed set.

Limit the options and the pages drop away.

 

[Warbringer]

I think a single volume with classes, spells, magic items, monsters, maps, a series of intro modules to take players to mid-level (say 7th) would be a great product.

I personally think it would sell off the shelves... but only as a new edition product...