Quest for the "perfect" all-in-one game

dm4hire

Explorer

• Jun 10, 2010

• #1

One of the most elusive items in our hobby is the “perfect” all-in-one rpg book. I’ve been on a personal quest to find the “perfect” all-in-one since the 80’s when second edition was first announced. At the time I hoped TSR was going to release a consolidated rulebook combining all the various rules into one book. It never happened.

I think the closest book that fits my description of “perfect” would be the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. Only for me it fails as I’m not a fan of Basic. So I’m wondering if anyone else has found the near “perfect” all-in-one rpg book and if so what system or game is it? Why is it perfect to you? If not, what do you think should be in a “perfect” all-in-one rpg book?

Just to be clear: by all-in-one I mean the only core book needed by both GM and player is just the one book. In fact there are no other rule books for the system. GM’s might use modules, depending on the GM, but I don’t consider them a core item.

 

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Derulbaskul

Adventurer

• Jun 10, 2010

• #2

The closest I've come to this is Savage Worlds: Explorer's Edition. If I only had access to one RPG book that's the one I would choose because I could use it to run almost any game I desired.

That doesn't mean that I think SW is perfect: it's just the closest to perfection that a single book has reached, IMO.

The Rules Compendium comes in second place for me, probably because I so thoroughly dislike Lawful and Chaotic as alignments (Good and Evil would have been better for me- IMO, YMMV, etc...) and a few other pre-3.xE D&D conceits (but to say more may be feeding the edition war trolls).

 

mach1.9pants

Hero

• Jun 10, 2010

• #3

I can see your point with SW:EE, I am literally reading it on the couch now. But, for me, there is too much wasted space. I am a fantasy fan and, if they made a book with all the (required for quasi-middle ages) fantasy and the extras in the fantasy companion I may well agree.

However for me it would be Fantasy Craft, an awesome very very flexible (within fantasy til black powder) system in one book. I would thoroughly recommend it. As long as you don't mind a fair bit of crunch.

Otherwise it would be, for OSR stylee, Dragon Age... although it is a box LOL

 

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amerigoV

Guest

• Jun 10, 2010

• #4

mach1.9pants said:

I can see your point with SW:EE, I am literally reading it on the couch now. But, for me, there is too much wasted space. I am a fantasy fan and, if they made a book with all the (required for quasi-middle ages) fantasy and the extras in the fantasy companion I may well agree.

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Before SW:EE, I would have said the same thing (fantasy fan), but that book alone has opened up other genres for me. It is "complete" in that you can make a character, you have the core rules, and the GM has monster stats. All in one $10 book. So because of that, I'll vote with Derulbaskul and say Savage Worlds.

mach1.9pants said:

Otherwise it would be, for OSR stylee, Dragon Age... although it is a box LOL

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I've been reading through DA:RPG recently - its a nice all in one for levels 1-5 .

 

Hand of Evil

Hero

Epic

• Jun 10, 2010

• #5

Warhammer Roleplay 1e was the most perfect all in one -- everything you needed to play the game in one book. Next would be Call of Cthulhu

Box sets were another story, the Old Pace Setter games were fantastic, most notable, CHILL. Other noteable Box Sets (not Pace Setter), Ghostbusters and Paranoia.

 

mach1.9pants

Hero

• Jun 10, 2010

• #6

amerigoV said:

I've been reading through DA:RPG recently - its a nice all in one for levels 1-5 .

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Yeah but, TBH, I have no problem with a game that only covers levels 1-5. Reboot or just carry on and fudge the advancement!

However in the spirit of this question DA doesn't cover a complete all in one so I will replace my OSR DA with WHFRP 2E rulebook (3E only covers the first tiny bits too)

 

dm4hire

Explorer

• Jun 10, 2010

• #7

I forgot about SW:EE, it does a good job based on it's size, but I found it lacking in the monster section. Perhaps if they increased the monster section I'd consider it a more viable option. After all it's general purpose is to serve as an entry point to the campaigns designed to go with it. DA is good also, but I don't like the whole segment thing they are doing. I'd rather it be all in one or two books than spread over four boxes as they plan to do.

 

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ValhallaGH

Explorer

• Jun 10, 2010

• #8

Mutants & Masterminds (2E). It can do everything from dumb kids in a van investigating wierdness, to high fantasy, to Olympian pantheons, to whatever.

It's not perfect for Deadlands: Hell on Earth -style apocalypse, but it can run it. That's as close as I've come to a all-in-one game.

 

coyote6

Adventurer

• Jun 10, 2010

• #9

Depending on the game I want to run, and my mood, M&M 2e, GURPS 3e, and Hero 4e have all been good go-to "all in one" RPGs in the past. SW:EE might join the ranks now.

If SJG had gone all Pathfinder-like on the binding, GURPS 4e's Basic Set would work, too. But they split it in two volumes, so it doesn't count.

 

TerraDave

5ever, or until 2024

• Jun 10, 2010

• #10

Hand of Evil said:

...would be Call of Cthulhu

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Various editions (the one book ones, including D20) of CoC would be my choice. All the rules to play and GM, various threats and strangeness, and probably the best setting in any RPG ever. In one book.