D&D 5E What size (thickness) book are you hoping the PHB, DMG, and MM will be and how much fluff do you expect?

[delericho]

No, please. A player should need one, and only one, book to play the core game. Requiring two books falls into "barrier to entry" territory.

Requiring the DM to have three books is equally a barrier to entry. The approach I've put forward only requires one book from anyone. As I said, the PHB is a supplement.

If you want to have a "basic" version, and then an "advanced" version with three books, I'm okay with that. But the advanced version should still be just one book for the base player.

The problem with that is that you then have two entry points, confusing new customers. When someone walks into an FLGS and asks "what do I need to play", it shouldn't be an invitation for the staff present to start debating whether they want the "Starter Set", the "Player's Handbook", "Heroes of the Fallen Lands" vs "Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms", or whatever else. It actually matters much less what the answer is, than that there is one clear answer.

 

[exile]

First, I would like to see a core rule book/PHB that is about the size of the Pathfinder core rulebook. I would like for this book to contain everything that is required to play and run the game (except monsters).

Second, I would like to see a Monster Manual of similar size (i.e. big). This should include all the standard monsters that invariably make their way into just about any MM1; but, because it is so large, it should also include lots of monsters that normally get relegated to later Monster Manuals.

Finally, I'd like to see a similarly large Dungeon Master's Guide that harkens back to the 1ed. AD&D DMG. It shouldn't have to include rules for running the game, but it shoudl have lots of how-to tips for creating adventures and campaigns; maybe some stats for NPC enemies (that, to me, have always felt out of place in a DMG); table upon table of interesting items and what nots; rules for attracting followers and building strongholds; rules for creating villages and cities; stuff like that.

The typical player should require only the first book. A DMG should be able to get lots of mileage out of the three core books.

 

[the Jester]

I'm not tied to the "trinity". I would like to see the ~64pg beginner box thing be THE core product. Sounds crazy but you could do it by moving most of the monsters, spells, items and character options online.

Hell no.

This rubs me the wrong way so hard that it's tearing off my skin. I have nothing against electronic options, but D&D should absolutely, 100% be playable at a table with no devices at all.

Books, my friend.

The edition of D&D that leaves the printed word behind is the edition that leaves me behind.

As to how big I'd like said books to be- about the size of the 3e versions, although I'd rather the DMG be more akin to the 1e tome.

 

[Aldeon]

I'm hoping that the PHB is around the same size as the AD&D reprint PHB and possibly available in softcover. Small, concise, and hopefully cheap. The DMG should be a bit thicker (probably around the size of the 4e DMG and containing all the non-class modules), and the Monster Manual can be as thick as the Pathfinder Core Rulebook for all I care.

This is based on the assumption that thinner means cheaper. I want the PHB to be cheaper, which will help a lot of people get into the new edition without having to drop down $40 just for the game to start; this is one of the reasons I enjoyed 4e Essentials, since the cheap price made it easy to get in the door. The DMG and MM can be a bit more expensive IMO since you only need one of each to play (and from my experience, the DMG isn't even necessary) but you need multiple PHBs to play comfortably (one PHB is possible, but it's a pain to do when you have a group of 3-6 players).

 

[The Human Target]

Each book must be 416 pages.

Any more or less than that exact number means I will refuse to play 5e.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Basic set: Less than 100 pages.

PHB, MM, DMG: If they're any less than 320, I will be disappointed.

I don't really understand the distinction between fluff and crunch. Each piece of content needs to be fluff and crunch, or else it is useless to me. The only difference is the way it's presented. For example, consider two excerpts from the 2e Gibberling entry.

"They come screaming, jabbering, and howling out of the night. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of hunchbacked, naked humanoids swarm unceasingly forward..."

and

"Activity Cycle: Night
...
No. Appearing: 40-400"

They both tell me exactly the same thing in different ways. The discrete data are more useful to me than the paragraphs upon paragraphs, so I would say I prefer mechanics to prose. Is there some virtue in having both? I don't know; is there some reason the text says they "always fight to the death," even though the stat block says they're more cowardly than kobolds?

 

[Tortoise]

128 pg core game. Big 4 classes and races. Moldvay/Cook/Marsh in one book.

The rest split out into the big 3 for those who want all the extra baggage

I like this idea. Done right they can bring the 128 page 'basic' in at a lower price point to help get into more hands and through it more people will probably move up to the more advanced trinity.

That is how my first experiences worked. The wargaming group got into basic(B/X) and within a month or two were moving into advanced(1e). We then used basic for quick sessions and as a way to bring in more new players.

Get the smaller basic into mass market channels as well as hobby/game stores (give the hobby/game market a jump of a couple months before hitting mass market, including the big online retailers like Amazon if at all possible). Advertise the advanced stuff in the basic.

 

[Mistwell]

I want one player book, priced at or below $25. I am happy with more player books in addition to that one, but I want the game playable with just one book for the players, priced at that price point or lower.

So, however many pages they can fit into a $25 or less book.

 

[Umbran]

Requiring the DM to have three books is equally a barrier to entry.

Is it a barrier, yes. But it is not *equally* so. DMs traditionally know, understand, and are not flustered by the idea of having to lay out more cash than other players.

The approach I've put forward only requires one book from anyone. As I said, the PHB is a supplement.

Right. You know the concept of a "feat tax" right? If it really is necessary to play the game, it isn't a "supplement". If too much of what is in a current PHB is in that "supplement", then the established player base wont see it as such. They'll say, "I need to buy two books just to play a paladin? What kind of money-grubbing nonsense is that?"

The problem with that is that you then have two entry points, confusing new customers.

In theory. In practice, however, I don't think it is nearly such a big deal.

 

[billd91]

I'll throw my lot in with the 3e-sized books. I thought those were a decent size for the most part. As much as I'm a fan of Pathfinder, the big core rule book has its problems as a format. It's bulky, heavy, vulnerable to serious spine damage, and a bit harder to navigate than a smaller manual. The PF Bestiaries are an excellent size and format for me.

As far as "fluff" goes, I want the texts to be fun to read and evocative in section introductions, straight-forward in the actual rules. I want short examples of play for difficult rule sections and topics (Champions used to be pretty good at doing this back in the day). I want sidebars offering designer notes for contentious or difficult rules and for alternatives and options. And if that means adding a little padding to the book, I'd be happy to have it