buzz
Adventurer
No, I''m not talking about catching more of the errata...
In future editions, I don't want to see a lot of repeated boilerplate text. You know, how every spellcasting class has that lengthy description of what the class ability "Spells" means, and how ability scores relate to the level of spells one can cast. Put this stuff in a section at the beginning of the chapter on "How to Read a Class Description" or something.
I also don't need 6-7 paragraphs at the beginning of each class description telling me how members of the class fit into the world, how they view other classes, why they adventure, etc. That's for me to decide. Instead, take a cue from the Eberron CS and put a (very) short vingette at the beginning of each description; a scene showing the respective iconic PC doing their thing in the D&D universe. Then give me a solid *one or two* paragraphs explaining what the class is. Show, don't tell.
And heck, WotC owns the rights to decades worth of D&D fiction. They wouldn't even have to write anything new if they didn't want to.
("Game fiction? You wanna make D&D into the World of Darkness?" Of course not. But if there's one thing WW does well, it's set a mood. The core books could use that.)
Then, cut the fat off the rest of the text. No, it doesn't need to be as bare-bones as the SRD, but things could be a lot clearer. State rules clearly and concisely. Highlight what's a rule and what's merely discussion of a rule. Include an introductory chapter that lays out the basics of the underlying d20 system. Get rid of nigh-useless (IMHO) stuff like the table in the ability score section that tells you whether you're as charismatic as a lammasu or whatever. Slim down equipment descriptions. Condense the magic item creation rules into a handy checklist. Be as usefully succint in the races chapter as you'll be in the classes chapter.
With the space that might be saved, add in material from Skip Williams' "Rules of the Game" column or the D&D FAQ. I mean, I'd love it if the DMG didn't just contain additional rules, but also lots of useful explanations of how to properly adjudicate the rules I know my players are gong to try and bend come gametime.
And, going back to the ficiton idea above, maybe throw in some key pullquotes from various popular book lines (Dragonlance, FR... heck, Shakespeare, even), TV shows, or films. Even GURPS is doing this now. Anything to help convey the mood and atmosphere of the game in an entertaining manner. I mean, remember those little cartoons that were in the original DMG? Sort of the same idea. It's not all about stoic portraits of the iconics in spiky armor, y'know.
Some kind of decorative (but not busy) tabbing so I can easily spot chapter breaks by looking at the edges of the books would be useful, too.
Anyway, these aren't complaints. Just ideas that have been bouncing around my brainpan.
In future editions, I don't want to see a lot of repeated boilerplate text. You know, how every spellcasting class has that lengthy description of what the class ability "Spells" means, and how ability scores relate to the level of spells one can cast. Put this stuff in a section at the beginning of the chapter on "How to Read a Class Description" or something.
I also don't need 6-7 paragraphs at the beginning of each class description telling me how members of the class fit into the world, how they view other classes, why they adventure, etc. That's for me to decide. Instead, take a cue from the Eberron CS and put a (very) short vingette at the beginning of each description; a scene showing the respective iconic PC doing their thing in the D&D universe. Then give me a solid *one or two* paragraphs explaining what the class is. Show, don't tell.
And heck, WotC owns the rights to decades worth of D&D fiction. They wouldn't even have to write anything new if they didn't want to.
("Game fiction? You wanna make D&D into the World of Darkness?" Of course not. But if there's one thing WW does well, it's set a mood. The core books could use that.)
Then, cut the fat off the rest of the text. No, it doesn't need to be as bare-bones as the SRD, but things could be a lot clearer. State rules clearly and concisely. Highlight what's a rule and what's merely discussion of a rule. Include an introductory chapter that lays out the basics of the underlying d20 system. Get rid of nigh-useless (IMHO) stuff like the table in the ability score section that tells you whether you're as charismatic as a lammasu or whatever. Slim down equipment descriptions. Condense the magic item creation rules into a handy checklist. Be as usefully succint in the races chapter as you'll be in the classes chapter.
With the space that might be saved, add in material from Skip Williams' "Rules of the Game" column or the D&D FAQ. I mean, I'd love it if the DMG didn't just contain additional rules, but also lots of useful explanations of how to properly adjudicate the rules I know my players are gong to try and bend come gametime.
And, going back to the ficiton idea above, maybe throw in some key pullquotes from various popular book lines (Dragonlance, FR... heck, Shakespeare, even), TV shows, or films. Even GURPS is doing this now. Anything to help convey the mood and atmosphere of the game in an entertaining manner. I mean, remember those little cartoons that were in the original DMG? Sort of the same idea. It's not all about stoic portraits of the iconics in spiky armor, y'know.
Some kind of decorative (but not busy) tabbing so I can easily spot chapter breaks by looking at the edges of the books would be useful, too.
Anyway, these aren't complaints. Just ideas that have been bouncing around my brainpan.
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