D&D Rules Compendium (Hardcover) - October 2007

[Vanuslux]

Rules Compendium = Updated FAQ/rules clarification + with a bit of gravy to make it palatable.

Here’s the thing with a “feats” book. The only reason to buy most of these books that WotC is churning out is for one or two specific feats that support your character’s build.
Want a decent melee Warlock? Need to buy Dragon Magic.
Want a decent fighter? Need to buy PhB II.
Want to min-max? Book of Exalted

Putting all that together in one book would destroy profits.

A rules compendium that combined some of Unearthed Arcana (all the alterna-classes and extra class features that everyone uses), extra skill uses, and an updated verision of some of the more confusing or poorly worded feat-combinations along with some “new rules” and a couple of new feats or alternative class features (maybe support for some of the semi-popular new systems like warlock or psionics).

This is probably going to be similar to the MMIV in that it’s more for “newbie DMs” who are drowning in supplements.

A feats book isn't going to destroy profits anymore than the Spell Compendium did. Most books sell the majority of what they're going to sell in the first six months they're on the shelves. They'd obviously not want to include more recent books, but anything older than a year or so is probably just selling the occasional copy here and there while a compendium compiling and updating some of that material would sell like crazy. I don't think enough people spend $30 on old books solely for 5-15 pages of feats to justify avoiding an almost guaranteed high profit book.

 

[WhatGravitas]

A feats book isn't going to destroy profits anymore than the Spell Compendium did. Most books sell the majority of what they're going to sell in the first six months they're on the shelves. They'd obviously not want to include more recent books, but anything older than a year or so is probably just selling the occasional copy here and there while a compendium compiling and updating some of that material would sell like crazy. I don't think enough people spend $30 on old books solely for 5-15 pages of feats to justify avoiding an almost guaranteed high profit book.

Additionally, there's the compendium factor: It also sells to people who have already bought the original, so they get twice the money from the same material.

And concerning people who don't own the appropriate books already: They'll either never buy it (so it's a win, if they buy it) or they're new players and confused (if they buy the compendium, then it's okay), or they're money-capped, meaning whatever they'll buy, they'll spend the same money on it => WotC will rather make profit with it (and I certainly hope for such a "best-of" + I'd certainly buy it).

 

[Felon]

Damn! They actually threw "rules" out there like folks are supposed to be attracted by its usage rather than repulsed. Now they gone and done it!

Momma, hold me!

 

[BryonD]

I'm bored by pure rules supplement - I've managed to completely avoid the "Complete" series and similar books - so I am strongly ambivalent about the Rules Compendium.

However, I'm always interested in new Eberron books - and this one is written by Keith Baker, too. So the odds are that I will pick it up, and the odds are good that I will like it.

See, you and me match up nicely.
I've got no interest in Eberron in specific or other people's fluff in general.
But give me a tool set for building my own fluff and I'm there!!
So you buy one book, I buy the other and everyone is happy!!!!

 

[Cthulhudrew]

A rules compendium that combined some of Unearthed Arcana (all the alterna-classes and extra class features that everyone uses), extra skill uses, and an updated verision of some of the more confusing or poorly worded feat-combinations along with some “new rules” and a couple of new feats or alternative class features (maybe support for some of the semi-popular new systems like warlock or psionics).

It would definitely help to finally get all the Immediate/Swift Action information in one place with the other Combat Actions, as opposed to scattered around different non-core books.

 

[Xyanthon]

I'll be watching this one with interest. It would be nice to have a 3.x "Rules Cyclopedia" type volume. However, I get the feeling that this will be something else entirely. It would be nice if if was sort of an adjunct to the Basic D&D set and Player's Kit. Speaking of which, are they still planning on releaseing the DM's Kit? It'd be nice to have a softcover version of the DMG.

 

[Sammael]

Where is Razz with his inevitable "WotC is forcing me to pay for errata" speech?

It's way too early to say what this book is. I doubt it's a feat compendium.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think this is more a sign that the Spell Compendium made a lot of money.

No, the Magic Item Compendium is a sign that Spell Compendium made a lot of money, as would be a Feat Compendium, a Race Compendium or a Class Compendium.

That we need 160 pages of supplemental rules is a sign that the game has some serious damn bloat.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would worry about a rules set that DOES think it can handle every possible situation in the core...

Quite a few well-respected rule sets can. 3E is needlessly fiddly at times.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe this is a Rules Cyclopedia book like you were querying the board about not too long ago?

If that's what it turns out to be, I withdraw all my objections and will ruthlessly pimp the book to my group.

Or were you just doing some market research for WotC?

I do my market research for cigarette companies, because I want you all to be thin and cool.