D&D 5E Hackers Guide to D&D. Good idea?

[Jester David]

In another thread, this was posted:

For player mechanics, I also don't want a UA or PDF. Instead... I want to see the new WotC "Big Book Of Mechanics" or "Player's Handbook II" or whatever you want to call it that they apparently are working on or thinking of working on... to include the required mechanics (races, classes, subclasses, backgrounds etc.) for ALL of their primary campaign settings.


That means psionics, that means the four Eberron races and the Artificer, that means Dark Sun's races plus defiling and preserving, that means Dragonlance's three wizard schools, that means Greyhawk's backgrounds, that means Planescape's factions, that means stuff for Mystara and Birthright... etc. etc. etc.


If WotC is going to produce a book of player game mechanics, there is absolutely no reason NOT to include all these setting required stuff in one single book (on top of a lot of universal or generic player stuff too of course) that they can release for every fan at one moment in time... rather than spreading it out over the next two to six years, pissing off fans of certain settings who have to wait for year four or five, while other fans get their setting material done right off the bat.

I like this idea of an all-in-one crunch book. But the theme of "here's the crunch for settings" is a little weak.

But what if it was presented as a hacker's guide? A book on customizing and homebrewing the game, with more discussion, advice, and suggestions on design. More peaks behind the curtain at game design and the nuances of 5e, along with the homebrew advice in Unearthed Arcana. Each class could have a little discussion on balance and the design along with examples of tweaking, using the crunch of past campaign settings to demonstrate how the class was adjusted in the past.
Like how the eladrin and aasimar were in racial examples. But expanded to classes, with far more options.
So a wizard section would describe different portrayals of wizards and different ways of flavouring the class or subtly altering it. And some talk on the balance of schools and the class. Plus options for Dragonlance moon magic, Dark Sun defiling, Forgotten Realms shadow weave and spellscars, etc.

So the book appeals to fans of all settings, fans of generic settings looking to homebrew, and players just looking for crunch.

Would this be a book that appeals to you? Should this be what we're suggesting to WotC and pushing for?

 

[MechaPilot]

If they're going to leave the bulk of the crunch-making up to us, then a good treatise on making and modifying the crunchy bits would seem appropriate.

 

[Kite474]

It could work! If they are gonna make us build a shack they might as well give us the dam hammers.

 

[Azurewraith]

I like it! One can never have to much crunch oh wait... I do think wotc in the fear of oversaturation have given us to much water not enough meat

 

[Al2O3]

If I read this correctly we would end up with 3 books for players and no more rules ever needed? I'm not sure I think it's a good idea for WotC to do it, but I would totally buy the book and like it. Just not sure if I would expect to see anything else I would want to buy from WotC after that.

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[5Shilling]

I'd buy it, but I'd prefer if each ruleset module was in a separate book, along with examples and guidelines on how to run that type of campaign.

eg mass warfare rules in a book with guides on how to run an epic war-themed campaign, along with new character options, NPCs, monsters etc that suit such a campaign, and maybe even a couple of example adventures.

Then do the same thing with psionics, desert survival, nautical and so on.

 

[akr71]

I would buy it too. I suggested something similar in another thread and others said no one would buy it if they were only interested in 1/6th to 1/10th of the content.

Obviously the idea has some traction. Yes I would pay to support those other settings that I don't play if it means everyone gets support for their favorite settings.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Jester David]

others said no one would buy it if they were only interested in 1/6th to 1/10th of the content.

Which amuses me, as I've never used more than 1/10th of the content of a splatbook.

 

[Tinker-TDC]

Not this in particular, but something like turning class/race/setting etc. into an easy-to-build person-by-person thing like: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1768030821/the-genius-guide-to-the-talented-bestiary-for-path/ ?