How would you do 3.5e in 160 pages?

[Li Shenron]

the book I want it to be, which is 1 160 pager that was the only book I'd need at the table for a 3.5 game.

...

4 pages Ability Scores,
4 pages races,
20 pages classes,
8 pages feats,
8 pages equipment,
20 pages combat,
40 pages of spells,
16 pages conditions,
40 pages of monsters.

I would certainly cut out races, classes and monsters, and would consider cutting feats.

Because what you need to know about a race, class and feat is already written on a well-designed character's sheet... why would you need them in a "compact gametable rulebook"?

Then monsters should be excluded because they are just too many. Instead, you could bring different photocopies every session for monsters that the PC are going to encounter. NPCs to be encountered will have their own printouts, that may change every session.

Such a compact rule-reference book would contain instead:

- combat rules
- various environmental/travel/conditions rules from PHB/DMG + supplements you want to use
- spells (because the full descriptions shouldn't go into character sheets)
- equipment (is bought or found all the time, so it can't be on the char sheets beforehand)

I think it's not possible to make it fit in 160, if you want all core spells and mundane/magic items, but would probably fit in a 300 page tome.

 

[Frostmarrow]

In my experience some of the spells are used all the time where most spells are hardly used at all. It shouldn't be too difficult to identify which spells spell-casters actually pick and re-print them in the compendium, cutting out the rest.

But why put stuff you already know by heart in a compendium? What is the purpose of this book anyway?

 

[Li Shenron]

But why put stuff you already know by heart in a compendium? What is the purpose of this book anyway?

I don't think it has a purpose.

 

[Ry]

The purpose is to be able to run a game of D&D 3.5e, stick to the rules, and bring only one 160 page book.

 

[green slime]

The purpose is to be able to run a game of D&D 3.5e, stick to the rules, and bring only one 160 page book.

Don't think it can be done.

If you limited it to your E6, maybe.

 

[Frostmarrow]

The purpose is to be able to run a game of D&D 3.5e, stick to the rules, and bring only one 160 page book.

In that case we should cut out less popular spells. Put in Magic Missile, Cure Light and Fireball but not Shillelagh and Glitterdust.

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't think it has a purpose.

I meant the WotC Rules Compendium obviously

 

[Li Shenron]

The purpose is to be able to run a game of D&D 3.5e, stick to the rules, and bring only one 160 page book.

If 160 pages is a must, then I think it should be restricted to a max level, like you mentioned before, in order to fit all spells and items. I don't think I would be a good idea to eliminate some spells only because they are less popular, unless they are completely unseen.

Still I think that monsters should not be included. It's very hard to choose 40 monsters only. Chances would be good that very soon the DM wants a second book, and there we'd lose the idea of a single book at the table...

If you can accept of having at least some extra paper brought to the table together with the book, then the problem is solved: no monsters wasting space in the book, and only those few monsters to be used in a session brought to the game.

Otherwise you really need a "dynamic book" that you could change every session.

 

[green slime]

Otherwise you really need a "dynamic book" that you could change every session.

Otherwise known as a laptop.

 

[Frostmarrow]

If 160 pages is a must, then I think it should be restricted to a max level, like you mentioned before, in order to fit all spells and items. I don't think I would be a good idea to eliminate some spells only because they are less popular, unless they are completely unseen.

Still I think that monsters should not be included. It's very hard to choose 40 monsters only. Chances would be good that very soon the DM wants a second book, and there we'd lose the idea of a single book at the table...

If you can accept of having at least some extra paper brought to the table together with the book, then the problem is solved: no monsters wasting space in the book, and only those few monsters to be used in a session brought to the game.

Otherwise you really need a "dynamic book" that you could change every session.

You can have monsters in it if you simplify things a wee bit. Strip away the special abilities and then add monsters such as these:

just humanoid [CR1]
just giant [CR6]
just dragon [CR12]

Accuracy is not the goal here but to provide stats for comparisons sake. As I only have one 160 page book as reference I just want to know what AC 18 (for instance) is worth compared to humanoid, giant and dragon. In this case i might find AC 18 is high for a humanoid, average for a giant and weak for a dragon.