Pocket Players Handbook

[Psionicist]

To tell the truth, I do not like the core books. They are too large. Too many pictures, and way too much wasted space. The cover looks ridiculous.

Is it just I, or wouldn't it be really nice with a small hardcover players handbook around 3.5x7 inches large, with a discrete two colored cover (say, black background and white text) with just text, rules and tables (everything in the players handbook except the pictures)?

What do you think?

Edit: Ehh, is it discreet or discrete?

Edit2: Ever tried reading the Players Handbook in bed? It's impossible!

 

[Arc]

Sounds good. About the size of a standard manga would work (5"x7.5", don't ask how I know that offhand), and would really be useful for travelling games, or just throwing in the glove compartment. If they cut the spells from the PHB, and cut the magic items from the DMG, the books could easily be compressed, and those items could be republished somewhere else (Pocket Grimoire Arcana for example).

 

[GnomeWorks]

Actually, if there were a pocket-sized version of the 3e core books out there, I think I would use them.

Although, smaller hardcover ones wouldn't hurt, either... they'd take up less space on my not-so-plentiful bookshelf space.

 

[Psionicist]

Wow, 100% agrees this far. Now we have to summon the Wizards of the Cost team.

 

[Terraism]

Well there's always Internet Arcana. Even if Wizards isn't sold on the idea - wanna bet they won't be? - the fact that most of those three books is in the SRD means that someone else *could* do that...

 

[Arc]

Hmmm... that Internet Arcana bit is actually very tempting. I've been considering getting a laptop and doing the CADD setup (computer aided dungeons and dragons), and that could really make things a lot simpler. Heck, 5 bucks for the setup is more than worth it.

 

[Tabarnak Smokeblower]

Hehe formatting the SRD into a smaller sized format is the mind-numbing project I was looking for!

Seriously, there are probably better ways to spend my free time, but when I get back from vacation, I might try that. The easiest format (not sure it's the best) would be landscape, letter-size paper. Does that sound reasonable?

Note that there's a good chance i'll give it a shot, but there's an equally good chance that i'll forfeit the game after the few first pages...

TS

 

[Arc]

I think the idea was something where we could just slip it into a rather large cargo pocket, or fit it in a glove compartement. Letter sized is only slightly smaller than the current version. I'm sticking with 5x7.5 as the optimum, 'course, others may have different ideas.

 

[doctorjeff98]

Too many pictures, and way too much wasted space. The cover looks ridiculous.

I enjoy a pleasant lay-out, but too many books have too many wasted pages and artwork that only serves to increase the price of the product. I picked up an RPG that I was considering buying at Origins---it contained page after page of artwork without much actual content. The book was huge. For $40 I had to say no. At least, I can get the DnD books for less than $20!

 

[Sixchan]

I think the idea was something where we could just slip it into a rather large cargo pocket, or fit it in a glove compartement. Letter sized is only slightly smaller than the current version. I'm sticking with 5x7.5 as the optimum, 'course, others may have different ideas.

*draws out sizes on paper*

Holy ****! That would give me no end of use!

Although I'm not sure if just removing the art would be enough (mind you, the D20M SRD is 250+ pages shorter than the rulebook). How many pages can you get at that size before it becomes unwieldy?

EDIT: And of course, using only Black ink would bring the cost down significantly in conjunction with the reduced paper cost...