Rules Missing from the Rules Compendium

[Joshua Randall]

forced march rules in the Rules Compendium?

There's nothing specifically labeled Forced March. But this would probably fall under the Endurance skill -- make an Endurance check every so often, with subsequent checks getting harder.

 

[Goken100]

Familiars?

I don't have the Rules Compendium, but here's something I've been wondering but haven't heard if anyone answered it yet.

The only rules that are annoying at our table are the Familiar rules, as they aren't included in the Character Builder, so you just have to know how far a familiar can move, what sort of actions it takes to move them, etc. If Familiars are covered in the Rules Compendium, that would be more convenient than having to look them up in the splatbook that introduced them.

There are other new game elements like this out there I reckon, like animal companions or character themes. Anything like that in there?

 

[Thaumaturge]

Does it have double weapon rules? I thought the whole reason for the Rules Compendium was to put in print the errata so I would stop asking them to update their books. It sounds to me that there are some updated rules that didn't make it.

I don't see it. I haven't exhaustively checked, but there isn't a 'double weapon' entry in the index, glossary, 'Weapon Properties', or 'Reading a Weapon' sections. If it's in there, it doesn't pass the quick look up test.

Thaumaturge.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

We now have an official statement about what is missing...

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

We now have an official statement about what is missing...

We do?

 

[Zaran]

While the Rules Compendium is a boon for any Dungeon Master, there are a few blind spots you should be aware of. Information on rituals is slim, to put it mildly. Rituals just get a general sidebar on page 134. If you’re waist deep in the paragon tier or higher, your players are probably finding more uses for rituals. The new magic item rarity rules seem to be partially designed to free up liquid treasure for other uses, so for some of you, this will be a tad annoying. Rules Compendium also leaves out some of the rules for weapon properties in the game (, defensive, stout, and fan-favorite brutal) along with rules on double weapons. There is no mention of backgrounds (at least backgrounds with mechanical elements), themes, the piloting vehicle rules, and some other things that tend to be more DM-centric, so they will poke their heads up in the Dungeon Master’s Kit. If you use those rules in your game, you will want to supplement your Rules Compendium with a cheat sheet.

I guess he means this

 

[Raven Crowking]

I'm not playing 4e, but I did take a look at the RC yesterday. It seemed like a good value for its cost, and looked very nice graphically. It seemed to be pretty packed.

Reading this thread, I am glad to hear that WotC is responding positively toward discussion of the game. I am sorry I didn't pick it up to read yesterday, and probably will in the near future.

Hope this isn't considered a threadcrap.


RC

 

[Joshua Randall]

I guess he means this

Source --> Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Essentials Survival Guide)

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I guess he means this

Ah. Yeah, that is interesting. Seems to me the RC will be a nice thing to pick up. I may well not bother with the other Essentials stuff anytime soon, but that and maybe the DM's Kit sound fairly useful. It is rather odd that they have left out some basic stuff like Brutal and such though. I can easily see arguments for some of that stuff not being in the game to start with, but it IS there and it just seems rather odd to produce a "comprehensive" rules source and leave out a lot of key stuff. I mean the RC is a lot less useful to me if I STILL have to carry around a PHB1, AP, MP, and possibly several other books to actually have a full reference for the stuff that we DO use all the time. It is especially annoying when a lot of the stuff is EXACTLY the stuff that doesn't show up in the online Compendium (familiars and beast companions for instance aren't there at all).

 

[MrMyth]

I think the main reason for the missing elements is that the RC is part of the Essentials line. So if it is to be the main rules resource for new players joining the game, they want to make sure everything in it is relevant to Essentials players. So rituals, vehicles, artifacts, certain weapon properties, familiar and companion rules - stuff that doesn't show up in Essentials - is absent.

Which... I don't think was necessary, as they could have found a way to include stuff while noting it is from other sources, and it would have been nice for it to be a truly comprehensive resource.

Still, I understand why they did it, and what is there is excellent and the entire idea of having this portable rulebook is very appealing.