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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Should a TTRPG have a singular Core Rulebook or more?
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<blockquote data-quote="Eyes of Nine" data-source="post: 9277367" data-attributes="member: 99786"><p>Has anyone taken a stab yet at defining "Core Rulebook"? </p><p></p><p>tl;dr, I propose one possible definition of "Core Rules" - It's the core conflict resolution mechanism, everything else is GM prep (even when that prep is provided by a publisher)</p><p></p><p>One way to see this is "Core" means just the rules, whether explicit (how to resolve a skill check); or implicit (how to create/prep a class; followed by how to create a character with the class the GM or a publisher (including WotC) prepped).</p><p></p><p>Or, we could define this as "all the stuff currently in the 5e MM, PHB, and DMG" - that's core books because that's what WotC calls them.</p><p></p><p>I mean, is the MM considered core? Or is it just prep created by a publisher? A good chunk of the DMG is optional rules and magic item tables - are they really core? Or just prepped content?</p><p></p><p>Truly, if we boiled D&D 5e down to just the "rules", I'm pretty sure I could fit that into a single 64-page zine. Actually, maybe even a 1 page pamphlet. </p><p></p><p>Actually here's an attempt right here</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>And of course maybe another 10-15 pages devoted to "How to Prep" - like how to create character classes, heritages/races, feats, monsters, backgrounds, magic items, equipment, spells.</p><p></p><p>Sections on "how to balance"; "how to create encounters"; "how to handle non-combat 'stuff'"; "how to make the game fun"; "how to adjudicate" etc doesn't seem <strong>core</strong> to me. </p><p></p><p>Even some of the stuff in the "Combat" section doesn't seem core - it seems like WotC prepped content based on default setting assumptions about the pseudo-European medieval fantasy setting of Faerun. Take the Jump rules for example. They apply well in the default D&D setting. BUT if you were to prep/create a setting on a low-gravity planet, then the Jump rules would be different.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Eyes of Nine, post: 9277367, member: 99786"] Has anyone taken a stab yet at defining "Core Rulebook"? tl;dr, I propose one possible definition of "Core Rules" - It's the core conflict resolution mechanism, everything else is GM prep (even when that prep is provided by a publisher) One way to see this is "Core" means just the rules, whether explicit (how to resolve a skill check); or implicit (how to create/prep a class; followed by how to create a character with the class the GM or a publisher (including WotC) prepped). Or, we could define this as "all the stuff currently in the 5e MM, PHB, and DMG" - that's core books because that's what WotC calls them. I mean, is the MM considered core? Or is it just prep created by a publisher? A good chunk of the DMG is optional rules and magic item tables - are they really core? Or just prepped content? Truly, if we boiled D&D 5e down to just the "rules", I'm pretty sure I could fit that into a single 64-page zine. Actually, maybe even a 1 page pamphlet. Actually here's an attempt right here And of course maybe another 10-15 pages devoted to "How to Prep" - like how to create character classes, heritages/races, feats, monsters, backgrounds, magic items, equipment, spells. Sections on "how to balance"; "how to create encounters"; "how to handle non-combat 'stuff'"; "how to make the game fun"; "how to adjudicate" etc doesn't seem [B]core[/B] to me. Even some of the stuff in the "Combat" section doesn't seem core - it seems like WotC prepped content based on default setting assumptions about the pseudo-European medieval fantasy setting of Faerun. Take the Jump rules for example. They apply well in the default D&D setting. BUT if you were to prep/create a setting on a low-gravity planet, then the Jump rules would be different. [/QUOTE]
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