The New Rules Cyclopedia

[Arnwyn]

In its waning days, following the publication of the Immortal Rules boxed set, OD&D got repackaged in an all-in-one Rules Cyclopedia book with character rules, monsters, DM info and the like between two hardcover covers. In other words, for the first time, D&D was following the model of most other RPGs over the years. Although AD&D was still king in those days, the Rules Cyclopedia has a lot of fans and it's been argued a product like that is a great entry level product for new players. (Some of my Midwood players have become DMs for their own groups, and I wince to think of the financial hit they took just taking that plunge without really knowing if it was for them.)

Would you buy such a product if it was offered for 3E? How about as a 4E product?

Nope. For me, the separate PHB, DMG, and MM is a feature, and helped draw me towards D&D in the first place (and keeps me there).

Additionally, I am certainly not the target market for any sort of "entry level product for new players".

 

[Waldorf]

I borrowed a friend's bluebook in 79/80 and my Dad photocopied it for me. That's how I first had a chance to read the rules. I was 10 or 11 at the time. Later, when I had enough cash, I bought the expert set. Money was a big factor for me. I picked up the three core AD&D books a year later via Christmas and my Birthday.

 

[Ron]

Nope. For me, the separate PHB, DMG, and MM is a feature, and helped draw me towards D&D in the first place (and keeps me there).

Additionally, I am certainly not the target market for any sort of "entry level product for new players".

Oh, I agree it is a feature, one that I greatly dislike. A feature, nevertheless.

However, I don't see the D&D Rules Cyclopedia as an entry level product of any sort but rather as a good compromise to players who are not much interested in all the detail that D&D might offer. Being usually the DM, I have no love for carrying three books instead of one. I find most of the DMG to be useless. In the same way, I have little use for most of the critters of the Monster Manual and I could live happier with a smaller selection of feats and spells. The last time I run a D&D game, the D&D Rules Cyclopedia was the only book used and it was quite refreshing.

Although the three Core Books are great to those who like detail, they left a great deal of people alienated from the game. A D&D Rules Cyclopedia may be an introductory step for a few people but, more often it was a deliberate choice to those who were not keen of the amount of detail found in AD&D. I still think it might be a good chance for WotC to grab new customers that are not particularly attracted by their current offer.

 

[Arnwyn]

Oh, I agree it is a feature, one that I greatly dislike. A feature, nevertheless.

However, I don't see the D&D Rules Cyclopedia as an entry level product of any sort but rather as a good compromise to players who are not much interested in all the detail that D&D might offer.

*shrug* I was only quoting the OP.

I agree that a single RC-type book will appeal to a certain segment of the gaming population. But that's not what the OP asked at the beginning of the thread. Would I buy such a product? Hell no.

 

[Dire Bare]

Sorry, entry point for most newbies is still $100

Then they borrow a friend's, check one out of a library, ask on EN World. Even if they feel they have to buy all three core books, I can get them for under fifty and probably less if I felt the need to actually look for them. The 100 dollar price tag is just not true.

Sorry, gonna have to disagree with you here. Let's say you have a group of kids in middle school who decide they want to play the game. They have computers and internet access, but have never heard of the SRD nor have any clue regarding the "d20" system. They just want to play D&D after hearing about it from somebody.

They've seen the books in chain stores, but there are no FLGS they know about to get advice from (or even what they are). Besides, not every town has an FLGS, and some that do have ones without the "F" in that acronym.

They get one of their parents to buy the Basic Set and after one evening say, "That was fun! But what next!"

For groups like this and other newbies to the hobby, a $100 investment is "what's next".

Sure you *can* cobble a game from just the PHB and the online SRD, but the average guy (girl), the SRD is not a "user-friendly" format if they are even aware of it's existence. A lot of newbie gamers and even old-timer gamers have never heard of or never check out the SRD website, ENWorld or similar sites.

Sure you *can* purchase the three core books at great online discounts, but not everybody shops at Amazon and Buy.com (and etc).

Not everybody thinks to check out the library, and many libraries don't carry this sort of material anyway.

And if you're a complete newbie, you just might not have anybody to borrow a book from.

There are certainly ways around the $100 entry point for D&D, but they are not viable for the average consumer. It's people in the know like us here on ENWorld (and we all probably sprang for all the core books anyway) that know the secrets of cheap gaming!

 

[Dire Bare]

How I'd do it

I wouldn't advise WotC to do a "Rules Cyclopedia" type thing for 3.5, but whenever the inevitable 4th Ed rolls out, I'd LOVE to see a one-book rulebook that has everything you need to play the game (but not all the options, of course, cause that be a BIG book!).

Here's how I'd do it:

Book 1: "Player's Handbook" (but includes less stuff than today's PHB and incorporates elements from DMG and MM -- and all-in-one PHB!)

Book 2: "Dungeon Master's Guide" (includes everything from today's DMG not already in the PHB, and more DM goodness from DMG II and other sources!)

Book 3: "Monster Manual" (includes more monsters not already in the PHB, and lots of stuff on using and advancing your monsters as a player and DM, plus great stuff on creating your own)

Book 4: "Player's Companion" (includes all of today's PHB not already in the new PHB plus even more options!)

Book 5: "Unearthed Arcana" (you guessed, tons of alternate rules to change how the game is played, included rules to "d20 Modern-ize" your D&D game!)

All of Books 1-5 would be released in the SRD, plus the upcoming new Psionics rules!

Books 6 thru Infinity -- the expected "Complete" book redos and more stuff of course . . .

Yes, that means four books instead of three to get all we have today (although in this scenario you'd get a lot more also), but for the newbie or the gamer who doesn't need all three or four books, all you truly need is one book!

 

[Crothian]

Sorry, gonna have to disagree with you here. Let's say you have a group of kids in middle school who decide they want to play the game. They have computers and internet access, but have never heard of the SRD nor have any clue regarding the "d20" system. They just want to play D&D after hearing about it from somebody.

So, they don't google it why?

They've seen the books in chain stores, but there are no FLGS they know about to get advice from (or even what they are). Besides, not every town has an FLGS, and some that do have ones without the "F" in that acronym.

They don't look for it on line why?


But the real kicker is that most people that play D&D are introduced to it by someone else. So, ya, there might be a very specific set up circumstances that make this buy in $100 but it is not very realistic.

 

[Dire Bare]

So, they don't google it why?

They don't look for it on line why?

But the real kicker is that most people that play D&D are introduced to it by someone else. So, ya, there might be a very specific set up circumstances that make this buy in $100 but it is not very realistic.

Not everyone's first instinct is to google. Heh, it should be, but ain't . . . Besides, what are they going to google? The term "d20" or "SRD"??? Nope. They're gonna google D&D and first (logical) links are to the online MMORPG and Wizards site (then the new cartoon DVD, then the movies . . . most people won't look past the top five). And while Wizards site is the home of the d20 SRD, if you're a newbie you ain't gonna find it, much less look for it in the first place.

Not everybody's first shopping instinct is to check out the bargain prices on online stores. That's how I shop, but I'm "in-the-know".

Many people ARE introduced to D&D from a friend/relative, but many do not have that luxury (I certainly didn't when young . . . I saw the cartoon and heard some reports of the evilness of the game on the news and told my mom, "I want THAT!").

You are assuming the nation's population is as net savvy as you and I, and it just ain't so. And while word of mouth is a great introdution for many products, D&D included, you leave out a large segment of the "uninitiated populace" but relying on that.

In my scenario, I'm certainly not describing the average rpg hobbiest who knows where and how to shop, I'm describing joe average consumer (and for our younger joes, his/her parents Mr. and Mrs. joe average consumer).