Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

I was thinking (yes here we go again). What are everyones thoughts the combining some of the class supplements into a 'handbook'? I ask because instead of printing out 4 or 5 docs, you just print one. I guess. If you were only going to use one then you wouldn't want one big document, but you could just print the pages that you wanted. Anywho just one of my crazy ideas, just thought I'd ask.

I thought about doing something like that, but then I decided just to compile all my house rules into one document. After I have that, I'll modify the Beginner's Essentials supplement just for my campaign into a kind of Player's Handbook. When that's done, I can either print out a complete house rules set, or just the info the player's need.

I think the trick is where you get multiple takes on a concept - someone would have to decide if the handbook would focus around full subclasses/specialists, quasi-classes, 'advanced' classes and specializations, and the different versions thereof. I did a full supplement download a while back - it's a confusing read, particularly where "class options" and "skill options" start overlapping.

I think we're trying to avoid the problem with the old TSR supplements (These are some optional rules we've cooked up, but since we put them in a book, everyone will treat them as official core rules). Having the separate articles is useful as it makes it easier to pick and choose the pieces to use - putting them into a 'Houserule Handbook' for your campaign. Putting together a Houserule template might be a useful thing - offering a semistandard outline for houserules (here be character creation method, here be race and class variations, here be equipment (I'm working on it!), here be rule additions, here be campaign lore, that sort of thing).

Jackel, what do you want to use the 'Handbook' for?

Joe, I like the idea of a house rules template. That would be pretty useful for me right now.

On the TSR optional rules problem, I think a collection of optional rules could be presented in such a way as to avoid the problem. To do this, you would want to include mutually incompatible rules so that GMs have to choose - they can't just say 'we're using everything.' Another thing that would be useful is some analysis explaining why each option might be useful, and where it might cause problems.

That said, unless the goal is just to collect all the optional rules in one place, I think house rules handbooks are much more useful.

My intent was to have all the rule collected so that a GM or even player wanted 'something more' in a charcter could down load and print off one book or one book for each class or some such. Even if they only use a part of it. I think that if there an analysis it might help some GM pick one or two options that he or she like. Am I making sense? I just thought that instead of say 5 or 6 supplements to sift through, they only have to sift through one. Anyways it was just a thuoght.

jackel wrote:My intent was to have all the rule collected so that a GM or even player wanted 'something more' in a charcter could down load and print off one book or one book for each class or some such. Even if they only use a part of it. I think that if there an analysis it might help some GM pick one or two options that he or she like.

That sounds like it could be useful. When do you think you'll have it done?

I like to think of each collection of HouseRules or collections of materials as campaign specific handbooks... sorta like how Savage Worlds use a common set of base rules, but each 'Game' is produced as a stand alone project otherwise. If you get SW Rippers, it is a complete game unto itself... then if you get SW Solomon Kane, it too can be played with just the one book. You don't even have to get the 'core rules' book, as all the core rules are effectively duplicated in the campaign book.

I just like the way it is done there. I would like my House Rules document to work essentially the same way.

Ok. I am repondering this. I still like the idea of a book where there are all the options for the different classes and such. I do understand the thought that 'I don't want to print 42 pages of stuff when I am only going to use 2 pages of. I am tabling this for now and will comeback to it at a later date. Thank you all for your replies.


Brandon