In most RPGs there are a few common chapters, these would include:

• Intro
• Setting intro
• System intro, including character creation
• Skills
• Equipment
• Game rules
• More about the setting
• Bestiary
• Sample adventures
• Advisories on roleplaying etc

How would you order these, mix and merge or structure them to make them most useful to players and GMs? Are there any particularly good games that stand out in their chapter or information arrangement?

Quote from: The Traveller;656153In most RPGs there are a few common chapters, these would include:

• Intro
• Setting intro
• System intro, including character creation
• Skills
• Equipment
• Game rules
• More about the setting
• Bestiary
• Sample adventures
• Advisories on roleplaying etc

How would you order these, mix and merge or structure them to make them most useful to players and GMs? Are there any particularly good games that stand out in their chapter or information arrangement?

If you need an example, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e is pretty well-organized.

Here are the basics for the book..

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

CHAPTER 2: Character Creation

CHAPTER 3: Careers

CHAPTER 4: Skills & Talents

CHAPTER 5: Equipment

CHAPTER 6: Combat, Damage, &, Movement

CHAPTER 7: Magic

CHAPTER 8: Religion & Belief

CHAPTER 9: The Game Master

CHAPTER 10: The Empire

CHAPTER 11: The Bestiary

CHAPTER 12: Through The Drakwald

Chapter 12 includes an adventure module, character sheets, and an index. Always remember to include an index.

I hope that helps..

You definitely need an intro to let people know the very basics.

Then the next bits should be basically in the order you predict the reader needing the information. For example, in my case ability scores would go after classes and races because classes and races directly determine a few ability scores to the point where you don't roll them not knowing.

It's pretty game dependent in general.

System should be lumped together with system and setting with setting, with the exception of the intro which should have a high level flyby of both. Which goes first really depends on which one is most different, and requires the most explanation. If you've got a relatively new system for traditional fantasy, I'd put the system first. If you're mashing up Spelljammer and Shadowrun and running it in a simple percent based system, I would put the setting up front.

Adventures and the like I would put after both system and setting, since adventures are likely to depend on both chapters for understanding.

The way I usually prefer it is like this:

Table of contents and one-page setting summary. If I can't sell the game in one page, I need to tighten something up.

Character creation, with any must-know world elements embedded in the process.

Character creation supplementary data chapter, such as spell lists, psionics, mutations, or whatever else is needed to make a character that does not fit neatly in line inside the chargen chapter.

System chapter, with the game's mechanical components.

...and everything past the system chapter should be the sort of thing the players can totally ignore without significantly impeding them. If a player can't function on nothing but the first three chapters of the book, I need to go back and fix it so they can.

Setting chapter, where I elaborate the one-page summary up front and the outlines sketched out in the character generation chapter.

GM tools chapters, being one or more chapters dedicated to how exactly a GM is supposed to run this game, including step-by-step examples of how to assemble a characteristic adventure for it with enough toolbox resources to lift even a totally idea-free GM into something resembling an appropriate evening's play.

GM supplementary data chapters, such as bestiaries, magic item lists, or other data-dump chapters needed to operate the procedures I've outlined in the tools chapters.

Resources and index, including blank record sheets, unkeyed maps for the setting, and random generators that don't clearly fit in one of the earlier chapters.

Quote from: beejazz;656215You definitely need an intro to let people know the very basics.

I was very basic and tailored to my groups which was really the only people I expected to read it.

Intro, sort of worthless page that.
1. Character Generation
2. Combat
3. Magic
4. Campaigns
5. Sample Bestiary
6. worthless appendixes

Quote from: gleichman;656279I was very basic and tailored to my groups which was really the only people I expected to read it.

Intro, sort of worthless page that.
1. Character Generation
2. Combat
3. Magic
4. Campaigns
5. Sample Bestiary
6. worthless appendixes

OP was talking about most games. I was talking personal preferences. Exceptional cases are exceptional. And I game with neophytes often enough that an introduction could matter.