Ideal Size For a Main Rulebook?

RPGPundit · April 11, 2018, 02:23:26 AM

Quote from: Jason Coplen;1033524AS&SH is a monster book at almost 700 pages, but I have no problem carrying it around or taking it to where I DM.

And would you consider that your ideal size in terms of amount of content?

Jason Coplen · April 11, 2018, 11:04:31 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1033803And would you consider that your ideal size in terms of amount of content?

Close to it. The book is actually 608 pages, not my way over guess. I got looking and after 492 the rest could be easily jettisoned - it's setting stuff and a module, neither required nor actually cared for.

RPGPundit · April 14, 2018, 11:59:12 PM

That's interesting. To me I would think that's more than what's really necessary, though it may or may not be useful.

Sable Wyvern · April 15, 2018, 12:33:01 AM

I don't really care about size one way or the other, I care about content.

Minimum size: Sufficient to give me everything I need to run the game effectively.

Maximum size: A bit larger than that which is necessary to convey all the useful and interesting information it contains.

Ideal size: As big as you can make it while keeping all the content interesting, well written and useful (but no, or very little, fiction as filler, please).

If you keep adding useful and interesting stuff, feel free to keep making it bigger.

Jason Coplen · April 15, 2018, 12:48:50 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1034291That's interesting. To me I would think that's more than what's really necessary, though it may or may not be useful.

It could be seen as more than necessary, which to me it is, but others with the book might disagree. I have no problem lugging it around. For a book it might be heavy, but to me I don't find it heavy in the least. It's like when you're a teen and you lug all 5 or more of your AD&D1 books around.

Pat · April 15, 2018, 01:13:49 PM

Quote from: Jason Coplen;1034358It could be seen as more than necessary, which to me it is, but others with the book might disagree. I have no problem lugging it around. For a book it might be heavy, but to me I don't find it heavy in the least. It's like when you're a teen and you lug all 5 or more of your AD&D1 books around.

As a side benefit, per the textbooks-shall-be-perforated rule, it'll stop the first bullet.

It's why action heroes carry chemistry textbooks (the geekier ones might carry Hero5).

RPGPundit · April 21, 2018, 02:06:17 AM

Well, I'm thinking more in terms of the bulk amount of content. l

David Johansen · April 21, 2018, 08:21:57 PM

96 pages saddle stitched.

Narmer · April 25, 2018, 12:49:12 PM

Quote from: Larsdangly;1032277From 64 to 128 p letter format, or 1-3 booklets with similar total word count. If you can't articulate the core of a game in that space you need to pull your head out of your ass.

This.