Post originally by Mike at 2004-01-04 05:27:34
Converted from Phorums BB System

Some things to consider:

1. This is 'pocket sized' - if I understand correctly, the book's dimensions are that of a paperback novel. Any standard roleplaying supplement would easily stretch into hundreds of pages when made into a novel-sized version.

2. A very significant portion of the book will be the spell lists for Arcane and Divine spells. In my humble opinion, the spells are the most needlessly complicated portion of Dungeons and Dragons. It's a legacy of the spellcasting that was originally adapted from Jack Vance's novels. It suits the novels perfectly, but adds needless fluff to an RPG.

3. To an extent, Dungeons and Dragons is all about tricky rules and 'crunchy bits'. It's a legacy of the miniature wargaming roots of the original version. If you don't like it, I suggest playing something else. (I'm trying to be helpful here, not insulting.) There are plenty of other games with less attention to detail and much simpler systems for spells and spellcasting that are still reasonably coherent.