The Mongoose Pocket Player's Handbook is essentially the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook v3.5 in a smaller format and simpler design. It is a good alternative to the D&D PHB as it covers all the same important information, - and is significantly cheaper (and slightly more portable).
Post originally by John DeHope 3 at 2004-01-02 19:50:48
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If a set of game rules takes 400 pages for the *pocket* version... Is that insane or is it just me? It must be just be me. My (nonexistant) RPG doesn't have a rulebook at all, much less somebody else making a pocket version of it.
Post originally by Robin Ashe at 2004-01-02 20:19:30
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It's actually the complete rules, in pocket format. It isn't "Lite". It's also A5 size instead of A4, which is why the page count goes up. The D&D Player's Handbook v3.5 is 320 pages, but the pages are twice the size, have more whitespace, more extra unecessary info (in my opinion) and have art (wheras the MPPHB has none).
I guess it is insane if you insist on playing Rules Lite, but it being a pocket version doesn't really factor into that.
Post originally by WisebloodJ at 2004-01-02 20:46:08
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I havn't seen the book yet but its my understanding that the epic level stuff is not in the WotC PHB. Also I believe that there are psionics rules that do not appear in the official PHB. That is where some of the page count comes from.
Robin Ashe wrote:
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It's actually the complete rules, in pocket format. It isn't "Lite". It's also A5 size instead of A4, which is why the page count goes up. The D&D Player's Handbook v3.5 is 320 pages, but the pages are twice the size, have more whitespace, more extra unecessary info (in my opinion) and have art (wheras the MPPHB has none).
I guess it is insane if you insist on playing Rules Lite, but it being a pocket version doesn't really factor into that.
Post originally by Robin Ashe at 2004-01-02 23:25:44
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Yeah, there is epic level stuff but no psionics. The page count comes from the pages being smaller so it takes more pages for the same ammount of info.
Post originally by Alex Chobot at 2004-01-03 08:26:47
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Indeed, from flipping through and checking the index and the light, there doesn't seem to be any material from the DMG except for the epic stuff (so no info on enviromental conditions, different character conditions such as stunned, dazed, etc). Something that, rpior to the book's release, I saw being talked up a lot.
Post originally by E.T.Smith at 2004-01-03 10:49:49
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It Was Stated;
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If a set of game rules takes 400 pages for the *pocket* version... Is that insane or is it just me?
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By any normal standard, yes. No competently balanced person would engage in the "hobby" of reading technical manuals and the "fun" of spending their weekends balancing a spreadsheet. Unfortunately you chose to broach the subject in the asylum, as it were, so the backlash to the comment, though silly, is not unexpected.
Later;
E.T.Smith
John DeHope 3 wrote:
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If a set of game rules takes 400 pages for the *pocket* version... Is that insane or is it just me? It must be just be me. My (nonexistant) RPG doesn't have a rulebook at all, much less somebody else making a pocket version of it.
Post originally by Chairman Aeon at 2004-01-03 11:29:22
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There is no Psionics, which I consider a good thing. There is no guarentee that the new Psionics book will be using the SRD word for word. I, personally don't like WOTC's psionic system for D&D. I'll be more likely to buy Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook, which uses a skill and feat system similar to Star Wars d20.
It is the PHB at 2/3rds its cost and 2/3rds its size.
Linear Mode
