But it does sap my interest in playing at all, as does the overall size of this two-book edition. 6e), is actually a problem in play until I play the game. I won’t know if a sixfold increase in pages devoted to core rules (7e vs. There’s more to do, more special cases are spelled out, there are more examples, and in the end, there are more numbers on the character sheet.ĭifferent, I was interested in more, not so much. ![]() Blergh.Ĭomparing 7e to both 4e and 6e, the mechanical complexity hasn’t changed dramatically. 12 if I throw in a bonus page from the Sanity section (like I did with 4e). This is a game famous for having many editions with no substantial mechanical changes in 30 years, after all. Usually, they’ve added stuff: a full Lovecraft tale, more monsters, resources that used to be part of the Companions, etc. But I’ve never cracked open any 1st-6th edition CoC rulebook and thought, “Boy, they’ve added a bunch of rules!” I do have a copy of 6th edition I can get to, though.Ħe is 320 pages, compared to 4e’s 192, so there’s been an increase in page count. I’d love to compare every edition, really, but all but a couple of my copies of the core rules are in storage. Maybe the Girthening of Cthulhu happened in 5th or 6th edition, and I’ve just forgotten about it? 4th and 7th have two full editions in between, plus several “.X” editions. There’s a stray page in the Sanity section I’d like, too, so let’s call it 9 pages. It’s really 7 pages, plus a paragraph on the 8th page. In 4th, I wouldn’t print a damned thing, because in 4e those same rules - core mechanics and combat - fit into 8 pages, and that’s being generous. I don’t need chase rules unless we’re having one. Kelvin chalks up 130 pages of “actual game mechanics.” If I were printing out pages from the PDF for a condensed edition in the vein of DCC, though, I’d do pp.82-99 (core mechanics) and pp.102-129 (combat). As it notes on the back cover, though, you do also need a copy of the Investigator Handbook, which isn’t just a retreading of the same stuff minus the monsters and spells. 7th edition is split into two rulebooks, but the Keeper Rulebook contains the core rules. I wanted to see if I was just getting off on the wrong foot with 7e, so I ran a quick comparison: core rules in another edition vs. Bad first impressions don’t always stick, as I saw over the course of two tremulus campaigns.Īt this point, I’m still giving 7e the benefit of the doubt, but it’s starting to feel like I’m convincing myself to do that. Like, combat’s not all that complicated, but some people learn visually so let’s have a flowchart? Maybe! I hope so. Maybe it’s a newbie/veteran thing again, though. I almost closed the book and put it back on the shelf when I saw that. In that same vein, opinions will differ on whether a combat flowchart is a bug or a feature. But a first-time GM might enjoy it, and some folks might find the list format useful as opposed to wasteful.īut the simple fact that resolving a chase might make use of 16 pages of rules is a huge turn-off for me. That’s a waste of space for me a paragraph with an example or two would have done the job. Half a page is given over to examples of hazards in foot and car chases, things like “Cyclists in the road,” in list format. Sometimes that feels overdone, but it’s hard to judge without playing the game. If a mechanic involves multiple steps, there’s an example for each step, and then an overall example pulling things together. Sixteen pages!Ī portion of those 16 pages are devoted to providing examples, something 7th edition is splendid about. 16 pages of chase rulesĪ post Kelvin Green made yesterday, The Stars Are Right(ish), gave me pause: He mentions that there are 16 pages of rules for car and foot chases in 7th edition. ![]() For example, I can condense the DCC RPG - nearly 500 pages - into just 18 pages of rules I need to actually run the game. But not all lengthy rulebooks are created equal. But is it usefully huge, or annoyingly huge? I’ve still got Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition on the brain, and it’s really fucking huge - particularly compared to earlier editions. Lately, when I read a new game (or assess one before buying it), I find myself asking this question: “ How much of this do I need to run the game?”
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