While I once loved getting splat books, monster books, and various other supplements, with age and much more limited time to game I've come to appreciate the merits of streamlining and simplicity in my games. I also really like having everything in just one book, if at all possible. To me, that's the main appeal of something like Advanced Labyrinth Lord, despite its poor formatting, uneven artwork, low quality binding, and organizational problems. I still have everything I need to play or design in just one book. The old BECMI Rules Compendium also fits the bill here.
I understand in many cases that the business model lends itself to spreading things out, but I find it annoying when new classes, weapons, monsters etc. are added in supplements as a way to encourage (force) players & GMs alike to keep buying more product. The exception, of course, would be adventure modules.
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
Tunnels & Trolls, either 5th edition or Deluxe (ie, the ones edited by Liz Danforth). Although Deluxe is a might bit heavier than 5th (due to being roughly 4x the length) it is still my favorite RPG in a single book, narrowly edging out RC and RQ2.
I wish I still had my 1980 printing of 5th. It is much thicker than the later printings due to very heavy paper (> 24lb I think).
I submit this one: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/124387/ It's an indie "vampire mythos" rpg that was funded through kickstarter. Although it wasn't able to produce any of the supplements offered as stretch goals such as expanded hunting rules or a new setting book, the rulebook itself has everything you need to play as well as detailed guidelines and examples for inventing your own settings. It's a true toolkit.
My other submission as of right now is Puppetland.
Unfortunately, single book games don't get much attention for reasons that completely escape me. There are tons of neat single book games out there that receive no attention and have no communities around them. It's frustrating.
Quote from: BoxCrayonTales on September 14, 2022, 09:38:25 AM
I submit this one: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/124387/ It's an indie "vampire mythos" rpg that was funded through kickstarter. Although it wasn't able to produce any of the supplements offered as stretch goals such as expanded hunting rules or a new setting book, the rulebook itself has everything you need to play as well as detailed guidelines and examples for inventing your own settings. It's a true toolkit.
That looks interesting.
Quote
My other submission as of right now is Puppetland.
I loved the original Hogshead version that I got in on the hardcover Kickstarter.
It is the one RPG I would love to run or play with an audience. I think its conceit that you have talk in character as though it was a puppet show would make it great for an audience.
Quote
Unfortunately, single book games don't get much attention for reasons that completely escape me. There are tons of neat single book games out there that receive no attention and have no communities around them. It's frustrating.
Agreed, but that's the problem with hobbyists being replaced by companies.
BEMCI/RC is my favorite in that category. Yeah, it's got some flaws. Put for the amount of stuff fit into one book, I find it hard to beat.
Whilst I suppose the obvious one is the Rules Cyclopedia (Becmi) I got more use out of the boxed set books by far. They are easier on the eye.
In terms of all in one books I've used the most the DC Heroes 3rd edition book has had some hammer but more than any other book I've referenced I suppose it's been the Blood of Heroes 2nd Edition. It's the DC Heroes 3e rules added to and comes complete with eye shredding artwork and a game world I'll never use but in terms of a reference book I use it all the time.
Honourable mention to the Corgi T&T book, though I self printed/bound the Deluxe T&T book into five smaller tomes and one of them (Combat & Magic I think I called it) gets referred to a lot.
The original Star Wars D6 game was pretty good for a one book solution but really needs the splatbooks or you'll do a lot of statting up yourself. Champions 3rd edition was pretty good and saw some use, later editions got fatter, not better.
Talislanta 4e Big Blue.
Savage Worlds Adventurer Edtion (Core Rules)
If I had to pick only one book from my collection it would probably be the Rules Cyclopedia, even though I haven't played B/X in decades. The reason for my choice is that it has everything I would need to run a D&D game in one somewhat thin volume.
Others have mentioned 5E T&T and that's a decent choice, but I like D&D better than T&T.
If I could take one "item" instead of one book it would probably be my OD&D white box stuffed with supplements.
Quote from: PulpHerb on September 14, 2022, 09:27:12 AM
I wish I still had my 1980 printing of 5th. It is much thicker than the later printings due to very heavy paper (> 24lb I think).
While its not in print, you can get the 5th edition in .pdf:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210996/Tunnels--Trolls-Rules-5th-Editon?src=hottest_filtered&filters=44297_0_0_0_0
Quote from: GhostNinja on September 14, 2022, 11:06:56 AM
Quote from: PulpHerb on September 14, 2022, 09:27:12 AM
I wish I still had my 1980 printing of 5th. It is much thicker than the later printings due to very heavy paper (> 24lb I think).
While its not in print, you can get the 5th edition in .pdf:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210996/Tunnels--Trolls-Rules-5th-Editon?src=hottest_filtered&filters=44297_0_0_0_0
Oh, I have the modern reprintings...well, modern in the sense of 1990s, as well as PDFs of 1st, 4th, 5th, both 7ths, and Deluxe, most thanks to the KS (except 7ths).
I even have Mythical 6th which was unauthorized.
It's sad T&T is so forgotten. I think it is a great game which deserved better recognition, although far from alone on that one.
System Failure from Palladium was always going to be one book. It's quirky, but you could get a lot of milage of it despite being relatively thin.
A lot of Palladium's games work quite well with just the core book but have splats that might disqualify them. Heros Unlimited and Splicers would be the best examples.
The Traveller Book, for Classic Traveller.
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 09:17:05 AM
While I once loved getting splat books, monster books, and various other supplements, with age and much more limited time to game I've come to appreciate the merits of streamlining and simplicity in my games. I also really like having everything in just one book, if at all possible. To me, that's the main appeal of something like Advanced Labyrinth Lord, despite its poor formatting, uneven artwork, low quality binding, and organizational problems. I still have everything I need to play or design in just one book. The old BECMI Rules Compendium also fits the bill here.
I understand in many cases that the business model lends itself to spreading things out, but I find it annoying when new classes, weapons, monsters etc. are added in supplements as a way to encourage (force) players & GMs alike to keep buying more product. The exception, of course, would be adventure modules.
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
I think you meant Rules Cyclopedia?
In any case, yes, Rules Cyclopedia is the right answer.
EDIT: other than that, Shadow of the Demon Lord has a great combination of system + setting + GM advice + monsters (too few mosnters, but okay).
I'm still trying to write a more "complete" clone (with PHB + DMG + MM, using LL as basis), but alas, this is hard work. And when I do I hope it beats the Rc, not because I'm that good, but because I'm standing on the shoulders of storm giants! ;)
Quote from: Eric Diaz on September 14, 2022, 11:50:24 AM
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 09:17:05 AM
While I once loved getting splat books, monster books, and various other supplements, with age and much more limited time to game I've come to appreciate the merits of streamlining and simplicity in my games. I also really like having everything in just one book, if at all possible. To me, that's the main appeal of something like Advanced Labyrinth Lord, despite its poor formatting, uneven artwork, low quality binding, and organizational problems. I still have everything I need to play or design in just one book. The old BECMI Rules Compendium also fits the bill here.
I understand in many cases that the business model lends itself to spreading things out, but I find it annoying when new classes, weapons, monsters etc. are added in supplements as a way to encourage (force) players & GMs alike to keep buying more product. The exception, of course, would be adventure modules.
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
I think you meant Rules Cyclopedia?
In any case, yes, Rules Cyclopedia is the right answer.
EDIT: other than that, Shadow of the Demon Lord has a great combination of system + setting + GM advice + monsters (too few mosnters, but okay).
I'm still trying to write a more "complete" clone (with PHB + DMG + MM, using LL as basis), but alas, this is hard work. And when I do I hope it beats the Rc, not because I'm that good, but because I'm standing on the shoulders of storm giants! ;)
Rules Cyclopedia is the epitome. However, older generation RPG boxed sets also fit this bill.
Warhammer Fantasy Role Play, 1st Edition.
The collective GMs in my group made many a meal out of this before anything else was released for it.
huh...one book? Probably Traveller 5.0 There's issues there but it gets a lot in the book. I couldn't use 5.1 because it's three books. No, you know what? You can't go wrong with Mechanoid Invasion book 3 so let's go with that. Palladium Fantasy first edition and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay first edition are close runners up. You could almost go second edition, it's a bit better mechanically but loses too much content from the core book.
I'll have to second (or third) the Traveller 5.0 book. Pretty much everything you need is in there and it covers the bestiary, weapons, ships and combat. They got a lot in there.
The BRP "Gold Book" is the closest I have to a favorite single volume RPG because it's a generic system with all the subsystems needed to run most different types of campaigns.
I prefer OpenD6 more as a system, but there isn't a single volume version to handle everything.
Single book favorite would be Amber Diceless.
Quote from: Eric Diaz on September 14, 2022, 11:50:24 AM
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 09:17:05 AM
While I once loved getting splat books, monster books, and various other supplements, with age and much more limited time to game I've come to appreciate the merits of streamlining and simplicity in my games. I also really like having everything in just one book, if at all possible. To me, that's the main appeal of something like Advanced Labyrinth Lord, despite its poor formatting, uneven artwork, low quality binding, and organizational problems. I still have everything I need to play or design in just one book. The old BECMI Rules Compendium also fits the bill here.
I understand in many cases that the business model lends itself to spreading things out, but I find it annoying when new classes, weapons, monsters etc. are added in supplements as a way to encourage (force) players & GMs alike to keep buying more product. The exception, of course, would be adventure modules.
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
I think you meant Rules Cyclopedia?
In any case, yes, Rules Cyclopedia is the right answer.
EDIT: other than that, Shadow of the Demon Lord has a great combination of system + setting + GM advice + monsters (too few mosnters, but okay).
I'm still trying to write a more "complete" clone (with PHB + DMG + MM, using LL as basis), but alas, this is hard work. And when I do I hope it beats the Rc, not because I'm that good, but because I'm standing on the shoulders of storm giants! ;)
Yeah, of course I meant
Rules Cyclopedia.. I'd DQ Shadow of the Demon Lord because it has a shit ton of splat books that introduce tons of new content. Sure, you can technically play with just the core book, but all that other stuff is precisely what I'm railing against with this query.
AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide. I've spent countless hours pouring over that tome.
Quote from: David Johansen on September 14, 2022, 01:53:21 PM
huh...one book? Probably Traveller 5.0 There's issues there but it gets a lot in the book. I couldn't use 5.1 because it's three books. No, you know what? You can't go wrong with Mechanoid Invasion book 3 so let's go with that. Palladium Fantasy first edition and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay first edition are close runners up. You could almost go second edition, it's a bit better mechanically but loses too much content from the core book.
Why just book 3 on Mechanoids when Homeworld is under one cover with it's two earlier breathern? Not sure you'd gain much beyond some cool gear and dungeons in spaces rules, but it for sale now.
Changing my answer to join The Spaniard if that one counts. I thought it had to be "a whole RPG in a single book."
A close second would be Paizo's GameMastery Guide for PF 1.0.
Quote from: Brooding Paladin on September 14, 2022, 04:50:04 PM
Changing my answer to join The Spaniard if that one counts. I thought it had to be "a whole RPG in a single book."
A close second would be Paizo's GameMastery Guide for PF 1.0.
No; of course that doesn't count. It's not favorite single RPG book. It's favorite RPG in a single book.
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 05:05:18 PM
Quote from: Brooding Paladin on September 14, 2022, 04:50:04 PM
Changing my answer to join The Spaniard if that one counts. I thought it had to be "a whole RPG in a single book."
A close second would be Paizo's GameMastery Guide for PF 1.0.
No; of course that doesn't count. It's not favorite single RPG book. It's favorite RPG in a single book.
:D
Quote from: APN on September 14, 2022, 10:29:03 AM
The original Star Wars D6 game was pretty good for a one book solution but really needs the splatbooks or you'll do a lot of statting up yourself.
First edition WEG Ghostbusters is similarly good.
I'm reading The Invisible College right now and it's good stuff. It will be a while before I run a game using it - I'm in the middle of nowhere and finding gamers has been a hunt.
For me it would be Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade. Everything I like about the concepts of Mage without the required conflict framework of the 20th/21st century setting. Plus I love the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance as a setting.
Quote from: PulpHerb on September 14, 2022, 04:43:28 PM
Why just book 3 on Mechanoids when Homeworld is under one cover with it's two earlier breathern? Not sure you'd gain much beyond some cool gear and dungeons in spaces rules, but it for sale now.
Book three is a complete game in itself. The only thing you really gain from one and two is Gideon E, details on motherships, and magic. As it happens I'd much prefer my players not have or want magic in a science fiction game. Book 3 is the best rpg Palladium ever published.
wfrp 1e - a complete game.
In the vein of Lynn and Rob, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition. It functioned easily as a standalone game, all other supplements were a good bonus.
Quote from: Angry Goblin on September 15, 2022, 07:49:07 AM
In the vein of Lynn and Rob, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition. It functioned easily as a standalone game, all other supplements were a good bonus.
The supplements were class!
Quote from: David Johansen on September 14, 2022, 11:18:39 PM
Book three is a complete game in itself. The only thing you really gain from one and two is Gideon E, details on motherships, and magic. As it happens I'd much prefer my players not have or want magic in a science fiction game. Book 3 is the best rpg Palladium ever published.
Yeah, I remember BITD being a bit confused about that. Why was book 3 a complete game and called book 3? I already had the first two so didn't need some of it.
I think I have my original
Homeworld and maybe
The Journey somewhere as well as that weird perfect bound
Mechaniods that came out in the mid-eighties. I think I might dig out
Homeworld and look at it as a stand-alone game in terms of what it includes in how much space.
Might be the parameters for a personal project.
Quote from: Lynn on September 14, 2022, 12:58:19 PM
Warhammer Fantasy Role Play, 1st Edition.
The collective GMs in my group made many a meal out of this before anything else was released for it.
I too, had a good year with the WFRP 1e core book alone. It was more open-ended and you didn't have a fan base telling you that it was
only about rat-catchers and dying of disease while engaging in sub-Monty Python jokes. I mean, yes even the core book had those things, and the supplements made it clear what the default mode was, but we played it our way and had a lot of fun, before it pretty much calcified into a very specific style of game.
Quote from: finarvyn on September 14, 2022, 11:01:20 AM
If I had to pick only one book from my collection it would probably be the Rules Cyclopedia, even though I haven't played B/X in decades. The reason for my choice is that it has everything I would need to run a D&D game in one somewhat thin volume.
Others have mentioned 5E T&T and that's a decent choice, but I like D&D better than T&T.
If I could take one "item" instead of one book it would probably be my OD&D white box stuffed with supplements.
I have never placed an order for the Rules Cyclopedia, because people say the Thief abilities were nerfed from what they were in Moldvay / Cook B/X? Thieves already have short life expectancies.
I want to say my favorite single volume RPG is White Box FMAG, which is based upon S&W White Box, which is based upon 0 Edition D&D. However, I recently picked up OSE Classic Fantasy; and it is probably another great option. I sort of prefer the compactness of the White Box book though.
If I had enough free time, and the right group of friends; I'd run Dungeon Crawl Classics
Palladium Rifts.
Because you can technically be anything. If your GM is cool with it, any book, movie, or comic is open to you. It's a game where a Jedi Knight, Rifts Line Walker Mage, Macross VF-1S Veritech pilot, and an Autobot can team up to fight a legion of undead attacking a town populated by Dikini halflings from the movie Willow.
That, and it's got hot slave girls in see thru swimsuits with guns on the cover. Most of us picked it up off the shelf for that reason alone. No lies here.
Mine's a tie between Swords and Wizardry complete edition, (if you like OD&D)
and Feng Shui 2 (if you like over-the-top action)
the original Star Wars d6 was another very complete book. Great game too!
Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on September 15, 2022, 07:50:14 AM
Quote from: Angry Goblin on September 15, 2022, 07:49:07 AM
In the vein of Lynn and Rob, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition. It functioned easily as a standalone game, all other supplements were a good bonus.
The supplements were class!
Yeah, I must admit I understated, those were/are some of the best ever made imo.
Quote from: Tasty_Wind on September 16, 2022, 11:12:46 AM
Mine's a tie between Swords and Wizardry complete edition, (if you like OD&D)
and Feng Shui 2 (if you like over-the-top action)
Personally, I disqualify Swords & Wizardry because of all the monster books, which I own and love. But then I need to lug around too many things because they really are essential in my opinion.
Quote from: Persimmon on September 16, 2022, 01:32:49 PM
Quote from: Tasty_Wind on September 16, 2022, 11:12:46 AM
Mine's a tie between Swords and Wizardry complete edition, (if you like OD&D)
and Feng Shui 2 (if you like over-the-top action)
Personally, I disqualify Swords & Wizardry because of all the monster books, which I own and love. But then I need to lug around too many things because they really are essential in my opinion.
But are there enough monsters in the core rulebook alone, to sit down and run a good game? The monster selection in White Box FMAG doesn't have everything I might ever want to use, but it has enough to demonstrate what power and complexity levels are appropriate. From there, I can just wing everything based upon my own understanding of the genre.
Quote from: Jam The MF on September 16, 2022, 01:49:50 PM
Quote from: Persimmon on September 16, 2022, 01:32:49 PM
Quote from: Tasty_Wind on September 16, 2022, 11:12:46 AM
Mine's a tie between Swords and Wizardry complete edition, (if you like OD&D)
and Feng Shui 2 (if you like over-the-top action)
Personally, I disqualify Swords & Wizardry because of all the monster books, which I own and love. But then I need to lug around too many things because they really are essential in my opinion.
But are there enough monsters in the core rulebook alone, to sit down and run a good game? The monster selection in White Box FMAG doesn't have everything I might ever want to use, but it has enough to demonstrate what power and complexity levels are appropriate. From there, I can just wing everything based upon my own understanding of the genre.
Possibly, but my thread, my rules. 8)
Quote from: APN on September 14, 2022, 10:29:03 AM
Whilst I suppose the obvious one is the Rules Cyclopedia (Becmi) I got more use out of the boxed set books by far. They are easier on the eye.
Yes. As an archive of the information, and relatively low expense to get it, the single book is great. For play at the table, I prefer smaller booklets. Especially when key information is on the inside of the cover and/or on the back. This is one of the things that helped getting players up to speed in a hurry with the B/X sets.
Yes, including relevant tables on the inside covers is another good feature of the OSE books. Obviously the OSE Rule Tome ranks high for this reason. I also like its digest size for portability. That's a great feature of White FMAG as well. If I was going on an extended vacation somewhere with limited space but time for gaming one of those two books would be what I took with me.
I would love a reformatted digest-sized version of Advanced Labyrinth Lord, but that product seems to be dead.
Quote from: tenbones on September 14, 2022, 10:41:02 AM
Talislanta 4e Big Blue.
Savage Worlds Adventurer Edtion (Core Rules)
Tenbones,
No FantasyCraft? Or is it not a complete game?
Did they ever finish Spellbound for FC?
Old-School Essentials core rulebook. I like that one more than the Rules Cyclopedia actually because RC has 36 levels of D&D and I absolutely do not want 36 levels of D&D.
Quote from: Kravell on September 16, 2022, 10:22:35 PM
Old-School Essentials core rulebook. I like that one more than the Rules Cyclopedia actually because RC has 36 levels of D&D and I absolutely do not want 36 levels of D&D.
We've actually gone all the way up in D&D campaigns a couple times, though I never cared for the Immortals rules at all. But I do think things should top out around level 20. I know why Gavin stopped at 14, but I think 20 makes better sense, hence why I like Advanced Labyrinth Lord.
Dragon warriors the hardback is great. Everything you'd ever need!
Yeah, but too many splat books. You have a bestiary and a players guide and you're disqualified!
Quote from: Persimmon on September 18, 2022, 09:09:12 AM
Yeah, but too many splat books. You have a bestiary and a players guide and you're disqualified!
Splat books are optional in any system that introduces them. If a system doesn't get splats, it's just a sign the system was never very popular to begin with.
Quote from: Palleon on September 18, 2022, 09:36:39 AM
Quote from: Persimmon on September 18, 2022, 09:09:12 AM
Yeah, but too many splat books. You have a bestiary and a players guide and you're disqualified!
Splat books are optional in any system that introduces them. If a system doesn't get splats, it's just a sign the system was never very popular to begin with.
Again, my thread, my rules. If it has a bunch of splat books, it doesn't qualify. That's the challenge here.
I'm trying to think of good one-and-done RPGs, because, as someone said, splats and supplements are a sign it was a good game and people want more of it, while the unstated corollary of that is that one book RPGs tend to be... not so good. Hardly a universal rule, but...
I mean, I'm actually hard pressed to think of RPGs off the top of my head that didn't get at least one other book.
I make no claim of being a fan of Evil Hat these days, but the Dresden Files RPG is actually something of a favorite of mine, and as far as I know it only had two books... the main book and the completely unnecessary book of NPCs for the core setting. But while I'm not in love with the FATE system, I liked Dresden's (original) implementation of it, the system is flexible enough to do quite a variety of game types.
Elric! I feel is a pretty good single book rpg.
I forgot to mention that any of the old CoC books were great too (I'm not including 7th edition here). Again fully complete games with details and adventures.
Two more would be Hyperborea 2nd edition, technically called "Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea," and Middle Earth Role-Playing. Unfortunately, they split the Third edition of Hyperborea into two books.
As for MERP, they released tons of modules and a few compilations, but there were never any splat books. No extra spells, classes, etc. They assumed you would just use Rolemaster if you wanted that stuff.
In contrast, the new Against the Darkmaster game,which is inspired by MERP, is already going the splat book route, with a new KS that will add classes, their default setting and stuff to make the game more Arthurian. Already enough to make me check out.
Rules Cyclopedia can be hardly beaten. Sadly it is full of errors (the errata sheet is one of the longest I ever printed for a book) but we will never see a revised edition.
Possibly the best single book in my collection is L'Appel de Cthulhu JDR - Edition 30ème Anniversaire (Call of Cthulhu, 30th Anniversary Edition). It was published only in French by Sans Détour. It is a truly wonderful (and heavy) tome, using a "6.5" version of CoC's rules, with more content than any other RPG book I'm aware of. I never understood why Chaosium didn't translate it in English.
Quote from: Persimmon on September 19, 2022, 07:56:06 PM
Two more would be Hyperborea 2nd edition, technically called "Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea,
Great game that.
Quote from: zircher on September 14, 2022, 03:15:01 PMSingle book favorite would be Amber Diceless.
I thought about that one because it's on my very short list of favorite RPG systems. OD&D edges it out for me just because I discovered it a decade earlier and OD&D defines RPGs in my mind because of that.
Quote from: Jam The MF on September 15, 2022, 11:24:44 PMI want to say my favorite single volume RPG is White Box FMAG, which is based upon S&W White Box, which is based upon 0 Edition D&D. However, I recently picked up OSE Classic Fantasy; and it is probably another great option. I sort of prefer the compactness of the White Box book though.
Modesty prevented me from listing this one, plus I feel like a clone of the real thing can never be as awesome as the real thing. However, I agree that the FMAG is my favorite version of my S&W:WB rules. I bought a bunch of extra copies to hand out to folks.
Quote from: Kravell on September 16, 2022, 10:22:35 PMOld-School Essentials core rulebook. I like that one more than the Rules Cyclopedia actually because RC has 36 levels of D&D and I absolutely do not want 36 levels of D&D.
You make a valid point. More ideal than the RC would be the RC with only levels 1-12 or some such.
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 09:17:05 AM
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
A vintage sci-fi RPG from Total Party Skills called Rocket Cadets in the 11th Dimension!
The single book part is making it difficult for me to identify candidates and yet also helping me make up my mind much more easily among those that qualify. I assume this means not just that the book has to have all the materials necessary to play the game, but also no extra playable options in any other printed books or adventure lines. Hmmm...
I'm going to go with my most recent fixation, Ascendant, because while the default setting and characters are something I might tweak a little bit, I really like the mechanics and it's fresh in my mind. Most physical stats and powers have quantifiable effects and meanings, which I like as a nerd who occasionally thinks about fictional combatants and their capabilities for fun. I also like how it emphasizes stats over raw chance with respect to failure in many ways, but with multiple levels of success also granting some solid DM discretion within the confines of the rolls and narrative, somehow without it feeling super fiat based. Lots of ways to build, and a lot of freedom in character creation without it feeling like there aren't any rules to give your character defined capabilities. But with stunting to provide freedom and out of the box applications during play as well as a fun smidge of resource management via hero points.
They might come out with more books or adventures or something going forward, but for now it's a single book.
I had a few runners up, but a lot of my most likely contenders for best game more generally got disqualified on account of having been around long enough for content creep to set in.
Quote from: Bruwulf on September 19, 2022, 06:35:03 PM
I'm trying to think of good one-and-done RPGs, because, as someone said, splats and supplements are a sign it was a good game and people want more of it, while the unstated corollary of that is that one book RPGs tend to be... not so good. Hardly a universal rule, but...
I mean, I'm actually hard pressed to think of RPGs off the top of my head that didn't get at least one other book.
I make no claim of being a fan of Evil Hat these days, but the Dresden Files RPG is actually something of a favorite of mine, and as far as I know it only had two books... the main book and the completely unnecessary book of NPCs for the core setting. But while I'm not in love with the FATE system, I liked Dresden's (original) implementation of it, the system is flexible enough to do quite a variety of game types.
There was the Paranet Papers expansion that added a few new stunts, alternative rules for soul fire and sponsored magic, etcetera, to go along with some new setting locations. But actually this was still my best runner up, for many of the same reasons you note. And because it felt close enough and good enough to count. I liked most of the books the setting was based on too, which may perhaps have colored my opinion. Weirdly, FATE feels pretty much like a super narrative-fiat-heavy, randomization-centric counter to Ascendant's focus on stats, tables, and numbers. It also cares a lot more about character aspect trope invocation and resource management than Ascendant. But it's partly because of that differing focus that it made for a competitor.
Quote from: KindaMeh on September 24, 2022, 07:03:40 PM
The single book part is making it difficult for me to identify candidates and yet also helping me make up my mind much more easily among those that qualify. I assume this means not just that the book has to have all the materials necessary to play the game, but also no extra playable options in any other printed books or adventure lines. Hmmm...
I'm going to go with my most recent fixation, Ascendant, because while the default setting and characters are something I might tweak a little bit, I really like the mechanics and it's fresh in my mind. Most physical stats and powers have quantifiable effects and meanings, which I like as a nerd who occasionally thinks about fictional combatants and their capabilities for fun. I also like how it emphasizes stats over raw chance with respect to failure in many ways, but with multiple levels of success also granting some solid DM discretion within the confines of the rolls and narrative, somehow without it feeling super fiat based. Lots of ways to build, and a lot of freedom in character creation without it feeling like there aren't any rules to give your character defined capabilities. But with stunting to provide freedom and out of the box applications during play as well as a fun smidge of resource management via hero points.
They might come out with more books or adventures or something going forward, but for now it's a single book.
I had a few runners up, but a lot of my most likely contenders for best game more generally got disqualified on account of having been around long enough for content creep to set in.
Modules & setting books alone wouldn't disqualify a game so long as there's not more classes, options, etc. In other words, splat. Especially because in many cases, like, say Warhammer 2e and shadow of the Demon Lord, it seems that they pretty much assume you're using the extra books.
I mentioned Rifts before, but that's hardly everything in one book. Rifts has literal stacks of expansion books. So that's out.
Ok. Let's try again.
Fantasy. Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool Edition. It's simple, and yet characters are very customizable. Stats and skills are all a D4, upgradable to D6, D8, D10, and capping as a D12. Roll a stat+skill and beat a target number, often with other dice added for all those customizations. Pick the best two dice rolled as your result. 1-handed weapons all do 1 damage, and 2-handed weapons do 2 damage.
Sci-Fi. Star Adventurer. It's OSR Star Wars in just 35 pages, costing only $4 for a PDF or $9 for a book. Leveling up is two rolls or one pick on a random table instead of a fixed table. Powers are used just like skill checks, but each with a cooldown period if you fail a roll.
What about Dungeon Crawl Classics and/or Mutant Crawl Classics? I personally don't care for the system (way too many tables and Zocchi dice can suck all the dicks*) but both are thorough and complete games in a single, well made rule book.
*i have a strange and unshakable love for the D7 that I dont fully understand...
Quote from: Tasty_Wind on September 25, 2022, 11:12:37 PM
What about Dungeon Crawl Classics and/or Mutant Crawl Classics? I personally don't care for the system (way too many tables and Zocchi dice can suck all the dicks*) but both are thorough and complete games in a single, well made rule book.
*i have a strange and unshakable love for the D7 that I dont fully understand...
That could count, though I have the same criticism about the tables. I like reading the book more than playing the game. I do like the zocchi dice and use them in my other games. The dice chain can be very useful.
I also vote for the Rules Cyclopedia. A complete game in one volume.
The artwork isn't as polished as that in the Mentzer 5, but Dykstra isn't a bad artist. There are some very nice pieces throughout, and some of them seem to follow the adventures of different parties--the same characters appear in different scenes.
The thief problem could probably be handled by allowing thieves to skip two levels of the skills chart each time they gain an experience level. They top out their skills at level 12, in other words.
A couple of things are missing that I added to the back page: the rules for discovering "big traps" by non-thieves, and the rules for natural healing from resting. Also, the DM will need to figure out how much the PCs get for selling mundane items. Also, the spell "Magic Missile" last for a turn not a round.
My vote: Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu, 6th edition. Adventure modules were published, but there were no "must buy" rules expansions or splat books that I can recall. Plus, late 20th century weapons stats were included in the core rules, unlike 5th edition CoC, when you had to buy the Cthulhu Now book/adventure to get the stats for automatic weapons. Sure, they're still nearly useless against Mythos creatures, but automatic weapon fire is just the thing for taking down those annoying human cultists. ;)
i use D6 fantasy D6 Adventure and D6 space for everything.
Quote from: Slipshot762 on October 04, 2022, 05:37:42 AM
i use D6 fantasy D6 Adventure and D6 space for everything.
These games could be great, but part of the appeal of RPGs for me is using funky dice. If I only want to use d6 I'll just play HeroQuest or Risk. :)
For me it's Artesia. It's choking full of material, including an interesting character generation system, lots of world building, and a beginning adventure. I like the art too. Although it's sad that not more stuff was provided (there was some additional RPG material in the comics) most games don't get this far with three books, never mind one.
Not sure if it's my favorite (there's a lot of competition) but I have one that's very good and hasn't been mentioned yet:
Gubat Banwa - Crunchy combat with an interesting setting centered around violent conflict (based on Filipino mythology and folklore).
Lancer
Deviant the Renegades
Talisman Adventures
Talislanta 4th edition
Champions 4th edition
Other Dust
Stars Without Number Revised
Goblin Slayer TRPG
Fight! The Fighting Game 2nd edition
ACKS
Hyperborea 3e (technically two books now but previous editions we're 1 book so it counts)
ACKS is a splat book fest so it's disqualified. Not that it's a bad game.
Quote from: Persimmon on October 07, 2022, 10:19:20 AM
ACKS is a splat book fest so it's disqualified. Not that it's a bad game.
ACKS core is its own game that you can play with just the core book. If you can play a game with only it's core book than that one book is a single book game that does not require other books, whether or not there are splatbooks available for it.
Quote from: Tasty_Wind on September 25, 2022, 11:12:37 PM
What about Dungeon Crawl Classics and/or Mutant Crawl Classics? I personally don't care for the system (way too many tables and Zocchi dice can suck all the dicks*) but both are thorough and complete games in a single, well made rule book.
*i have a strange and unshakable love for the D7 that I dont fully understand...
DCC was published as a single volume, complete game. Later, they released a splat book that included new Classes, etc; titled, the DCC Annual. They plainly state that the first book is a complete game, and that nothing in the Annual updates or replaces the content in the first book.; but it does have a splat book.
Quote from: RebelSky on October 07, 2022, 12:59:03 PM
Quote from: Persimmon on October 07, 2022, 10:19:20 AM
ACKS is a splat book fest so it's disqualified. Not that it's a bad game.
ACKS core is its own game that you can play with just the core book. If you can play a game with only it's core book than that one book is a single book game that does not require other books, whether or not there are splatbooks available for it.
My thread, my rules. It doesn't matter if you can play the game with just the core book; if there are tons of splat books full of optional rules, extra classes, mass combat, it doesn't count. Adventure modules are fine.
DCC could count since in my estimation the annuals (which aren't annuals) hardly rise to the level of splat, nor do fanmade things count. Though the various boxed sets with alternate rules and classes make it questionable. Technically I guess they're modules.
But ACKS? No way. In its own thread they note how they're struggling to put everything together in just three books for a second edition. All those theme books, extra spells, classes, etc. It's creeping towards AD&D 2e territory there :)
OSE would count, but OSE Advanced would not, since it's two books. Hyperborea 2e counts, and is way up there for me, but sadly Jeff released 3e in essentially 3 books since there's also the gazetteer.
DCC is certainly awesome. It would be a good pick.
Here is a cool contender: LFG deluxe. Great game, and fir 4 bucks, it is a steal (affiliate).
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/265388/Low-Fantasy-Gaming-Deluxe-Edition?affiliate_id=403100
My impressions of the original version:
https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-low-fantasy-gaming.html
Quote from: Eric Diaz on October 07, 2022, 08:36:53 PM
DCC is certainly awesome. It would be a good pick.
Here is a cool contender: LFG deluxe. Great game, and fir 4 bucks, it is a steal (affiliate).
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/265388/Low-Fantasy-Gaming-Deluxe-Edition?affiliate_id=403100
My impressions of the original version:
https://methodsetmadness.blogspot.com/2016/11/review-low-fantasy-gaming.html
I've been intrigued by this game for awhile but we're moving to Swords & Chaos next, which also fits the bill as it's brand new and all in one book.
Speaking of the Rules Cyclopedia, I find this video review hilarious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMnDNWIkpZ4&t=232s
Best youtube comment:
QuoteJust did the math on my phone. In case you were wondering you would need to kill 48 troglodytes in order to level up as a thief in Basic D&D.
OSRIC. (Kind of like a Rules Cyclopedia for 1e AD&D instead of for BECMI).
Basic Roleplaying. (Chaosium's "gold book". You could run all sorts of genres and games with just this book.)
Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2022, 09:17:05 AM
So what are some of your favorite games/systems that keep everything together in one volume, however large, without all the splat books and bloat?
Mekton II, d6 Star Wars Revised and Expanded, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, Cyberpunk 2020, Classic Traveller, Mongoose Traveller 1e, OSE Basic Rules Tome, D&D Rules Encyclopedia, etc - The list goes on and on for me because I prefer One Volume Core Rulebooks.