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View Full Version : Hard Cover SRD, Would you buy one, howmuch would you pay.



Darth Stabber
2009-02-25, 02:13 PM
If some company (probably not WOTC), was printing the full SRD with psionic, and unearthed arcana variants included, how much would you pay for it? Indeed would you pay for it? Beyond that would you want a nice hardcover or a cheaper paperback?

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-02-25, 02:19 PM
If some company (probably not WOTC), was printing the full SRD with psionic, and unearthed arcana variants included, how much would you pay for it? Indeed would you pay for it? Beyond that would you want a nice hardcover or a cheaper paperback?

I'd maybe pay for printing costs, but that's it, I don't see why I should give a company money for a product they didn't create. With thick books I always prefer hard cover.

Adumbration
2009-02-25, 02:21 PM
Besides, what makes sites like d20SRD.org useful is the easy navigation through links, which would all go away if it was printed.

Zaq
2009-02-25, 02:41 PM
The problem is that if you like books, they already exist. If you prefer the computer version, then you don't need a hardcover SRD. The only difference is that you're carrying around one big book instead of several smaller books... which can be its own nuisance, since those books aren't referenced equally often (How often do you, or your DM, have the Monster Manual open in-game? And how often do you need to go and check something in Unearthed Arcana while you're at the table? Wouldn't you rather just carry around the stuff you use and leave the background stuff at home?)

I can see an argument that "It's just like the Spell Compendium consolidating most of the Completes et al. into one book!" However, I would argue otherwise, because the Spell Compendium isn't just "everything in the early Complete books and some Faerun stuff under one cover," it's specifically just the spells. A hardcover SRD wouldn't really be any better than just the hardcovers of the existing books, whereas at least the Spell Compendium had a focus. Not only did the SC allow you to not have to memorize which spell was in which book, but it also meant you didn't have to dig through all the other stuff to get at it. A hardcover SRD would still make you dig through everything else to get at what you wanted. There's no focus.

It's not a terrible idea, but I really can't see it being convenient. I guess if you get a kick out of hauling large books around (and to be fair, there is something satisfying about having a bunch of, say, multivolume hardcover dictionaries strewn about your desk, to use an example from my own life), that's one thing, but it really wouldn't offer you anything you can't get already. The actual books give the visceral ink-and-paper feel, and the website gives the convenience and (if you have a laptop) portability. A hardcover SRD would add very little that you don't have already.

Telonius
2009-02-25, 02:45 PM
I wouldn't buy it. If I really wanted to print it out, I'd do so, and put it in a three ring binder.

Tsotha-lanti
2009-02-25, 02:47 PM
I'd maybe pay for printing costs, but that's it, I don't see why I should give a company money for a product they didn't create. With thick books I always prefer hard cover.

I, too, would pay the printing costs. (My school lets us print 1,000 pages/semester for free and provides the paper. So that's 0.00 €.)

ShneekeyTheLost
2009-02-25, 02:57 PM
Most people already did... it's called the PhB, DMG, and Monster Manual... with only a few things extra, and some very significant things removed.

Why do you ask?

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-02-25, 03:02 PM
I, too, would pay the printing costs. (My school lets us print 1,000 pages/semester for free and provides the paper. So that's 0.00 €.)

Sweet, but you'd have to format the SRD yourself, which is both an advantage as a disadvantage, but much more if a disadvantage, otherwise you would've done it already.

I have to say that after realising how big the printed SRD would be that I too agree I wouldn't want to tow it around me either.

Ascension
2009-02-25, 03:06 PM
Most people already did... it's called the PhB, DMG, and Monster Manual... with only a few things extra, and some very significant things removed.

Why do you ask?

This. What's the need for a printed SRD when we already have one? If you really need the extras... well, then buy the XPH and UA. There you have it.

Darth Stabber
2009-02-25, 04:34 PM
Lets see, Reason's I would buy it:
-Combines 5 books into one.
-I don't own a laptop.
-Even if i did the printed word has a charm all it's own
-It's a print off of something that's free, so it will be cheap.
-I don't have the patience to print off something that large
-The company could put the whole thing in a more logical order and complete Psi/magic transparency by getting rid of psicraft and UPD, and combining references to magic and Psionics.

ShneekeyTheLost
2009-02-25, 04:52 PM
Lets see, Reason's I would buy it:
-Combines 5 books into one. Into one huge book easily the size of all five put together, being more inconvenient than all five books separately.

-I don't own a laptop. Neither do I. I do, however, have a USB Drive.

-Even if i did the printed word has a charm all it's own That is subjective, rather than objective. You have every right to feel that way, but that is not a fact for everyone.

-It's a print off of something that's free, so it will be cheap. Printing costs alone would make this at least $40 USD. I'd just as soon buy the separate books at a used bookstore for $10/ea.

-I don't have the patience to print off something that large How does this have any bearing at all?

-The company could put the whole thing in a more logical order and complete Psi/magic transparency by getting rid of psicraft and UPD, and combining references to magic and Psionics.Could? Yes. Will, probably not. It will take too much effort on their part, and altering the SRD is strictly prohibited.

MammonAzrael
2009-02-25, 05:05 PM
In a word: No.

I like the SRD for mutliple reasons, all of which would be lost in the translation of a book.


I like it's navigation, being able to jump from item to item with links, and not having to flip back and forth finding page numbers (which aren't often even listed).
I like that it is accessible anywhere, as long as I have 'net access.
I like that it is free.


Also, I already have the full SRD printed out with extra fluff, pictures, and WotC material monsters. So...*shrug*

Tsotha-lanti
2009-02-25, 05:20 PM
Sweet, but you'd have to format the SRD yourself, which is both an advantage as a disadvantage, but much more if a disadvantage, otherwise you would've done it already.

No, I wouldn't have. I only print "cheat sheets" with important tables for RPGs. I even prefer to read novels in PDF or HTML.

Darth Stabber
2009-02-25, 05:24 PM
Printing costs alone would make this at least $40 USD. I'd just as soon buy the separate books at a used bookstore for $10/ea.

For me to go to Kinkos and do it, yeah it would, but a publishing company could do it significantly cheaper.
Also you are allowed to use the SRD, as per the OGL, to make you own game. Just call it something else and don't i add anything of your own. If I had a printing company I could print a game called Stabber's Super Awesome RPG, reorganize the SRD inside of it in a thought out logical manner (combine race and psionic races, classes and psionic classes and incorporate the variant class features into the main class entry, and print it, all without violating the OGL. It would be a more useful tome than the rules compendium, and people bought that. Dependant upon economies of scale it would cost a couple bucks to print in paperback, and could be sold for like $5 -10 USD. Heck just add some art and a campain setting in the back and there you go.

AslanCross
2009-02-25, 05:34 PM
I wouldn't buy it. The SRD is a very efficient reference for looking things up, and already has everything. I do like owning books, but carrying around the equivalent of a physics textbook is not something I'd like to do.

kc0bbq
2009-02-25, 06:44 PM
Dependant upon economies of scale it would cost a couple bucks to print in paperback, and could be sold for like $5 -10 USD. Heck just add some art and a campain setting in the back and there you go.You seriously need to look into how much quality printing costs, and how much it would cost to reformat and redevelop everything into what you want in such a way that doesn't violate OGL. I don't think you could get into economies of scale to reduce the cost to even $50, let alone $5, and that's assuming you dance the dance and stay within the license provided.

And that the people laying it out want to eat or live in anything other than a cardboard box on a steam vent.