Advice on product for PDF sale for RPGNow

DanMcAllister · 17th November 2002, 07:39 PM

The product I am working on will be useful to at least 5 of the major D20 settings (D&D, CoC, Star Wars, Traveller, and Modern) but the versions would have to be slightly different to fit each setting's unique qualities...

I was thinking of selling each setting-specific version seperately and also selling a "Bundled" version with all 5 for the price of 3.

Does this seem to be a good idea? (It does to me, but then again I thought of it, so OF COURSE , by the way.
it seems to be a good idea to me...)

I plan to sell through RPGNow by the way.

Also, would you rather buy one big PDF for all 5 settings or smaller (and less expensive) PDFs of just the setting(s) you would use immediately?

Guidance appreciated,

Dan

Cergorach · 17th November 2002, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanMcAllister
The product I am working on will be useful to at least 5 of the major D20 settings (D&D, CoC, Star Wars, Traveller, and Modern) but the versions would have to be slightly different to fit each setting's unique qualities...

I was thinking of selling each setting-specific version seperately and also selling a "Bundled" version with all 5 for the price of 3.

*waves finger from side to side*
Naughty, naughty, naughty!

You can't use material derived from D&D, CoC, SW, Traveller, and D20 Modern. You can only derive material from sources that are defined as OGL, and atleast four of the above sources are not and i doubt that you can use non OGL material from Traveler D20. You can't use those names either, so i'm curious how your going to handle that...

HellHound · 17th November 2002, 11:36 PM

I'm curious how you would market these without treading on anyone else's Product Identity - specifically the Star Wars and Call of Cthulhu editions, since you can't claim compatability with those products directly.

d20 Modern & D&D are easy to market for since both have SRDs out... but the others (ESPECIALLY Star Wars, since almost none of the mechanics specific to that setting are Open Game Content).

Personally, I can't imagine having the mechanics changed SO much between produc ts that you would need to release the same product five times instead of just including the alternate mechanics in the same book.

DanMcAllister · 18th November 2002, 01:23 AM

Both of you have good points. I am doing a particular set of monsters which could be used logically by all 5 settings (and all 5 settings would require a slightly different slant on the creatures as the emphasis of key features would change from setting to setting...)

Perhaps if I kept it to Fantasy (D&D) and Modern (Scifi/Horror) to cover CoC, Traveller and of course Modern with a mix of the two for the third (Sci-Fantasy) to cover the "Space Opera" genre (Star Wars).

I may have to Just call it that (Fantasy, Sci-fi/Horror, and Space Opera) and leave it up to the buyer to read between the lines and make the logical substitutions for elements of the three Genres

Guess that implies one product, not 3 or 5.....

I'll have to be careful, but I think it can be pulled off.

Could be advertised as "Compatable with D&D 3e, D20 Modern, and most other D20 system games" or something like that.

(Maybe lawyers CAN be beaten at their own "word games"....)

Thanks,

Dan

HellHound · 18th November 2002, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Could be advertised as "Compatable with D&D 3e, D20 Modern, and most other D20 system games" or something like that.

Not really, at least not if you intend to use the OGL / D20 STL. The D20 STL specifically tells you where you can use the term Dungeons & Dragons, and that is only twice in the whole book, and never does it allow you to claim compatability with said game.

(And D&D is a trademark of WotC... if we were all allowed to claim D&D3e compatability, don't you think any of us would have?)

ced1106 · 18th November 2002, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanMcAllister
Guess that implies one product, not 3 or 5.....

I'll have to be careful, but I think it can be pulled off.

Could be advertised as "Compatable with D&D 3e, D20 Modern, and most other D20 system games" or something like that.

Yep, EQ RPG's back cover says "compatible with third edition rules" (or something), and doesn't have the d20 logo, or mention D&D by name.

My two bits:
* One monster per page.
* One product.
* Color version and b&w version.
* Regular updates of new critters.

For the new critters, you could even have your purchasers suggest them, and you edit and provide art. It's one thing to create your glamour project. It's another to provide a service that realizes someone else's. You could have a base product and free limited subscription.

So can you take the critters under SRD and make 'em pretty PDF-wise? That way, a purchaser only needs one binder to store both the traditional monsters and yours. I'm not interested in new monsters **but** I'm for any GM aid that lets me bring one less book to the table.

Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^

Vigilance · 18th November 2002, 06:29 AM

In the upcoming Blood and Space, a space combat book intended to supplement multiple scifi rpgs, the line we drew was "Hard Sci Fi" and "Space Opera".

But really, all GMs are going to make their own decision and use the parts of the book they like anyway.

MThibault · 18th November 2002, 04:58 PM

Well Wound Points/Vitality Points is pretty fundamental to d20 Star Wars, and it is *not* open game content. If you can develop monsters that fit seamlessly into the d20 SWRPG without using that mechanic, you are a genius.

Good luck.

Vigilance · 18th November 2002, 05:19 PM

Its extremely easy actually. Vitality Points and Wound Points are the same thing.

Since all 3E Monsters have stats, and since WP is Con, you have that too.

MThibault · 18th November 2002, 07:39 PM

I think that you meant Vitality Points and HP are the same thing. If so, true enough. But there's not much point in trying to find some way of indicating compatibility with d20 SWRPG if the Monster Manual is just as compatible. Most people don't consider them to be truely compatible because the user has to do some work to make it so. That might be splitting hairs, though, and customers might be more willing to jump systems than I am guessing.

In any case,. you couldn't call them WP/VP. That is a major impediment to making the product saleable as a d20SW supplement. Without being able to indicate compatibility, and without being able to call the mechanics by the commonly known names then the majority of potential customers who would be interested in the product won't even know that they might be interested in the product. At least no more than they would be interested in the Monster Manual II or some other non d20SW monster supplement.

Vigilance · 18th November 2002, 07:56 PM

Yes I did mean that Vitality and Hit points are the same

But really, I think a selection of monsters suitable to a space opera science fiction game would be of interest to a star wars GM whether you *told* him to be interested or not.

I have ran a star wars game for awhile now, and I frequently use monsters from the MM 1 and 2, changing their names and describing them in a more suitable way.

If a book were out with actual science fiction monsters, since the only adaptation I would have to do would be to note their con as WP, that isnt a lot of trouble at all for some good adventure material.

**Leopold** · 18th November 2002, 09:34 PM

3 points dan:

1. one product inclusive of all settings

2. make it cost a tad more (anything beyond 5.95 for a few monster stats is too much)

3. msg me dangitt so you can send me that draft so we can get this puppy to print

thg jim · 18th November 2002, 10:38 PM

The second you start talking about making your product for use with D&D, Star Wars, and the like, you are looking for trouble. Please, do not try to get around the licenses. You are only asking for WOTC and the like to shut you down. I honestly doubt that RPG Now would take a product that tries to skirt the law in any way. I suggest that you take some time and really look in to the legal ramifications of putting any of this into print before you start. There are plenty of people on these boards that know all of the rules of D20 and the like who would be happy to help, especially if your product seems like it has potential. I know you are just one guy, but the second you try to sell a product like this you are a part of the industry. Just ask Morrus of all the stuff he either had to throw out or change that he was giving away.

Just a word of advice. Take it at your own risk.