Setting Fragments - New Supplement Idea?

[resistor]

So I'm sitting here thinking, and I had an idea for a new kind of supplement: setting fragments.

Think of it like a setting that's split into sections. For instance, you could have a setting fragment for one particular take on arcane magic (for instance, a Faerun-like fragment with the Weave etc., or perhaps a Krynn-like one with the moons of magic). Of course it's not limited to arcane magic. You could just as easily have fragments on the divine or martial.

I'm sure someone's wondering how this differs from the Complete series. Well, what I'm suggesting is not just a set of setting agnostic-material, but rather setting-specific material that is designed to be modular enough to be recombined. A divine-focused fragment would be tied to a specific pantheon/divine cosmology, but could be used in any setting that integrated that pantheon/divine cosmology. Make sense?

So instead of buying a complete campaign setting, DMs could pick and choose fragments that appealed to them for integration either with other fragments or with homebrewed material.

Anyways, what do you think? Do I sound like a crackpot, or do you think people might actually use something like this?

 

[haiiro]

Anyways, what do you think? Do I sound like a crackpot, or do you think people might actually use something like this?

The City Quarters sourcebooks from The Game Mechanics/Green Ronin follow this model, albeit on a different level. Each sourcebook (there's only one so far: Thieves' Quarter) details a different district in the same highly modular fantasy city, so you can combine them and use the city as-is, or drop them into your own cities, or just cherry pick them for ideas as you see fit.

I think your idea definitely has merit.

 

[philreed]

You've pretty much described Ronin Arts' $1-$2 "Forbidden Arcana" and "A Dozen . . ." lines. The idea behind each is to present a focused supplementary product that a DM can take or leave. You don't care about magical diseases? Don't buy the PDF.

http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=352

I think the $1-$2 PDF is a perfect way to release PDF products. It gives the buyer the ultimate flexibility in what he buys and allows him to, basically, build his own set of rules and items without the need to buy material that doesn't appeal to him.

And I still say this model of release will become more popular as time goes on.

 

[DaveStebbins]

There are many smaller sized supplements being published. PDF format is excellent for this. I am a big fan of this type of supplement from many sources. In fact many setting sourcebooks these days are at least partly set up so they can be used as drop-ins. My wish list at RPGNow is getting quite large.