Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Archive Forums
Hosted Forums
Personal & Hosted Forums
Hosted Publisher Forums
Eternity Publishing Hosted Forum
The Immortal's Handbook: Gods & Monsters (unfinished)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Ltheb Silverfrond" data-source="post: 8079326" data-attributes="member: 39867"><p>U_K!</p><p></p><p>I am sorry to hear about your father. This year has taken a few relatives from me too, so I hope you are managing well.</p><p></p><p>A graphic novel? Sounds cool. I did always like your art style, and your writing style struck a good balance between distinct descriptions and whimsy; making sense, but open to interpretation and imagination. If you are that far in, keep it up! I do hope to some day read it.</p><p></p><p>As for PDF authoring software, I just use Open Office (Which I don't know about for commercial use, but for private use, is free) or, imagine this, Microsoft Word. Both offer functionality to convert a word document into a PDF with as much ease as printing a document takes. You can sign and lock the PDFs if needed, and while they don't have all the cool bells and whistles of the more industrial PDF editing software, are very user friendly.</p><p></p><p>Further, at least with open office, (and Word too I believe, though I have not played around with it) you can make internal hyperlinks within the document, so that clicking on words and terms links you to the proper sections. If you want to get really crazy with it, it can take some time to setup, but just making a Table of Contents at the start of the document link to chapters, headings, and subheadings throughout takes maybe 30 seconds, and once its set up, requires no further upkeep on your part (it doesn't try to link to a page or any nonsense; it dynamically tracks the location of the heading it links to). One of my players was once disappointed that an RPG pdf he bought didn't have the functionality, and I have to agree; its so easy to add in.</p><p>(I've whipped up an example PDF of this, and attached it if you want to take a look; It took less than 10 minutes to put together, and most of that was the actual typing; formatting and linking all were automatic.)</p><p></p><p>As for play-testing I'd probably agree. About the only issue with things of epic level nature is that many of them require one of two things: </p><p>1. A clear understanding of what the author's intent on how the mechanics should function. Some mechanics and rules require or are at least well supported by a larger body of rules text. (An example: in the Immortal's Handbook, the Abrogate ability has such a simple writeup, but really needs a page or two of rules to explain what it should and should not be able to do, since one DM may interpret what it can do differently than another.)</p><p>2. How the rules of the game interact with the mechanic as written. Some mechanics, even when simple, might have subtle interactions with the game rules that might be complicated. (Example: In Pathfinder, a firearm is made as an attack against touch armor class within its first few range increments, but does not count as a touch attack itself, and so could interact with the PF ranged power attack feat, which normally prohibits use with touch attacks.)</p><p></p><p>So, a bit of either play-testing or getting 2nd opinions on rules interactions and clarity may be helpful; doubly so if you are rusty.</p><p></p><p>And for time? Well, we never do seem to have enough of it these days. Having done quite a bit of writing and running some very involved campaigns I know how that can just suck up all your free time, and a lot of this epic level stuff requires a lot more analysis of game rules, and of mythology, lore, and story implications. Hopefully you either find a good balance, or at the minimum, have a good time with what you decide to do.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ltheb Silverfrond, post: 8079326, member: 39867"] U_K! I am sorry to hear about your father. This year has taken a few relatives from me too, so I hope you are managing well. A graphic novel? Sounds cool. I did always like your art style, and your writing style struck a good balance between distinct descriptions and whimsy; making sense, but open to interpretation and imagination. If you are that far in, keep it up! I do hope to some day read it. As for PDF authoring software, I just use Open Office (Which I don't know about for commercial use, but for private use, is free) or, imagine this, Microsoft Word. Both offer functionality to convert a word document into a PDF with as much ease as printing a document takes. You can sign and lock the PDFs if needed, and while they don't have all the cool bells and whistles of the more industrial PDF editing software, are very user friendly. Further, at least with open office, (and Word too I believe, though I have not played around with it) you can make internal hyperlinks within the document, so that clicking on words and terms links you to the proper sections. If you want to get really crazy with it, it can take some time to setup, but just making a Table of Contents at the start of the document link to chapters, headings, and subheadings throughout takes maybe 30 seconds, and once its set up, requires no further upkeep on your part (it doesn't try to link to a page or any nonsense; it dynamically tracks the location of the heading it links to). One of my players was once disappointed that an RPG pdf he bought didn't have the functionality, and I have to agree; its so easy to add in. (I've whipped up an example PDF of this, and attached it if you want to take a look; It took less than 10 minutes to put together, and most of that was the actual typing; formatting and linking all were automatic.) As for play-testing I'd probably agree. About the only issue with things of epic level nature is that many of them require one of two things: 1. A clear understanding of what the author's intent on how the mechanics should function. Some mechanics and rules require or are at least well supported by a larger body of rules text. (An example: in the Immortal's Handbook, the Abrogate ability has such a simple writeup, but really needs a page or two of rules to explain what it should and should not be able to do, since one DM may interpret what it can do differently than another.) 2. How the rules of the game interact with the mechanic as written. Some mechanics, even when simple, might have subtle interactions with the game rules that might be complicated. (Example: In Pathfinder, a firearm is made as an attack against touch armor class within its first few range increments, but does not count as a touch attack itself, and so could interact with the PF ranged power attack feat, which normally prohibits use with touch attacks.) So, a bit of either play-testing or getting 2nd opinions on rules interactions and clarity may be helpful; doubly so if you are rusty. And for time? Well, we never do seem to have enough of it these days. Having done quite a bit of writing and running some very involved campaigns I know how that can just suck up all your free time, and a lot of this epic level stuff requires a lot more analysis of game rules, and of mythology, lore, and story implications. Hopefully you either find a good balance, or at the minimum, have a good time with what you decide to do. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Archive Forums
Hosted Forums
Personal & Hosted Forums
Hosted Publisher Forums
Eternity Publishing Hosted Forum
The Immortal's Handbook: Gods & Monsters (unfinished)
Top