Variant Player's Handbooks -- Who do you want to write one?

[S'mon]

Frank Mentzer or Aaron Allston

Another vote for Aaron Allston. All his D&D stuff I have is brilliant (although Wrath of the Immortals was a misguided direction for Mystara - don't know if that was his idea).

 

[Thunhus]

Believe me, guys, it's not lack of interest or motivation that's kept me from doing it so far. It is, when push comes to shove, finances. I can't afford to take the time off paid gigs to write an entire alternate rules set (even what would amount to a relatively short one) without a contract. It's too big a project for me to tackle on spec (which means I can't do it as a PDF or print-on-demand), and I've yet to find a company willing to shell out to make it happen.

The instant one of the above factors changes--I either find a company willing to pay for it, or I'm doing well enough that I can afford to take a few months off other gigs--it's at or near the top of my list.

I hope you or somebody else write that kind of product. Sadly, I don't have the money to hire you...

Points that I look for:
-covers levels 1-10 (that's the main range for my games)
-does not emphasize/need miniature&battlemat use (3rd ed emphasizes too much)
-no more than 120 pages (incl. player's, dm's and monsters books)
-make it print product

Thunhus

 

[diaglo]

Hmmm... Danny Kaye, eh?

The Open Game License (with apologies to Danny Kaye and Tom Lehrer...)

<snip>

Oy!

You Da Mang....Mark..

That made my internet cruisin' year.

 

[JoeGKushner]

This sounds like my exact reason as well. We really need to find some sponsors for these bigger (dream) projects.

Didn't one of the authors at RPG.net do like a preorder bit where if X amount of people ordered the game, he'd make it?

Might be something to consider.

 

[JoeGKushner]

You probably know this, but Guardians of Order does produce a Uresia d20. I haven't seen it, but I'm a huge S. John Ross fan, too.

More BESM d20 then D&D though. Well, all BESM d20 as opposed to D&D.

 

[JimAde]

Sounds like the "Ransom model" used for Meatbot Massacre (by Daniel Solis and Greg Stolze). People sent in their money and if enough came in, the game would get produced. It was a good idea for that game, but I don't know if it would work for a project of this size. You'd need a much bigger buy-in to make it worthwhile.

 

[philreed]

Sounds like the "Ransom model" used for Meatbot Massacre (by Daniel Solis and Greg Stolze). People sent in their money and if enough came in, the game would get produced. It was a good idea for that game, but I don't know if it would work for a project of this size. You'd need a much bigger buy-in to make it worthwhile.

And the work was done before they started taking donations.

Just to throw some numbers out a 256-page VPHB would take roughly 4-5 months to put together properly. Assuming a $20 PDF price I'd need to sell 750-800 copies to cover invested time, art expenses, and other assorted expenses.

As of this time I have four PDFs that have sold over 750 copies.

You can see why I'm saying I just can't afford to do something like this at this time. (And a lot of others aren't in a position to do such a project, either. You need a company that can sell approximately 2,500+ in hardcover to make such a project worth the investment. That's not me.)

 

[francisca]

I'm really not seeing the need for one, with AU(E), Blue Rose, Conan, Black Company, TW coming along, Iron Lore etc......... There is already too much, in my opinion.

 

[jmucchiello]

I hope you or somebody else write that kind of product. Sadly, I don't have the money to hire you...

Points that I look for:
-covers levels 1-10 (that's the main range for my games)
-does not emphasize/need miniature&battlemat use (3rd ed emphasizes too much)
-no more than 120 pages (incl. player's, dm's and monsters books)
-make it print product

Thunhus

So you are looking for more of a D&D lite, not an alternative PHB (as I was assuming its defined in this thread). An AltPHB (as I took it) doesn't (necessarily) have dwarves, elves, fighters, wizards, etc. It has other races/classes/etc.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis

John Tynes

The Auld Grump