A challenge to the d20 publishing community

[Scorpio]

This cartographer finds this a very intriguing subject. Any Publishers feel the same?

 

[der_kluge]

For a cool cave of a map, check this one out -
http://members.aol.com/nubysmith/caves.htm

 

[Mark]

One more thing, I will pay cash money for a random memorized spell lists for all kinds of characters at every level.
So, like make a bard at 1st level, and write down what his spells are. And the same bard at level 2, all the way up to 20. And provide a theme - "This bard specializes in clerical magic, and defensive spells", or "this bard focuses on illusionary spells". Clerics (of various gods, and alignments..), sorcerers - you could get creative here, with so many ways to specialize, like "ice" sorcerers, or enchantment sorcerers, or "fire" sorcerers, or any number of combinations; rangers, paladins, druids, you get the idea. I could have used that last game when I needed the spell list of a couple of mummy priests. I decided at the last minute that I would make them priests, and so I just had to kind of guess what their spell list might look like. I pulled it off.... ok..., but if I had this little puppy, I'd been all set. CMG Mark, this sounds like something right up your alley. Get cracking on this!

Yes, Sir!

Actually I have something along these lines in the works but have to finish those monster stat blocks first. That took a back seat to the EN World Community Supporters Reward Program I set up, which I felt needed to take precedence over my own interests (given the timing of the site fund drive, and all.) I'll give some more information on this after I dust it off again next week. Thanks for thinking of me!

 

[Arnwyn]

I've got a question about those maps people say they want (especially that skyscraper), do you want them in color, in greys, in B&W, or all the above?

Either/or. To be honest, I'm quite happy with B&W maps - and to be honest, they are the most useful on the DM's utility side of things. For example, I'm quite distressed over Dungeon Magazine's use of full-color, especially with the maps. That *drastically* reduces the maps' utility for the already over-worked, harried DM.

How big would that skyscraper have to be (number of floors & outside dimensions)?

A variety is nice, actually. I'd like futuristic 100+ floor skyscrapers (my preference), modern 50-floor towers, squat 10-floor buildings, etc. One wouldn't be enough. (And not *every* floor needs an individual map - the neat thing about modern/futuristic structures is it's modularity. Many floors are the same, so a map could give one layout for "Floor 5-25, 28-62, etc). Then map the "special" floors (lobby, underground parking, 26th floor cafe, 65th floor docking bay, 124th-130th floor unique offices and penthouses, etc).

That's a wish list, of course.

P.S. Love that cave map, die_kluge. That's the kind of stuff I'm interested in (whether it be cave, dungeon, castle, or inn). It's all good to me.

 

[der_kluge]

Right, Mark. I'll be looking for that!

I just realized that I said "for a cool cave of a map" above. Oh well.

I think that map could be made even more cool if it was actually drawn three dimensionally, like a Quake wireframe thing, or something. That would be awesome. Well, hard to put to paper, I suppose. But, if it had more interesting geological features to it, like a waterfall, or natural stone stair cases, or a catwalk over a certain area, and stuff like that. That would be uber cool.

Something like Moria.

 

[annadobritt]

*Plug* Check out the main page here .

Write ups are getting close to finished. All the maps are completed (yes there are several dungeon type maps too.)

There will be both color maps and black and white maps which are easier on the ink.

 

[jester47]

Cartographica was a valient effort. And it could have been good, had most of the maps not been covered by the fake scrollwork. Some of them were simplistic, which is ok. But they were to dark. If we could get the same quality in black and white that was presented in some of the maps in that book ( I am thinking mainly of the sewers, the mines, and the wizards joint) then I would say you would have a sure hit.

Aaron.

 

[jester47]

I'm all with you on this count, jester47.

Take the Racial Modifiers Table (140 kb PDF) as an example - is that the kind of stuff you're looking for? (It's a fully usable preview - the finished version will add many more species, and will first appear as a bonus to On Nation Building). Similar charts and tables are planned - for example more NPC tables (previews coming soon, and the finished tables are again first published as an add-on to On Nation Building).

The Complete Spell Cards (available at RPG Now) could serve a similar purpose: looking for spells your NPC might wield? Don't search the book, just take a look at the cards, which you could then use at the gaming table (no more memorizing the spells or even copying the rules). Heck, you could even draw cards at random for each spell level... (although you're likely to redraw some, this would nevertheless cut the NPC design process short).

The SRD 3.5 Handouts could help you make the chance from 3.0 to 3.5 without explaining the rules to the players - just print out the handouts (or send them the PDFs), and they can read the rules for themselves. This of course won't help you preparing, but it can still help you manage your time

Furthermore, did I mention On Monstrous Villains? An upcoming book full of... well, monstrous villains. Background, stats, headquarter & henchmen (if any), advice on how to incorporate them into your campaign.

Hope that helped

Ah, someone who is very close to understanding. Flyspeck, the racial mods table is not what I am looking for. However, the cards are a great idea and that is exactly the stuff I mean, things like that, but beyond spells.

Also, someone mentioned toolbox. It is a great tool and a great idea, but the problem with it is that there are only 20 items per table. Some of the tables are the type of thing that gets used more than others and eventually you have to stop using them because they start to repeat too much. Like dungeon traps and landforms...

A good example of what I mean is 101 Spellbooks. Right up the alley. So in a sense what we (I guess I am speaking for people who may or may not want me speaking for them...) want is 101 wilderness location maps (you know, glades, old ruins, tors, graveyards, burial grounds, etc.) or 101 humanoid bands. 101 dungeon rooms, 101 important non-magical items... I think you see what I am saying.

I think the key number here is 100. A book (or table) of 100 options gives a DM the ability to never use the same idea twice in a year.

These are the things of which I speak. So the cards idea would work.


Aaron.

 

[jester47]

I'm all with you on this count, jester47.

Take the Racial Modifiers Table (140 kb PDF) as an example - is that the kind of stuff you're looking for? (It's a fully usable preview - the finished version will add many more species, and will first appear as a bonus to On Nation Building). Similar charts and tables are planned - for example more NPC tables (previews coming soon, and the finished tables are again first published as an add-on to On Nation Building).

The Complete Spell Cards (available at RPG Now) could serve a similar purpose: looking for spells your NPC might wield? Don't search the book, just take a look at the cards, which you could then use at the gaming table (no more memorizing the spells or even copying the rules). Heck, you could even draw cards at random for each spell level... (although you're likely to redraw some, this would nevertheless cut the NPC design process short).

The SRD 3.5 Handouts could help you make the chance from 3.0 to 3.5 without explaining the rules to the players - just print out the handouts (or send them the PDFs), and they can read the rules for themselves. This of course won't help you preparing, but it can still help you manage your time

Furthermore, did I mention On Monstrous Villains? An upcoming book full of... well, monstrous villains. Background, stats, headquarter & henchmen (if any), advice on how to incorporate them into your campaign.

Hope that helped

Ah, someone who is very close to understanding. Flyspeck, the racial mods table is not what I am looking for. However, the cards are a great idea and that is exactly the stuff I mean, things like that, but beyond spells.

Also, someone mentioned toolbox. It is a great tool and a great idea, but the problem with it is that there are only 20 items per table. Some of the tables are the type of thing that gets used more than others and eventually you have to stop using them because they start to repeat too much. Like dungeon traps and landforms...

A good example of what I mean is 101 Spellbooks. Right up the alley. So in a sense what we (I guess I am speaking for people who may or may not want me speaking for them...) want is 101 wilderness location maps (you know, glades, old ruins, tors, graveyards, burial grounds, etc.) or 101 humanoid bands. 101 dungeon rooms, 101 important non-magical items... I think you see what I am saying.

I think the key number here is 100. A book (or table) of 100 options gives a DM the ability to never use the same idea twice in a year.

These are the things of which I speak. So the cards idea would work.


Aaron.

 

[jester47]

Here is the rational behind my challenge:

In the d20 market your customer base is the DM. There is nothing else really to sell to. Players by the minimum of what they need. That is ussually the PHB. So you can't look at your market as everyone who plays d20, it is in reality those who run the games. The population of this market is small generally being generous we would say 20% of the market for the PHB. If we make tools that make DM preparation time similar to character creation time, you will grow the DM population, in fact it may very well become one and the same. Such an event would equate to more sales in the d20 market.


Aaron