Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
At some point I might pull all my favorite ideas from this thread and create a sample 2-page spread.
Best practices for easy-to-run modules [+]
- Thread starter overgeeked
- Start date
Reynard
aka Ian Eller
Between this thread and the high level adventure thread i started, I want to make some stuff happen just to prove it can be done.
EpicureanDM
Adventurer
A lot of what I've written in this thread relates to confidence rather than ease. I'd rather see GMs say that a scenario's presentation made them "confident to run." I find GMing easy when I'm confident.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Confidence and ease go hand in hand. If a module's hard to run due to lack of clarity, page-flipping, too many buried details, poor mapping, etc. then that will quickly lead to a loss of confidence.
aco175
Legend
Where does printing ease come into play? I tend to just play tabletop and want to print the adventure out to have and not need a tablet or laptop. I would rather just have a black and white pages to keep cost down and not color. This is why art does not do much for me, though I get why it is there. colored background with things not being black on white makes things more difficult and not as easy to read once printed.
When making things, I tend to use bold and italics to highlight over color text. Boxed text helps with certain things or subtext like when there is a riddle and such. There must also be a point where all this gets in the way as well though.
When making things, I tend to use bold and italics to highlight over color text. Boxed text helps with certain things or subtext like when there is a riddle and such. There must also be a point where all this gets in the way as well though.
Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
This is why I want an appendix with 1/4-page monster cards!
Or, better, 1/2-page (vertical) monster cards, so that you can hang it over the GM screen. The players see artwork of the monster, the GM sees the stats. Invert it for a different monster.
(FWIW, in one of my gaming groups we all make cards for our characters with key combat stats that we give to the GM. The GM makes cards for monsters, and when combat starts he hangs them all on the GM screen in initiative order. At first we just wrote on index cards with ballpoint pens, but I started an graphic design arms race designing and printing fancy ones...)
Sacrosanct
Legend
I did this with Twilight Fables. While lots of people were interested in the book. No one wanted the cards. Maybe 2 people over the past 2 years. I had a physical cardstock option, and a print-your own PDF option exactly as you describe.
Bill Zebub
“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”
Yeah I hate to say it but I wouldn't pay for the cards, either. I just want to print my own, from either an appendix or a separate file.
But...YES that's (almost*) exactly what I'm talking about. I love it.
*I would want a vertical orientation, so I can fit more across the top of the GM screen, interspersed with player cards according to initiative order.
Sacrosanct
Legend
Not just the cards, but the printable PDF has no interest either. Just not there.
Sacrosanct
Legend
Here are some quick images I threw together based on some of the feedback. Don't pay that much attention to the actual "adventure" (plot, railroad, etc.) but more on how it's laid out.
Similar Threads
