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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KDLadage" data-source="post: 369851" data-attributes="member: 88">The thoughts of a rambling madman...Morrus:First let me say that this is a wonderful idea. The idea of handling a WotC-style setting contest for charity is, for lack of a term that fits, so you. My thoughts on this whole thing can be found below, but first let me say that I will participate in this in any way that I can.PDF or PRINT?Morrus, I hate to say it, but a few people on these boards are right when they say that PDF can be a hassle; this is one of the reasons that the PDF files for UMbragia are free. I will change for this stuff only if and when I can get them printed and done right.Besides, I think something like this deserves to be printed. You have enough connections in the RPG/d20 world that I think it should not be too tough for you to find a publishing house that would be willing to help out in that area. After all, many of them are very thankful for your maintaining this arena for discussion.However, if that falls through, PDF will do in a pinch. Lord knows, a good RPG setting with the money going to charity should be enough to convince most to not pirate the material... but unfortunately, that is not the world we live in.Still, consider yourself as having at least one sale (to me) no matter what happens.SIZE?This will depend on the format it is published in. If it is a print volume, I would say go with a 160 page hard bound volume. For that, I would break it up like this:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Winning Setting (80 pages)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Runners Up (2 settings, 40 pages each)</li> </ul>If you wanted, you could flesh this out to 320-pages and divide it up like this:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Winning Setting (80 pages)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Runners Up (2 settings, 40 pages each)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Honorable Mentions (4 settings, 20 pages each)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> 80 pages -- Campaign Starters (8 settings, 10 pages each)</li> </ul>If, however, you find yourself limited to the PDF format, then you could make each of the 80 page sections above a separate download.COMPENSATIONPersonally, I would consider this charity work, and thus my time as an author would be given for free. However, if the winners were to be given a cut, I personally consider the 20-30% marks a bit high -- after all, this is for charity and the author retains rights to the material. Assuming the 15 winners of the 320-page option above, I would grant a percentage something akin to this:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Campaign Starters -- 0.5% each (total: 4%)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Honorable Mentions -- 1.0% each (total: 4%)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Runners Up -- 2% each (total: 4%)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Winning Setting -- 4% (total: 4%)</li> </ul>This accounts for 16% of the total sales. Subtract another 14% or so for overhead and expenses (less if this is a PDF endeavor), after all, it will all need to be edited, compiled, artwork added, and so forth, and none of this is free... At this point, nearly 30% of the sales are eaten up -- this still leaves a respectable 70% going to your charity of choice...FORMATWotC showed a 1-pagers outline. As has been pointed out, a format for this will need to be finalized before hand. However, in order to keep the initial work for you and the others that will have to read these, I would suggest making the initial round a formatted two-or-three page deal with the format laid out explicitly. These should be judged by a panel of judges (much like the ENnies). I would suggest about 5 judges. This round should reduce the field to 15 entrants.This round should be a 10 page deal -- again, with a format that you have specified. Someone here suggested a peer-voting system from that point. I like this idea, only I would modify it somewhat... I would say that the peer voting round should be the twenty in that round plus the judges. The one caveat is that no entrant may vote for their own work -- this way it does not end up as a 20-way tie with the judges making the choice. Now, when this round's voting is over, it should reduce the field to 7 participants. The eight that fell out at this point become the "Campaign Starters" for the book. The remaining entrants continue on to the next round.Round three should be more free-form. Give the entrants the goal to include all of the information thus far gathered on their setting and flesh it out to 20 pages -- written as if it were a long magazine article. Voting should take place with the seven participants and the judges choosing a total of three to continue. Those that lose out in this round then become the "Honorable Mentions" for the final book.Round four is again, a freeform round handled much the same way -- one this time the three remaining people take their article length work and expand it out to a 40-page mini-campaign. Vote as in the previous rounds and reduce it to the winner and the two "Runners up" for the book.The winner then fleshes the 40 pager to an 80-page campaign.That is how I would run it, anyway.Other ThoughtsMorrus, I realize that money to the winners is not (and from a charitable point-of-view, should not) be a given award for the contest. However, there are other things that can be given. Product from d20 Press, for example. Donated material from game companies. Let me know, and I will chip in for some prizes to be given. I have a bunch of older, hard to find RPG material that I would end up selling on e-Bay anyway... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":-)" title="Smile    :-)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":-)" />Anyway... thanks. Things like this remind me that there are great people in the world, and I have a life that is often blessed in such a way to be witness to them.</blockquote>

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