Little Changes with Big Flavor

[mmadsen]

mmadsen if you are seriously contemplating turning this into a book, I would be more than willing to help you out in the writing and expansion of ideas. I know how difficult it is to take a list or outline and turn it into pages of text. If you are interested in a partnership or anything let me know. I have spent a few years doing course design and development, I am used to my customers coming to me with a list of ideas and wanting it turned into an actual textbook and training course.

Thank you for the offer, Katerek. I don't think I'll need much help organizing a larger text -- maybe I'm wrong; maybe I'll come crying to you -- but I do need ample motivation. Is this a book people want to see? More importantly, is this a book people might buy? What in particular would you like to see in such a book?

 

[Terraism]

Thank you for the offer, Katerek. I don't think I'll need much help organizing a larger text -- maybe I'm wrong; maybe I'll come crying to you -- but I do need ample motivation. Is this a book people want to see? More importantly, is this a book people might buy? What in particular would you like to see in such a book?

I personally think that it'd be one of those things that is guaranteed a spot in my collection, at least... there's enough ideas there to get any campaign going, and if they were all fleshed out a little bit, it'd be a wonderful collection. You know how the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting has nations, with a basic overview, then some specifics, and then some plot hooks? Doing something like that would be awesome. Crunchy bits are good too, but I think it might get a bit much to do that for all the ideas. Maybe if you picked a few ideas - or one, or a compilation of several - and gave them a 'large scale' treatment with a handful of pages just to themselves, with some crunchy bits... yes, I definitely think it'd be a good thing! [In case I'm not quite answering the question; yes, I'd buy the book/PDF.]

 

[Katerek]

I would like to see a paragraph or so treatment of each idea, or at least where applicable. This wouldn't be a crunchy book, at least not in the player's viewpoint. I can see this as entirely a DM book, kind of a Chicken Soup for the DM's Soul. However, whenever rules changes are suggested, mechanics should be listed if possible. It would then be a book of alternate rules.

MMADSEN, the offer will remain standing should you need it.

BTW, this is the best thread I have ever seen. I am glad that it was revived, it had already disappeared by the time I first joined a month or so ago.

 

[mmadsen]

I would like to see a paragraph or so treatment of each idea, or at least where applicable.

That certainly sounds doable. The existing bulleted list is already almost 11 pages. Expanding each bullet point could yield a 64-page book "with a basic overview, then some specifics, and then some plot hooks" (as Terraism put it).

BTW, this is the best thread I have ever seen. I am glad that it was revived, it had already disappeared by the time I first joined a month or so ago.

Thank you very much, Katerek! And thanks for the offer to help.

 

[Maldur]

Mmadsen, please get together with RangerWickett to get this published for Natural 20.

It seems like the most natural place to get this done, and then I can buy material from two of my favorite posters on these boards!

I love small twist to the norm. It keeps the sense of "wonder" and "fantasy" strong. And I do want my players amazed.



new Idea:
let monsters have characteristic behaviors. ex: Trolls hunch over and stomp their feet like sumo wrestlers before they attack. or Orcs beat great drums before they go on a raid. These drums can be heard over a very long distance. Making the villagers panicing days in advance.

 

[kenjib]

Is this a book people want to see? More importantly, is this a book people might buy? What in particular would you like to see in such a book?

I think it has a very small target audience. You need people running homebrews that aren't afraid to create their own extensive rules modifications. Part of the problem is that some of the ideas would almost require an entire small book each to implement effectively (ala Mongoose's Chaos Magic or Natural 20 Press' Wild Magic).

Many of these are changes that require a great deal of work and balancing. If it was already done I would be skeptical that all of it was sufficiently playtested based on the sheer quantity and diversity of new rules (some with pretty drastic effect, like your idea to convert class abilities to feat chains) in the book. On the other hand, if it was given as an idea and left by and large for the DM to implement I would be put off by the amount of work required on my behalf for something I paid for. It seems your target audience is people who like to dig in and write their own heavy rules modifications. I think it could be a very good product but I'm not sure what the best approach would be.

As regards what I would look for myself as a customer, it might be better if you focused some of the effort and picked a smaller subset of the suggestions to expand in depth. Perhaps use the Occult Lore book as an example of what you could do. Several different ideas with a solid rules treatment, but not as many ideas as you've presented. Then you have a few options with the "outtakes." Maybe you could save them for a new book -- Volume II or you could include them in an appendix as an "inspiration seeds for more things" kind of section.

The fact that your ideas do not share a common theme could also work for or against you. Consider the criticism that Gaming Frontiers gets. People may only want one or two things out of your book and as a result not want to pay the price for the whole book. Occult Lore is strong in part because of it's theme. If you like different variant spell caster types then you get a whole bunch to work with here, and you can use them all together. I'm not sure how to effectively handle such divergent topics as you've presented and still keep it cost effective for the customer.

Anyways, those are just some of my subjective thoughts. I think there are some great ideas here for development and I think you should go for it, regardless of the approach you take!

 

[Maldur]

I would like a huge amount of these ideas instead of several ideas expanded into (semi) complete "settings".

But several more detailed ones could be nice as well.

 

[seasong]

A one page treatment of all of these variant ideas? I'd pay money for that. Hm. $10 for a PDF, easy; $15 would be harder to part with, but I'd consider it.

I don't know that you'd make much money at it, however .

For a title, why not "Little Changes with Big Flavor"? There's nothing wrong with that!

 

[drnuncheon]

Try the opposite of this - the party isn't a group of adventurers passing through to the next dungeon. The party is the Hommlet village militia suddenly faced with nefarious acts in their own hometown!

The Discworld 'City-Watch' series pretty much captures this style well.

So do some Story Hours, although modesty forbids me from specifying which ones.

That same Story Hour makes use of a lot of the other techniques discussed here: a limited monster palette (mostly PC races) and more of an 'Age of Sail' feel come to mind.

The fact that it's almost completely urban really changes the game a lot (one change that I haven't noticed on the list - you have 'no safe haven' but not 'everything in town'!) - from the types of encounters to the easy availability of equipment...but also the constraint of laws & morals - I don't expect the wizard to pick up fireball any time soon.

Here's a another one for magic (that I haven't used):

* Any caster can tap immense magical power - but it's hard to control. A first level wizard can try for that 9th level spell, but when he fails, the backlash is going to be incredible.

J

 

[mmadsen]

I would like a huge amount of these ideas instead of several ideas expanded into (semi) complete "settings".

I understand kenjib's analysis, but I think Maldur has hit on the allure of "Little Changes with Big Flavor": it's a big spice rack with all sorts of zesty ideas.

Still, it might make sense to have separate volumes with separate themes.