... compiling the source databases that I'll use for The Treatise of Ensorcelled and Occult Primeval Accoutrements for Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games And Their Modern Simulacra. This will be slow going as there are over 3500 pages of material to mine for individual magical effects. I've gotten through 75 pages so far today. This is going to be a long month.
This project will have to end up with far more pages than the Creature Generator, although I'm hoping to keep it under 100. It won't be able to be saddle-stitched, so it'll have to be perfect bound (great, I'll have to learn rudimentary graphic design to not screw the cover and spine up). Add in the increased mailing costs for such a beast of a book, and this is probably going to be in the neighborhood of 10-13€ depending on how things turn out. Too soon to tell for sure, but it is my intention for this thing to be comprehensive, delivering both consistently "ourfavoritegamishly" flavored magic items without really duplicating any that are in the book.
The idea is that every item is unique and an artifact, no matter how minor-powered the thing is. I'm sure nobody will use it as-is for all of their campaign's magic items, but I also bet that anyone that gets it will use it sometimes.
The production costs of this thing mean there's really not going to be any art. I'm looking at maybe 500-750€ in terms of printing and mailing I need to do before this would go on sale. That's quite a healthy chunk of change for someone that's unemployed and technically (as in, I have a roof over my head but it's not my address) homeless. So I'm certainly not paying somebody to draw pictures of swords and wands and crap, and clip art is just way too chintzy.
However, with the other costs associated, for the first time putting color artwork on the cover. This thing can look professional. But... you know... there's the no money thing. Unless someone wants to offer to do it for free. :P
But we'll see how that goes. I'm giving myself this month to compile and write this thing, because after the holidays it's get a job or starve.
You bastards all better buy this magic item thing when it comes out. ;)
Undecided as to what "brand" I'll go with for release. I could just OGL it (because it's all magic and spells and such, I don't think I could get away with not doing an OGL this time), but I think doing it for OSRIC or Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord would help sales without changing a word of the product. I wonder if there's any rule keeping it from being from all three... every item in here will work just as easily with one as another. But I have a long way to go before that's ready, and a month is a long time to keep focus. With my luck the Insect Shrine stuff will all come in during this month and I'll have to break this concentration to get that out the damn door. Wouldn't that be just my luck?
I've submitted my Duvan'Ku material to Fight On! for their next issue. With all the other stuff on my plate it's just not a project I'm going to realistically develop in the near future. It's a small batch of magic spells, magic items, and an adventure. I'm still waiting to hear back as far as suitability (it's a horror theme and in places fairly explicit), but I'm hoping we can iron out any problems that may arise. Aino and Laura have agreed to contribute companion artwork so crossing fingers that there can be a healthy little section involving the whole LotFP crew coming out later in the winter under the Fight On! banner. If it gets a response maybe Duvan'Ku material can be a regular thing I submit to them.
(aren't I going to look like crap now if they come back saying that it's not such a great fit for their mag... :P)
But for right now... this damn magic item book is going to kill me. There's just no organizing it, and as I collect the raw data... ay ay ay I will end up going batshit insane.
This project will have to end up with far more pages than the Creature Generator, although I'm hoping to keep it under 100. It won't be able to be saddle-stitched, so it'll have to be perfect bound (great, I'll have to learn rudimentary graphic design to not screw the cover and spine up). Add in the increased mailing costs for such a beast of a book, and this is probably going to be in the neighborhood of 10-13€ depending on how things turn out. Too soon to tell for sure, but it is my intention for this thing to be comprehensive, delivering both consistently "ourfavoritegamishly" flavored magic items without really duplicating any that are in the book.
The idea is that every item is unique and an artifact, no matter how minor-powered the thing is. I'm sure nobody will use it as-is for all of their campaign's magic items, but I also bet that anyone that gets it will use it sometimes.
The production costs of this thing mean there's really not going to be any art. I'm looking at maybe 500-750€ in terms of printing and mailing I need to do before this would go on sale. That's quite a healthy chunk of change for someone that's unemployed and technically (as in, I have a roof over my head but it's not my address) homeless. So I'm certainly not paying somebody to draw pictures of swords and wands and crap, and clip art is just way too chintzy.
However, with the other costs associated, for the first time putting color artwork on the cover. This thing can look professional. But... you know... there's the no money thing. Unless someone wants to offer to do it for free. :P
But we'll see how that goes. I'm giving myself this month to compile and write this thing, because after the holidays it's get a job or starve.
You bastards all better buy this magic item thing when it comes out. ;)
Undecided as to what "brand" I'll go with for release. I could just OGL it (because it's all magic and spells and such, I don't think I could get away with not doing an OGL this time), but I think doing it for OSRIC or Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord would help sales without changing a word of the product. I wonder if there's any rule keeping it from being from all three... every item in here will work just as easily with one as another. But I have a long way to go before that's ready, and a month is a long time to keep focus. With my luck the Insect Shrine stuff will all come in during this month and I'll have to break this concentration to get that out the damn door. Wouldn't that be just my luck?
I've submitted my Duvan'Ku material to Fight On! for their next issue. With all the other stuff on my plate it's just not a project I'm going to realistically develop in the near future. It's a small batch of magic spells, magic items, and an adventure. I'm still waiting to hear back as far as suitability (it's a horror theme and in places fairly explicit), but I'm hoping we can iron out any problems that may arise. Aino and Laura have agreed to contribute companion artwork so crossing fingers that there can be a healthy little section involving the whole LotFP crew coming out later in the winter under the Fight On! banner. If it gets a response maybe Duvan'Ku material can be a regular thing I submit to them.
(aren't I going to look like crap now if they come back saying that it's not such a great fit for their mag... :P)
But for right now... this damn magic item book is going to kill me. There's just no organizing it, and as I collect the raw data... ay ay ay I will end up going batshit insane.
"I'm sure nobody will use it as-is for all of their campaign's magic items..."
ReplyDeleteWRONG!
I'm in the initial stages of planning a weird fantasy campaign in which ALL magic items come from this book you're making, and ALL monsters come from your Random Esoteric Creature Generator.
And did I read right that it's going to cost you at least 500 Euros to make this? Ouch. Have you considered first releasing it in PDF only? Then, as the sales roll in, you would have that cash made from PDF sales to go toward the print version.
Also, maybe Goodman Games would like to publish this as the perfect companion to the Random Esoteric Creature Generator.
>>And did I read right that it's going to cost you at least 500 Euros to make this? Ouch. Have you considered first releasing it in PDF only? Then, as the sales roll in, you would have that cash made from PDF sales to go toward the print version.
ReplyDeleteWhat I may do is after everything is completed and the layout is done, I mean 100% all finished and ready to go (the key to prevent the repeat of a certain other disaster), is start pre-orders. Pre-orderers get the pdf immediately (and people that just want the pdf can get that too), and when orders + my own money = enough, then it prints and ships, and then anyone buying after that pays more.
>>Also, maybe Goodman Games would like to publish this as the perfect companion to the Random Esoteric Creature Generator.
Maybe. I hope the Creature Generator is selling enough to where they'd be interested (for all I know it's sold 2 copies... won't find out for a bit of time yet). But I'm doing my own version first.
Why not use Lulu, apart from the ongoing shipping price fiasco? (One way that you might be able to resolve that problem is to have it available in both US and worldwide sizes, so they print locally to any given buyer.)
ReplyDeleteOne, if I'm not willing to purchase something from a particular site, I don't feel right selling something from that site.
ReplyDeleteTwo, they double dip on both the basic printing (I don't believe they're charging cost on that) and the markup. And then after Lulu takes their percentage from my markup, I have to deal with Paypal taking theirs as well? There's expenses I have to deal with, and expenses I don't, and that 25% of the markup Lulu takes... no way. I'll risk my money up front thanks. Especially when Lulu isn't any cheaper than my local printer in the first place, even with taxes included.
Three, I really suck at graphic design and formatting, and the local people here are quite patient and helpful and we can fix problems and have a new proof in a few hours, or maybe the next day depending on my binding needs. Three or four test copies from Lulu? Cost a fortune and it wouldn't be good to go for almost another couple months.
I wish the RPG community would get away from Lulu and just invest in 100 books from their local print store when they do something. The whole setup just annoys me.
I mean, there are a few reasons I would use it. I put a vanity project (as in, I never expected anybody to buy it and I just wanted a copy for myself) up there, but as a printing *and* fulfillment house? No way. Not ordering anything from there either.
"I think doing it for OSRIC or Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord would help sales without changing a word of the product. I wonder if there's any rule keeping it from being from all three..."
ReplyDeleteThe answer is YES! :D
Both Eldritch Weirdness and City Encounters (by Matthew Finch) say on their lulu pages: "Usable in your Swords & Wizardry game, or with 0e, 1e, OSRIC, and other retro-clone games such as Labyrinth Lord" or "Compatible with Swords & Wizardry, OSRIC, and Labyrinth Lord as well as 0e and 1e."
http://stores.lulu.com/mythmere