Open Design Blog

The second issue of the little magazine that could has shipped to subscribers. Onward!

So it's been a week since OD4 opened for patrons, and the commission is half met, with the Arabian project trailing just behind the "Either One" choice in the patron votes so far.

That makes me confident enough that I'll see whether Mssrs. Waller, Cook, Grubb, and Kurtz are interested and available, and see where that goes.

If you are interested in being a patron for this project, but haven't signed up yet, I would say that it probably will launch sooner rather than later. All the interesting foundation decisions are already being made and posted to the site; please sign up today!

Kobold Quarterly news has kind of piled up lately, and it's almost all good.

The best part is that there has been enough interest that a second issue will definitely be produced, and many of the industry's best writers and artists are contributing to it.

Here's three quick news bits, from the kobold perspective (Everything looks taller from down here).

1. 3E co-author Skip Williams has signed on to write the "Ask the Kobold" column, which begins in issue #2. His many years of experience with rules questions and D&D design make him the perfect choice to answer reader questions. You can submit your rules and design questions to him at "yesage" at that company that sent out a billion CDs. I'd spell it out, but that always summons the spambots.
   
2. The print run for issue #1 has sold out! Yes, it's true, they're all gone. PDFs are available at paizo.com, and all subscriptions going forward will start with issue #2. One-year subscriptions are still just $16.
   
3. Speaking of subscriptions, they are now available priced in Euros for all Eurozone subscribers. Makes it easier to see what you're getting, and keeps the declining dollar at bay.

That's the news from the kobold mines — I'm hard at work getting articles and art put together for issue #2, which ships in October. Thanks to everyone who has supported this little venture.

With Empire of the Ghouls designed and off to editing and production, it's time to figure out what's what for OD4.

While EotG was big and fun, writing it took too long. It also grew a little larger than the patron format really supports. So my goal for OD4 is that it should be much, much shorter and faster than Empire was. In addition, I'm tweaking the patronage levels for this one in an effort to keep the project small.

I'd like to have something in the patrons' hands no later than January 31st. This implies a length no longer than 20,000 or 25,000 words, or about the size of a Gamemastery module. There are two options on the table:

1) Adventures in Zobeck, Part 1
This is the first of two or three projects describing the city-state. Based on the patron poll from the spring, the two most popular topics are:

• Spells & Magic, which would include clockwork magic, new incantations, some gearcraft, oracles, and Star & Shadow magic, and
• Places & Adventure, which would be hooks, major adventuring locales like the Arcane Collegium, the Kobold Ghetto, Underwharf, Grave of Velas, the mines at Hammerheim, and so on.

I propose combining those two categories as the subject of this project.

The Zobeck project specifically does NOT include PC rules, the setting backstory, random city NPCs, religion, nearby lands, or new monsters. Those are all Zobeck Part 2 and/or Part 3. It may or may not contain a full overview map of the city or with specific adventure locales mapped, depending on funding (more likely, maps will be part of Part 2).

This is an OGL project using the 3.5 rules. It's possible that the parts would all be compiled, updated to 4E, and offered for sale to the public as a 4E book in 2009, if all the parts are complete by then. Heck, it might be the first Open Design hardback.

Artists are TBD (but Lucas Haley, Cris Griffin, and Eva Widermann will be asked), and there may be some back-and-forth with current KQ articles. Contributions and feedback from all patrons, not just the inner circle, with an even more collaborative style than the current bunch.

To be a patron of this project, the requested donation is $100, $50, or $25. The funding goal is $4,000, to cover art, maps, text, and other expenses. If we fail to secure funding by October 15th or if the Arabian project is funded first, you will get a full refund.

$100 Donation        $50 Donation        $25 Donation

2) Six Arabian Nights
This would be a short adventure or adventure anthology adaptable for low to mid levels (1 to 10?). The style would be episodic, with short pieces chosen by the patrons that could be one-shots in any campaign, very plug-and-play: preventing the assassination of a djinni vizier, visiting a harem in a flying castle, defeating demonic pirates, hatching a phoenix egg, fighting dark monstrosities deep in an ancient temple.

I hope to cross Indiana Jones with Clark Ashton Smith and see what comes of it. Call it the "Scimitars Against the Dark" style of heroic fantasy. None of these adventures would have more than 3 encounters to keep the word count somewhere near 20,000 to 25,000 words. The goal is short, flexible adventures for a wide level range.

This project includes one new genie and maybe some sha'ir rules, if I can't find any Open ones I like. It is an OGL project using the 3.5 rules. I'll do a 4E set of stats next year if patron fund that work; I'd be happy to compile a 4E conversion by patrons as well.

I'll be approaching some possible Al-Qadim-era collaborators. Though I can't guarantee their involvement yet, I'll be talking to the artist Karl Waller and seeking intros, monsters, or scenarios from Steven Kurtz, Zeb Cook, and Jeff Grubb. In addition, the smaller circle of patrons means I'll be opening up the design to closer collaboration with patrons.

To be a patron of this project, the requested donation is $100, $50, or $25. The funding goal is $3,000, to cover design, art, maps, collaborators, and other expenses. If we fail to secure funding by October 15th or if the Zobeck project is funded first, you will get a full refund.

$100 Donation        $50 Donation        $25 Donation

3) To Support Either of the Above
If you don't really care which one wins and you definitely want to be involved, you can pledge your support unconditionally with this option. Naturally, you can vote for your favorite, but this is the "I like both Zobeck and the Arabian Nights" option.

You will be a patron no matter which project is funded by October 15th. If neither project reaches its goal, you will get a full refund.

$100 Donation        $50 Donation        $25 Donation

I hope you will join me for the next round of Open Design!

The manuscript is revised, the missing sections like the finale are written, and the remainder of the text has gone off to the editor.

Let the Dance of Doneness begin! ::cue wild rumpus::

There's usually a certain reluctance for me to let of go smaller projects, and a certain willingness to push the big ones out of the nest. This one was sent off with some after-midnight fanfare and some fine new maps from settimbrinifor company. Me, I'm done for now. More details tomorrow for the patron crew.