I plan to start publishing a line of D&D modules this summer, but I can't be relied on to write them all. I've written only two D&D products since 2008!
That's where you come in, and I'm not asking for volunteers. I'm asking for collaborators who will get half of all the profits from their modules. Here's what I'm looking for:
1. The module should be easily used with any version of A/D&D published by TSR, as well as with the retro-clones. It should be as non-system-specific as possible.
2. The module's text should be about 9,000 (give or take a few hundred) words.
3. The module's map (if it needs any) should be neatly drawn to fit on an 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper, with at least one-quarter inch margins all around.
4. The module should be stand-alone, requiring nothing else besides a copy of any rules system mentioned in point 1. above.
5. The fantasy in the module should be non-standard. Do not include any published races, classes, spells, magic items, or monsters. All such things must be new (though of course you can take your inspirations from just about anywhere). The only "exceptions" to this are that the module can include real-world flora and fauna, and it can contain humans (whether as 0-level characters, as fighters [but not paladins, rangers, etc.] of whatever level, or as something else).
That's what I want. What do YOU get?
$1.75 per copy sold. For comparison, when I was publishing Carcosa out of my house, I sold 365 copies of it. So if your module were to sell that many copies, you could make 365 x $1.75, or over $600.
That's the deal. If you might be interested, PM me and we can discuss this in greater detail.
Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,558 Karma: 87
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #1 on May 6, 2012, 10:50pm »
I've received some good questions from some interested writers. I'll post the questions and their answers here.
What is the deadline for writing a module? There is no deadline. Whenever you have a manuscript that you feel is ready for publication, feel free to send it my way. Next week, next month, next year, whenever.
Will you consider publishing stand-alone modules that mesh together? Yes. Consider TSR's old G series of modules. While they hook together, each one can stand alone. Any connections amongst modules are fine as long as each module can stand on its own.
How will you handle copyrights? Each writer will retain the copyright to any modules that I publish. Beginning on the day that I publish a module, I will have the exclusive right to publish it for one year. At the end of the one-year period, the author can either allow me to continue publishing the module, or he can withdraw permission.
How do you want the submissions sent to you? A Word file would be great. Nothing fancy, please. If you put fancy formatting in it, I'll just have to yank the formatting out. Just open Word, and start typing--single column, Times New Roman, 12-point font, standard (Is it 1"?) margins all around, etc. If in doubt, don't sweat it. The answer is always: Be lazy. Just type it and send it. Being fancy is of the Devil. Just ask the Puritans.
Can I include monsters from mythology which have statistics invented by myself, ignoring the statistics in published FRPG books? I'm iffy on that. How different can Medusa be? ("Don't look at her! You'll turn to stone!") I will not automatically reject such a manuscript, but it will face an uphill battle, so to speak.
What levels are the modules for? Whatever levels you want to write for. All other things being equal, the lower the level, the better. But I will still welcome high-level adventures.
Must the module be pure fantasy, or can it be science-fantasy, or sword-and-planet, or etc? It can be anything that includes fantasy. If you want to add ray guns, spaceships, robots, aliens, or whatever...great!
Will the modules be for a specific setting? No. A referee should be able to drop any module into any setting. Even if the module is really weird, adventurers could still get there from Greyhawk via planar travel, space travel, or whatever.
How are you going to do stats? I want to avoid using too many numbers, so as to avoid making people change the numbers to match their favorite version of The Game. So...
Instead of a number for armor class, do it this way: AC chain; AC plate + shield; AC unarmored; etc.
Feel free to list movement, hit points, number of attacks, and damage per attack.
Will these modules be in print? In PDF? They will be published in both print and PDF.
How will these modules be printed? This is a hard-core do-it-yourself venture. As with the first publication of Carcosa, I will format, print, and assemble everything in my own house. Also similar to the old Carcosa, this is basically a POD affair. I plan to print about 10 copies at any given time, then when those sell-out, print 10 more, etc.
How long can we expect to wait between commitment and publication? In other words, once you say "This is great! Can I publish this?" how long do you expect all the layout and print arrangements to take? From the time I say, "I like this manuscript, and it requires no revisions," I'm estimating about 30 days to actually start selling and shipping copies.
Does the author get a copy of the published work? Yes, the author gets one free copy.
Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline
Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 4,674 Location: Near Chicago Karma: 178
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #2 on May 7, 2012, 11:44am »
I'll have to put some thought into this. I may have some stuff I can write up, but most of my adventures are scribbled notes on the back of an envelope.
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Joined: Aug 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 297 Karma: 18
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #3 on May 7, 2012, 7:09pm »
I understand you have a preference for unique monsters, something not worth going into again but don't you distinguish between monsters created for D&D and mythical creatures whether they appeared in D&D or not? For what reason would you exclude monsters from ancient myth? Take the manticore for example, what reason could you have for excluding such a creature presuming the mechanics for the creature were invented for the module and unlike any published version?
Can I include monsters from mythology which have statistics invented by myself, ignoring the statistics in published FRPG books? I'm iffy on that. How different can Medusa be? ("Don't look at her! You'll turn to stone!")
"Don't look at the Flurbel-Burbel! You'll turn into a bowl of porridge!" is a cosmetic change that gives primacy to the mechanics of a monster over its myth.
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 663 Karma: 19
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #7 on May 7, 2012, 11:41pm »
I'm semi-considering this, because I kind of believe in letting other people do the the grunt work and just focusing on the creative side. But on the other hand, I have somewhat committed myself to doing some e-zines. The good news, if I decide to do it, is that your requested monster format is close to the one I already use for monster stats.
The big question, though, is: Are these intended for *print* publication, and if so, how will the printing be handled? POD? Commercial print run? Hand-assembly after a visit to a copy shop?
And as for rights: They revert one year after publication, but how long can we expect to wait between commitment and publication? In other words, once you say "This is great! Can I publish this?" how long do you expect all the layout and print arrangements to take? Obviously, this could potentially tie up rights for a submission for much longer than one year...
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #10 on May 8, 2012, 12:05pm »
I like the idea, but I am with Kent on this, I have an idea of what I want to do, but I would like a few mythological monsters involved and I really do not need any uphill battles over this sort of thing and I wouldn't want you to compromise on your vision, either. As long as everyone is publishing quality content, nobody loses anyway, best of luck to all involved!
Joined: Aug 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 510 Karma: 65
Re: Wanted: people to write short, weird modules « Reply #12 on May 8, 2012, 11:45pm »
Great idea and it takes away all of my excuses for not writing. So I will have to get started.
One question, I have a unique treatment of dragons IMC. They are colored as for some real world poisonous snakes (coral dragon, diamondback dragon etc.), have a poisonous bite and they all add shape change to their abilities. Is that ok for you or do you just want standard D&D dragons?
One question, I have a unique treatment of dragons IMC. They are colored as for some real world poisonous snakes (coral dragon, diamondback dragon etc.), have a poisonous bite and they all add shape change to their abilities. Is that ok for you or do you just want standard D&D dragons?
Unique dragons? Awesome.
Standard D&D dragons? They won't fit in this line of modules.
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