I’m posting this both on the Three-Headed Monster Games blog and on the Society of Torch, Pole and Rope blog. Please forgive the cross-posting.
With the draft of Stonehell Dungeon rapidly approaching completion, it’s become time for me to start considering the elements of the book beyond my ability to produce. I decided early on that I’d resign myself to relying on stock art and public domain images if that was all I could acquire, but that any contributed artwork would be both desired and appreciated. The Stonehell book is not going to be an art-heavy supplement, but a few choice pieces would certainly be nice.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am hoping to turn a small profit of the book. Whether this comes to be or not remains to be seen. Until that time, I’m paying for all the preliminary costs on the book out-of-pocket, and my pockets are very shallow at the moment. In particularly, my art budget is non-existent. I’m hoping that the book accrues a small sum of money which I’ll be able to fund the sequel with or that my financial situation will improve by the time the second book is being prepared.
With that being said, I’m looking for a few pieces of interior art. For the first book, I can only offer the common coin of the realm for start-up releases – your name in the credits and a free .pdf copy of the supplement. I really wish I could offer even a token payment for original art, but that will have to wait for the next book, if at all. All contributed art will be on a one-time-use basis and ownership of the work remains with the artist.
If you’re a starting artist looking for some exposure or have an existing piece of art you’d like to see find a temporary home, please drop me an email at poleandrope[AT]gmail[dot]com. I have one concept piece I wouldn’t mind seeing a better rendition of, but I’m mostly looking for art that captures the megadungeon crawl experience. You’re free to explore your own ideas.
I offer my sincerest thanks to anyone contemplating contributing art to Stonehell Dungeon and I look forward to hearing from you.
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Bound for Hell
Now that Chgowiz has started the THM Games pump flowing and Dave has made his plans known for the future, it is, as an old joke goes, “my turn in the barrel.”
Most fittingly, my initial THM book will be one that grew from the original collaboration between David, Michael, and me – Stonehell Dungeon. Back in December of last year, I started slowly creating a classic ten-level, “Saturday Night” dungeon using a modified form of the One Page Dungeon format. The first quadrant of the first level was made available on my blog and the response it received indicated that people liked both the dungeon and the bare bones method it was presented in. From that humble beginning, the dungeon has grown to five subterranean levels and a single surface level.
My original plan was to release the dungeon piecemeal on the blog, mostly to keep it rolling at a pace that I was comfortable with, but also because I felt that the One Page Dungeon idea was more of Dave’s and Chgowiz’s baby than my own. If anyone had the right to make a dollar or two off that idea, it certainly wasn’t me. After Dave approached Chgowiz and me with the idea of forming a joint design venture, however, they both game me the green light to produce a commercial version of the dungeon. I’m very grateful to both of them for allowing me to do so, not only because I could use an extra few bucks in my pocket but because, as the dungeon grew, I began to notice some cracks in the veneer of the place. I could use this opportunity to go back to the dungeon to shore up a few timbers and create a sturdier framework from which to hang both the current and future levels.
My goal for the commercial release of the first Stonehell book is to make it usable in three different ways. First, the dungeon can be run as written, with the referee using it as stocked and with the backstory and various internal plots and schemes presented. Secondly, it can be stripped down to the basic framework and used to build a customized dungeon around it, replacing the parts the GM doesn’t like and keeping what does appeal to him. Thirdly, it can be used modularly. Since the dungeon levels are divided into quadrants, many of which are relatively free of overt connections to the rest of the dungeon, the referee can easily take a chunk of dungeon out and use it as a smaller, separate dungeon somewhere else. It hasn’t always been easy keeping all three possibilities available to the audience, but I hope that I’ve manage some success in this regard.
As a result of trying to please three masters, Stonehell has grown a bit from its original modified One Page Dungeon format. Although never a true One Pager, even at the start, the need to beef up the quadrants with a little more information for the GM has caused each section to double in size. Stated that way, it seems worse than it actually is. Doubling in size means that each quadrant has gone from two pages to four, which remains impressive when you consider most quadrants feature a minimum of 25+ rooms, plus new monsters, magic items, or spells.
The first Stonehell Dungeon book will detail the upper half of the dungeon. The second half will be covered in a follow-up book tentatively scheduled for the latter half of 2010. It is my goal to keep the first book at 120 pp. or less and the initial draft and layout seems to support this as an obtainable goal. I hope to have the book available by the end of August or the beginning of September, although it is possible that numerous things beyond my control could postpone the release. I’m hoping for the best, but expecting delays. Sham and Chgowiz have both received the preliminary draft of the dungeon proper and, once I get their feedback, a formal final draft can be started.
Coinciding with the release of the book will be a free .pdf of the redone first quadrant. I want to give people an opportunity to “try before they buy.” I will also be releasing a second free .pdf of supplemental material for the dungeon. This first supplement will detail a nearby series of caves that serve as the hideout for the bandits encountered in and around Stonehell. Future .pdf supplements that detail additional level extensions and sublevels will be released in the months between the first book and the second one, and these .pdfs will either be free or for a nominal fee. They won’t be required Stonehell material, but rather options made available to the referee.
Outside of the two Stonehell books, I don’t have anything else set in stone for THM Games. There are two ideas that I’m currently playing with and developing to see if they have the legs to stand as solid books. Should either or both prove to be viable, they’ll most likely see release under the THM banner, but I anticipate that my helping Dave and Chgowiz with their future planned releases will be my primary share of the THM Games workload until I’ve complete Stonehell Dungeon.
In any case, it’s going to be an exciting year ahead for all of us at Three-Headed Monster Games. We hope you’ll like what you see.
Most fittingly, my initial THM book will be one that grew from the original collaboration between David, Michael, and me – Stonehell Dungeon. Back in December of last year, I started slowly creating a classic ten-level, “Saturday Night” dungeon using a modified form of the One Page Dungeon format. The first quadrant of the first level was made available on my blog and the response it received indicated that people liked both the dungeon and the bare bones method it was presented in. From that humble beginning, the dungeon has grown to five subterranean levels and a single surface level.
My original plan was to release the dungeon piecemeal on the blog, mostly to keep it rolling at a pace that I was comfortable with, but also because I felt that the One Page Dungeon idea was more of Dave’s and Chgowiz’s baby than my own. If anyone had the right to make a dollar or two off that idea, it certainly wasn’t me. After Dave approached Chgowiz and me with the idea of forming a joint design venture, however, they both game me the green light to produce a commercial version of the dungeon. I’m very grateful to both of them for allowing me to do so, not only because I could use an extra few bucks in my pocket but because, as the dungeon grew, I began to notice some cracks in the veneer of the place. I could use this opportunity to go back to the dungeon to shore up a few timbers and create a sturdier framework from which to hang both the current and future levels.
My goal for the commercial release of the first Stonehell book is to make it usable in three different ways. First, the dungeon can be run as written, with the referee using it as stocked and with the backstory and various internal plots and schemes presented. Secondly, it can be stripped down to the basic framework and used to build a customized dungeon around it, replacing the parts the GM doesn’t like and keeping what does appeal to him. Thirdly, it can be used modularly. Since the dungeon levels are divided into quadrants, many of which are relatively free of overt connections to the rest of the dungeon, the referee can easily take a chunk of dungeon out and use it as a smaller, separate dungeon somewhere else. It hasn’t always been easy keeping all three possibilities available to the audience, but I hope that I’ve manage some success in this regard.
As a result of trying to please three masters, Stonehell has grown a bit from its original modified One Page Dungeon format. Although never a true One Pager, even at the start, the need to beef up the quadrants with a little more information for the GM has caused each section to double in size. Stated that way, it seems worse than it actually is. Doubling in size means that each quadrant has gone from two pages to four, which remains impressive when you consider most quadrants feature a minimum of 25+ rooms, plus new monsters, magic items, or spells.
The first Stonehell Dungeon book will detail the upper half of the dungeon. The second half will be covered in a follow-up book tentatively scheduled for the latter half of 2010. It is my goal to keep the first book at 120 pp. or less and the initial draft and layout seems to support this as an obtainable goal. I hope to have the book available by the end of August or the beginning of September, although it is possible that numerous things beyond my control could postpone the release. I’m hoping for the best, but expecting delays. Sham and Chgowiz have both received the preliminary draft of the dungeon proper and, once I get their feedback, a formal final draft can be started.
Coinciding with the release of the book will be a free .pdf of the redone first quadrant. I want to give people an opportunity to “try before they buy.” I will also be releasing a second free .pdf of supplemental material for the dungeon. This first supplement will detail a nearby series of caves that serve as the hideout for the bandits encountered in and around Stonehell. Future .pdf supplements that detail additional level extensions and sublevels will be released in the months between the first book and the second one, and these .pdfs will either be free or for a nominal fee. They won’t be required Stonehell material, but rather options made available to the referee.
Outside of the two Stonehell books, I don’t have anything else set in stone for THM Games. There are two ideas that I’m currently playing with and developing to see if they have the legs to stand as solid books. Should either or both prove to be viable, they’ll most likely see release under the THM banner, but I anticipate that my helping Dave and Chgowiz with their future planned releases will be my primary share of the THM Games workload until I’ve complete Stonehell Dungeon.
In any case, it’s going to be an exciting year ahead for all of us at Three-Headed Monster Games. We hope you’ll like what you see.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Back at the Head Shed
The two Mikes, AKA the other pair of heads here at Three-Headed Monster games are ahead (ahem) of me with their initial THM Games installments. Mr. Shorten (we call him Shorten Stout) kicked things off in grand fashion with his elegant Swords & Wizardry Quick Start, while Mr. Curtis (otherwise known as Curtis Clever) has made it known that his long anticipated Stonehell OPD megadungeon project will be the next THM Games publication.
So when is Mr. Bowman (nee English Long) going to get off the proverbial schneid? I've shared my immediate plans and projects with the other two heads, and now I'll share them with you the reader as well.
First and foremost let me lead into this by stating that The Dismal Depths (DD), the little OPD that started this mess, is currently being renovated. Thanks for all of the inquiries and support in regard to the project; I'm glad so many have found the first four installments to their liking. My long term goal has always been to create a OPD megadungeon using the DD concept. It is one of the many unrealized benefits of the ideal; that an actual megadungeon is within my means to share with other fans of the hobby.
In the interest of the greater OSR web log community, as soon as DD levels 1A-1D are revamped, they will forever be offered (sharing sites permitting) as free PDF's for the enjoyment of all readers. I've redone the original OPD template taking the lessons learned from judging the OPD Contest and realizing the amount of space I wasted with that first layout. A downloadable blank version, Sham's OPD Template, is available through my blog, as is a useful Treasure Tables file explaining my "Check Method", and an Example OPD using the original DD 1B, The Chambers of Zod.
1. The entire 1st level of DD will be included in my initial THM Games publication, The Dismal Depths. Based on the over 500 downloads of the DD Guide before Orbitfiles disallowed sharing, I know many of you are looking forward to more information on the concept and its related project. DD will include the core megadungeon in its entirety along with the Bestiary, Treasury, and various guides. Alone it will serve as a system neutral megadungeon, but shall be compatible with Swords & Wizardry.
So when is Mr. Bowman (nee English Long) going to get off the proverbial schneid? I've shared my immediate plans and projects with the other two heads, and now I'll share them with you the reader as well.
First and foremost let me lead into this by stating that The Dismal Depths (DD), the little OPD that started this mess, is currently being renovated. Thanks for all of the inquiries and support in regard to the project; I'm glad so many have found the first four installments to their liking. My long term goal has always been to create a OPD megadungeon using the DD concept. It is one of the many unrealized benefits of the ideal; that an actual megadungeon is within my means to share with other fans of the hobby.
In the interest of the greater OSR web log community, as soon as DD levels 1A-1D are revamped, they will forever be offered (sharing sites permitting) as free PDF's for the enjoyment of all readers. I've redone the original OPD template taking the lessons learned from judging the OPD Contest and realizing the amount of space I wasted with that first layout. A downloadable blank version, Sham's OPD Template, is available through my blog, as is a useful Treasure Tables file explaining my "Check Method", and an Example OPD using the original DD 1B, The Chambers of Zod.
1. The entire 1st level of DD will be included in my initial THM Games publication, The Dismal Depths. Based on the over 500 downloads of the DD Guide before Orbitfiles disallowed sharing, I know many of you are looking forward to more information on the concept and its related project. DD will include the core megadungeon in its entirety along with the Bestiary, Treasury, and various guides. Alone it will serve as a system neutral megadungeon, but shall be compatible with Swords & Wizardry.
2. The next project will be Destiny by Dice, a Swords & Wizardry supplement to dungeon crawling; think Volume 3 reworked with lots of tables and all of the funky but chunky Underworld & Wilderness stuff. It will form the second part of the DD body of work.
3. The third project will be Realms of Unreason, a "Ready to Brew" system with rules and details for Characters and Spells to 10th level, again compatible with S&W. The three projects combine to form a single dungeon crawl campaign centered on DD, or similar settings. A future supplement will expand upon Solstice and the surface world above.
If all goes well, and the projects do not become too burdensome, an omnibus of sorts will combine the Monsters and Treasure from 1, the Mechanics and Tables from 2, and the Rules, Characters and Spells from 3 together for one cohesive S&W homebrew RPG.
I also have fairly solid notes on two or three additional projects, but the above trilogy should keep me plenty busy for the foreseeable future. Depending upon the network we form here at Three-Headed Monster Games, I might end up farming these ideas out and then simply lending inspiration and guidance.
So what does this all mean? Expect a revised DD level 1 in the near future, along with reposted shared versions of the original DD Guide, DD Traps and DD Bestiary; and hot on the heels of that I'll be assembling the first installment with the aid of the two Mikes. In between I'll be lending a hand with Stonehell and other THM projects.
Now let's hope my eyes aren't bigger than my keyboard...or something like that.
~Sham
3. The third project will be Realms of Unreason, a "Ready to Brew" system with rules and details for Characters and Spells to 10th level, again compatible with S&W. The three projects combine to form a single dungeon crawl campaign centered on DD, or similar settings. A future supplement will expand upon Solstice and the surface world above.
If all goes well, and the projects do not become too burdensome, an omnibus of sorts will combine the Monsters and Treasure from 1, the Mechanics and Tables from 2, and the Rules, Characters and Spells from 3 together for one cohesive S&W homebrew RPG.
I also have fairly solid notes on two or three additional projects, but the above trilogy should keep me plenty busy for the foreseeable future. Depending upon the network we form here at Three-Headed Monster Games, I might end up farming these ideas out and then simply lending inspiration and guidance.
So what does this all mean? Expect a revised DD level 1 in the near future, along with reposted shared versions of the original DD Guide, DD Traps and DD Bestiary; and hot on the heels of that I'll be assembling the first installment with the aid of the two Mikes. In between I'll be lending a hand with Stonehell and other THM projects.
Now let's hope my eyes aren't bigger than my keyboard...or something like that.
~Sham
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
