The Wandering Bard's page

Hey all,
Just looking over the different licenses as research, and thought of an interesting question. If I were to publish a 3.5 compatible adventure under the OGL and sell it normally, but then publish a seperate conversion guide to help buyers convert the adventure to PFRPG as a free download, does that count as a commercial use requiring the requisition of a Compatability License or can it, as a free product, fall under the Community Use Policy? Thanks for the help, and either way I'll be looking into supporting the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game into the future.

TWB

Apologies for time wasted if this is a dumb question, but after perusing both the original and amended versions of the PFRPG Magic Items rules, I've been unable to find a "proper" Wondrous Item. The only items detailed so far are artifacts and cursed items, neither of which bear complete "stat blocks" for wondrous items, particularly in the section for crafting requirements. I understand that there are obvious reasons for the omission of "standard" wondrous items, but with "PFRPG Formatting" present in the criterion for entries, I was really hoping for something to base my entry off.

It would just answer a few questions I have about item presentation (where/how are the spellcraft DCs/spell prerequisites shown, how else does the format different from 3.5, etc.)

If any of those people who have submitted their entries or are more perceptive than myself can help me out with an example or explanation so I can fix up my submission, it'd be much appreciated.

TWB

Oh dear. No advice. Bump.

I recently decided to try and adapt the combat system from Final Fantasy Tactics, which I have always loved, into a more simple tabletop combat system that I could run with friends over an hour lunch break. Armed with Excel, free time and a fan-written 800 page mechanics guide, I have basically completed preparation for the playtest campiagn but have run into a single problem. Mapping.

The view, for anyone who hasn't played FF Tactics before, is a 3/4 top-down view of a map. The map is divided into grid squares, just as you would expect, with terrain type determined square-by-square. However, a critical element of ranges and movement is vertical height. And while this looks and works great in the game, it is very difficult to translate accurately to a flat top-down game grid. I can draw the elevation numbers in each square, which works, but it is still very difficult to actually comprehend what the map looks like. Right now, my options seem to be a top-down grid with accompanying 3/4 view sketches, which are still a bit confusing at times and are a pain to draw up, or else screenshotting some editable 3D game like The Sims or Warcraft 3 with a grid-based elevation tool. Neither of these are ideal though, and I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions on a better way to manage elevations in-game.

Thanks for the help,
TWB

It used to be that Dungeon and Dragon magazine, and thus Paizo, were the gateway for new and aspiring designers to enter the industry. Now with Paizo taking a larger role in the industry itself, their publishing has necessarily become much more exclusive. Looking through previous posts it has been stated that the WotC web-zine versions of Dungeon and Dragon are still the way to go to get a start, but with the divide between 4E and PFRPG looming, that will no longer be an option for those looking to work with Pathfinder content. So what is now the best path to take for those looking to start a career in Pathfinder game design? RPG Superstar and Sinister Adventure's similar competitions are one route, but are there any smaller brands working with PFRPG which could serve as the first step for a new designer? Are there possibly plans somewhere in the future for a Paizo imprint targeted at publishing the best of new talent as cheap (or free) PDFs on a consultant or stable-type basis, serving as a training ground for new designers? Or is independence and self-publishing (such as the illustrious Werecabbages have done) the best way to get noticed? Not that I've done anything to get noticed yet, just a general question, but still...

Any thoughts?

Is anyone interested in running a PbP of Curse of the Crimson Throne? I'd love to play but don't think I'd have the time to run another PbP. Has anybody had any ideas?