Reading the rather decent Isle of Dread article in the current issue, I was struck by the fact that if I wanted to run the adventure, I'd really like to give the players a copy of the diary entry that leads them to the Isle - I'd rather not give them the magazine to read (au revoir suspension of disbelief), and don't really have the time to print it up, so I was hoping to see a version of it (preferably in a nice olde worldy hand written font) in the PDF support for the issue - but no.
Any chance of seeing this and similar things on the website?
Player handouts.
Monster/NPC stat blocks for adventures.
Maybe the special critical threat you guys seem to really like there at the magazine?
Artwork/visual aids
All of the artwork. I have scanner and generally do scan and print things like a monsters picture. My scanner only does square selections though. It would be nice to have a picture of a monster that doesn't have the text from the adventure that butts up against it.
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All of the artwork. I have scanner and generally do scan and print things like a monsters picture. My scanner only does square selections though. It would be nice to have a picture of a monster that doesn't have the text from the adventure that butts up against it.
Photoshop Elements (doubtless bundled with your scanner) makes this a 30 second operation.
Granted, I work with a lot more digital 2d and 3d applications than most people, but a lot of these very basic requests are well within the reach of the every day Dungeon reader.
So, what you're saying is "you guys can do this stuff yourself with a scanner and paintshop, so we aren't going to, despite the fact that you're asking us too" ?
Man, I would love to get a PDF of all the important NPCs in an adventure done is Monster Manual-like format. The stat blocks are easier to read and they could have character illustrations in the layout. If an NPC becomes a reoccuring villain I could just print out the page and put it in my folder.
. . .chirp chirp . . . . .chirp chirp . . . .
I have to toss in my vote for stat blocks as well, especially for creatures that aren't in the core books that did not get statted in the magazine. Demodands for instance, I have no plans on buying the Fiend Folio to obtain demodand stats and was a touch annoyed at the substitution solution. At least give some pdf relief when you cut vital stats for space, I buy published adventures to save myself some work not to make "complex substitutions" and hezrou is a hezrou, not a farastu.
By the way, thank you for the message boards.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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T-Bone, I don't anticipate shorting the readers full stat blocks for non-core creatures again. That was admittedly a poor solution brought on by an adventure that was both extremely late and extremely overwritten, which put us in a difficult bind.
If, by some horrible fate, we are forced to do that again, I agree that putting the stat blocks in the supplement would be a good idea. Here's hoping it won't happen*.
Still, though, you should consider getting the Fiend Folio. I think it's the best of the secondary monster books, and not just because I wrote a chunk of it! :)
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dungeon
* Something similar will happen in the psionic adventure set for #116, but in that case substitutions are better because people who don't use psionics have little use for a full stat block for a psionic creature. We'll only do one or two of these adventures a year, however, so I'm hoping it won't cause too many problems.
I will throw my two cents in as well. I would love to see player hand outs. Sure I can copy them and paintshop or whatever. Yet, I am finding myself in a time constraint, between real life and the game.
When I run the things out of Dungeon it is typically something that has really caught my eye, since Dungeon is a clearing house, of sorts, and tends to have the broad spectrum of levels, settings twists, etc... If it has caught my eye I would like to be able to download some of the elements, as they have been mentioned, i.e. with out text of the adventure, cutting the page out, or handing the magazine over.
BTW, I would like to thank you for posting the elements of the latest Dungeon. I am planning to run the adventure, Mad God's Key. For the start of the next campaign season. Thank you very much. Honest thanks!!!
Any specific request you'd like a response to, Tim?
--Erik
No, just having some fun Erik. Don't worry. Like I said, I apologize for coming off so hard on you a couple months ago during the whole Dungeon formatt change (feel bad about the whole Poly thing since I never wanted to see Poly leave, just more Dungeon content). I was just hoping to see a response to the three or four requests to see NPC/Monster stat blocks and PC handouts available on PDF on the website.
No offense intended Erik, just having a litte fun. I am THE Eric Mona fan. No one loves Erik Mona's work more than me (except maybe Mrs Mona)! The last 4 or so issues of Dungeon have just been exceptional! Keep up the great work.
I don't mean to come off as ranting or to change the subject of this thread, my previous post is just a suggestion and the reasoning behind it. I am glad to hear that the lack of demodand stats was a regretted necessity though.
As for the fiend folio, I'm sure it's a quality book worth having but it's just not on top of the purchasing queue.
Anything in the magazine that we are permitted to photocopy for personal use should be downloadable. Personally, I'd love to see the NPC stats downloadable as initiative cards, but I don't expect to see that.
Maps, npcs, monsters and the artwork that represents a piece within the book as handouts,
Really anything in the magazine that a GM could use as a handout would be greatly appreciated as a downloadable pdf. I could easily photocopy them but I only have a basic printer at my house.
Hell I still love Return to the tomb of horros for all its handouts.
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Just one question? Would it be possible to get a download with all the monster-tokens in it? I missed a lot of those dungeon issues and i use them more than miniatures (I hate to buy a box of minis without knowing if the one I need is inside - never understood why WotC don't sell them in bundles to make it easier to get what you want) - anyway -
Maps (FOR THE PLAYERS) would be cool as well!
By the way - it's good to see Erik Mona visiting this board, because it gives me the feeling you (PAIZO) are listening to us!!! Thanx for that!
I would LOVE to bring tokens back. First I would like them to come with the magazine again, but a download in a pdf would be better than nothing. I know everyone is pushing minis and I do own a few boxes but I have been screwed pretty badly with multiples. At least with tokens I know what I am getting, I will have a greater variety, they are easy to store, and is easy to transport in mass quantities unlike minis.
Maps for the players would be great.
Also, any player handouts would be a big help.
Throwing some of the art in there might be helpful for visual aids, especially if it is of the NPCs in the issue.
Lastly providing NPCs stats in a text file would be helpful. So I could just cut and past them in to my game notes and make any necessary changes right there.
Hmm, what would be good as web-content ?
Usually the "map of mystery" - especially if it is a 2 page spread in the magazine
NPC illustrations - both for the players and for the GM as points of reference
Maps from the adventures - these are often placed at pretty inconvenient points of the magazine when GMing - a download to print and keep handy apart from the adventures being thumbed trhough would be nifty.
Handouts - less important, because often an adventure gets adapted to a specific setting, and things will have to be edited some,. Still, nice.
Sidequests and additional adventure/campaign hooks (like with the earlier installments of the "Shackled City" adventure path. Maybe even related Side-Treks with link-ins to an adventure path ?
So, what you're saying is "you guys can do this stuff yourself with a scanner and paintshop, so we aren't going to, despite the fact that you're asking us too" ?
Whoa, there, friend!
Looks like you're trying to respond to Steel_Wind, who will have a hard time implementing your request seeing as he doesn't work at Paizo. : )
Just for everyone's edification, Paizo employees appear here on the boards with their full name and job title.
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It wouldn't let me reply to Dryder, for some reason, but if the only reason you do not use miniatures is because you like to know in advance what you are paying for, there are several websites selling single named figures (as well as the boxes, and also cases of boxes), or just search Ebay for "D&D miniatures" (there seem to be hundreds of people selling them).
I wish I'd stuck to tokens though - I no longer have enough room in my house for my miniatures following my impulse buying of 4 fiendish Tyrannosaurus Rex.
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It wouldn't let me reply to Dryder, for some reason, but if the only reason you do not use miniatures is because you like to know in advance what you are paying for, there are several websites selling single named figures (as well as the boxes, and also cases of boxes), or just search Ebay for "D&D miniatures" (there seem to be hundreds of people selling them).
I wish I'd stuck to tokens though - I no longer have enough room in my house for my miniatures following my impulse buying of 4 fiendish Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Thanx for the info! I will have a look into ebay and hopefully will get this umberhulg for my next Cauldron session :)
Never thought to look into ebay... Thanx again!
So, what you're saying is "you guys can do this stuff yourself with a scanner and paintshop, so we aren't going to, despite the fact that you're asking us too" ?Whoa, there, friend!
Looks like you're trying to respond to Steel_Wind, who will have a hard time implementing your request seeing as he doesn't work at Paizo. : )
Just for everyone's edification, Paizo employees appear here on the boards with their full name and job title.
That's good to know. Thanks for the clarification.
What were in those subscriber supplements?
I'd like:
1. Printable 1 inch + 5 feet tactical maps.
2. Monster stat sheets by adventure.
3. All player hand-outs.
4. Printable, to scale(1 inch = 5 feet) monster tokins of the creatures in each adventure.
Hey, you asked.
ASEO out
Definitely player handouts. I'd like maps that are made just for players. In other words, they don't show secret doors and traps, but they do have the same number key and features that would be visible to PCs upon entering a room.
I'd like to see Paizo re-post all of the web enhancement documents, mostly maps, for Dungeon issues #82-#96 that vanished when the magazine moved from being in house at WOTC.
I'd also like to see all maps of all issues #97-#115 published on-line. Bascially, giving us all of the extras everyone wants not only for just the new issues, but everything since the first 3.0 issue (#82) as well.
Player handouts for sure. Remember TOMB OF HORRORS? Nothing quite like saying to your players, "You enter a vaulted chamber dripping with a strange, phosphorescent green liquescence. Your footsteps echo on the curiously dust-free stone floor as you approach a scrolled marble sarcophagus decorated with scorpion tails..." and then whip out the artist's rendering of that sarcophagus. Players eat that stuff up with a spoon.
So, why not offer a PDF of NPC "headshots" and memorable location artwork? A little more work for DUNGEON, for sure, but invaluable to the readership :)
PDF downloads as follows:
Main download site should always have available:
* 4 standard 3D doors
* 2 standard 3D double doors
* 3 3D Trees
* 3D bushes (stands so that they can demonstrate concealment for more realistic combats)
Each adventure could have:
* Miniaturized 3D artwork from the scenario in fold-up (nothing super complex). Examples: NPC's, mysterious objects, pillars, thrones, etc.
* NPC flags: a picture of the NPC plus his name that the DM can hang over his DM screen (or put in his pocket protector..heh).
* ADVERTISEMENT FOR DUNGEON: most players don't know IF or WHEN they're playing a scenario from DUNGEON. Some DM's fear that their players will go cheat (get over it). You should put DUNGEON # + adventure name in each player handout and advertise DUNGEON to the players. You'll sell more magazines if DUngeon is the WORST-KEPT-SECRET.
jh
Things I want in a PDF...
1. Maps that I can print out. What would be really cool is if they were scaled for Mini's
2. Art of the NPC's
3. Counters for the monsters
4. Player Handouts
5. Addition Information on the adventure (Addition encounters or background)
please do this...
Things I want in a PDF...
1. Maps that I can print out. What would be really cool is if they were scaled for Mini's2. Art of the NPC's
3. Counters for the monsters
All of these would be awesome, especially the battlemap idea, though I suspect that it would be a pain in the rear to implement.