Ecology—Chokers. I love the idea of the Ecology articles, but more often than not it leaves me thinking “Someone got paid to write this.” Too often the ecologies are just so generic. One of the few actually inspiring things in this article was the mention that Choker numbers are increasing and no one knows why. But that was it. How about a For Your Campaign sidebar with some campaign/adventure ideas pulling on these tidbits in these articles? I mean I see these Ecology articles as ‘This monster is cool and here are the reasons why and ways to use it.’ At least that is how I wish it would be.
As someone who has some ecology articles coming out (and hopes to write more in the future), I found this really interesting. I'd like to add more of this type thing to any future articles the editors are kind and benevolent enough to let me write. Are there any more opinions on Ecology articles and what they should contain?
Keep in mind the new Dragon slant is to make the Ecology articles more for players than DMs (e.g. how to kill them and stuff), which is why adventure ideas will likely be vetoed (but I could maybe sneak stuff in for crafty DMs to use).
-Amber E. Scott
*hopes no-one saw her misspell "write"* Gah!
Can you tell us what ecologies you are working on?
And do you get enough praise from the Giant in the Playground... or do you need supplements from other boards?
We don't want to lose you!!!
Like Amber, I have also submitted some Ecology articles and hope to continue to write them. I am not sure what the protocol is on saying what some of the topics are, so I figure, I'll wait until Matthew or someone from Dragon says its okay.
To date, though, working with the editors has been a good experience, and I have found they are very supportive.
Tracy
*blush* Someone knows me! Awesome! Additional praise is always welcome. :-D
"Ecology of the Duergar" by moi is coming out in #325. "Ecology of the Kobold" should see the light of day sometime next year. I'm not sure what I'm going to pitch next.
I think I'm going to stick around here, so you don't need to worry about losing me. ;-)
-Amber
As someone who has some ecology articles coming out (and hopes to write more in the future), I found this really interesting. I'd like to add more of this type thing to any future articles the editors are kind and benevolent enough to let me write. Are there any more opinions on Ecology articles and what they should contain?
My opinion of the necessary requirements of a great Ecology article:
1) The standard History, Psychology, and society information.2) Versus information
3) One or two plot springboards for the DM or player to use in a character history. I know the focus is supposed to be on the player but if the DM is not inspired enough to use the creature then it won’t be very helpful for the player. An Example: Say the medusa race is all female. (I know some people say they are and some say they are not but it is beside the point.) The Ecology article for this would include talk of how they manage to have offspring with humans. Then in a sidebar or right there in the article mention that there is a legend in medusa culture that talks of one day a male medusa being born and he will unite his people or something like that. A small mention but can be used by the DM to make something more out of it.
4) At least one “I did not know that” fact about the creature. Some distinct fact about the creature that you may not know by just glancing at a stat block and a picture. An example of this would be from The Slayers Guide to Troglodytes book. It details that Troglodytes have extreme sexual dimorphism. The male and female members of the race are extremely different. The males are what you see in the MM, but the females are smaller and walk on all fours. It also says that adventurers are usually wondering where the females are because the females will be mistaken as a separate species.
I just want to say that I hope no one was offended by that example about the Troglodytes. I would have found it just as shocking if the genders were switched.
But I think those last two requirements are absolutely necessary to make for an article that will get a second glance from the reader.
Are the upcoming Dragon ecologies posted anywhere?
I see Duergar and Kobolds, but it might be nice to know what is coming out if you see any monsters that might be making an appearance in your game you could time things to get the benefit of the article.
Thanks!
TA
Contributor
|
Are the upcoming Dragon ecologies posted anywhere?
I see Duergar and Kobolds, but it might be nice to know what is coming out if you see any monsters that might be making an appearance in your game you could time things to get the benefit of the article.
Thanks!
TA
In general we like to surprise our readers about what's coming up. Unless it's an event issue (Dark Sun or Unleashed, for example), we rarely announce our line-up more than a month in advance.
That's surprising.
Thanks Mike,
TA
The return of the ecology articles is one of the best things about the new unleashed Dragon. Keep them coming! And don't forget about creatures that appear in the other monster books and supplements (Fiend Folio, Monster Manuals II & III, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Book of Vile Darkness, Serpent Kingdoms, etc.)
You sound like you have written for Dragon for awhile. I was thinking of sending in a request to write an article (was thinking of a drow ecology, but still haven't decided). What are they like to work for? And how long it took for your ecology article to be published?
Well, I suppose I have written for them "for awhile", but not exactly regularly. I am hoping to change that in the future!
My first article appeared in Issue #299, "Sacred Spells". I sent Dragon a proposal about paladin prestige classes, and they said to send it in. I did, two prestige classes each with a little backstory and some unique spells and feats inspired by the story. They contacted me after a few weeks and asked if I wouldn't mind cutting out the prestige classes and feats, leaving the spells, and writing a half-dozen more. So I did, and I think there was maybe one more revision before they bought it. It was published a few months later.
I queried them about the Ecology of the Duergar...um...last November/December? They liked it, and gave me a month to send it in and I got it to them in about two weeks. They reviewed it and after a few more weeks asked me to revise it, giving me another six weeks or so to do so. I finished the revision in under a month and they took another few weeks to look at it. Then they asked for a third revision since I'd made it a Forgotten Realms article and they wanted a more generic one, and gave me another six weeks or so to get it done. I took almost all that time to revise as I was in the process of moving from Texas to Ohio. Then they took a few weeks to look it over and finally they told me the deleriously good news that they were buying it. :-) So the first one took about four or five months from query to print, I think, and this one almost a year.
That's about the pattern. Nothing is perfect the first go-round. I have found the editors of Dragon to be really responsive, polite, and extremely helpful. They are nice people to work for. I am sure the Dungeon staff is just the same. They don't smother you with unneeded help but they are there for advice when you need them. They are really fun and enthusiastic!
I don't think it would be easy to make a living this way, but I enjoy the magazines so much I want to contribute. So I'm going to try querying more stuff to them this year and hope they like it. I went to the GenCon seminars and found the staff to be just as nice, fun and cool in person as they seemed via email. I totally think you should send in a query; they like to get them, lots of them. They told us at the seminars to just send in your queries and don't be scared!
Also you get paid 30 days after publication. :-)
In general we like to surprise our readers about what's coming up. Unless it's an event issue (Dark Sun or Unleashed, for example), we rarely announce our line-up more than a month in advance.
Ooh, I didn't know that. I will be mum about any future articles I am lucky enough to write. ;-)
|
Contributor
|
Ooh, I didn't know that. I will be mum about any future articles I am lucky enough to write. ;-)
In general we like to surprise our readers about what's coming up. Unless it's an event issue (Dark Sun or Unleashed, for example), we rarely announce our line-up more than a month in advance.
Don't sweat it. ;) I certainly hope you continue to contribute! :)
A quick question for published Dragon writers (like Tracy and Medesha):
Is there a general guideline for response time to query letters? I sent a query letter via e-mail about a week ago. It contained two Class Acts proposals and two Silicon Sorcery pitches. (The latter two would be most timely if published sometime in the next few months.)
While I certainly wouldn't expect a response right away (especially with the move happening right now), I'm wondering if this is something that generally takes a few weeks or if the wait might last several months.
Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
My most recent inquiry took about 10 days or so to get a reply. I wouldn't sweat it yet, Johnny.
My response times have varied between a week and three weeks. If you don't hear back in 3-4 weeks send a polite follow-up email. :-)
Is there a general guideline for response time to query letters?
I received a response time in three days. I suspect I just got lucky to send it in the "last check before the wedding" period. Matt is getting married, and I doubt there will be much response while he is gone. Then there is the matter of wading through the backlog.
I normaly get responses to querries with in 3-5 days, but sometimes it takes a little longer.
Thanks for the responses! I was just curious, and I understand how getting married can delay things. I got married this July and didn't get anything D&D-related done for the entire month of August. :)
I look forward to the Ecology of the Kobold!
I was thinking of sending in a request to write an article (was thinking of a drow ecology, but still haven't decided).
I'm not on the Dragon staff, but one of my suggestions, aside from general encouragement, would be to write about something that has not received a lot of attention recently.
A quick question for published Dragon writers (like Tracy and Medesha):
Is there a general guideline for response time to query letters? I sent a query letter via e-mail about a week ago. It contained two Class Acts proposals and two Silicon Sorcery pitches. (The latter two would be most timely if published sometime in the next few months.)
While I certainly wouldn't expect a response right away (especially with the move happening right now), I'm wondering if this is something that generally takes a few weeks or if the wait might last several months.
Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
My experience has been that Queries tend to get a quick response, but the actual article can take several months to appear or be responded to. Although, with Gencon, then the move, then Matt's wedding, expect a pretty major backlog - rightfully so. My advice, be patient and try not to worry about it.
(And this coming from someone who is obsessively waiting to hear back on several submitted articles) :)
I don't really understand how ecology articles can work well as Player articles. Things like their society structure, their tactics, and ideas for adventures or whole campaigns revolving around them would IMO make the best ecology articles. Of course with unleashed that would mean moving them to dungeon, which actually makes some sense.
This is off-topic, but the article on alternate uses for knowledge skills (http://www.giantitp.com/Func0019.html) was excellent.
*blush* Thank you, bg2soatob! Very kind of you to say. The Knowledge article was a bit of an experiment for me and I'm happy that people found it useful. :-)
-Amber
One thing I'd like to see included, is information on playing as, the featured creature: Level adjustments, Savage progression, Average height and weight, average life span. That is, if it isn't already in "Savage Speces".
I'd also like to see an explanation of why kobolds suddenly became reptiles for 3rd edition, in the coming kobold article. They used to be mammals in the older editions. Sure they had "scales", but armadillos have scutes as well...
I'd also like to see an explanation of why kobolds suddenly became reptiles for 3rd edition
To strengthen their relationship with dragons.
Kobolds: the 1e MM shows them to clearly be reptilian... except the head which looks like a cute little puppies.
Kobolds YAY!
I have to say that I look at the ecology articles as a DM, rather than as a player. Maybe they should be dual articles in Dragon and Dungeon. Player knowledge in one, and DM uses in the other. It might not be practical, but I think its an idea with potential.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Let's not get carried away, folks.
My view is that Dragon is not exclusively a player magazine, but is rather a general interest magazine for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, whether players or DMs. It just so happens that most D&D enthusiasts are players, so we'll try to keep things relevant for players, but the idea that "all DM content has been moved to Dungeon" is very much false.
We've got some fine tuning left to do on the Ecologies, but they're moving in the right direction.
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
It was just a thought. Sometimes I just throw out ideas to see if they are useful or not.