What are the chances of actually seeing an increase in material from the Complete series? I understand everyone does not have them but I'd rather see adventures designed using material from these sources, with side-bars for adjusting if you are only using Core books, then vice-versa.
I'll second that. I love the "Complete Books," and would love to see an adventure or two using the Daggerspell Guardians, for example.
Mayhap they could be a bit of the focus, however, at the WotC website, as downloadable one-evening adventure sorts, sort of how they have the "use this book this evening" ideas. The free downloadable adventures on their site aren't terrible, but if they focused on some of the "Complete" books, I'd be happier to go download and use...
Or I could get off my butt and do something myself. I'm still working up the courage to get my rejection slip, er, to send in my idea to Dungeon, so it might take a while... ;)
Or I could get off my butt and do something myself. I'm still working up the courage to get my rejection slip, er, to send in my idea to Dungeon, so it might take a while... ;)
That first rejection hurts.... especially if you get it before getting an acceptance, and since few get an article accepted before having SEVERAL rejected, getting the rejection first is quite likely.
But then, how are you going to know if you don't send it in? One of the great things about writing for Dungeon is that you CAN use the WotC material and aren't bound by just the SRD. Just make sure to have a contingency that allows the adventure to run without the non-core book material. There's a fine line between 'important to the plot, but could be changed' and 'you can't run this adventure without the non-core book.'
A query doesn't have to be all that long... take a look at the guidelines and if you have a cool idea, submit it. One caution... it can take a long time to hear back... don't wait for an answer before submitting the next piece. It will also help cushion you if you do receive that rejection, as you will have other works still being considered.
To give you an idea, I'm actually still waiting to hear on a submission to Dungeon I made in November. I've sent a polite note to check on it, and they have the query, they've just been backlogged a bit - more so, I expect, given that many of the staff have probably been at the convention this week, so expect it to take a while.
- Ashavan
You do see a little trickle out. Dungeon 119 had Shahng who had levels of swashbuckler and dervish, and the Styes (120) uses templates out of Vile Darkness and the forth-coming Book of Madness. The problem though is that some of the non-standard classes, templates etc... just require too much space to explain abilities in to include in an adventure you are trying to keep under a certain word count. My guess is you will see a few things out of the "Complete", "Races of" and "Book of" series but never more than they can squeeze between the covers. That means that classes that have a lot of special rules (Warlocks, Spell Thieves, etc...) will probably not see a lot of print.
That was meant to be challenge to all you writers by the way. ;)
GGG
That was meant to be challenge to all you writers by the way. ;)GGG
Hey, I like using some of the more interesting material. But in the interests of balance, I try to limit it quite a bit... the early levels of a PrC, or to a single NPC within the adventure. That way I only need a sidebar with suggestions on converting one stat block, not twenty.
I haven't picked up Sandstorm yet, but I'm thinking of possibly coming up with an adventure using some of the rules from it... desert adventures and Al-Qadim always always fascinated me.
Then again, I've got three adventure queries in at the moment, and I'm always worried (ever the optomist) that they'll ask me to write up two of them at the same time. I suppose there are far worse problems to have.
- Ashavan
Then again, I've got three adventure queries in at the moment, and I'm always worried (ever the optomist) that they'll ask me to write up two of them at the same time. I suppose there are far worse problems to have.
- Ashavan
Yeah, I have like 50 from the "1,000 Adventures" thread alone. ;)
-G to the 3
Just kidding. :)
-G3
There's a pretty cool warlock showing up in issue #123.
Sweet, and I just renewed my subscription a couple days ago. I can look forward to another 14 issues of Dungeon...before I renew again. :)
I must admit, the templates on BoVD just cry out for adventures, hence when I was after something very gloomy for the styes it seemed to fit, corpse creature for example is such a great idea it just has to be used somewhere.
I think if you have a cool idea whatever the templates or monsters you should submit it if it fits your adventure - obviously subject to the usual submission guidlines. The latest of a long line of submissions I've sent to Dungeon (a lot of which have been rejected) has a basic lich as its central baddie and I'm hoping they may run with it. Keep sending those ideas in, rejection is just part of writing, Koldoon's advice is absolutely spot on, until you get that first rejection you'll never know what its like - but how good you'll feel to get an acceptance...
Keep sending those ideas in, rejection is just part of writing, Koldoon's advice is absolutely spot on, until you get that first rejection you'll never know what its like - but how good you'll feel to get an acceptance...
Richard -
yeah... you prepare for the rejection, knowing that it's likely, but I think until you get it some part of you holds onto the idea that your stuff is just that good, that somehow you'll manage to get accepted on that first try.
As for getting an acceptance... well, I'm still waiting on that one, but I certainly haven't given up on it. And I've got three queries and 4 campaign workbook articles in that I haven't heard from yet, so here's to hoping that no news really is good news. :)
- Ashavan
Richard -
yeah... you prepare for the rejection, knowing that it's likely, but I think until you get it some part of you holds onto the idea that your stuff is just that good, that somehow you'll manage to get accepted on that first try.
As for getting an acceptance... well, I'm still waiting on that one, but I certainly haven't given up on it. And I've got three queries and 4 campaign workbook articles in that I haven't heard from yet, so here's to hoping that no news really is good news. :)
- Ashavan
I know what you mean, you always do your best and hope that its ok, but looking back at rejections I've had I can see why they havent been taken and taking that on board can work that experience into the next submission which will be all the stronger because of it. Best of luck with your submissions and don't forget how good that first acceptance will feel if you get it.
Rich