It's rare that I sign up sight-unseen for something, but pathfinder looks to fill a gaming need that I have. I'm (reasonably) cash-rich & time-poor demographically speaking, I've been running games for 20 years now, but I no longer have time to write & prep to the degree that I used to.
What I want is someone to do some of the work for me, so I can get on and run the game. Pathfinder looks like it'll do this.
WOTC have clearly picked up on this need with their current module format - the encounter-based layout makes refereeing really easy.
Here are a couple of points that would add considerable value to Pathfinder adventures, possibly not as page-count, but perhaps as web enhancements:
Miniature-scale maps - you've got the graphics files already, making a 1" scale version avialable would save a tremendous amount of time - most home printers can tile-print, and having the maps really helps. Particularly if the maps don't have the referee info on them.
Miniatures lists - again this really speeds up prep, a consolidated list of how many monsters of each type are in the whole adventure cuts down on prep time.
(The Queen with Burning Eyes was one of the easiest adventures to run because of its use of map tiles and specific miniatures - it's one of my favourite adventures from Dungeon)
Highlighted stat blocks in one column - just calling out the stat blocks makes them easier to work with; again a well-laid out web enhancement seperating out the statblocks from the adventure text makes life so much easier at the table.
Player handouts - but you guys are good at that already.
Player handouts - but you guys are good at that already.
Is there anything new you'd like to see with these?
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These are all great suggestions....and the kind of small details that many third-party adventure publishers overlook. Basically anything that cuts preperation time is a good thing - especially if it gives me more time to concentrate on fiendish subplots that will appeal specifically to my own gaming group.
Player handouts - but you guys are good at that already.Is there anything new you'd like to see with these?
Handouts really fall into three categories:
Ongoing use - typically maps & NPC portraitsAdventure props - writings, tablets, pictures of statues etc
Local colour - artwork, pictures of cities
I'm infamous for the level of handouts I use - in NPC-heavy games I give out pictures of NPCs printed onto Avery sticky labels - the players can then stick them into their notes, or in the case of our L5R game, put them onto index cards and add them to the 'crime board'.
My favourites are player/character maps (often with sketchy detail), NPC portraits/headshots & adventure props. The Whispering Cairn had really good adventure props (the picture of the sarcophagous, the lantern, the wind duke).
Things that would really add to the gameworld would be:
Pictures of Holy Symbols - not a stylised artist's version (see the Eberron Sovereign Host symbols - way too complicated) but renditions of what a cleric actually has hanging around their neck, similarly cleric robes & vestments.
Pictures of campaign-specific magic items - or even just a reference to the appropriate GameMastery item card - if it's a cool item, it's nice to have a picture of it.
Pictures of currency & heraldry. As a personal thing, I always think a 'gold piece' should be smaller than the other coins - it's gold, after all, and should have 10 times the value of a silver piece without actually being bigger - that would go a huge way to lessening the rather jarring D&D economy, where everyday adventurer gear is paid for in gold - just making the coins smaller would make it more credible.
Consistency in regional clothing & ethnicity - without wishing to overly constrian artists, if the "Northlanders" are generally presented as tall, fair-skinned, blond or red-haired with viking-style clothing and weapons, it adds to the realism of the game. Cultural identity is a good hook for players and DM alike.
Fantastical landscapes - just to counterweight all the 'realism' stuff above, where a truly fantastical architecture or landscape is part of the adventure, an illustration will increase its impact.
'Blank' tablets, letters etc. Often, adventure props for letters and tablets (basically writing-based stuff)can be written in a way that isn't quite appropriate for the group. A typical example would be the letters in the Shackled City adventure path - they're a little too.... obvious for my players (also a bit "mwah hah hah, they called me mad you know" in places). Having a blank version of the parchment/tablet/paper/whatever would allow fine-tuning of the props to fit the playing style of the group.
Ideally I would like a simple copy of the map with all the text removed, and secret doors and such removed. THat way I can use it online for games and if I want to print it larger for minitures it is simple.
Player handouts - but you guys are good at that already.Is there anything new you'd like to see with these?
I think just more of them. I can't think specifically where I would have fit these in, but I can tell you that any time I have used them the players get 500% more into the game. They LOVE it.
In game hand outs are certainly good, but perhaps a Players Pamphlet for the beginning of each adventure? Or maybe just each time the PCs get a new base of operations. So in Age of Worms one for Diamond Lake, one for the Free City, one for the other city whose name escapes me...
Sean Mahoney
I'll add another practical point that makes me waste a lot of time.
I put all the monster's stat blocks on a 3x5 card. Easy, handy dandy card holds all the info. I have the players make up cards similar to these. When initiative is called for, I can put the init in the upper corner of the card, put them in order and rifle through them. It makes conbat SO much quicker. I don't know how difficult, time-consuming, waste of paper this would be, but I find value in something like this. If a substantial portion of people out there do as well, perhaps something like this could be included.
I'll add another practical point that makes me waste a lot of time.
I put all the monster's stat blocks on a 3x5 card. Easy, handy dandy card holds all the info. I have the players make up cards similar to these. When initiative is called for, I can put the init in the upper corner of the card, put them in order and rifle through them. It makes conbat SO much quicker. I don't know how difficult, time-consuming, waste of paper this would be, but I find value in something like this. If a substantial portion of people out there do as well, perhaps something like this could be included.
I used to do that, using TGM's initiative cards, and then the initiative card option for eTools. What I've found though is that on the monster's turn this worked fine, but when the PC's attacked the monster, I actually needed the monster stats (for saves, HP etc.) - I now go for a tactical map/statblock/environmental rules 1-page sheet and use the Gamemastery initiative board or a whiteboard. The index card is still useful, as it is neat and manageable.
Really, what I'd like is a set of statblock just formatted to a 2x2 grid on A4/Letter - just print it out on card, cut and bingo - instant statcards.