Headless Hydra Games’ is planning on making a pathfinder compatible Spell Compendium with all-new spells! It will be published by the end of 2010!
This will be a community project and everybody can participate! All you have to do is write at least 5 unique spells and send them to storyguide.axel@gmail.com
The pay is $.o2 per word which will be paid when the Spell Compendium is published (or before). You will also receive a free pdf copy of the final product.
5 is the minimum number of spells which will be accepted, but you should feel free to send in more than 5 spells if you so wish. The spells must be balanced and only the best spells are accepted. If you were inspired by another spell (already published), please write that in your submission as well.
Named spells are very welcome, and you should feel free to write small sidebar stories about the spell’s creation.
K. Axel Carlsson
Founder of Headless Hydra Games
1. Will there be a dead-tree edition?
2. What is the anticipated # of pages for this release?
By dead-tree edition, do you mean a print edition? If so, yes, I hope there will be, but honestly, it depends on how many people decide to participate.
I want this book to be as big as it can be, but I don't want quantity over quality. I'm looking for amazing interesting spells that will inspire gamers everywhere.
I'm hoping for a book of at least 160 pages, but we'll see how it turns out.
The deadline is the 1st of April!
Headless Hydra Games and the Spell Compendium project has been set back a while since my computer crashed the day before New Year's Eve... however, I'll bounce back, and I'm still hoping for a release in late 2010!
|
Headless Hydra Games and the Spell Compendium project has been set back a while since my computer crashed the day before New Year's Eve... however, I'll bounce back, and I'm still hoping for a release in late 2010!
If you need technical help recovering files from a trashed hard drive, I may be able to help.
I may also be able to contribute spells :)
Thank you, that's a generous offer. But since I live in Denmark, that may not be so easy. I'm sure it'll work out fine, though.
About spells... please contribute! Just follow the guidelines given in the original post.
|
Thank you, that's a generous offer. But since I live in Denmark, that may not be so easy. I'm sure it'll work out fine, though.
About spells... please contribute! Just follow the guidelines given in the original post.
Question, I know you said to submit a minimum of 5 spells. If we submit 5 and then come up with three more, will we need to work up two more is is the spell count a running tally? Just curious.
Sorry for responding this late, but I had completely missed your question.
If you submit five spells and then three more at a later date, no, you dont have to come up with two more.
Five is the minimum per name. Feel free to come up with as many ideas as possible, the more the merrier! :)
If picking spells that exist in the 3.5 SpC, do you need/require new names for them to avoid copyright issues?
Please don't copy spells that already exist in official wotc books (or any other d20 book for that matter). You can let yourself be inspired, but please don't copy anything. I need these spells to be as original as possible.
Please don't copy spells that already exist in official wotc books (or any other d20 book for that matter). You can let yourself be inspired, but please don't copy anything. I need these spells to be as original as possible.
Hmm, it seems unlikely that you're going to get many spells that aren't at least, part rip-off's, of existing material seeing how in 3.5 WotC and others totally flooded every possible money making avenue [spells included!].
For example, if I were to suggest the following...
Divine Protection
1st level Cleric [Abjuration]
You gain an insight bonus of +2 to all your saving throws.
Divine Protection, Mass
3rd level Cleric [Abjuration]
One target per caster level within 30ft. gains a +2 insight bonus to all saving throws.
All I've actually done is copy but re-name [and balance] the Conviction spell from SpC.
Would these spells be acceptable?
I shall dig through my list...
If you rename the spell, and if you make the language 90% your own, and even tweek a mechanic or two, then I'm sure that you are safe, because you are absolutely right, it's not easy to come up with all new spells. But if you do all those things, then I wouldn't say that you ripped off anything, I would say that you let yourself be inspired by another source.
[Please make sure to note the original source in your submission.]
I can't see any reason why these two spells shouldn't be acceptable.
On another note...
I've decided that all participants on the Spell Compendium Project, will receive an early playtest edition of the pdf, so that they can help me (and themselves) make the spells even better. Of course, if you don't have the time for such a playtest, feel free to... not do it.
If you have some specific design notes on the spells, please submit them with the spells. I intend to make sidebars (in the playtest edition) that feature some of the thoughts that went into the design process.
And then there's...
...the deadline, which I'm extending because of my computer crash! The deadline is now the 1st of May instead, which gives you a whole month extra to design spells in!
Make sure to send the spells to this email storyguide.axel@gmail.com and I will add them to the core document!
Hi guys,
just wanted to inform you that the next thirty days will be all about spells! I'm putting up previews on http://cityofmages.wordpress.com - so come join the project!
- Axel
By dead-tree edition, do you mean a print edition? If so, yes, I hope there will be, but honestly, it depends on how many people decide to participate.
I want this book to be as big as it can be, but I don't want quantity over quality. I'm looking for amazing interesting spells that will inspire gamers everywhere.
I'm hoping for a book of at least 160 pages, but we'll see how it turns out.
This is the first I've heard of this endeavor, and I wish it all the luck it needs.
Have you thought about making this a Patronage project? If you do, I'll definitely donate to the cause.
In many ways, you could definitely call this a (kind of) patronage project, only you don't pay to become part of the project and the final book isn't exclusive to you and the other patrons, however...
If you submit at least 5 spells that are accepted for the book, you get the chance to playtest the spells first.
You also get your name in the book, and a free copy of the final pdf! Oh yeah, and I even pay you for your spell-writing efforts.
The participants can even nominate 3 spells that they would like to see illustrated, and at least one of those WILL BE illustrated!
So if you want to participate, please start writing some spells!
Once I hit 100, I'll start working on the first playtest pdf! Oh yeah, and I'm getting close to this number..
- Axel
Headless Hydra Games
http://headlesshydragames.wordpress.com
http://cityofmages.wordpress.com
Axel,
I'm interested in this project. First, though, if I submit some spells to you, will you want exclusivity or can I publish them elsewhere?
Well, I certainly plan on making all these spells open game content, meaning that they can be published elsewhere, afterwards, if others find them useful. I'd expect exclusivity until published by Headless Hydra Games, of course.
- Axel
Well, I certainly plan on making all these spells open game content, meaning that they can be published elsewhere, afterwards, if others find them useful. I'd expect exclusivity until published by Headless Hydra Games, of course.
- Axel
Okay. That just limits what I can send you. I have a small book of spells planned myself, that will be open content. Technically, you'd be able to scoop those up, too, after publication. 8^>
Ok..one arm load of spell heading your way. Let me know if you need any more editing, etc
Once I hit 100, I'll start working on the first playtest pdf! Oh yeah, and I'm getting close to this number..
How close are we now?
We are so close that I will begin working on the pdf this very weekend! So if you want to get aboard the Spell Compendium project... now's your chance!
The first pdf will probably contain between 110-130 new (and highly original) spells...
- Axel
Headless Hydra Games
http://cityofmages.wordpress.com
I've collected a lot of really cool spells, all edited and ready for the first round of playtest, now I just have to actually find some time for the pdf creation...
Also, Adam Denton is hard at work on the cover, which will feature a really cool dual of spellcasters... a nature wizard fighting a necromancer.
I'm hoping to have this project finished by the beginning of august.
Thanks for taking an interest guys, oh and do submit your best spells if you haven't done so yet!
- Axel
Agh, found this too late! Are you still accepting spell submissions?
I am!
I will be accepting spells all the way up to a month before before publication, although you have to be fast to make it for the first round of playtesting! :)
Well, first edition of the Spell Compendium project is ready to go out to the contributors... this is Playtest Edition I. This pdf contains 148 spells, most of which are highly unique.
Does this mean that it is too late to contribute? Nope, if you have some cool unique spells that you'd like to share with the world, please send them to me at storyguide.axel@gmail.com
I'm already working on a second (smaller) playtest pdf (Playtest Edition II)!
- Axel
Headless Hydra Games
http://headlesshydragames.wordpress.com
Brekkil, I hereby swear that my submission was in by the end of April... 11:59 PM in fact... at least in my time zone. ;) (Your in Denmark, right?)
Sorry I'm so late to the game, but I didn't even know about your project until a mere 3 days ago! (That's nobody's fault but mine, though...) Thanks for the opportunity and I hope you have some great material!
Keep us updated!
Chris,
I've seen the playtest doc, and yes, he has some great material. I can't wait for the finished product!
Q