One of the projects I am toying around with is a book of characters that aren't your average NPCs. Instead they would be individuals with colorful personalities and natures. They would would test boundaries of what a society may deem normal. For example, you may have a noble lady who is thought of quite highly due to her philanthropic charities yet there is an air of mystery because no one has ever actually seen her. Rumors abound that she is a prisoner in her own house or that she doesn't even exist at all.
At this point, I am leaning towards making the book systemless - no game stats at all, only descriptive and flavoful text about each individual.
Is this something that you could make use of? If so, what else would you like to see included?
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Steve Creech
DragonWing Games
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Grizzled ex-adventuring fighters who now run a bar/tavern/hotel.
Huckster/carpetbagger/fast talking sunuvagun selling snake oil potions.
Kindly priest/cleric/druid with dark secrets and hidden agendas.
Terrified vagabond with vague information about possible hidden invasion of evil/twisted/marauding whatevers.
Fiendish nobleman who ensnares hapless visitors to the region in colonial/territorial warfare against peaceful farmers/tradesmen/merchants.
Just my .02
A systemless book might as well be an internet thread with vague ideas.
I look at the ideas and then say "don't have time to stat it out".
Systemless products offer less than products dedicated to another game system. At least a 4e book might give me some quantified info, even if I was converting it to Pathfinder.
I'd prefer Pathfinder by a long shot of course but I really don't like systemless products. Unless you just want to share some ideas, in which case I'd be supportive.
Sigurd
Just my .02
A systemless book might as well be an internet thread with vague ideas.
I look at the ideas and then say "don't have time to stat it out".
Systemless products offer less than products dedicated to another game system. At least a 4e book might give me some quantified info, even if I was converting it to Pathfinder.
I'd prefer Pathfinder by a long shot of course but I really don't like systemless products. Unless you just want to share some ideas, in which case I'd be supportive.
Sigurd
+1
A good example of what I am thinking of can be found in Green Ronin's Bucaneers of Freeport supplement. The characters there have no game stats yet you still have an understanding of exactly how powerful they are and what classes you would likely apply to them if necessary. Not all NPCs need to have stats in my experience. But I also realize that others feel the need for stats. It may be that I wind up doing 2 books, one statless and one for Pathfinder depending on the response.
For every character presented, there would be an illustration of that character. An example of the kind of artwork that I would likely use can be found here: Renderosity Digital Art Community
I think having the characters presented at various points in their lives also helps.
Angelica the Rogue when she first started maybe level 6.
Then at level 11, she may be the leader of a thieves guild
At level 16, she may be using her political position as a member of the city council as a cover.
Now if people need ideas more than stats then creating a 6th, 11th, and 16th level rogue is also an idea.
A long time ago Inquest did some Monster from a couple of differnet movies, like aliens, the relic, and Predator. And they put three stat blocks in there for Ad&d, starwars, and World of Darkness. So the point, other then i remember random magazine articles form 10 years ago, is maybe you could put stats in there for a couple of different systems. Not sure if you will be able to but it would pretty cool,
Also even unstated I think it would be useful for story ideas so I would buy it.