Hello folks, I'm an experienced GM hoping to gain some more experience by writing modules. While I was going to begin writing modules for a world of mine that I'm not set to GM for a very long while, I noticed that a lot of people on these boards were calling out for modules that could easily be run using the Beginner Box set. Is there still a large demand for this? Who would all be interested in a few simple adventures and maybe a simple town or two to center them around?
In addition I need to know exactly what I am allowed to write and put up here. It is to my understanding that Paizo has taken down several links and posts due to copyright infringements. While I will be using mostly open gaming liscence components, I want to make sure that posting modules and such either on this site or my blogg will not cause trouble.
Also, how do I get an avitar picture? I can't seem to figure it out no matter how much I toggle.
I would be interested in modules that use the BB as reference. Right now I only use homebrew stuff or published modules.
Chief Technical Officer
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In addition I need to know exactly what I am allowed to write and put up here. It is to my understanding that Paizo has taken down several links and posts due to copyright infringements. While I will be using mostly open gaming liscence components, I want to make sure that posting modules and such either on this site or my blogg will not cause trouble.
Speaking in generalities:
It's ok to use our rules and other mechanics in products that you make for free or for profit. For details on that, see the OGL, which is included in every OGL product.
It's ok to use certain parts of our setting material in noncommercial products. For details on that, see our Community Use Policy.
It's not ok to use our trade dress, or do other things that might lead people to believe that you're making an official Pathfinder product—that's where a couple of people have had issues recently. Check both the OGL and the Community Use Policy for details on that.
In addition I need to know exactly what I am allowed to write and put up here. It is to my understanding that Paizo has taken down several links and posts due to copyright infringements. While I will be using mostly open gaming liscence components, I want to make sure that posting modules and such either on this site or my blogg will not cause trouble.Speaking in generalities:
It's ok to use our rules and other mechanics in products that you make for free or for profit. For details on that, see the OGL, which is included in every OGL product.
It's ok to use certain parts of our setting material in noncommercial products. For details on that, see our Community Use Policy.
It's not ok to use our trade dress, or do other things that might lead people to believe that you're making an official Pathfinder product—that's where a couple of people have had issues recently. Check both the OGL and the Community Use Policy for details on that.
With regard to the Community Use Policy, can you explain the intended scope of the clause:
."You may descriptively reference dialogue, plots, storylines, language, and incidents from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List at paizo.com/communityuse/products in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games."
Since, as I understand the document, this would only apply if the given campaign journal or play-by-post/play-by-email game were to be produced under the CUP (which, I would hazard to guess, none of them are, given the lack of compliance with the Usage Requirements). Thus, it doesnt seem to me to actually do anything.
I would be interested in modules that use the BB as reference. Right now I only use homebrew stuff or published modules.
I would also be VERY interested in adventures, but maybe on a slightly more advanced complexity then that presented in the BB. Those adventures were clearly--and understandably--written for young adults. I'd prefer adventures with just a LITTLE more meat on their bones.
Thank you very much Mr. Wertz. I appologize if I sounded abrasive in the post (after rereading it I can understand why one could get that impression) but I was really just trying to understand the rules. Thank you for the link =) I had a really hard time finding it for some reason.
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Chief Technical Officer
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With regard to the Community Use Policy, can you explain the intended scope of the clause:
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"You may descriptively reference dialogue, plots, storylines, language, and incidents from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List at paizo.com/communityuse/products in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games."Since, as I understand the document, this would only apply if the given campaign journal or play-by-post/play-by-email game were to be produced under the CUP (which, I would hazard to guess, none of them are, given the lack of compliance with the Usage Requirements). Thus, it doesnt seem to me to actually do anything.
Without that paragraph, it's pretty much impossible to create campaign a journal or play-by-post/play-by-email game without violating our policy. Further, the only place it's actually ok to *use* our dialogue, plots, storylines, language, or incidents is in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games produced under the CUP. (PbPs on paizo.com are exempt from having to state that they're produced under the CUP, but if you know of campaign journals and PbP/PbEs outside of paizo.com that violate the CUP requirements, feel free to point them here.
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Chief Technical Officer
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Thank you very much Mr. Wertz. I appologize if I sounded abrasive in the post (after rereading it I can understand why one could get that impression) but I was really just trying to understand the rules. Thank you for the link =) I had a really hard time finding it for some reason.
No worries... we're aware that it's a complex issue!
Steve Geddes: All posts technically belong to Paizo, so PbP need *something* to be able to be described.
I would also be VERY interested in adventures, but maybe on a slightly more advanced complexity then that presented in the BB. Those adventures were clearly--and understandably--written for young adults. I'd prefer adventures with just a LITTLE more meat on their bones.
By "Meat" do you mean a degree of maturity? Or do you just mean overall complexity in encounters and so on? While I myself favor more mature games I understand that many people who use the Beginner Box as a primary source are often GMing for younger players.
Also, would anyone know a good, open licence module format that I could use to make them more accessible?
Steve Geddes: All posts technically belong to Paizo, so PbP need *something* to be able to be described.
Ah, I see. I didnt realise that posting on paizo's forums was a de facto acceptance of the CUP (given most of the PBPs I've seen dont include the various Usage Requirements at any point).
Cheers.
Without that paragraph, it's pretty much impossible to create campaign a journal or play-by-post/play-by-email game without violating our policy. Further, the only place it's actually ok to *use* our dialogue, plots, storylines, language, or incidents is in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games produced under the CUP. (PbPs on paizo.com are exempt from having to state that they're produced under the CUP, but if you know of campaign journals and PbP/PbEs outside of paizo.com that violate the CUP requirements, feel free to point them here.With regard to the Community Use Policy, can you explain the intended scope of the clause:
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"You may descriptively reference dialogue, plots, storylines, language, and incidents from products listed in Section 1 of our Community Use Approved Product List at paizo.com/communityuse/products in campaign journals and play-by-post or play-by-email games."Since, as I understand the document, this would only apply if the given campaign journal or play-by-post/play-by-email game were to be produced under the CUP (which, I would hazard to guess, none of them are, given the lack of compliance with the Usage Requirements). Thus, it doesnt seem to me to actually do anything.
Cheers. I've just never seen a PBP include the "This [website, character sheet, or whatever it is] uses trademarks and/or copyrights owned by Paizo Publishing, LLC, which are used under Paizo's Community Use Policy...." notice. (I didnt appreciate that posting on paizo.com was granted an exemption to that).
Thanks for the clarification.
By "Meat" do you mean a degree of maturity? Or do you just mean overall complexity in encounters and so on? While I myself favor more mature games I understand that many people who use the Beginner Box as a primary source are often GMing for younger players.
I'm thinking specifically about maturity, both in tone and content. While there are a number of people using the BB to start games (with/for/by young adults), there's a fairly ravenous crowd of us who just LIKE the simplicity of the BB rules but want to tell Lovecraftian/Howardian/Moorcockian tales with those rules.
As an example, my cousin--who has never played D&D--is almost 30 years old. I intend to run an adventure for him very soon, using the BB rules because they're so easy to follow. However, there's pretty much no way I'm going to run the Blackfang adventure for him as written. It's too...kid-like...for a 30 year old. A more mature adventure would be preferred.
Sadly, I just. Plain. Suck. ...at writing my own adventures.
I'm sure Vic or someone will correct me if I'm wrong on that one Steve, but I'm...90% sure that's the case, without looking at the various applicable terms again.
Yeah, it sounds like you've got it right. I never knew that. (Not that it actually matters to me or anything, I'm just always curious about how legislation/deeds/contracts actually work).
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Personnaly what I was more looking for is some module who follow the first scenario in the BB and introduce some new rules as well. A module or campaign who does the transition to the full rules.
I believe 0one Games has a number of beginner box module, using some creative thinking to get past the fact that they can't reference the beginner's box.
If I did anything that was Beginner Box compatible I would do my best to keep the module within the resources of the beginner box while adding a few new items or a new monster here and there. I would not center it in Sandpoint, but I would have my own town or towns that you could easily place near sandpoint in your own world. For the most part I would keep the writing to the nit and gritty part of the adventure, the dungeon delve and such, as to give GMs maximum freedom.
In order to do any of this though I need to know how to fomatt modules, or rather how people like their modules formatted.
I believe 0one Games has a number of beginner box module, using some creative thinking to get past the fact that they can't reference the beginner's box.
Unless they've released the adventures when I wasn't paying attention, they've only got 1 out.
(To be honest) I wasn't impressed....not that it was bad, per se, just not my thing I guess.
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In order to do any of this though I need to know how to fomatt modules, or rather how people like their modules formatted.
Hi KDNash, I guess we have the same things on our minds. My recommendations regarding formatting would be to see what others are doing and start from there. I've been writing adventure modules for D&D flavoured games for a couple of years now and that has really helped me to define the format I use, but that will still change depending on what kind of adventure I'm writing.
While it's early days for me regarding getting an actual product out, I've just started contributing on Stuffer Shack's "Steal This Adventure" and I'd recommend it to you as a great place to refine your own style, or just to see what others are doing.
Good luck!
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So, I never would have thought for a second that I would write Pathfinder and Pathfinder Beginner Box adventures and see them published, but it looks like that might just become a reality fairly soon. I've been running PFBB adventures to my son and nephew and a few others, but that was it, until I contacted Antal Kéninger and Zoltán Bárány of Lord Zsezse Works to help them clean up their English on their website, pdf's, and Facebook. A littel while ago, I realized that with Lord Zsezse Works on maps, a good artist (and my friend, Stephen McAndrews, is definitely is a good artist), and some good adventure design on my part, we could actually do this.
I've talked with the Zsezse boys about turning their maps they've already created (especially their Zsezse's World maps and their Pirate and Ghost Ship and Harbor of Thieves maps.
Man, that's a helluva lot of links.
Anyway, as soon as we get the adventures done, I'll post something here. I'm really excited about Zsezse's World, because they've got 4 of the 12 maps complete. They're building this valley that is going to be insanely huge by the time they're done and I've seen their plans for the other 8 maps. I's going to be unbelievable. I've got it printed in color, and I keep looking at it, amazed by the sheer amount of work they're putting into it.
Each map is composed of 16 printed color pages, 6" x 8" per page. Multiply that by 12 differrent maps making up the valley, and you'll get an idea of how huge this thing is going to be. (Crap, I just did the math. I think it's going to end up being 8 feet by 8 feet!!!) And that's just the maps of the surface, not influding the additional pages of maps of what lies beneath the surface, in the case of caves or mines or dungeons, and what's above the surface, like houses, mills, farmhouses, and watchtowers. It has a mountain, mines, a mining community, a farm, forests, a hunter's house, a lumberjack's house, a mill, a forgotten tomb... and once I get my hands on it all, there is going to be some serious chaos going on.
I know this seems like an ad, but it's not. I'm just really excited about how cool this could end up being, and honored that I get to be a part of this I plan on having new monsters, new magic items, and hopefully, if I can talk Steve into doing the art, new tokens with every adventure pdf.
Whattaya think?
- Rebis
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Okay, I said that wasn't an ad, but the Lord Zsezse guys are having a sale because this weekend is their second anniversary. All of their bundles are discounted A LOT this weekend. Just look at the pretty pictures. Their maps are better than anything I've ever seen, and you can toggle 1" grids on and off as you want.
- Rebis