Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

Solomoriah wrote:They differ from the style of the game I started with. As such, I do not plan to change them.

I pretty much agree with all your points there. I like the format as it is now. The cool thing about having the Open Office/Libre Office files available along with the PDFs though is that we can all customize the layout and look as much as we like.

Regarding the subject of version 3.0, I think that simply fixing all errata would be more than enough.

I'm presently putting together a R76 release, which will correct at least some of the errata. Eventually I do plan to publish a 3rd Edition... but I'm in no hurry. There's just not that much wrong with 2nd Edition.

I'm not really in a hurry for a 3rd edition either. I have (i think) 3 copies of 1st edition and 2 copies of 2nd. I have given away most of my pdf printouts of the various editions and only have a couple of 2nd edition left. Those should last me a bit longer so I won't need to print out anymore if there is a 3rd edition in the future.

Personally, I would like to see a new release with updated errata and such... but not a 'new edition'. I would rather that sort of energy be directed at the Field Guide or something similar such as a Magic Compendium (spells, items, subclass/specialists, familiars, etc). An effort to make a new edition just seems like a lot of work for little real material change from what exists right now.

The 3rd Edition will be basically what you are talking about. I increment the release number every time I put out a new release, but I increment the edition number only after a print release has been done.

The only optional rule from the supplements would be some of the additional armors from armor and shields (not so much the piecemail armor.

APPEARANCE and LAYOUT
Use the Gentium font - A very nice and readable font that works well with the game's fantasy theme.
Put commentary in text boxes - Put things like tips, comments, and ideas in neat and handly little text boxes on the sides of pages.
Include more art - There should be at least one decent drawing every couple of pages.

FLUFF and CONTENT
Include equipment packs - I really like that supplement and would be pleased to see its contents in the core book.
Have a party of sample characters and a nice sample adventure - So that you can skim the rules and then start playing in less than half and hour.
Include more monsters - My players don't want to run out of things to fight. I would like to see all the monsters you currently have in the bestiary, as well as some beasties from the 1e Fiend Folio and some f your own invention. I want demons. Lots of demons.

SYSTEM and RULES
Make prime requisites more important - fighters benefit from having a high strength, but other classes should be better at what they do if they have a high primary statistic.

josha wrote:APPEARANCE and LAYOUT
Use the Gentium font - A very nice and readable font that works well with the game's fantasy theme.

Sorry, not happening. Many people have suggested changing the font, and I'll admit that I don't really like Souvenir-type fonts all that well... but the game just does not look right in any other font.

josha wrote:Put commentary in text boxes - Put things like tips, comments, and ideas in neat and handly little text boxes on the sides of pages.

I HATE those things. I'm not writing a magazine... it's a rulebook. If the organization is old-school, well, so is the game.

josha wrote:Include more art - There should be at least one decent drawing every couple of pages.

Why?

Ignoring for the moment the fact that I don't pay for art, and therefore am grateful for all I receive, what benefit would there be to wasting space on art I don't need? Other than necessary illustrations (like monsters), most of the artwork is there to make the pages come out even (which I succeeded at everywhere except in the monster section).

josha wrote:FLUFF and CONTENT
Include equipment packs - I really like that supplement and would be pleased to see its contents in the core book.

I don't think so. I don't want to give that supplement (which I do like) the weight of being "official."

josha wrote:Have a party of sample characters and a nice sample adventure - So that you can skim the rules and then start playing in less than half and hour.

If you buy the game in print, you can easily buy BF1 also; or, regardless of where you get the rules, you can download any of the existing modules to play. Besides BF1, I think JN1 has pregen characters. I did consider adding an adventure to the rules, but decided it doesn't fit my publication model (or, for that matter, my own preferences).

Add-ons like that are intended to help the buyer justify the purchase. Since it's all free, and you only purchase a print if you like what you've downloaded, I don't see the need to justify it.

Also, none of the short adventures I've received are sufficiently generic to be used in the core rules. I'd have to write something, and it would become large (because that's what happens when I write an adventure).

josha wrote:Include more monsters - My players don't want to run out of things to fight. I would like to see all the monsters you currently have in the bestiary, as well as some beasties from the 1e Fiend Folio and some f your own invention. I want demons. Lots of demons.

I'm considering adding some of the less strange monsters from the Field Guide to the core rules. In fact, I'd like to see nominations for this. But I don't want to go nuts with it. After all, if you want more monsters, you can download the Field Guide and print out what you want.

Also... any time someone asks for "more" of something, I feel obligated to ask "have you created anything you'd like to share?"

josha wrote:SYSTEM and RULES
Make prime requisites more important - fighters benefit from having a high strength, but other classes should be better at what they do if they have a high primary statistic.

This has been discussed, and I'm not against it. In fact, I'd like to see suggestions for exactly how to do that. However, pursuant to my previous statements, I don't want to add anything that invalidates previous versions of the rules. I never want to hear anyone complaining about the work involved in converting characters between editions... which means, I never want to give them call to do so.

Solomoriah wrote:I'm considering adding some of the less strange monsters from the Field Guide to the core rules. In fact, I'd like to see nominations for this. But I don't want to go nuts with it. After all, if you want more monsters, you can download the Field Guide and print out what you want.

josha wrote:SYSTEM and RULES
Make prime requisites more important - fighters benefit from having a high strength, but other classes should be better at what they do if they have a high primary statistic.

This has been discussed, and I'm not against it. In fact, I'd like to see suggestions for exactly how to do that. However, pursuant to my previous statements, I don't want to add anything that invalidates previous versions of the rules. I never want to hear anyone complaining about the work involved in converting characters between editions... which means, I never want to give them call to do so.

Solomoriah, I wonder if you would give us a list of things you'd be interested in looking at for this. You have two things here. Are there other things you'd be interested in?

Also, what counts as 'invalidating'? For example, when I read this, the first thing I thought of were spell bonuses for high INT / WIS. Is that the kind of thing you'd want to see?