Sean Merwin

And it's very easy to say, we'll put all the things in it. But Teos, as you know, having done work in this industry before, that ignores the reality of limited budget, limited page count, limited resources, time, all of that. So we can't put all the things in. So let's assume that we have a typical audience for this project and their needs, not a special niche audience.

Let's assume that we don't have to teach the core rules for this campaign guide. So the players, the game master will have whatever the core rule set is. Assume we don't have to teach the game masters how to game master. Generally speaking, although that we may want to give them tips about GMing a particular campaign, set up by this guide.

Let's assume that we don't have to teach the core rules for this campaign guide. So the players, the game master will have whatever the core rule set is. Assume we don't have to teach the game masters how to game master. Generally speaking, although that we may want to give them tips about GMing a particular campaign, set up by this guide.

And let's assume about 300 pages to present this campaign guide. I already have an opinion. All right.

And let's assume about 300 pages to present this campaign guide. I already have an opinion. All right.

Oh, absolutely. So let's go through a list. Let's give some opinions here. So we'll start with what should definitely be included in the campaign guide. And I'm going to alternate. We'll alternate what we think and veto if necessary. Sounds good. So I'm going to start with the pitch. Okay. We need to have the pitch. What is this campaign? Why are we making it?

Oh, absolutely. So let's go through a list. Let's give some opinions here. So we'll start with what should definitely be included in the campaign guide. And I'm going to alternate. We'll alternate what we think and veto if necessary. Sounds good. So I'm going to start with the pitch. Okay. We need to have the pitch. What is this campaign? Why are we making it?

How is it the same or different from other possible campaign guides for this particular game? What do you think?

How is it the same or different from other possible campaign guides for this particular game? What do you think?

Yep. And there was that list. It might have been in the Dungeon Master's Guide that were like, is your world steeped in magic or is it low magic? Is it points of light or is it highly populated, right? And you could put that on a continuum. And they had five or six different things where you could do that. And that could be part of what you say there as the key aspects.

Yep. And there was that list. It might have been in the Dungeon Master's Guide that were like, is your world steeped in magic or is it low magic? Is it points of light or is it highly populated, right? And you could put that on a continuum. And they had five or six different things where you could do that. And that could be part of what you say there as the key aspects.

Yep. What do you think then about what players should know versus what the game master should know in terms of the pitch?

Yep. What do you think then about what players should know versus what the game master should know in terms of the pitch?

Okay. So we've got the pitch. Mm-hmm. I posit then something else you need is the world. Whether that is the physical map and the description, whether that's cultural, whether it's economic, you need to have a physical space where the characters can be from, can adventure in, can look toward, can go through, can go to. What do you think about that?

Okay. So we've got the pitch. Mm-hmm. I posit then something else you need is the world. Whether that is the physical map and the description, whether that's cultural, whether it's economic, you need to have a physical space where the characters can be from, can adventure in, can look toward, can go through, can go to. What do you think about that?

Yeah, and if you go too big, or I shouldn't say too big, if you go larger, what you then need to do is differentiate this area from this area. And when you do that, you either A, risk just being repetitive, or B, you have to have a different tone, you have to have a different thing, a different focus, which then can dilute a setting to the point where your pitch becomes irrelevant.

Yeah, and if you go too big, or I shouldn't say too big, if you go larger, what you then need to do is differentiate this area from this area. And when you do that, you either A, risk just being repetitive, or B, you have to have a different tone, you have to have a different thing, a different focus, which then can dilute a setting to the point where your pitch becomes irrelevant.

Because if you pitch this sort of thing and then change it to this sort of thing, you're already losing people who fell in love with the pitch to give them this extra stuff. So I agree with you completely. People love this encyclopedic thing that we saw with Greyhawk, but is it useful? Probably not in the long term.

Because if you pitch this sort of thing and then change it to this sort of thing, you're already losing people who fell in love with the pitch to give them this extra stuff. So I agree with you completely. People love this encyclopedic thing that we saw with Greyhawk, but is it useful? Probably not in the long term.

Now, one of the things I'm working on right now is strange hollow setting. And that is sort of the opposite. That is not you start here and you work out. It's this big, massive area of mystery that you're going into from the known into the unknown.