Why I Will Have Fewer Community Created TTRPG Products Coming Out

Readers who've been following my release schedule have likely noticed a pattern for the past few years. I usually come out with two releases in any given month, and the first will either be a system or genre-generic supplement (like my recent 100 Body Mods and Augments For Your Sci Fi Game), and the second release will be something for an existing TTRPG setting made using a community content platform (like this week's recent release 100 Mediums, for use in the Chronicles of Darkness setting).

Seriously, check it out if you haven't yet!

Generally speaking, I've been doing things this way for years now as a way to stop my brain from getting too stuck in any particular rut. Some changes have been going on behind the scenes at Azukail Games, though, and I wanted to take a moment to make folks aware of them.

Before I get into the details, though, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! To be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Also, since it keeps getting lost in the shuffle, check out my Vocal archive for more articles about RPGs, character conversions, character concepts, weird history, nerdy topics, and more!

Costs and Earnings

No one makes a good living writing for TTRPGs; if you are part of this niche publishing community, at least 60% of the reason is because you love RPGs. To put that into a numbers perspective, a general, professional rate of pay for a writer is usually considered between 4 and 6 cents per word, though some have said that should be up to 8 cents per word due to inflation. There are few RPG companies who can afford to pay that rate, and I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've earned that much (Paizo and Storm Bunny Studios top the list, for those who are curious). Often times RPG writers will be offered 1 cent per word, half a cent per word, or in a lot of cases no up-front pay at all, and just a portion of the sales of the product.

And though I've quoted this number before, roughly 80% of products that go up on Drive Thru RPG don't even move 50 copies. So it's very possible that you could spend weeks to months jamming out word count on something, only to receive $5 and a hearty handshake for all your work.

I've been there more than once.

To re-iterate something that a lot of my readers miss, I do not own or run Azukail Games; I am merely a contributor there. I receive a percentage of sales on my supplements as a royalty, and I receive an up-front fee as well. Up until recently this was 1 cent per word... but recently this increased to 2 cents per word for all supplements that aren't part of a community creation platform.

This leaves me with a choice as a creator, but it's one I want my audience to understand, and to be aware of.

Because I've put out a lot of community content over the past several years. From World/Chronicles of Darkness supplements, to Pathfinder Infinite pieces, to a few Call of Cthulhu splats (like my recent 100 Gangsters, Gun Molls, and Goons NPC list for games set in Arkham during Prohibition), it's at least 25% of my total archive of gaming products. And I'm not saying that I won't ever pen another supplement for these platforms... but given how expensive everything around us is getting, it is asking a lot for a creator to take a 50% pay cut to work on that kind of content.

Unless, that is, the creator is making up the costs on the back end.

This is where that royalty payment comes in...

Numbers talk in the publishing world, and when things get noticed it's more likely that those product lines are going to get expansions and extensions. So whether you want to see more of my WoD/CoD supplements, more Pathfinder Infinite products, or even more Call of Cthulhu stuff, the best way for you to help make that happen is to get a copy of them for yourself (they're only a couple of bucks, after all). And if you've already bought a copy, leave a review on DTRPG, Storyteller's Vault, or Pathfinder Infinite, and share the link on your socials so that other people can see the supplements you like. I'm doing everything I can to move copies as a creator, but user reviews are far more effective than even my best sales pitch out in the wilds of social media.

And, of course, the more sales something has, the more metal badges it earns, which ranks it higher and higher in the site's algorithm, which means more people are likely to see it going forward. So if you are one of those folks who wants to help make it tenable for me to keep making supplements on these platforms, consider checking out what I have already:

- Storyteller's Vault Products (38 supplements)

- Call of Cthulhu (2 supplements)

- Pathfinder Infinite (2 supplements & 1 short story)

Those are, of course, just a sample of the 161 total products I have on DTRPG (as of time of writing, at least). And though I've said this before, I feel it's important to repeat this for anyone who hasn't heard it yet... my publisher pays attention to our numbers. When supplements get a lot of interaction, a lot of sales, notable positive reviews, etc., it becomes much easier to get more supplements like those approved. So if you see something you like, and you want to send me a message to make more of it, please do your part to help me reach fresh eyes, and new plateaus... because that is how decisions get made in publishing.

Also, Speaking of New Games...

While we're on the subject of games, audience reaction, and sending a message about what you want to see more of, my first full TTRPG "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" is available for pre-order on BackerKit! It made the funding goal on Kickstarter, but we didn't smash it hard enough to guarantee expansions, future supplements, and so on. If you want to help make sure that happens, though, consider pre-ordering your copy today, and telling your friends about this game.

And if you missed it when I was talking non-stop about Army Men, check out some of my earlier posts about it below!

- Under The Hood With "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic": A 5E Game With a Lot of Tactical Add-Ons

- What's Next For "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" After The Kickstarter?

We need all the support we can get!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, my dystopian sci fi thriller Old Soldiers, or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Where Would You Like To See "The Irregulars" Return in Golarion?

At any given time I've got maybe a dozen different projects spinning around my work desk. From articles and blogs, to TTRPG supplements, to videos, audio dramas, and more, I generally keep things pretty busy on my end. However, one of the shifts that I made during the recent uncertainty regarding the OGL was that I started putting together some more ideas for Pathfinder Infinite content... and while doing that, an idea that I've been hemming and hawing over for a while came back to me.

In short, I'd like to get the team back together, and redeploy The Irregulars into Golarion. If I did, where would you like to see them go next?

Seriously, check it out if you haven't yet!

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Who Are The Irregulars?

My first professional writing credit as an RPG creator was a short story for Paizo's Pathfinder Tales titled The Irregulars, which is now available on Drive Thru RPG. Described as the best and the brightest of the bottom of the barrel, this squad of irregular troops specialize in sabotage, ungentlemanly warfare, impossible missions, and disruption on a scale that far exceeds their numbers. Outcasts and rebels from the ranks of Andoran's armed forces, they were given one last chance to prove themselves... and they took to the freedom of their new task with gusto!

In short, they're kind of my fantastical take on the A-Team.

We could be anywhere. Anytime. Sleep well.

I really enjoyed writing their debut adventure (the start of a campaign of sabotage in Molthune, suggested to me by James Sutter, who was head of fiction at the time), and ever since the story came out I've wanted to more with Garm, Trilaina, Chaplain, Gunner, and their half-mad commander Lieutenant Sturgeon Hook. I never really did more work for Paizo at the time, though, and response to their original tale wasn't overwhelming enough to talk about a novel for them at the time. Thanks to the existence of Pathfinder Infinite, though, I could call the squad out of retirement, and send them off to do what they do best once again!

My question for you, dear readers, is where would you like to see the Irregulars causing mayhem this time? Should they go into Isger, trying to do what they can to pry the fingers of Cheliax off the thrall state's throat? Should they infiltrate the Shackles to retrieve information, or possibly a person, important to Andoran? Does one of the gray corsairs call in a favor, getting the squad to hit a location on Stonespine Island to free a group of slaves?

My ears are open... so leave a comment down below regarding where you would like to see the squad deployed. Because if folks want to see them come back, mayhem will quickly ensue!

Of Course, There Are Other Options As Well...

While I'm really excited about the idea of a novella about this squad, I understand that might not be everyone's cup of tea. However, if military fantasy set in Golarion doesn't strike you, what other kinds of stories would you care to see? Gothic romances in the style of Ailson Kindler? Heroic epics featuring small parties of heroes? Urban fantasy where elven private eyes have to match wits with skinwalker gang lords and hobgoblin loan sharks in the City at The Center of The World?

Cause I've got some ideas for those, as well.

And if you're looking for some free samples of my stories set in Golarion thus far, check out The Silver Raven Chronicles, the (albeit unfinished) tales of my group's run through the Hell's Rebels adventure path.

- Part One: Devil's Night

- Part Two: From The Ashes

- Part Three: The Raven's Nest

- Part Four: Circles in Salt

But maybe Golarion isn't a setting that really draws your interest... well, what about the World of Darkness? Because as I mentioned back in Stories of Sundara, Tales of The World of Darkness, and More!, I've been actively trying to build a jumping off point out of some of the flash fiction appearing in my World/Chronicles of Darkness supplements. Because while the anthology Tales From The Moot for Werewolf: The Apocalypse was met with a somewhat mixed response, I figured that changing things up might get readers' attention.

Would you like to see a novella, or even full novels, set in the World of Darkness or Chronicles of Darkness setting? Or would you prefer a podcast series with a team of readers acting out the audio drama, like you see on the Azukail Games YouTube channel where I put shorts like the one above? Regardless of which of those you prefer, which sphere of the game would draw you most? The beautiful madness of Changeling: The Lost? The weird lines of life and death of Geist: The Sin Eaters? Do you want to hear or see Mage done some justice, or do you feel like Promethean really deserves a moment in the spotlight?

Again, toss a comment below if this sounds like something that would interest you... of course, subscribing to the channel would also send a message to my publisher that people have their ears open for that kind of project going forward.

As a final option, though, I've also been building some other universes. There are several Sundara stories in the various splat books for the setting, and most of those have been dramatized on the Azukail Games YouTube channel as well. Then there's the sci-fi shorts, like the story above, that folks have been telling me I should weave into a more cohesive narrative in a future timeline... either for Sundara in the space age, or for another sci-fi setting all its own.

While Legacy of Flames by Isaiah Burt was the first Sundara novella to be released, I'd be more than happy to pen my own if folks wanted to hear stories of my setting from my perspective as the creator. Or if you're more of a listener than a reader, I could expand the audio efforts I've been putting forth to make bigger, longer projects in a serial format. Once Azukail Games gets the channel monetized, at least, and such efforts would generate ad revenue, in addition to getting more people interested in the setting as a whole.

Let Me Know What You Want To See!

I'm in something of a unique position right now. There was a big gap created by Wizards' OGL power grab, and I'm faced with either going back to the projects I had planned, or going off in a new direction. I won't lie, the idea of writing more stories, and building stronger fiction for any of the settings and worlds I mentioned above, would be a lovely breath of fresh air in my workload. Most of the time I'm just making one list, one setting splat, or one species adaptation after another, and it does tend to get a little dull after 2-3 years.

But living under late capitalism, I can't just decide to make something new. I need to make sure my readers are coming with me, and they're going to support that endeavor going forward. So please, leave your thoughts in the comments, or get at me on social media (links below in case you don't follow me already)! I'm looking forward to building something new, and I want as many folks in on the ground floor as I can find.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Daily Motion channel!. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Taking a Stab At Pathfinder Infinite (Would You Like to See More?)

As a lot of my regular readers know, the Pathfinder Infinite platform came online in late 2021. And at the time I said I had a couple of ideas I'd like to publish on it assuming progress was made regarding the ugliness that had come to light regarding Paizo's treatment of workers. And since Paizo's employees now have a union, and the company seemed to support rather than fight those efforts, I figured it was time for me to make good on that tease I'd put out.

And though 150 Sights To See (And Rumors To Hear) in Absalom dropped this past weekend, I wanted to pull back the curtain a bit to let folks know what's going on, and how they can help keep the wheels moving.

Because I can't do this one alone.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Do Readers Want Me To Add More To Golarion?

In case some readers are confused, I'll catch you all up to speed. Pathfinder Infinite is a community use platform that lets independent and 3rd-party creators make content set in the world of Golarion (the base setting for the Pathfinder RPG), and which uses Paizo's intellectual property (as long as the project obeys all the appropriate rules set forth by the company). So rather than just making generic content that could be used with the Golarion setting if one wanted to (like my supplement 100 Random Bandits to Meet), or creating content that uses the Pathfinder rules system but which is part of an independent setting (like Gods of Sundara for my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting), I can just explore parts of Golarion that I enjoy, but which haven't gotten the attention that I feel they should have.

Like this one.

My supplement, 150 Sights to See (And Rumors To Hear) in Absalom is actually the second Pathfinder Infinite supplement that's been released by Azukail Games. The first was 100 Rumors and Hooks To Hear in (or About) Magnimar, and it came out a few weeks previous. However, the issue that we've run into is that neither of these two supplements has been a particularly noteworthy success. In fact with slow sales and the cost of splitting profits for the community-use platform, it seems like Pathfinder Infinite just isn't a great investment when taking these two products as examples of what one can expect.

However, I didn't want to just shrug my shoulders and walk away. As someone who contributed to Paizo products in the past, I felt this would be a solid opportunity to get some of my own ideas out for the setting that I'd never had a chance to before... but for that to happen, I need the folks out there playing these games to come along for the ride.

Because on the one hand, it's possible there just aren't a lot of people playing Pathfinder anymore. On the other hand, it might be that there are lots of players, but they don't use the Golarion setting for their games. It might be that the type of supplement just isn't what folks want, and they'd prefer something more mechanical like fresh archetypes and prestige classes, modules to play through, or lists of world-specific NPCs they might meet while traversing the setting. Or maybe there are a lot of GMs out there who want lists of weird sights and side-quest worthy rumors, but they'd prefer to find them in Varisia, or Ustalav, or one of the other nations or cities we didn't actually cover yet.

There's a lot of possibilities here, is what I'm saying.

So if you're reading this, and you would actually like to see me put out some stuff for use in Golarion proper, there are two things I'd like to ask you to do.

- Leave a comment (either here or on social media) with the kind of supplement you would be most interested in seeing in the future.

- Help boost the signal on 150 Sights to See (And Rumors to Hear) in Absalom and 100 Hooks and Rumors to Hear in (or About) Magnimar. Consider sharing them on social media, or getting copies for yourself and leaving reviews once you've read through them.

The reason I'm asking my readers to do this is, first of all, I want to make sure that folks get the content from me they want. All that talk about following your interests and drive as a creator makes for good sound bites, but at the end of the day I want to make sure there's actually a desire among my fellow players for the stuff I'm putting together. Secondly, the best way to get my publisher to agree to let me keep going down a particular vein of content is to prove there's a paying market for it. They want to sell copies, I want to sell copies, and if the stuff we produce for Pathfinder Infinite just stalls out and doesn't sell, then the company just won't sign off on further Pathfinder Infinite projects in the future.

Most products on Drive Thru RPG don't even sell the 50+ copies you need to hit Copper status, let alone the 100+ copies you need to hit Silver status, but I've had a really good track record with my Azukail Games releases. I feel confident in saying that if we can push one, or even both, of these supplements up into Copper territory, that would be enough of a sign of gamer interest to get approval for at least a couple more ideas.

So if you're not done playing in Golarion yet, and you want to see what dark corners of the world I'd like to explore, take a few moments and help me spread the word so we can build up some momentum!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Pathfinder Infinite (And Other News Involving Paizo)

For those folks who unplugged themselves recently, there's been a lot of big news going on. The one that a lot of people are focusing on is the announcement of Pathfinder Infinite (and Starfinder Infinite as well, if that's your thing). In short, after years and years of steadfastly going things on their own, Paizo seems to have finally decided to get on the community creation bandwagon along with Onyx Path, Wizards of The Coast, and a lot of other developers out there.

So what does this mean, exactly?

Before we get into the nitty gritty details of how this is going to affect not just me, but other creators out there, take a moment to sign up for my weekly newsletter if you haven't already. And since my blogs basically run on the contributions of readers like you, consider becoming a Patreon patron if you haven't already!

How Does Community Content Work? What About The OGL?

For folks who aren't sure what's going on, I'll begin at the beginning. A community content platform is when a gaming company allows creators to use their intellectual property under the rules they set forth, typically with a royalty/profit split between the creator and the company. So if you wanted to put together an adventure set in, say, Ravenloft or the Forgotten Realms you could publish it through DMs Guild which is the platform for Dungeons and Dragons. Alternatively, if you wanted to put together a book expanding on the Hedge in Changeling: The Lost (such as my recent releases 100 Strange Sights to See in The Hedge as well as 100 (Mostly) Harmless Goblin Fruits and Oddments to Find in The Hedge) then you could publish that piece through Storyteller's Vault.

And once this project is up and running you'll be able to publish similar content using Golarion and its surrounding solar system with both Pathfinder and Starfinder content.

Yes, yes, the Open Game License, that's next.

For those of you not familiar with it, Pathfinder as well as Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (and 3.5 and 4th Editions as well, to the best of my knowledge) are written under an Open Gaming License. This means that the mechanics, the systems of the games are open to anyone who wants to use them for their own worlds, settings, RPGs, etc. It's why I can put out something like my recent Species of Sundara: Dwarves book for both Pathfinder Classic and DND 5th Edition without even once worrying about getting sued over them, or having to share my profits with anyone. Because nothing in those books uses the intellectual property of either Paizo or Wizards of the Coast, even though they use the mechanics of both Pathfinder and DND 5E respectively. Because those things were basically open for anyone to use already.

So if you can use the mechanics freely, then why would anyone sign up for the platform where you have to split your earnings with the company who holds the intellectual property, and follow all the rules they set out for what you can and can't do with it?

The short answer is money. The longer answer is because it's a lot easier to get people interested in a new contribution to a property they already know and like than it is to get them completely invested in a new property they've never seen or played around in before. So while you might get some people to check out your completely unique fantasy setting where you get to keep all the profits of those sales, you're likely to make far more sales using a setting they already know, love, and probably have campaigns and characters active in. And so those increases in number of sales more than makes up for splitting your royalties with the company who holds the intellectual property you're being allowed to use.

But What About That "Other" News?

Again, for those who haven't been paying attention recently, you may not have heard about the other news story involving Paizo of late. In short, Jessica Price dropped a lot of accusations about scandalous behavior that other creators and freelancers have stepped forward to confirm (at least in part) in the week or so since it's come out.

I'd advise folks to read the thread in its entirety, but a lot of it is going to feel very familiar if you've been following revelations like this from big companies in general, and gaming companies in particular. We've got the classics like bullying female employers, management entrenching itself against progressive ideas and stifling voices from POC creators, not paying people who actually created the product enough to live on while hoarding profits for the higher-ups... but there are some I didn't expect. Not cleaning the office to the point that it was a health hazard for employees wasn't on my bingo card, nor was the weird obsession with Victorian occultism that led to... problematic discussions, to say the least.

Huh... didn't expect that one.

This puts a lot of us in a bind, creatively and professionally. Because on the one hand it's an opportunity to make the content we never had the chance to before (I would very much like to write sequels to The Irregulars, for example, since I was only ever allowed to write a single tale for the squad, and I had more adventures planned for them), and it would allow creators whose voices may not have been heard before to step up. This could allow a lot of us to make the setting genuinely more diverse, without meddling from management and higher-ups who (according to accusations, at least) often tried to rein those efforts in. On the other hand, that profit split means that everything sold through the platform puts money right back into Paizo's pockets as a company.

I can't speak for any other creators, as I haven't had any in-depth conversations with anyone on this subject yet. However, as folks have pointed out, a lot of the individuals accused of bad behavior at Paizo no longer work for the company. However, that doesn't let them off the hook for the accusations that prove true. Generally speaking I want to see things change (both at Paizo, and at companies in general) and for problems like these to be fixed so that I am not supporting bad faith and negative behavior. I'd like to be a part of making a gaming company whose products I like better and more profitable, but only if that company is going to treat its creators well, and not try to drag itself backward into all the -isms we've worked so hard to undo, shrug off, and cut away over the years.

So, while I'm still tentatively excited about the potential opportunity Pathfinder Infinite presents, I'm not going to sweep aside my other projects to jump right on it any time soon. The dice are still rolling, and I hope they come up good... but we'll just have to see how that turns out before I put my nose on this particular grindstone.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!