4 Tips For The Business Side of RPGs

Most of the time when I talk about making changes or additions to games on this blog, I'm talking about doing it around your table with your fellow players. However, this week I wanted to take a moment to talk to my fellow creators out there. Whatever it is you're working on, whether you've been in the game for a while or you're just sticking your toe into the market, please, keep these tips in mind. I have found that they prevent a lot of problems and frustrations that can occur when you just don't think about certain parts of the process.

Because getting stuff made is hard enough.

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But First, A Brief Announcement!

As of about fifteen minutes before I sat down to write this blog entry, my first Kickstarter for "Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic" just got funded! Hitting that minimum goal of 6k means the game is going to exist, and folks will be able to play it... but there's still 2 weeks left in the Kickstarter campaign, and 2 stretch goals we haven't hit yet. The first is a set of army green dice at 10k, and at 15k we unlock an ammo can that will carry your book, your dice, and a boat load of minis all in a single, easy-to-haul package.

We're taking aim at our next goal!

So if that sounds like something you definitely want to get in on, please help us reach those stretch goals today, and boost the signal if you've already backed, so we can get in front of as many eyes as possible!

Tip #1: Understand What Your Content is Meant To Do

This isn't as obvious as some might think.

Before you put a single word on to paper, you need to know what the purpose your particular game, supplements, etc., is meant to do. What need does it fulfill at a game table? What does it do that will get people (players, Game Masters, or both) to buy a copy of it?

Sometimes the answer to this is easy. For example, when I wrote 10 Fantasy Villages, the purpose of the supplement was to offer Game Masters some smaller villages, NPCs, plot hooks, maps, etc., so they had ready-made locations to put into the empty places in their worlds between big cities. The Curse of Sapphire Lake is a low-level module that combines DND with Friday the 13th, giving players a unique horror experience that's a little tropey, but also fun. Even something like 100 Merchants to Encounter was meant to expand the NPC list for Game Masters so that when players want to go shopping the GM doesn't have to make up entirely new merchants, and the types of wares they sell, right on the spot every time.

When you make content for RPGs, you're essentially creating tools. And for a tool to be functional, you need to understand the job it's meant to do.

Tip #2: Understand The Demand

You need this? Ah, I thought not.

You could invent the most brilliant, perfect tool for solving a particular need... but if that need isn't common, then there isn't going to be a lot of demand for that tool. Or, put in plainer English, your RPG content has to solve a problem, or provide enough value, that players or Game Masters are going to buy it.

Now, there's a lot of variability in this tip, so I'll try to cover as much ground as I can. Things that might affect your demand can include:

- What RPG system is this meant for? Game line specific content like 50 Geists for Geist: The Sin Eaters is going to have a narrow market of buyers, whereas something more generic like 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master could be used by any GM for any system, hugely increasing your potential audience.

- How expensive is this content? Getting someone to read a free article like the character concept for The Savage Monk is extremely easy, though difficult to make money off of. However, low-cost pieces like 100 Encounters in a Fey Forest (which is only $1.99) are often easy to get customers to buy as an impulse, even if they aren't certain they need/will use it. A full RPG game book ranging from $30 to $70, though, is a purchase that's a lot heftier, and which will be a harder sell overall.

- Does this do anything differently than existing content? This is often a question folks need to ask when they're making a game setting, but it applies to other types of content as well. If all your setting offers is a different map with different country names, for example, but it's got the same aesthetic, monsters, quests, etc., that your competitors have, then why should people use your setting instead of one from a different company? Or one they made themselves?

- Is this actually something people buy? The best example I have of this is adventure modules. While they're a product customers often request, and they're something every company seems to put out there, the numbers suggest they're actually one of the worst-selling products you can create. This is not to say you can't be successful with adventure modules (or any other product) but that the market is stacked against you for certain types of products.

Everything from what form your product takes, to what genre it's geared toward, to what games it can be used for, to how expensive it is, and even if it's digital-only or print-on-demand, factors into whether an audience will buy it or not. And while there is no possible way to be absolutely certain when something will or won't make a lot of sales, it's a good idea to try to test the wind to see if the thing you're going to make checks the right boxes.

Tip #3: Ask What It Will Cost To Make

You're not working for free, after all.

A mistake that a lot of people make when it comes to designing RPG content is that they don't view their own efforts, time, and energy as expenditures. Someone might say, "Well, it's a digital release, so there's no printing costs. And I wrote everything, so I don't have to pay an author. I did the layout using free software, and I used free stock art/art I made, so I essentially paid nothing for this, and everything I make is pure profit!"

In one sense, that's true. However, if you're designing game content as a business (or at the very least a side hustle that you want to grow), then you need to look at your bills, and what you need to earn. For instance, did it take you a month to make that supplement? Or 6 months to write that adventure? How about 2 years to write a full RPG? How much is your labor worth? What costs did you incur just to live over that time period?

This can get even more complicated once you start doing bigger, more involved projects where you do have to buy art, where you want to source unique miniatures, where you're getting books printed, and so on. All of those costs add up, and you need to be honest with yourself about what your game needs to earn back to be worthwhile. This number may look different for different people, but it's important to go through the numbers and to look at your margins.

As a good example, my Kickstarter for Army Men had a minimum goal of $6k. That was just to get the bills paid and the expenses covered so the game could exist, and be shipped out to all the backers. That initial funding level doesn't actually pay me for the 2 years it took me to write the game; my earnings come from pledges beyond that base amount. Same for the other contributors who receive a cut of the proceeds beyond that basic, out-of-the-red zone.

This is not a fun aspect of designing RPGs, but it is a necessary one. If you can't eat, or pay your electricity bill, it's going to be really hard to keep making stuff for your audience.

Tip #4: Ask How You Plan To Market It

There are so, SO many dice to roll on this...

I've said this before over on The Literary Mercenary, but most people who like writing books don't actually want to market them. I've found the same is largely true for RPGs and RPG supplements. Chances are that if you like writing these things, then you just want to be left alone to write them, and if money just magically appeared in your account you'd probably vanish off of social media entirely.

Sadly if you want to move copies you have to climb up on the soap box, and get people's attention.

The good thing is there are a lot of options for getting attention onto your game even if you don't have a budget. The bad thing is that basically all of these options are the equivalent of pulling the handle on a slot machine; it might work, it might fail, and just because you got one result last time it's no guarantee that's the result you'll get this time. But some of the things you can do include:

- Social Media Posts: Facebook, Reddit, MeWe, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram... whatever platforms you can get on, you should use them. However, it's not really a matter of asking which platform is best for you. You're basically going to have to use ALL of them to get your message out.

- Content Creation: Whether you're writing blogs about gaming, making YouTube videos of real plays or demos of your game, or doing something else entirely, this is a great way to drum up interest in your products. If nothing else you can sprinkle in links where they'll get in front of people's eyes (like I did for most of the article up to this point) treating them like land mines for readers to trigger.

- Interviews: Whether you get on podcasts or YouTube channels, anytime you can get a slot where you can talk directly to someone else's audience, that really helps you get your stuff in front of fresh faces. It might be tough, but if you build up a network of people to interview you then you'll become a regular guest in no time!

- In-Person Sales: Attending conventions takes time, energy, and money, but you can often get your badge paid for if you run games for an event. And if you run modules you wrote, or a game you created, that's a great way to give people a try-before-you-buy experience.

- Make More Games: There's a saying that the best ad for your current book is actually your next book. The same thing applies to RPGs and supplements. The more stuff you can make, the bigger the pile becomes, and the more likely people are to check out your older stuff when your new releases catch their eyes. Of course it also helps that your new releases can include a list of links to your other projects and products, much like how novels used to have an intro page that listed all of an author's previous works so readers who liked one book could more easily find others by the same writer.

- Buying Advertising: There's a lot of ways you can save on this early on to see if it works for you. Large social media sites like Facebook and Reddit will often give you credits to try out certain services, and if you're running a Kickstarter, or trying to get fresh eyes on a tough-to-market product, this is often a good time to grab those coupons, and put them to good use.

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!

Concealment is Worth Far More Than We Think (in Pathfinder)

There are dozens of different tactical considerations to keep in mind when it comes to an average combat in Pathfinder. From the effective range of an attack, to battlefield positioning, to which options an enemy is more likely to be resilient to, there are so many factors that it's easy to overlook one or two in the heat of the moment. For those looking to exploit an edge, though, concealment is something that doesn't get anywhere near as much love as it should.

As such, I figured I'd talk about it today.

Shhh... did you hear that?

What is Concealment?

The short version is that concealment is any effect that blocks line of sight, though not line of effect, to a target. It might be an enemy lurking in deep shadows away from party members who don't have darkvision, the blinding rain of a storm that hampers your ability to see, illusions that confuse where someone is or isn't standing, or something as simple as billowing smoke. Even heavy underbrush provides concealment to those lurking within it.

Which is particularly handy if people are throwing axes at you.

Mechanically speaking, concealment grants a 20 percent miss chance on attacks against a target (in melee their square has to be within an effect that provides concealment, and at range the attack simply has to pass through a square that provides concealment). And if you have line of effect to a target, but not line of sight, then they have total concealment, which creates a 50 percent miss chance.

If someone is standing on the edge of a fog bank so they're obscured but you can see them, that's 20 percent. If they're deep in the fog and you can't see them at all, that's 50 percent. Make sense?

Concealment does more than grant you a miss chance to attacks targeting you, however. An enemy cannot take an attack of opportunity against you if you have total concealment, for instance, and precision damage like sneak attack doesn't apply when total concealment is present. So even if you drop down among a team of human rogues, all it takes is a billowing cloud of smoke, or a blur effect, and their most potent weapon is immediately stripped from them. When you add in that concealment allows you to make Stealth checks, thus vanishing from an enemy's view and allowing you to surprise them on a subsequent round, concealment can be a potent weapon.

Getting The Most Out of Concealment

Concealment isn't exactly new to most players. After all, it's why so many of us play PCs who have darkvision; you don't want every single monster in the dungeon to get concealment from your archer when you go down into the underground tomb, after all.

Well, somebody's shooting at us. No I can't see who!

However, most of us only think of concealment as something we gain from a magic item like a cloak of displacement, or from temporary spells we activate in combat. Some of the most common methods of gaining concealment include:

- Smokesticks: A simple alchemical item, tossing one of these into a hallway, or in front of a door you just breached, can seriously impede enemy archers and spellcasters from picking out targets as you and your allies make your way inside.

- Eversmoking Bottle: A magic item that billows smoke until it covers an entire battlefield, this magic item is ideal for creating a literal fog of war to obscure your actions and deny the enemy the ability to accurately focus fire. Perfect when combined with abilities like Cinder Sight, or with magic items like a goz mask or fogcutting lenses.

- Darkness: A basic spell or spell-like ability, a single use of darkness is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you can move freely while your enemies without darkvision aren't so lucky. This doesn't often work against monsters and other creatures, but in settings where your primary foes are humans and other surface dwellers, it can be a life saver.

- Invisibility: Whether it's with vanish, invisibility, or other spells, rendering yourself unseen is perhaps the most common way to gain concealment.

There are two primary difficulties in creating concealment. The first is that not every method of concealment will work against every foe, so you need to be sure your strategy is going to function. The second is that you need to make sure your strategy will impede the enemy without hampering your allies.

And if you want to add a third difficulty in, creating concealment often takes your entire turn, meaning that you need to take your action to change the battlefield for the benefit of yourself and your allies.

Tactics, and Denying The Enemy Options

I've said it before, but too often players each want to be the point man. We all want to be the sword that strikes the death blow, or the arrow that brings down the enemy. However, denying the enemy the ability to harm you and your allies is just as useful, while often being far more important.

Now you see me, now you don't.

Take the scenario where a group of rogues have all ganged up on one party member. That party members doesn't have the actions to extricate themselves, and they'll draw several attacks of opportunity if they try. To make matters worse, there are precision archers focusing fire as well. Thinking quickly, an ally tosses out a smokestick. It fills the area with smoke, denying the rogues their sneak attack, but also allowing the ally to retreat without drawing attacks of opportunity. That automatically denies the enemy several d6 of potential damage, as well as other crippling effects that may go with the sneak attack damage. It cost the ally their action to provide that aid, but it provided a timely shield to a party member who may not have survived otherwise.

Alternatively, say the party cleric casts obscuring mist to grant their allies concealment against an enemy force while in a courtyard. An enemy spellcaster might summon up a wind to blow that concealment away, but doing so also ate up that enemy spellcaster's action, buying the party time they wouldn't otherwise have had.

These defensive measures aren't meant to be permanent... they're meant to waste the enemy's time and resources, while providing short-term protection to you and your allies.

Concealment will not solve all your issues, as there will be enemies with blindsight, tremorsense, true seeing, and no one trick is going to automatically work against every foe. The key is to make sure you have enough different strategies that no matter what you're facing you've got something you can pull out to help you and your allies snatch victory.

Lastly, at time of writing it's the 3rd Saturday of the month, which means that my new release from Azukail Games just dropped! So if you haven't had a chance to check out 100 Superstitions For a Fantasy Setting, take a moment to give it a look.

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.

If You're a Pathfinder Caster, Try Spell Tracker For Free!

I've been a Pathfinder player and DM for years, and I've seen a lot of players who like the idea of playing a spellcaster, but who simply cannot deal with all of the record-keeping involved with it. Whether it's the tome of potential that magi and wizards can wield, or the sheer volume of spells that clerics and warpriests can pray for, it's all a bit overwhelming. Even the "simpler" sorcerers and bards can be tough to track when you consider metamagic, rods, feats, and other abilities that may be added into the mix.

Whether you're someone who's looking for a tool to break through the wall, or you're a long-time caster main who'd just like a helping hand, I highly recommend trying out Spell Tracker as soon as possible.

Because once I get organized, it's over for all of you!

What is Spell Tracker?

The short version is that Spell Tracker is an app that does just what it says on the tin; it keeps track of the spells your character knows, the one's you've prepared that day, and it runs all the numbers for you regarding your saves, your attacks, your DCs, and all the fiddly little details that can be a pain to remember when the swords come out, and the magic starts flying. Most importantly, it shows you which ones you've cast, and keeps the full text and description of the spell at your fingertips so you never need to pause mid-combat to crack open a rulebook again!

Fail me some saves, boys!

Not only that, but Spell Tracker also keeps track of how many rounds your spells have been going on, giving you a clear image of which effects are enduring, and which ones are ending. When you add in that it can often act as an add-on for many existing character creation programs for Pathfinder, you've got an app that puts a lot of power in your hand, and which makes split-second casting decisions as easy as tapping your screen.

And if you're a fan of Improved Initiative, you can try the app out for free!

All you have to do is go to this special Spell Tracker link, and sign up! The first 10 people who sign up will get 3 free months, and everyone else gets 1 free month, as well as entry into a drawing for a free extension of their time with Spell Tracker Pro. Since so many of us are trying to keep our games alive, why not use a tool that really takes the guess work out of your casting?

Seriously, give it a try. You've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

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 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!

If You're A DM, You Should Get Your Hands On A Chase Deck

One of the biggest obstacles that a lot of dungeon masters deal with is that no one ever wants to run away from a fight. Part of it is that even when you're clearly outmatched, no one wants to turn their backs, but the other part is all the fiddly little mechanics of fleeing. Everything from your movement speed, to the terrain, to who goes where in the initiative order and what the enemy's speed is can make running away not even worth the effort.

That's why it's a good idea to keep a chase deck on hand.

You mount up and run for it... the orcs pile into their choppers and come after you!

What Is A Chase Deck?

A chase deck was something I first came across for Paizo's Curse of The Crimson Throne, and it is one of those tools I recommend every DM have on hand in order to keep the game moving forward when it's time to make a break for it. Simply put, it is a deck of cards that you can use to narrate a chase, and determine whether the PCs escape, or they get caught, through making a series of checks.

While there is some variation depending on the deck you use (whether you use Paizo's, another game company's, or you just make your own), the setup of a chase deck is pretty simple. You set out a number of cards, face down, in a straight line across the table. You put the party on one card at the far end, and their pursuers a little ways back (either on the card behind them, or two cards back if they got a head start). Everyone rolls initiative, and they act on their turns.

What happens is that you flip over the card the party is on, and there will be two checks on the card. A player can make either check, and advance to the next card, or they can make both checks to advance two cards. If they fail one check, that's their turn, but if they fail both checks then they're stuck for a turn. So there is a bit of strategy involved.

Can I make this jump? Did you forget how many monk levels I have?

While most of the checks on these cards will be skill-related, you'll come across some saving throws, some ability checks, and even the occasional attack roll. But each stage of the chase is placed in a certain context by the card it's on. For example, one card might say that you're running down a back alley, and you either need to make an Acrobatics check to jump the fence, or a Strength check to pry apart the boards. Alternatively, you might be fleeing down a mountain path, with the option to either make a Perception check to notice a shortcut, or a Climb check to scale the face and make better speed.

You get the idea.

The goal, of course, is to stay ahead of your pursuers, and to use your skill, your wits, and your powers to reach the end of the chase cards first. If you do, you get away. Fail, and the bad guys can re-instigate combat. Also, while your movement speed doesn't affect a chase scene (otherwise monks would just blow through it), you can often bring other powers and features into play. Whether it's favored terrain, spells, or even alchemist discoveries, there are all sorts of ways you can get an advantage when it comes to a chase that wouldn't normally show up in such a high-tension scenario.

While the Pathfinder chase deck from Paizo is a good place to start, you can also get chase decks centered around specific environments. The urban chase deck and the forest and jungle chase deck from Louis Porter Junior Games are ideal examples of what I'm talking about.

It Is For More Than Running Away, Too

While one of the major uses of a chase deck is PC escape, keep in mind they can flip the tables, too. If a bad guy wants to run away, don't just give them a fair escape. If the PCs want to give chase, then give them the chance. That way it feels like the big bad has to earn their way out of a fight, rather than dropping through a hole and swearing he'll be back to fight another day.

Additionally, if the PCs set off an alarm while they're sneaking into a fortress, or if they need to capture someone who flees across the rooftops, a chase scene is an easier way to handle that situation. It's clean, it's neat, and as far as mini games go it can be fun to break out on occasion.

Two pieces of advice for using a chase deck, though. First, while you can randomly shuffle the cards, you're often better off picking them in advance to make sure the obstacles you're getting make sense. Otherwise you get a mix of dense forest, inner city, and swamp scenes that can be disjointed and confusing. Second, don't use the deck too often. While it might seem like a fun little novelty, it can also greatly extend a scene or a combat, which eats into your game time. Consider how much time, effort, and investment goes into the chase, and make sure you don't kill your table's taste for it by serving a chase with every session.

That's all for this installment of Moon Pope Monday. Have you ever used a chase deck? Would you recommend it? If so, leave your preferences in the comments below!

Check out my Vocal archive for more of my work, or just go to my Gamers page to see only my tabletop articles. Alternatively, you could check out the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I help bring the world of Evora to life! To stay on top of all my releases, simply follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, to help support my work, consider either Buying Me A Ko-Fi as a one-time tip, or becoming a regular subscriber on The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. Either way, there's a load of free gaming swag in it for you!

Random Tables, Courtesy of Azukail Games!

As folks know, I tend to have a dozen different plates spinning at any given time. I run this blog, as well as my author blog The Literary Mercenary, for starters. I contribute articles to Vocal, and I help out on the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. I write short stories, novels, and on top of all that, I take on projects for a wide variety of clients.

One of those clients that I've been working with for a while now is Azukail Games. And given the sheer amount of stuff they have on the market, I thought I'd do my best to boost their signal, and let folks know what they can get their hands on.

Some of us need all the help we can get, after all.

So, What've You Got?

Well, I've been putting together lists for Azukail for a couple months now, so I figured I'd give you the links to those resources so you can check them out yourself. And, of course, you should feel free to shop around while you're there.

- 100 Miscellaneous Bits of Tat To Find: For when you want some fun loot that costs less than a gold piece. Available in both PF and 5E versions.

- 100 Pieces of Flotsam and Jetsam To Find on a Beach: If your party is wandering along the shoreline, here's a d100 worth of stuff they might come across. Available in both PF and 5E.

- 100 Random Oracular Pronouncements: This list can be meaningless, or you could build a whole arc around the symbolism in this one. System neutral.

- 100 Random Encounters in a Fey Forest: Fey are dangerous, and their territory even more so. This one is both in a system neutral and PF specific version.

- 100 Random Taverns: Because you always scramble for tavern names. So, why not have a list of them on-hand, complete with unique features, histories, and even a few NPCs? System neutral.

- A Baker's Dozen Pieces of Lore: Coming up with lore on the fly can be hard. So why not have some solid pieces at your fingertips to add some gravitas to your game? System neutral.

- A Baker's Dozen of Enchanted Volumes: You want more magic books? Well, here are a dozen of them. Meant to work with Pathfinder.

These are just a small sample of the products Azukail has available, and most of them don't cost more than a couple bucks. Some of them are less than a dollar! So if you've been looking for some fun DM aids to put a little more flavor into your game nights, give them a try! Or, if you just like content made by yours truly, check them out and see if you and I are on the same wavelengths.

Lastly, if you want a single place you can keep up with all my gaming supplements and books, I have boards dedicated to them on Pinterest now! So why not follow me, and never miss another drop?

That's all for this installment of Moon Pope Monday! I listed my usual side projects as the top this time, though, so if you'd like to stay up on all my updates, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Also, if you'd like to support Improved Initiative, then toss some change into The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. Or you could just Buy Me A Ko-Fi, that would work just fine as well.