Why not? Well, because there weren't any rules that said you couldn't store toxic waste in the crew compartment, either to pad the company's bottom line, or for any other reason.
That was when he dropped a phrase most people have likely heard somewhere before. "Every safety regulation you read, no matter how ridiculous, is written in blood."
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| This is not hyperbole in the slightest. |
While that might sound dramatic, it's true. Even if something seems like common sense to you, there's no guarantee someone will have the same thought process and experience that you do. Someone might not know any better, they might be more concerned with speed, or with profit, or they might be looking for any way to increase results.
And this is something I wish more game designers (and Game Masters) took to heart.
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!
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Even If It Seems Obvious, Write It Down
When you are making a game there are going to be times where you feel like something is super obvious. Whether it's explaining that yes, orcs can have children with elves, or no, a high roll on a Diplomacy skill does not give the player control of another character's actions, just because something seems self-evident to you doesn't mean it's going to be self-evident to other people who read your text.
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| How much can I carry? It's just gold coins... by the sack... |
As someone who has written my share of supplements and modules for several different systems, there's a trick I would recommend designers use if you aren't doing so yet. When you're reading over your text, take a minute and ask yourself how the rules you just created could be interpreted by someone who has no idea what's going on. Then, once you've done that, ask yourself how they might be twisted by someone with malicious intent who doesn't care what the spirit of the game is, but who is just looking for some advantage.
For example, take the spell animate skeleton. The intention of this spell is that you can create an undead, skeletal minion to haul things, act as a trap tester, fight on your behalf, etc. However, ask yourself how many people will try to use this spell to animate a skeleton inside a living person as a way to try to force them to act like a flesh puppet under the spellcaster's control? Or how many people will argue that a statue of a skeleton is still a skeleton, so the spell should work on the 20-foot-tall stone sculpture they ran into as part of a fantastical art exhibit?
Should you have to specify that the spell animates the complete bones of a dead creature? You might feel like you don't, but doing so is going to cut off a lot of complaints that start with, "Well the spell doesn't specifically state that I can't..."
The same goes when you're a Game Master, and players are asking for your interpretations of things. In order to maintain consistency, make sure you write down any rulings or changes. Again, this seems obvious, but there is no greater lie ever told than, "Don't worry, I'll remember when this comes up again." You won't. So keep a notebook, use a sticky note on the page, or keep a digital log of incidents, but make sure you fill in the specifics.
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| And one, last thing... |
As a final note, it's important to look at things from all sides when you write or interpret rules. This is most commonly referred to as the, "if your players get it, then the bad guys get it, too," corollary. Because a rule system is supposed to be the reality in which characters exist, so it's important to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and playing by the same rules. So whether it's the existence (or non-existence) of resurrection magic in your setting, weapon degradation, or any of a thousand other things, don't just ask how it affects your monsters or your players, but try to see it from both sides. Because if a rule or interpretation puts one side or the other at a huge advantage or disadvantage, that is something you should address before it gets too out-of-control.
Speaking of Rules, Check Out Sundara If You Haven't Yet!
As an example of some of the stuff that I've put together over the past few years (much of which involves the creation of new magic items, monsters, class archetypes, spells, and more), I would recommend regular readers check out my "Sundara: Dawn of a New Age" setting for Pathfinder Classic and DND 5E. And if you're one of those folks who wants to hear a pitch before you make a purchase, I've been putting together episodes of Speaking of Sundara on the Azukail Games YouTube channel (which you should definitely subscribe to) talking about some of the design strategies I've used, breaking down what's in particular supplements, and explaining some of the changes I've made to what folks might expect from a traditional fantasy RPG setting, from how I chopped out alignment, to the uncertain nature of gods, to how technology and magic both lead to unique inventions among the people of Sundara!
Check out the full 26-video Speaking of Sundara playlist, in addition to the following supplements!
Cities of Sundara
The setting first began with the Cities of Sundara splats. Self-contained guides to some of the larger and more powerful centers of trade, industry, arms, and magic, these unique locations provide plenty of fodder for character generation and plots. Not only that, but each one comes with unique, mechanical goodies for players and GMs alike to take out for a spin!
- Ironfire: The City of Steel (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built around the Dragon Forge, Ironfire is where the secret to dragon steel was first cracked. The center of the mercenary trade in the region, as well as boasting some of the finest schools for teaching practical sciences, Ironfire is a place where discovery and danger walk hand in hand!
- Moüd: The City of Bones (Pathfinder and DND 5E): An ancient center of trade and magic, Moüd was lost to a cataclysm, and then buried in myth. Reclaimed by the necromantic arts of the Silver Wraiths guild, this city has once again become a place teeming with life. Despite the burgeoning population, though, it is the continued presence of the undead that helps keep the city running, ensuring that Moüd is not swallowed up once more.
- Silkgift: The City of Sails (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Built on the cottage industry of Archer cloth (an extremely durable material used for sails, windmills, etc.), Silkgift is a place that prizes invention and discovery. From gravity batteries that store the potential of the wind, to unique irrigation systems, to aether weapons, the city positively churns out discoveries... and then there's the canal they cut through the mountains that makes them a major center of trade across the region.
- Hoardreach: The City of Wyrms (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A center of power across an entire region, Hoardreach is ruled over by a Cooperation of five different dragons. A place for refugees and outcasts of all sorts, Hoardreach boasts some of the most unusual citizens and creations from across Sundara. Infamous for their sky ships, which require the cast-off scales and unique arcane sciences of the Dragon Works to take to the air, one never knows just what they'll find in this city built atop a mountain.
- Archbliss: The City of The Sorcerers (Pathfinder and DND 5E): A floating city in the sky, Archbliss has been a refuge for sorcerers for thousands of years. It's only in relatively recent years that the city has allowed those from the ground below who lack the power of a bloodline to join them in the clouds. However, while there are certainly amazing wonders to behold, there is a darkness in Archbliss. Something rotting away at its heart that could, if not healed, bring the city crashing to the ground once more.
Gods of Sundara
- Gods of Sundara (available for Pathfinder and DND 5E): In a world with no alignment, and where the gods are often genuinely mysterious forces that are far too large for mortals to truly comprehend, the divine feels genuinely strange and unknown... something that really does have to be taken on faith. This supplement provides a sample pantheon for Sundara, but also provides instructions on how to easily make your own gods in a world where you can't cast a spell and tell whether someone is good or evil.
Species of Sundara
Sundara is filled with creatures that many of us recognize, but I wanted to give greater depth to their cultures, and a wider variety of options. After all, humans always get 15+ ethnicities, languages, and unique histories, while elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc. are almost always left with footnotes, or maybe with a handful of offshoots. So, in short, I wanted to give all the fantastical creatures the treatment that humans usually get in our games.
And there is no human book yet. If readers demand to know more, then I may sit down to pen one... but I figured that humans didn't need to be front-and-center in this setting just yet.
- Elves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Elves are one of the most quintessential fantasy creatures... but if you want to see more than just high elves, wood elves, and elves of the sun and moon, then this supplement has you covered!
- Dwarves of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): The children of the primordial giants who were meant to fill in the details of the world they'd made (or so the myths say) there are as many kinds of dwarves as their are kinds of giants... and possibly more, depending on who is keeping count.
- Orcs of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Supposedly a creation of the elves, none can say for certain exactly how or why orcs have been made. What most agree on is that these creatures are far more than most may think at first glance.
- Halflings of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Little cousins to the dwarves, halflings are tough, clever, and not to be underestimated. From living beneath the hills, to taking up residence in the deep forests, halflings in Sundara come in quite a variety!
- The Blooded (Half-Elves and Half-Orcs) [Pathfinder and DND 5E]: When orcs and elves mix their bloodlines with other creatures, the result is one of the Blooded. This inheritance takes many forms, and it can even wait generations before manifesting when the right combination of individuals come together to have a child.
- Gnomes of Sundara (Pathfinder and DND 5E): Gnomes are strange creatures, found in places where the spirit of the land has coalesced and made children of its own. The sons and daughters of the ancient nymphs, they are the stewards of these places, and they change as often as the weather and the land.
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!
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