In fact, to make up the difference in earnings, one of these supplements would have to sell between 183 and 366 copies (depending on the sale price), just for me to break even with the royalties on the back-end. Given that only about 20% of the supplements sold on DTRPG even break 50 copies sold, and that I can count on one hand the number of projects of mine that eventually broke the 350 mark after years of being on the market, this is a pretty dismal prospect.
So why am I going to voluntarily work on some of these in the coming year?
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| There is method to my madness... |
The short version is that variety is the spice of life, and I can only work on the same genre, style of product, etc., for so long before I need to shift gears and give my brain something else to work on. Not only that, but I had a bunch of supplement ideas that I hadn't gotten to yet, and frankly leaving them dangling is starting to really bother me. I need a change of pace, and I need to work a different set of mental muscles... and I need it badly enough I'm willing to leave money on the table, despite all the storm clouds on the horizon, and the fact that I haven't managed to claw my way up out of the hole I got kicked into over a decade ago at this point.
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, 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! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
Which Platform/Game/Setting Do You Most Want To See?
As hinted at above, I don't honestly believe that anything I write for a community creation platform is going to do the kind of numbers I need in order for it not to be a loss over a different project... but that doesn't mean I'm just going to throw caution to the winds! I've narrowed my current projects down to a relatively short list, and this week I wanted to ask my readers to please cast their votes for what they'd like to see! The options are listed below, but in addition to which platform/game you want to see me make more supplements for, please take a moment to suggest the format you'd like to see (adventure module, 100 list, Baker's Dozen list, list of 10, etc.), as well as any specific suggestions you might have.
And if you made it this far in this week's post, but you're not sure what a community creation platform is yet, I made a video about them a while back on Tabletop Mercenary. So check it out, and if you enjoy it, consider subscribing to the Azukail Games YouTube channel and checking out some of the other stuff there as well!
Option #1: Werewolf The Apocalypse
A lot of folks who know my work at all know me because they found my World of Darkness supplements, and specifically my Werewolf: The Apocalypse supplements. From my 100 Kinfolk Collections (100 per tribe, with something like 1,500 characters or more last I looked), to my supplement Evil Incorporated: 10 Pentex Subsidiaries, I've spent a goodly amount of time in the world of Werewolf.
While I've considered expanding the NPC roster with ideas like A Baker's Dozen of Elders To Encounter (for those who need powerful NPC werewolves), or A Baker's Dozen of Tales to Tell at a Moot (for spicing up these fireside meetings), something that I figured more players and Storytellers would get use out of would be a series of supplements for fleshing out the Umbra in a way similar to what I did for the Hedge in Changeling: The Lost. So supplements like 100 Sights To See in The Umbra, 100 Spirits To Meet in The Umbra, and so on, and so forth would be what I'd work on for this game. At first, at least.
I know Werewolf has had its ups and downs, but folks still grab copies of the supplements I've already written for it, so I figured there's still an audience. And if you're in that audience, and you'd like to see me add to what I've already made for it, make sure you cast your vote below!
Option #2: Exalted
Exalted is a game that I went elbow-deep into a while back, trying to make sure I had all the ins and outs for my character ready to go. While the campaign is currently on-pause, I spun up quite a lot of nonsense while putting together Barabbas the Butcher, and I figured that putting some of it out there for folks to use in their games might be of-use/interest!
For example, something like Whispers From The Void: 100 Messages From The Neverborn might be useful for all the Abyssal players, and the Storytellers trying to help give them a memorable experience. 100 Demons To Find in The Brass City could be helpful for those venturing to hell, or even 100 Gods To Encounter for Storytellers who are looking to fill the corners of the setting with gods big and small to really bring home the strangeness of this setting.
While I know there's a lot of Exalted lovers out there, and everyone has their preferred edition, my hope is to try to make my first steps actually fit a pretty universal mold... and then if folks really want more of this, I'll do my best to branch out into a wider array of options.
Option #3: Call of Cthulhu
While I've worked on my share of Cthulhu Mythos stuff (up to and including my 50 Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Cthulhu Mythos Edition, which has an audio drama version linked in the list), a lot of it honestly seems to have died before it was released. However, two supplements that did make it through editorial and which are available today include 100 Shops, Stores, and Businesses to Find in Arkham as well as a follow-up/supplementary piece 100 Gangsters, Gun Molls, and Goons, which was meant to flesh out the criminal underbelly in Arkham during Prohibition.
I'll be straight with folks, this setting already has something in the works simply because of the ease of putting it together. However, I could expand my scope beyond Arkham, and the Prohibition period, if that's something folks would want to see? Whether it would be something like 100 Rumors To Hear in Lovecraft Country, 100 Dreams To Have In The Witch House, or even something like 100 Cultists To Encounter, allowing Game Masters to flesh out the ranks of their conspiracies and plots.
If you do vote for this option, make sure you make clear which era of the game you're most interested in as well! Also, as a note, this game doesn't have a community creation platform, but Azukail Games does have the ability and willingness to pay the licensing fee for these supplements, so that's why it's on the list.
Option #4: Pathfinder/Golarion
Pathfinder is the game I've played the most, and Golarion is one of the settings I deeply enjoy because I love kitchen sink nonsense in fantasy games. I've only dipped my toe into Pathfinder Infinite twice, though, penning the very popular 150 Sights To See in Absalom (which has gone Electrum due to a popular bundle it was included in), as well as the less-popular but well-loved 100 Books To Find Across The Inner Sea (which includes the story narrated above).
There was a rather drastic difference in the two supplements I put out, and after all the hullabaloo with Paizo changing things around and shifting priorities, I didn't want to be in the midst of working on anything while major changes were happening. But it seems to have mostly calmed/quieted, and if folks wanted me to, I could put out some of the ideas I had to help expand Golarion that much more. While some of the ideas were flavorful, like 100 Rumors To Hear in Sandpoint (because the best adventures always seem to start there) or A Baker's Dozen of Tortures To Endure in Nidal, I also had some more mechanical ideas, such as expanding the Divine Fighting Technique feat to include minor gods, or putting together a fresh hellknight order, complete with their own mythos, legends, and prestige class options should you wish to play one.
If you want to see me return to Golarion, make sure you tell me what kind of thing you'd like to see, and what part of the world you want to see it in. After all, there's so much of Golarion to explore, and I'd like to know which corner you think needs some love.
Option #5: Pugmire
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| If you haven't played it, you are missing out, not gonna lie! |
Pugmire is a game I have a lot of affection for, and it inspired a lot of the direction I went with my own RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic. In short, it's a game set in the far, FAR future where humans are gone, dogs, cats, and other creatures have evolved into a medieval-esque society, and they have all kinds of bizarre adventures in the deeply changed world. It's a load of fun, and while Azukail Games has released supplements for it like 100 Birds For Pirates of Pugmire or 100 Cats To Meet in The Monarchy of Mau I haven't actually turned my hand to this game just yet.
Would folks like to see me expand the NPCs one can find in the city of Pugmire? Would you like rumors, books, letters, or even organizations that could play into your campaign? Because I've had ideas for a while now, but just haven't taken them out of the box to turn them into finished products yet.
How You Can Make Your Voice Heard!
If any of these ideas are something you would like to see, then here's what you need to do:
- Comment down below what you want to see, and be as specific as possible.
- Comment on social media, if you saw this post there. 7 words or more really helps drive engagement!
- Share this post around so that other folks can see it, and weigh in on what they'd like to see!
And once you've done all that, conider buying available supplements from a given setting, platform, world, etc. that I've already put out, and linked in the appropriate sections. While votes are certainly a good way to cast your ballot, supplements that do numbers make it much easier to get projects greenlit by the publisher.
And, like I said, over 130 sales minimum just to break even. It's definitely not easy making a living on this grind.
Also, Don't Forget To Check Out My Own Settings and Games!
If none of the above really caught your interest, I'd like to remind folks I have my own settings and games that I've been hard at work on expanding for the past year and change! So if you'd like to see more of Army Men, or of my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting for Pathfinder Classic or DND 5E, then leave a comment requesting more of that! And if you haven't checked out any of the supplements for these games yet, the lists are below!
Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic
A game where you take on the roles of troopers fighting for their homelands in the Plastos Federation against the insectoid monsters of the vespoids!
- Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic: The base book for the game, this is technically the only book you need to play this game... but it never hurts to get some of the others as well!
- Army Men: Threat Assessments: The first collection released after the original game dropped, this supplement is full of new creatures for your squad to have to deal with when out in the field.
- Army Men: Medals of Honor: This supplement introduced the Medals System, allowing players to earn medals for their troopers, gaining unique bonuses and abilities usable for the rest of the campaign.
- Ungentlemanly Warfare: A Baker's Dozen of Booby Traps: Giant bugs and enemy combatants aren't the only threats you'll have to deal with in the field. Booby traps are a serious concern among troopers looking to leave their service with as many limbs as they started.
- Army Men Missions: A Night At Breckon's Beacon: When a squad goes missing while they're on patrol, it's your squad's mission to find them, and bring them home... or to avenge them, if that can't be done.
Sundara: Dawn of A New Age
This is a setting I've been gradually expanding for several years now, and there's a new series of supplements coming out for it in the near future! Sundara can be played on its own, or it can be added piecemeal to your own settings to fill in gaps and blanks so that you don't have to do as much heavy lifting the next time you get folks around your table!
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.
Organizations of Sundara
Phase 3 has been going strong, but there's still a few titles left in it! So if you haven't seen them, consider checking out:
- Sellswords of Sundara: With power structures being smaller in scale in Sundara, standing armies aren't often maintained for long. As such, soldiers of fortune are quite common! This supplement contains 10 mercenary companies, their history, uniform, sample members, whispers and rumors, as well as either an archetype or subclass for playing these unique warriors. Grab your copy for Pathfinder of DND 5E.
- Cults of Sundara: Faith comes in many forms in Sundara, and there are as many gods in the Prim as there are dreams in the minds of people. This supplement contains write-ups for 10 cults, their histories, sample members, rumors about them, their beliefs and tenets, and a unique magic item for each. Get your copy for Pathfinder or DND 5E.
- Guilds of Sundara: While cities and villages may be relatively local, guilds are spread across the length and width of Sundara. From professional orders of skilled miners and dredgers, to monster slayers and bounty hunters, this supplement has 10 guilds with histories, sample members, rumors, as well as unique feats one can take to represent the skill and benefits of joining this order. Available for Pathfinder as well as DND 5E.
- Merchants of Sundara: While city states might be the largest form of government you find in the setting, merchants hold an outsized amount of power. From huge mercantile houses, to small brands infamous for their quality as much as for their price, there are a lot of options listed in this particular world building supplement.
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!
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