Anyone try their hand at writing your own sourcebook for a RPG/Board game?

[Big Steve]

It's hell, I can tell you that. With a couple of volunteers (really one, but another guy wants to help) I've been working on Field Manual: Terran Alliance, a background thing for my upcoming MechWarrior: Armageddon, a sequel series to MechWarrior: Scorched Earth.

So, who here has tried to take up that challenge? http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/smile.gif

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[Proximo]

I haven't personally, but I know someone who spent a great deal of time writing a backstory for an RPG. A simpsons RPG, of all things. It involved all kinds of things with alternate dimensions and fantasy creatures. Weird. I actually quite enjoyed the game.

[Kai]

lol I'm doing something like that atm for my book 'the ballad of Mary Lou'...

Kai

[Proximo]

Oh wait, yes I did do something like that. How does 3000 years of history and a 1000 year family tree sound? Along with numerous strange animal species, multiple cultural histories with matching architecture, customs, religious beliefs and values, an entire political system, three wars, to interplanetary conflicts, one civil war, 8 fleets, 7 gods and no telepathy in sight (yay!)

If you're wondering, I left it all under a pile of paper and forgot about it... http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/biggrin.gif Seriously!

[Hito]

Myself and a group of friends once got together and started a RIFTS source book with the intention of proposing it to Paladium.
We had gotten quite far but sadly we never finished it.
Reasons including
Marrage, Children, Work etc.


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[Big Steve]

It's a good thing I've got three BTech Field Manuals (Draconis Combine, Crusader Clans, Warden Clans) as a guide. http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/smile.gif Still, it's pretty tedious for just the normal material (unit roster and unit backgrounds, organization and deployment, academies and cirriculums, government, history, agh), and since I've never actually played the BTech PnP game, Slack's taking up the "special rules" in regards to that. http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/smile.gif

P.S. I completely forgot this topic was here after posting it. http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/smile.gif

[Proximo]

*lol* http://www.3dgladiators.net/forums/ubb/ubbhtml/biggrin.gif

[CoconutDaemon]

I've never tried to write a publishable source book, but as a game master, I write a lot of player reference material. The initial guide for my current D&D game was around thirty pages, with another seven for thieves, and a four page FAQ. I also wrote a large amount, say, around a hundred pages, of various detailed background notes for myself. I've toyed with the idea of packaging it up and putting it online, but that would be a lot of work, and honestly... does the world need yet-another-d20-campaign-setting? ;o)

The really difficult thing about writing all that was how different my setting is from conventional D&D; the descriptions for most of the classes had to be changed, and I went over the game's spell lists with a fine-toothed comb eliminating those that broke the continuity and trying to make up for their absence.

The background handouts were a huge hit with the players, and it's definitely something I'll do in the future. The extra work I went to to provide them with some grounding in the world has been effective; they seem to feel like natives, not visitors, and this has been a very good thing.

[Rogue428]

I am currently working on a module for the Continuum time travel RPG. I feel your pain brother

[Cypher]

in fact i just posted a thread for it, i'll keep on updating it, just to show people what its like...as far as it being hell, im not quite sure about that but i can understand the hardships