The Campaign Builder's Guild

Sort of in line with Nomadic's other thread, how do you intend to maintain the sense of the supernatural being horror-based in D&D, where classes and game system make magic so pervasive?

Well I thought Ravenloft handled D&D level magic fairly well, I'm following the same concept, I'm just putting the horror in the reincarnation cycle, the absolute dictatorship of the government and their secret police, curse of yurei ghostdom, the agenda of the demonic oni, weakened divine access, some limited spell casting capability.

Edit: more details...

And when you're dead (killed in combat, disease, poison...) you can't be Raised nor Resurrected, you will reincarnate to possibly an adult human in the same or next caste based on your karma score and death roll - you could become a ghost, which means you're either an NPC or now have a yurei ghost template, until you are destroyed and can reincarnate once again. Your PC will multi-class across multiple lifetimes, sometimes with memory loss of previous lives (lost levels).

This cursed reincarnation process means your death spirit cannot go to Heaven/Nirvana, within a 7 day period your spirit will attempt to possess a living being with PC levels and drive its spirit to further reincarnation or ghostdom.

The PCs are subject to death spirit possession attacks on them at any time, as part of the setting's reincarnation mechanic - that's rather horrifying don't you think? Divine protection magic can hinder such attacks from occurring.

Everything else falls inline with a typical fantasy Japan setting. That should be enough to capture the dread of horror.

GP

Just got notified that Cubicle 7 who is Rite Publishing's print partner needs a cover design for all three adventures, at a format of no more than 56 pages per adventure, 3 adventures so 168 pages in all for printing in hardcover in June 2011. We can get a special discount per book if we meet that format and get them the new cover design right away. So that's what I'll working on tonight.

Plus I need to get something of the map I'm doing for Dreamscarred Press's campaign setting tonight, so busy guy I am.

GP

Oh, also got notified that the "In the Company of Kappa" will be released February 22nd - this month. Looking forward to that to!

OK, I didn't care for the floral background and I couldn't find a background texture to meet my satisfaction, so I created one myself. Note the bamboo background.



GP

Seems a bit too bright in comparison to the black and white image. I might suggest a bit of desaturation or darkening (especially of the bamboo). The design itself however is quite sound and I like it.

Better? I changed the image upload in the post above.

Quote from: Gamer PrintshopBetter? I changed the image upload in the post above.

Yes, now my eyes focus on the proper area (the title and the kappa picture) as opposed to being drawn away by the bright colors. Great work :)

I'm doing page layout of The Gift, and I suddenly had needs for a half page illustration in the section of the adventure at a Haunted Ryokan (traveller's inn) section of the adventure. I had a side view illustration of a typical farmhouse, but that didn't seem appropriate (no ghosts) for that section. So I hunted for inspiration, looked at all my available yurei ghost art (which is all in portrait, no landscape), but didn't fill the half page area I needed. So I created a pencil illustration myself of the Yurei Ghost Innkeeper's Wife myself. (I used an image from the Grudge 2 for inspiration.) I think it works.

If she seems disjointed (she is) she's a ghost and not quite all there at the same time.

GP
 

Quote from: Gamer PrintshopI'm doing page layout of The Gift, and I suddenly had needs for a half page illustration in the section of the adventure at a Haunted Ryokan (traveller's inn) section of the adventure. I had a side view illustration of a typical farmhouse, but that didn't seem appropriate (no ghosts) for that section. So I hunted for inspiration, looked at all my available yurei ghost art (which is all in portrait, no landscape), but didn't fill the half page area I needed. So I created a pencil illustration myself of the Yurei Ghost Innkeeper's Wife myself. (I used an image from the Grudge 2 for inspiration.) I think it works.

If she seems disjointed (she is) she's a ghost and not quite all there at the same time.

GP
 

Looks awesome GP :)

(btw I changed your kappa image to a link since it was breaking the thread)

I reuploaded a smaller version of that file as the same name, so its fixed anyway. Thanks.

Quote from: Gamer PrintshopI reuploaded a smaller version of that file as the same name, so its fixed anyway. Thanks.

Ok :)

Wow, these are all seriously great. I don't have too much to add since most of it has been addressed, but it's really great to see you going so far with this!

And the drawings? Fantastic. My favorite is the ghost.

More like my Yojimbo illustration, I've been struggling for the last few days trying to create a decent looking Yakuza Kyodai for my adventure. I didn't post my other two versions, as they were bad. So I've finally come up with one, I can tolerate. I wanted to show the Kyodai (big brother) with his Irezumi (full body) Tattoo.

 

Very nice work!

I especially like the ghost... and before I read the thread I could see where the inspiration came from... I was so not surprised that you were inspired by the Grudge! haha! Great work GP