The Campaign Builder's Guild

If there's a slot for me to help work on the comic, i love to help out.

I could do the colour if it's wanted.

also, cities huh?....

i'll see what i can think of for that. maybe make upa sample location in a city. or i started making a random sewer generator thing a while ago. maybe i could try and dig that up.

Just to repeat what has already been said, nobody has to do something with cities, the theme is just a suggestion.  If you want to write an article about the importance of realistic monstrous ecologies, the proper fleshing out of NPC's, or realistic dungeon placement, go right ahead!  The CBGuide accepts content based on it's own merits, not on whether it fits into the particular issue's theme.

I've discovered that the hardest part of realistic fantasy world-building is magic.  While some people claim that magic fixes every mistake the DM can make, I beg to differ.  Magic is the single hardest thing to manage reasonably and makes most problems in the fantasy world seem either unsolvable or much too easy to solve.  Using D&D rules, magic makes little sense economically and creates a plethora of social problems.  Effectively, the way many people percieve magic, gritty fantasy cannot exist.  

I've spent more time trying to answer the "realistic magic" question than working on my world, and it's a question that continues to bother me.  However, I'd like to share some of my insight, and propose I begin writing a reoccuring article I have so far named Making Magic Real.  I would like to share with you a tentative list of possible articles I could write.

*

Giving Death Meaning; using resurrection without ensuring  immortality*Mage-Economics; magic in the marketplace*The Arcane Demographic; just how commonplace are mages?*Dodging Fireballs; medieval warfare mixing with magic*Preventing Apocalypse; a few reasons magic doesnâ,¬,,¢t destroy everything*A Balor versus an Empire; keeping planar invasion infeasible*Antimagic without Antimagic; how normal people fight magic users*Designing Defenses; common castle defenses against magic*The Local Church; why the clergy canâ,¬,,¢t fix everything*The Dream World; illusions & enchantments in politics*Magical Maids; combining prestidigitations and house cleaning*Gritty Low Fantasy; how much magic makes it high magic?*Dealing with Divination; giving rogues jobs when spying with mages is easier[/list]
I've already begun the first one, Giving Death Meaning, and I'm happy thus far with the results.  Thoughts?

Sounds really useful. I think that those are elementary questions that are quite important to deciding how your campaign works.

Since I'm mostly going to be in India for the next month I won't be able to contribute and jump in much, like I had wanted to for #4. Go go inserting myself into the community. :P

Jharviss, that sounds awesome. I've always been interested in that topic, and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Quote from: TúrinJharviss, that sounds awesome. I've always been interested in that topic, and I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Seconded. That would give two ongoing series for the guide now, wouldn't it?

on the idea of portable cities:

somebody can do a loose write-up of a sort of "floating market" idea (never in the same place twice in a row). some suggestions of what could be included would be things like general market laws,  regular vendors (more professional, store-front type stands), ideas for irregulat vendors (more fleamarket-y stands)...

i think this would be great, as it's portable both in the originally intended sense, and in the more literal sense. i'd do it myself (and i just might, eventually... just not in time for #4), but i don't have enough drive on this sort of project to meet a deadline.

Jharviss, I'll go ahead and "third" the support for your articles.  They sound absolutely fascinating to me.

Should the series become popular, it could become a column.  :2cents:

At some point someone might consider a column on campaign building (not setting building, actual campaigns).  I considered doing so when we first started the guide, but time got in the way.

As of right now, all writers interested in columns need to be able to show that they can consistently write productive articles for every issue.

Jharviss, if you ca finish the first article and send it to ElDo as per the submission guidelines, perhaps we can discuss making it a column, or at least a series as you originally intended.

My personal opinion, it's great idea, and a valuable addition to the Guide, you rock! ;)

Mmhmmm, I should have the first article done by tonight.

Indeed, I love all the ideas being discussed currently. This is shaping up to be a promising issue.

The deadline for this issue is going to be Friday, January 19th. Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas. (Hey, Beejazz, I'm probably goint to throw some ideas your way in the next couple of days-- keep your eyes peeled for a PM).

Raelifin, Monte Cook already has a Dire Roach; I remember it being on his site because it was apparently pruned from Book of Vile Darkness.

And, in order to have a crunch-off, I'll throw my skills into the mix. I don't have anything off the top of my head to present for the guide, but I can contribute requested crunch if need be.

I'd also love to be part of the think tank surrounding making a "Real Fantasy". Let me know.

It might be a bit before I get a scanner, and I'll need more script a bit in advance...

...also, anyone capable enough to take poses by me and do the paneling by computer? My panels are crap (and it would be good to be able to recycle poses, especially in further issues). Backgrounds and photoshopping pics of real objects (sodacans and such) would also be a plus.