Now I want you to make sure to break up your submission into digestable chunks. Make sure each section is labeled. Make sure to put a space between paragraphs. It increases readability.
Each section, in a plot, should have a purpose... like a set of chapters in a novel have a purpose. It should include the parts of the setting that should be important, important non player characters, and any dramatic events the players are probably going to get involved in. You should always find something in one section, a clue, a piece of information, a trail, a smoking gun, that leads you into the next section.
Remember, you are writing this plot so other people can use it, so it needs all the "cool pieces" for them to use.
Also remember to link out to other submissions. Knights of Greed for example. They would make a great Society Submission. Go to Comment
Of this kind of chart, I have seen better, but I have seen worse too. This one does not cover the areas I like to see, but in concept it is a good sub. Go to Comment
Starting out: You both were quite accusational. While not a direct attack, you implied one. Please be a bit more careful.
First, copyright is not the concern of members. It is the concern of admins and site owner. So if you have a concern, bring it up to the admins in the apporpriate forums or via PM.
Second, copyright (in the US where the server is) is only enforced (listed as violated) when it infringes upon the value of the work in question. So the question we ask is, "does this submission (in its limited form) mean fewer people will buy the original work?" A question that can not be answered, as it can be argued that because they saw this submission they might be more inclined to buy the complete work.
(In the case of the work sheet, it means less textbooks would be sold for those useful pages. Now if the professor bothered to type in his own list of formulas, even if based loosely upon the text book, there would be less chance of infringement).
Aside: The source was listed as derived. I would of liked to see the original link/ source to properly credit them, but okay a google search find it.
If the work devalues the name or works of a copyright work, then the work could also a source of contention. Thus the Sex books for D20 created issues as they reduced the value of the D20 properties (despite the open license at the time) and opened the owners of said property up to litigation (as they can be listed in any suit brought and they have deeper pockets). And notice that nobody paid attention to that net book until someone published it in form (and oddities of perception....)
Now it was totally pirated and presented as a substitution for buying the book, then it is obvious agress.
If every site that used elements of a copyrighted work were sued, most gaming sites on the internet (except those using D20s open license material and only that material) would be shut down.
You notice how many are still open?
There is no money in it, as it would cost them more in legal fees that it would be worth. And the bad PR would put a dent in the company's retail listing, as gamers would go "well ptuh on you dude."
Having worked in the industry, most game companies see fan sites as helpful advertising for their game systems. Now if we were making money at this, there might be a concern. But since we are not and everyone who is truly interested in the material will get around to buying actual product, it is good for them. Go to Comment
You know, I am having a problem with that. I have one for every game I have run. Fields for Cyberpunk, Earthfire and Bannu for Champions (if you have played it for as long as I have, since 1981 you would have two too), Kendall in Amber, Sir Marx in Traveller (Alien noble, 3 foot foxoid), Sir Arriones in Fantasy Hero, The Hanged Man in Boothill, and so many, many more. Go to Comment
Well it is a good piece taken from Urban Fantasy or a modern fantasy. Good folklore taken by a modern approach. It would be a horror thing, in a world where "magic", "demons", and "elder beings" are not accepted as "real".
And the extra bits at the bottom are those educational or explanatory bits I always like to add. Without them, there are unanswered questions. Add the bits and you don't have to add the questions.
The reason for the 3 approaches is classic GMing. The first, gives you various options as it fits your campaign. If you play it somewhere in the middle, you can go with any option until the last moment. (Go with what your players believe, unless you are playing the red herring card.) The second, should your players get ahold of your write up, they still don't quite know which way it will go. Go to Comment
My original throughts for the Riot Dog was for an Urban Fantasy setting, useful for a number of spots. However, I mixed to straighter fantasy as that is more palitable and useful to most members. Go to Comment
Wulf had the right idea. This needs something more. No I lie. It needs a lot more. It is barely a stub.
Have you bothered to read any of the location submission? We have a bunch of places which provide good descriptions, some idea about the staff, maybe some dramatic hooks, and then some things you can get here. Really. Read them. This is far below par.
It is a video game equipment spot. Go here. Get that. Go. It is remedial gaming. What else can you get here? Who are these guys? What can they do? Too many questions.
This is an excuse for an item on the equipment list.. and a silly one at that.
This needs to be two submissions. One about this location. One about Brain Bleach. Brain Bleach is a silly internet meme. If you make that sub, it needs the Silly Freetext. Time to rework this one. Go to Comment
It is a location to explain some odd things in the equipment list section. However there isn't enough here to give us any thing else to do with this. It is a video game location - go here -get that- move on.
is an example of a place that might use it. However, many Elven places might be using it to "beautify" the area.
If you were Dutch or had a Dutch like area, the tulips would be important. (Blooming the flowers). Dutch tulips became a backbone of trading and remember that Tulips were the "in thing" for nobles, royals, and the rich, for about a century in Europe.
Calanderas, where the flowers bloom many months out of the year already, might require a steady supply/
If you happen to need "Poppies", then this formula could make the difference (blooming ones have seeds). All of a sudden that formula becomes important. Even with reduced see production, there will be enough "juice" to milk out of the flowering plant to produce product. Go to Comment
If this is part of a series, then either you need to link in those other parts or give them all the same freetext. See the additional submission drvyion
I personally would of liked more about the city. While these bits are nice and the description in the begining is good, they don't give me enough to use this without either a lot of work or a number of submissions supporting it.
Why these parts in this submission?
Even if you didn't go into details, they would of been useful to hold us over before the next linked submissions. Go to Comment
New Submissions
Plots (Crisis) (Campaign)
Now I want you to make sure to break up your submission into digestable chunks. Make sure each section is labeled. Make sure to put a space between paragraphs. It increases readability.
Each section, in a plot, should have a purpose... like a set of chapters in a novel have a purpose. It should include the parts of the setting that should be important, important non player characters, and any dramatic events the players are probably going to get involved in. You should always find something in one section, a clue, a piece of information, a trail, a smoking gun, that leads you into the next section.
Remember, you are writing this plot so other people can use it, so it needs all the "cool pieces" for them to use.
Also remember to link out to other submissions. Knights of Greed for example. They would make a great Society Submission. Go to Comment