1/29 check in.
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Jan 29, 2025 at 08:22:28 AM
Just checking in real quick to say that the play testing is going great. I got to dive into the settlement generator last night pretty extensively and it went great. There are 28 settlements on the map and each one becomes it's own point crawl. The world felt pretty alive pretty quick.
I might want to expand the rumor tables a bit, as I feel like I could go through the allotted 1d8 per region that currently exist pretty quickly. It's been interesting how they've given the PCs a sense of direction (even if they diverge from it often 🤣)
That's it for now! I'm trying to make more frequent updates so you know that this project is indeed moving forward regularly. I hope you're all having a good Wednesday!
Now back to snow shoveling round 2...
-James
Status report
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Jan 16, 2025 at 12:23:09 PM
Hey, folks, just a quick update -
Fantasy Grind is in playtesting. There's a lot of interesting bits and bobs in it and I want to make sure they are working properly before sending it to print. Sorry this is taking longer than I ever planned it to, but I'd rather get you something that's solid, fun, and exciting than push it through just to get it done.
So far, the playtesting is going well! I need to work with the settlement generator a bit more, but it's getting there. I'll keep you all posted.
-James
It's a Christmas Miracle! (Don't get too excited)
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Dec 23, 2024 at 01:26:15 PM
Let me tell ya... this project...
There was a time I was feeling pretty bummed about it. It seemed stuck between being about five different things. Working on it was a slog and an ever increasing amount of work.
Once I decided to make it a full book instead, it breathed new life into it for me. I could fit all the things I wanted to and make something truly worthwhile.
After a good many projects, I've gotten much better at writing within a certain set of boundaries. Not with this one, however. It just kept growing and growing and growing.
But the good news is that the ROUGH DRAFT IS DONE! I just put the final words into it moments ago. It's a good deal bigger than planned, but I'm really proud of what's going into it's pages. This is going to be one hell of a campaign.
Yes, at this point, I think I have to call it a full campaign.
What's Next
There are three big things that still need to happen before it goes to print. First, I need to playtest it. There's some fiddly bits and bobs (in a good way) that I need to make sure work. I have some folks lined up to try it with various systems. Once I see all the generators in action and tweak them a bit, it should be good to go.
Next, it needs to be revised and edited. A good chunk of it has already seen an editors touch. I've written a lot more since then, however.
Finally, Brad needs to dig his fingers into it and start laying it out. We'll be talking over the next week or two about what that (and the map) will look like.
Thanks again for your support, folks. I just wanted to jump in here real quick and celebrate. Penning those last few words gave me a wave of relief and accomplishment. I'm excited to get it into your hands!
-James
Hey, wanna name stuff?
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Nov 29, 2024 at 10:59:20 AM
I hope those who had a holiday yesterday had a great time and are eating leftovers today.
I find myself working on some new generators for the Fantasy Grind. I thought some of you might enjoy the chance to participate!
I'm looking for names. In particular, I'm looking for fantasy names of Alleyways, Roads, and Market Streets. If you'd like to submit any, feel free to leave them in a comment, or send them to [email protected]. Thanks!
Actually important, please read.
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 08:41:47 AM
Hey folks - some really fun news today.
So if you've been following the updates, you know I've been hitting space issues again and again. This is my fault - I started a project where the idea exceeded the medium I wanted to use. Pamphlets are better suited for smaller works, and this one was just too big.
After shuffling things around, adding to the pamphlet count, and looking at what to cut, we came to a conclusion - why not just make this a book? It will be able to fit everything and be much more manageable than the six panel pamphlets would. (Trying to manage flipping one of those around behind the GM screen reminded me of sitting in the passenger seat of a compact car with a huge fold out map.
So yes, awesome news - The Fantasy Grind is going to be a hardcover book with a big fold out map and the dry erase stickers! That's not changing your cost at all or anything like that. It's a free upgrade to a cool, digest sized book with room for all the tables and systems I want to put into it.
The creatures are all finished- those stat blocks are what was really slowing things down. Now it's onward to writing the "how to use it" section, name tables, and a few more goodies I want to cram in there.
Thanks for your patience on this one, folks! I appreciate it! I really think it'll be worth it when you see the finished product.
-James
