Basic sets are a well-regarded bit of nostalgia in fantasy gaming and apparently are making a comeback in the modern iteration of Dungeons and Dragons. They also happen to be an excellent way to introduce a game to new players!
It occurred to me that I could create a "basic rulebook" for my little game experiment, Pars Fortuna that would cover levels 1 through 4, four of the twelve playable races, a nice assortment of monsters (low level and mid-level) and magic items, all the cantraps (level 1 to 3 spells), all the basic rules needed for play, a dungeon adventure and all the bits of advice I can muster. My goal would be to present this item as a free download and for sale "at cost" on Lulu.com, to be followed by the full game at normal prices (I don't know how long it is going to be, so I don't know how much it will cost yet). The full "Expert Rules" will include all 12 playable races, spells and monsters, and would include a sandbox along with deeper levels of the dungeon in the basic rules.
I'd love some feedback to whether this seems to be a good idea or just a silly gimmick. Let me know what you think!
I think this intuitively seems like a good idea to ger people interested, and therefore, more likely to lay down the cash for the "full" edition.
ReplyDeleteWhether this theory plays out in practice is difficult to say. As an aside, have you thought about advertising this when it comes out--say via Project Wonderful? I think a higher traffic would make this strategy more likely to pay off.
Go for it.
ReplyDeleteA basic set is never a bad idea, especially when you don't have to produce a physical book/box and gamble on if it will sell or not. If the editing is not too much of a chore, do it.
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on this while google image searching and i have to say that any game that has a pangolin race has my thumbs way up.
ReplyDeleteThank you sir! I aim to please.
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