PDF Survey Results Revealed!

Thanks to those of you who clicked/voted on the poll I put up last week. We received 278 votes on the following question:

How Much Value Does A RPG Publisher Adding A Free PDF With A Print Purchase Add For You?

Bearing in mind that you're naturally going to have more pdf adherents online, I still found the results interesting:

143 respondents, or 51%, voted for A Lot.

74 respondents, or 26%, voted for Some.

20 respondents, or 7%, voted for Not Much.

20 respondents, or 7%, voted for Negligible.

8 respondents, or 2%, voted for I Don't Use PDFs.

13 respondents, or 4%, voted for I Only Use PDFs.


Results aside, I sincerely hope we see more companies jump on board ideas such as Bits and Mortar. It will help me in supporting both small press companies and my worthy local gaming store, while getting a better bang for my buck in the process.

Fortified Manor: A New Free PDF

The brains at the excellent lythia.com have created a new free pdf of a fortified manor, suitable for most fantasy campaigns. Within are floor plans, player and GM maps, and adventure hooks. As usual from lythia.com, you're getting professional-grade stuff for free. Download it and give it a look, and check out some of their other stuff while you're at it.

Need Your Help: Poll On PDFs

I'm doing a little informal research, and would love your input. Just take a quick moment and fill out the survey at right. Consider it helping me win/lose a drinking bet, if nothing else. :)

The poll question is in regards to pdfs, and how much value to they add when included in your purchase of a product.

Thanks for the help!

Most-Supported Genres At RPGNow

I often see questions or speculation regarding what's the most popular RPG genre after fantasy? I think we can all agree that various types of fantasy sub-genres are by far the most popular in tabletop gaming, but I always thought horror, sci-fi, and supers would be in a close battle for spots #2-4.

I checked out RPGNow today to see how many titles they had by genre, and here are the stats. Interesting (to me, if no one else):

1) Fantasy: 8,250 titles
2) Sci-Fi: 3,064
3) Horror: 2,498
4) Modern: 2,377
5) Other/Generic: 1,541
6) Superhero: 896
7) Pulp: 564
8) Western: 278
9) Comedy: 23

Now, this list doesn't have Historical (or several others) on it, which granted would probably be a minor entry, relatively. Still, I think it's an interesting gauge of where genre-specific support levels are--I certainly thought Superheros would be higher than it is!

Shadow, Sword, & Spell Now Available At RPGNow

Because I've had so many inquiries about it, I wanted to mention Shadow, Sword & Spell is now available at RPGNow for $6.99. Considering you can get the print and pdf for only $12.99 from Rogue Games, I expect more gamers will do that instead. But for those of you who are going pdf-only these days, this should be a pretty good buy for you.

I also hear e-book versions for SS&S should be out shortly, so Kindle and other e-reader users, it should be available to you for you devices soon.

Bits and Mortar

Here’s just a little bit more on our scoop at Gen Con concerning Bits and Mortar, the new initiative from several companies to offer both print and pdf purchase options while still supporting Friendly Local Gaming Stores.

Here’s the current program bullet points, quoted from their site:

--If a customer buys a book published by a Bits & Mortar
publisher (see the list of publishers here) from their local game store, and that book is available online as a combined print and PDF bundle, we will give them the PDF at no additional charge. It’s a free value-add and a thank you from the publisher for supporting their local game store.

--Better yet, we will make it possible for that local game store to give the PDF to the customer directly, keeping the sale completely “in house”.

--When a B&M publisher has a product up for preorders online, offering a free PDF for those who preorder, we will work with retail stores to provide that same offer in-store. Your customers won’t have to choose between getting access to something early online and supporting their favorite store — they’ll get to do both in one place.

Really, you have to be impressed with the companies behind this initiative: Evil Hat (Dresden Files), Arc Dream (Wild Talents), Cubicle 7 (Dr. Who), Rogue Games (Colonial Gothic), Pelgrane Press (Trail of Cthulhu), and Cellar Games (Chronica Feudalis). Not a bad name in the bunch.

From a personal viewpoint, I love my gaming store, and I love my pdfs. It’ll be nice to have the two buying experiences integrated, and perhaps save some money besides. I know at least Rogue Games and Evil Hat have been giving free pdfs with a confirmed FLGS purchase of the same product, and I’m excited to see where this goes. There's nothing better than having your cake and eating it, too.

Swords & Wizardry Quick Start Available Again

Back after his self-imposed exile, Michael Shorten has again made the free Swords & Wizardry Quick Start available for download. This is a nice little product that will get you into some classic-style gaming in short order, so if you haven’t grabbed it yet, now’s your chance.

Fat Dragon Independence Day Sale!

Fat Dragon Games, those makers of awesome, high-quality paper scenery, are having a weekend sale to commemorate the 4th of July! To this end, their entire line is 25% off! You'll want to hurry, though--the sale ends Monday, July 5th. Whether you want 2-D or 3-D scenery, inside or outside the dungeon, Fat Dragon probably has something that will work for you.

I can especially recommend their E-Z Dungeons, Copper Dragon, and Dragon Tiles lines. If you're a budget gamer, the Copper Dragon line of 2-D scenery is an especially good deal. If you're looking for something a bit fancier, you could try the E-Z Dungeons Deluxe product.

Final Castle of the Mad Archmage Release Is Here!

Visiting Greyhawk Grognard yesterday, what do I see on the status update for Joseph Bloch’s free Gygaxian Masterpiece but this: “Level 13: The Maze - Release imminent. This is the final!”

And then, wonder of wonders, last night....

Can it be? Is a completed Castle of the Mad Archmage here? I've followed every release of CotMA for over a year now, and couldn't be more excited for Joseph and his amazing undertaking.

Again, many of us were upset after it looked like Gary Gygax’s Castle Zagyg would never be completed due to Troll Lord Games losing the license after Gary's passing. For those of us who had long speculated of the ins and outs of Castle Greyhawk, it was especially bitter.

While not the official version, I still believe Joseph has given us that’s every bit the equal (if not superior!) of any megadungeon Troll Lord or any other company could have produced.

A lot of people have produced a lot of wonderful things in this hobby as a labor of love, but perhaps few of them approach the level of sheer enjoyment that CotMA has provided. If you think of it (and you should) on this long (U.S.) weekend, take time to thank Joseph, or put a coin in his hat. If you haven't downloaded the final version, take the time to do so!

And yes, if he published this in a deadtree version, that would shoot to the top of my wish list.

RPG PDFs & Their Publishers Need An Award Of Their Own

Continuing on the topic of awards today, one of the things I’d like to see RPGNow/DriveThruRPG do is some sort of annual award/recognition for truly outstanding products on its site. This is something that is poorly addressed now, the ENnies having only a singular, generic category dedicated to pdf game products.

In a lot of ways, pdf products need to be gauged on different strengths than a deadtree copy. There are many beautiful, full-color RPGs that have been made into marginal pdfs—hulking files, no in-document linking, and generally poor for everyday use. On the other hand, there are companies that really seem to have realized what makes a superior pdf. It would be nice for this increasingly growing medium of our hobby be given some additional recognition. Not only that, but there's definitely a part of the gaming community much more attuned and accepting of pdf products than the rest (such as our little RPG blogosphere).

As far as categories, along with the obvious “Best RPG”, “Best Sci-Fi Product”, “Best Art” categories could be awards for overall layout, best product utility, and so on. Computer software for character generation and mapping sold through the site could likewise have a category.

I think the vendors would really like being able to place a little “Best Fantasy Supplement 2010” or “Best Layout” banner on a product’s web page, as well. And if vendors are competing to be a nominee for something that’s going to be high-profile on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow, well, maybe they’ll take the extra time to get the bookmarks right or make the presentation a smidge better.

Call it the RPG'EM Award. The Role Playing Game Electronic Media Award. Or something. And who wouldn't want to win an RPG'EM?

It would likely take some work from some staff reviewers and a dedicated organizer. But I’d love to see it happen. Anyone else?

Free Castles & Crusades 2010 Primer & Quick Start

If you missed it on Free RPG Day, Troll Lord Games has their 2010 Primer & Quick Start for free on RPGNow. So if you weren't sold by their $10 sale I talked about yesterday, this might get you to take a look at it.

I Made A 1-Page Wargame

So I was thinking about making a very small, very quick-play wargame, and that's how I made Wargaming-Z ("Z" standing for "Zack", don't you know). It won't win any awards for ultra-realistic tactical whatever whatever, but it fits on a single page, and I think I can do some fun fantasy wargaming with it without having to memorize any more than a couple of rules.

You can check out the very short, very free Wargaming-Z version 0.3 here. Please, if you do play it, I'd love to get some feedback emailed my way! I'll be releasing some sample units or templates in just a bit, but I think you can see how it'd go.

If the link above didn't work, here's the direct URL: http://www.4shared.com/document/OrNu49Ez/_2__Wargaming-Z_v03.html

The Question of Piracy: RPG PDFs

A thread at The RPG Haven (thanks, walkerp!) and some questions raised in my gaming group have put me in mind to discuss RPG piracy. No, not playing buccaneers in a RPG (though that does sound like another good topic), but the act of acquiring RPGs through illegal download.

This is one of those things where one person’s moral code may see no issue with it, but someone else’s moral code screams that it’s wrong. You hear a lot of arguments on either side (many of them very persuasive), but for me it comes down as a point of respect. I know too many RPG publishers, writers, and FLGS owners to feel personally comfortable doing it, or to support it as a Game Master. (It gets really weird when you see someone with a pirated copy of something a friend wrote). I don’t think they’d like me doing it, so I don’t. It’s a personal stance on the issue.

Of course, I understand there’s a perceived gray area. What if you own the print version book and download the pdf—isn’t that just saving you time on scanning it in yourself? What if you own the book and you download the pdf to share with your group—is that like photocopying for personal use or passing the book around? These are questions that I admit to not having clear-cut answers for.

Personally, I think in-print and out-of-print products are a bit different. Taking from a company or publisher trying to make a livelihood vs. a company that’s been shut down for 20 years, with no new product, is a big difference-maker to me.

Look, if you’re a RPG publisher, you’re going to get pirated. I don’t know if it’ll result in sales or not; most publishers I’ve spoken with don’t seem to see a bump from it. Some seem to care more than others, especially pdf-only endeavors.

So, my question is, have you to deal with the issue of RPG piracy in your gaming circle or campaign? Publishers, please feel free to chime in, as well.

Classic Traveller Starter Set Now Free

I forgot to mention (until RetroRoleplaying reminded me) that the Classic Traveller Starter Set is currently available for free at RPGNow. Remember you need to view your order afterwards to get the charts that function as the second half of this product.

Cortex System RPG and PDF Pricing

This weekend, I was encouraged by a friend to again check out the Cortex RPG System, by Margaret Weis Productions. It didn't really do much for me the first time, but I have to say, the second read's been much better. Games like Serenity and BSG aren't really up my alley (both used the Cortex system), but seeing it presented by itself, it's different somehow. Cortex sort of reads like Savage Worlds' less-gimmicky cousin, if that makes sense. I like step-dice mechanics, and I also like that Cortex keeps a more traditional damage system.

Now, I obtained my pdf of the Cortex rules through RPGNow's Gamers Helping Haiti Bundle (thanks to MWP for their generosity!). However, looking on RPGNow, I see the Cortex pdf rules are priced at $21.99!

OK, so never mind for a minute that that is about what the product costs at Amazon. I said the game bears some resemblance to Savage Worlds, yes? The pdf of Savage Worlds, ringing in at 160 pages, costs $9.99, the same as a print copy. If I'm on the fence between these two products, how is that even a contest? Another system that bears some similarities is Eden Studios' Unisystem, which doesn't have a generic ruleset product that I'm aware of, but does have the Witchcraft RPG for free. (Of course, they have the 256-page All Flesh Must Be Eaten RPG for $21, so who knows).

Pathfinder, $10, 576 pages.

Atomic Highway, $11.95, 131 pages.

Thousand Suns, $9.99, 272 pages.

In Harm's Way, $10.00, 125 pages.

The genreDiversion 3e Manual, $7.95, 126 pages.

Open Core System, $9.95, 200 pages.

Rolemaster Express, $5.00, 90 pages.


I don't pretend to know all the costs that go into making a RPG pdf like Cortex any more than I do what goes into making a Honda Civic. But I do know what I'll pay for it--what my personal marketplace in my head will bear, so to speak. And if it's over around $10-12 for a pdf (unless we're talking about something really special here) , I'm pretty quickly going the other way.

There are just too many "good" RPGs and RPG systems out there for people to invest too much into one system. You've got to do something--be it a special promotion, insane fan support, insane fans evangelizing, have a kickass blog everyone follows (clearly, this one is not it), a cult following, a special program or guarantee--if you want to jump ahead. Some publishers let their product sell itself, and I respect that. But products that people see as too expensive don't sell themselves as easily, I don't think.

I do need to point out here that I am reliably informed the print version of Cortex comes with a code for a free pdf of the same. Well done, there.

Cortex seems like a good system that I'm really just getting into, and again, Margaret Weis Productions deserves a big "thank you!" for participating in the Gamers Helping Haiti effort. I checked out the material at Signal Fire Studios, which has some cool ideas for Cortex. And I finally registered at their fan forums after lurking a bit, and it seems like a nice, constructive place (though it may not be for me after this article). But man, that pdf pricing will get me every time. Give us a gateway product that won't break the bank. Apparent cheapskate, over and out.

Fight On! #8 Now Available!

For those of you inclined towards a nice bit of classical gaming, DIY attitude, and eclectic little bits of gamer goodness, may I present Fight On! #8, now available in pdf and print.

This isssue has plenty of reviews, new spells, rules for XP for exploration, an interview with Erol Otus, dungeon templates, new magic items, a desert "sandbox" mini-campaign, adventures, and my Village of Pindle, a drop in wilderness settlement using the One-Page Dungeon template.

If you want to see a table of contents, you can still go here, but I want to make sure I'm not just emphasizing names here, but the content--because it's pretty damn great.

Small Press And Helping Haiti

By now, many of you have seen RPGNow's wonderful efforts to help Haiti, either by $5 or $10 matching donations or by purchasing a $20 effort that comes with a coupon worth dozens upon dozens upon dozens of pdf titles (Fred Hicks had a list earlier today, but more titles may have been added since then). I'm trying to find the money right now to hook up that bundle, as I can't think of a better cause combined with gaming goodness. In the mean time, I've made a smaller donation, and I hope those of you who can afford it do, too. Gamers may be mocked as being big guys and gals (pizza and Mountain Dew doesn't help the physique much), but I've always found we have big hearts as well. The money collected will go right to Doctors Without Borders, for those of you wondering.

If there's one downside to this, it's that many wonderful, big-hearted small press publishers have donated product, and I've seen the sentiment among some folks that there's just too much material and they probably won't look at some of it.

There are a lot of small press publishers--many probably complete unknowns to you or I--who have donated their work to this effort. I'm asking, please respect that and take the time to at least give each product a look, even if it's just skimming. You never know when you'll find that next game or supplement that sparks the fire for you.

And a message to the publishers, large and small, who did donate--I will remember this. Thank you for donating the results of your hard work to a worthy, noble cause.

The OSR In the RPGNow Top 100

RPGNow's list of the Top 100 best-selling products (not all-time total, but on average over time) is positively flowing with OSR (and OSR cousin) goodness! Let's take a look as of today (note: these rankings are subject to change without notice; by the time you read this, they very well may have):

#86: Tainted Lands

#77: Death Frost Doom

#67: Castles & Crusades Player's Handbook

#3: Labyrinth Lord Revised

Congrats, folks! Way to share the love! I'm sure more will be joining that list soon. I have to think if Fight On! were on there, it'd be somewhere near the top.

There's also Barbarians of Lemuria sitting at #58--very cool to see.

Pathfinder Conversion Guide Posted

For those of you following the release of Paizo's Pathfinder RPG, the 18-page conversion document (3.5 to Pathfinder) has been released for free here. This should come in handy for those of you changing over to Pathfinder completely now from what was D&D 3.5.

PDFs As A Lead-In Product

Yesterday’s discussion about bargain pdfs got me thinking about how useful pdfs are to me as a preview or lead-in product.

When I’m able to view a thorough preview or low-cost/free pdf, I am much more likely to purchase the product outright. If there’s no preview or low-cost pdf alternative, it takes multiple reviews, discussion, and thought before I pull the trigger on a print copy. In the past 2 years or so, here’s a list off the top of my head of just several of the books in which a preview or cheap/free pdf led to me purchasing the full game or product:

- d6 Space
- Pathfinder Beta
- Swords & Wizardry
- Fight On!
- Risus (Risus Deluxe)
- Warcosm
- Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies (partially from the free PDQ-Sharp pdf)
- Thousand Suns
- Savage Worlds

…and that’s just from memory. I’m sure there are others.

I’m not sure if anyone else uses pdfs in this manner, and I know there’s been this discussion from certain publishers that the price point for a pdf should be comparable to deadtree copy. All I know is, whatever the rationale given, I’m usually not going to shell out $24.95 for a pdf, but if it’s affordable, and I like it, there’s a much better chance that I buy the print copy. Of course, there are publishers that are primarily pdf, and I understand that they're going to have a different model than someone splitting pdf/print revenue.