Quote from: BedrockBrendan;917222Working on a series of books called Sects of the Martial World. These are very small (8-10 page) PDFs, and they will probably cost 25-50 cents. Each one is going to have a sect, usually inspired by a particular style of wuxia (for example the first two are inspired by the films directed by Chor Yuen based on Gu Long books---which have a very specific vibe). The first book is ready, I just need to lay it out this week and hope to have it up soon. It is called the Silken Robe Society. The second book is also nearly ready (just waiting on art). That should be out next month, and will be called Relentless Corpse Sect. My hope is to have one of these out each month.

That's the best kind of useful background work!

Quote from: LordVreeg;917426That's the best kind of useful background work!

Thanks. I was trying to sync-up the stuff I prep regularly for my own campaigns with what would be helpful to people. I've found that having a bunch of sects on-hand, that you can drop in as needed, really helps.

I bought the PDF off RPGNow last week for $10 - that was the price you set for Sertorius and I wanted to pay something similar - and I have to say I've payed more for game PDFs from other publishers and received a whole lot less in return. I think you're seriously undervaluing an excellent product with a price of Pay What You Want.

A few questions:

- What sort of Qi levels and progression have been typical for the characters in your playtest sessions you're detailing on your blog? Have they advanced much during the sessions? Have you been able to playtest the higher Qi levels for Profound Masters?

- I've found a couple of minor proofreading errors: would you like me to list them here or PM them to you?

Quote from: Bozophobe;918781I bought the PDF off RPGNow last week for $10 - that was the price you set for Sertorius and I wanted to pay something similar - and I have to say I've payed more for game PDFs from other publishers and received a whole lot less in return. I think you're seriously undervaluing an excellent product with a price of Pay What You Want.

Thanks. The reason for the pay-what-you-want price tag is I initially thought the project was just going to be a small wuxia variant of the Sertorius system (something without a setting and much smaller in scale). At that time I told people it was going to be free. A couple of months later, I decided to expand the game and put all our effort into making it a complete system/setting. However because I had said it was going to be free, we decided to make it pay-what-you-want.

QuoteA few questions:

- What sort of Qi levels and progression have been typical for the characters in your playtest sessions you're detailing on your blog? Have they advanced much during the sessions? Have you been able to playtest the higher Qi levels for Profound Masters?

I've progressed groups at different speeds. Some I advanced rapidly, in order to test out all the Qi ranks. Others I've run at the regular rate (1-3 XP a session). I've also run sessions at varying power levels to test that stuff out.

I have two regular campaign groups I run presently as well. One of my groups is at Qi level 3, the other is at Qi level 1. Both campaigns are relatively new because I wanted to restart things once the rulebook was in its final form.

I was able to playtest the higher levels. But the lower levels definitely got more play testing and are more suitable to the wuxia feel. Once as get to the profound and immortal level, things get much more epic and crazy (kind of like going from Lady Hermit to Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar of Sky. The profound levels came a bit later too. This is one reason why I am giving myself time to develop the Profound and Immortal book. The stuff in the core is just to get you started. But I want to take more time fleshing that out and checking to see if anything ought to be tweaked.

With profound it is a much bigger challenge to GM in my experience (kind of like how high level D&D can be a challenge). I still think it is lots of fun at those levels. But you are at a point where the players may be regularly interacting with gods and facing enemies with wildly varying techniques and magic.

Quote- I've found a couple of minor proofreading errors: would you like me to list them here or PM them to you?

Can you send them by PM. I am actually getting the print version ready this week. So if you can get those to me today or tomorrow I will have time to make the corrections in the rulebook.

Also, this is a game that will definitely be getting a second edition in the future (not right away but down the road at some point). So feel free to send anything you find even after it is out in print, and feel free to let me know about any potential mechanical issues you uncover.

The Sects of the Martial Worlds is out in PDF: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/193280/Sects-of-the-Martial-World-The-Silken-Robe-Society?src=newest_since

The Party gets in deeper with the creepy death cult and contemplates breaking ties with Iron God Meng: http://thebedrockblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/disposable-disciples-of-bone-kingdom_14.html

I would like to note that PWYW also makes the book an excellent "gateway drug" for those who would otherwise hesitate to invest and for people that weren't interested in Sertorius:). I know someone who bought it because of this, and because I told her the GMing advice is very solid, and I know she's going to pay for it if she ends up using the book, even if she uses it with another system.

You should also produce more material like the "Sects", too, it's rather useful;).

Quote from: AsenRG;920503I would like to note that PWYW also makes the book an excellent "gateway drug" for those who would otherwise hesitate to invest and for people that weren't interested in Sertorius:). I know someone who bought it because of this, and because I told her the GMing advice is very solid, and I know she's going to pay for it if she ends up using the book, even if she uses it with another system.

You should also produce more material like the "Sects", too, it's rather useful;).

I think you are right. We've had a huge number of downloads (I think more than any of our other games).

The second Sect book is all set. I am just editing it and play testing a couple of extra items. This one is a companion to the first. Our first two sect books are our 'beautiful people' sects. Number three will be ugly and devious. Number 4 or 5 is going to be very large.

The party makes some bold moves: http://thebedrockblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/disposable-disciples-of-bone-kingdom_19.html

Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to get the impression that the Disposable Disciples may not be very nice people...

Quote from: Bozophobe;920608Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to get the impression that the Disposable Disciples may not be very nice people...

In fairness, neither were Relentless Corpse Queen or Iron God Meng.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;920505I think you are right. We've had a huge number of downloads (I think more than any of our other games).

The second Sect book is all set. I am just editing it and play testing a couple of extra items. This one is a companion to the first. Our first two sect books are our 'beautiful people' sects. Number three will be ugly and devious. Number 4 or 5 is going to be very large.

Then the question becomes how much of those were paid, but I guess you wouldn't want to share that info - and it might be misleading, anyway, since I suspect a few of the "paid purchases" would actually be repurchases:). Anyway, we'll be waiting for the supplements.

Question, when can we expect "Profound masters of Ogre Gate"?

Quote from: AsenRG;920828Then the question becomes how much of those were paid, but I guess you wouldn't want to share that info - and it might be misleading, anyway, since I suspect a few of the "paid purchases" would actually be repurchases:). Anyway, we'll be waiting for the supplements.

Question, when can we expect "Profound masters of Ogre Gate"?

I have to run reports to get exact numbers but I think it came to something like 1/5th were paid. Some of the paid ones may be repurchases but my understanding is you can't repurchase on the same account (though I could be wrong about that one---and maybe it is possible if one switches from RPGnow to Drivethru or vice versa). For the purposes of the Hottest Item List, they only count paid copies. So any free ones don't contribute to the tally that gets you on the best seller lists there.

Profound Masters I am going to work on for a while. It will probably take a bit of time. Realistically I could have it finished in two to three months. But I think it would benefit from a lot more simmering. However Ogre Gate Inn and the Strange Land of Li Fan is with the editor now (and the art is coming in for it as well). Next month I will also put together a new module, a kind of martial sect war sandbox. Once I clear those two items, the focus will be on Profound Masters. I have another idea as well, which may be related to the profound book. Too early to get into though.

Also looks like there is a going to be a web novel of the setting background material as well.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;920862I have to run reports to get exact numbers but I think it came to something like 1/5th were paid. Some of the paid ones may be repurchases but my understanding is you can't repurchase on the same account (though I could be wrong about that one---and maybe it is possible if one switches from RPGnow to Drivethru or vice versa). For the purposes of the Hottest Item List, they only count paid copies. So any free ones don't contribute to the tally that gets you on the best seller lists there.

Profound Masters I am going to work on for a while. It will probably take a bit of time. Realistically I could have it finished in two to three months. But I think it would benefit from a lot more simmering. However Ogre Gate Inn and the Strange Land of Li Fan is with the editor now (and the art is coming in for it as well). Next month I will also put together a new module, a kind of martial sect war sandbox. Once I clear those two items, the focus will be on Profound Masters. I have another idea as well, which may be related to the profound book. Too early to get into though.

Also looks like there is a going to be a web novel of the setting background material as well.

I think you're wrong, unless they've changed the rules.
That's how I do PWYW: I download it, see if I'm going to use it, and after the first session of use, I pay what I believe the game to be worth (or at least, what I can afford at the time). I don't have a second account. (The main difference? I determine based on the fun I've just had, and not based on how much work I believe was put into the book - though I'd add extra if it's a bigger book. In the end, I'm always willing to pay more for PWYW books than I'd pay for the same PDF...if they turn out to be good, after I use them.
Well, I'm sure not everyone does it like that, but I'm also sure at least some people would have reached the same conclusions).

In fact, I suspect RPGNow wouldn't want to ask me to make a new one. After all, why would they prevent me from buying a replacement of a deadtree book, if I've damaged it? Or even buying the same PDF twice, if I feel like it? As soon as I log in to pay, I can see I've purchased it in big red letters ("You've purchased this title", or something like it). If I decide to purchase it again, knowingly, well - why would they stop me from giving you money (especially since they take a cut from it)?

Admittedly, I haven't done that in a while, so they might have chased the rules. Lately, I've been playing systems that were on a fixed price to begin with (see above). But it seems the campaign would be shorter than I expected, and after that, WHoOG looks increasingly likely.
BTW, my first character might well have "lethal charisma", being from a member of the clan from the first supplement;).

Quote from: AsenRG;921017I think you're wrong, unless they've changed the rules.
That's how I do PWYW: I download it, see if I'm going to use it, and after the first session of use, I pay what I believe the game to be worth (or at least, what I can afford at the time). I don't have a second account. (The main difference? I determine based on the fun I've just had, and not based on how much work I believe was put into the book - though I'd add extra if it's a bigger book. In the end, I'm always willing to pay more for PWYW books than I'd pay for the same PDF...if they turn out to be good, after I use them.
Well, I'm sure not everyone does it like that, but I'm also sure at least some people would have reached the same conclusions).

In fact, I suspect RPGNow wouldn't want to ask me to make a new one. After all, why would they prevent me from buying a replacement of a deadtree book, if I've damaged it? Or even buying the same PDF twice, if I feel like it? As soon as I log in to pay, I can see I've purchased it in big red letters ("You've purchased this title", or something like it). If I decide to purchase it again, knowingly, well - why would they stop me from giving you money (especially since they take a cut from it)?

Admittedly, I haven't done that in a while, so they might have chased the rules. Lately, I've been playing systems that were on a fixed price to begin with (see above). But it seems the campaign would be shorter than I expected, and after that, WHoOG looks increasingly likely.
BTW, my first character might well have "lethal charisma", being from a member of the clan from the first supplement;).

If that is the case, it is good news. I was under the impression you couldn't repurchase PDFs. But if you can, then that gets around one issue.

The Silken Robe Society are an interesting lot.