Format Issues

 I've got the first draft play test rules for Hellspawn & Horror written. This is the urban fantasy/horror supplement. Unlike d20 Modern's Urban Arcana, I'm going a bit more of a dark route. More along the lines of a Stephen King or Clive Barker novel. There is magic, there are spellcasters (Acolyte = Cleric, Mage = Magic-User in D&D terms), there are fairly typical D&D style monsters...but more in the horror range than general vanilla fantasy range, and of course there are magic items including modern weaponry and devices with magical twists. 

This weekend, we're gonna give these rules a spin. 

I've been writing up the adventure on my computer rather than by hand (which I usually do). It's given me a good idea of the format I should use to make my normally piecemeal and incomplete adventure notes into something that others could use. I've figured out a good information nesting system and where to use bold, underlines, and italics to highlight key information. Also how to note difficulties for general proficiency checks, monster stat blocks, and XP for various tasks. 

Already, I'm regretting dropping the "soft sciences" from the proficiency list. Well, psychology made the cut, but the history/anthropology/linguistics etc. humanities got folded into the science proficiency a while back, when I was streamlining. Possibly because I've been watching Stargate SG1 on Netflix, and Daniel and Sam are both scientists but very different scientists, but mostly because of the way I'm breaking down tasks in this adventure. I'll probably include it as a sample adventure in the book, so I won't spoil it now. But I've had to note things that should be about culture/language as requiring science checks if careful dialogue doesn't provide the answers, and other things that are definitely hard science (physics, chemistry, etc.) as also science checks. And one place I used psychology instead of science for a more "humanities" themed problem, as science didn't seem right at all. 

So I think I need to make one final rules revision, adding back in a "soft" science proficiency. The only problem is what to call it. Humanities is appropriate, but maybe too academic. Linguistics or sociology could work, but each is only part of what the proficiency covers. Maybe culture would work. That could cover language, history, cultural knowledge, art, etc.

If I do add it in, I'll need to modify the classes and starting occupations, but that won't be too hard. I've done it before. And it may distinguish a few of the starting occupations a bit more, as well. 

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Side note: My cover artist is working on the cover for Cryptids & Conspiracy. From the sample she sent me the other day, it's also going to look great.  And I need to get back to my interior artist for the Core Rules. He's also really good, and fast, too. Even with the small rules change, and the need to get the examples for all the rules written, and a bunch more interior art, and editing and layout, I think maybe I can get the Core Rules out before the end of the year. If not, then very early next year.