Quoth the Raven 11: Project guide

[Jason of the Fraternity]

Greetings Ladies and Gents,

With the theme for the next issue decided, I figured that it was about time to set up a thread for contributors to announce and discuss their potential submissions. In other words, this thread is to help coordinate articles and generate some ideas for the eleventh issue.

For those of you who haven't been watching the polls, this next theme is: Boogeymen, Shadow Fey, and Long-legged Beasties.

I would also like to remind everyone that the Esteemed Brothers of the Manoir de Penombre have recently changed the due dates. All submissions for this next issue will need to be submitted to us no later than December 10th.

If you have any questions, then please forward them on to your nearest moderator. If you have any complaints, then please wait downstairs until Drusilla can get to you.

Many thanks!

Jason
Fraternity of Shadows

[Jason of the Fraternity]

Oh, and just because a lot of people don't remember these details when submitting:

For Quoth the Raven submissions you can save me some time by writing your article in new times roman font, 12 point size. Titles are in 36 size Nosferatu font, and subtitles inside the article are 18 point Nosferatu font. As well, when you submit don't forget to include you name and email just below the title.

Thanks!

[Malus Black]

Well, I've got quite a lot on the drawing board for this issue, and I doubt I'll get the time to finish it all. Anyway, I'm aiming for:

Two new types of fey,
Two NPCs,
One Adventure, and
Magic Items of the Arak.

I guess I'd better start right away.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

I have 3 articles planned for the next issue not including what I have planned for other projects. I am also hoping to see Of Reavers appear in QtR 11, as it will help with another project I am working on that referrences to it

[Glim]

For this issue I intend to submit something too

It's an article on a new template, with some background and a couple of premade NPC's.

I also have some other ideas, but they don't really fit this issue, and I want to get my first article ready before starting on others.

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Template, eh? What kind of template?
Inquiring minds want to know.

[Glim]

Don't know if it's been done before... but I'm combining the half-elemental template from Manual of the Planes with the dread-elementals from Denizens of Darkness. Also don't know if I, by doing this, am violating any copyrights, maybe on of you guys could give me some pointers how to keep it legal

About the template itself... it might be considered a little too powerful for PC's, but it makes for nice NPC's I suppose.

[Shadowsworn]

I'll still be contributing my article on the haunted theatre in Dementlieu and a further article hopefully, dealing with several unique "bogeymen." Any specific other articles or game products I should read to help me with the Bogeymen article? I got my inspiration for it from reading VRGttWD.

[Malus Black]

Any specific other articles or game products I should read to help me with the Bogeymen article?

Well, there's obviously van Richten's Guide to the Shadow Fey, and there's also an article on (in)famous bogeymen of the core in the Book of Sacrifices called Noises in the Night.

[Malus Black]

For the adventure I'm trying to write for this issue, I've run into three small problems, two of them copyright-related, so I figured the esteemed members of the Fraternity would be able to answer them.

1 - Mixing Maps
Obviously, I needed a map for the village in the adventure, but I have a problem with the map-making. I've yet to find any map-making programs which work satisfactorily and don't cost a fortune, and I have no way of scanning or otherwise importing drawings to the computer. So I looked through my collection of Ravenloft maps on the computer, and used pieces from them to make this (not yet completed) map:


I used the river Ivlis from the Barovia village map, cut and pasted houses from the Vallaki map in Roots of Evil, and made the colors fit with Microsoft Paint. If I get down to it, I'm also thinking of adding fields from the Mordentshire map in the House on Gryphon Hill. But before proceeding, I wonder if this violates some copyright or another, and I would appreciate it if someone who knows would inform me.

Tarokka Alternatives
I'm also including a Tarokka reading in the adventure as I recently got the Ravenloft Dungeon Master's Guide. However, not everyone has this book, and even fewer have a Tarokka deck, so I'm wondering if I can include which Tarot and regular cards to replace the Tarokka cards with. I'll give an example:

The second card, which represents the past, is the Broken One (Devil, Jack of Clubs) in upright position. The Vistana frowns and casts a glance over the PCs shoulders (at the frozen lake, but don't reveal that) and explains the significance of the card.

Would this be possible?

Finally, and this is not a copyright problem, but rather a general problem,

Idea Expansion
Or, how to get some brainstorming done. Since we only turn in finished articles to the Fraternity, I'm wondering how to get other people's opinions of an unfinished article as well as new and expanded ideas. Should I just make a topic here called "Adventure Writing Assistance Required" or somesuch?

Anyway, thanks for reading through this somewhat long post, and thanks in advance for any answers

[Jasper]

To Malus (and and one else who wants to take advatage) I have the Campaign Cartographers suite (CC2, City designer & Dungeon designer) and I'm fairly decent with it.
If you send me a quick sketch of what you are looking for I can try to whip you up a decent map.

To the QTR crew- I have a entry I made up for a Caliban strain of vampirism but I'm not shure it fits in with this issues theme. Should I send it in any way?

[Joël of the FoS]

To the QTR crew- I have a entry I made up for a Caliban strain of vampirism but I'm not shure it fits in with this issues theme. Should I send it in any way?

Sure !

While QtR are themed, we do accept all RL articles.

Joël

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

As Joel said, we accept all Ravenloft articles, we just like to have a theme to have some cohesive feel to the issue.

I can say one thing about my bogeyman article, it has no relation to the one in the BoS, mine uses other creatures from about the world with a new twist, or those who were not understood to be what they are/were and became bogeymen. Of course, some are just plain odd or deadly, or both

[Jason of the Fraternity]

So I looked through my collection of Ravenloft maps on the computer, and used pieces from them to make this (not yet completed) map. But before proceeding, I wonder if this violates some copyright or another, and I would appreciate it if someone who knows would inform me.

Overall, I would suggest getting Jasper's or someone else's help in creating a map for your adventure. I know that a number of people have mapping programs or just the talent to create decent looking maps.

Barring that possibility, you could potentially take already existing maps and alter them so much that they are no longer the originals (somewhat like paraphrasing existing articles to write your own paper). I would avoid doing this, however, since you are still using someone else's work and claiming it for your own.

Since we only turn in finished articles to the Fraternity, I'm wondering how to get other people's opinions of an unfinished article as well as new and expanded ideas. Should I just make a topic here called "Adventure Writing Assistance Required" or somesuch?

This would be my first and biggest suggestion to you. We, the Fraternity, would love to be able to help each and every author with their articles, but there just enough time in our schedules to go through several drafts and brainstorming sessions with each author. While we certainly understand that an article will need some revisions when it comes to us, you should consider your submission mostly finished before submitting it.

The quickest and easiest way to get ideas and help would be to start a thread on this particular board. Many people tend to toss thier ideas in as well, and even the Fraternity will offer you their suggestions. I cannot say that the turnout is spectacular, but it is better than trying to work it all out yourself.

[Corrupted_Loremaster]

Right, let's see what on the slate for now...

Butcher Street Boarding House island domain (Might be more fitting for a haunted house/phantomasgra(?) issue, but oh well)
A Villain heavily inspired by Rael-Schol from Little Fears (Not a Bogeyman, but certainly a danger to the children of Ravenloft)
Notes for a Bogeyman centered campaign (Rules and advice for all four options I mentioned in Eyes Of Innocence, rules and advice for child PC's ect.)
Bogeyman centered short-story(Not sure of this one. I'm not happy with what I have so far a may just start all over again)
Maybe a few magic items and a prc if I have the time and motivation.