Ars Magica Monsters Volume One

I've rereleased my podcast's old bestiary "Half-remembered monsters" under the Open License.

I'm a bit concerned that it's difficult to follow if you have not listened to the podcast episode or read the transcript. The way around that would be to quote the original source of the creatures (public domain texts) on the facing page of each of the entries. Would that make the book too bulky? Alternatively I could go whole hog and quote the entire PD text and put the stats after each short story, so it's essentially an Ars Magica Reader.

Thoughts? Each creature does have a link to the podcast transcript that it refers to. Is that enough?

I'm thinking it through before I seriously consider the work of Volume 2 as a November project.

4 Likes

Can you provide a link to it? I'd love to see it so I can comment.

A book that references an external source is reliant on that external source always being available. The monsters need to have enough text that they are self contained.

My advice is to drop in the podcast text.

4 Likes

The basic structural unit in the published RPG product is the 2-page spread.

Put the relevant text on the left, with any public domain art you can scrounge up and have time for, and the monster stats on the right. Most folks won’t have free access to an 11 x 17 printer but if they do, it’ll look awesome. You should make the entire book POD.

5 Likes

I hate that you are right. 8)

This gives me the very best reason to procrastinate on the statting up for Volume 2, which I will, of course, take.

7 Likes

I didn't realise how right you were until I saw Mythic Venice laid out in Lulu. I designed it to be read a page at a time, digitally, and it clearly shows in the art placement.

Message received and understood. This may take some time.

3 Likes

Oh, sorry: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ars-magica-one-114759510

2 Likes

Another question, if I may?

Should they be in chapters by Realm then alphabetical order, or just straight alphabetical order? Something else?

Alphabetical with tables listing monsters by realm might be best.

3 Likes

I took a quick look ( don't have the time/ energy to read it now), but it looks great :star_struck:, thanks!
I do believe you took the right approach by grouping them by Realm. Makes thematic sense, and also, it'll be easier for SGs :smiley:

4 Likes

I agree, breaking it doen by realm makes it easier as well for people who might just be looking for a being of a specific realm for another scenario.

(For example, I am planning a menhir focused adventure and inused the big index of all creatures with might to find the best match and then have to do minimal adjustments.)

2 Likes

I think this is right.

Do them all alphabetically, and at the very beginning include a table listing all entries alphabetically, their Realm, Might (“Varies” is okay), and page number.

2 Likes

OK, new version with art and quoted texts is up at https://www.patreon.com/posts/ars-magica-one-115727510

You need to be a member of my patreon to see it, but that's free, so... Altgernatively wait a bit and it'll be up for free at itch and Drivethru.

4 Likes

This turned out very well. A 200+ page book of monsters filled with campaign ideas big and small. And it looks great.

Timothy, I have to say something I have believed for years: you criminally under-price your work. I realize “knowledge wants to be free,” but books like this, Mythic Cornwall, and Mythic Venice represent hundreds of hours of your time. For god’s sake slap a $5 price tag on it. It won’t kill anyone. Every issue of Peripheral Code is priced at $5 and they still sell.

If you ever have the budget, hire a copy editor to give this bestiary a pass. Let them make all the corrections themselves, reserving questions for you and delivering to you a document that you can upload and spend no further thought on. In other words, let them spend the time, instead of you doing it. The book would really benefit from a copy edit of this sort.

4 Likes

Hang on, Mythic Cornwall?

Besides pricing, maybe space releases every couple months so they don't all hit at once.

1 Like

It’s great! I used it for a Tintagel campaign.

Here’s the Project Redcap article. The download link is at the bottom of this page.

https://www.redcap.org/page/Mr_Ferguson’s_Cornwall

1 Like

Mythic Cornwall came out last year.

You're right, but copy editing is very expensive and this is just a polished version of a freebie I've given away twice before. It can't be a commercial project. The fan base is too small.

1 Like