Solved!

Recently I handed out a preliminary draft of the first few sections of a beginner's version of the draft version of the handbook *deep breath*

My good friend Dave correctly pointed out that I needed to include as healer class. I had left out clerics and bards to make it easy on beginners. Bards because, well they didn't feel necessary enough and clerics because I didn't want to overload a beginner with talk of religion and domains.

I've figured out what I'm going to do though. I'm going to remove the wizard and cut him in two and replace the wizard with a Black Mage and a White Mage.

The Black Mage will be restricted to mostly offensive spells, whilst the White Mage will focus mostly on curing and buffing.

These classes will remain exclusive to the beginner's version though and will not be included in the default ruleset.

Also, it wont be called the beginer's version anymore. I've decided to focus on the full rules first, and then produce a "3.S Light" for beginners and anyone else that fancies using it. This edition will miss out most classes, containing only the fighter, rogue, sorcerer, black mage and white mage. Actually, it doesn't seem right that the sorcerer stays while I've cut up the magician...but I need to leave in a class that has magic inherantly, as opposed to studying for it. Unless I split the sorcerer in to the B&W mages and do something else with the wizard...

Hmmm...I shall ponder on this.

Anyhow, a lot of the feats and magic a character wont get until higher levels will be missed out. Religion will be omitted altogether.
There will only be two races, also. Originally, I had humans as the only race in the "beginner" version, but I've decided that it'll need at least two...to prepare players for the choices they'll have when they upgrade to the proper rules. I haven't decided what the other race will be. The obvious choice would be elves (being the lowest common denominator in fantasy) but I'm tempted to find something new that can be exclusive to the Light Version.

Anyhow, I don't have to come up with these just yet. I'll be constructing it using input from the forum.

Speaking of which, the forum is steadily growing, which is nice ^_^

I'm looking forward to collaborating with so many people. I want this to be a project by everyone for everyone.

Oh well, I suppose time will tell on how well it goes. Still, I've got some amazing graphics donated by some of deviant's best artists, which is (frankly) amazing. A few of them are also interested in doing artwork for the books, when they're made.

Methinks it's more of an incentive to see if we can actually get some of them printed...I might give them away if I can or something...some kind of competition perhaps?

Anyway, I'm going off-the-point.

I think I'll leave it at that on the Light Handbook. I've been up to quite a bit lately; taking notes, and pondering mostly. A lot of what I've come up with is now on the forums. We have the makings of the following builds: -

Pokemon,
Naruto,
Bioshock,
Silent Hill,
Kingdom Hearts &
Legacy of Kain.

We're also doing original settings so players don't have to be restricted to playing games devoted to fandom. We'll have two in-the-end methinks.

We'll be doing a general one as a default setting...with just enough details to give a DM something to work with but not enough to stifle his creativity (that'll be a tricky balance to master) and I'll soon initiate another setting (kind of like our version of Faerun), complete with history and the entire project's contributor's worth of input.

Anyhow, that's all for another time. Have fun folks...

PS - A link to the forum...as always...

HMR

Babelfish is NOT your friend

I've been trying to find people to let me use their artwork for avatars on my forum (because my artistic talent extends only to colouring) and I've been messaging people on deviantart.

I pm an italian lass and realised that I had better translate my note in to italian, just in case. Afterall, her profile seems to be mostly in italian. I translated the note and sent it, but then wondered how accurate the translation was...so I put it back in to english...

Hello here. I have translate this to Italian but they are not sure if the software that I have used has made it effective. L' English is under this. I ask excuse if this is translate badly. They are the coordinator and l' organizer of a Dungeon and the dragons project and I to make them to work a tribune for Am a tribune of proboards and the incarnations that come with it are well…, are not narcotic. Here because I would want to know if I can use some of your illustrative material in order to make the incarnations for the tribune. I same and I' are happy for accommodating it; he has cut them to the ll to the just format. You will be credited on the tribune in a thread stickied and the thankses will be given you, for name, in the handbook when it is freed. You can find the tribune here ---> [http://dadsynergy.proboards80.com/index.cgi] You are more of the welcome from unirti also we will not only need the artists for the books of rules, but I want this being a plan for the gamers and to have altretanti opinions, ideas and thoughts like implied possible it will only serve to improve the plan. Sincerely yours, Paul Caulfield [HMR]

Behold, the original message: -

Hello there. I have translated this to Italian but I am not sure if the software I have used has done it effectively. I apologise if this is badly translated.

I am the administrator and organiser of a Dungeon and Dragons Project and I run a forum for it.

It is a proboards forum and the avatars that come with it are...well, they are not amazing.

That is why I would like to know if I may use some of your artwork to make avatars for the forum. I am happy to host them myself and I'll cut them to the right size. You will be credited on the forum in a stickied thread and thanks will be given to you, by name, in the handbook when it is released.

You can find the forum here --->[http://dadsynergy.proboards80.com/index.cgi]

You are more than welcome to join too. Not only will we need artists for the rules books, but I want this to be a project for the gamers and having as many opinions, ideas and thoughts as possible involved will only serve to improve the project.

Yours sincerly,

Paul Caulfield [HMR]

*Sigh*

3.S beginner's book progress

Well I've had some feedback on what's been done thus far on the beginner's book and I've got some good stuff to begin working on.

I'm moving multiclassing, action points and skill synergies to the advanced book, or I may reserve a space at the end of the book for an advanced section...I'm not sure yet.

I wanted to leave out clerics so as to be able to leave out religion, to simplify things. However it's been suggested that I should leave the cleric in so that there's a healer class. So, I have two options: -

1 - Reinstate the cleric in to the beginner's version and add religion. (Easy but liable to be more complex for a beginner)

2 - Introduce a new class suited to healing...somehow (I've no idea wher I'll begin with this one but it'll be simpler for the player).

So far, this book will be for those who play roleplay games and want a better system to play with. One of the selling points will be that it'll be just like RPGs on consoles only without limits. Although I wont be able to test this particular selling point until september.

Should I leave it for D&D players in particular? Should I not try to market this beginner's book for people from outside the normal sphere of D&D players?

I suppose I'll have to ponder on that. If you have an opinion on this, feel free to post on the project's forums and have your say.

Also, I rather like Action points. They're (overall) not that complex and they add a dynamic dimension to D&Ding, which is why I'm including them. However I will be moving it to either an advanced section at the end of this book...or to the separate advanced book.

To clarify, this advanced book will be a full and complete version of this system's player's handbook. This will be for D&D players who want to use this system and for people confident enough in what they've learned from the beginner's book. That book will be the player's handbook I think you're all expecting.

Perhaps I'm going about this all wrong. Perhaps that is the book that should be produced first and then elements transplanted over to make a beginner's book...

I'll ponder over that.

Right, I'll get back to work.

Have fun folks

^_^

Progress thus far

Well I've been working on a draft version of the core rules for D20 Synergy. They're a beginner's guide to the rules of the game and as such don't have all of the feats and magic of ordinary 3.5 rules.

I've also restricted the classes to: Fighter, Rogue, Wizard and Sorcerer.

This is for simplicity's sake, as this particular version will serve as an introduction to D20 gaming for the beginner. The elements that weren't included will be in an advanced edition, which I'll put together later. Meanwhile, everything else will be left Build-Specific and will be included in the relevant Build Handbooks.

In any case, I've so far covered chapters on: -

The D20 gaming system,
Character abilities,
The class system (with the Fighter Class filled in. I'll do the others later).
Skills (Mostly done)

I've still got to finish the skills section, add the other three class entries, do feats, magic, a step-by-step character creation walkthrough, utilising all of the previous sections, then a chapter on adventuring and combat, then a section on basic equipment, finished with levelling up (and anything else i think up along the way).

I've got several copies out there, being reviewed. I'll probably stick a few up on the forums later on, once they're in more of a complete state.

Until later, have fun kids ^_^

HMR

Acck, an update!

I've been somewhat quiet over the last few months though that's not to say that I've not been doing anything.

Of minor importance is that I've been working on my stat blocks. Up until now I've been doing them in a non-standard form (which was apparently only convenient to me) so I'll be working on a more standardised system (so that you can all use what I produce).

This has ramifications on a greater project, which I'm begin to work on now.

This project is a more standardised version of the 3.5 rules of D&D, which I'm calling D&D Synergy, or 3.S.

Now bear with me and I shall explain.

I was mulling over the various RPG forums out on the vast expanse of the internets and it occured to me that many people are eager to roleplay their favourite series, games, etc. That got me thinking; why use a forum when there's a perfectly good D20 system not being used? This is why I'm issuing a call-to-arms, of sorts to help me with a unified fandom project, creating rulesets (or "builds", as I've found myself calling them in my notes) for each of the universes that folks want to play with.

Not only do I want to try and do builds for each universe, but I want to do them in a way that they can be synergised. This achieves two goals:

1. It assures that each universe is balanced against each other.

2. It gave me the idea of a Smash Bros. style build to accompany the project.

In any case, it's still early days yet but the forum is up, at least. So if you're interested, join up and get posting and I'll keep you all updated.

In the meantime, I'll put up sections and offer support for any fandom you want to contribute to and I'll be working on getting a wiki sorted to more easily compile submissions and contributions.

Personally, I'm intrigued by a Naruto build (seeing as I've already got some notes down on that) and a Kingdom Hearts build.

And finally, I'll also be happy to provide support and room for original projects, also.

Well, I've rambled enough. I'll bring you some updates within the next fortnight.

Have fun folks ^_^