Artifacts of Legend: Coming to Kickstarter May 25

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by mburr0003

Heh, inversely (just to show what Doug has mentioned) for me I look for plot and ideas. I'll very often change a layout, toss stats, and change the loot. So while layout can inspire, it's usually gonna all be redrawn, so even sketchy maps work fine for my purposes.

I consider plot or scenario structure part of "ideas", although conveying that structure to the GM efficiently and clearly is part of "layout". I don't necessarily care that much about detailed maps (sketchy can be fine[1]) so perhaps we don't disagree?

A good layout in the sense that I'm using it means the product is cognitively simple to consume and lets me run the adventure directly from the text, without having to copy it somewhere else first and label all the maps/move monster stats into my notes for a given encounter/etc.

Orcslayer has a good layout in most ways: relevant info for NPCs is in short sidebars; organization of scenarios and interludes is clear, and I don't have to hunt around to find key information like "what do I do if the PCs lose this scenario?"

One layout nitpick I have from reading it is that Peredur Orcslayer isn't introduced until a couple of pages after his henchmen are introduced, instead of on page one, but in context it's reasonably clear anyway that "Lord Peredur" is their boss and the local ruler so that doesn't hurt the adventure much.

Because Orcslayer is very linear (though not railroadey), there's no need for a diagram or anything to describe the scenario structure. It's just "move from one chapter to the next, including Interludes where necessary." If the scenario were more complex the layout would need to be more sophisticated, but it's simple.

[1] For maps, maybe the thing I care about most is that the distances make sense instead dungeon encounters being implausibly close together without interacting in any way.