I'm making an RPG... layout question

[Lord Loss]

That's right, guys! L.L Here is writing an RPG. It's going to be called Bleak Horizons and has a Dark genre. I'll fill you in on the details later but I'm just wondering... what orders should I present my chapters in. Here they are. I've decided character creation should be near the beginning and the monster section and GMing section together, but I have a few questions.

here are the Chapters

Possible Layout

1) Introduction
2) The World
3) Factions ( May be part of chapter 2)
4) Races
5) Character Creation
6) The Art Of GMing
7) Creatures
8) Your First Quest (Sample Quest(s) and Adventure Hooks).

Is the order okay? Or should I change some stuff around? Should the world's lore and factions go before or after character creation? The Art Of GMing be somewhere else? The sample Quest be with the Art of GMIng? Or is everything fine?

[KillianHawkeye]

I would at least put a summary of character creation in with the introduction, with references to the chapters that cover races and classes/whatever. If it were me, I'd probably put the world/factions chapter(s) after character creation entirely, but I guess it could go either way.

[Enix18]

In my opinion, character creation should be one of the first chapters. Personally, I love reading all of the extra setting details that flesh out the world and it's inhabitants, but not everyone does. A lot of people are more interested in rolling up a character than knowing the history of the Stonefist Mountains, and regardless of your preferences, the section on character creation is the most important chapter in the book. I think a better setup would be:

1) Introduction
2) Character Creation
3) Races
4) The World
5) Factions
6) The Art Of GMing
7) Creatures
8) Your First Quest

[Balain]

I think the order depends on the style of game. If you have a more hack and slash like D&D you want character creation first. If the system is more roleplaying based like Amber than have world background stuff first, but also spread out some what through out the book. Even in the character creation section for example have mood and bacound for classes (as an example if there are classes)

[valadil]

In my opinion, the most important thing is to lay the book out in such a way that players can read it straight through without skipping around. I don't want to read references to game mechanics that haven't been explained yet. D&D usually does this well. Other RPGs less so.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Intro should include the core mechanic. I would personally advise having a setting primer next, followed by character creation rules. Then follow it with major information about the setting.

[Dust]

Don't ask me, I'm terrible at rpg design. Personally, though, I like building a character to be before setting stuff - when I'm looking for information, I don't like flipping to the middle, but prefer it to be near the start.

[Broccoli21]

I think the order depends on the style of game. If you have a more hack and slash like D&D you want character creation first. If the system is more roleplaying based like Amber than have world background stuff first, but also spread out some what through out the book. Even in the character creation section for example have mood and backgound for classes (as an example if there are classes)
spot on. Seems like you might want to just stick with your original layout for a more gritty roleplay-heavy game.:smallwink:

maybe you should put some quick reference tables in the back, as those always help. Equipment should be its own section, unless it is so small you can put it into char creation.

[Another_Poet]

1) Introduction
2) The World
3) Factions ( May be part of chapter 2)
4) Races
5) Character Creation
6) The Art Of GMing
7) Creatures
8) Your First Quest (Sample Quest(s) and Adventure Hooks).

Is the order okay? Or should I change some stuff around? Should the world's lore and factions go before or after character creation? The Art Of GMing be somewhere else? The sample Quest be with the Art of GMIng? Or is everything fine?

I also believe character creation should be toward the beginning, maybe right after the Introduction. Races should likely be part of the Char Gen section unless there is a good reason not to.

However, what I really recommend is this. (I get to use this link twice tonight!) Go to http://www.rpg.net/reviews/ and read reviews of lots of different game systems. Nothing has helped my ability to write good gaming products more than reading peoples' gripes about other products. Plus it's fun reading. You can search for systems of interest, or just browse titles till some catch your eye. You'll find that some things, like preferred pdf page orientation, are completely subjective; while other things, like for instance the inclusion of a well-considered index, are almost unanimously considered helpful.

Not that playgrounders' opinions aren't good too, it's just that playtest reviews often report what was helpful or annoying at the table, which can be hard for you (or us) to come up with just thinking about it.

I think the cardinal rules are: come up with a detailed outline before you start writing the sections; and keep good notes for planning that index!

I hope it goes well for you! Good luck!

ap

[Kyeudo]

Whether the setting information should come before the Character Creation information depends on how integral the setting is to Character Creation. Putting the Character Creation rules before the setting in Exalted would be a disaster, as just about every mechanical assumption stems from the nature of the setting.

[pasko77]

That's right, guys! L.L Here is writing an RPG. It's going to be called Bleak Horizons and has a Dark genre. I'll fill you in on the details later but I'm just wondering... what orders should I present my chapters in. Here they are. I've decided character creation should be near the beginning and the monster section and GMing section together, but I have a few questions.

here are the Chapters

Possible Layout

1) Introduction
2) The World
3) Factions ( May be part of chapter 2)
4) Races
5) Character Creation
6) The Art Of GMing
7) Creatures
8) Your First Quest (Sample Quest(s) and Adventure Hooks).

Is the order okay? Or should I change some stuff around? Should the world's lore and factions go before or after character creation? The Art Of GMing be somewhere else? The sample Quest be with the Art of GMIng? Or is everything fine?

You are following White Wolf's philosophy, background first, rules last, which is fine. It all depends on what you want to emphasize.

[Satyr]

I woud go for something like this:


Fiction/Comic to capture the moot of the game

Introduction to the World

Introduction to the Rules

Races/Factions/Things you can play

Character Creation

Detailed Description of the World

Detailed Description of the Rules

Bestiary

Quests and Plothooks

Final Words: design decisions, ideas, inspirations and acknowledgements.


With a structure like this, you can take the first part of the game as a simple introduction or primer, new readers are not overwhelmed with information but can establish basic knowledge before it goes to the more detailed stuff, and a complete new reader can get a grip at the world, then build a character and then learn more about it.
It works quite well.

And don't put the rules section before the background part. Nowadays, rules are pretty much interchangable and rarely a selling point. It's the background that makes any game unique and thus interesting, at least most of the time. It's a different thing if you are very confient with your rules and think you have found some sort of holy grail, but in this case, I would completely divide rules and backgrounds from each other.

[Lord Loss]

Thanks for all the help!

I'll probably be organizing the chapters like this

1)Introduction (Including overview of char. creation)

2) The Races and Factions of the World

3) Character Creation

4) Rules

5) The World Itself

6) GMing

7) Sample Adventures