Death & Taxes: A Complete Role-Playing Box Set Adventure
Created by Lesser Gnome
Help fill an old-school inspired box to bursting with books, miniatures & more! Become a part of the journey! OSR & Pathfinder Versions
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Lots of news...
over 7 years ago
– Sun, Aug 07, 2016 at 11:02:02 PM
and its all good gaming news, which is always better than lousy real-life news...
Greetings,
I have good news to share on many Death & Taxes topics. I am going to keep it as brief as I can. I am bad at being succinct but here goes...
5e Proofing, Printing & Shipping
Once I get the spot check back from the worlds most meticulous (and best dressed- as you can see below) proofreader 5e Death & Taxes will be off to the printer. It looks very, very nice and you will be pleased.
Pictured- Proofreader Scott Swift. I told you he was all about fabulous
Basically this means I was accurate in the last update and 5e will indeed have an August date for invoices and shipping.
2. The OSR PDF and I have spent some significant time together. I finished, about 2 hours ago, the last item on the increasingly long list that is custom gnome Indesign Find/Change query. The file was already was already proofread (back in April) and those fixes have long been applied.
The above video is an example of one of the fancy features that took so long to get right. It's a hefty PDF so I will be including "light" version as well with only simple bookmarks and layers.
All that is left is to check the exported PDF, do the post-production. This isn't a long process; mostly just file size reduction and verifying the interactive features. If everything works after the optimization then I will post a share to it here for you to preview and comment on before putting it up in the webstore.
Hardcover
I made the file and set up the master pages (bleed art, page numbers etc) for the Hardcover. I have some new art for that and need some new section pages BUT I have all if the pages imported so this will actually be finished faster than I had planned..
Pathfinder
Edwin and I met on a hangout Friday* and made some, in my opinion, great decisions on the pathfinder page elements. Here is a screen grab of a couple of them. Chuck Wright may make some adjustments but this is how it will look overall.
The indesign file is ready for him as soon as he finishes his current project. Big thanks to Jeff Tadlock for the conversion, it was well done and well documented.
Other stuff
There are other things going on as well (like packaging figurines for 5e shipping) but thats enough for today. Besides working on the above I also have a bunch of Frog God work to keep me beyond busy.
But no more busy today.
From the moment this posts' send button is pressed, until sunrise I am celebrating the 5e DT milestone. In the only way I am certain to not open Indesign, by putting on a headset and doing some VR spaceflight :).
Thanks everyone,
Zach
*I know you wish your Friday nights were as cool as ours
5e Download for you, Award nomination for us, 5E proof, Print Schedule, Pathfinder Layout
almost 8 years ago
– Mon, Jul 25, 2016 at 11:02:48 PM
Hey all,
News
Although the updates were quite since North Texas RPG Con work continued on the 5e version.
Well, I have some news for you about that.
The GM Guide, the final 5e book, is out of layout and should be uploaded to the printer by the end of the week (file download).
Or, if you like, you can look at a couple of spreads right here....
NPC Stats...One of the many things I did not take into account when promising 5e back during the KS :)
Monster Appendix Example
I think it looks better than the Old School version. Which is actually a pretty bold statement as the Old School Box Set is…
Nominated for the Ennies!
Best Miniatures Product
Best Production Values.
We are competing with companies you probably have not heard of like Paizo, Monte Cooke Games, Paizo (again), Cubicle 7 and, if I am not mistaken, Paizo (again).
We are not likely win but the honor is truly just being nominated. Especially considering the competition.
5e Fulfillment
90% of the non-book rewards were already in my World HQ/Garage back in March. But I did the orders for t-shirts, extra minis and shipping supplies during the last week or two (in fact I ordered labels today). So it’s only awaiting on the books.
Steps to shipping
The 5e adventure books and setting guides I will order Tuesday.
The 5e GM Guides will be ordered as soon as Edwin gets a proof he can certify using his engineering detail brain. This is, I think, a couple days away.
My best guess is proofs for the GM Guide will go to the printer this week and we should have printers proofs in hand week after next. I expect to make the order with 48 hours of that.
Summed up, 5e boxed sets should be shipping in August.
Which means next up is...
Pathfinder
As I have said the PF Death & Taxes is written, converted and it has all the art.
What’s missing is the layout.
This will be the 4th time layout has been done and I do not foresee any huge changes in style between 5E & Pathfinder. This gives some flexibility to speed things up by teaming up...
How?
Charles Wright.
That’s how.
To speed things up on the Pathfinder layout I have enlisted Charles Wright from Frog God Games to help expedite the whole process. He has done layouts for hundreds of books, some the size of math textbooks, for PF and 5e. I am pleased to say he committed to starting once his current project winds down, which looks to be August.
Regardless of date though I will still be working on these. Things like getting all the styles, art, tables etc prepared so he can do his ‘flash’ thing. I have seen him work on a screen share and it was pretty amazing.
The difference between professional and dedicated amateur is speed with accuracy.
:)
I won't have a drop date until I know about the layout start date but its coming very soon.
Offer for Pathfinder Backers
I have had more than a few of you ask to be switched to 5e boxes- as you have switched your game in the time since the Kickstarter. This is NO problem but if you want to do this I need to know soon (before Tuesday COB is ideal). That way I can reflect your change request in the order bulk order.
Others
PDFs are what I will be working on after Chuck begins the PF layout. I have the OSR PDF finished except for hyperlinks- there are hundreds of them. I expect this to take some time. I might make a ‘light’ layered and bookmarked version (no hyperlinks) out of the 5e print proof file so everyone can have one to work with when they run their game while the interactive get its digital polish.
If you want to see printers proofs of anything I have for use in your game, please just ask.
That is about it, if you have any specific questions please let know here or via [email protected] .
Zach Glazar, Lesser Gnome (and Frog God Games)
The light at the end of the 5e tunnel is not a train
almost 8 years ago
– Fri, May 27, 2016 at 12:50:33 PM
Greetings,
Cliff Note version- Overall status. Pictures of 5e physical book. Example of 5e appendices. Me at NTRPG Con, Frog projects- one finished with layout by me, the other on KS with writing from me in the stretch goals.
A picture worth 5k words
The printer's physical proof arrived for the 5e Death & Taxes Adventure guide. They were perfectly acceptable on our end for what we controll but they did have production errors made by the printing location in one of the two proof copies. I have contacted them on how to get a refund on that copy and how to avoid future issues like that. This was the first I had really had like it.
Closer page view
Insanely close page view
We did find a few tiny errors we could fix and took the opportunity to do so.
How tiny?
Well.... The biggest one included a find/replace step through with the three different kinds of dashes (and commas too) looking for ones that were accidentally boldface. Edwin and I found like 8 in 80 pages. We also made some very minor spacing changes. While at it I corrected the same errors in the GM Guide (there were fewer there FWIW).
One of the best things for me about doing so many similar layouts for Death & Taxes is being able to judge my skill improvement in InDesign. The familiarity and speed I have developed from my hundreds of hours of experience (this is no longer amusing hyperbole on my part :/) will serve everyone well for the remainder of the 5e layout and beyond. In addition to that over the last few months I have received both technical InDesign and general page design advice from people you are probably familiar with. Long-term designers who with much more experience than I and were willing to share some of theirs with with me. I owe both Chuck Wright* from Frog God Games and Jim Wampler of Jim Wampler fame a debt of gratitude in making these as nice as they are.
I think this shows in the 5e layouts below.
Revised proofs
PDF Files (including a reduced files size copy for downloading)
By far the most difficult part of the GM Guide layout is the NPC and Creature Appendices. It is incredibly important to me that they be very useful first with a beautiful, quality layout a close second. After literally weeks of thinking, trying, failing, trying again ad nauseum and ad infinitum I am pleased to present to you the final layout style you can expect from those sections.
NOTE: The stats are correct but the descriptive creature text is filler taken from the OSR copy as Edwin is revising that text again as I type this.
Close up of stat box
5e Delivery
Once I get the thumbs up from Edwin I am going to print the 50 or so Adventure Guides for fulfillment before I leave for NTRPG Con. After I get back from Texas I will be finishing the Appendices for the GM Guide and printing them for fulfillment. My biggest concern is box fit. I am trying to keep the page count down to keep everything sized to be box friendly while not compromising the look of the appendices for 5e. It will work but some unique solutions may be necessary.
Once those are printed its shipping time as I have everything on hand to start sending shipping invoices- miniatures, maps, dice etc are all stored in the Gnome warehouse/garage. Once I get payments on invoices I start shipping rewards for 5e box sets…the shipping will be exciting for me since it will be my work break while doing layout for…
Pathfinder
Layout for Pathfinder will begin by the end of June. The conversion text has been finished for a while. It needs my attention for the Layout. I have already made the Indesign styles and have a solid idea on how I want the layout of the encounters and the creature stats to look (the biggest differences obviously). There are a few changes that affect the gameplay in order to make it true to the pathfinder system but the fundamentals and story of the module are unchanged.
The Hardcover
The OSR hardcover was planned to be my last layout but I am beginning to think the interactive PDFs for 5e and PF will be the last ones. The hardcover is something that I can work on while the Pathfinder layout is getting proofed by Jeff. It is going to be much longer in page count than I anticipated and the retail price will come in about the same as a box set if the book is purchased through Amazon. This will wind up being the only version that remains available for sale indefinitely.
The PDFs
The OSR PDF is done but for some interactive elements. In the interest of workflow (and quite honestly new skills I have picked up) I am putting those fixes off until I do the other two PDFs. If anyone is interested in a non-button filled PDF that includes bookmarks (but no hyperlinks) I can make one given a couple days' notice after I get back from Texas. The final PDFs will be very nice and will push the limits of what PDFs can do to enhance RPG books (including built in dice rolling via Javascript).
NTRPG Con
I leave for the NTRPG Con early next week and will have my proof copy of 5e for everyone to see. For the first time in three years I will not have a booth at the Con. I will be available to everyone at the Frog God Games Booth and, if not there when you look (1 on a 1d10), can likely be found located outside smoking. Drop by and say 'Hello' - especially if you do not know me that well. Make sure you mention you are a backer.
Frog Business
Bard's Gate
As you know I am now a partner at Frog God Games and my first written adventure is part of the just launched Bard's Gate Kickstarter. It is an update and expansion of a Necromancer Games classic. It is going to be done in full color with glossy pages worthy of WotC.
My adventure is the first included stretch goal and I am proud of the concept and design (it is about bards raging against a machine). If you have enjoyed my previous work you will enjoy this one as well, but only if Bard's Gate makes it to $85,000. I encourage you to back and encourage other like-minded nerds to back Bard's Gate by clicking right here.
Need more reasons?
One big reason is this poster map…
Another is the art...like this...
or this...
Chuck's Dragons
I mentioned before that I was tasked to do the layout for Chuck's Dragons. It is the fund-raising module produced by Frog God Games for Chuck Wright* our layout guy (and my friend). Lloyd contributed some of the art as well to the layout I did, it was a vague reunion of sorts.
It is a supplement with six dragon lairs plus 14 adventure hooks written, in my mind at least, very much in the style of old Judge's Guild releases. Chuck is one of only a handful who has full-time RPGs as his day job (and night job too). RPG creation is rewarding as a full-time career but the benefits are terrible. You can help Chuck Wright defray some of his medical expenses and get another book for your collection by clicking here http://froggodgames.com/chucks-dragons.
It is available for 5e, Pathfinder and Swords & Wizardry.
That’s it and, as always, if you have any questions please contact me via Kickstarter or at [email protected].
You all are the best,
Zach
*These are the same Chuck Wright :)
5e for thee
about 8 years ago
– Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 12:33:38 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Maps, Pathfinder and 5e (Plus "Tsathogga and me")
about 8 years ago
– Sun, Mar 27, 2016 at 07:44:56 PM
3 Castles Award Finalist
Death & Taxes was one of 4 finalists selected for the 3 Castles award for RPG Design give out at the North Texas RPG Con in June. The other nominees are awesome and it truly is an honor to be nominated with them.
They are-
The Chained Coffin - Michael Curtis (Goodman Games)
Peril on the Purple Planet - Harley Stroh (Goodman Games)
Red & Pleasant Land - Zak Smith (Lamentations of the Flame Princess)
Death & Taxes - you know who
I just sent the boxes to the ENNie Award judges as well.
Maps, big ones...
First, I just received the wall maps from Alyssa. They are stunning. I could keep gushing but I will let the pictures do that for me...
These will begin going out slowly next week to those who have already received their boxes.
Pathfinder & 5e
I received a note from Jeff Tadlock a few weeks ago saying that the Pathfinder conversion is finished but for two balance issues. I got the notice two days ago its finished. I already sent the file to Scott Swift for proofreading and will be working in the layout specifics while he does that.
Edwin finished the 5e conversion a month or so ago. We wanted to compare it to the Pathfinder conversion for consistency. We have and are satisfied that they are consistent in tone and similar in difficulty.
The final layout on those begins next week. I am making last minute decisions about the best workflow complete them quickly with sacrificing any attention to detail and quality polish.
Here is a link to the first 20 pages of the DT submitted word files for PF and 5E.
The preview requires an HTML 5 capable browser. Some of the interactive features (the back button specifically) do not work in the link but it shows you where the PDF layout is right now.
If you just want to see an example of one of the features watch this screen cast.
It shows the map based navigation. Meaning that each room on the adventure map is as a button that hyperlinks to the relevant portion of the adventure.
PDF Status
The layout of the PDF is now in the final stage. The player illustration links and final navigation buttons are what I am working on today.
It is a very long file and is not optimized yet. The preview link above link is for the fully interactive one. In addition to that file everyone will get a download link to a separate one which will be streamlined to be reading friendly.
Additionally the PDF has..
linked table of contents AND
bookmarks for navigation
Hyperlinking throughout to over 200 hyperlinked destinations.
Page jumps to player illustrations that can be shared to players without tipping your hand
Plus a few more extras
Take a look and send any feedback to me, I want it to be a showcase of the PDF format for use at the tabletop.
What is this about a Frog?
As some of you may have seen I have accepted an amazing offer to be an equity partner at Frog God Games. Bill Webb has been successfully helming professional RPG companies since the early 2000's. His longevity in the business of RPGs would, by itself, be amazing in the industry. The sheer number of memorable releases boggles my mind. The other shareholder members (Matt Finch, Charles Wright, Skeeter Green and Greg Vaughan) are writers and designers that I have admired since before Whisper & Venom. Together they make great games. I have a short post about how it went down here.
If you haven't seen any of their releases I suggest you buy a few.
Then a few more. Might I suggest this one to start?
:)
My tenure officially begins after the NTRPG Con meeting in June.
So you sold out?
Selling out to a powerful multinational is quite exciting. I must admit I never expected the ticket for my champagne wishes and caviar dreams to be a Lovecraftian Frog Deity. One that only smiles to let you know he will eat you last.
Dreams do come true :)
What about Lesser Gnome? More importantly what about my reward?
This is the awesome part. I retain the right to continue making adventures utilizing the talents of my friends Edwin, Scott, Alyssa, Nic and Lloyd. The Lesser Gnome IP is not part of the agreement so you haven't seen the last of Thopas, his ilk, the Nexid and the rest or their world. The agreement stipulates that these will be limited to smaller adventures. There will not be any announced soon but the Second Sentinel is already in the planning stages. Apparently the Frog God, in his toxic majesty, is more magnanimous than he looks.
Well I am headed back to InDesign after I type this sentence to get the PDF polished and out to you. If you are a 5e/PF backer you can expect to see great things from us here as my primary focus is on getting those onto the page and to the printer.
Then, very soon, I will be contributing adventures, layout and other company tasks dedicated to furthering the ambitions of the almighty Frog God.
