Writing Fluff
This column is not about writing, it’s about game design. Yet part of designing a class is actually writing all the fluff that actually gives life to the mechanics. It’s an important step that shouldn’t be ignored, but there’s not a whole lot of advice I can give on the topic beyond a few general pointers.
First of all, proofread your work at least twice (this will be ironic as I’m sure I’ve made mistakes in my columns) and don’t just rely on spellchecker. There’s nothing worse than a beautifully designed class that’s riddled with typos and grammar mistakes. Remember that your writing reflects upon you and good editing and writing makes you look like the superstar you are.
My only other advice on this subject is to look at existing classes and follow the fluff format put forth in the most recent books. The consistency with official products will lend authority and legitimacy to your own work and make it easier for others to read and understand your work.
If you’re not confident about your writing abilities or want a second opinion, message boards or that friend of yours with an English degree are both good avenues of help. Just as you had help in playtesting, so too can you get help when writing. Just try your best and give some flavor to the class and you’ll do just fine.
Publishing Your Class
When it comes to getting your class out into the world, you have a few avenues of release and a couple of concerns to address. After all, you’ve a lot of hard work into this class and you should let others revel in the glory of your new prestige class.
First I should address a few legal concerns about designing prestige classes. You need to pay careful attention to the Open Game License and make sure that your class doesn’t use any product identity or other such forbidden material. I am not a lawyer or well versed in law, so it’s best to ask someone who is well versed so that you don’t get sued or the like if you decide to charge for your content.
If you do meet the OGL, you want to decide upon which license you want to release your class under. I prefer the Creative Commons License myself, but that’s up to you. Again, check with someone who actually knows the law and not this poor schlub whose sum total of legal expertise comes from watching re-runs of Law and Order.
Once you have your legal ducks all in a row, go ahead and release your baby out into the world. Popular methods for releasing classes include private websites and message boards. Some folks might release their stuff on places such as the Forge and either let them go for free or charge something like $1.00 for the download. If you need help getting your class out into the world, the fine folks at RPG.net forums will likely be more than happy to help.
Conclusion
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this column and that you’ve learned just a little bit about designing prestige classes. I’ve enjoyed writing it and talking about what I know, but I do want to state that I am far from the final word on the design process. These were my own thoughts and methods which may or may not work for you. I’d enjoy hearing from any and everyone who found this column helpful (or unhelpful!) so that I can improve my future columns.
In closing I’d like to thank Shannon for her hard working formatting these columns (because I was too lazy to code them myself) and the excellent C.W. Richeson for giving me a bit of extra time during my thesis. I’d also like to thank RPGnet proper and all the fine folks who gave me suggestions and help with this article. This is the DM signing off. See you for 4th edition.
