Hey everyone! With Wizards of the Coast losing some of their shine lately, I’ve been inspired to create my own RPG. I’m aiming for an epic fantasy game that blends elements from ICON/Lancer fantasy hacks, D&D 5e ideas, and the D20 system currently in playtest. I’m on the hunt for good layout tools (ideally free) that can help me get my ideas onto the page. Also, any recommendations for resources on game structure, teaching methods, or general RPG design would be amazing. Thanks in advance!
2 Answers
Honestly, don’t underestimate the power of just diving into other RPG manuals. Read through them carefully, see what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t. Try using some manuals yourself under time pressure to see how well the info flows and how easily you can find what you need. It’s a great way to get a feel for good layout and organization from the player’s perspective.
If you’re looking for free layout options, I suggest checking out LibreOffice or OpenOffice. Both are solid word processors with decent layout features, though LibreOffice tends to feel a bit sleeker. For more professional-style layout work, Scribus is a powerful open-source desktop publishing tool. Just be warned, it has a steep learning curve, especially if you’re new to tools like Adobe InDesign or Framemaker.
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll definitely give those a try and see which one clicks for me.