An idea that’s been percolating between my ears for a while has to do with RPG supplements.
There are the core rulebooks; you take a bit, some, or most of the stuff presented in these and hang your game on that framework. In Classic Traveller ( for example ) the core rulebooks can be though of as LBB 1-3. Or the Traveller Book.
There’s also the idea of supplements, bundles of info that one up another area of the game universe for you, and by “open up” I mean give you some background, some rulesets consisting of tables etc. and all the necessary play aids to establish your game with this new info in mind. LBB 6 – Scouts or the one detailing Aslan are examples letting you play with Scouts or Aslan with more detail.
Just like the core rulebooks, we use some of that material, but very likely don’t use all of it. It’s mostly in bounds, but you pick and choose.
You might also buy Traveller supplements that have nothing to do with games you’re running right now – I’m not big into designing ships but I might buy High Guard anyway for a variety of reasons:
- It’s part of the set, isn’t it?
- I might someday be into designing ships
- I support Traveller in general; shut up and take my money
- I want to have a “full collection” of the books on offer
- There might be some juicy detail in there I can use in my game. Someday.
- It’s nice to have it as a reference, so I can look up things people are talking about
- I just like reading about Traveller and the worlds “there”
It is this last detail, and a few of the others, that are particularly interesting to me today.
The idea
The percolating idea is this: There is a place between supplements for rules in your game and novelizations with no rules that we’re buying into and, literally, paying money for.
Put another way – you could probably write a game supplement that 90% of readers ( and buyers ) might never include in their game, and the 10% that did, maybe they’d only use a teeny bit from your supplement. But people would still be interested in buying that supplement.
Your game supplement doesn’t have to well and truly support the playing of the game, per se.
This is no doubt well known to game designers at game companies, but leaves me a little speechless.
So?
I have for some time in my spare moments put together bits of ridiculous supplements: all about the Imperial ID, the definitive guide to shipboard Stewards, a 30-page treatise on misjumsp, and other such nonsense.
Except it’s not nonsense, I think.
I think if a supplement can in any way possibly be applied to the game, even if it’s very fluffy, it can still support the game by encouraging your imagination as a player or Referee.
How many of you haven’t played in 30 years? But you’ve bought supplements in the last few decades, yes? Why? Well, I suspect for one or more of the reasons above.
What do you need?
To be seen as worthy of acquiring by the Traveller masses ( perhaps for a price ) a supplement probably should:
- Be relevant to the game somehow. Detail some aspect of the setting or playing of the game, take into consideration some unique aspect of Traveller
- Inform the imagination. A simple set of tables or a new character sheet can do this, but just barely. Better probably to capture the interest and hold it hostage with compelling description and original thought, or fill some knowledge gap in a clever way
- Have a content rating of “PG” or friendlier, or else the supplement will never gain more than a modicum of acceptance. This is clearly a reinforced aspect of the brand across versions.
Though not necessary in our particular Keebler Tree it also always seems way beneficial to get some kind of nod from Marc, the inner circle, or some current license holder, if not outright permission or a license yourself. As a community we love us some official sanctioning, but as we’ve seen if you offer something for free and fun this isn’t always needed if the quality is high or the material is compelling.