Play Sorcerer: Narrative Tools and Techniques for Social Storytelling

[Christopher Kubasik]

i]Sorcerer.

The tools and techniques within Sorcerer
The tools and techniques within Sorcerer

[Ben Lehman]

Christopher:

What will you do if the $1500 is not collected?
Do you anticipate any sales or distribution after the Fundable collection?
If you are unable to complete the project (for whatever reason) what happens to the money?

yrs--
--Ben

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hi Ben,

The way Fundable works is that if the goal is not reached within the established time period (in this case 25 days) the money is returned directly to those who donated to the fund.  It's an all or nothing thing.  Fundable only pays out with a single payment once the goal is reached.

If the $1500 is not collected it means, to me at least, that there's not enough interest to generate a book.  What I will do if there's not enough interest is get back to work writing other projects.  As the Joker says, "If you're good at something, you don't do it unless you get paid."

I'm not sure about the last one.  Short of death, if I get the money, the project will be finished.  As for the death part, I honestly haven't thought that through.  But I'm sure I can leave a note to disburse the money back to the folks who paid. I'll have the emails on file.

CK

[Christopher Kubasik]

Okay. I've been collecting suggestions from various sites, and am adding this to the mix. (It's a new publishing model and we're all feeling our way forward!)

Anyone who contributes to the fund will get access to Print on Demand at Lulu. This means printing the book in whatever format you want at cost.

I really like this as a set up.

I've also decided not to set up a tier system where bigger donations get more prizes. I've thought it through and it just seems to complicate things. I'm trying to keep the focus on the book itself.

In other news, we're 30% funded... which both amazes me and really excites me.

Everyone -- thanks for the support for the book so far!

CK

[greyorm]

Chris, is Jesse Burneko involved with this project at all? (I know he's been slowly pursuing the same sort of "clearly explaining Sorcerer and tying it all together" concept.) And damn, I wish I had more to toss your way to make this project go.

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hey man, Thanks!

And Jesse and I have exchanged emails about this.

We both had the idea years ago to do such a book. He announced first. I chose to remain silent and shelve mine, so it wouldn't be a competition.

Time has passed.  I've decided to go for it.  Jesse's response was, "I'm sure Christopher will get his book out long before I do."

The other thing to keep in mind is that Jesse and my book would ultimately be very different, for lots of different reasons.  I look forward to Jesse's book whenever his brain can focus on it.  (He apparently has several projects about RPGs that keep pushing each other around on his plate!)

CK

[jburneko]

Chris, is Jesse Burneko involved with this project at all? (I know he's been slowly pursuing the same sort of "clearly explaining Sorcerer and tying it all together" concept.) And damn, I wish I had more to toss your way to make this project go.

I just want to back up what Christopher said.  Christopher and I know each other out here in the real world.  Christopher being an actual writer is much more project oriented than I am.  I work on things as the whim suits me and have a very it's done when it's done attitude.  So, yes, I suspect Christopher will be done sooner.

I also suspect that Christopher's approach and my approach are VASTLY different.  In some sense Christopher's book will be doing me a favor as part of my problem with completing Sorcerer Unbound has been in nailing down a true target audience.  I keep trying to speak to anyone and everyone who might ever stumble across Sorcerer and as such write the same thing five different ways four of which will just confuse anyone who understands the fifth.

I have a suspicion (I have no more information about Christopher's project than what's been released on the internet) about the general direction Christopher is going with his project. If I'm right then I can settle down some of my anxiety in my own writing about who I'm directing the text towards because I know the other people will be taken care of by Christopher's project.

Jesse

[Christopher Kubasik]

If I can settle some of Jesse's anxieties, then the whole thing is worth it.

[greyorm]

Awesome, guys. Thanks for the info.

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hey, no problem.  Jesse's tenacity on Sorcerer has always been an inspiration for me.  (And the game he ran at a local game store game day a few months ago has been one of my most enjoyable games as a Player in a long time!)

In other news:

I have made some changes to what Funders to the book get in return for their cash.

Anyone who contributes will get:

• Their name (if desired) in a list of the books original Funders
• A free PDF copy of the book email to them
• A free PDF copy of the book designed to be read on a computer (The page size will take into account that computer screens are horizontal, and that PDF page numbers usually bear no resemblance to the content's page numbers in a typical PDF. This second version will be paginated so that the PDF page numbers actually match the text pages so page references actually work properly.)
• Access to Print on Demand at Lulu -- which means the ability to print copies of the book at cost, in any format the Funder desires.

There is no difference in what a person gets in exchange for the Funding the book with different dollar amounts.  A $10 donation gets the same as a $40 donation.  This is to keep things simple more than anything else: the focus of the project to be the book, not organizing different reward tiers for Funders.  We've had contributions from $10 to $50.  I see the difference only as a matter of interest on the part of consumers.  I'm grateful for all of them. 


And finally...

We just hit 50%!

[Christopher Kubasik]

[Christopher Kubasik]

[Ron Edwards]

One clarification of the relationship map issue: if you use the backs of the character sheets, then the key aspects of relationship mapping are very nearly guaranteed to be already in play with the player-characters included.

The method described in The Sorcerer's Soul is more specialized, particularly the way that the sorcerer character is typically not part of the map, and particularly the way that much of the map's content is unknown to many of the participants.

I think that these two concepts have become blended in people's minds, such that my comments about The Sorcerer's Soul were taken to apply to any and all back-story that includes kin and sex ties. That is silly. Christopher, if you're interested, I think the method outlined in that supplement is in fact a much more specific technique than the basic concept, and I think that method is in fact aimed at bringing the sorcerer's Humanity into the foreground of play.

This also may be an example of something that has happened a lot, that a point that I make very specifically, and often in a non-nuanced way, to one person whose needs are clear to me, late in a discussion, is often picked up as a kind of generalized blanket concept that everyone is supposed to elevate as some kind of pronouncement for their games, indeed anyone's game, from that point on.

Best, Ron

[Christopher Kubasik]

Hi Ron,

I take your point completely.  The Relationship Map as outlined in Sorcerer & Soul is a specific technique.  It is a very different activity than listing NPCs on the back of the character sheet.

I also think it is a specific technique that provides the GM with a flexible and workable backstory and world of NPCs that focus Player attention and let the the game play to the fullest extent.

And, as you say, it's aimed at bringing the sorcerer's Humanity to the foreground in play.  So that's a good thing.

I don't know if you're trying to correct misconceptions I might have, but I know I never blended the back of the character sheet with the Relationship Map in my thinking, nor did I ever assume that the technique is supposed to shoe-horn all aspects of back-story that include kin and sex ties.

As for pronoucments -- of any kind -- I hadn't planned on making any, so I think we're safe on that front.  I also don't think anyone will spot me elevating anything.

If somone doesn't want to use the R-Map, they are -- of course -- free not to use it.  My only point is that I think play is improved on many fronts with a Relationship Map.  I think it's a great technique, adds a lot to the game, and I truly believe that without it.  But one can certainly play without it.

Best,

Christopher

[Christopher Kubasik]

I just logged on and saw we're at $1250.  Frankly, I'm awed.  And excited.

I wanted to thank everyone who's funded so far. 

Strangely, so far this week I met with Michael Eisner and pitched a show at SciFi channel -- but this is the project that has my heart! 

As soon as we hit the funding, this moves to the front of my project plate.  I'm pretty sure we'll hit the $1500, and I"m looking forward to it.

Thanks, everyone!

CK