Next Step: Structuring the Content
As great as barbaripedia is as an archive to collect information on a given topic, it's not a good way to introduce people to a setting. For that I still think the good old "source book" layout still is the best way to do it. A simplefied summary that you can read through end to end and then you have what you need to know to run a Barbarian Lands campaign. Barbaripedia really is more to get more deeply into specific things or to clear up things you're not entirely sure about. But it has no structure with no direction where to start and what you need to know and what you could use for specific adventures.
Also, the best ideas always come while I'm writing, so Barbaripedia has to step back for now and I want to concentrate more on the basics.
The first step for this is to come up with a basic structure what content is required and how it should be ordered.
Spoiler
Player's Manual
This book holds most of the crunch. Stats for races and classes, the backgrounds and themes of the setting are explained, and the equipment and spell lists.
- > Character Races
- Elf
- Gnome
- Human
- Kaas
- Lizardfolk
- Nezumi
- > Character Classes
- Barbarian
- Fighter
- Ranger
- Rogue
- Sorcerer (Shamans and witches, we'll see how this will eventually be handled.)
- > Backgrounds
- Highborn
- Clansman
- Freeman
- Lowborn
- Outcast
- Monastic
- > Themes
- > Allegiance
- > Equipment
- Armor
- Weapons
- Tools
- Animals and Transport
- Services
- Potions and Elixirs
- > Magic
- Basics of Magic (Explainations of magical energy, spellcasting, and so on.)
- Spells
Campaign Setting
This is where most material is located. It includes all the information available to most people inhabiting the Barbarian Lands.
- > Races
- > Society
- Social Status
- Villages
- Towns
- Cities
- Trade
- > History
- > Geography
- > Organizations
- > Magic
- > Other Worlds
- > Spiritworld
- Shie
- Naga
- > Shadow World
- > Underworld
- > The Void
- Demons
Game Master's Manual
Some players want to read everything about the world their characters live in, but there is no need for them to read about all the things their characters can't possibly know. That stuff is located here. Even game masters don't have to read all of it and may only read the parts they need for their current adventure and campaign and still can have all the suprise when playing in campaigns run by other GMs.
- > Artifacts
- > Organizations
- > Locations
- > History
- > The Spiritworld
- > The Underworld
- > The Shadow World
- > The Void
Creature Manual
Monster stats and description, in the style of 2nd Edition D&D Monster Manuals.
- > Humanoids
- > Beasts (Anything that does not belong to the other groups.)
- > Spirits
- > Demons
- > Ancients
- > Undead
- > Plants & Oozes
- > Constructs
What's your thoughts on this? Would you do something different?