as Jez says: "AWESOMELY NIFTY SS LOGO by the unestimable Jeremy Duncan. HE WHO NOW SITS BY SANTICORE'S TREMBLING KNEE. FEAR HIM."
A quick Q&A up front to get people going, then more detail and history at the bottom.
THIS IS NOT A CALL FOR REQUESTS. That's coming in a bit. This is an informational post to get your juices quivering.
If you're just looking for info on being a Handler, look for * HANDLERS *
If you're looking for the history of Santicore, look for * History *
What is Secret Santicore?
Speed Round:
1. request something for your tabletop RPG game,
2. get someone else's request and write (or draw) it up,
3. someone else is randomly assigned your request and makes it,
4. then all requests are collected on a website and a nice PDF, hopefully by Christmas.
Longer description of Santicore:
People in the DIY RPG community send in requests for campaign content they'd like - a table, monster, entire encounter, or even a whole (short) adventure. Maybe an item, puzzle, or trap. Maybe an illustration of something. Whatever you want!
THEN: the requests get mixed up and randomly assigned to everyone who made a request.
So - you request a puzzle that changes the rooms of a dungeon around depending on how the PCs solve it. Maybe you're more specific, or leave it at that!
THEN, you get someone else's request - they want a short encounter with a good-aligned Frog King and retinue who has motivations that will likely bring him into conflict with PCs, maybe with variations to conflict with different types of PCs.
You don't find out who got your request, and you don't tell what you are working on, to keep with the spirit of the thing. You write up the short encounter however you like. Just text? With pictures? You'd like someone else to draw a picture?
You have a Handler to offer advice, keep you on schedule, possibly edit, and help with coordinating illustrations. We all understand this is for fun, and no one's getting paid in dollars.
So you write the thing as two lines of setup text, four tables, and three blocks of stats. OR you write a few paragraphs of flavor text, draw a terrain map with weather details, and some loose stats. Or a million other ways.
However you think the request is best fulfilled by you!
Being efficient with page space is a virtue, but part of the fun of the project is capturing everyone's unique voice and skills.
And we all get every request on a webpage and/or cool PDF for Christmas! (or Kwanza, or Winter Solstice, or whatever)
Them's the basics. Tons of surprise free RPG content for all to use!
* HANDLERS *
What does a Handler do? Why would I want to be one?
A Handler keeps in contact with me and a number of Secret Santicore participants, distributing requests, answering questions, checking in and keeping them on schedule, and getting their final product to the person making the PDF/Website.
If a Santicore participant is very very naughty and it doesn't look like they'll have their thing done in time, the Handlers can step in and make the thing themselves if they so desire, or take another request that hasn't been distributed yet, or help the person along to post it on their blog if it gets completed after the PDF deadline has passed. Or handle it in a way they think is best.
My goal will be that every decision in the Santicore process is made by consensus of the Handlers (of which I'll be one.) However, to make sure the thing gets done, sometimes I'll have to just make a decision and go with it. The Handlers and I will have a few threads over email and G+ to get Santicore the sweet sweet nectar of unfulfilled desires that sustain His Eldritch Horrible Jollyness.
You want to be a Handler to bring joy and wonder to RPGers everywhere. To make sure this happens. To appease the Great Santicore so that he may slumber for another year and not destroy us.
Who the fuck are you, Joey? What will you be doing?
I'll be overseeing the project and handling the Handlers, as well as pitching in art and text. If someone more qualified isn't able to, I'll be compiling the PDF at the end.
How many participants can there be? How many will each Handler...uh, handle?
I'm asking each Handler to estimate how many participants they can handle, and assigning them that many. Then, if a Handler gets overwhelmed, I'll take on their load or distribute it or find a new Handler.
The number of requests that get fulfilled will just be how many we can get to. 69 is the goal, anything past that is gravy.
Unfulfilled requests will go in the back of the PDF, unless the requester does not want it to. Then maybe some kind soul(s) will fulfill it on their blogs after!
HOW DO I BECOME A HANDLER?
email metalvsskin at geemale dot calm :
-title of the email should say SANTICORE HANDLER somewhere
-your name
-how many people you're willing to handle
-if you want to be a text wrangler or art czar
* HISTORY *
A short history of Santicore, cause I'm running outa time to Blog today...
+Zak Smith had a great idea to celebrate the lives of Gygax and Arneson back in 2010 with the Secret Arneson Gift Exchange.
Then the next year +Jez Gordon renamed it and did it again for the holidays -and released it as an awesome PDF.
In 2012, Jez nobly tried to do it again, first putting out a call for helpers, then submissions. Then, sadly, life did what it does and Jez had to bow out. Some rad folks stepped up, and most of the content made it on to one blog or another.
HUGE THANKS to Zak S, Jez Gordon, Jeremy Duncan, and all the guys who helped out in 2012 (Erik, Trey, Rolang, Mike, and Dallas.)
also THANKS to all the participants from past years for making and finishing requests!
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