The above image is from my working cover for my first premium module, Fey Infestation, which I am writing for the Pathfinder 2e system. I did all my preliminary work in Foundry, but I knew that I also wanted to make a PDF version because most gamemasters run tabletop games. I have been working on it since the beginning of the summer. During this timeframe, I also purchased the Affinity suite of art programs and started learning those apps.

I started pulling all of the text of the module in a Word document, using the official template for Pathfinder Infinite, but after playing with it in Word for a while, I decided I was ready to dive into Affinity Publisher, so I created a document and started pulling things over.

There’s all sorts of things that you have to worry about when designing a module for a VTT, that you don’t need to worry about when designing for a PDF.

AND there’s all sort of things that you have to worry about when designing a module for PDF, that you don’t need to worry about when designing for a VTT.

Here’s a breakdown:

VTT Modules – you don’t need to worry about

a cover image – although landing pages are nicetypography – just use Foundry and Pathfinder built-in styleslayout – every topic is in a separate journalwhether your map will fit inside a printed page

PDF Modules – you don’t need to worry about

token art – the biggest headache of VTT modulesoverhead tiles – although they are always funlighting and effects – which you might build into your mapambient sounds and battle music

When you’re doing both, you’ve gotta do it all.

So it has been a large learning curve.

While I was polishing things up and getting ready to playtest, Paizo, Pathfinder’s publisher, made some changes to their licenses, and I had to make some decisions. I was using very little, if any, content that takes place in the Pathfinder game world. Also, I had not found any Paizo art that I might have been able to use in Pathfinder Infinite. Therefore, I decided to go forward using the ORC license. This required me to re-invent some monsters, a task which is now mostly complete.

When it is ready, I plan to release the VTT version on Foundry and the PDF version on DriveThru RPG.

Here’s what I have left to do:

Playtest it with my playtest group, I am already running in a game to build the characters up to third levelSynchronize all changes with the PDFAdd any automation to the mapsCreate final version of maps with the grid (for the PDF) and without the grid (for the VTT)Find or create (!) token artworkDeploy it as a module in FoundryPublish it in a two-PDF bundle (maps and scenario) on DriveThru RPgProbably much more.

What about D&D? Well, we are currently not into D&D, but it would be smart to make a version for it, since the potential audience is much larger. D&D has been going through a lot of changes, but the 5e version is pretty stable. So I may will work on a conversion once I publish. That will involve recreating all creatures and traps, and replacing most dice rolls.

I am thinking I might be done with the Pathfinder version by maybe January.