What follows is an interview with Peter Schweighofer, the force behind Griffon Publishing and Pulp Egypt, conducted via e-mail during the autumn of 2006. It covers a lot of material, from Pulp Egypt to his early writing influences to the PDF publishing industry. We start, of course, talking about Pulp Egypt.

Q: Looking over Pulp Egypt, the layout for the book is clean, sharp and professional. How/Where did you learn layout? What has influenced your general layout style? 

A: Although I gained some traditional paste-up experience working for a weekly hometown newspaper in Connecticut, I learned most of my layout skills while working on West End Games’ Star Wars Adventure Journal. West End’s production manager Richard Hawran and I worked together to create the Journal’s design template, then sat down one Saturday to do the entire layout on the first issue. I oversaw layout on subsequent issues and did some design work on promotional materials (free convention and demo adventures) both for the company and my own use. Since then my graphic design experience has come from a freelance layout job for a scholarly journal and personal materials promoting my writing and gaming activities.

Two factors influence my overall graphic design style: a need to keep it visually pleasing yet simple (keeping the size of a PDF file reasonably low) and my preference for West End Game’s layout style for most of itsStar Wars books.... Aside from graphics I pick up that have no known copyright restrictions, I essentially do all my own original art, so I use material I can render decently (mostly maps and diagrams) and avoid anything overly complex. My design style emulates that of West End’s Star Wars roleplaying books during the early part of my years there: simple headers and footers, basic line art, two columns, hand-rendered maps with some basic computer manipulation. Nothing too fancy. It’s been modified to handle the “main column with sidebar column” layout useful for inserting sidebars, illustrations, pull quotes, and the Any-System Key stats, but the basic design rationale remains similar.

Q: The sheer density of information in Pulp Egypt suggests quite a bit of research and more than a passing interest in the topic. What level of interest do you have in Egypt, and how much research went into the book?

A: I’ve always had a casual interest in ancient Egypt, particularly its monuments, but only began exploring it in depth in my final college years. I wrote several Egyptian-themed short stories, and actually sold several later on that appeared in DAW anthologies (“Memnon Revived” in Legends: Tales from the Eternal Archives, 1998, and “Hatshepsut’s Revenge” in Historical Hauntings, 2001). Over the years I’ve maintained a more avid interest in Egypt, voraciously reading and collecting a small library on the subject, including material on Egypt in the Victorian, pulp, and modern periods. I’ve done a few Egypt-themed roleplaying game books, too: the Raiders of the Lost Ark Sourcebook, Rise of the Red God for Victoriana, and Weird Wars: Afrika Korpse (and a number of unpublished Egypt-themed projects for Castle Falkenstein).

I’m still discovering and reading new sources; for instance, I only recently found one of the books mentioned in the bibliography, Saul Kelly’s The Hunt for Zerzura: The Lost Oasis and the Desert War, which proved extremely valuable in writing the espionage chapter of Pulp Egypt.

A great deal of research went into Pulp Egypt. Much of it draws on reading and other writing I’ve done over the years and stored in the reference section of my brain. Sometimes research involves learning about new aspects of Egypt, other times simply knowing where to look up specific things I need to know (like which archaeologists were working at  which excavations during the 1930s).

Q: In Pulp Egypt you explain that the book is a sourcebook of Egypt, and while there is a large historical base, it is not wholly accurate, nor does it cover all of the notable events of the era the book covers. Can you give us an example of something you decided to change and/or not include, and what prompted that decision?

A: No gaming sourcebook about a historical period can be “complete” or wholly “accurate.” I made a conscious decision not to include several elements because the research would have taken too long, other sources existed to handle this information, or it simply wasn’t part of the scope of this book. More focus was placed on some historical elements for the sake of making an interesting gaming environment, particularly material in “Chapter Two: Egyptian Exotica” and “Chapter Four: Espionage Campaigns.” Nazis obviously play more of a role in Pulp Egypt than they did in the historical setting simply because they serve as characteristic villains. I played up the role of secret societies and cults, plus all the magical and fantastic elements. 

I specifically didn’t include two elements for these reasons. You won’t find lists of period weapons and vehicles in Pulp Egypt since those are more readily available in individual game systems people are already playing. I also decided against an expansive description of individual locations along the Nile since this really isn’t a travelogue (though the initial summary chapter provides an ample framework). Both elements would have required far too much research to do it right in Pulp Egypt, and all that information is available somewhere else, whether in game sourcebooks or travel reference books.

Q: Have you had the opportunity to use some of this material in a game at your game table, and do you have any stories you could relate from that session? How has it fared at conventions?

A: I’ve been running the free preview adventure “The Charioteer’s Tomb” at conventions the past few years with great success. I have miniatures and a tomb diorama I use that somewhat enhance gameplay, but the action’s just the same. Two elements always get a good reaction out of the players. (Beware: Adventure spoilers ahead!) Starting the adventure off with a literal “bang” when Professor Mallory sets off the fire trap surprises them and offers a dangerous problem to solve. Once inside the tomb (whether or not the rest of the party engages the animated Anubis statues) someone inevitably rummages through the treasury annex, in which case I usually spring the scarab swarm on them -- with everyone having seen The Mummy, there’s a shared gasp and thrill at the overwhelming danger seething from the treasure -- and it puts them under pressure to either stop the scarabs or evacuate the tomb.

Q: Griffon Publishing is your own imprint, and Pulp Egypt the first book from it. What prompted you to publish this way? Any hints on future releases/publishing plans?  Are you still freelancing? 

A: I’ve been looking at breaking into PDF “self-publishing” for a while, primarily as a means to develop and publish my own roleplaying game products without relying on well-established publishers who, on one hand, can offer higher production values, print actual product, and sell it through distribution chains, but on the other, rarely accept independently developed projects from freelancers, instead relying on them to produce material for game ideas developed in-house.

Establishing Griffon Publishing Studio enabled me to offer quality roleplaying game materials from a game industry veteran in PDF format. Of course I’d love to see Pulp Egypt in print form sold in gaming stores everywhere, but as a creative individual without the assets for a brick-and-mortar company, I simply can’t do that right now. So I rely on my own creativity and skill sets and go where I can. Right now that’s a quality PDF product sold on the internet.

I don’t take on many freelance game writing jobs anymore, though I would if someone offered me an interesting project with adequate pay. Freelancing for other people’s game systems and settings requires far too much work for extremely meager pay. Aside from learning a new game system and style sheet (or familiarizing myself with one I’ve seen before), developing inspiring material for someone else’s envisioned setting, and writing quality material to deadline, a freelancer also has to chase down writing opportunities, maintain contact with numerous publishers and editors, and avoid burnout. While the price of your average game book has doubled in many cases, freelancer pay rates really haven’t increased at all during the past decade; astonishing considering what’s expected of freelancers. It’s unfortunate, really, that gaming overall pays poorly, even for many employed regularly in the industry.

Looking to future projects I’d like to release through Griffon Publishing Studio, I’m considering pursuing one of several roleplaying game supplements a bit less grand in scale than Pulp Egypt (which was originally envisioned as a maximum 144-page book instead of the 176-page sourcebook). The Infinite Cathedral seems the most promising right now. A setting sourcebook for medieval fantasy games, it depicts a vast plane of existence, a maze of never-ending cathedral naves, transepts, galleries, cloisters, and towers, in which characters become trapped. The numerous and varied inhabitants, also trapped there, wage a war against good and evil, struggle for survival, try establishing stable communities, undertake pilgrimages, or seek their own way out of this literal limbo. It would offer me a brief respite from the pulp genre and historical fiction in general. I’m also contemplating short pulp-era roleplaying game supplements, one discussing ways to run an aircraft (or spacecraft) squadron-based game, and another briefly detailing the campaign setting and offering a short series of adventures for heroes adventuring in the South Pacific in the 1930s (a la the 1980s “Tales from the Gold Monkey” television series).

Of course, I’m always toying with board, card, and tile game ideas, including ones simulating the Battle of Britain, the colonization of the New World, and various simple yet educational wargame projects.

Q: You were the editor of the Star Wars Adventure Journal for a number of years, and worked in an editorial capacity at West End Games as well. While you are certainly more than qualified to edit your own work, do you do anything to compensate for not having a separate editor for your work?

A: I usually self-edit as I write, which can slow the writing process but resolves errors early on. When I begin writing each day I also typically review material written the previous day, during which I also self-edit. I maintain a personal style guide, plus one for Any-System Key material and one specifically for Pulp Egypt. Playtesters and others who read advance drafts point out mistakes.

Q: What differences are there in Pulp Egypt due to it being Any-System Key book instead of a D6 Adventure one?

A: Pulp Egypt using the D6 System would have had more stats and overall game crunch. The Any-System Key simplifies things and, frankly, leaves out some derived and secondary stats for simplicity’s sake. The stat blocks fit neatly into the narrow “sidebar columns” along the outer edge of each page. D6 System stats, even if run in the text, would have bulked things out and taken too long to properly develop within the bounds of the game rules.

For instance, around the time I finally decided to veer away from D6 and develop the Any-System Key, I was working on some sample spells used by sorcerers in the Legion of Set. The D6 System magic mechanics can get fairly involved (personally anything using a worksheet or spreadsheet has passed my boundaries for a fun, basic game). I was spending an hour or so crafting each spell according to the D6 rules, and still not sure if I was doing it correctly. Creating spells, and to a lesser extent gamemaster characters, became much easier when I turned from the D6 System and went with something far simpler and more intuitive.

I would also have used a different layout, probably an even, two-column set-up, since the D6 System stats can go in a handy paragraph format that wouldn't look good in the current layout’s thinner “sidebar column” the Any-System Key stats now inhabit. I’m not sure if this would have made the book longer or shorter, but that really didn't matter to me.

Developing my own system instead of keying Pulp Egypt to D6, or any other system for that matter, also affected what markets I could reach. If I had been able to convince the current management of West End Games to buy the manuscript, produce, and distribute it, the book ultimately would have reached far more people than it ever will in its current PDF format. This assumes, however, that West End wanted the book and would invest in paying me for it and producing it. I was also not interested in purchasing a license to produce it as a D6 book on my own. So I charted my own course, both from the perspective of a new “generic” stat system and from a business standpoint.

Q: Although Pulp Egypt is systemless, it would interest me, at least to know, what system(s) do you use for running “The Charioteer’'s Tomb”adventure?

A: My game engine of choice these days remains West End Games’ D6 System. When running “The Charioteer's Tomb” the system allows me to easily create pregenerated characters and quickly introduce both experienced gamers and newcomers to the Pulp Egypt setting with a minimal fuss over the game engine. Players quickly grasp the essentials. I know it well enough that I can easily adapt Any-System Key materials to it. I also don’t mind promoting West End Games in some small way, even though I haven’t worked for them (full-time or freelance) for a while.

Of course the D6 System is second nature for me. I’ve played it in the guise of West End’s Star Wars roleplaying game and other D6 incarnations for many years, and I worked on that line as a designer and editor at West End for five years. I’ve created or run several home-brew games using the D6 System. It’s essentially my default game engine for any campaign ideas I have. In fact, Pulp Egypt began as a possible D6 Adventure supplement before becoming an Any-System Key sourcebook.

Recently I’ve thought of converting my convention materials (primarily pregenerated characters) to Great White Games’ Savage Worlds system. I’ve heard and read some great things about Savage Worlds and want to see how it handles action in the Pulp Egypt setting. I’m also concerned how easily convention gamers can grasp the core game engine when introduced in a Pulp Egypt scenario. I’d like to more thoroughly compare it to the D6 System and ultimately prepare myself for running Any-System Key adventures in either system.

Q: What do you see as the state of the PDF market you  have just entered? And its future? 

A: I see the PDF industry market growing, and not simply because of the increasing number of publishers turning to PDF -- either as the sole means of publication or in addition to print.

Brick-and-mortar stores that carry roleplaying game books have become rare in recent years for a number of reasons; slower economy, influx of collectable games, and greater competition from online suppliers or direct-from-publisher sites. For some gamers accessibility becomes a real issue when, as gas prices continue to soar, they have to drive an hour or more to reach a store to purchase their gaming products. Sure, some go online and buy printed product shipped to them, but others prefer to buy -- or can only find -- the supplements they want online in PDF format. The lack of physical stores carrying actual product, the increase of online shopping, and the growing availability of PDF books do not seem like trends ending anytime soon.

Of course more publishers, both newcomers and pillars of the industry, are turning to PDF as a way to disseminate their product. For established publishers it provides a way for customers to purchase product online, download immediately, and enjoy right away. Some even offer out-of-print materials as PDF files since it’s often unprofitable to reprint such products. For newcomers like myself it enables writers, designers, and developers with experience, talent, and interesting ideas to publish their work without the expense of forming a company with a staff, warehouse, and other financial obligations.

Sure, for every excellent PDF-only gaming product or publisher many others remain who don’t measure up to the standards set by the print roleplaying game industry. (You’re going to find, to a lesser extent, less-than-stellar print products, too, among all the other published releases.) But consider that these excellent products wouldn’t exist at all without the PDF format and the opportunities it offers for those without the capital to start their own brick-and-mortar companies.

I think PDF publishing has a good future. Those who prefer print have options with print-on-demand to purchase professionally printed versions of PDF books. The market will naturally cull those who can’t meet professional standards. Established companies will rely on PDF to preview and playtest product, and disseminate it to those who don’t have a game store nearby.

As far as Griffon Publishing Studio is concerned, I view PDF as a means to bring my product to market, but also as a testbed for products that might make it to print. For instance, a publisher might see a copy of Pulp Egypt and investigate printing and distributing it himself as a print partner with Griffon Publishing Studio; or a publisher could see the supplement as a sample of my work and hire me to develop a print project customized to that company’s game engine. Theoretically, if I sold enough copies, it might enable me to pay for a small print run available through the website or at conventions.

Long-term I see PDF as the main means for selling gamebooks and other materials through Griffon Publishing Studio. PDF enables me to produce my game sourcebook ideas and get them into the hands of gamers at a very basic albeit limited level. If I somehow make an insane amount of money with sales, win the lottery, or otherwise come into some major cash, I might consider expanding the company on a more profession level.

Personally I have and will follow my own course, regardless of the market trends in PDF or game books, as long as I have the means to develop and produce supplements which really interest me, and therefore probably interest gamers buying my products.

Shawn Lockard currently works on the Grey Ghost Games website, and has had work published by Grey Ghost Games, Steve Jackson Games and Humanoids/West End Games. He lives in Dayton, Ohio, with his wife Marsha, his daughter, and more than the minimum requirement of feline company. Shawn’s other hobbies include computers, science fiction, and movies.
 

   "This is called a Griffin because it is a winged quadruped. This kind of wild animal is born in Hyperborean parts, or in mountains. All its bodily members are like a lion's, but its wings and mask are like an eagle's. It is vehemently hostile to horses. But it will also tear to pieces any human beings which it happens to come across."