Would You Pay Money for a 1-page PDF?

RPGPundit · May 20, 2017, 04:18:41 AM

Could you theoretically see yourself paying for a very small PDF product, 1-4 pages? Even if it was just a dollar or two? I know there have been products like this on OBS, and some of them seem to have done rather well. I wonder who the audience for them would be?

Snowman0147 · May 20, 2017, 04:24:14 AM

Greatly depends on the writer.

Headless · May 20, 2017, 04:29:03 AM

Are you doing market research?

Voros · May 20, 2017, 05:03:52 AM

If I knew the designer's other work yes. I would gladly pay for Michael Prescott's one-two page dungeon/adventure/locations.

crkrueger · May 20, 2017, 05:17:04 AM

Sure, depending on content. Dyson Logos' 1-4 pages maps w/locations are worth that. So are 1-4 page detailed magic items, monsters, spells, for your game of choice. Kind of like buying a Dragon Magazine for the one article, but cheaper.

JeremyR · May 20, 2017, 05:24:24 AM

I've got a number of character classes on OBS, which are like 2 pages of class description, plus another page for the advancement table for 1e, 0e, and B/X.

Amusingly, they make more money than any of the adventure modules I've made (save the one about the Mi-Go, people really like Lovecraft) which are generally 10-30 pages and take a lot more work and usually involve $10-15 of stock art.

Mind you, I'm not talking about major money. 4 of my 6 modules have yet to bring in more than $10 (the Lovecraft one about $300 in 3 years, the other about $25 total), but the classes pull in $30+ over their lifetime. So I use the money from the classes to subsidize the stock art for the modules.

Llew ap Hywel · May 20, 2017, 05:33:55 AM

Depends on cost and content. A well regarded writer would certainly tip my opinion.

Nerzenjäger · May 20, 2017, 06:53:00 AM

Absolutely and I have done so on multiple occasions. If somebody has an idea, rule, or nifty table of value for me, he gets a buck.

S'mon · May 20, 2017, 08:17:00 AM

I can just about imagine coughing up a $ for a 1-page dungeon from a well regarded writer like Dyson Logos. It would have to be something I really needed Right Now.

DavetheLost · May 20, 2017, 08:23:23 AM

I would, and have.

I don't quite understand why this is even a question. We want creatives to continue offering their creations to us, yes? Then we need to reward them for their efforts. Game designers deserve to be paid.

Gorilla_Zod · May 20, 2017, 08:51:20 AM

I have paid for very short pdfs from OBS in the past, though it has been more about niche-product than the writer.

The Exploited. · May 20, 2017, 10:10:14 AM

I would if the content was good enough and it added something useful to the game.

Dumarest · May 20, 2017, 10:17:33 AM

I don't even use the ones I've gotten for free, so no. PDFs are not for me. I would have to print it out and put it in a folder for it to be of any use.

RunningLaser · May 20, 2017, 10:31:26 AM

Quote from: The Exploited.;963478I would if the content was good enough and it added something useful to the game.

I'll go with this.

Think the most I have paid for a small pdf was $4, maybe a little less than that, can't recall, but it was for 14 pages. The game was a lot of fun and gave a lot of bang for the buck, so it was worth it.

Skarg · May 20, 2017, 11:16:05 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;963437Could you theoretically see yourself paying for a very small PDF product, 1-4 pages? Even if it was just a dollar or two? I know there have been products like this on OBS, and some of them seem to have done rather well. I wonder who the audience for them would be?

Sure. Depends on what's in it and whether I want that or not, of course. I don't remember how long it is, but I bought the one on "rope" in RPGs. I think I even bought one for a friend. I'd buy one if it was full of useful art, like a counter sheet, or a character sheet layout I liked, or a well-done quick-reference card for game tables I use, or a cool set of equipment tables, or a cool map, or a concise reference for the full GURPS medical rules including bleeding etc... especially if I could edit it for my house rules. ;-)