mikestrauss
Squire
HQ Folks,
In an effort to make sure you have a newsletter every single event that is full of useful information, I have been appointed as the new newsletter editor and some new policies are being implemented. These policies create new opportunities to earn goblin stamps and even Plot Points or Magic Item picks. This purpose of this post is to outline the policies and comments to it should be limited to questions or comments regarding the policies. A separate post will be put up for recruitment purposes. This post will list all the new positions and policies and compensation will be included at the bottom.
New Positions
Staff Reporter - A staff reporter is an OOG position. Staff reporters are expected to provide a complete report of what they witnessed during any weekends they attend. Staff reporters are considered full staff from the moment they are appointed until they retire or until they are removed by editor. No application is required, you simply need to request the position from the editor.
Field Reporter - A field reporter is an OOG position. Any player that is not a staff reporter can be a field reporter. Field reporters are appointed before a module (at roughly the same time that APL is calculated) and are expected to provide a complete report of that particular module. No application is required, you simply volunteer during a weekend.
Freelancer - A freelancer is not a position per se. Instead, any article submitted by a person who is not a staff reporter or fulfilling the obligation of being a field reporter is considered a freelancer. Anyone may be a freelancer at any time without notice.
Policies
Staff Reporting - Staff reporters are required to write a full report of everything they (the player, not necessarily the PC) witnessed over the weekend. The report must include all modules the player attended (note Secrecy Rules below) and as much information as possible on any plot arcs, encounters, or meaningful unscripted PC interactions that occurred (like Ithaca beating the pants off of Vox in a game of poker). Names and useful descriptions are critical. Memorable actions and who performed them should definitely be included in module reports and are preferable for things like important wave battles, too (makes the stories more interesting). General rules of news applies: Who, what, when, where, why, and how. On average, a staff report for a full weekend should probably be at least 4-5 pages. This isn't a hard rule, but if the information provided is vague, more information may be requested.
VERY IMPORTANT: This report must be sent to the editor by the Sunday following the end of the event (1 week). Failure to do so will result in no compensation for the event and removal from position as a staff reporter. If there is a legitimate reason for delay or inability to report, please contact the editor ASAP (I am not unreasonable)
Field Reporting - Field reporters will be recruited at the start of any module. The encounter head will ask if anyone wishes to be a field reporter for the module. Up to 2 field reporters may volunteer per module (though staff reporters on the module count against this number). If someone agrees to be a field reporter, they are committing to writing a report / article about that module. This article should include all pertinent who, what, when, where, why, and how information about the module. A full report should give these details for the hook (both person and story), the journey, the actual module, and any meaningful wrap up. Names of PCs are critical. Also, the report should include general or specific heroic / interesting actions taken during the module by PCs or NPCs. Average field report will probably be about 1 page.
VERY IMPORTANT: This report must be sent to the editor by the Sunday following the end of the event (1 week). Failure to do so will result in no compensation for the article. If there is a legitimate reason for delay or inability to report, please contact the editor ASAP (still not unreasonable).
Reporting Style - All positions above are OOG positions. Your PC is not the article writer, you are. If you wish your PC to also be an IG newsletter writer that can be worked out, but unless otherwise stated the assumption is that the articles are written by a 3rd person reporter who interviews the PCs after the events in question. When providing a report, you can either provide it article style or simply provide a detailed description of the facts as you witnessed them. The latter will make my life easier, but is not a requirement. I can edit the facts into an article if you provide enough detail.
Secrecy Policy - At the end of any module, if all players who participated on the module agree that none of their characters would ever willing divulge what happened, anyone who agreed to be a Field Reporter is released from their obligation and Staff Reporters are not obligated to report on the module. As a note, if a single incident occurred during the module that no one wishes to discuss (Joe Bob cast a Drain spell, for example), but the rest is fine, it is perfectly reasonable to leave that detail out but still submit the report for the normal benefits.
Failure to Submit - Both Staff Reporter and Field Reporter are commitments. Staff Reporters and Field Reporters receive more rewards than Freelancers because they commit in advance. But failure to submit reports comes with a consequence. Staff Reporters that fail to submit reports lose their position and may not be reappointed until they have successfully submitted at least 6 Freelance / Field Reporter reports. Field Reporters that fail to submit reports are ineligible to be Field Reporters (or Staff Reporters) until they submit at least 3 Freelance reports.
Compensation
Staff Reporter - 125 Goblin Stamps / event attended (PC or NPC)
Field Reporter - 25 Goblin Stamps / report
Freelancer Weekend / Encounter / Plot Arc Report - Up to 75 Goblin Stamps / event (depending on how much of the weekend the report covers)
Freelancer Module Report - 15 Goblin Stamps / report
Guild Report (or similar column) - 10 Goblin Stamps
Editorials - 5 Goblin Stamps (these add flavor but are primarily used for character development)
Gossip - 2 Goblin Stamps / juicy tidbit
BONUS: For every 100 Goblin Stamps you earn from newsletter contributions (no matter what they are), you will earn 1 Magic Item pick or 1 Plot Point (your choice).
Michael Strauss
HQ Newsletter Editor
In an effort to make sure you have a newsletter every single event that is full of useful information, I have been appointed as the new newsletter editor and some new policies are being implemented. These policies create new opportunities to earn goblin stamps and even Plot Points or Magic Item picks. This purpose of this post is to outline the policies and comments to it should be limited to questions or comments regarding the policies. A separate post will be put up for recruitment purposes. This post will list all the new positions and policies and compensation will be included at the bottom.
New Positions
Staff Reporter - A staff reporter is an OOG position. Staff reporters are expected to provide a complete report of what they witnessed during any weekends they attend. Staff reporters are considered full staff from the moment they are appointed until they retire or until they are removed by editor. No application is required, you simply need to request the position from the editor.
Field Reporter - A field reporter is an OOG position. Any player that is not a staff reporter can be a field reporter. Field reporters are appointed before a module (at roughly the same time that APL is calculated) and are expected to provide a complete report of that particular module. No application is required, you simply volunteer during a weekend.
Freelancer - A freelancer is not a position per se. Instead, any article submitted by a person who is not a staff reporter or fulfilling the obligation of being a field reporter is considered a freelancer. Anyone may be a freelancer at any time without notice.
Policies
Staff Reporting - Staff reporters are required to write a full report of everything they (the player, not necessarily the PC) witnessed over the weekend. The report must include all modules the player attended (note Secrecy Rules below) and as much information as possible on any plot arcs, encounters, or meaningful unscripted PC interactions that occurred (like Ithaca beating the pants off of Vox in a game of poker). Names and useful descriptions are critical. Memorable actions and who performed them should definitely be included in module reports and are preferable for things like important wave battles, too (makes the stories more interesting). General rules of news applies: Who, what, when, where, why, and how. On average, a staff report for a full weekend should probably be at least 4-5 pages. This isn't a hard rule, but if the information provided is vague, more information may be requested.
VERY IMPORTANT: This report must be sent to the editor by the Sunday following the end of the event (1 week). Failure to do so will result in no compensation for the event and removal from position as a staff reporter. If there is a legitimate reason for delay or inability to report, please contact the editor ASAP (I am not unreasonable)
Field Reporting - Field reporters will be recruited at the start of any module. The encounter head will ask if anyone wishes to be a field reporter for the module. Up to 2 field reporters may volunteer per module (though staff reporters on the module count against this number). If someone agrees to be a field reporter, they are committing to writing a report / article about that module. This article should include all pertinent who, what, when, where, why, and how information about the module. A full report should give these details for the hook (both person and story), the journey, the actual module, and any meaningful wrap up. Names of PCs are critical. Also, the report should include general or specific heroic / interesting actions taken during the module by PCs or NPCs. Average field report will probably be about 1 page.
VERY IMPORTANT: This report must be sent to the editor by the Sunday following the end of the event (1 week). Failure to do so will result in no compensation for the article. If there is a legitimate reason for delay or inability to report, please contact the editor ASAP (still not unreasonable).
Reporting Style - All positions above are OOG positions. Your PC is not the article writer, you are. If you wish your PC to also be an IG newsletter writer that can be worked out, but unless otherwise stated the assumption is that the articles are written by a 3rd person reporter who interviews the PCs after the events in question. When providing a report, you can either provide it article style or simply provide a detailed description of the facts as you witnessed them. The latter will make my life easier, but is not a requirement. I can edit the facts into an article if you provide enough detail.
Secrecy Policy - At the end of any module, if all players who participated on the module agree that none of their characters would ever willing divulge what happened, anyone who agreed to be a Field Reporter is released from their obligation and Staff Reporters are not obligated to report on the module. As a note, if a single incident occurred during the module that no one wishes to discuss (Joe Bob cast a Drain spell, for example), but the rest is fine, it is perfectly reasonable to leave that detail out but still submit the report for the normal benefits.
Failure to Submit - Both Staff Reporter and Field Reporter are commitments. Staff Reporters and Field Reporters receive more rewards than Freelancers because they commit in advance. But failure to submit reports comes with a consequence. Staff Reporters that fail to submit reports lose their position and may not be reappointed until they have successfully submitted at least 6 Freelance / Field Reporter reports. Field Reporters that fail to submit reports are ineligible to be Field Reporters (or Staff Reporters) until they submit at least 3 Freelance reports.
Compensation
Staff Reporter - 125 Goblin Stamps / event attended (PC or NPC)
Field Reporter - 25 Goblin Stamps / report
Freelancer Weekend / Encounter / Plot Arc Report - Up to 75 Goblin Stamps / event (depending on how much of the weekend the report covers)
Freelancer Module Report - 15 Goblin Stamps / report
Guild Report (or similar column) - 10 Goblin Stamps
Editorials - 5 Goblin Stamps (these add flavor but are primarily used for character development)
Gossip - 2 Goblin Stamps / juicy tidbit
BONUS: For every 100 Goblin Stamps you earn from newsletter contributions (no matter what they are), you will earn 1 Magic Item pick or 1 Plot Point (your choice).
Michael Strauss
HQ Newsletter Editor
