I am hoping to make adventure modules that I can publish on the DMs Guild. While I have found the basic Word / InDesign templates on the main DMs Guild website, I see so many modules that have a much more professional look, layout, and dress... including logos and page art that mimics official D&D products. I know that actual art must be commissioned or made, but I'm talking about things like the page borders, the little red "paint splotch" logo on the front where people write thier by-line... things like that. I have not had much luck finding this content myself, if it is in fact available.
1) Where do people find this content and is it available for use?
2) I'm still unclear how to avoid falling foul of the "copying trade dress" rules for creating content... or is that not an issue when it is published on DMs Guild since WotC gets a cut of the profit?
I've used this tutorial in the past when I first started creating homebrew content. It covers the art direction, and how to recreate it yourself in Photoshop. I believe there's a download to a page template that has all of the assets, such as stat blocks and what-not.
You can get the fonts used in the official material - you can either pay for the licence of the 'real' fonts, or find free replacements.
Really important thing is to make sure you're not profiting from any resource, asset, image, font etc that you don't have a licence for. Check carefully. And of course, don't use copyrighted material without first getting permission from the creator.
I am hoping to make adventure modules that I can publish on the DMs Guild. While I have found the basic Word / InDesign templates on the main DMs Guild website, I see so many modules that have a much more professional look, layout, and dress... including logos and page art that mimics official D&D products. I know that actual art must be commissioned or made, but I'm talking about things like the page borders, the little red "paint splotch" logo on the front where people write thier by-line... things like that. I have not had much luck finding this content myself, if it is in fact available.
1) Where do people find this content and is it available for use?
2) I'm still unclear how to avoid falling foul of the "copying trade dress" rules for creating content... or is that not an issue when it is published on DMs Guild since WotC gets a cut of the profit?
An example of the kinds of adventures I'm talking about (and I love this one by the way)
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/200538/Banquet-of-the-Damned?filters=45469
I've used this tutorial in the past when I first started creating homebrew content. It covers the art direction, and how to recreate it yourself in Photoshop. I believe there's a download to a page template that has all of the assets, such as stat blocks and what-not.
You can get the fonts used in the official material - you can either pay for the licence of the 'real' fonts, or find free replacements.
Really important thing is to make sure you're not profiting from any resource, asset, image, font etc that you don't have a licence for. Check carefully. And of course, don't use copyrighted material without first getting permission from the creator.