Commissions
Thank you for expressing interest in commissioning me! This is a quick sheet about what to expect, how my commission process works, and what guarantees I offer.
Content
My focus is squarely on 5e and its successor games. My work strives to be balanced and universal - I want to make things that are playable at as many tables as possible. In general, my commission structure is set up around three tiers of content:
Huge: Full classes, multi-page setting documents, small compendiums of related content. I don't reliably have open slots for this, because commissioned work on this scale is going to impact my normal content schedule. But if it's something you want, and we can structure it in a way that serves my existing audience as well as your needs, it's worth discussing.
Large: This is the bread-and-butter of my commission structure. A large content piece is typically a subclass or species, but could also be a rules module, a set of related statblocks or spells or items, or something else that's in the 2-4 pages range. I'm fine making a commissioned subclass for any base-game class, any of my classes, or any class that I allow at my table. If it's for a class I'm unfamiliar with, I'm fine doing that as well, but will add a small premium to cover the time and effort of learning a new class to target. I keep one Large commission slot open and available via my Patreon every month.
Small: Also readily available are small slots. A small content piece is usually 1 page or less, typically a spell, item, feat, or monster.
General content guidelines: If artwork is required, I'm happy to work with my artists to provide it; art prices will be added on top of the base commission cost. I will not take explicitly-NSFW commissions, nor will I forward them on to my artists, and I reserve the right to refuse any project proposal for any reason. If I decide during development that a project is not feasible (in terms of design), I will allow you to reuse your commission slot for a different project or request a full refund.
Non-5E projects: I'm open to projects for other systems or circumstances, but this will need to be specially negotiated, and rates will be higher to account for research.
Timing and Deadlines
My commission slots are organized on a monthly basis. Commissions reserved via Patreon are prioritized and guaranteed a slot for the month after they're paid. Commissions arranged separately will be scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis; I'll work with you to agree upon a target date. I'll generally budget two weeks for the rough draft and two more weeks for the final, but there's a lot of variability in that.
Pricing
All my commission slots are generally in the range of $100-150 USD per page, but might be as high as $200/pg for involved projects. Per that rate, Large slots have a base rate of $250, Small slots have a base rate of $100, and Huge slots are best handled per-page. I might offer discounts if something is particularly easy or small, or tack on a premium if it will require extra work or specialized research. Projects that build on other creators' work also involve a premium, since I will need to take the time to learn what I'm building on.
Rights
I retain copyright in all commissioned work, but grant you a permanent and irrevocable license for noncommercial use and distribution (with attribution). You will be credited on the final product. If you wish to use a commissioned work as part of a commercial project, or desire a time-limited agreement that I not independently distribute the work, that can be negotiated.
Payment
Payment for Large and Huge commissions will be in 3 installments: a 20% deposit up front, 30% upon delivery of the first playable draft, and 50% upon delivery of the completed product. Payment for Small commissions will be 50% up front and 50% upon completion. If you want to accelerate payment schedules, that's fine. If a project is in-progress and you are unable to make a payment, work will be paused until payment issues are resolved. If you're unhappy with the state of a first playable draft, we can refocus the project or agree on new outcomes; at my discretion, I may offer some refunds on commission fees, but I offer no guarantees about doing so.
If you reserve a commission slot via Patreon, payment is up-front through that platform, and you are guaranteed a commission slot in the next calendar month after your payment is processed. If you commission me directly, payment can be via invoice (processed by Stripe), Venmo, or Paypal.
Editing
If you want my help editing your work, or for other non-design-related tasks, feel free to reach out and we can negotiate that. Rates will probably start around those recommended by the Editorial Freelancers’ Association, but may vary based on project, availability, and other factors.