The Menu

As demonstrated here.  With this screenshot:

For some time, I've put down work on the poster (which will be picked up again) in order to produce this more accessible product, a functional menu for any medieval campaign using copper, silver and gold coins.  The items are arranged neatly, described, a price is provided and sufficient quality of design that a Dungeon Master can proudly announce that the players have arrived at the "Jousting Pig" and oh, here's the menu.  The background is rich and appropriate for the time period and the folder is comparable to what the reader might find in a quality restaurant.

As yet, as the video says, I don't have a price.  Just at the moment, we've calculated what it would cost to buy and print the materials in bulk; there is also the matter of packaging and shipping, not to mention that I'm on the North American continent and that many of my readers are in Europe, South Africa, Asia ... I'm not sure of details regarding shipping overseas at a reasonable price.  The combination of these things suggests a fund that would ensure reliability on our part regarding delivery.  Previously, I've not had these concerns, as selling my book through Lulu and Amazon puts those troubles on them.  This could not be done effectively that way, since we must purchase the binding ourselves before mailing it out.

Some months ago, a reader suggested "Make the product first, and then make a kickstarter for it."  As we've followed that advice (and by "we," I mean my daughter, my manager and myself), it would make sense to launch a kickstarter for, say, $3,000.  This would let us purchase the device that would enable us to provide and implement a design for the menu cover ourselves; it would let us buy the menu covers in larger numbers; we could make arrangements ahead of time to manage credit cards online; and all the other technical details.  One stretch goal above that amount could support the creation of additional menu pages, with other dishes and logos, that could be switched out with the Jousting Pig.  A further stretch goal would support the creation of another menu entirely, one that was based on a later time period and cuisine, say pre-Columbian North America, as none of the J.P.'s menu items feature foods that were acquired after the discovery of America (unless I've miscalculated somewhere).  In any case, a different menu that focused on beans, maize, sassafras and sasparilla, yerba mate and so on would definitely be doable.

As the video says, all these items on the menu above are REAL.  They were painstakingly researched, which my long cooking experience of 17 professional years was key.  Given the tools and the right arrangements (many of them require a walk-in fireplace) I could make every one myself ... and they would all be tasty, I'm sure.  If anyone wonders, haggis is not on the list.  It is too often rushed to for an example of old style cooking and so I did not include it.  I could add it to another, alternate menu page if requested.

Interestingly for some, all these menu items were priced according to my trade system ... which meant determining the cost of each part of the recipe to establish the Inn's "food cost"; table costs were then calculated accordingly.  All the items have been added to my trade tables, which are still under revisement, and so in my game at least, these items would have different prices depending on what part of my world the players find themselves in.  This is something I've done for myself, though it has nothing to do with the menu as a "product."  I mention it only to explain that there is a logic to the prices; I didn't invent them out of thin air.

At present, I'm not in a position to do any selling.  Please, as I said last week, DON'T send any money or make any special donations at this time.  If a kickstarter seems like the best idea, then it's best to save it for that time.  For the present, my supportive readers who contribute to my Patreon are doing enough to enable us to move forward on this project and on its sister project, the equipment poster ("A Streetvendor's Price Guide").

I cannot wait until we're able to arrange a table at a con and sell this direct to visitors.  Having it in my hand, I cannot express how good it feels, or how good it looks ... and from seeing the faces of others watching this project go through some iterations since its first printing on Wednesday, when it didn't look good enough.  Today, it looks ... well ...

I'm fairly certain nothing like this has ever been presented for D&D.