There are a lot of things folks do when creating RPG products that make them harder to read and understand. This is challenging for all readers, but it disproportionately impacts people with disabilities related to information processing, executive function, language, and vision. Here are things to watch out for:

1. Giant walls of text. It’s better to overuse headers and subheaders than to underuse them. Clear and consistent headers give readers places to pause and absorb, and they make it much easier to find information.

2. Lack of topic sentences. Don’t rely on the header alone to tell readers what the section is about. Headers get moved around or changed in editing, and text gets rearranged, so you always need the first sentence to establish what’s being discussed.

3. Use of terms you don’t define until later. The first time you use a term that doesn’t have an obvious meaning, you need to define it. Don’t wait until a later section. Otherwise, readers are left scrambling to figure out what you mean.

4. Unclear formatting guidelines. You need to have a clear guidelines document that establishes when to use which headers, when text is bolded or italicized, how to use bullets and lists, how much space should be between headers and lines, etc. The more thoughtful and consistent you are, the easier your products will be to read.

5. Overuse of italics and bold. Italics are hard on the eyes, and this is disproportionately true for folks with disabilities related to vision, language, and information processing. Italics have their place, but you should never use them for more than a few words at a time. Similarly, avoid using bold and italics for dramatic emphasis, and reserve them for specific visual signifiers, like names of game elements.

6. Poor TOCs. A TOC that doesn’t drill down into the portions of chapters, or conversely, one that drills down too far—makes it hard to find things quickly. The same goes for inconsistent TOC structuring. Make it easier for your reader to find what they’re looking for.

7. Missing, inaccurate, or incomplete indices. I’ve never heard anyone complain that a product’s index was too complete or too accurate. A good index can make people forgive any number of organizational sins.

8. Whacky or small fonts. Just don’t. I know they seem like a way to add visual appeal to your product, but that appeal wears thin almost instantly. Trust your art and layout folks to create visual appeal without needing hard-to-read fonts.

9. Lack of a glossary. Not all products need a glossary, but many over a certain length benefit from one. I’ve never heard anyone complain that a book’s glossary was too long, but people definitely notice when it’s hard to figure out what a game term means.

10. Unhelpful citations. Avoid telling readers about “the chart below” or “the encounter on the next page.” Similarly, avoid citing the specific page number. Things move around during editing and layout, yet creators often forget to update these references, leaving readers scratching their heads. You will miss something. Instead, cite the table, section, or other reference by name and with established formatting. You might say “See Chapter 7 for more information on medusas” or “see the Medusa table.”

Did I miss any?