Herremann the Wise's page

Hello, is it possible to change my next subscription shipment (to be authorized tomorrow) from USPS Priority Mail, to USPS - First Class mail?

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Herremann the Wise

I can imagine several different archetypes for Ranger that would nail the brief so perhaps it is not so clear-cut - the top 3 archetypes could all be rangers perhaps? I'm really hoping to see if one of the contestants has taken a risk with an Outsea-based archetype. I'm looking forward to seeing who has taken a risk in general and who has played it safe.

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Herremann the Wise

Thanks for taking up Neil's mantle this year. Super Cool!

2)Gentleman’s Ensnaring Cane

Good: Name rocks, cool visual description, pricing is fair, and theme is on point and this has that flair I'd expect from a top 32 item.
Bad: 4 targets 100' might be a little much
Ugly: No mention of flying, also ensnared creatures should get escape artist check ect. Might be a little overpowered.
Overall: I actually dig this especially as a villain's item, never saw it would have voted it up had I. Top 32 material for me.

Thanks for taking the time to give this a good read; I think my item really split the voters though. The writing in particular was appreciated by some but too densely crafted for the quick casual read that the voting format can tend to promote [reading so many entries can get pretty monotonous]. Unfortunately the effect was seen as too powerful by some or not powerful enough for the price by others. When you have voters divided on your mechanics as well as (or because of) how you convey them, your item is always going to struggle even though I think the core idea of this item is pretty solid.

I think this was a classic case of being so familiar with the item that I lost sight of how it reads. It forced readers to read it several times to fully grasp what was going on and you can't expect voters to do that.

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Herremann the Wise

Here goes. I quite liked my item, but obviously was the only one, since no one's mentioned it yet at all (other than Eric's Big List o' Items).

I sympathize with you completely here. I thought my one was ticking every box I could think of... but obviously not as it has failed to receive one single piece of comment.

I'm guessing the time theme threw some people (I knew it could be risky, though I thought it was really more fluff for something dealing with initiative) and maybe the mechanics were a bit confusing?

Time's Tide Pendant...

I really like the concept; the problem you are attempting to solve. You nailed the description of the item - very impressive indeed. The first ability is a little wonky and I'm feeling it would be cool if it could be connected to the second ability in some way. The overall mechanics (basing it on initiative order), might not have been a premium choice. I'm not too sure though which direction to go. Perhaps forcing a target to delay while allowing at the same time another target to act at that point instead might have been interesting but then you have to be careful working around the multiple actions in one round thing (which is kind of clunky). [And perhaps not worrying about this might have been OK?] I think you made a good effort at this with the mechanics you did come up with but working with the initiative mechanics smoothly and clearly seems difficult to do. Definite props for giving it a go; this was certainly one of the better items in terms of concept, if not quite the solution it tried to provide.

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Herremann the Wise

First, let me say a quick "thank you" to all the judges and everyone who voted! I know this was a huge time commitment, and I appreciate your efforts!

Here's my item, the ** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **...

I think this item was perfect for the boundaries you set for it. Essentially I would not change a single thing - the item was masterfully conveyed. Unfortunately, those boundaries might not have included enough "crunch" or "stuff" to convince the judges that you were the designer they were looking to top 32. I would have loved them to have given you that chance though. Reading that you were in the top 20 or so on public vote is certainly deserved. As an item, the Candle of Distant Reassurance "feels" like it should be part of the game. I'm sure it will end up in a future Paizo product somewhere.

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Herremann the Wise

Gentleman’s Ensnaring Cane
Aura strong evocation; CL 13th
Slot —; Price 78,000 gp; Weight 10 lbs.
Description

A miniature animate imp of carefully sculpted detail and paranoid disposition forms the handle crowning this 3-foot long cane of exquisitely polished mithral. Typically accompanied by the imp’s energetic protests and gesticulations, the holder finds a gentleman’s ensnaring cane clammy to touch, surprisingly weighty to heft, and slick to hold.

As a standard action, the holder activates the cane by thrusting it into the ground, holding it pinned. Upon impact, flailing ribbons of visible force coruscate out from the cane, ensnaring up to four target creatures of Gargantuan size or less within 100 feet (Reflex DC 20 negates). Fine threads of force tightly harness ground-based, underwater, and airborne targets: seizing them just above ground, submerged, and aloft respectively. Ensnared targets can defend themselves normally but are dimensionally pinned as though affected by a dimensional anchor spell and cannot through means mundane or magical shift from their ensnared position.

As a free action immediately before each ensnared target’s turn, the holder may twist the cane magically repositioning the target in a clear straight line to any unoccupied position within 100 feet of the cane (possibly generating attacks of opportunity). Then during the ensnared target’s turn, the target may perform actions unhindered, except attempts at movement are nullified.

At the start of the holder’s next turn, or if the holder prematurely unpins the cane or fails to maintain contact, the cane absorbs the desperately objecting imp and ends all magical effects (possibly causing falling damage).

The holder can only activate a gentleman’s ensnaring cane while the unabsorbed imp remains atop. If absorbed, the indignant imp sullenly reforms atop the bare cane at midnight.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dimensional anchor, forcecage; Cost 39,000 gp

Vomit in the bed and through a 3 year old's long hair at 2:00am and then again at 3:30am in the morning is not fun! [Washing hair and changing bed stuff and then still smelling it is the worst so I completely sympathize]. And your poor cat - I'm very sorry. :(
And then your future bank account depletion. :(

However, allow me to hopefully cheer you up. I reckon your efforts would not have gone unnoticed by Paizo staff as well as other 3PPs and I think they'd be crazy not to throw something your way. And further, there are lots of regulars here who would have something in common. When thinking about Anthony Adam, the image of that avatar would come immediately to our minds as well as a smile, thinking of the fantastic work you did that the top 32 are most likely utilizing. Hopefully a mountain of good will your way counts for something. :)

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Herremann the Wise

I too loved this item and in terms of name, I thought it the standout of the top 32. Best of luck in the coming rounds.

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Herremann the Wise

This was one of my keeps - the core idea was solid and so I'm glad you've been rewarded the opportunity to display your talents. Best of luck in the upcoming rounds.

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Herremann the Wise

This is one of only three items I didn't get to see during voting that made top 32. While familiar, I think it is in a good way, similar to the Candle of Distant Assurance. It's something I could just imagine in a fantasy world; so very well done. I look forward to seeing your development across the competition.

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Herremann the Wise

This one was one of several favorites for me and certainly one of the best of the top 32. I think your online activity over the years means that your "name" is one that registers well for many regulars - I think definitely take it as a compliment of your online presence and input. I hope you do well in the coming rounds.

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Herremann the Wise

Well done Michael with your walking stick and ideas that I thought were neatly done and effective. I did a Gentleman's Cane (Walking Stick) and wrestled with the question of whether my item was actually a wondrous item or a rod too. Considering that a sword-cane had been published as a wondrous item, I thought that was kind of the all clear. In your design, the walking stick is pivotal to the overall concept and impression of the item, so I think you were on solid ground.

I think the item is a little under-priced but this is where you have to leave the pricing formula alone and compare to other wondrous items (rather than rods funnily enough). Imagine a character who would wish to use this and then compare it to other wondrous items that character would get or want access to. You'd most likely find it slightly higher (but not by much) than what you came up with but as the judges have said before, pricing is easily fixed and so not a make or break issue. You may not have got it right but I don't think you got it wrong (to quote Clark from that Superstar panel).

Anyway, looking forward to seeing what you come up with in future rounds and best of luck.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

My initial top 6 from the judges top 32 (not in any order):

Icon of Aspects
Many-Layered Veil
Spell-Winding Timepiece
Gorum's Stompers
Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron (Best name - great stuff)
Reins of the Unstoppable Stride

This may change when I go through all the items but that's what coincides with my keep list.

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Herremann the Wise

My favorite was the birdcage of masterwork knives. I don't remember the name.

I think that was the Roost of Razors and that was certainly in my top 32 along with the Candle of Distant Assurance. Both of those were strong keeps for me.

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Herremann the Wise

Yeah this one was a fun keep for me - I'm glad you made it in.

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Herremann the Wise

This was a favorite of mine; a really good simple idea.

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Herremann the Wise

And all the Superstar contestants anxiously attempt to pass the night...

All except Map Guy, who's been celebrating all day now.

I kind of feel like poor map guy's missing half the ride though. Poor guy... must be feeling pretty bad... maybe...

Anyway Eric, best of luck and I hope you get that magic triple. I'm looking forward to seeing how many of the regulars make it in as much as my own fate. Best of luck everyone and see you all at judgment hour.

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Herremann the Wise

You know what is truly evil? Reading your posts and knowing which of you made it and which of you didn't. Hehehehe.

My routine for the last two years has been to look at my inbox, wait patiently until 5 past the hour, drop the head slightly, then go look at the Top 32. You can start laughing now Clark.

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Herremann the Wise

I'll torture you even further.

How's this for a maddening statement:

I think the community will be surprised by either the strong presence of or startling absence of a significant number of marathon voters being represented in the top 32.

I'm guessing startling absence here (as strong presence might not be as much of a surprise) which means that [looks at voter status] ... yeah... OK... ummm... I'll start focusing on my round 2 archetype... maybe... ;)

You sir are evil (and must be loving this).

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Herremann the Wise

If an item fell too far down the list to get specific comments from judges (and I imagine that is the majority) would it still be possible to get a 'placing'? Eg. I start a critique thread for my item and get a simple: Your item placed 734/1100. Better luck next year.

SKR commented on this, to the effect that you either make top 32 or you don't. Clark has also commented that the top 89 are mathematically significant in terms of voting. I suppose the majority of people are going to learn more about design from actual feedback rather than just a number; a number won't help anyone improve is the vibe I'm getting.

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Herremann the Wise

I've entered twice before and been correctly rejected both times. On both occasions I felt like I had a chance but in hindsight I can easily see the mistakes. My first time was a classic plot device that mucked around with time travel (SKR posted his Hitler sword less than a day after I submitted and so I knew straight away I was toast, presumably having supplied him with a measure of inspiration). Last year I had some interesting wrapping but the core idea was not Superstar.

This time around I hope I've done it but I can't help but feel the pain of those first two rejections, hoping to avoid a third. I'm cautiously eager if that makes any sense.

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Herremann the Wise

...And, though I know Paizo will never release which items got passed over, I can't help but be curious which ones floated to the top that still got an instant-veto from the judges. (Please not me, please not me... :P)

If it was my item, I'd obviously be disappointed but at the same time, I'd love to read the feedback why it got rejected by the judges. I think it would be a fantastic opportunity for learning; even though "my" item was a success in the public voting, "this" is why the judges looking at it with an experienced eye rejected it. That would be a very valuable design lesson for the public. If the Critique My Item sub-forum gets up and running, hopefully the judges might pop their heads into a thread or two for such feedback.

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Herremann the Wise

Great idea for a sub-forum. This would keep things organized compared to complete chaos in a single thread.

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Herremann the Wise

Well done to everyone who voted with huge props to our three Champion Voters: Thomas LeBlanc, CHEERS and Feros. Completely awesome!

Gary, if possible can you say who had the most votes out of the Marathon voters? I think like a few, I got to Marathon and then eased up but are there any voters who went for Champion but didn't quite get there?

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Herremann the Wise

I have one question. Does flavor text have to explain how the class is unique to the River Kingdoms? Is detailing on that topic necessary with flavor?

I think SKR used a better word than "unique": "native". It is best if an archetype is native to the River Kingdoms and I suppose the introductory paragraph is where people are going to be looking for that River Kingdom tie-in. However, if you can imbue River Kingdoms flavor into other parts of the submission as well (such as in an ability name) with minimal distraction, then that would be a good way of producing a cohesive flavorful River Kingdoms Archetype submission.

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Herremann the Wise

I saw my item four times (all post-cull) and voted for it each time. I was really proud of my item and the effort I put into it and so I think I would have really struggled to vote against it despite seeing lots of good items (I had 85 in my "keep" word doc) across the voting period.

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Herremann the Wise

...The only second-place prize is your participation, your education on game design, and your involvement in the Paizo/Pathfinder community and the industry as a whole.

I think this (as the whole post is) is an interesting perspective on RPG Superstar. I think Neil you are providing some very good advice for would-be competitors: don't get too wrapped up in the process, focus on the end goal - becoming a freelancer for Paizo. There were some excellent podcasts from Paizocon a couple of years back on exactly this topic where Wes in particular spelled out what Paizo needed from freelancers and what they didn't.

In the scheme of things whether you came 37th or 737th makes zero difference to that end goal where as learning from the process is far more important (and anyone who has spent time voting has assuredly learned lots on design). However, for people looking for encouragement to get more involved in the community, the Critique my item thread should be the place to go rather than seeking out a ranking number. The Critique my Item thread this year should be spectacular considering how many people will have seen everyone's entries and been forced to consider them. Whether you're doing this process to become a freelancer or just want to see how you scored, I think that thread will be gold.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Anthony Adam wrote:

Jerrycnh wrote:

I hope they show you your entry at the end, because I've pretty much forgotten it.

You only see the top 32 once revealed. You should keep a copy of all your own work, that way if you don't make top 32, you can post for feedback in the open discussions that follow the reveal. Plus it is part of your portfolio which may be needed to show what you can do elsewhere.

He could be in the same boat as me and just not have access to where he saved it at the moment. I saved all my RPGSS work and then forgot to Dropbox it to myself before I left for vacation. Unless someone saved it, I won't be able to post for feedback either. I hope someone did.

I copy/pasted each item I saw into reject and keep word docs (I think I saw all but about 50 or so items based upon what a couple of posters are predicting). Once the top 32 have been revealed, PM the name and I'll PM it back to you if I've got it. Of course even better is if you make top 32, then Paizo will do this publically for you instead. Best of luck; hope for you it is the latter.

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Herremann the Wise

My greatest hits list has forty two entries. Y'all are picky.

My "Keep" folder ended up with 85 items in it. I included numerous items that the judges would have previously described as a "weak" keep. I'll sort them into a 32 item list and post it when allowed.

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Herremann the Wise

Having an item be useful for multiple classes as well as the villains is a good box to tick among a variety of Superstar boxes. It's certainly a cool feature for an item to have.

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Herremann the Wise

KatDangerous wrote:

Breaking anonymity (i.e. discussing your own item) will still get you DQd, but the contest rules don't seem to forbid discussing other people's items after voting ends.

True, but what if you watched as people tore your item apart and couldn't defend it properly? Or as sole defender, made yourself known? Nope, too dangerous for me. I'll wait until I know I'm out of the running before I go down that road.

Sounds like excellent practice for the top 32.

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Herremann the Wise

I think the biggest thing for me is that all the advice I have read and heard from the judges has been put into context. I see exactly what they mean.

The hardest thing for me though is the waiting; not only to see how many of the regular posters here make top 32, but to discuss some of the items that were so good, or others that could have been brilliant if only they had included this or more likely not included that.

So much fun ahead whether I make it in or not.

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Herremann the Wise

I think the biggest issue is if people post their top 32, then entrants may make comment if they see their item being discussed... and if you make Top 32 for real, you aren't supposed to say anything.

So for you own entry safety sake, treat the week before reveal as NDA, don't post anything, don't say anything. That way you can't get yourself disqualified.

It's the only way to be sure.

I am also looking forward to seeing everyone's top 5/10/32 lists (and most particularly the official one). I'd love to see if my item made any of the lists and I reckon there's about 50 items I have not seen yet based on other threads so there is curiosity for me from several angles for such lists to be legal after public voting finishes.

A thread playing by the following rules would possibly be OK in terms of keeping anonymous I think if they allowed it.

* You type your top 5/10/32 list labeling it [Ordered] or [Unordered]
* No discussion of other people's lists.
* You can only post once to the thread.

However, if such a thread is against the rules [that is the voting period finishes when the Official Top 32 are revealed rather than when public voting finishes], or Paizo don't want us to do such a thread until the reveal, that is cool too. We've waited this long and got to see right behind the curtain and play judge ourselves so either way, I am and have been a happy camper. The whole process this year has been brilliant! :)

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

What scares me about all of this though ...
What if I do well?

I'm wondering if deep down, I'm in a similar place to you here. I think I'm one of those sporadic flashes of inspiration/imagination people and I might have had one of those moments for the Wondrous item round. What if I get in and I have to have another flash to stay in it, and then another and another? I think it would be an exciting ride but certainly very stressful. Perhaps you have to look within and focus on how much you want the huge opportunity this contest represents, and that keeps the fears and doubts away.

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Herremann the Wise

I've seen a lot of items with hyperlinks and it had no impact on how I voted. If two items were exceptionally close in quality, I'd prefer to tiebreak them on which one had the better name or which one was more original rather than which one did or did not include hyperlinks.

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Herremann the Wise

...That said, I don't flat-out think that complex words are a bad thing. It's a personal judgement call. For me, it boils down to this. Did they use the RIGHT word? Words have subtleties to them and they can invoke various imagery and connotations when used properly. Sometimes an obscure word is perfect...sometimes a simpler one carries more weight. If I have to look a word up, but I come away feeling like "Wow...perfect word choice," then good on you.

Very much this!

Jack Vance (one of my very favorite authors) is renowned for his florid style. His use of overblown language was fantastic at getting across the pretentiousness and/or intellect of many of his characters. However despite this and perhaps the reason why he could get away with it was his faultless diction. And while I have always appreciated a dictionary nearby when reading his stuff, such mastery of the English language is both beautiful and enriching to read.

In terms of RPG Superstar though, I think you you dance a very fine line when putting your vocabulary out there for everyone to see. Never use a complex word when a simple word suffices. However, riffing off of agirlnamedbob, the more correct word in my opinion is always better, even if it is the more complex word.

I think Adam was correct though to ding the item with the three words as they obviously distracted him from the item; and when you're looking for a reason to differentiate between two items, the reasons given were perfectly valid.

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Herremann the Wise

DarkLightHitomi wrote:

I can't buy, though I would if I could, at least if I made top 32. Right now I'm hoping my half a tank of gas will last the next 8 days when I get my paycheck because I have nothing, not even a dollar to buy more gas, so when I say can't, I mean it.

Thanks for the wiki link! :)

Wow, ninja'd. Thanks Sean!

DarkLightHitomi, a copy of the pdf should be sitting in your downloads by now. Enjoy.

Now that was special. I hope you both make top 32 and he nails his archetype. All class!

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Try the pathfinder wiki here. However, I have over a shelf of pathfinder books and the Guide to the River Kingdoms is certainly in my top 10 if not top 5 of the entire collection. My understanding is that the top 32 receive pdf copies so between the wiki and a free copy if you make it in, you'll most likely be fine. Alternatively, purchasing a copy is full of win too.

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Herremann the Wise

I haven't used the neither button yet and have mentioned before a preference that they trial blanking it for a day or two to see what happens. I kind of figure that if I'm trying to make top 32 and hopefully beyond, the least I can do out of respect for everyone else submitting their wondrous items is decide which item is better; even if the two items are effectively last in the queue. I haven't gotten tired of the process yet - I'm just loving playing at judge.

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Herremann the Wise

I'd be interested in how many times the no. 1 item has been voted for and voted against. Stuff like that would be pretty cool to find out.

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Herremann the Wise

I'm still reading Guide to the River Kingdoms for ideas as well as working out what boxes need to be ticked to make an archetype superstar-worthy. I printed out all the judges comments from the 2011 archetype round and there's lots of subtle (and not so subtle) advice in there. A lot of of the top 32 that year struggled; where as this time with a lot more experience and advice around, I think competition will be fierce.

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Herremann the Wise

Herremann the Wise wrote:

For example (italicizing the verbs), compare the passive voice:

Several glistening jewels are on the gold band.

To the active voice:

Several glistening jewels decorate the gold band.

Umm.. Both of these sentences are in the active voice. The passive voice requires the auxiliary verb "be" (in your example it's used as a copula) and the past participle of the main verb.

But you're right, "decorate" is a lot more dynamic than "are" and thus better.

You are completely correct. I'm not much help when I get a simple example wrong. :(

Trying again, the passive (I think ;) ) would be:

The gold band is decorated by several glistening jewels

versus the active:

Several glistening jewels decorate the gold band

And thanks Sean for digging that particular thread up. It's a good discussion on active vs. passive where I think your advice is perhaps the most cogent:

Yes, there are times where passive voice is better or sounds better... but writing in passive voice is a trap for far too many writers, and recognizing both types and knowing when to pick one over the other is a step toward being a better writer.

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Herremann the Wise wrote:

Active Voice
This has been said numerous times before but not many entries have taken note of the advice: please use the active voice with your writing, only use the passive when you have good reason to. Have you noticed that some entries are more engaging to read and not just because they are paragraphed instead of a wall of text? Giving your writing access to the complete world of verbs...

I am not an native English speaker. How would you describe the "active voice"?

The active voice is where the subject performs the verb. The passive voice is where the subject receives the verb's action. The passive voice uses "is", "are", "have been" and other forms of the verb "to be". The active voice uses all the other verbs. [This is not to say that the passive voice is bad or inferior, just more suited to explaining things than describing them.]

For example (italicizing the verbs), compare the passive voice:

Several glistening jewels are on the gold band.

To the active voice:

Several glistening jewels decorate the gold band.

While a simple example, it highlights how the active voice is more direct, livelier, and concise; all properties of good writing. I think there was a good thread on this a couple of years back.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

After nearly 1,000 votes, why is it that...

...the items I've loved the most, the ones with a real spark, I've only seen one or two times each?

...whereas lots and lots of other items have appeared over a dozen times?

Does the logic of the voting system naturally show middle-tier items far, far more often than "top" items?

I blame the neither button. The better items always get voted on by everyone. However I'm sure there's a quite a few people who regularly use the neither button when two lesser items come up. As these lesser items get voted on less, the probability mechanism prioritizes these lesser items to get their vote numbers up to the better items. Combine this with the greater number of mediocre items to brilliant items and you have your reason why you see some items a lot more than others and the better items less so than the mediocre ones.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

...

Description: Much like the name, the short bit of description (one or two sentences are preferable) should be alluring and have some magic in it. And maybe also hint at the item's function (thematic linking). Imagine your PC gets the item as an Xmas present. Would you prefer a "nondescript gray piece of rock" or an "clear eye-shaped crystal with a more opaque iris that emits a soft glow matching its user's eye color"? (examples mine) Well, perhaps some people would prefer the piece of rock, but you get my drift...

You've nailed this one. I suppose some designers reach for the Clark Kent/Superman thing with their "wondrous" item; it's not just a rock, even though it "seems" or "appears" to be just a boring rock.

When designing for RPG Superstar, it makes sense to make your wondrous item extra wondrous with further awesome sauce on top. The items that are obviously magical resonate with readers while the "boring rock" ones get skimmed, relying solely on their mechanics.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

I thought (keeping it general so as not to identify particular entries) that it would be interesting to post a thread focusing on things we're seeing in the better items that we wish some of the others entries could have done. I think most of this stuff is going to be equally important in the latter rounds as well.

Name
This element is so crucial and it relates to what the item actually is. Lanterns, boots, quills, cloaks and gloves are all OK but when you see so many, it makes it so difficult to make your pair of boots stand out. Unusual items become much more identifiable and this is something that most of the better items have in common. As for the name, alliteration works well most of the time. However, some of the better item names also use good connotative words while also telling me what the item is and cluing me in as to what it does.

Mojo/Wow Factor/Superstar
Most of the best items have a trick or a "thing" that makes them cool and memorable. However, what makes the very best items stand out from the ones that have a neat idea but not much else is that the better items are a more cohesive, unified whole. All aspects of these better items work together towards a single purpose. Rather than a suite of abilities, these items do one thing and do it really well. They don't need the support or padding of extra tidbits of stuff. They don't need the extra line giving you a bonus to "this" or a free "that". They are living or dying by their one cool thing. They are focusing on selling their cool idea and only their cool idea; rather than diluting it with stuff that is not directly related.

Active Voice
This has been said numerous times before but not many entries have taken note of the advice: please use the active voice with your writing, only use the passive when you have good reason to. Have you noticed that some entries are more engaging to read and not just because they are paragraphed instead of a wall of text? Giving your writing access to the complete world of verbs boosts your descriptions, and tightens your writing. Most of the best entries focus on using the active voice. The lesser entries suffer from bloated writing with less clarity, with their designers using the passive voice almost exclusively.

And so what things are you observing that the better items are doing?

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

I've seen 15 three-hundred word items: 13 in my reject file and 2 in my keep.

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Herremann the Wise

I'm now at 594 items in my reject file and 80 in my keep file with this including all items seen pre and post cull. I'm currently getting an unseen item roughly once every 10 to 15 pairs and I've seen my own item twice up to this point.

By the way, cheers to CHEERS; you're the first I've seen with the "Champion Voter" tag. Darn impressive!

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

Now that we have that one settled... ;-)

...here's a thornier one to debate. When archetypes were initially introduced in the APG, they all included a statement at the end of the introductory copy that read:

"A [insert archetype name here] has the following class features."

The statement also appeared in Inner Sea Magic, but not in Ultimate Magic, the Inner Sea Primer, Ultimate Combat, or the Dragon Empires Primer. Then lo and behold, it reappears in all of the archetypes introduced in the Advanced Race Guide.

This one I am tempted to leave out because I find it to be redundant with the way we are required to write up abilities. But, I am conflicted. What to do?

In terms of voting, I think there are quite a few things that will have a dramatically greater impact on whether you go from the top 32 to the top 16. In terms of dotting the i's and crossing the t's, including it while still prioritizing the rest shows good form. Aim to include it; delete it if it's pushing out more necessary content.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

I'm getting a little tired of seeing bold tags on the item's title.

Quote:

bracket-B-bracket Filigreed Shadow Lantern of Safely Resting bracket-slash-B-bracket is better

I don't down-vote for it, though.

I can imagine someone: carefully and painstakingly crafting their item in word, pasting it and previewing, going back to word and editing, sitting on it over night, doing further edits, copy/paste into the preview, doing some final formatting and then... putting it back into word for one last time. Then they do a final copy/paste and submit without previewing... not realising they didn't highlight when copying the initial bracket "[" throwing their bb code out. Unfortunately, they only realise the mistake after they have voted a few hundred times and they see their item in all it's glory for the first time... in absolute shock at their "dumb" mistake.

I think that realization is easily punishment enough for the designer and so I don't automatically down-vote it either. I'm really looking at the idea behind the item and the design decisions made; such considerations easily outweigh any format issues. Formatting is easily fixed, poor design decisions somewhat less so.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise