primemover003's page

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You guys should link a video showing a boxing rather than an unboxing so we get a sense of the size. YouTube is all the rage these days!

--Box of Vrocks

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You can hone an item for months and still not have any mojo in it. What could be a great idea today could be stale by the time Superstar comes around again. Both times I made the Top 32 my items were conceived mechanically about 2 weeks before the deadline, polished up and submitted with only a day or two to spare. In reality making an item now for next year does a great disservice to the contestant as you won't really be ready for the grueling pace of the contest. As a freelancer getting an assignment you won't have 9 months to do your assignment you'll have a deadline to meet.

I think the Wondrous Item is a perfect initial test. Its far easier to design than a new spell or feat and they tend to be something usable by almost any character. Every class has a feet or hand slot to fill, not every class can use Combat Patrol or Starlight Summons.

--Vrock, Paper, Scissors

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Congratulations to Steven for really being a Vrock solid designer throughout the competition. To Pedro and Matt, it's been one helluva run gentlemen.

I can't wait to see Tears at Bitter Manor come November!

--Vrock to the Top

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Wow this is it... the Big Show! Thanks for the words of encouragement all. It's been a pleasure to compete with you and see what Pathfinder is through your points of view. I can tell you I've learned a lot from you and our comraderie has been fantastic in the 2013 Guildhall. Even the extended community has really stepped up their participation this year, especially in the early rounds with great comments, critiques, and discussions.

Wow, just wow.

--Vrock and Awe

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My group will be recreating our favorite fiendslaying party from Planescape. We loosely ran through a planar version of Savage Tide from 10th level and stopped around 23rd level trying to stop Obox-Ob & an army of obryths from spreading throughout the multiverse via Yggdrasil. I see a lot of parallels in Deskari and this AP. This is one of our most long awaited campaigns from Paizo.

--Like a Vrock

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That'll be quite a disappointing encounter... a cakewalk. You should at least run it one or two CR higher than APL.

--School of Hard Vrocks

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It's hard not to compare them. In 2011 three of the Top 8 used my villain in their round 4. Two of them came up with fairly similar encounters and hit the same snags along the way.

It'll be interesting to see how RPG Superstar: Battle Egelsee pans out!

--We challenge you to a Vrock off!

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Anyone else feel the weight lift after submitting and emailing your maps? Now we've got just over two weeks to keep mum. This is probably a great time for the Top 32 PBP, no?

--Vrock, Paper, Scissors

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The Pools of Iridescence
==========
In the hard land of Numeria stands the walled village of Lackthroat. Travelers flock to the village to partake of its abundant and affordable vices. One such luxurious indulgence is the Qadiran style bathhouse known as the Pools of Iridescence. Tall pillars line the long halls and music echoes from its tall ceilings. Light spilling in from the high windows illuminates brilliant mosaic scenes of marids and sirens playing along the glistening, tiled walls. Fed by a magnificent, arched aqueduct, the heated and perfumed waters ease the pain of long miles from weary muscles and calm the frayed thoughts of the battle weary. For a fee, one can choose to bathe in whirlpools created by summoned water elementals or bask in saunas heated by steam mephits.

The strong, supple, and well-practiced hands of the Pools’ attendants are second only to the ministrations of its most recent addition, the “Aromamancer” Majet. The gnome sorcerer claims her prescriptions of mineral laden mud baths or sessions of leeching draw ill humors from the body and restore tranquility with the application of exotic, essential oils. Many of Lackthroat’s most prominent citizens frequent the Pools of Iridescence to socialize, trade gossip, and receive daily treatments from Majet.

The truth however is always more sinister than idle rumors let on. Majet hails from the capital of Starfall where her family of perfumers had fallen in vogue with the Black Sovereign’s court. Exposed to the bizarre, addictive serums and tonics by members of the Technic League the impressionable youth soon manifested sorcerous abilities and the manipulative arcanists indoctrinated her into their cabal. Piqued by multiple addictions, Majet’s intrinsic gnome curiosity fixated on the pursuit of the “perfect” drug. Auspiciously she happened across reports of an ooze-like creature encountered near the Egelsee River whose mere touch brought about symptoms of withdrawal within hours of contact. Intent on finding, capturing, and studying the creature she needed a suitable location for her research and hired on at the Pools of Iridescence. Majet quickly assembled an alchemical laboratory and quarantined the unusual amalgam creature in a cistern below the facility.

Majet has since translated her research into a drug made from denaturing newly split cocktails in a series of alchemical baths and distilling the result. While not as powerful as direct contact with the ooze, the drug produces an effect only the Aromamancer’s special treatments are able to sate. Bribing the lax authorities of Lackthroat with the coin, influence, and secrets she pries from the subjects of her secret experiments, Majet has yet to arouse undue suspicion in a town where living in excess is the norm.

Taking advantage of her short stature, the gnome inconspicuously observes potential victims from within the heated open spaces of the bathhouse’s interior walls using bars of seer’s soap (R1). Majet uses spells to take the forms of several distinct human bathhouse attendants to eavesdrop, leave the Pools unnoticed, or even recommend the Aromamancer’s treatments as the answer to any or all mental or physical maladies. Chosen victims receive exclusive invitations to the Aromamancer’s suite where she subjects them to drug laced balms, incense, and oils beginning a slow cycle of dependence intent on siphoning off more than just impurities. Majet also employees strong handed enforcers (LE male monk 2, Initiate Gamemastery Guide 274) posing as masseurs to keep troublemakers away. She feeds persistent addicts unable to afford her remedies to the ooze in order to produce more young and more of the drug.

Majet’s latest mark is Yala of Aramor, daughter of the Battle-Chaplain of Gorum's holy citadel. Sent to the Pools of Iridescence for pampering before her journey to Starfall, her scheduled arrival in the capital is far overdue. The battle princess is fated to become one of the Black Sovereign’s many concubines. If she is not presented as tribute to Kevoth-Kul in the next fortnight, the barbarian king threatens to withdraw his troops from the citadel. The Battle-Chaplain and his faithful would then be left to fend off the foul demons of the Worldwound with only the Lord in Iron for support.

The Boiler Room (CR 8)
==========
Beyond the doorway a grated iron platform stands above a murky basin filling with runoff from the pools above. Across the turbid, waist deep water, another wider platform holds a bubbling alchemical lab, a man sized iron sarcophagus, and an immense steaming copper boiler laden with control valves. Pipes of various diameters connected to the boiler snake across the curved ceiling overhead and into the murky waters below.

The door leading to this room is locked (hardness 5, hp 15, Break DC 16, Disable Device 20). The ceiling rises 10 feet above the platforms and the wet masonry walls require a DC 25 Climb check to traverse. The pipes overhead (hardness 10, hp 10, Break DC 24) are held by iron rods in the ceiling’s mortar requiring a DC 20 Climb check to hang from and support up to 250 pounds before falling. The filthy water in the room acts as a deep bog. The iron sarcophagus (hardness 10, hp 60, Break DC 28) is secured with an average quality padlock (Disable Device DC 25) and can be lowered into the water as a move action and raised using two full round actions on the chain winch along the wall.

Creatures: The gnome sorcerer Majet along with two of her water mephit minions have Yala of Aramor (N female human aristocrat 4, Noble Scion Gamemastery Guide 288) unconscious and locked in the iron sarcophagus preparing her for immersion with the egelsee cocktail. Should intruders enter the room Majet orders the mephits to delay them with their ranged spell-like abilities. She moves to the boiler controls and readies an action to trigger the trap when the PCs get into range of one of the nozzles along the ceiling. The egelsee cocktail moves to attack any creature in or on the water, surfacing to bring its stench aura to bear. If no creatures enter the water, the mindless ooze waits 1 round before using its glob attack against the nearest creature. If the PCs make it across the water, Majet or any surviving mephits drop the iron sarcophagus into the water where its occupant immediately begins to drown (at initiative count 0). They then attempt to escape out the secret door (Perception DC 20) behind the boiler leading to area 4.

Egelsee Cocktail CR 5
XP 1,600
hp 52 (R3)

Majet, Tainted Sorcerer CR 3
XP 800
hp 28 (NPC Codex 161)

Water Mephit (2) CR 3
XP 800
each
hp 19 each (Bestiary 202)

Trap: The steaming copper boiler (hardness 10, hp 20, Break DC 28) magically heats the pools and rooms in the bathhouse above. However, with a turn of the correct control valves it can release a limited number of steaming blasts each day from one of six nozzles along the pipes on the ceiling. A successful DC 27 Disable Device or DC 20 Use Magic Device check activates the trap remotely. A failure by 5 or more randomly activates the trap (roll 1d6 to determine the point of origin). A sundered boiler or broken pipe discharges the highest available burst and disables the trap until repaired.

Steam Pipe Blast CR 3
Type magic; Perception DC 27; Disable Device DC 27 (DC 20 nozzle)
----- Effects -----
Trigger special (see text); Duration 1/ round for 3 rounds; Reset automatic (24 hours); Effect spell effect (fire breath, Advanced Player’s Guide 221, first discharge 4d6 fire damage, second discharge 2d6 fire damage, third discharge 1d6 fire damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 15-ft. cone).

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Happy Birthday oh glorious Orcus... er Clark.

--Cake & Vrocky Road ice cream

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Congrats to the top 8 and thanks to everyone for a tough competition!

Of course I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't make it to the next round, but after all this was my first try, with a first magic item, a first archetype and a first monster for Pathfinder I've ever designed. So making it this far was awesome. I will try again next year with this experience and more practice under my belt, we'll see how far it will take me then.

I look forward to seeing what kind of encounters you guys have come up with.

Kalervo that was me two years ago, keep it up and you'll definitely find success!

Its awesome and a little nerve wracking to make Top 8. If you slip up in this round you're done for good. I think they feed you to Treerazer or something. It has been quite a journey and I've enjoyed living it up among all the filigreed opulence of the guildhall.

Congratulations to my fellow Top 8 and to all this year's contestants. In my book you're all Vrockstars!

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A long, mustard colored tongue lashes out from the maw of this enormous, amphibian horror. Its mottled brown skin undulates as hundreds of frogs burst forth from mucus filled pustules carpeting the ground at its broadly, webbed feet.

Yellowtongue Hulk CR 4
XP 1,200
N Large Magical Beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision,; Perception +6
Aura Distracting Spawn (5 ft., DC 15)
----- Defense -----
AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (+8 natural, –1 size)
hp 42 (5d10+15)
Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3
Immune disease; Resist fire 5
----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft., swim 15 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d8+7 plus disease and grab) or tongue +9 touch (disease and grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with tongue)
Special Attacks disease, feed, pull (tongue, 10 feet), swallow whole (1d6 bludgeoning, AC 14, 4 hp)
----- Statistics -----
Str 20, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +5; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+12 jumping), Climb +9, Perception +6, Stealth +4, Swim +17; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics (+8 jumping), +4 Stealth
Languages Goblin (can’t speak)
----- Ecology -----
Environment temperate and warm forests, rivers, and swamps
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental
----- Special Abilities -----
Distracting Spawn (Ex) Swarming diminutive frogs surround the yellowtongue hulk. Any creature beginning its turn within 5 feet of the yellowtongue hulk must make a DC 15 Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round. A gust of wind spell or 10 points of energy damage will disperse the spawn for 1 minute.
Disease (Ex) Yellowtongue sickness: contact or injury; save Fort DC 15, onset 1 day, frequency 1/ day, effect 1d2 Chr and 1 Con and cannot heal naturally, cure 1 save. Creatures with the goblinoid subtype suffer a –2 penalty to their save.
Feed (Su) When a yellowtongue hulk devours a barghest or a creature of the goblinoid subtype with 5 or more hit dice with its swallow whole ability it gains a growth point. Upon reaching 3 growth points it gains the advanced simple template and spawns another yellowtongue hulk with the young simple template. A young yellowtongue hulk reaches maturity in 3 months.

The yellowtongue hulk is a menace to any territory it invades. Its wide, flat back froths with spawning frogs that claw their way through the thick mucus of its pockmarked skin. This disgusting form of reproduction serves as a lure for smaller prey looking for easy meals. The spawn also act as a defense, nauseating creatures attacking the yellowtongue hulk. The thick mucus even provides a resistance to fire. The yellowtongue hulk is 8 feet long and weighs 1,500 pounds.

The yellowtongue hulk hungers for the flesh of goblinoids, infiltrating lairs to choke down whole tribes in gluttonous orgies. Those that escape often carry yellowtongue sickness, spreading it to neighboring lands as displaced goblins raid hamlets and coastal cities in desperation. Fortunately the yellowtongue hulk’s hundreds of diminutive spawn are simply mundane frogs or the forests and rivers of the world would be inundated with monsters. However, yellowtongue hulks do breed true in a gruesome mockery of barghests who often rule over lesser goblinoids.

In 4217 AR the yellowtongue sickness ravaged Avistan killing thousands. This disease was pivotal to the fall of the Empire of Zog, a goblin realm in the River Kingdoms. Today there are yellowtongue hulk sightings in all branches of the Sellen, the Conerica River in Isger, and even as far west as the Yondabakari River in Varisia.

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Wow, all 5 Alchemists made the cut! That's pretty awesome.

--Vrock the Vote!

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Thanks everyone for their comments and feedback. I knew tackling anything time related was tricky and would be loved or hated. I do admit there were a few places I would like to have tightened up some wording and one where I flat out omitted a line.

Horology at its simplest is as Mikko Kallio put it reflavoring the Alchemist. In all other ways predictions are extracts minus the mixing and drinking. I copied and pasted the verbiage straight from Alchemy and changed the names. At its more complex end its a limitation on the forecaster's more powerful ability. By binding their predictions to their timepiece it gives a way to disrupt their casting as it's a (Sp) ability.

Summon Paradox is definitely powerful, but again it's (Sp) thus disruptable. Also when I say full round action I meant 1 round action, which are effectively the same thing in game terms. The Paradox does not appear until just before the forecaster's next turn like summon monster spells. I was originally thinking of only allowing the paradox to have mundane copies of gear but the duration it lasted and the amount of times per day it could be summoned were greater. I decided to go big. Giving up a full round then being limited to only a standard or move action afterwards should balance it out.

As it stands currently at first level with a 15 or 20 point buy you'd only be able to use this ability maybe 3-5 rounds a day. That's only a single combat on average if you go nova. That wouldn't leave much left in the tank for 4 to 5 more average encounters though. Looking back I think Intelligence modifier + 1/2 levels (minimum 1) might be more balanced for rounds per day.

The +1 insight bonus to initiative from Tightly Wound should have stated "at 2nd level."

Temporal Burst is an effect the cavalier can give to the whole party via the Lookout (Teamwork) feat at 1st level. An inquisitor can do it at level 3. I don't think full round actions at 10th level in a surprise round is entirely inappropriate for that level of gameplay at the high end of the sweet spot.

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The boards are pretty quiet... is it the superbowl?

Well that and our silence during the voting... just another day or so. I don't know which I'm more excited for, the round 3 announcement or my trip to New Orleans and Mardi Gras next weekend.

--Vrock & roule!

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I was bummed I didn't get through to round 4 in 2011 even though my villain did three times! Lol, good old Hoarfrost.

--Vrock blocked

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You pay the cost moving into squares, so if you're at the edge of difficult terrain and stepping into normal you can 5 foot step. Note the bolded INTO under the difficult terrain entry.

Difficult Terrain: Difficult terrain, such as heavy undergrowth, broken ground, or steep stairs, hampers movement. Each square of difficult terrain counts as 2 squares of movement. Each diagonal move into a difficult terrain square counts as 3 squares. You can't run or charge across difficult terrain.

--School of Vrock

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No jelly babies? What about fish fingers and custard?

--Vrocktor Who

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I actually get some of my best design ideas while I'm at work! Nothing like filling the otherwise empty time standing by watching for fires while tradesmen burn and weld. Industrial safety, gotta love it!

--Lava Vrock

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So the site being up and down and up and down made submitting very exciting this morning. I think I spored, stunning screeched, and did a dance of ruin on my laptop. It was not pretty.

Oh there is definitely pressure each round. Time crunch, second guessing, agonizing over wording, if its broken, if its too gonzo, if its clear enough. I just say bang it out and throw it against the wall to see if it sticks. It's up to the voters really and the mob is fickle!

--Vrock the Vote!

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Forecaster (Alchemist)
The alchemist’s guild known as the forecasters study and maintain the complex workings of the magical clock tower at the center of the River Kingdoms town of Uringen. The forecasters glean insight into the nature of fluid time when the clock tower and parts of the surrounding town become “unstuck” from Golarion.

Horology (Sp): A forecaster establishes a bond with an ornate timepiece such as a clock, hourglass, or sundial in which they store spell effects called predictions. A forecaster prepares spells by calibrating the timepiece and casts his spells by reading the device. When a forecaster prepares his timepiece, he infuses it with a tiny fraction of fluid time — this creates powerful effects, but also binds them to his timepiece. If a forecaster attempts to cast a prediction without his bonded timepiece in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the prediction. The DC for this check is equal to 20 + the prediction’s level. A forecaster keeps a list of all of his predictions in a special tome called an almanac. This modifies the alchemy ability.

Summon Paradox (Sp): At 1st level a forecaster can call upon his own future to aid in the present creating a short lived paradox. As a full round action the forecaster summons a duplicate of himself with his full hit points, copies of his current equipment, and is treated in all ways as a summoned creature. The forecaster and his duplicate share all limited class abilities such as bombs and predictions as well as consumable magic items or items with charges. A forecaster can summon a paradox for a number of rounds per day equal to his level + his Intelligence modifier. When the paradox ends the forecaster is staggered for a number of rounds equal to the duration of the paradox. This ability replaces mutagen.

Better Late Than Never (Su): At 2nd level during any surprise round where a forecaster would not normally act due to a failed Perception check he acts last, regardless of his initiative result (acting in the normal order in following rounds). This ability modifies swift alchemy and replaces poison use and swift poisoning.

Tightly wound (Su): A forecaster gains a +1 insight bonus to initiative. This bonus increases to +2 at 5th level, and +3 at 8th. This ability replaces poison resistance.

Temporal Burst (Su): At 10th level the forecaster may take a standard and move action (or full round action) in a surprise round. This ability replaces poison immunity.

Discoveries: These discoveries complement the forecaster archetype: delayed bomb, eternal potion, extend potion, fast bombs, and spontaneous healing.

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Vrock my world! You go vrock the base! Bonus points for being able to resist the lure of including your trademark vrock signatures in the item entry :)

Seeing the Wings of the Vrock in the voting round I chuckled thinking people might think that was my item. I do love playing up my shtick, but that would be a little on the nose.

--John Hanvrock

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Thanks everyone, I'm excited to be back in the competition again.

I do realize cold iron is usually an anti-magical special material but when I envisioned this item I saw the elves of Kyonin using it against the demonic and evil fey minions of Treerazer. I also saw it as a useful way to reforest devastated areas with trees that would be a visual border or boundary to the demons. Perhaps the tree's iron gray bark would protect them from being despoiled again?

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Good morning to my fellow 2011 veterans. Only we know the bloody, terrible horror of the archetype round.

Once more into the breach.

For those about to Vrock... I salute you! What's the establishment's rules about doing the Dance of Ruin in giddy excitement?

--Vrockstar

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I absolutely use the 3.5 exception. It''s just easier to implement. Now if only I could convince my players to count squares instead of by feet to simplify arguments about movement when they mess up simple addition!

--Vrock, Paper, Scissors

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A custom title is an excellent incentive to get involved in the RPG Superstar process, even if you're not competing.

--Vrock the Vote!

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Command words. Please don't tell me what the command word is because its really irrelevant to the function of the item. We are all quite capable of coming up with one for our own campaigns (or not).

--Vrock the Vote!

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What was you starting point buy or stat generation method? Remember the mods are for four or five 15 point buy PCs. If the PCs are powered up you have to compensate the monsters & NPCs in turn.

--Schoolhouse Vrock

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Vrockin' around my laptop screen
Wondrous Item word count chop
Paizo Publishing, LLC
wants more writers for their shop

Vrockin' around my CRB
Let RPG Superstar begin
Later we'll vote items side-by-side
Down to 32 they'll trim

You'll start work on archtypes and your monsters, but you'll fear
S-K-R, Clark, & Wolfgang Baur found your item overpowered!

Vrockin' around the message boards
Let the dice roll as the may
Everyone's voting merrily
for the game we all love to play!

--Jingle Bell Vrock!

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Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 11th
Slot head; Price 58,800 gp; Weight 1 lb.

Description
Fashioned of living branches this crown bears four oak leaves wrought from cold iron. The crown grants a +2 enhancement bonus to natural armor to the wearer’s animal companion, eidolon, familiar, mount, and conjured minions from summon nature’s ally spells within 60 feet and treats all their natural attacks as cold iron for overcoming damage reduction. The wearer also gains the constant ability to speak with animals.
Each cold iron oak leaf acts as a feather token (tree) when removed from the crown by the wearer as a move action. These tokens remain magical until the next dawn when new leaves regrow upon the crown. As a full round action the wearer can touch any oak tree created by the crown’s leaves, which have distinctive iron gray bark, and command it to animate as a treant under their control until dawn. Using this power drains magic from the crown causing one less oak leaf to regrow. The crown withers and dies the dawn after the fourth leaf has been used, losing its magical properties.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, barkskin, liveoak, magic fang, plant growth, speak with animals; Cost 29,400 gp

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Honestly those who follow the competition really have a whole year. While I have thought about what design space to play in all year I typically don't start on my item until the announcement to simulate getting a job and deadline from a publisher. It really is what the contest is all about. Do you have the mojo to create content according to specific instructions and under a deadline? I love the pressure to perform! I'm hoping to get another shot at that damnable archetype again.

--Vrockstar!

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Your gaming group is probably the best resource you have to find immediate constructive criticism. I mean who else do you know that understands RPG rules at the drop of a hat?

Ask them questions like: Would they keep this item instead of selling it? What kind of character do you think would like this item? Would a character of yours try to buy this item? What other uses could you find with this item beyond what it does? Is it glaringly broken? Could you break this item in gameplay?

I take the feedback like a focus group and make changes where necessary or refine things that are confusing.

--Vrockscar racer

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I'm pretty sure even with an item in Ultimate Equipment, Superstar contestants that didn't make the Top 8 are still eligible. It's not like Paizo asked us to make the item for the book specifically... it was just a bonus for making superstar caliber items in the contest. I'd say it was more of an incentive for people to enter!

I know I'll be submitting again!

--Vrock the House!

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Velcro you are needlessly complicating things. Even if a creature has darkvision and can see through the Dim light it does not change the fact that there IS an area of Dim light. If there is dim light and the shadowdancer is within 10 feet of it they can use Stealth regardless of if they are being observed or they have anything to hide in or behind.

Darkvision cannot trump dim light. And a shadowdancer could be in an open area of normal light with no cover at all and still use HiPS as long as an are of dim light was within 10 feet.

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EVen a $2 jump on the AP's is a pittance! My group currently finished our 35th session of Carrion Crown (we're almost finished with CC#5 Ashes at Dawn) and even at the new price with the Harrow Deck, Rule of Fear, & Classic Horrors Revisited our cost per session is less than $5! We still have an entire book to finish!

What other product can you find that will entertain a group of people for 4+ hours at under $5? Not many.

-Vrock Bottom Prices!!!

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As with any pre-written adventure, the GM has a responsibility to tailor it for his group, but the group also has a responsibility to buy into the adventure. I mean you all have an idea that CC is horror themed and the classic monster tropes are going to be covered. Go with it.

--Vrocky Horror

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I know this is snarky, but boo hoo... If all you're doing is looking at the numbers then you've made a mistake in your build. But if you want to play a double axe wielding orc then play one.

Be different! Your double axe wielding orc looks cool! The double axe can also be used two handed if you want it to. It doesn't have the base damage of a greatsword, but its crit multiplier is higher.

--I wanna Vrock! VROCK!

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At best I'd allow the poison to last 1 minute/CR of the creature until it become inert, denatures, or evaporates. If he wants more potent toxins he needs to take Craft (Alchemy) or buy poison in the next town (if it's even available).

--Toxic Vrock Syndrome

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Wow 2007 was really a banner year and a bummer too. I think I had just started really spending time over on the boards, especially once the death of Dungeon and Dragon magazine were announced. I had a lot of nerdrage about that and even moreso after the 4e announcement... in retrospect I fully believe that excessive nerdrage caused my appendix to rupture in July, lol!

But 44 issues! I got 3 out of the deal... I was just about to re-up my ususal 3 year deal too (not realizing that option had ended)! But once I read through Burnt Offerings, the Skinsaw Murders, and Hook Mountain Massacre it was an easy step when the Pathfinder RPG was announced. Got my group to switch without any thought of 4e. Been rolling d20's at the Downriver Pathfinder Lodge ever since!

--Detroit Vrock City!

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No a ray is typically an "effect" spell. Look at the info at the top of every spell and you'll see that spells will have a line saying either area, effect, or target.

Just because the spell can target a creature doesn't make it a target spell, thus if it's not a target spell (pretty much ever y ray is an effect spell) its not legal for spell storing.

--Schoolhouse Vrock

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Congrats Mike! Can't wait to see how your Module turns out!

--Vrock the House!

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Except that letting the players know she's in possible danger from The Way will make them by pass WotW because they'll assume the AP is to rescue Kendra

But at that point in the AP they don't KNOW that AA is part of the WW, only that he provided Auren Vrood with invitations to Ascanor. I mean Judge Daramid gave the PCs invitations to Ascanor, but they're not (as yet) affiliated with the Palatine Eye are they?

Having the Noble vouch for Adivion's character also doesn't hurt. The point is to introduce him a little more strongly to the PCs than a mere notation in Estovion's journals. If it comes from an NPC they've seen as friendly, or even as a Patron as Esme Currindon Muralt often employs adventurers which you can easily drop with a well timed Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check.

--Vrock'em Sock'em Robots

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Even as much of a timeline there is IN a given adventure, there isn't any real pressing time constraints between the first three. Depending on when you finish HoH, you have the balance of the 30 days before you head to Lepidstadt. After the Trial is over but before you continue on to the second half of the adventure you could easily spend a couple days crafting in Lepidstadt. Even after part 2 is over in ToB you could return to Lepidstadt to not only shop byt craft as it's the best marketplace you'll be in until Caliphas (even if you stop in Ardis, it's got a lower Base Price than Lepidstadt). In Broken Moon you could plot a course cross country hitting several settlements Chastel, Morcei, Berus, or Ardis.

--Hickory Dickory Vrock

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An animal companion or familiar can use any magic item for which it has the appropriate body slots. A monkey could wear a ring because it has fingers, but a dog could not (a human can't wear a ring as an earring, so a dog can't, either). Most animals can wear a shirt, or boots, or even a cloak or belt, but some may interfere with locomotion (an eagle wearing an appropriately-sized robe couldn't fly because even if it got its wings through the arm-holes, the robe's gonna mess with flapping).

Sean I really think it'd be far, FAR easier for Paizo to make a paperdoll diagram for familiars & animal companions with the basic magic slots they have and then allow GMs to expand upon that than letting the whole kit and kaboodle be houseruled in every game. A neat baseline that would be PFS legal would go a LONG way in Keeping It Simple...

I'll also second relooking at mundane items that help with action economy. Potion Belts, Adventurer's sashes, wrist sheathes, boot knives, etc. Or just updating what items can be pulled as move action or as part of a move action if you have a +1 BAB. Action economy is a fundamental part of the game and I understand the balance issues you as designers grapple with BUT for classes like Fighters & Rogues the two most gear dependant IMO having some nifty mundane gear to use their swift or immediate actions on would really be nice.

--Masterwork Vrock Picks

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Paizo has put the Prestige back into PrC. I didn't like 3.5 PrC's that you could plop into almost any campaign. I like the original 3.0 blue DMG concept that these classes were intimately tied to the campaign world. You don't become a Winter Witch in Thuvia! Bravo!

--Vrock on!

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Round 2 is really a meatgrinder. The archetype last year was TOUGH because a lot of the fertile ground had been covered in the APG and it was a new mechanic. Organizations can be pretty tough too, especially compared to gems like the Hellknights!

It's ok to get beat up in this round because you'll learn a lot about what you did right and wrong with your entry, where your design process can use work, and how the community feels about things.

Just a word of advice for Round 3... sell the concept, not the mechanics of your monster.

Obviously we haven't seent the official rules for next round BUT I got hung up on the stats of my NPC last year and didn't sell WHO he was enough. Think about the first thing you do when you open a new monster book. Other than looking at the pictures, I know I skip right to the text on what they look like, how they act and what they do in the world. Afterwards I go and look at the mechanics of the beast.

--Stat Vrock

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Quite of few items that bottled lighting this year! But as to my favorites of the bunch:

1. Rajah's Silhoutte
2. Spellbreaker Gauntlets
3. Sunrise Shawl
4. Cayden's Cup
5. Tie between Claws of the Crawling Spell and the Chimaeric Mantle

--Vrock the Vote

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C'mon you have one of the REI flagship stores in Seattle, lol! For those of you in "Paizo East" there's always snow shoes, cross country skis, or dog sleds.

Thankfully there's only a dusting of powdered sugar here in Detroit Vrock City. It's been a roller coaster of tempretures just this WEEK! Sunday and Monday 20s with light snow, tuesday 50s and rain, wednesday and today 20s and light snow. The weather is downright bi-polar (pun intended).

--Vrock Salt

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I was a first timer last year and by the later rounds I felt it showed! But you can make it in on your first try, so congrats to everyone that submitted.

--If you wanna be a Vrock Superstar and live large...

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There are three ladders in the Chymic works.

Ladder #1 is near door to courtyard. This ladder goes down from the platform to the bottom floor of the Chymic Works.

Ladder #2 is directly east of Ladder #1 near the bleach vat and goes from the top of the Vat up to the catwalk level.

Ladder #3 is due north of Ladder #2 and goes from the top of the acid vat down to the floor of the Chymic works.

To get from the ground floor to the catwalk level you have to walk along the tops of the Vats.

--Toxic Vrock Syndrome