Why entering RPG Superstar is good for you -> Because you get better
Every year Clark does his best to get everyone to enter and I reply to his postings that entering will make you a better writer / designer.
So let’s take a look at my experience.
First year nobody really knew what to expect so I entered a perfectly good item that in the end was met with three words: reject, reject and reject.
Goblin Gruel
This milky, greenish concoction tastes surprisingly sweet. It bestows upon the eater a +4 morale bonus to strength and grants the eater the use of the Diehard feat, both effects last for one hour. Eating the gruel also incurs 4 points of damage to the eater’s wisdom score.
Before any major raid or battle, goblin warchanters and shamans work together in creating a batch of goblin gruel for the warriors. According to goblins, the gruel makes a goblin stronger, twice as tough and absolutely fearless. Other sources often refer to the fine line between fearless and senseless, but admit the truth of the first and second claim.
Faint transmutation; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, bestow curse, rage; Price 2000 gp for a batch of 50 servings.
From the first year I learned that standing out from the rest was important, so my entry for the second year tried really hard to get the judges attention. It succeeded, but for the wrong reasons, the name of my entry got a lot of discussion.
Eyes of Fear and Fire
Aura faint evocation and necromancy; CL 1st
Slot eyes; Price 2600 gp; Weight –
Description
These soot colored, crystal lenses always feel warm to the touch. The lenses fit over the user’s eyes and color them pitch black, the user receives a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate checks due to the otherworldly appearance of his eyes. Three times per day, the user can will the lenses to blaze with hellish fire for 10 rounds as a free action, the user gains a +5 competence bonus on Intimidate checks. Two times per day, the user can launch a ray of fire (treat as a ray of frost) from his eyes at a target as a standard action. Once per day, the user can use cause fear (Will DC 11 partial) as a gaze attack. The gaze attack can only affect one target.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, cause fear, ray of frost; Cost 1300 gp
Year three was a bad year, got all gonzo and fell for the make it hard for the GM trap
Aura moderate evocation and transmutation; CL 6th
Slot -; Price 42,000 gp; Weight 1 lbs.
A green hued, metallic syringe holds a dark swirling liquid in a hollow, crystal tube. The syringe’s plunger is oversized, accommodating claws and other inhuman appendages. An extremely sharp and thin hypodermic needle completes the syringe.
Succeeding on a DC 15 Heal check or a DC 15 Dexterity check allows the user to inject the dark liquid into an eye. Failing a check deals 1d4 points of damage to the subject, but the liquid is still injected into the eye.
When all of the subject’s eyes are treated, the following takes effect: the subject treats an area of darkness, including magical darkness, as an area of bright light. The subject treats an area of dim light as an area of normal light. The subject treats an area of normal light as an area of dim light. The subject treats an area of bright light as an area of darkness. This effect ends after 6 hours.
The syringe holds six doses and regenerates 1d3 doses each day. Each eye requires one dose.
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, darkvision, daylight; Cost 21,000 gp
Year four was a very good year, got into the keep folder!
Bracelet of Shackled Souls
Aura moderate necromancy [evil]; CL 9th
Slot wrists; Price 54,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This fine bracelet consists of strands of silver and cold iron, braided together in a pattern of tiny chains. Five black pearls are embedded in the pattern. As long as the bracelet is worn, any living creature that the wearer reduces to -1 hp or less, using a melee attack, must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or die. The creature’s life force is stored in one of the black pearls, which will turn silvery in hue. The captured life force acts as a charge; the bracelet can hold a maximum of five charges.
As a move action, the bracelet’s wearer can, with a flick of the wrist, create a curtain of ethereal chains that spreads in a 15-ft. radius from the bracelet. Anyone caught or passing through the curtain of ethereal chains must succeed on a DC 15 Will check or become shaken for 4d4 rounds, the wearer of the bracelet is not affected. The curtain of ethereal chains lasts for 1d4+1 rounds, this effect expends one charge from the bracelet.
As a standard action, the bracelet’s wearer can launch a mass of ethereal chains at one target within 60 feet. The ethereal chains will attempt to grapple the target using its CMB of 15. The CMD of the ethereal chains is 30. If the mass of ethereal chains succeeds on the grapple attempt, it will on subsequent rounds try to pin and then tie up the target. If the ethereal chains fail to grapple the target then they will fade away. The mass of ethereal chains lasts for 10 rounds and requires the expenditure of two charges.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, death knell; Cost 27,000 gp
This year I’ve fallen for the following traps:
Bad Name
Submitted before adding mojo
Luckily next year is an even year and my items are always better on an even year.
Developer
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8
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Darkjoy is right. My first year, I submitted an item that was a plot device and had drawbacks that weren't drawbacks. It was bad! My second year I submitted an item that made it to alternate status, largely thanks to the lessons I learned from the first year. This is my third year participating, and I know my item will be better than the previous two, again thanks to the lessons I've learned by participating. Maybe it won't be good enough to make it to the top 32, but it will be better.
+1 (it got much longer, but I could put that in another thread. :)
Well, dunno how I'm gonna do, guess I'll find out in about month and a half :). If nothing else, I learned that I can write a wondrous item's description and mechanics in less than 300 words. :D Now the question is did I do well?
I certainly feel I did well enough for my first time entering the competition to not be completely embarrassed, having not even known about RPG Superstar until this week, and hopefully I'll learn something regardless of how I do, but I enjoyed the process of making a magical item for other people to use, rather than simply for inclusion in my own campaigns. It was different, fun, and challenging.
Star Voter Season 6
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Darkjoy, I love your Bracelet of Shackled Souls! I will likely use a variant of it in my home campaign (hope my players aren’t reading this). It has a role-playing atmosphere that most item ideas lack.
Since this is my first year competing, I fully expect to not make the top 32. However, I sure had fun with the challenge. I already know of at least one ‘flaw’ in my work which came from misunderstanding some of the comments I read in previous years efforts which I figured out a few days after I submitted. Or rather, perhaps my mistake was in reading too many comments from past years… but that’s a lesson for next year. I fully intend to post my item to comment after the 32 are announced. I want to improve.
But hey, maybe I will make the 32; I have another month of hope - no need to write myself off just yet and a SuperStar item should be good enough to overcome one flaw.
I'm all geared up to compete in the other rounds. Prepping rough ideas. Collecting needed Golarion resources. I'll be ready if called. Otherwise, bring on RPG SuperStar 2013!!!!!!!
Darkjoy, I love your Bracelet of Shackled Souls! I will likely use a variant of it in my home campaign (hope my players aren’t reading this). It has a role-playing atmosphere that most item ideas lack.
Thanks, have fun with it
I'm all geared up to compete in the other rounds. Prepping rough ideas. Collecting needed Golarion resources. I'll be ready if called. Otherwise, bring on RPG SuperStar 2013!!!!!!!
That's the spirit!
The RPG Superstar recipe for success is as follows:
Item must have flavor - mojo
item does something mechanically interesting
item follows the round #1 rules
I usually run afoul of point #1 - I can do the other 2 with my eyes closed but #1 breaks me up every year. I usually forget that this is a competition to get noticed and not a competition who can design the most balanced item......
You really would think that after 5 years I would know this ;>