Why entering RPG Superstar is good for you

[Maurice de Mare]

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.

Year One:

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.

Year Two:

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

Year Three:

bigger]Syringe of Infernal Sight[/bigger]
Aura moderate evocation and transmutation; CL 6th
Slot -; Price 42,000 gp; Weight 1 lbs.
Description
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.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, darkvision, daylight; Cost 21,000 gp

Year four was a very good year, got into the keep folder!

Year Four:

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

Year five was a surprise, wasn’t really happy with my entry, but it made the keep folder!

Year Five:

Torc of Zealous Tenacity
Aura faint necromancy; CL 3rd
Slot neck; Price 12,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
Engraved into the twisted iron of this torc are dozens of dull glowing runes warding the wearer against death.

The wearer of the torc only dies when his current hit points drop to a negative amount that is equal to or greater than his Constitution score plus half his Wisdom score.

If the wearer of the torc is reduced to 0 or less hit points he may immediately attempt a DC 13 Wisdom check to avoid gaining the disabled and or dying condition for 1 round. During that round he may act normally, this includes taking full-round actions, but at the end of his actions he receives 1d4+1 points of damage from the strain.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, false life; Cost 6,000 gp

This year is something else. For years I’ve written to satisfy the tastes of the judges, quite successfully so, but this year a submission has to be liked by the public first. The lessons learned from previous years still apply: tight design, perfect execution. But this year you also need to entice the public to spend the gold pieces to own or make the item, which is far harder than it seems.

[Mike Welham]

Good luck, Darkjoy! I hope to see you in the Top 32 this year (partially because I'm a fellow "all years" entrant).

I agree with you that participating in the contest helps one improve their craft. Your trapsmithing articles on KQ are proof of that! :)

[Maurice de Mare]

Actually Mike, you're not an 'all years' entrant because I am quite sure you won't enter this year :-)

Thanks, but traps are easy, achieving superstardom is hard!

[Mike Welham]

Point taken. :)

[frank gori]

I actually like your goblin gruel

[Duskrunner1]

I also heard it puts hair on your chest.