New contest begins: Here Be Monsters!


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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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A Sword for Hire and the Freelance Forge proudly present: Here Be Monsters
(View full version of this ad here!)

Sponsored by: Rite Publishing -- Legendary Games -- Raging Swan -- Dreamscarred Press -- Cartography by Tommi Salama

Saturday the 23rd of August marks the beginning of a new Pathfinder RPG monster design contest!

We've got Sean K Reynolds on board as a guest judge. He is best known for his many TSR, WotC and Paizo credits, and many people also remember him as an RPG Superstar judge. Sean also publishes RPG products under his own imprint and teaches wondrous item & monster design.

Besides Sean, the judging panel consists of three RPG Superstar (repeater) finalists, Mikko Kallio, Mike Kimmel, and Jacob W Michaels, each known for their monster-crafting skills.

Timeline:

Aug 23: The contest begins! The open call is open for three weeks.
Sept 13: Submissions are closed. Our judges (Mikko Kallio, Mike Kimmel & Jacob W Michaels) convene to determine the top 5.
Sept 20: Entries are narrowed down to top 5. Our guest judge Sean K Reynolds starts commenting on the top 5 entries.
Sept 27: The top 5 entries are revealed along with comments from Sean, Mikko, Mike and Jacob. Public voting begins.
Oct 4: The voting ends and the winner is revealed shortly after!

Contest Rules:
Rule 1: The word limit is 700 words. Each entrant may submit one monster. The monster should be presented in Pathfinder format, a template for which can be found below. Monster creation guidelines are given here.

Rule 2: The deadline is 2 p.m. PST (5 p.m. EST) Saturday, Sept. 13.

Rule 3: The monster must have been requested on the Bestiary 5 wish list thread on Paizo.com.

Rule 4: The entry cannot be or use a monster template (fiendish, lich, and so on).

Rule 5: Entry cannot have class levels.

Rule 6: Entries must be submitted via email to monster.design.contest@gmail.com. Include the monster's name in the subject line of the email.

Rule 7: All entries remain the intellectual property of their authors.


Prizes:
Thanks to our excellent sponsors, we have an amazing pile of treasure just waiting for the finalists to get their hands on!

The winner gets:

  • A print and PDF copy of The Book of Monster Templates, and PDF copies of 101 Not So Simple Monster Templates, 101 Variant Monsters and 101 Monster Feats, courtesy of Rite Publishing.
  • One of all of the following: a Mythic Monsters series PDF, a Beasts of Legend series PDF, and the Construct Codex, courtesy of Legendary Games.
  • A PDF copy of Scions of Evil, courtesy of Raging Swan.
  • A PDF copy of the Psionic Bestiary, courtesy of Dreamscarred Press.
Each of the runners-up gets:
  • PDF copies of 101 Not So Simple Monster Templates, 101 Variant Monsters and 101 Monster Feats, courtesy of Rite Publishing.
  • Any one of the following PDFs (finalist's choice): A Mythic Monsters series PDF, Beasts of Legend product, or the Construct Codex, courtesy of Legendary Games.
  • A PDF copy of Scions of Evil, courtesy of Raging Swan.

Our fifth sponsor Cartography by Tommi Salama designed our sweet Here Be Monsters logo—special thanks to Tommi!

In addition to the prizes, Mikko Kallio's A Sword for Hire blog offers to interview each of the top 5 contestants! Best known for 3PP interviews, Mikko's blog is something of a "Who's Who" of the 3PP industry. Get your name out there!


Frequently Asked/Anticipated Questions:
Q: Who's allowed to submit a monster?
A: Anyone! It doesn't matter if you've never made a monster before or if you're a well-known builder of beasts—you're eligible to enter. Also, the contest is international, so you're eligible to enter regardless of your location.

Q: How many monsters can I submit?
A: Just one. It's going to be hard enough to keep all the monsters from eating each other as is, and multiple monsters might overwhelm our holding pens.

Q: What CR can my monster be?
A: Your monster can be any CR from 1-20. Remember, though, that you only have 700 words, and higher-CR monsters may eat up all your words with describing special abilities, which could leave you limited space for describing it.

Q: Do I have to use all 700 words?
A: No. If you think you can make a compelling monster in just 500 words, that's fine.

Q: What sources can I use for my monster?
A: You may use any Paizo Pathfinder material other than Mythic Adventures (with so many rules and options, we want to have a common basis for judging and voting).

Q: Can I set the monster in Golarion or another campaign setting?
A: No. We do not have the rights to use anyone's intellectual property. Monsters should be developed to be setting neutral.

Q: Can I give my monster class levels or templates?
A: Nope; sorry.

Q: Where will my monster be published/shown?
A: The top 5 monsters will be revealed on Mikko Kallio's A Sword for Hire and Mike Kimmel's Freelance Forge blogs.

Q: Do I get to see the judges' comments if I don't make the top 5?
A: No; only comments on the Top 5 monsters will be revealed.

Q: What happens with my monster after the contest?
A: We'll be using hold monster spells to keep your monsters contained for judging, but afterward we'll be releasing them back in to the wild (i.e. you keep all rights to your creations).


Monster Template:
Copy-paste the following template into a Word or Open Office document for editing. You may send your monster in a file as an attachment, or copy-paste it directly into the email.

Before you submit, check that the formatting (bolded words, italics, etc.) matches the template and that you have replaced or deleted all the placeholder text (marked with [square brackets]) and placeholders for numbers (marked with ##). Also, remove any lines that you don't need (such as the Aura line if your monster doesn't have an aura).

Please do not include anything else in your submission. For example, explaining your math or design choices is not allowed.

[Description line of one or two sentences.]

[Monster Name] CR ##
XP ##

[Alignment] [Size] [type]
Init +##; Senses [sense], [sense]; Perception +##
Aura [aura name] (## ft., DC ##)

DEFENSE
AC
##, touch ##, flat-footed # (+## [modifier name], +## [modifier name])
hp ## (##d##+##); fast healing ##
Fort +##, Ref +##, Will +##
Defensive Abilities ##/[ability]; DR ##/[material]; Immune [type]; Resist [type] ##, [type] ##; SR ##
Weaknesses [type], [type]

OFFENSE
Speed ## ft., fly ## ft. ([maneuverability])
Melee [attack type] +## ([damage] plus [other effect]), [attack type] +## ([damage])
Ranged [attack type] +## ([damage])
Space ## ft.; Reach ## ft.
Special Attacks [type], [type]
Spell-Like Abilities (CL ##th; concentration +##)
At will—[spell name], [spell name]
1/day—[spell name], [spell name]

STATISTICS
Str ##, Dex ##, Con ##, Int ##, Wis ##, Cha ##
Base Atk +##; CMB +## (+## [conditional maneuver bonus]); CMD ## (## vs. [maneuver name])
Feats [Feat Name], [Feat Name]
Skills [Skill Name] +##, [Skill Name] +## (+## [condition]); Racial Modifiers +## [Skill Name], +## [Skill Name] when [condition]
Languages [Language Name]
SQ [type]

ECOLOGY
Environment [climate] [terrain]
Organization [type], [type], or [type]
Treasure [category]

SPECIAL ABILITIES
[Ability Name] (Ex/Sp/Su) [Ability description paragraph.]

[Monster description paragraphs.]

Got questions? Fire away! Mikko, Mike and Jacob will gladly answer all your questions!


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UNOFFICIAL templates:
in GDocs
as a DOCX file (Word)
as an ODT file (OpenOffice)


Thanks!!

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Looking forward to seeing what people come up with!

Dark Archive

Please do the cookie golem Please do the cookie golem!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Garrett, thanks for the conversions!

I also look forward to seeing all the beasties!

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

Just sent mine in, fingers crossed!

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

This is going to be a ton of fun! Can't wait to tear through... I mean... review... the entries.

Sovereign Court

Dot

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32

Some questions arose over on the Freelance Forge forums regarding how to properly format a monster entry if there are contradictions between the universal monster rules and the actual entries in the Bestiaries. In general, if our template does not answer any template-related questions you might have, your best bet is to use the Bestiary 4 monsters (which are most recent) as a guideline.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Excellent! Time to fail horribly with an amateur design!

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

7 people marked this as a favorite.

Rasputin, that's the way to do it.

The first monster I ever made got completely panned (Round 3 in 2012). Two years later, my monster won the public poll (of course, as I discovered in the next round that public poll certainly isn't 100 percent accurate) and I've since been asked to make monsters for a kickstarter.

The only way to get better is to do it!

(Heck, being a paid game designer was a complete pipe dream when I entered Superstar for the first time -- which I did with no expectations of actually getting into the Top 32 -- and now I've got all the freelance work I can handle.)

Sovereign Court

OH WOW!

I'm glad I clicked on this to scope it out!

*Copy-Pastes Template*
*Reads Wishlist Thread*
*Ponders*
*Waits for Lunch Break*
*Glances at this thread*

Cookie Golem...eh?

Sovereign Court

On second thought, that spreadsheet that Anthony presents gives me a much better idea...A much MUCH better idea. Cookie Golem wasn't even on the spreadsheet anyway. <.<

I look forward to this. ^_^


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Brigg wrote:

On second thought, that spreadsheet that Anthony presents gives me a much better idea...A much MUCH better idea. Cookie Golem wasn't even on the spreadsheet anyway. <.<

I look forward to this. ^_^

It is now :P,

I have just trawled through the thread into the posts of Jan 2014 and have a hit a butt load of golem requests. Still trawling, but I have my choice for the competition, the spreadsheet is here for those not finding the link.

But before I do too much an enter, I have a question for the organisers - am I still eligible to enter having been through SKR's design course or does it make me too pro ?

And, should I enter and make the selection placed before SKR, will those selections be anonymous - I would like to preserve the integrity of the competition, the judges and every participant, so I am asking before submitting.

Thanks all

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Anthony Adam wrote:

But before I do too much an enter, I have a question for the organisers - am I still eligible to enter having been through SKR's design course or does it make me too pro ?

And, should I enter and make the selection placed before SKR, will those selections be anonymous - I would like to preserve the integrity of the competition, the judges and every participant, so I am asking before submitting.

You're definitely eligible to enter, Anthony, and I hope you will! As per the rules, anyone is eligible to enter, and I think anyone who wants a boost for their freelancing career should consider entering, as well as people who just want learn more about monster design. While experience certainly helps a lot, creativity is king, and anyone has a chance to make the top 5.

The entries will be anonymous when placed before SKR. Actually, Mike and I are also commenting on them without knowing whose entries they are. Only Jacob will see the entrants' email addresses; and Jacob's incorruptible. :-)

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

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I encouraged Adam Daigle himself to enter, but he said he was scared of the competition! ;)

Only people not eligible are Mikko, Mike, myself and SKR.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm actually easily corruptible with chocolate. Or if you want to pay for my honeymoon. But I will be incorruptible in my corruption, if that helps.


Visible only in low-light vision this slavering, growling, dot springs ethereal claws from meaty paws.

or something like that :)


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

I do love a contest...

P.s., I love the eligibility for this contest.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

I posted an update about the contest: Some statistics and discussion about what we the judges do. :)


motteditor wrote:

I encouraged Adam Daigle himself to enter, but he said he was scared of the competition! ;)

Only people not eligible are Mikko, Mike, myself and SKR.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm actually easily corruptible with chocolate. Or if you want to pay for my honeymoon. But I will be incorruptible in my corruption, if that helps.

Can we corrupt you with honey chocolate cookies to be corruptible in your corruption?

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Nope. I've got some integrity: Once I get bribed, I stay bribed! ;)


...Giant Butterfly animal companion, huh?!
Ok, hope nobody made it yet... I'm going to give this a try!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Bardess wrote:

...Giant Butterfly animal companion, huh?!

Ok, hope nobody made it yet... I'm going to give this a try!

I'm glad to hear you're interested in entering the contest. :) I'd just like to point out that you have to use our official monster template (which you can find in the OP above). Animal companions have a shorter stat block format, and unfortunately it would be more difficult to judge the entry because it doesn't have quite as many mechanical bits and parts as a full monster stat block. But making a giant butterfly using the standard template should be ok -I'll check with Mike & Jacob and get back to you soon!

I hope that helps!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Alright, we decided that as long as you stat up the actual bestiary entry and include the "giant butterfly as animal companion" rules, and you do it all within word count, it's perfectly fine. Animal companion stats alone won't suffice, unfortunately.


Could I create the creature using the standard template and then add its animal companion stats under the description? I think since it has a low CR, I could stay within the 700 words even this way.

EDIT: Ninja'd. Ok, that was what I meant to do since the beginning anyway. ^^

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Bardess wrote:
EDIT: Ninja'd. Ok, that was what I meant to do since the beginning anyway. ^^

Great! Just wanted to be sure. :)


1 person marked this as a favorite.
motteditor wrote:

Rasputin, that's the way to do it.

The first monster I ever made got completely panned (Round 3 in 2012). Two years later, my monster won the public poll (of course, as I discovered in the next round that public poll certainly isn't 100 percent accurate) and I've since been asked to make monsters for a kickstarter.

The only way to get better is to do it!

(Heck, being a paid game designer was a complete pipe dream when I entered Superstar for the first time -- which I did with no expectations of actually getting into the Top 32 -- and now I've got all the freelance work I can handle.)

Ah, you make a good inspiring argument. I'll give it a shot. Why not.


So happy I saw this before the deadline. I will most certainly be submitting something. I have a few in mind already....


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Cr500cricket wrote:
Please do the cookie golem Please do the cookie golem!

Gingerbread Golem

Gingerbread Golem Swarm

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Shadowborn wrote:
Cr500cricket wrote:
Please do the cookie golem Please do the cookie golem!

Gingerbread Golem

Gingerbread Golem Swarm

I love the art for the swarm. :D

In other news, something's happened to Jeff's avatar...


I read that the giant butterfly requests were for a familiar, not an animal companion.
Well... why can't it be BOTH? Hee hee... ^_^


Ok, goofy question, or awesome loophole.

Since the monster has to be a request, can it be a monster that I requested? I'm asking because since this thread is still open....I could presumably just make a monster and then go post the request on the thread.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

No, that was confirmed on another thread - you cannot fulfill your own requests. Sorry.


Anthony Adam wrote:
No, that was confirmed on another thread - you cannot fulfill your own requests. Sorry.

Seems reasonable, that should probably be clarified in the rules post though.

Another clarification I would like, I understand it needs to be a requested monster, does it need to be one that is specifically named or can it be just a general or vague request? Because I see some that are "I would like to see a variant sort of monster X with Y abilities."


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Shadowborn wrote:
Cr500cricket wrote:
Please do the cookie golem Please do the cookie golem!

Gingerbread Golem

Gingerbread Golem Swarm

"This is what you get for touching the Gumdrop Buttons!!"

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Detoxifier wrote:
Anthony Adam wrote:
No, that was confirmed on another thread - you cannot fulfill your own requests. Sorry.

Seems reasonable, that should probably be clarified in the rules post though.

Another clarification I would like, I understand it needs to be a requested monster, does it need to be one that is specifically named or can it be just a general or vague request? Because I see some that are "I would like to see a variant sort of monster X with Y abilities."

They're both very good questions - and you're right, they should clarified in the rules post, too. I'll add them to the announcement on my blog soon.

Your second question was discussed before on my blog, here's the convo:

question wrote:
With regard to rule 3, does the monster have to be one named, or can it instead be one that is described?
Mikko Kallio wrote:
Yes, you can pick a monster that's only described. If you do so, please mention the post number in which the monster was described. When you click the link that has the date on it, the url changes in the address field so that you can see the post number. Oh, and remember to give your monster a cool name! I hope that helps!
question wrote:
Many thanks Mikko - I don't yet know what I'm building, but wanted clarification because some of the posters on that thread have extremely generic descriptions (such as a 0HD player race, a request for more plant-based races, a diminutive or colossal monstrous humanoid and other very open descriptions) which seems to mean we can pretty much submit anything.
Mikko Kallio wrote:

Good point! One of the reasons we included the twist is that it tests the author's ability to capture the essence of a monster concept (and work within limitations). It may be harder to do so if the requested monster is very, very generic. But if you build a very cool monster using a very generic concept, you can definitely get away with it. Creativity is king!

Note however, that 0 HD creatures are not allowed because the monster must not have class levels.


Serpent wrote:
Detoxifier wrote:
Anthony Adam wrote:
No, that was confirmed on another thread - you cannot fulfill your own requests. Sorry.

Seems reasonable, that should probably be clarified in the rules post though.

Another clarification I would like, I understand it needs to be a requested monster, does it need to be one that is specifically named or can it be just a general or vague request? Because I see some that are "I would like to see a variant sort of monster X with Y abilities."

They're both very good questions - and you're right, they should clarified in the rules post, too. I'll add them to the announcement on my blog soon.

Your second question was discussed before on my blog, here's the convo:

question wrote:
With regard to rule 3, does the monster have to be one named, or can it instead be one that is described?
Mikko Kallio wrote:
Yes, you can pick a monster that's only described. If you do so, please mention the post number in which the monster was described. When you click the link that has the date on it, the url changes in the address field so that you can see the post number. Oh, and remember to give your monster a cool name! I hope that helps!
question wrote:
Many thanks Mikko - I don't yet know what I'm building, but wanted clarification because some of the posters on that thread have extremely generic descriptions (such as a 0HD player race, a request for more plant-based races, a diminutive or colossal monstrous humanoid and other very open descriptions) which seems to mean we can pretty much submit anything.
Mikko Kallio wrote:

Good point! One of the reasons we included the twist is that it tests the author's ability to capture the essence of a monster concept (and work within limitations). It may be harder to do so if the requested monster is very, very generic. But if you build a very cool monster using a very generic concept, you can definitely get away with it. Creativity is king!

Note however, that 0 HD creatures are

...

Awesome! This is really what I needed to know, thank you!


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Serpent wrote:


In other news, something's happened to Jeff's avatar...

I'm feeling a bit monstrous. I've completed creatures for two requests on the wishlist thread, with a third on the way. Once they're done, it's just a matter of deciding which one is the best entry for the contest.

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

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Some people obviously spent Labor Day hard at work on their monsters. They're coming in fast and furious today!

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4; Contributor; Publisher, Legendary Games

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Go Go Monster Design! You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by entering, so give it a shot and win FABULOUS PRIZES! :)

Seriously, I was delighted to have Legendary Games be a sponsor of the monster contest. I look forward to seeing what people can bring to the party.


I stopped reading the B5 request early when I realized the B4 was going to cover some of them. I am now catching up on it, but was wondering if, later in the thread, if someone compiled a list?

I have several ideas already going however, seems like a find a couple inspiring options on every page. :)

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Anthony Adams is compiling a list in his inimitable fashion. Check out the last page or two of the thread.

I'm curious whether we'll get any repeats of the same monster. There are enough options certainly that it could not happen, but I've seen/been involved in enough parallel design too that it won't really surprise me, I don't think.


Too many deadlines at once! I'm still trying to find a concept on the list that I like.

It's probably not going to be Miley Cyrus.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Garrett Guillotte wrote:

Too many deadlines at once! I'm still trying to find a concept on the list that I like.

It's probably not going to be Miley Cyrus.

You could do the worse one,

The Beiber! :P


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I have mine, my problem is its from a mythology that I am not so familiar with, which means I am busy researching it at the moment which is why my list updates have slowed down.

The latest version


Are all monsters shown when the contest is over or only the wining entries?? Id like to see al of them and see if my (most funny golems and kaiju breeds) prediction came true.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Can't wait to see what everyone has come up with. :)

@ Jason: We're very glad to have Legendary Games as our sponsor!

Ditto for Rite Publishing, Raging Swan, Dreamscarred Press, and Cartography by Tommi Salama!

@ AA: Thanks for compiling the document!

I don't know if they'll read this, but I'm also very grateful to Wayfinder and Paizo's Wes Schneider for spreading the word on Facebook!

And special thanks to SKR! :)

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

The Evil Queen wrote:
Are all monsters shown when the contest is over or only the wining entries?? Id like to see al of them and see if my (most funny golems and kaiju breeds) prediction came true.

Only the top 5. There are several reasons: Firstly, we don't want anyone to feel embarrassed about their monster afterwards for any reason. Secondly, we want to give our top 5 the attention their excellent entries deserve; showing all the monsters would take away some of that. Thirdly, all the entries remain the intellectual property of their authors; showing all the entries would lessen their re-use value. The top 5 authors at least get prizes and a moment in the spotlight in exchange for their revealed monster design secrets. ;)

However, I'll be sure to post statistics about monster types, CRs, etc. on my blog. :)

And of course, after the contest the authors may post their entries anywhere they want. We can actually make a thread here on paizo.com for that purpose.

Sovereign Court

Serpent wrote:
And of course, after the contest the authors may post their entries anywhere they want. We can actually make a thread here on paizo.com for that purpose.

That would be cool.

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