Round 2 Challenge Preview

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Greetings, potential superstars! There’s been some discussion about the Round 2: Organizations challenge, as smart competitors want to start working on a Round 2 submission early just in case they make it into the Top 32. While we haven’t finalized the rules document for Round 2 yet, we have decided the Organization format will match that in the Inner Sea World Guide, which looks like this:

Organization Name

Alignment: [two-letter abbreviation]
Headquarters: [location]
Leader: [character name]
Structure: [multinational corporation, military hierarchy, orders of crusading lawbringers, loose affiliation of like-minded explorers, religious cult, assassin’s guild, and so on]
Scope: [regional, national, or global (specify region or nation, if any)]
Resources: [property, valuable assets, castles, fortresses, equipment, network of local agents, informants, safe houses, and so on]
[100-word introductory paragraph summarizing the organization.]
Structure and Leadership
[100 words on this topic.]
Goals
[100 words on this topic.]
Public Perception
[50 words on this topic.]

Note that the organizations in the Inner Sea World Guide are approximately 1,400 words, so your submission write-up is a lean, stripped-down version of that. If you don’t have a copy of the Inner Sea World Guide handy, here’s the entry for the Aspis Consortium - (3.9 MB zip/PDF) from that book that you can use as a model for your write-up.

Your organization should be something PCs would normally oppose or come into conflict with, not an organization a typical heroic PC would join. The organization doesn’t necessarily have to be villainous, but it should definitely be a potential antagonist.

Full details (including a BBcode-formatted template for this challenge and an example organization from the Inner Sea World Guide) will be available next week. In the meantime, use the above information to guide your design for Round 2.

Remember, the deadline to submit your wondrous item is January 6th! You can’t submit an organization in Round 2 unless you make it into the Top 32 by submitting a wondrous item!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

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Anthony Adam wrote:


Vorpal Reject Button

A large red button, sewn into coat or similar upper torso clothing, twice as large as the ...

To show my age ...

Shouldn't it be a large, red, CANDY-LIKE, button?

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka primemover003

Love a good Ren & Stimpy reference!

--Cartoon Vrock Images

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Amy Gillespie wrote:
Anthony Adam wrote:


Vorpal Reject Button

A large red button, sewn into coat or similar upper torso clothing, twice as large as the ...

To show my age ...

Shouldn't it be a large, red, CANDY-LIKE, button?

I hit the big 5-0 before the overall winner is announced this year, so I suspect I may have you beat on that one.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Standback

I was going to wait for the official rules to be posted, but since that seems to have been pushed back a little:

Should the organization be Golarion-specific, or is that not a requirement? And if it is a requirement - does that mean we should avoid creating "major players" with lots of influence in areas of the cannon that are already well-established -- in other words, should we be making "we don't want any new towns in Ustalav" considerations?

I've never been entirely clear on how contest content is meant to relate to Golarion cannon. The last round obviously needs to be fully compatible; the first one, IIRC, doesn't need to be Golarion-specific at all. The middle ones I'm less certain about...

Thanks!

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16

It's probably too early to ask questions to the judges, but I guess I'll ask to the community (as they will ultimately be voting):

Would you consider the "Hellknights" to be an antagonistic organization that heroic PCs would not want to join? (and thus a valid submission for this contest)

I'm just curious where the line is in people's minds. Plenty of PCs over the years have joined the Hellknights, but they seem fairly antagonistic to me, so they seem like a good example of "right on the line."

Contributor

It's Golarion-specific.

It doesn't matter if it violates canon (in terms of the "new towns in Ustalav" problem), but it shouldn't break the *concept* of the region or the setting ("my organization is a secret society in Ustalav that stockpiles laser weapons").


Erik Freund wrote:

It's probably too early to ask questions to the judges, but I guess I'll ask to the community (as they will ultimately be voting):

Would you consider the "Hellknights" to be an antagonistic organization that heroic PCs would not want to join? (and thus a valid submission for this contest)

I'm just curious where the line is in people's minds. Plenty of PCs over the years have joined the Hellknights, but they seem fairly antagonistic to me, so they seem like a good example of "right on the line."

Good question... I wondered about this too.

My two cents:

Although PCs can join the Hellknights, "typical" PCs certainly do not. So for my vote, I'd consider the Hellknights to be good antagonists. In fact, since I prefer moral gray areas and the Hellknights are one of my all time favorite Golarion organizations, a submission that toed the line like that would probably be more likely to get my vote.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Standback

Thanks for the quick answer :)

Since the final rules aren't up yet, a thought's just occurred to me - have you considered adding a section for plot hooks into the contest template?

I know this deviates from the existing faction/organization template, but I think it'd add a lot. Partially because the organization description needs to be so abbreviated (without much room for specific detail), partially because you explicitly want the organizations in an antagonistic role. Personally speaking, I've always really liked rounds including plot hooks, because they give a great place for the contestants to demonstrate how they see their creation being used in actual play. For this challenge, such a section seems to me extremely appropriate.

Just a humble suggestion, if'n you like it and if'n it hasn't come up already. :)

Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 9

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Erik Freund wrote:

Would you consider the "Hellknights" to be an antagonistic organization that heroic PCs would not want to join? (and thus a valid submission for this contest)

I'm just curious where the line is in people's minds. Plenty of PCs over the years have joined the Hellknights, but they seem fairly antagonistic to me, so they seem like a good example of "right on the line."

I feel that a good antagonistic group would be something that always causes headaches for the PCs wherever they go. A cult of murderers, for instance, who gains power by murdering people might be an excellent antagonist for a series of adventures.

Beyond good antagonists are the great ones; the hellknights, for instance, are an example of a great antagonistic group. A lot of the time, they'll be doing things that the PCs don't like, such as lynching rebels in Westcrown. Other times, they do things that interfere with the PCs but the PCs might not disagree with if they were on the other side of; keeping the law in Cheliax in general for instance. Other times still, they directly align with the PCs. You can bet if a dragon attacked a city, the hellknights would be there to help stop it.

In a lot of ways, an antagonistic organization is a lot like a villain. A good villain is pure and simple evil. A devil, for instance is a perfect "good villain". A great villain, however, wants something beyond destruction. They might even not consider their acts to be evil. Ozymandias from Watchmen is a perfect example of a "great villain" because he has goals that are perfectly evil from the outside, but perfectly good from the inside. Lex Luthor is another example, though he's less cut and dry thanks to a gajillion spin-offs.

If you're having trouble thinking of a good organization, try to think up a motivation a "great villian" could use, and make that the goal of an orginization. It may not be a perfect solution, but I think it'll give you a good start on figuring out where the line is.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
HerosBackpack wrote:
Most of the ideas I had were for PC friendly organisations. Ah well, back to square one and try again.

I too was working on a "friendlier" organization...and I really liked the idea too. Oh well.

AR

Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

Since people are asking about organizations- Is Tian-Xia open for organization creation, or are we restricted to the Inner Sea region?

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

"gimme, Gimme, GIMME!!!" The entitlement is strong in this thread.

Where is all the fun gonna be if all the answers are provided before Round 2 starts? Sometimes a bit of disambiguity leads to more creative ideas. More rules and constraints choke the creative veins and keeps nutrients from reaching my lobes!

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Standback

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
Where is all the fun gonna be if all the answers are provided before Round 2 starts? Sometimes a bit of disambiguity leads to more creative ideas. More rules and constraints choke the creative veins and keeps nutrients from reaching my lobes!

For myself, rules and constraints spark my creativity and lead me to new and exciting places! Consequently, I have decided to ask for lots of them, so as to deliberately gain an unfair advantage over you should we oppose each other in Round 2!

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

Standback wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
Where is all the fun gonna be if all the answers are provided before Round 2 starts? Sometimes a bit of disambiguity leads to more creative ideas. More rules and constraints choke the creative veins and keeps nutrients from reaching my lobes!

For myself, rules and constraints spark my creativity and lead me to new and exciting places! Consequently, I have decided to ask for lots of them, so as to deliberately gain an unfair advantage over you should we oppose each other in Round 2!

If that works for you, then wear that creative straightjacket with pride. My creativity is usually summoned forth via a ritual involving sleep deprivation, caffination, heaps of sugar, and perusing random Wikipedia articles. That being said, none of those items were used in creating my item...

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut

I'm thinking the Round 2 rules will involve crafting an antagonistic organization focused on telemarketing, robo-calls at 2AM, and political polling...in Golarion. Good luck with that. :-]

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Standback

Neil Spicer wrote:
I'm thinking the Round 2 rules will involve crafting an antagonistic organization focused on telemarketing, robo-calls at 2AM, and political polling...in Golarion. Good luck with that. :-]

BAM!

Spoiler:

A well-established resistance cell in Galt has been infiltrated and corrupted by the Revolutionary Council; now they're "surveying" for "potential recruits" and turning them right over to the Council!

Playing both ends against the middle, the cell solicits help from liberty-loving allies of all creeds, claiming ever-greater needs for new recruitment methods in the face of the Council's sudden ferocity. Soon, they've imported everything from telepaths harvesting citizens' unspoken affiliations to gnomish tinkers operating Alkenstar's miniaturized stealth census-takers... The arms race is on, and the finish line is the ultimate violation of every mind in Galt!

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

Neil Spicer wrote:
I'm thinking the Round 2 rules will involve crafting an antagonistic organization focused on telemarketing, robo-calls at 2AM, and political polling...in Golarion. Good luck with that. :-]

Cultural Friendship League:
"The Cultural Friendship League seeks to expand relationships between all races. Please listen carefully to following selections..." the reassuring voice inside your head says. You were awakened from a deep sleep by a pleasant sounding voice that reminds you of someone you trust. A quick look at the moon out your window tells you it is past midnight. The voice asks your opinion on your community leadership, your neighbors, and surrounding communities and countries.

Little do you suspect, the voice on the other end is the telepathic projection from an aboleth seeking to ruthlessly exploit any weakness. The whole time you are in contact with it, your mind is being read while your true feelings and fears are catalogued.


Erik Freund wrote:

It's probably too early to ask questions to the judges, but I guess I'll ask to the community (as they will ultimately be voting):

Would you consider the "Hellknights" to be an antagonistic organization that heroic PCs would not want to join? (and thus a valid submission for this contest)

I'm just curious where the line is in people's minds. Plenty of PCs over the years have joined the Hellknights, but they seem fairly antagonistic to me, so they seem like a good example of "right on the line."

I think they can fall on either side depending on which order it is, and what they are currently up to. For the most part they are not PC-friendly though.

Shadow Lodge Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9

anthrorob wrote:
HerosBackpack wrote:
Most of the ideas I had were for PC friendly organisations. Ah well, back to square one and try again.

I too was working on a "friendlier" organization...and I really liked the idea too. Oh well.

AR

Couldn't a non evil group still be antagonistic? Couldn't a group be outwardly friendly still have purpose a that would be ultimately or even under some circumstances be antagonistic.

A hellknight who helps adventurers kill a monster and then gives a full report to his superiors on the party's sins come to mind.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 8

Standback wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
Where is all the fun gonna be if all the answers are provided before Round 2 starts? Sometimes a bit of disambiguity leads to more creative ideas. More rules and constraints choke the creative veins and keeps nutrients from reaching my lobes!

For myself, rules and constraints spark my creativity and lead me to new and exciting places! Consequently, I have decided to ask for lots of them, so as to deliberately gain an unfair advantage over you should we oppose each other in Round 2!

I agree about rules sparking creativity. Free reign is fine but so much great art is founded upon set forms. Petrarch's sonnets or Dante's Divine Comedy are great because of the things they do with rigid formality, not in spite of it.

Playing around with rule constraints takes you a step above. The reason the line "To be or not to be, that is the question" is so memorable is partly because it is the only line in that soliloquy that is not in iambic pentameter. It has eleven beats to the line, whereas the text surrounding it has ten. The reader or audience member is subliminally influenced by the change of form into noticing the line as especially important.

Rules give you something solid to hang your flights of fancy on. Rules rock!

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

You're no fun anymore!
And now for something completely different...

Number 1. The larch.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 8

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

You're no fun anymore!

And now for something completely different...

Number 1. The larch.

And now...

Picture of a horse chestnut tree

The horse chestnut.

Cheering crowd

*************************

Monty Python eh? Alright, I'll give you that one. Sometimes a lack of order can be fun, too.

I stand by Hamlet, though!

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Neil Spicer wrote:
I'm thinking the Round 2 rules will involve crafting an antagonistic organization focused on telemarketing, robo-calls at 2AM, and political polling...in Golarion. Good luck with that. :-]

Sounds just like the...

Spicer Judgement Consortium

:P

Shadow Lodge Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9

How are you guys doing on the round 2 entry? are you working on it? are you waiting for 24th?

I was afraid that 3 days were too short of a time span to create a organization... turns out I made it in a few hours..
And since a couple of weeks I have this text that seems to be good, but not perfect... never perfect..
And while waiting for 24th I'm completely freaking out.
Was my round one good enough? and is this good enough for round 2? And what if they change the rules on 24 and I have to trash everything? and what if the judges doesn't like the concept? And was my english ok?

ok ... now if you excuse me I'm gonna bang my head to the nearest wall hoping to pass out and wake up in 4 days

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 8 aka artofcheatery

I started working on one but I realized that it was something of a political joke (same exact topic of another creative project I was working on). While I haven't completely declared it unusable, I feel like it's too far that direction (and it might insult people that realize what it's based off of). Other problems too, I'm going for a org that looks like a friend, but really isn't once you get to know them and it was difficult to get that much info (they're friendly cause they do this! - until they do this...) into the limited space.

They still might end up in the next game I run.
-X

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka SmiloDan

I've been working on 2 or 3 organizations for a while. Ditto monsters, encounters, and adventure. Then I'll winnow them down to the entry I'll submit if I get that far. If not, I can always place them in my own campaign...

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

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

I have also been preparing for round 2. I haven't gotten so far as formally writing it out, but I have in a note pad links to Golarion timeline items, structure ideas, asset lists and a butt load of how they could be antagonistic towards the players.

In effect a whole lot of shopping lists that will be cherry picked should I get through to round 2.

I also dont want to take the chance that I write something up and then the revealed "twist" sledgehammer goes "oh dear, silly billy.... smash!"

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6

I'm prepping round 2 under the pretense that previous second rounds haven't had a twist. I know, dangerous territory, but I think I have enough solid concepts to wiggle my way around an upcoming twist.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka primemover003

Yep I have a round 2 ready and I'll probably scrape up another idea now that this one has been exorcised from my head. I'd imagine the sneak preview template they gave us will be minimally changed in the official Round 2 rules.

--Vrockstar


I've made a couple, ready to be retuned according to the official rules should I be lucky enough to make the top 32.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

I have two, basically have two monsters finished, and I'm on to my encounter. Anyone want to check my math on an advanced fiendish half-dragon tarrasque?


I will look at it. :)

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

Appreciate the offer, man. Of course, I am goofing off and my encounter does not feature such a beast. At this time.

Among today's goals are a hundred words on the final proposal, tidying up both of the organizations, some research that will help with the encounter map, and watching some football.

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka michaeljpatrick

I've been reading up a lot on Golarion through the wiki and almost wish I hadn't. Nearly every idea I have for an organization has already had its niche filled elsewhere. I'm going to have to go a little farther out of field to come up with something that stands out.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

Besides rereading the wiki, my above joke org is the only thing I have done. Been working on stuff for the next Wayfinder and my weekly games instead.


Steven T. Helt wrote:

Appreciate the offer, man. Of course, I am goofing off and my encounter does not feature such a beast. At this time.

Among today's goals are a hundred words on the final proposal, tidying up both of the organizations, some research that will help with the encounter map, and watching some football.

Darn. I just wanted to see what such a creature would look like on paper. :)


Steven T. Helt wrote:
I have two, basically have two monsters finished, and I'm on to my encounter. Anyone want to check my math on an advanced fiendish half-dragon tarrasque?

It's good your getting that far into your future rounds but as far as the monster goes I have a funny feeling we might be seeing some pictures to select from that we then have to draw stats up for.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6

Naw, they did pictures last year (though for monsters is does set up a bit of a different angle). No, no, the twist will be something like use only universal monster rules, or the entire entry must be a palindrome. There will be a CR restriction, or must incorporate a template somehow, or be a playable race, or must be a variant on some obscure subtype. It must be subject to some manner of dietary restriction, yeah that's it! And must be made of cloth

Shadow Lodge

Scarletrose wrote:

How are you guys doing on the round 2 entry? are you working on it? are you waiting for 24th?

I was afraid that 3 days were too short of a time span to create a organization... turns out I made it in a few hours..
And since a couple of weeks I have this text that seems to be good, but not perfect... never perfect..
And while waiting for 24th I'm completely freaking out.
Was my round one good enough? and is this good enough for round 2? And what if they change the rules on 24 and I have to trash everything? and what if the judges doesn't like the concept? And was my english ok?

ok ... now if you excuse me I'm gonna bang my head to the nearest wall hoping to pass out and wake up in 4 days

I'm right there with you. I spent almost all of November-December-January in the hunt for a job and nearly missed the contest this year. (Thanks for the email reminder, Paizo!) As such, I will wait for the results. I didn't have as much polish on the item as I'd have liked, but instead kept things short, sweet, and to the point. And it was amazingly easy to do in a really short amount of time. Some of my best design work, I think. If I get selected to do an org, I intend on doing the same.


Nick Bolhuis wrote:
Naw, they did pictures last year (though for monsters is does set up a bit of a different angle). No, no, the twist will be something like use only universal monster rules, or the entire entry must be a palindrome. There will be a CR restriction, or must incorporate a template somehow, or be a playable race, or must be a variant on some obscure subtype. It must be subject to some manner of dietary restriction, yeah that's it! And must be made of cloth

Hahahaaa! Yeah! Those last two gave me an idea. A patchwork rabbit that only eats carrots dipped in the blood of virgins that are of the local legal drinking age.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

My monsters are pretty easily scalable for CR. The key is a sexy concept, a mechanic not seen before (or often), andapplying type and subtypes correctly. Then you scale the remaining details based on CR.

No, the big trouble I ahve right now is I don't think I got in in the first place (starting to regret the item I chose and should have gone with something more difficult but sexier), and the encounter, which has a great title and theme, but is looking tough to pull off. These days, good scenes can be made lame by mechanical power creep. Trying to overcome that.

And today I conceived a new organization. I wonder if it can take over before the end of the week.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6

I have a few monster ideas kicking around as well, but am staying well clear of any specifics. As for an encounter, I'm not even considering it. It will almost certainly need to include one of the monsters from round three. Sure, you can come up with some encounter concepts now and make it work later but there's a huge risk there. If you write like I do, you end up really digging what you made, then, when you need to change it to fit the round you end up leaving all these shoehorn marks on it from where you had to jam it into conformity. Not worth it. The monsters created are pretty much guaranteed to give me some kind of inspiration, and even if their use is not requires, the judges usually applaud their use. Not saying I will definitely use one if I don't have to, but either way, it's a long way off, you're time will be better spent polishing your round 2 and three. Trust me, do your write up, then, a day or so later, do it again without looking at the first one, even if the two are only marginally different you will see where one is better, and it's almost never exclusively one over the other.

Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka OwlbearRepublic

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benjover wrote:
Nick Bolhuis wrote:
There will be a CR restriction, or must incorporate a template somehow, or be a playable race, or must be a variant on some obscure subtype. It must be subject to some manner of dietary restriction, yeah that's it! And must be made of cloth

Hahahaaa! Yeah! Those last two gave me an idea. A patchwork rabbit that only eats carrots dipped in the blood of virgins that are of the local legal drinking age.

You two owe me a morning. Behold:

Spoiler:

Patches CR 4

XP 1200
CE Small outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, qlippoth)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense

AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+1 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 40 (6d10+18)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
DR 5/cold iron or lawful; Immune cold, poison, mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10

Offense

Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d3+3) or nameless carrot +10 (1d6+5 plus bleed)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks bleed 4, horrific appearance (30 feet, DC 15), sneak attack (+2d6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th, concentration +9)

Constant—tongues
At will—charm person (DC 13, not usable on adults), silent image (DC 13), vanish
1/day— dimension door (self only)

Statistics

Str 14, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15
Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Bluff +9, Craft (cloth) +3, Disable Device +10, Escape Artist +10, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +3, Stealth +17
Languages Abyssal, Common (cannot speak); telepathy 100 ft.

Special Abilities

Cloth Armor (Ex)

Patches conceals his hideous alien form in a cloth rabbit costume. Though Patches himself is resistant to fire, any effect that inflicts 5 or more points of fire damage burns away his cloth covering, revealing his true form. Patches loses his +1 armor bonus to AC and may not use his charm person spell-like ability while bereft of his rabbit costume.

Horrific Appearance (Su)

Creatures that succumb to Patches' horrific appearance are affected as though by hideous laughter for a maximum duration of 4 rounds, with a new save each round to end the effect. Like hideous laughter, the gaze does not affect creatures of animal intelligence. Unlike the spell, the gaze has full effect on creatures of a different type from Patches. Once a creature makes a saving throw against Patches' horrific appearance, that creature is immune to his horrific appearance and to his charm person spell-like ability for 24 hours.
Patches cannot use this ability while wholly concealed by his rabbit costume. To use it, he must remove the costume or lift one of his eyepatches to reveal a glimpse of his true form.

Nameless Carrot (Su)

With a small portion of undisturbed, arable land and a dark ritual lasting two weeks, Patches may grow a giant, hideous root vegetable known as a nameless carrot. For Patches only, the carrot functions as a +2 longsword except that it inflicts piercing damage and inflicts grievously bleeding wounds. In addition, the nameless carrot functions like thieves' tools for opening locks and disabling traps. The latter effect continues to function for others even if Patches is slain.

After Patches uses his nameless carrot to inflict a bleed effect on a virgin of legal local drinking age (at least 14), he may eat the bloody carrot as a full-round action any time within the next four rounds to gain the benefits of the Eternal template for the next two weeks. Unlike other eternal creatures, Patches has no special weaknesses while eternal, except that the benefits of the template end two weeks after Patches eats the carrot.

Ecology

Environment any
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

Patches' origin is unknown, though some suspect that he arose from the fears of sinless souls consigned to the Abyss. His appearance, like that of all qlippoth, is loathsome and incomprehensible. Patches hides his true form within a crude rabbit costume sewn from patches of clothing he has stolen from clotheslines or torn from his victims' bodies. The costume has only two openings, one where each of the eyes should be; Patches covers both openings with eye-patches, which he lifts to reveal a glimpse of his horrifying, tentaculated form when he so desires.

Deprived of his natural environment in the Abyss, Patches requires unusual sustenance to thrive. He uses a secret ritual to grow nameless carrots, eldritch horrors which sustain him with the power of primal evil and make him effectively immortal. To satisfy his hunger, Patches must soak his nameless carrots in the blood of virgins who -- for arcane reasons as obscure as they are sickening -- must be of local legal drinking age. To secure a steady supply of virgin blood, Patches ingratiates himself to children through an area, defending their virginity as best he can as they pass through adolescence. Then, as they reach local legal drinking age, he strikes, approaching them as a trusted childhood friend only to plunge his nameless carrot deep into their pure hearts and revel in their blood. After crunching grotesquely through his carrot in the gory aftermath, he is away to the countryside to grow another carrot in preparation for his next attack.

For obvious reasons, Patches never stays too long in one community. Usually, only a single generation of children grow to love and then fear the "funny old bunny" before he departs against a backdrop of pitchforks and torches.

Oddly, though Patches thinks of himself as a unique creature, the wide geographical range of his depredations make it apparent that more than one instance of Patches exists. For this reason, Patches is an acceptable "race" (albeit an unusual one) for a player character. Due to the nature of the Eternal template, however, Patches can no longer acquire it by any means once he acquires class levels or gains additional hit dice. If Patches departs from his essential qlippoth nature in such a manner, the prize of immortality is forever lost to him, and no number of carrots can win it back.

Patches is an amorphous knot of tentacles and organs that pulses with sickening greens and yellows. In his patchwork bunny costume he stands about 3 feet tall. Patches weighs 40 lbs.

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Now, we will find out who the oldies are amongst us.

You missed out...

"When in the bunny costume, he can only be seen by James Stewart."

Silver Crusade Star Voter Season 6

I thought I would share this...

The word processor I have been using does not have a good word count function. I found this website to be a convenient way to check word count without manually counting. If you are in need of a good word counter, check it out!

Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

Celestial Healer wrote:

I thought I would share this...

you can your word count through google docs just as easily

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8 aka Ezekiel Shanoax, the Stormchild

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Steven T. Helt wrote:
Anyone want to check my math on an advanced fiendish half-dragon tarrasque?

More than that, I'd like to see the stats for his parent - the dragon ballsy enough to ____ a tarrasque.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

Okay, well I cooked this up. I'll try to get to the dragon this week, pending,...other things. But if I do, and I make the top 32, you both have to vote for me! : }

Behold, Grabastor, spawn of Ruin.

Spoiler:

Grabastor CR 31
Xp 12,880,000
CE Colossal dragon (augmented magical beast, evil, extraplanar)
advanced (12 HD), fiendish, half-dragon (red) tarrasque
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +44
Aura frightful presence (300 ft., DC 34)
DEFENSE
AC 44, touch 5, flat-footed 41 (+3 Dex, +39 natural, –8 size)
hp 831 (42d10+630); regeneration 40
Fort +39, Ref +27, Will +19
DR 15/epic and 10/good; Immune ability damage, acid, bleed, disease, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, permanent wounds, paralysis, petrification, poison, polymorph, sleep; Resist cold 10; SR 36
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee bite +54 (4d8+20/15–20/×3 plus grab), 2 claws +54 (1d12+20), 2 gores +54 (1d10+20), tail slap +49 (3d8+10)
Ranged 6 spines +37 (2d10+20/×3)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (60 ft. with tail slap)
Special Attacks breath weapon (30-foot cone of fire, 42d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 46 half), rush, spines, smite good (+3, +42), swallow whole (6d6+30 plus 6d6 acid, AC 29, hp 83)
STATISTICS
Str 50, Dex 16, Con 40, Int 6, Wis 16, Cha 16
Base Atk +42; CMB +70 (+74 grapple); CMD 83
Feats Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Bleeding Critical, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery, Finishing Cleave, Furious Focus, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Run, Staggering Critical, Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +10 (+51 when jumping), Climb +24, Fly +22, Perception +44, Stealth +20, Swim +24; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Languages Aklo (cannot speak)
SQ carapace, powerful leaper

It flies! But it's still owned by death effects. : }


OwlbearRepublic wrote:

You two owe me a morning. Behold:
** spoiler omitted **...

My friend, that was a work of art. *wipes awe drool away from corner of mouth* And I shall send you two breakfast sandwiches and one potato side of your choosing in exchange for the one lost morning.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6

does it seem odd to anyone else that on Dec 29th we were told we should be getting the round 2 template "sometime next week?"

am i missing something? is my computer busted? are you all conspiring against me?

cool

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