RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 Finalists Revealed

Largest Open-Call Tabletop Roleplaying Design Contest in History Closes Round One with over Half a Million Votes Cast by Paizo Community

Jan 22, 2013, 04:41 pm

Paizo Publishing, LLC, publisher of Pathfinder, the leading tabletop fantasy roleplaying game, announces today the Top 32 finalists from RPG Superstar, the company’s annual contest to find the newest talent in game design.

Half a million votes were cast by the Paizo community for the wondrous item designs submitted in Round One, enabling judges Wolfgang Baur, Clark Peterson and Sean K Reynolds to identify the 32 finalists. They are, in alphabetical order along with their wondrous item submission:

Adam Blanchard Goblet of the Elements Charlie Bell Spell-Winding Timepiece Chris Shaeffer Cloudwrangler's Gloves Christopher Dudley Icon of Aspects Clay Blankenship Cobra-Hood Cloak George Cunningham Skipping Stone Guy Russell Rat-tread Boots Isaac White Ethersnare Dust James Conder Map of Refuge Jobe Bittman Quiver of Spiderkind Jon Haire Swarm Slurper Joseph Kellogg Shattered Mirror of the Insect Queen Joshua Kitchens Hell-shod Boots Kalervo Oikarinen Gloves of the Frugal Healer Landon Cole Ghost Ship Binnacle Mark Nordheim Wintertide Candle

Matt Blackie Gorum's Stompers Matthew Duval Seer's Soap Maurice de Mare Sash of the Salty Seas Michael Eshleman Walking Stick of Concealed Thaumaturgy Michael Pruess Tree Frog's Gloves Mike Kimmel Gloves of Flame Command Nicholas Herold Gorget of Living Whispers Nickolas Floyd Thorn Creeper Sandals Pedro Coelho Reins of Unstoppable Stride Rorik Moore-Jansen Trick Shot Glove Sam Harris Witchwood Comb Scott Fernandez Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Shawn Kowalke Whispering Gloves Steven Helt Quicksand Cloak Zachary Hensley Spectral Lampblack Ziv Wities Many-Layered Veil

“RPG Superstar is the only gaming contest of its kind – the opportunity to get industry professionals to scrutinize your work and give you the opportunity to join Paizo’s stable of talented freelance writers,” says judge and Paizo game developer Sean K. Reynolds. “This year we have a great mix of new faces and competitors from previous years, and the incredible voter turnout in Round 1 means the gaming community has been involved from the very start of the competition. Congratulations to this year’s Top 32, and good luck in the contest’s next challenge!”

2013’s alternates are Giorgios Abate, Jeff Lee, Damien McGurrell, and Garrick Williams. The Top 32 will now be required to design a concept for a class archetype to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges and submit that concept by 2pm Pacific time on Friday, January 25. These Round Two submissions will be revealed to the general public on Tuesday, January 29 and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on February 4 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round Three.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, to be announced April 2, 2013, will write an adventure for Paizo’s Pathfinder Module line to be published in early 2014. Complete rules are available at paizo.com/rpgsuperstar.

About Paizo Publishing
Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo's Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry.