Gold Dragon

Jorrik the Fat's page

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26 Paper Street
The Palace in the Ashen Wastes

And there was stiff competition this round, no doubt about it! Good to see so many great entries.

Glad I could back to having something to properly evaluate this round, rather than just stat blocks. (I even tried reading on the of the state blocks included in this round... not a clue what is was about, confirming that my only alternative last round would have been to abstain altogether).


Wow, this is what I'm talking about. I am so going to try and rip this one off for my campaign if it doesn't get published anyway. In a tough round with nothing but quality lairs, this just managed to stand out ahead of the crowd. I struggled over who to give my second vote to, but I didn't struggle over this one. A surprisingly easy decision - well done!


As I've said in some of the other threads, there wasn't a single lair in this round I disliked. I could have voted for any of them, in different circumstances. But we have the situation that we do, and you're up against the best, so we have to get harsh when deciding which two lairs to vote for. It was a tough choice, but in the end, this just has enough inherent coolness and atmosphere to make it through to my final two for this round, and earn one of my votes.

Which may mean you're doomed; I haven't had much luck in terms of people I've voted for getting through to the next round. Except... hmm, you're the one exception to that, aren't you? Lets hope that holds, eh?


As with the Hecataeus lairs, I find myself in the position of preferring the one that everyone else (so far) thinks is the weaker of the two. Go figure. I liked the weirdness of some of the encounters, and the 19th century freakshow vibe is cool - historical accuracy, my hat, this is supposed to be fantasy! So I kept this one in mind for a while, but in the end, it just doesn't have quite as much as two of the others, and, with only two votes, that's kind of fatal. So I wish you best luck, and hope that others liked this more than the other Rustin lair, as I did... but no vote from me, I'm afraid.


This made it into my last four for this round, and (unlike some of those posting above) I actually preferred it to the other Hecataeus lair. But not, in the end, quite enough. I like it, it's clever, and well done... but it doesn't quite have as much as some of the others. So, sorry, and I wish you the best... but no vote from me this round.


I like the lair; there's some cool ideas in it. The problem is, I like all the lairs in this round, so you have to do just that little bit more to get to the Final. I'm afraid to say that I have to agree with the judges on this (shock news! Jorrik agrees with judges!); the spelling errors are enough for me to decide against you this time round. I know they'd be fixed in a final book (not least because you'd presumably have longer to edit before sending it off), but we've got to be picky by this stage. So sorry, and best of luck, but no vote from me this round.


Had a bit of difficulty sussing out the map, there... the straight edges to the forest were a bit confusing. But never mind, it's a great lair, anyway, and it would be clear enough in yer Actual Published Book. I marginally prefer to the other Rustin lair to this one, though, and while that doesn't necessarily rule this one out... well, sorry, and I wish you the best of luck, but this does not quite get one of my votes.


Having now read all eight entries I can honestly say that, under other circumstances, there isn't one I wouldn't vote for. But it's getting tough now, and you're up against similarly tough opposition. To my mind, the other Hecataeus lair is marginally more interesting than this one, and while that doesn't necessarily rule out this one... I don't think I'm going to vote for this one. It is really tight, and I wish you the best, but... sorry.


The level of quality is certainly high in this round! (As it should be, I guess). I'd be happy to vote for most of these... but I only have two votes. This is an original location, and all, but it just lacks quite enough to make it a truly entertaining lair - rather than just an encounter. So I'll have to pass on it. Good luck, though!


Hecataeus
Kardam
Bracht
Kar-en-Helit


Vic Wertz wrote:
Personally, I think the most important question to ask yourself for any contestant in any round is this: Would you want to buy a module written by this person?

It may not have been clear that I absolutely agree with this point, but I do. Which, in fact, is why I voted at all rather than abstaining. And whether I want to buy a module is based entirely on concept, not on the stat blocks. Of course, I understand that most other people will have different priorities, and I'm cool with that.

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
you're doing... a disservice to everyone who (1) worked really hard to get their stat blocks right, and (2) anyone who buys a product written by the winner.

OK, that's a fair point. I did say I figured it would make me unpopular, and I did consider the idea of just not mentioning it. But, you know, everyone's going to have different tastes, so whatever I vote for (and for whatever reason I cast that vote), somebody's going to dislike the outcome. It's also unlikely that the eventual winner is going to write something that nobody likes but me, unless the number of voters is a lot less than I think it is.

But, yeah, to the contestants, who I'm sure all worked really hard on the stat blocks: sorry if you feel offended. (I did, of course, read through the changes to the character concept you all did, and the "new rules" entry bit - in fact, I change my expected vote as a result).

Keith Duperreault wrote:
To those who didn't enter and vote....to each their own.

In case it's relevant: I'm not eligible to enter. Not that I could have anyway, given that writing stat blocks was obviously going to be required :)

Clark's post is undoubtedly a good one, and great advice for those who find stat blocks difficult and/or tedious, rather than having no clue about them. But I will comment on one point:

Clark Peterson wrote:
Heck, you all buy modules and adventures. Those adventures have stat blocks. Surely you have gut reactions and evaluations of those villains from published adventures. Pretend these submissions are from an adventure. If you saw this villain and his or her stat block in an adventure, how would YOU evaluate it?

Without reading the stat block. Seriously. I never use stats as printed anyway, so they're never an issue. And, yes, I know that puts me in a minority here, but there it is.


...by confessing that I didn't read the stat blocks. Frankly, the alternative was not to vote at all, but if I'm in the market for the published book that eventually comes out of this (and I am - I bought the one that resulted from last year's contest), I figure I have as much right to vote as anyone else.

Of course, I could have just lied, and pretended that I'd judged the round on the basis of what I was "supposed" to like, and not on the basis of what I really did like (i.e. the villain concepts). The angry response came even quicker than I'd figured (just 20 minutes), but I can't say it wasn't one I didn't anticipate. So, take it as you will - and I guess the Paizo judges can even strike my votes, if they really want to, since I was open about what they were.

Next round, of course, will be a different matter. I won't pay any attention to any stat blocks in the lair (assuming there are any), but I can, and will, vote on the concept and any stat-free description. So, those of you who I voted for this round - don't think you'll get a free pass in the next!

Although, I am curious... am I the only one here who wouldn't know a decent Pathfinder stat block from a poor one, or are there others with various degrees of unfamiliarity with the system? If so, did you abstain, or use some other criterion to judge the round?


Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Pathfinder game, and would not have any way of judging whether the stat block is any good or not, so I confess to not having read it.

Whut? I still have four votes in this round? In that case, the decision is easy: Bracht receives my fourth vote, and I hope to see him advance! Well done with this villain.


Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Pathfinder game, and would not have any way of judging whether the stat block is any good or not, so I confess to not having read it.

Having said which, two of the villains I voted for last round did not advance, leaving me a vote free. In the end, it came down to a choice between Brecht and Kar-en-Helit as to who would receive it. And, to be honest, I like the way this villain has changed (and I liked him before). This is a neat concept, so it gets my third vote!


Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Pathfinder game, and would not have any way of judging whether the stat block is any good or not, so I confess to not having read it.

Having said which, two of the villains I voted for last round failed to advance, leaving me with a free vote. Since I knew I wasn't going to be reading the stat blocks, I had picked out Varrush as the villain I was most likely to give my third vote to, provided the core concept didn't change too much. But... I rather feel that it has, and that I preferred Varrush over Vashkar. So I fear my third vote will now go elsewhere. Sorry! (Hopefully, everyone else agrees with the judges, and prefers the updated version...)


Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Pathfinder game, and would not have any way of judging whether the stat block is any good or not, so I confess to not having read it.

Having said which, I voted for Kardam last round, and see no reason to change that this round.


Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Pathfinder game, and would not have any way of judging whether the stat block is any good or not, so I confess to not having read it.

Having said which, I voted for Hecataeus last round, and see no reason to change that this round.


I voted for:

Phenyekashi, the chanting boned devil

Zavanix, the demented pixie

Hecetaeus, master of constructs

Kardam, the burning khan

Which (aside from the last one) puts me in something of a minority, it seems. Which will be a pain if most of them don't make it through to round #3...

But there were many others that came quite close - choosing just four out of 32 entries is anything but easy!


I can really see myself using this villain. His cartoony nature, contrary to the judges, really suits my tastes, and I can imagine having great fun playing this guy. So he is one of the select few that are truly worthy of my vote. This is a great villain, and deserves to get further - here's hoping my vote helps swing that!


This is original, this is cool, I can really use this. Yet the judges don't seem to like it, despite it being (to my mind) easily one of the best entries. I very nearly voted for this one, but, in the end, the limitation of the possible plots cut it out at the final moment. I hope to see it go through, though! I'll be keeping my fingers crossed...


This is a good character, and one I can easily see myself using as a villain. Plus, I must confess that I just want to see a pixie villain doing better than it seems to be! It's an original, and perhaps somewhat brave, decision, and I feel that it fully deserves my vote. Good luck!


And now, I am finally down to just four. I'm voting for this one, because I can see great potential in it, and, while it's not truly a villain, it's a great plot hook that I can see being expanded into something I'd like to use. I think this is a well-done entry, and I'd love to see more of it. Here's hoping I get the chance!


It seems my tastes are unusual... or at least, very different from the judges. Most of the villains I'm keenest to see in the next round received unanimous "no" recommendations from the judges. But this one didn't, so I'll take the risk that it's more likely to go through than the others, and vote for the ones in more danger of getting knocked out. Sorry - because this is a great villain I want to see more of, and I'm crossing my fingers that it makes it through.

Good luck!

Edit: You know what? I've changed my mind. You get my fourth vote!


I thought this was a good villain, and one I could see myself using. Although the judges don't seem to agree, I would like to see this one advance to the next round. But... not quite as much as I'd like to see some of the others advance. I do hope it gets through, and it would have been a serious contender for my fifth vote, if I had one. But, as it is, there are others I'm keener on. Tough competition, this one...

So, sorry, and hope to see you in the next round!


This is a great character, that I'd love to see more of. He made it a long way through my deliberations, and would have been in serious contention for my fifth vote, if I had one. I can't really think of a criticism that would discount him from consideration, but we have to get tough at some point. As it is, there are other villains I just like marginally more, and he got edged out at virtually the last minute. So, no vote from me, but a definite hope to see you in the next round!


I really like this entry - I liked it a lot. Unfortunately for you, this particular villain won't work so well in my (somewhat unusual) campaign, which is a great pity, as it deserves to. There are a number of other entries I had to dismiss on those grounds, but I kept letting this one through as I slowly narrowed down my list, because it's just so freaking cool. But, in the end, it didn't quite make it over the bar.

It's in no way a criticism, just a "I only have four votes" thing. I hope to see you in the next round - I can't wait to see what you do with this one!


This is a really cool and atmospheric villain that made it a long way through my deliberations without being ditched. But, then I got down to selecting just four to advance, and there are just a few other villain entries that strike me as more original. It's one I would have considered for my fifth vote, which puts it in pretty select company, and, frankly, there's really nothing wrong with it... so I hope you advance to the next round!


The backstory of this character is great, but, in the end, he's an evil merchant. I do like background schemers, though, which this guy seems to be, so I would have liked to vote for him... but, in the end, there just too many other good entries that edged him out.

Hope to see you in the next round, though!


I love hidden master-villains like this, and the edge of wanting to bring back some hideous evil only adds to the spice. So this is one I really want to see go through, because it has great potential. Having said that, with just four votes, there are a few others that I'd like to see just that little bit more. This villain is not quite as original as some of the others, so it just gets edged out.

Hope to see in the next round, though!


This is, in my view, a good write-up of a wraith, and I liked it more than the judges did, so I'd quite like to see it advance. Nonetheless, nothing truly sparks my interest enough for me to want to give it a vote. Yes, it's a good wraith, but, basically, it is just a wraith, albeit with some extra resources. Good luck, and hope to see you in the next round, though!


I love this character, and want to see her advance to the next round. A friend that's worse than an enemy is a cool and interesting idea, and this is one of the more original entries we've had. I'm hoping you'll get through, but, with only four votes, there are others that slightly edge her out. But this is one I would seriously be considering for my fifth vote, if I had one. I hope it does well!


This is a cool villain, with some interesting henchmen, a not-so-cliched motivation, and some potential use in a campaign. But, for some reason, he just didn't stand out that much for me. I have a feeling that the players may remember the clairvoyant assassins longer than they remember who was employing them, so he fails to get one of my votes. Good luck, though!


I do like this villain, and I hope to see him in future rounds. He's a well written rakshasa, and that's something of a rarity. I think he could shine given a good enough set-up and scenario. But there are other characters that I like just that little bit more, so he doesn't get one of my precious four points. But well done, none the less - hope to see more!


This is a neat villain that I hope advances to later rounds. But, as I only have four votes, it doesn't quite make it for me. Yes, its a good idea, and one I could see myself using, but it seems a little bit over-the-top in places, so it doesn't quite reach my final four. Good luck, though - this deserves to reach the next round.


Quite a good character, and being an evil satyr is certainly an interesting twist. I wouldn't mind seeing this one go through, but he doesn't have true long-lasting villain potential. A minor villain, certainly, and a well done one at that, but I have a hard time seeing anything lengthy based around him.

For that reason, this one does not get one my votes. Sorry.


I do like the plots for this character, and think he could have great potential. But I won't vote for him myself, because he's just that little bit over the top, and also because I don't much like liches. His motivations are a bit cliched, too, although that's not necessarily a major problem if the plot surrounding it is good (as to be fair, it may well be, judging from the hooks).

I'm not adverse to seeing this one go through, but it isn't in my top four, and so doesn't get the vote.


This entry made it far enough in my estimation to reach the level of me being picky. I don't have a dozen votes, so unfortunately, picky is what I have to be at some point. So, basically, this is a cool villain, I do like him, and I hope he gets through to the next round; he's in the top sixteen from this round, in my estimation.

On the downside, though, him being a lich was just going that bit too far in my mind. It wasn't necessary for the basic character and (unfortunately for you) makes him that little bit harder to fit into my campaign. So I have rejected him on what, I freely admit, are pretty flimsy grounds. Had to happen to someone...


I can see how this could become a recurring villain, and he is potentially interesting, too. The problem is, as others have remarked, there's just no clue about his motivation. OK, so he's narked that elves are better at archery than he is, which I can see might be a bit annoying, but hardly seems justification for a campaign of genocide.

If you'd managed to nail the motivation, this one might have made it, but the character as is doesn't really hang together. That he wouldn't work in my campaign, either, isn't the writer's fault, but it is significant when I only have four votes. So, "no" to this one.


This survived my initial culling of the weaker entries, but, on coming back to it, I found it hadn't stuck in my mind. I think it's because, as others have said, the description is just too vague. There are some neat ideas here, but, even with the word count restriction, they could have been better followed through.

So, not a bad villain, by any means, but just not quite done well enough for me to give him one my votes. Sorry.


A good character, certainly, and well written. But we have to get a way through the write-up to see how he could be used as a villain. Even then, it's more of a minor one, especially as he seems to have little motivation to act against the PCs. He's the sort of chap you could even use as a a slightly dodgy ally, if the PCs work at it well enough.

He wouldn't really work in my campaign, either... which certainly isn't the fault of the writer, but is enough to make me decide to spend my precious four votes on something I can make real use of. Sorry.


This is a good villain, to my mind, and his low level really isn't a problem. He is different from the normal sort of villain, in terms of his motivations, and so on, but I don't really get that clear a picture of him.

After culling the initial list down to 22 by eliminating those entries that just didn't work for me, I went back to re-read those that remained. Sad to say, I didn't remember what this one was about until some way through, so I guess it didn't stick in my mind. When I have four votes to spread among 32 candidates, that's enough to cut you out, I'm afraid.


Quite a well-written assassin, but there's nothing truly remarkable about her. She has the potential to be good, but, as others have said, she works far better as a villain's lieutenant than as a master villain herself. Unfortunately, there's nothing truly stand-out about this villain that makes me want to spend one of my four precious votes on her.


This is essentially the same character as the one named after a certain albino elsewhere in this contest. I didn't vote for that, and I can't vote for this either - exactly the same reasons apply.


I like the idea, and it's well written. But it's just a one-off encounter, like the spirit-of-the-valley thing in another entry. I don't see how this can be made into a long-lasting villain, rather than an (admittedly fairly cool) opponent for a single short scenario. He might even be a memorable one-off encounter, if used well, but that's not really what villainy is about.

So, perhaps a little reluctantly, I can't vote for this one.


If the characters annoy him for some reason, this guy has the potential to become an interesting villain. But the GM is pretty much going to have to set that up, because the PCs *have* no obvious reason to annoy him. He's a unscrupulous merchant, and certainly an interesting character, but, for me, he doesn't quite have that villainous feel. More of a potential villain than an actual one, really.


This just isn't a villain. He's not even necessarily much of an antagonist - I can actually see some non-evil PCs deciding to join him! Sure, he's immoral, but that doesn't make him a villain, just misguided as to his methods (I'd guess he's Lawful Neutral). I had to read the entry three times to make sure I hadn't missed something... but, no, this just isn't a villain. So no vote from me, I'm afraid.


The fact that the name is ripped off from such a famous work of fantasy literature is a major count against it, right there. Other than that... well, OK, possibly an interesting idea, but it's just not fleshed out enough to be really inspiring. This would be a random we-wandered-past-this-place encounter, not anything truly memorable, and I don't see how he can be a long-lasting villain. This could have been much better, but as it is, it won't get one of my votes.


Just another psycho killer, with nothing interesting about him to be worth a precious vote. Not that you couldn't use him in a scenario, sure, but he's not likely to be memorable, and he's just your regular opponent, not a true villain.


A reasonable idea, but not truly standout - which you have to get one of only four votes. It's difficult to see him as a truly long-lasting villain, either.


An interesting annoyance, perhaps, but one that is likely to appear in only a single scene. This just isn't a villain by any definition of the word - it's a minor antagonist. No vote from me, I'm afraid.


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