Keith Duperreault's page

Mort the Cleverly Named wrote:

Keith Duperreault wrote:

BUT, if you can now make combat performance checks in real combat...then what DC are you basing the roll off of? The roll is based on the attitude of the crowd, number of combatants & 'other circumstances'.

Performing Combatant specifically states that the performance DC is 20 for use in normal combats.

If you wait the in-game explanation, I'd say say it is a combination of intimidating and tricking your enemy and making yourself particularly confident. It will depend on the specific feat and circumstance, but that is the feeling I get from the feat descriptions and such.

Wow....can't believe I missed that. Completely read right past the DC 20 stated in the feat like 10 times.

But you still need one of the 'triggers' listed before you can make a performance combat check in normal combat...correct?

Plus do you still need a minimum crowd of 2 onlookers to make checks using Performing Combatant outside of combat even though for non-staged combat it's a straight DC 20 roll not affected by the "starting or current attitude of the crowd, the size of the crowd, and the number of creatures participating in the performance combat" ?

Keith Duperreault wrote:

BUT, if you can now make combat performance checks in real combat...then what DC are you basing the roll off of? The roll is based on the attitude of the crowd, number of combatants & 'other circumstances'.

Performing Combatant specifically states that the performance DC is 20 for use in normal combats.

If you wait the in-game explanation, I'd say say it is a combination of intimidating and tricking your enemy and making yourself particularly confident. It will depend on the specific feat and circumstance, but that is the feeling I get from the feat descriptions and such.

Wow....can't believe I missed that. Completely read right past the DC 20 stated in the feat like 10 times.

But you still need one of the 'triggers' listed before you can make a performance combat check in normal combat...correct?

Yes, but to add to his question....

Performing Combatant allows the use of combat performance checks in real combat, and not just staged combat.

In staged combat its all about wowing the crowd....crowd attitude affects the combatants rolls, etc.

BUT, if you can now make combat performance checks in real combat...then what DC are you basing the roll off of? The roll is based on the attitude of the crowd, number of combatants & 'other circumstances'.

Now my question is this: If I am fighting a real combat...do I really have to have a crowd around me to get these performance feat bonus'? If I go by the rules, the smallest crowd can be no less than 2 people. Also, the combat is real...I can see you basing performance combat off improving the attitude of the crowd in a staged fight where people are there to see a gladitorial display of prowess....but if I just pulled a knife on a guy in a busy street, is the crowd really going to be 'won over' and begin to turn friendly towards me just because I am slicing up some innocent guy in the street with some dazzling flair?

It doesn't make sense....in a gladitorial or staged fight of some kind, yes I can see the crowd cheering someone on and creating a hysteria that makes the action more intense (performance feat effects)...but in a street brawl I don't think you can base the DC for a combat performance check on crowd attitude...

Staged Fight: I pull a knife on a guy and slice up his chest leaving my initials beautifully framed in blood...I roll a performance check against an indifferent crowd of onlookers in the stands, succeed, and the crowd is now friendly towards me...and one of my performence feat effects kicks off giving me some extra bonus' like +1d6 damage, or +2 to attack...

Real Fight: I pull a knife on a guy and slice up his chest leaving my initials beautifully framed in blood...I roll a performance check against an indifferent crowd of passerby's in the street, succeed, and suddenly the crowd, after seeing me just attack an innocent douche in the street, is friendly towards me? I would think logic would say that the crowd would be more horrified at me and either run away, or dive in to help the poor schmuck I am carving up....in no scenario would I envision the crowd standing around like some martial arts movie and cheering the lethal combat of two strangers they don't even know.

So if any of the staff can answer me this basic question: With the Performing Combatant feat, do you still need to activate performance checks with the listed triggers in the books? Do you still need a crowd of onlookers to be able to use the performance combat system outside of staged fights? and do we still base the DC difficulty of the performance checks on the crowd attitude, number of combatants & other circumstances listed in that section of the book?

Nix's Chalk of Endless Ways

Hey look, YET ANOTHER Pan's Lanyrinth chalk item. REJECT. Plus, the writing is stilted and I dont really get the diametrically opposed alignments thing. Is that like "dont cross the streams"? Sadly, this may be one of the better Pan's Labyrinth chalk doorway items. But it is still.... do I even need to finish?

That was my post. Agreement was unanimous.

Heh, when this was posted I heard alot of Pan's Lab chalk items were either submitted or had been an issue last year. I had never seen Pan's Lab, so I went out and rented it. Boy was I red in the face :P

This item was inspired by that damn addictive game "Portal" to be honest.

I got a good chuckle at my error, so thanks for the feedback and thanks for mentioning that this may be one of the better type of this item. I will do alot better next year by using less formal language and more thoroughly researching my idea.

I bank on ideas.

I buy my books according to the covers.

and I am rarely disappointed.

How you package a product is just as important as to how it is put together.

I get that epic story arc feeling from Eric's entry, and this is definately a world which I would want to visit multiple times.

Eric has my vote.

My votes this round after much debating (choosing 2 instead of 4 this round)

Eric Bailey—Hecataeus: Sanctum of the Colossus

and

Kevin Carter—26 Paper Street

Shadowborn wrote:

What about a pirate who is also a ninja? Talk about self-loathing...

The universe would implode.

The nunchuk pegleg would kick some serious arse though..

Taliesin, thanks a lot for the cheers, but I am to far away of something I can accept as well. (Read: speaking like a normal person, and not like a clichê of some holywood movie).

Keith, how old a person's are debatable, I have 21-years-old and a gray hair. Clark maybe have less than 30-years but like D&D 1st edition. Like my father have more than 60-years and still pursuit 20-years-girls. Yeah, he are a crazy dad. :D

I started going grey at 15 yrs old. I was fully 'salt and pepper' by age 21 so I feel your pain ;)

I just like calling Clark old...

Clark problaly like things of the old D&D 1st edition, a villain whit the spirit of this times probaly make he cheers up the subscript.

Clark....I think he just called you old ;)

In the the round 4 rules:

"Content from the Villain Stat Block round of this year's RPG Superstar contest (but not the villain you created)"

I think the stat block may be a big determining factor in which villain people chose enter in round 4. Alot of entries scored well with voters because the stat blocks were more detailed and better reflected the character concept from round 2. I think this alone means we may see the same villains popping up in several entries.

Not sure how well this will work....perhaps all Top 8 member villains should have been randomly dealt out, so that there was no choice in the matter. I would think of that as more of a freelance challenge.

That is awesome.

For some I know it means tossing out stuff they have probably been preparing for weeks...but now we get to see the real creativity come out.

Let the games begin!

Only one out of the four I voted for in round 2 has kept my vote in round 3.

Randy Dorman—Hecataeus, Master of Constructs

I'd definately use this villain in a module. The concept is still solid and the stat block is seems to represent him well. Hands down my favorite so far.

My three other votes go some other very solid entries that match well with the great concepts provided:

Kevin Carter—Malgana the Twistwood Lich
Eric Bailey—Vashkar, the False Maharajah
Joshua Blazej—Derinogen, Aristocratic Mage

All I have to say about this:

Anyone who entered this contest and expected to get as far as this 'stat block' round should be reading the entries of the patricipants who actually made it.

100% comprehension is not required, spending 2 hours on each stat block crunching numbers is not required, but not reading the stat blocks at all to me is just odd.

To those who didn't enter and vote....to each their own. If you submitted an entry in previous rounds and are casting a vote for round three though, I believe you have to give the same courtesy you would have been expecting had you reached this round - to give some brief attention to the stat block so that the numbers at least make some connection for you back to the villain concept.

For me a stat block better not balance completely out. A villain is a villain because they do not follow the rules, both in theory or on the written page. A good villain should make the players say "Hey, they can't do that!". A good stat block should reflect the concept of said villain while having enough grey area for the GM to play around and make some tweaks. So while I am not looking for the stat block to equate out perfectly, I will ckeck if I can see the villain in the numbers enough that I can see where I would make my own tweaks.

Elizabeth Cougill wrote:

Rouge of the Vengeful Mistress

Aura Moderate Conjuration CL 7th
Slot —; Price 4750gp; Weight —

I happend to love the name of this one. I read that name and I know I am in trouble. I mean, really, can anything screw you over more than a vengeful mistress?

A vengeful wife sir......definately a vengeful wife...

All my picks made top sixteen. Can't wait to see what they do with their stat blocks.

Gratz all who advanced!

My Picks:

Carl Klutzke—Sharina Legendsinger
Doyle Tavener—Kar-en-haris, Grand Master of Spies
Eric Morton—Aelfric Dream-Slayer
Randy Dorman—Hecataeus, Master of Constructs

After reading the Top 32, these would be the easiest fit for me as villains I could run in my campaign.

posted in Clark's thread, but would like to hear your thoughts on this item from round one:

Nix's Chalk of Endless Ways
Aura strong conjuration (cursed - unreliable); CL 17th
Slot --; Price 160,000gp; Weight --

DESCRIPTION
By all appearances just a set of two colored chalk, but when each is used to draw a doorway on a different surface an inky black portal connects the two surfaces similar to a Teleportation Circle. Prior to the portal forming the chalk functions normally and can be wiped away, affected by rain, etc. Once both doorways are drawn, the created portal has a duration of ten minutes and cannot be dispelled. One being may pass through at a time and each sentient being has a cumulative 5% chance of collapsing it. Elemental forces of natural or magical nature will not pass through. Spells cannot be cast through the portal, and line of sight is blocked. Item may be used once per day and must be stored, for eight hours of each day, in a container with chalk powder or it will not function. Chalk is utterly destroyed if two sentient beings of diametrically opposed alignments pass through the same active portal.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, teleportation circle; Cost 80,000gp

-------------------------------------------

I cleaned up the format, and would love some feedback on this item. Just wondering how much messing up the format counted against any possible mojo this item may have had.

Keith Duperreault wrote:

Nix's Chalk of Endless Ways

Aura strong conjuration (cursed - unreliable); CL 17th
Slot --; Price 160,000gp; Weight --

DESCRIPTION
By all appearances just a set of two colored chalk, but when each is used to draw a doorway on a different surface an inky black portal connects the two surfaces similar to a Teleportation Circle. Prior to the portal forming the chalk functions normally and can be wiped away, affected by rain, etc. Once both doorways are drawn, the created portal has a duration of ten minutes and cannot be dispelled. One being may pass through at a time and each sentient being has a cumulative 5% chance of collapsing it. Elemental forces of natural or magical nature will not pass through. Spells cannot be cast through the portal, and line of sight is blocked. Item may be used once per day and must be stored, for eight hours of each day, in a container with chalk powder or it will not function. Chalk is utterly destroyed if two sentient beings of diametrically opposed alignments pass through the same active portal.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, teleportation circle; Cost 80,000gp

What about just using Tele (wait, spells aren't capitalized ;) ) teleportation as the base spell, or even requiring dimension door and the enlarge spell feat? Then you are just looking at a 4 or 5th level spell, which would drastically cut down on the cost.

because no other teleport spell has anything other than 'instantaneous' and because of the line under the magic item costing chart that says (If a continuous item has an effect based on a spell with a duration measured in rounds, multiply the cost by 4. If the duration of the spell is 1 minute/level, multiply the cost by 2, and if the duration is 10 minutes/level, multiply the cost by 1.5. If the spell has a 24-hour duration or greater, divide the cost in half.) In that line it does not mention a spell with an instantaneous duration and thus I do not believe a 'instant' spell can be made into a continuous style item.

That was my thinking anyway. Otherwise I'd just make a 'constant fireball' effect with telekinesis and move the giant fireball al lover the battlefield.

Keith Duperreault wrote:

I wouldn't mind any feedback on my item hiding back on page 2. I thought it was unique when submitting it, only to find out its 'just another gateway chalk item' :) - I really must see this Pan's Labyrinth movie.

I just want to see if the mechanics of my item make sense and seem in theme.

Don't worry, I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, either.

So, keeping in mind that I've already disclaimered that I'm no expert...

160,000 gp is pretty darned expensive. I understand that this is a 9th level spell (requiring 17th level caster, right?), but, from the description of the spell itself, it has a material cost of 1,000 gp

For the life of me, I can't find a spell description of permanency in the Beta, but I've found it in the SRD, and it has a cost of 4,500 xp. No XP costs in PFRPG, so does that translate directly to gp, or is there a formula there?

A teleportation circle made permanent with permanency doesn't appear to have a duration on it, while the chalk gateway does.

I think I understand why the duration is there - with a teleportation circle, once the destination is designated, it can't be changed, whereas the chalk is reusable.

Was the cumulative collapse chance another attempt at limiting abuse of the chalk? Same with the destruction trigger?

How long does the chalk last? Can I create a gateway, once per day, forever?

I like the concept of it, and the utility factor - one member has one piece, and another has the other. I see a lot of very cool possibilities with that!

The biggest thing that makes it undesirable for me, though, is that huge cost. A teleportation circle cast by the party mage lasts, what, 90 minutes? 170+ minutes? A scroll of teleportation circle, per the SRD, costs 4,825 gp. Economically, that seems better, without any of the drawbacks the chalk has.

If I'm missing something, please, let me know - I could be overlooking the key to this.

This is how my math worked on the item.

Command Word (I took the item not activating until both doorways have been drawn to be similar to a command word being spoken for pricing concerns) -> base cost (spell level) 9 x (caster level) 17 x (base cost) 1800 = 275,400

No space limitation -> cost x 2 = 550,800

Charges per day (1) -> cost / 5 = 110,160

Spell has material component cost (If item is continuous or unlimited, not charged, determine cost as if it had 100 charges. If it has some daily limit, determine as if it
had 50 charges) = (1000gp material component cost x 50 charges) + base cost = 160,160

It still seemed large compared to other teleportation reference items so I sliced the cost to create in half to 80,000.

In regards to the duration, the teleportation circle spell has a 10 minute duration/level duration and there was no permanency spell needed to create so I used that as the portal duration as well.

The Unreliable curse and alignment collapse were tied into the villian I would have submitted but in retrospect would have been better either explained or left out, and as Darkjoy said, added nothing shoved in there like that.

Yes the item is permanent, 1 use per day. It doesn't function if not kept in a pouch with chalk for 8 hours per day, but it is not destroyed as such.

Thanks for the questions.

Prior to the portal forming the chalk functions normally and can be wiped away, affected by rain, etc.

could have easily been reworked to

Prior to the portal forming the item functions normally and can be erased in any way normal chalk would be.

Keith Duperreault wrote:

Nix's Chalk of Endless Ways

Aura strong conjuration (cursed - unreliable); CL 17th
Slot --; Price 160,000gp; Weight --

DESCRIPTION
By all appearances just a set of two colored chalk, but when each is used to draw a doorway on a different surface an inky black portal connects the two surfaces similar to a Teleportation Circle. Prior to the portal forming the chalk functions normally and can be wiped away, affected by rain, etc. Once both doorways are drawn, the created portal has a duration of ten minutes and cannot be dispelled. One being may pass through at a time and each sentient being has a cumulative 5% chance of collapsing it. Elemental forces of natural or magical nature will not pass through. Spells cannot be cast through the portal, and line of sight is blocked. Item may be used once per day and must be stored, for eight hours of each day, in a container with chalk powder or it will not function. Chalk is utterly destroyed if two sentient beings of diametrically opposed alignments pass through the same active portal.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, teleportation circle; Cost 80,000gp

-------------------------------------------

I cleaned up the format, and would love some feedback on this item. Just wondering how much messing up the format counted against any possible mojo this item may have had.

Who is Nix? And does he really add to the description. I don't think so.

The first sentence of the description doesn't flow very well, but that is editable. Basicly you have 2 pieces of chalk that can be used to create a doorway => this is cool, good infiltration item. Using etc. in a sentence kills you here, be complete in your description to avoid discussions at the game table. How many people can cross the doorway? that would be useful information. I think you could have found a better use of the wordcount spent on the curse aspect of your item, it adds nothing that the item is destroyed because a LG and CE shared the portal.
...

Yeah no problem here. The 'etc' really bothered me but since it refers to all the ways that regular chalk can be removed I thought it may have been warranted in this situation.

The Nix thing should have probably been taken out. There was correlation to my villian later, but since I had to edit the text down it added nothing to the first round entry.

In reference to 'how many people can cross' I do believe it mentions that 1 being may pass at a time across portal, with the curse making a collapse more imminent the more people cross over.

I will definately go about my entry a different way next year. Too much backstory of the item that is hinted at in the mechanics (Curse, alignment..) but is not able to be explained in the wordcount. I think my next entry will be a simpler idea with no thematic links to the 'next round'.

Thanks a bunch. Anyone else please feel free to comment.

Darkjoy wrote:

If you want me to return the favor just say so.

I didn't enter. :)

Perhaps next year!

I wouldn't mind any feedback on my item hiding back on page 2. I thought it was unique when submitting it, only to find out its 'just another gateway chalk item' :) - I really must see this Pan's Labyrinth movie.

I just want to see if the mechanics of my item make sense and seem in theme.

The end "prize" of this contest is the possibility of having your own work published as gaming product to be purchased by all the people that are in this forum.

Once your product is published it will be examined, praised and scrutinized in these very messageboards by people who both like and dislike your work for various reasons.

Anyone who wants to win this contest is going to have to have thicker skin and remember one very important rule. - You will never please everyone, but if handled correctly any feedback can be constructive -

True, the judges will be the voices that will tell you how to win this contest...but the others here will be the ones that buy your product so their opinion is just as valuable later down the road.

For some it might also be good to remember that everyone here understands that these entries are but small examples of your creativity, and everyone has off days. Just because an entry is not as well received as you would hope by the general consensus, that does not mean we assume this is how all your work is. It sucks not having a 'portfolio' of work for people to view to get a bigger sampling of your ideas, but this a contest and your ability to pick the most appropriate piece of your work is part of the entry.

I think we are all lucky that this is a gamers community, because after almost 30 years in it I can honestly say that the people with whom I have shared a gaming table, whether at a home or a convention, are some of the most well rounded and honorable people I have met - so its those opinions I would want in the long run anyways.

My Top 5 in no specific order:

Veil of the Midnight Vigil
Heart of Oblivion
Horn of the Dark Hunt
Last Leaves of the Autumn Dryad
Ancestral Reliquary

----

Heart of Oblivion & Last Leaves of the Autumn Dryad are my favorite "flavor" items. Great atmosphere.

Veil of the Midnight Vigil & Horn of the Dark Hunt are my favorite 'items with great use potential'.

Ancestral Reliquary I jusy dig...not really sure why.

Clark Peterson wrote:

Yeah, you got it right. It was one of many "Pan's Labyrinith chalk items" we got. Rejected without much comment. But someone did comment that it was well-written.

Encouraging! Thank you Clark; being well-written is something I can build upon.

Heh I had another one of those items he mentioned. Bizarre thing is I have never seen Pan's Labyrinth, but after this i am definately going to rent it...

I got the idea for my 2 portal connecting device from the game Portal. Heh great game.

Nix's Chalk of Endless Ways
Aura strong conjuration (cursed - unreliable); CL 17th
Slot --; Price 160,000gp; Weight --

DESCRIPTION
By all appearances just a set of two colored chalk, but when each is used to draw a doorway on a different surface an inky black portal connects the two surfaces similar to a Teleportation Circle. Prior to the portal forming the chalk functions normally and can be wiped away, affected by rain, etc. Once both doorways are drawn, the created portal has a duration of ten minutes and cannot be dispelled. One being may pass through at a time and each sentient being has a cumulative 5% chance of collapsing it. Elemental forces of natural or magical nature will not pass through. Spells cannot be cast through the portal, and line of sight is blocked. Item may be used once per day and must be stored, for eight hours of each day, in a container with chalk powder or it will not function. Chalk is utterly destroyed if two sentient beings of diametrically opposed alignments pass through the same active portal.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, teleportation circle; Cost 80,000gp

-------------------------------------------

I cleaned up the format, and would love some feedback on this item. Just wondering how much messing up the format counted against any possible mojo this item may have had.

Madness Follows wrote:

SIX DEMON BAG

Aura major evocation, minor conjuration, minor enchantment; CL 7th
Slot --; Weight 2 lb.; Price 62,000 gp

A Six Demon Bag looks to be course sack made from six different pieces of leather roughly stitched together with a course red thread.

Opening up the bag (standard action) grants the use of each of the following spells once per day as if you were a 6th Level Caster. The holder of the bag decides which one to use when opening the bag. All spell effects end when the bag is closed or dropped.

-- Black Tentacles: A single black tentacle comes out of the bag and attacks the nearest creature within reach who isn't the bag holder for 6 rounds. Borrowed from Original Posting
-- Crushing Despair: As the spell Crushing Despair.
-- Deeper Darkness: As the spell Deeper Darkness, except the holder of the six demon bag is unaffected.
-- Fireball: As the spell Fireball.
-- Gust of Wind: As the spell Gust of Wind.
-- Lightning Bolt: As the spell Lightning Bolt.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wonderous Item, Black Tentacles, Crushing Despair, Deeper Darkness,...

-- I get the sense that perhaps you are trying to recreate and item that you have seen somewhere else, an anime or comic book item or some other source, and that item had similar powers.

Please don't tell me you haven't seen "Big Trouble in Little China". If so, go directly to the video store, do not pass 'Go' and do not collect your $200. ;)

If I recall correctly, the text of the entry is cut and pasted into word for the word count. Mine was some 170 words. I hope changuing spell names into italics didn't up the word count.

Man - something else to fret about!

A quick note to Coridan: Trust me when I tell you I have the least accomplished contributor tag on these boards. I have a PFS scenario that was completely rewritten because of an awkward set of instructions the first go-round, and on the thread for questions about the adventure, I keep having to respond to stuff I didn't design because the other authors are waay busier than I am. And I wrote the final 3.5 round of the DnD Open, which means it was pre-Origins so no one played it. Which reminds me - the DnD Open has nothing to do with Paizo, and if Paizo ever needs someone to organize a competitive tourney like the open using the Pathfinder system, you folks just holler.

So, all that is to say I am barely a contributor, and I understand you're hungry and you feel like you have chops and all you want is a chance to shine. So I get you. But at the same time, whether or not I can handle the fact that my entry didn't make the top 62 (and I'm competitive, so who knows how I'd handle it), that is not the only consideration. Maybe you won't have any sour grapes and will just take your lumps and move on. But Paizo can't predict that for 600 entrants. The worst thing that could happen is they could lose customers because they published a list where some temperamental guy in Oregon, rooted for by thirty players from his Meetup group, didn't make the cut at all.

I (hopefully don't have to) accept Clark's gracious offer to critique my item if I don't make it. I wouldn't ask more of his time, and I support there not being a published list that might elevate a few of us, but might hurt the feelings of just as many. Best of luck to all of us.

Just please pick mine so I can write an adventure and move on to novels! : }

Oh yeah, since we heard from the ONE person who reads my poor blog,...

I am confused how a person would be perfectly fine with finding out if they are in the top 32...but would be bothered to find out they are in the top 62. I respect it...I just don't get it.

Ashenvale wrote:

Where are the cynics, the doomsayers, and those irritating posers who think they’re superior? Altogether missing! What an erudite and friendly crowd! This is a great competition because the people, both judges and contestants, are making it so.

Here’s what little wisdom I can offer from the often brutal trenches of professional art competition: Enjoy this! Revel in it! Everyone here has made this too much fun not to savor the thrill of the experience! Don’t worry about advancement.

We must never, ever believe defeat in one competition accurately marks or measures our worth. Success comes through perseverance.

I’m just stunned how informative, entertaining, and upbeat this competition is! Everyone stop and smell the roses! This competition process -- the experience before the results come down -- is itself such great fun!

I agree, there really is a great community here. I was reluctant to get into much discussion on items last year because I didnt know how people would take it. But everyone was so mature and so reasonable and really willing to have a great discussion, and the discussion always stayed positive and constructive. That makes it easier for us judges to be more transparent in what we do.

You guys have a lot to be proud of here. This is quite the community.

We're roleplayers...nuff said.

I already am passing down my RPG lineage to my daughter who is five years old. We sit around and play my old TSR "Dungeon" boardgame and she loves it. My wife just shakes her head.

Saskatchewan, Canada

Pippin's Peck of Pickled Peppers?

Only works for halflings. Enough Pickles to choke a dwarf each day.

It was weird..

My wife and I ordered some take out one night and instead of the usual message inside one of the fortune cookies...instead was written a magic item name and stat block.

I took that as a subtle sign that someone wanted me to enter.

"Bruce's Flaming Pants of Horrific Pain"

- Whooaa I'm on fire!

or

"Mariah's Wonderous Pair"

- #1 weighted dice on the Rogues Top 100 list - "They roll like fake dice but they look completely real"

On the upside, Pathfinder Open call for #19&20 is announced in five days, and hopefully #21&22 will have a call before then-- which should give you opportunities to distract yourself.
-Ben.

Can a submission into the Open Call in any way disqualify you from the RPGSuperstar contest?

I had the same problem the first time I went to submit mine. Had to submit it again to get the confirmation message.

Once your entry is submittted the main page should show "Thanks for entering RPG Superstar—good luck" right below the RPGSuperstar title.

Guys i just about cried sending it in. I was super nervous to hit the submit post button.How do you know if you advance?

As far as I understand it, after the January 2nd deadline the judges will mull over and pick the top 32 items which will advance to the next round and post those then.

Should say that all in the main page official rules.

All I can say is no matter how nervous you are at entering....the feeling is far far better than not entering and kicking yourself later. (I was quite the miserable guy for days last time after I decided at the last moment not to enter because 'there is no way I have a chance')

My entry was sent in earlier.

Now to start brainstorming my villain.

Hope everyone has a good holiday season. I'll be hanging out watching the mad rush towards the January deadline date...that is when I'm not outside shovelling snow :P

If you go to the RPG Superstar page, and you see a box just beneath the logo that reads, "Click here to submit your entry for this round of RPG Superstar!" then your submission didn't go through.

If the box says, "Thanks for entering RPG Superstar—good luck!" then the judges have one more entry to judge.
If you don't see a box at all, you need to sign in. This season I forgot to make the box say "Sign in to submit an entry for RPG Superstar." I'll probably fix that on Monday.

I was logged in, submitted my item, and am still getting the "Click here to submit entry.." message on main page.

I don't want to auto disqualify myself by submitting the item again only to find out it actually went through the first time. Is there anyone that can confirm whether I do indeed have to submit it again?

I'm a big fan of "Go with your first instincts" and have spent the last 3 days mulling over fine tuning, wording, cost and presentation.

I will be submitting my item far before the deadline because the holiday season is no time for extra stress. I'm going to spend my three weeks away from 'all' work, not just my job ;)

Cheers,
<eggnog>

1) Who cares where it is made. Half the time the ownership of several companies in multiple different countries can all be tied back to the same parent corporate consortium which, as most large companies, owe allegience to no one nation.

2) I refuse to play a game system which was designed simply to be cross compatible with the recent trend of figure based combat games (aka Heroclix). WoTC should be ashamed at such a blatant money grab as they have soiled a once great game so they could dumb down the system to be appeal to a broader fan base in a market which an RPG has no business being.

I truly feel the Pathfinder system has it going on and was set to be a nice competition for D&D 3.5, but with WoTC flushing their game system down the toilet, I think Pathfinder now has a chance to be a leader in the RPG community. They certainly have the content and so far the quality has been consistant. We'll see what the future holds, and if WoTC gets their heads out of their *** and starts planning now to repair their brand.

There is a reason 4th edition went on 50% off at most stores 1 week after it's release.