I'm glad you guys are running this contest again. It has been awesome every year!
Congrats to the rest of the top 32! I'm honored to get another shot at this. Unlike my previous two attempts, I'm doing this as a father of a baby. I guess I'd better spend my now limited free time on my map.
Swindler’s Grasp
Once per day as a free action, upon using the gauntlets to steal from or disarm a foe, the wearer can activate an illusion that causes the enemy to believe the maneuver failed. The item taken by the maneuver becomes invisible to the target for 1 minute and a phantasmal duplicate of the item appears in the target’s possession for the same duration. This illusory item looks and feels like the original to its wielder but can’t affect any other creature or object. When it uses or attacks with a phantasmal item, the target receives a Will save (DC 17) to disbelieve the illusion. This is a mind-affecting phantasm effect.
Wow! Thanks Endzeitgeist! I'm very happy about that review. I'll definitely consider writing a collection of these feats for specific weapons like you suggested.
I sent in a couple submissions.
So it looks like pretty much the entire top 32 got either their item or their monster published in this? I'm impressed that they fit it all in.
I really like the way this weapon explores the logical consequences of its material composition. Ice is quite pliable, and it makes sense that it can reshape itself, shatter, and reform. It also feels like a weapon that players might actually want to keep, rather than sell, if it were included in treasure because it is both powerful and versatile. I would have liked to see more innovative mechanics to make this truly superstar, but it is very good in its current form. Congratulations!
Nice job Taylor. Even though I hadn't commented, I did look at the Flying Pincushion shared drive and I knew that this was your item going into voting. I'm pretty sure I would have voted for this regularly anyway. Collapsing ceilings on your enemies and spraying them with shrapnel it too fun not to vote for. Congratulations!
Three times? You're getting good at this Chris. This was a very well done item with a fun theme, and I almost always voted for it. I do think there have been enough frog themed items in this contest before that this one isn't really breaking much new ground. I don't recall any previous items with a poisonous frog theme, but between the other frogs and all the snakes, this one just doesn't seem that original. The execution was great though. Congratulations!
Although my record of three consecutive years should be safe for another few years. ;-) We'll see about that. I think there are a few of us going for three consecutive this year. :)
Mine was one of them. I wrote this up fairly quickly at the last minute, but I hope you approve of my take on this monster. Judges can post feedback here in the thread (this is Mark Nordheim). This lithe, antelope-like beast with gloomy, blemished fur stands over six feet tall. It possesses a single long metallic horn that protrudes from the center of its forehead. Shadhavar CR 6: XP 2,400 CE Large magical beast Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +10 Aura magic circle against good DEFENSE
OFFENSE
STATISTICS
ECOLOGY
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Magical Strike (Ex) A shadhavar's gore attack is treated as a magic evil weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. The shadhavar are deranged creatures that prey on the pure and innocent beings who dare to enter their desert homes. Resembling giant gazelles, shadhavar are the evil counterparts to unicorns. Their solitary horns are long, metallic, hollow, and sharp. When shadhavar hunt, they use their hollow horns to produce music like that of an elaborate wind instrument. This piping entrances the shadhavar’s prey, allowing the beast to make vicious, overwhelming attacks. A typical shadhavar is 10 feet long and 6 feet tall at the shoulder, but is also very thin, weighing only 1,000 pounds. Shadhavar delight in killing and eating creatures of exceptional purity and goodness, particularly good-aligned fey, elves, or humans. When such a creature enters the shadhavar’s territory, the shadhavar hunts it mercilessly, using its beguiling music to set up a devastating charge. Even in direct combat, the shadhavar puts its musical horn to good use, augmenting its gore attacks with bursts of sonic force and blasting its foes at range with sonic energy. Shadhavar claim territories for themselves in the desert that are typically hundreds of square miles. They consider themselves absolute masters of their territory, and any creature that enters this territory is considered fair game to be hunted and eaten. Most shadhavar have multiple lairs and hideouts scattered throughout their territories. Although they are fundamentally solitary and antisocial creatures, groups of shadhavar sometimes cooperate to bring down particularly powerful prey. They are also willing to ally with evil fey, evil outsiders, and other desert-dwelling monsters when such an alliance might allow them to defeat powerful beings of purity. A shadhavar’s horn is often used in the construction of magical wind instruments and other magic items with sonic effects.
Thanks for everything Sean, and good luck! Is it strange that I'll always remember you for THIS?
Among the prominent sites in Oenopion, Nex’s city of alchemists, is a cluster of blue-brick buildings known as the Cerulean Pyre. The district takes its name from the gout of brilliant blue flame that has issued from the top of its highest tower ever since the builder, Farikka Vyme, was assassinated three centuries ago. Lady Vyme was an alchemist of exceptional skill and renown who sought political power on Nex’s Council of Three and Nine. Outmaneuvered by her rivals in Quantium, Vyme constructed these buildings as her personal redoubt and began fabricating alchemical war machines to claim a seat on the council by force. She was killed by her rivals before she could launch the assault, leaving only her fortress as a reminder of her power. In the centuries following the death of Lady Vyme, the buildings of the Cerulean Pyre have been repurposed by the inhabitants of Oenopion. Many of the smaller structures are used as shops or residences, while others serve as laboratories, barracks, or warehouses. The largest and most ornate building of the Cerulean Pyre is today known as the Promenade. Once the center of Vyme’s alchemical research, the Promenade consists of a large central hall with numerous laboratories, forges, and foundries located in the various side chambers. Ownership of the Promenade has been subdivided, and each chamber is now controlled by a different proprietor. The central hall of the Promenade is open to the public, and many of the alchemists that work there have converted parts of their chambers into shops to sell their potions and other wares. The central hall of the Promenade contains wonders that were created by Farikka Vyme for unknown purposes. Among these are a fountain that flows upside-down, a statue whose face always resembles the observer, and a vat of viscous orange fluid that expels violet bubbles. Recently, unexplained crashing and clanging noises have been heard in the Promenade and throughout the Cerulean Pyre. Rumors abound that Farikka Vyme left undiscovered secrets in her redoubt, and that her final revenge is nigh. The PCs may have entered the Promenade to investigate the rumors of the strange sounds, or they may have come to purchase alchemical supplies. Either way, trouble finds them when they reach the central hall’s Plaza of Swirling Steam.
Read the following when the PCs first approach the area:
Though unknown to the locals, the steam cylinders here extend deep underground and connect to the boiler system of Farikka Vyme’s hidden forge, where her greatest alchemical war machines were created. PCs can recognize that the steam likely originates from an alchemical boiler by making a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (arcana) check. The boiler has run continuously since Vyme’s death, but is now malfunctioning as it runs short of certain reagents that stabilized its operation. The malfunction has led to the formation of emberlings deep inside the boiler, as well as a build-up of melancholic ooze inside the glass cylinders. More recent additional malfunctions have reduced the temperature of the boiler sufficiently that two emberlings have climbed the cylinders in search of a new heat source. Upon reaching the Promenade moments ago, they began chewing through the glass to escape. Noticing the emberlings through the dense steam before they break their cylinder requires a DC 25 Perception check. Once the PCs have entered the plaza, read the following:
The PCs objective in this encounter is to protect the populace of the city from the emerging monsters, including the unruly youths who do not realize they need protection. The fleeing crowd impacts movement through the squares marked on the map (see Gamemastery Guide) for the first round of combat, after which all bystanders except the unruly youths will have fled the plaza. The swirling steam fills the squares indicated on the map, providing concealment. The steam is warm and smells strongly of lavender, but is harmless (the lightning effect observed inside the cylinders will not occur in the escaped steam). The remaining glass cylinders may also be broken (hardness 5, hp 5, Break DC 22) in order to release additional steam in a 10-foot radius around the point of the break. If the PCs attempt to enter one of the nearby shops to acquire items that will assist them during combat, each PC searching may attempt a DC 10 Perception check each round. Roll 1d6 for each PC that succeeds to determine what type of helpful item is found: 1. Flask of acid
Shopkeepers near the plaza will forgive the cost of any items taken, so long as they are used to defeat the monsters. With sufficient time, virtually any potion or alchemical item can be found and purchased somewhere in the Promenade. Creatures: All creatures start at the positions indicated on the map. The two emberlings are highly agitated due to the lack of heat in their new surroundings. They will attack the nearest fleshy creatures they can find, using their Bellowing Cloud ability when threatened. Emberlings (2) CR 2
A single melancholic ooze swarm that has accumulated inside the apparatus will also emerge and seek out the flesh of nearby creatures. The ooze swarm begins inside one of the small tubes connecting the cylinders and must spend the first round of combat maneuvering through the apparatus to get out into the plaza. The swarm expands to cover its standard 10-foot space after emerging from the tube. Melancholic Ooze Swarm CR 1
There are five unruly youths running around in the steam. They do not realize the threat posed by these monsters until it is too late. Once they have taken damage from a monster’s attack, the youths attempt to flee, but it is likely that they will be choking, nauseated, or otherwise incapacitated as a result of the attack. Unruly Youths (5) CR -
Development: A pair of guards (human warrior 3, Gamemastery Guide) arrives two minutes after the glass breaks to investigate the commotion. If there are still monsters in the area, the guards flee to bring in reinforcements. Assuming the PCs have defeated all of the monsters, the guards thank them for protecting the populace. If the PCs performed exceptionally well (for example, they may have prevented any of the unruly youths from coming to serious harm), the guards look favorably on any attempt by the PCs to explore the shafts under the broken apparatus and deal with possible continuing threats (a DC 15 Diplomacy check is sufficient to obtain permission). Otherwise, they cordon off the plaza and consult the authorities of Oenopion on how to proceed. The authorities may eventually commission an expedition to explore the shafts. If the PCs explore the shafts, they find that the walls consist of slippery glass all the way down (Climb DC 25). Each of the various cylinders descends 30 feet straight down before curving off into a maze of twisted glass tunnels, filled with steam. The maze is patrolled by monstrous oozes and eventually exits into the boiler, where additional emberlings lurk. Beyond the boiler lies Farikka Vyme’s forgotten forge. Here, the PCs battle strange constructs, explore the intricacies of Vyme’s war machines, and perhaps uncover the secrets of the Cerulean Pyre.
Horned Helm of the Wild Stag
Once per day when the wearer charges an enemy or attempts an overrun combat maneuver, he may summon dozens of spectral stags to accompany him through his movement. These ghostly stags stampede around him in a frenzy of rage, with the unmistakable sound of pounding hooves. The stags are completely intangible, cannot be attacked, and disappear at the end of the charge or maneuver. The herd of stags attempts to gore or trample any creature that is within 5 feet of the wearer at any point during his movement, excluding the wearer himself. Although these attacks cause no physical damage, each affected creature must succeed at a Will save (DC 16) or be overcome by the frenzy of the rampaging herd for one round. Overcome creatures must use their turns to charge the nearest valid target (including a creature’s allies as potential targets), if possible. Creatures unable to charge instead move away from the wearer of the helm as quickly as possible. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. Construction
Ok, I realize I screwed up on this one, but I wanted to get a "what was I thinking?" post out there. Apparently the intent wasn't particularly clear from the entry itself. Before I begin, thanks for all the comments. My skin is thick enough to take them, and I'm planning to be back next year and do better! And a special thanks to anyone who saw promise in this archetype, or even voted for me (especially Oceanshieldwolf for posting it in the exit poll). I have no intent to try to answer all the criticism. A lot of it is accurate. But here's the basics of why I wrote this -- There are a couple problems with witch's familiars as they are implemented in Pathfinder: 1) Because the witch relies on them for spells, it is very risky to use them for other purposes that might get them killed. This creates incentives to ignore them. 2) There's a lot of folklore out there about familiars, and the standard D&D/PF familiar doesn't really have the capabilities to do very many of the things they do in stories. 3) They don't really do anything powerful (like deliver hexes). The objective of this archetype was to create an alternative to the familiar that solved these problems but was still balanced with it. Here's some of the things it can do better: 1) You can send it into danger. There is no penalty if it gets killed. Just summon another. 2) It is an excellent scout because it shares the witch's senses and the witch controls its actions. 3) It can have exactly the form you need for a particular task. Sometimes you might prefer a rat, sometimes a dog, sometimes a child. 4) It delivers hexes. There's plenty more I could discuss if anyone is interested. But I've now gotten the main thing I was waiting to post off my chest. So I'll answer specific questions if anyone has them, but otherwise I'm probably done with this thread.
When I was reading through this thread and thinking about the iconics, another theory about them occured to me that actually disturbs me more than the artwork. I haven't completely thought this through yet, so feel free to correct me if you disagree. It appears to me that the majority of the male iconics belong to classes that earn their special powers through practice, study, and pure skill (e.g. fighter, wizard, monk, alchemist, bard, ranger, magus). Meanwhile, female iconics tend to belong the classes that are gifted their powers through their association with, or devotion to, external forces (e.g. sorceror, cleric, oracle, witch, paladin, druid, inquisitor). I realize there are a few exceptions to this in the iconic lineup, and I would never accuse anyone at Paizo of setting it up that way intentionally. But I wonder of this reflects a subconcious bias or implies something about gender roles in a fantasy setting.
With all respect due to last year's champion, I have to say that if I used your definition of square feet, my 945 square-foot apartment would be a royal palace. 25 square feet does not mean a square 25 feet on a side.
Wintertide Candle Aura moderate transmutation; CL 9th
Description This translucent white candle is one foot long and resembles an icicle. When lit, the candle transmutes its material composition from wax into gleaming divine ice (frozen holy water like that produced by holy ice). The flame of the candle is cool and radiates violet-blue light. Lighting the candle is a standard action, and anyone holding it can extinguish it as a free action. The candle can burn for 10 rounds (not necessarily consecutive) before the divine ice is entirely consumed. While the candle is burning, it emits an aura of divine cold in a 30-foot radius. The candle modifies the effect of channeled positive or negative energy that originates inside the aura, or of any cure or inflict spell cast inside the aura. Instead of their normal effects, these abilities inflict an amount of cold damage equal to the number of hit points they would normally cure or inflict. A target of these effects may halve the damage by making a Fortitude save against the normal DC for the spell or ability. A character may hurl the lit candle at an enemy as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet, causing it to explode into a burst of chilled holy water. A living creature struck in this manner is numbed by divine cold, becoming staggered for half the remaining time that the candle could burn (Fortitude DC 17 negates). An undead creature struck in this manner takes 1d4 points of damage for each remaining round that the candle could burn, as if it were hit by holy water. Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Elemental Spell (cold), cure light wounds, holy ice; Cost 750 gp |
