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Pangolaisian Spellsnatch CR 3

I like this monster as well. I believe there is a little more crafting you would have done to seal the deal but honestly I liked it better then a lot of those that made it into the top 32. (cough) just saying..

My impression is we should all get scores based on the job we do throughout the entire contest and in the end the one with the highest score is selected as the contest winner. That way you get to see the full spectrum of talent throughout the entire contest instead of weeding off someone that might not have a great item idea but a fantastic Monster or Module idea.

Just my opinion here of course.

Anyways.. I dig the PSS and would use it.

Anthony, I like your monster as well. Again it swings heavier then what I saw.

Hang tough crafters!!!

Mine still needed more work but this is the gist of it.. I tried to stick with the Tian Theme. Came to 600 words exactly, so it needed a little trim possibly.

**************
Dubbed flying heads, these evil creatures have gaunt faces, long scraggly black hair, blood red eyes and pale white rubbery flesh. In addition to thin bluish lips, razor sharp teeth, a blade like elongating tongue and black leathery wings that extend two feet out from their skulls in each direction. At the very base of the skull is a four-fingered chicken foot it uses to hang or stand with.
Akuma Tobu Kao CR 3
XP 800
Neutral Evil Small outsider (native, oni)
Init +7; Senses Darkvision 60ft, Low-light vision; Perception +7
----- Defense -----
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+3 dex, +2natural)
hp 26 (4d10+4)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2
Defensive Abilities Escape Death, Replenish Self, Ever Vigilant
----- Offense -----
Speed fly 60 ft. (Good Maneuverability)
Melee Bite +7 (1D4+3 Damage plus Bleed/Latch), Tongue Lash +7 (1D4/2 +3 plus Bleed/Strength Drain)
Special Attacks Strength Drain (DC14 Fort, loss of 1 strength point), Bleed (1D4/2)

----- Statistics -----
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 2
Base Atk +4; CMB +15; CMD 18
Feats Flyby Attack, Hover
Skills Perception +5, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (oni) +5, Fly +7 Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Fly
Languages Common
SQ change shape (Medium humanoid), perfect copy, replenish self
----- Ecology -----
Environment any urban, any (where humanoids can be found)
Organization solitary
Treasure none
----- Special Abilities -----
Latch (Ex) Akuma can attempt to Latch onto its prey with a bite attack as a free action. This allows it to make a grab attempt even on creatures 2 size categories larger than it, at a +4 to their CMB. This also adds +4 to CMD to resist being pulled free.
Replenish Self (Ex) The Akuma drinks the blood from its victims to replenish itself. For every 4 hit points it drinks in tongue lash damage, it can restore to 1 lost hit point never exceeding its original hit point total.
Change Shape (Su) If the Akuma has successfully killed a humanoid creature, it can change shape (as alter self ) to appear as that creature, this however will consume the imitated body into ash. This binds the Akuma to the imitated form until slain.
Perfect Copy (Su) The Akuma does not have any connections to the memories of those they copy. They do have an unconscious pull towards where the humanoid once dwelled and to loved ones they had in life. This allows the Akuma to follow this pull in order to enter the humanoids home and therefore blend into their lives.
Escape Death (Su) When in humanoid form, if the body is slain, the Akuma can pull its head free from the body to return to its true form at ½ its original hit points. It will only retreat until it is free from harm. The only way to permanently kill the Akuma is to kill it in its natural form.
Ever Vigilant (Su) The Akuma can’t be surprised or caught flat footed and has no need to sleep.

Akuma were once Kami trying to help evil humans that spent their cruel lives hurting their loved ones. Instead of curing that evil, the Kami were drawn into the same cruel world. The newborn Oni draws pleasure from the suffering of others and is especially attuned to hurting the most pure and innocent of victims. The Akuma eagerly watches human settlements for apparent victims. When it sees one alone, it will swoop down from the dark and steal their lives eagerly anticipating the sweet rush of power to come.

Congrats to the top 16. Way to go folks! Good luck on your next round!

I'm with Scarlet here on this.. After reading them I started to see a trend of form fitting- meaning,into an environment I don't believe they were crafted for. Of the 32 I liked maybe a handful and appreciated maybe a handful and then the rest are pretty bland to me. I wanted to see something political, social, or hidden within the social presence.

An Example:
A race of alien creatures from Bretheda that can appear as any type of humanoid with their only purpose in mind to infiltrate humanity long enough to get back the Starstone that came from their planet. So far they have spent the last two hundred years slowly working themselves into the society of Absalom. Meeting weekly in secret, going over their plans and how best to position themselves for the ultimate goal. (Just spit balling this of course but...)

There was so much room here for true history building and flavor simply based around the fantastic cities and urban areas of the inner sea.

Statwise most did a fine job.. well done there.

Looking forward to the next round.

Good luck top 32~ no matter what we say here, keep in mind you made it this far.. your in a place of honor. So Chin up.. your 1 step closer~

Somen Mask- Thank you for your feedback.. Gotta work on the draw in for the item more. Agreed.. seems to be the common advice theme.

Thanks again~

Somen Mask review.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my item. I appreciate the advice and man do my players "stat whip" to find a bonus they seem to mythically pull from nowhere.

Finally fair feedback.

Appreciate also you taking the time to google the mask. What is very cool about the masks is that they were used to hide the face of the Samurai for a number of reasons:
*To hide weakness (Facial expressions which might give away attack strat)
*To inspire fear (By painting Iconic images or tailoring the mask to warp the face)
*To Grant Authority (Most wearing these mask were above the common foot soldier and were valued members of the Shoguns army)

The Mask though tailored to fit a single face would magically adjust to others. These things were often found on the field of battle and solid or used by an enemy as a way of showing the Shoguns forces that they were a more powerful warrior then the previous owner. This often would inspire fear giving the enemy a huge advantage.

Anyways thank you Haladir for the review.

Thank you for reviewing my item: Somen Mask of Shinjitsu

I went through hours on the name itself.. Here is why...

The Name Somen means Mask but also means noodle. Depends on how its used so had to follow it up with Somen Mask. I didn't want someone to google it and get noodles. (sigh)
Example of the Mask: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MAP_Expo_Somen_Edo_01_01_2012.jpg

Ok so now to the second part of the name.. (explaining the ability to see through the fog of illusions or lies.)

Shinjitsu really is a series of (2) characters that make up the meaning (Truth)
http://www.stockkanji.com/Truth_shinjitsu

This is very difficult again to translate perfectly and took me a few brainstorm sessions with some folks from Japan to determine how this differs from the Defensive fighting style named the same.

All that for a name.. I love it now because I understand it. I figured the name alone would inspire research and draw in interest for the culture which I have come to love.

Now for the next part, the abilities of it. I wanted this mask to provide the Samurai with the ability to see through the "Fog".

In Japanese Myth the "Fog" is a Oni created haze that hides reality and truth. I wanted the Samurai to be able to peer through this and always offer the clear and wise choice.

I envision that each of these Masks is more a symbol of the love the Shogun might have for a certain warrior of theirs. Thus having each one specially painted or marked with symbols. IN order to reward their Lawful service by allowing them to always see truth for what it is.

The trick is bringing this out in a way that is game play friendly.
My solution was the maximum bonus (+5) to Sense Motive. That is really the honest way to see through lies. Next to allow them to see through magical spells cast at them/around them that are trying to hide reality. This I had to be crafty on and originally I was thinking to go for simply True Seeing but that is way off base because of the additional benefits it offers outside my goal. So I finally argued myself into electing to offer them up a +3 to saves against spell effects which is the best way to validate a protection while not allowing them to literally see through magic. More rather to ignore it non-magically.

So this ended up really being very small in ability when it all came down to it. And the feedback I'm seeing is mostly Skills in a can and Saves in a can.

After spending so much time looking at Cloak of Elven Kind, Boots of Elven Kind and things along that nature I really cut this down (magically) to its roots while trying to still soak it into the culture I imagined it coming from. Tian is a wonderful idea and my hope is to one day add to its splendor.

Thank you again for looking at this objectively.

2 specific items that really caught my eye:
1) a Pair of glovies that allowed two folks to monitor each others life force by the use of colors. I haven't seen this item posted in this thread but if your the creator please know I jacked your item for my homebrew. Those are simple, affordable, imaginative and effective. I don't see them as disrupting the game and yet add a great benefit when the world is dark for seperated players. (Tomb of Horrors flashback- shudder)
2) The Mapper- this item really stood out for me. I could see someone standing on a hill and letting this thing do its job. I could see it performing its work and providing you with this fantastic representation. Really crafty idea and again I don't see this as a world shattering device everyone will want. I see it in the hands of a player character with smarts.. that wants to know the land before taking a step into it or I see it being used by someone working for a king that is using it to map the Kingdom. Again rich flavor for me, lets of hook ideas.

I won't go into the design on either items I leave that for better eyes.

Also I have read through a ton of very well designed items that also caught my eye. Of course anything using a Tian theme because I'm working on a city and adventure series now for it. (Having a blast learning about the Oriental Culture plus I'm lucky enough to have some folks I work with from Japan and China that help me with translations and understanding the idea behind the "word" or "idea". What does Kami or Oni really mean to them? Great help~

Anyways, wanted to say great job folks, I enjoyed being able to see all of your work.

Saw a lot of items in the above list I didn't honestly get to vote on. Not sure why but I missed seeing maybe 20 or more. Sad really because there are some real gems.

When you get some time, feel free to give me your opinions on my item.

Somen Mask of Shinjitsu
Aura Moderate Divination; CL 9th
Slot Head; Price 6,000 gp; Weight 1 lbs.
Description
Bestowed by the Emperor to the greatest of his samurai warriors, the iron “Mask of Truth” conforms perfectly to the wearers face. Each mask is specifically crafted for the individual Samurai but by design, each covers the face completely leaving only holes for the nose and eyes. While worn the mask offers the wearer a +5 competence bonus to all Sense Motive and Intimidation check rolls. The wearer also gains a +3 insight bonus to all Will saving throws to resist any attempts to Beguile, Charm, Mislead or hide truth/reality with illusionary spell lines.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Discern Lies, True Seeing, creator must be lawful; Cost 3,000 gp

Have a great day folks.. ok back to working on my Tian module for my players.. =o)

I'm with you Jester (let's out a huge sigh) pass me a glass, let's wash away a few days and recover our senses in time to go at this again next year. =o)

We toast to you the lucky few, grab your opportunity folks.. its an important step on the road to that famed module with your name on it.

(Wow this stuff is strong)

L
A
T
A

I voted for this one when I saw it, congrats.

Not sure my wife would care one way or another. This is that part of her husbands "hobbies" she tends to ignores/badger. If I played Golf/Bowling/Sports with my friends- I'm fine but hang out with the guys to play D&D/Pathfinder.. I get the same speech, "Did you have fun playing your game with your little friends?" egads.. "they are 40+ woman! They arn't little any more!" she gives me that wicked grin.. ROFL.. (I say this all in good fun of course)

Anyways.. glad to know some females understand this and are supportive about it.

Also thank you for sharing that part of your life with us JT. Hearing about that moment is exciting and I too long for that magicial moment.

yah made this in like 5 mins.. sorry for the rule breaks.. more time thinking about it equals better entry. I put them in the order of the items use. Good to know though there is a basic formula on which comes first.

Coolbeans meng~

Elvish Survival Apparatus
Aura Moderate Conjuration and Transmutation; CL 6th
Slot None; Price 1,500 gp; Weight 1 lbs.
Description
Known as the ESA, this useful device is favored among the upper class of the elven society. Before their children head off into the woods alone the ESA is given to them for help in their adventures. This small device fits comfortably in the palm of the hand and has 10 tiny levers that will activate any of the below functions when opened. Each individual lever can only be opened once per 24 hour period unless noted otherwise. Once open the device activates that function and then the lever will close unless it provides a continuous function.

1) Knife – 1D4/2 damage/ crit 20. This function can be used any number of times a day as the knife is built into the device.
2) 5foot Rope- tossing this in the air hardens the rope allowing the owner to crawl up into the extra dimensional space as per Rope Trick.
3) Compass- always indicates North on the Prime Material Plane and can be used at any time.
4) Detect Magic- emanates from the device and allows up to 3 rounds of concentrated use.
5) Light Source- emanates from the device and lasts until the lever is closed.
6) Goodberry- generates 2D4 berries.
7) Mount- Light Riding Horse appears for 2 hours.
8) Without a Trace- Once this lever is pulled it will allow the user to Pass without a Trace through foliage.
9) Quench- This fire retardant fires up to 120 feet.
10) Antidote- Needle that is used to Cure Poison as per Neutralize Poison.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Fabricate, Rope Trick, Know Direction, Detect Magic, Continual Light, Goodberry, Mount, Quench, Neutralize Poison, creator must be Elven; Cost 750 gp

Ok thought this little number up.. This is truely the Swiss Army Knife of the Magical age. Enjoy~

The Day the Contest Ends
(Poem by Pen2Paper)

We hope for the best and we struggle to remain seated
As the judges enter the darkened chamber we greet thee
With great pride we fill up your cups with beverage
As they look over the fruits of our laborish inventions

Combing through all the wondrous toys we have made
We hope, jest and debate – during the purgatorous wait
Destiny is only just a few days from our grasp
Yet today we are still equals, having to wait for time to pass

We feverously work on the next round entries
Deeply hoping that this year is our year for 32
We swell with pride and whisper to our friends,
I got this man; “this comp is mine in the end”

Finally the day will arrive all too soon
When we log in and look up the names, our faces full of gloom
Hoping with all our hearts to find we are there
So all this hard work will be worth something this year~

Good luck to you all~ I so am ready to see some cool monsters!

michaeljpatrick wrote:

Since Beholder's are Wizard's property I am going to make a totally original monster called the "Inhaler". It has one giant nose as well as ten others on stalks. Each nose has a different snot-related power.

You might want to reconsider. That idea kind of blows.

(ROFLMBO) Excellent!

After you put in all of your base template information you might find yourself with about 2 to 3 hundred words to explain the way it looks and acts. As long as you can define it in that space then it should be fine (meaning history of why its in that city since its specific to one). But that is the gem of this round. Seeing the creative tie in within the confides of the Urban terrain.

My first monster idea a few weeks ago was perfect.. it had some excellent details, perfect Challenge level, but once I finished with the design and moved to explaining what it looked like, purpose, and concept was I found myself with only 125 words to do it in. I was trapped by my design to too few words. I dropped some really required abilities to slim it and it lost its focus and was canned. I loved it too! (sigh)

My next idea I hope will work out but still hashing it over. Similar problems as the first.

Funny the Urban list of monsters is very small (if you look at mobs by terrain type that is).

Maybe a sewer dwelling croc is considered "underground" and thus not "Urban" or "Any" like a doppelganger which we know looks for civilizations to hide in, indeed could be found in "Any" environment.

I feel this second round will certainly be more interesting because of its selected location to feature a monster in. Very wise going after Urban as it is tough to find creatures not already defined that will fit into it comfortably.

Designers will certainly need to step back and look at the monster two or three times to judge if "Urban" is really the inhabitance or is the monster being a round peg forced into a square hole.

I wish those undertaking this round all the crafters skill you can muster.

Really looking forward to seeing your hard work!

I was afraid of that. Humm.. I have a real task on my hands then in trimming. I'll skim through the throngs of mobs again and see what style seems the most evident and go from there. I am set on the name.. so its about reduction of something else at this point cause I'm maxed.

Thank you for the post Adam. I was able to take your advise when gearing up for my work.

Now what would you recommend for someone that is trying to use a two, three or four part name?

I ask this because we are limited on word count. Example, if I name my creature: Jung Ti Reaper it will of course cause me to sink 3 words an appearance into where ever I have to reiterate the name. Would it be ok to instead refer to it as Jung or Reaper in the text with the assumption the creatures name is already applied or understood?

Thank you again for taking the time to review the post.

I've learned that the lure of the vote is too strong to ignore, even when you should be doing much needed monster practice. Only the posting of the Round 2 rules was enough to snap me out of it.

I feel good about round 2. I have my idea, the template and about 90% of the idea fleshed. Just waiting to see what happens with Round 1.

Crazy how I'm still seeing a new item every now and then. Thought by now I would have gone through them all at least once.

I have honestly had to look up a few words which I was happy to do. I got to learn not only about the item but the history/background of the word which more than helped me associate the item better. Clever crafters we have here.. lol

I also have seen some words put together that seem to not fit. Oddly enough, that made me recall the item better. (I still scratch my head thinking about the wordplay of the item but its a mind worm.)

Lastly spells.. wow Hydrolics have come into their own! Everything has it but a magical toliet! LOL

I had never researched that spell nor had a player cast it before so it's nice to get some new spells into the mind.

Great feedback folks..

My question is more centered on "words" that are used in the entries. Have you come across anything that you didn't know what it was and therefore had to look it up?

Or

Did you get a new perspective from a word or idea that you might have always thought used one way that the item allowed you to venture into new areas with?

I have found a few combinations of words put together (especially in the names of items) I never thought would go together. That doesn't mean they are wrong just interesting use of language.

Was curious in your adventures in voting have you found any of these also?

Ok these are a few things to discuss.. good things to look at verses the item itself. I know a few items have educated me on some cool new words.

I can't access the link from here.. have to check this tonight. So this list is the fails only right now or has it grown into a full list of all items? Thought I read somewhere in this string about a full list.

Also I would certainly down load a composite of our items. There is a ton of good work here and seeing it compiled into 1 document would be worth a few bucks to me.

Back to voting..

Hey, what the heck.. gets my vote.. pass it through!

*Can't wait to see the module!*

Goblins invaders attack England... Orc's attack Poland and by the Gods of many myths- the Moth Men attacked America!

I say give that sword to some assorted 70s pop star (Cough* Sir Elton John) and let's get the war won already!

The visual is killing me..
Ok back to 100 more votes..

No Bra that fires magic missiles 3 times a day? Ridiculous! Where have all the good joke items gone too? (laughs) its the 8th only a few more days left!

I am happy to see one or two of the items I love pass cull. Now if I can only find mine. (sigh)

Have a good Wed folks.

I ran into this one item near the beginning that stopped me. I read it a few times … it was a cool ginger salad after a slew of bread biscuits. Every time I run across it, it wins my vote, which by now is at least 6 times. I have also found many others that have “cashed in” on my vote. These “tended” to be items between 150-250 words and had just enough Zen and Zest to get the right Ying and Yang going for me. I am sure everyone has their own opinions about what makes a SuperStar item, well… Super. But this is voting based on personal preferences (minus formatting). I know I felt these are super. When the voting smoke clears and we can talk about it all I plan on telling the crafters of these items how much I favored them.

Anyway, excellent work folks.. good group of items this year~

Excellent break down.. but I must be getting my Marbles and Dice confused. Could have sworn I have seen more Marbles then 3 and possible more dice. Hard to recall them all if you don't note the names into an excel or something. Great list!

It suddenly occurred to me that I have made a major shift in thought and design process this year. I thought I'd share before reveal feedback as I think it is an interesting self observation...

For the previous years, all my items had one thing in common. That thing is that I was trying to show how clever I think I am - that I can mangle rules with balance maintained, that I am wacky clever inspired ideas man, etc.

This year, I look at my item and I realize that this year I have done something different. I left ego at the door and designed purely for having fun at the game table. I don't know if I have been successful or not, but there is a very obvious shift in paradigm in my item and its design.

It will now be very interesting for me to get to item feedback on my item as part of the superstar experience - I always reveal my item as it is the only way I can learn how to improve.

/observation epiphany

Have any of you fellow repeat designers noticed any subtle or not so subtle shifts in your thought and design processes this year?

I have certainly notice that my style of drafting items has changed. Year 1 through now I have developed better formatting, more depth with fewer words and left awkward mechanics at the door. I have also proof read it for ½ a year and spent lots of time bouncing the idea around during homebrewed game play just to make sure it doesn’t blow up the game.

Unlike years before, I ask myself now the base questions:
Does this item blow up the market? If it would, how can I prevent that? Exclusive to the rich?
Does it blow up the game? Is it balanced, over powered? How can I make sure?
Does the item add flavor to the existing game? What do the players feel about the item? Does it define who they are? What happens if they loss it? Will it ruin their lives?

All these factors I grovel over to make sure the item says, “Balance, Function, Purpose and Flavor” my BFPF of item creation.

Years before I just embellished on a cool idea.

One year I presented an item that was very crafty. It was a wonderful Painting that was a Dimensional space of its own. You could command the painting to open and allow you to get in it or put stuff in it or take stuff out, which of course changed how the painting looked. I saw endless possibilities with this painting.

A small army hiding in it all holding up cups of mead. The king that gets it thinks it’s a peace offering (thus Trojan Horse).
Then I saw a crafty rogue that had a friend drop off the painting at the front door of an art dealer. They of course were in the painting. (sneaky)
A visually stunning item… but.. mechanically broken and disrupted game play like no bodies business.

It was as bad as a group of Chaotic Characters getting their dirty hands on a Crystal Ball so they could scry on a Paladin Maiden in her bathtub. Yes they did this to me and called it their “Ball of Porn”. (sigh) Thank god this version didn’t have Clairaudience or I would have never been able to get them to do anything else. And these were grown men… ROFLMBO…

Who says DM’s don’t have it rough.

Anyways I “always” recall that series of adventures and have burned how folks can use an item for all kinds of things. Before I was a happy crafter, innocent and free. Now, not so much.. yah.. the BOP fixed that problem. lol

I just had (2) quills together and then (2) Card Deck items. 'Oo' (blink/blink)

I believe a good “Deck item” honestly might need greater than 300 words, just saying it seems folks are cramming great ideas into tiny spaces.

I believe what we need next year is to all make new spells for the first round. I’m telling yah there is a ton of folks wanting to unleash their inner spellcaster. You can see it in these items.

Ok time for another round of coffee. Back to the grind. =o)

Bring on the Figurines of Wondrous Power that turn into flaming motorcycles! (laughs) Well my inner kid can want.

Oh almost forgot.. Ant, I have seen (3) items now using the same idea you used in your post to show as an example of how to build an item. At first I thought these were rips but they take on differences of their own. Just thought it was unreal that you were on the same page with an idea others also had. Speaking of that, at least 4 items I have found counterparts too. which to me is too funny.. like the people were on the same page with each other and they only changed the name slightly or the design varied only a little. Stuff happens though.. I honestly get a kick out of it. =o)

Lata (back to voting!)

I've read through well over 500+ entries (ok many repeated... many times) and I don't mind them being long or short. Either is fine with me just seems the longer items tend to be the ones I have had to read over again just to make sure I read it right. Sometimes the text reiterates the same thing in another line for example or I find they are really pushing the items function to the max (menaing a slew of benefits). If yours is a long item (280 to 300) that doesn't mean yours was one I was reviewing. God knows I'm still seeing new entries pop in mixed into the hordes of repeaters. I have found though in my humble opinion that the best one's were pretty simple mid level 150 word items. They made their point as an author and didn't a fair job placing a good visual into my mind. I can honestly say I have found well over 40 good items and some dynamtic ideas to boot. I have also found many longer items 150+ that are good too. They just added more details to flesh it out and I feel they might have needed a little more because the idea was so full that 300 words just didn't seem enough. That happens.. Deck of Many things ideas need space... but the constants hold those ideas "fully developed" at bay....sadly. I would have loved to see a few have had no space restrictions. I'll comment on those after the comp.. I saw a large idea being forced into a tiny living space.

When you look at the slew of Magical items currently in print for Pathfinder, they tend to be very skinny averaging 85 to 185 in length. Judging by that as a standard, a magical item with 185+ words would be them really going above their typical magical item count. Namely Bag of Holding or Bag of Tricks for example.

rofl Ice.. me too.. think mine was in Latin.

Andrew I 100% agree..

Building a perfect answer to all puzzles = no challenge and therefore no interest.

D&D is about exploration, adventure, and over coming the obstacles presented by your DM.

Take Indiana Jones as a perfect example. How many times did he rub his chin thinking of a way to figure out a problem or solve an issue on the fly? Did he use magical items to supplement all his problems? nope..

So as a creator.. we have to assess just how environment changing this item will truly end up being. Are we altering the game fabric here? Or is this just something to add flavor and interest to a character?

There is a reason that the item is not present in Pathfinder at the moment. Example and I love this one.. Wonder woman's Lasso of truth. If this cheap magical item was deployed into the world of Pathfinder everyone would buy one. It would shift the games balance terrible. Name a banker that wouldn't use it? Name a teacher that wouldn't? A Party member that wouldn't? lol

It's a golden ticket to the C. Factory. So you as a developer don't make it. =o)

The real sad thing is seeing folks using +10 bonuses.. I believe Pathfinder generally does +5 as a base max unless there is something outrageous.. Example would be Boots of Elvenkind. Back in the day your butt just didn't get heard wearing these! 3.5 D&D it was an auto pass for Move Silently just about. In Pathfinder those Boots offer you a +5 bonus. That's all.. just saying that is an example to module at. Even Cloak of Elvenkind is another example.

No vehicles that look like ghost riders bike? shesh~

Almost forgot.. a ton of folks using character or peoples names in the title.. *tisk tisk..

I really wanted to see a Waffle Maker.. what a let down.

I've seen a few trends and I've literally been doing voting all day...

"Time" Themed items
"Weapons" Turning wondrous into weaponous.. lol
"Shadows" several different iterations on this.
"Left overs" food related items
"The Eyes have it" Vision based advancement items
"Horse of course" Saddles every 10th item or so or other animal based.
"Ring around the Collar" Torc's are abundant
"Rehashers" Items that are basically already magical items we just have a few new things added to give it some kick (boots especially). (Pun intended)

Not saying anything about good/bad just what I'm noticing.

I just don't see any darn Waffle Makers.. (sigh)

saw 1 infomercial item, 3 joke items, at least 3 items straight out of movies/comics, slew of no bolds or bad formats and worst still a terrible item put up against a bad format item leaving me little choice but to elect the one that would normally have gotten a "no". I even think I saw a rehash of a previous winners item or two.

What I have seen buried in all this is some really crafty items that made me *smile*.

Thank you to those good submissions.. Some have been darn right sexy new DM toys.

Andrew/Neil thank you both for taking a peak at this thread and offering your buck fifty!

Next Phase of the comp also will present a trap for voters..

So we will call this the Voting Traps..

Trap 1- Where's mine?
Selecting no as quickly as possible until you get to your own item is not the spirit of your voting right. Take your time and review each item. Like you this is someone elses contest commitment. Give them their chance to wow you.

Trap 2- See it.. next*
Just because you have seen the same item before and voted "No" or "Yes" just don't auto vote on the item. Remember your doing compares against the other item. Give it another review just in case you over looked something about it the first time.

Trap 3- This is B.S. I haven't seen my item in forever and I'm getting tired of voting.
Welcome to being a Judge and their ordeal. This is a lengthy process and during the voting phase you get a chance to make a serious difference. The reason your not seeing your item could be one of two reasons. (A) you haven't gotten to it yet because of the volume of entries and (B) it might have been either auto rejected or voted off by the time you began voting.

Trap 4- Found it! There it is- *Stop*
Don't just stop voting when you hit your item and elect it. Remember again this comp is about everyone's chances for success and not just your own. If you don't have a lot of time, then set aside a certain time limit for yourself and do 20 mins solid a day or 20 mins in 4 blocks during the day. Whatever you can to help out. In the end your voting rights are making a difference.

Ok just wanted to give that feedback. I have a family of 6 so finding time for anything is rough but my plan is to a lot 30 mins a day or more as I can. Looking forward to seeing what wonderous items we have this year.

For all your repeaters that were kind enough to read over this and offer new folks advice- Thank you!!!!
For all those new folks that "got" sometimg from this thread, happy to have helped.

I figure if this works for Facebook it can work for me. (laughs)

Karmic Scales
Aura Strong universal magic; CL 16th
Slot Hand; Price 30,000 gp; Weight 5 lb.
Description
This mystical set of golden scales begins perfectly balanced. On one end of the scales is a plate of gold etched with the seal of the Yin and on the other side is a seal of Yang. Whenever a vote “for” the Karmic Scales is elected the item will increase weight on the Yin side and whenever an election of “against” it shifts its weight towards the Yang. If the item is elected in the top 32 then the balance for Yin will result in a insurgence of positive Karma into the lives of all those voting for it. If the item fails to win then an insurgence of negative karma is forced onto those negatively voting for the item. This new insurgence of Karma will take place into the next great event within their lives, swinging the balance positively or negatively depending on the judgments of the voter.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Wish , Crafter must be neutrally aligned; Cost 15,000 gp

Don't forget for your "flight" ability to consider the condition of maneuverability: Clumsy –8, Poor –4, Average +0, Good +4, Perfect +8.

I would suggest: This form lasts for 4 rounds, providing the wearer (good) fly ability. At the end of this duration, or on command, the butterflies in the swarm coalesce together, forming the shape of the wearer as a mass of fluttering wings that settle, tessellating back to their original form.

I am enjoying the thread Anthony.. thank you for posting it.

Also, Broom of Flying notes it functions like Overland Flight. Overland Flight notes Fly spell. Fly spell notes (Good) ability. Just something to point out that the item might not have to mention it if you mention the type of fly spell it functions like. =o)

Hey Kayland, I understand your concern.. about crafting an item that you feel might not go anywhere. As long as you follow the formatting correctly and stay under your word count your chances improve. Then it really will come down to personal opinion of the voters. If your items doesn't get selected don't take it negatively. Your item might be excellent in your homebrew but not exactly what excelled in the comp. That doesn't mean the item is a waste of time to deliver. The experience of trying is really important. Plus later on you can request your item reviewed for feedback by the online community and get some really good feedback for your next submission in 2015. The Flip side is, everyone loves it and you move on to the next round.

There are some solid items delivered yearly that I voted on over and over that didn't make it. (Sadly)

I honestly wonder how many items the judges at first didn't like or agree on but later went back to say years later and had a change of heart on the items.

I think once the comp is over it would be interesting to see what their opinion might be on that question.

Enjoy the comp.. and good luck to you~

Thanks for the feedback guys; even the best crafters can still find themselves falling into creation traps. In the end a winning item will stand on its own merits but for those new to Superstar there are honestly a ton of baseline traps one can fall into very easily. This post is more to illistrate the general happenstances that might arise.

But to your point with Trap #4, there are tons of advice threads and not all of them come from Judges or winners of this comp. Some come from those that have simply participated in them since it began. Some are new to the comp and good enough to write down what they believe have locked them up while creating their item.
This community has a collective mixed bag of star reviewers, judges, winners, and of course homebrew creationists. My hope is someone new to this will be able to pick up something from this thread (of ours now) and walk away with some guidelines to help them associate their ideas with.

So honestly all traps aside..

Here is the best advise I can humbly provide:
*A good name (this is the bait for your reader, lure them in.)
*A creative idea that is fresh and meaningful to you (make sure it hasn't been done before and don't be afraid to put yourself out there)
*Keep in well under 300 words(I suggest about 280 to be safe)
* Follow the core structure.(look at the winners of prior years. Also check out the "How to format your text" button [SHOW]. So you can see how best to format italic and so forth.

Looking forward to seeing your items appear in the list. I'll be voting this year like every year and good luck to you.

I agree GG, they don't have to be serious business, lets face it a "Broom of Flying" is not exactly serious- but is one of those items that just an iconic given to an RPG game like Pathfinder/D&D. So that also might be another mindset to consider-

Trap # 3- How relevant is my item going to be?

You can spend day's thinking about your item and the #3 trap.

Is it something that will be the new crazy in all the town shops? (Price too low?)
Is it something that everyone can use countless times during an adventure because it has just that many different ways to use it? (Swiss Army Knife)

In the end you have to really ask yourself the one hard question. "Is this going to unbalance the game?"
Example: Wonder woman's Lasso of Truth. Perfect right? Its cheap, its easy to make, why hasn't anyone else made one of these for the game?
Answer: Can you imagine what would happen if this cheap item lived up to its name? Every parent in every town, every guard, every king, everyone one would buy one. Wouldn't you want to use it "a lot?"
So that example shows us how this simple item can ruin the general mechanic of the game and why you don't see these in either Pathfinder OR D&D. Just too powerful for too cheap.

Ok now lets look at the Swiss Army knife..
This is the everything tool- That utility Belt- over sized backpack and so forth with all things an adventurer needs to stay health in a pinch. Again these items remove all the base level challenges that DM's love to work over young PC's with. If you remove all those elements of need you unbalance the mechanic. Really spells at mid/higher levels remove all the problems from adventuring so again your only affecting low level characters but still those tender levels are some of the best because of the hardships mother nature can bring.

If you find other traps your worried about, feel free to put them in this thread and we can discuss them. No trap is too small or large and you have a ton of people willing to help.

Trap # 2 The Joke Item

Let’s make a figurine of wondrous power that is a mule. When summoned it starts off with a 18 wisdom and can offer up the Legend Lore ability to its owner when it’s asked but each time it provides information using this power it losses some of its wisdom until finally it gets so unwise that it’s offering horrible advice. We can call it the Witless – well you get the idea.

If this is your train of thought and you snicker to yourself when you’re done crafting it then you have a joke item. My advice is to scrap it and do something else.

Next Example of a Joke item:
A Can that when opened releases a web spell on those opening it.

Yup that is a joke spell at its best.. you only need to have the laugh track in the background built into the can to make it even more pronounced. Save that for your homebrew stuff.

My advice- Think about what kind of item would wow you if you saw it in the list of items to review. That item that changes your perspective on how an item should be used (in a good way) like last year’s Cloak winner. Crafty way of using a cloak to gain special attack functions or use it on the floor. Of course I am sure it’s doesn’t smell too hot but hey… I’m not wearing it!

Ok enjoy the contest and remember, if your friend smiles and giggles when you describe the item.. its more than likely a joke. You want him saying, “Dude, now that is cool!”

To not be a spell in a can and yet have an associated spell that allows the magic to function in the items.
*Example: Broom of Flying (Uses the Fly Spell)*
Boy wouldn't that get auto rejected.

Ok so moving on to what is a cleave use of spell association to your item.
*Example: Cloak of Elven Kind (uses Invisibility yet does not offer the wearer anything but a +5 circumstance bonus)*

My thought on this is the magic is certainly not at its most potent when its used continuously therefore you’re getting a weaker version. That makes sense when you’re thinking through your Spell association.

Ok back to what matters- your item:
You want to make a time piece that when you stop the hands it freezes time. Granted there could be a argued case that this is a spell in a can (Time Stop) and you would of course have to use that as the backbone of your items association but how crafty will you be with your “freezing of time” conditions? That is what will difference your item from being a spell in a can.
*Examples: It doesn’t stop time it instead slows it for others and allows you to move at a normal pace. Meaning it “Slows” your enemies (within a certain range) and “Hastes” you for a certain timeframe and certain number of times before you break the darn thing.* (spell associations would be "Slow" spell and "Haste" spell) or "Time Stop" with the idea that the holder of the timepiece is not affected by the slowed time.
This is just some loose thoughts around the trap of "Spell in a Can".

I found while crafting my item this year a ton of problems regarding spell association because frankly, there is -no spell- that covers what my item will do. So associating it was extremely tricky. How on earth can any of these spells work??? Crafters beware of this trap.. and look at my example above of the Cloak of the Elven Kind. Use the principle of a spell structure and don’t get locked into the exacts of the spell. When it is placed into an item the affects can change or become different based on the crafters ability (He must be lawful, Evil, have Alchemy, Knowledge Time, or an elf).

I know this post will of course get its share of bashes but for the newbie starting off and confused on how to spell associate I offer the above advice.

Also please consider the spell level is not the caster level. The spells level your associating it with must be cross referenced to what level of caster you have casting the spell.
*Example: Invisibility is 2nd level spell but takes a 3rd level wizard to cast it.*
Hope the above helps and good luck in the comp!!!

Thanks for the advice. I looked up some pictures of the two (Hooked Lancer verses a Hooked Spear) and there are differences in size and use. You can't use the Hooked Lance due to size to block weapons during hand to hand combat like say was shown in the movie Excalibur (during the fight between Lancelot and the King). That weapon is the short version of the weapon and what I am looking to try and make. This weapon breaks when Excalibur is broken over it.