Sigmund Arcturus's page

Am I the odd man out in having a negative bias against evil items? I mean out and out evil items that have evil somewhere in their construction requirements or in their description?

I think evil items can have a very limited use. Most evil items I've seen are for GM use only (more commonly evil NPCs) or are cursed items for non-evil players. That doesn't mean they can't be superstar, in my opinion, but they really have to stand out compared to an item that can be utilized by all players and GMs alike.

Staves have been a bad category for me. If I read your staff, and you did a good job, you had:

1. A series of related spells.
2. An enhancement bonus
3. A skill bonus.

At this point, you need something else. If all you had was summarized above, it's not a Superstar item. Sorry, you knew it was hard mode.

I definitely agree with this. I've seen a lot of staves ignore the key benefit of the staff over the wand just to make the item seem unique. It still has to meet the core values of a staff and then add something special.

Once you have the basic idea for the monster, you’re ready for step 2. Every monster gets one unique rule. This is its defining feature. This is why mimics are sticky. Why harpies have an enchanting song. What makes a monster iconic is its one unique rule. Every cool monster (and every Superstar monster) should have a single thing that is unique to it. A skill bonus doesn’t cut it. A higher damage ffie on claws doesn’t cut it. You need something better.

Have a look at the Clockwork Stalker. What stands out? Sneak attack? A Stealth bonus? Nope! High Gear, the new rule. It won the contest, all by itself.
Find a niche for your monster, and nail it.

Thanks for the great advice!

Obviously not every monster can be extremely unique, but a superstar monster can and that is what makes the difference. My main focus is to make something that is unique but not burdensome. The more complicated the "Shtick" is the less people will want to use it.

I'm definitely happy with mine. But I don't know if it is Top 32 worthy. There are some really great items this year.