Brain

Zachary Wydawski's page

RPG Superstar 7 Season Marathon Voter. Organized Play Member. 7 posts (1,263 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 8 aliases.


RSS

Marathon Voter Season 7

Andrew Black wrote:
Zachary Wydawski wrote:
Helm of Brass

Welcome to the contest, entering is the first hurdle and I am glad you did. I saw your item a few times while voting and I did vote for it once or twice over less creative items.

I think your opening description is right on, it made me want to know exactly what this helm did. However I was not a big fan of the first power. It is essentially 2 Spells in a Can, although it was cool looking. Also I was unclear by what you meant by using the flame as a thrown weapon reduces the duration...by how much? There is something cool going on here, but I think you need to find a way to let the spells inspire the fire effect but work differently then the spells.

I also was not a fan of the the second power creating a Plane of Fire. I like some of the effects it offers and perhaps they could be worked into the fire power of the helm in the first paragraph, but you want to be careful of keeping tight to the theme and not being a Swiss Army Knife of effects.

If you haven't found them yet on the boards go look for the SKR auto reject advice threads. Also Clark Peterson and Neil Spicer have some awesome posts about Wondrous Item design in the past years archives.

Thanks for sharing your Items with us Zachary, I hope this helps and I hope you continue to enter...I think you have the creative spark that will reveal a Superstar kind of Item.

Thank you for taking the time to respond and provide some useful advice for me. This is exactly what i needed to see to help inspire my next submission.

I was afraid my powers were too bland and not unique enough and this only confirms my fears.

I'm just glad i got at least a few people hooked with my description and next year i hope to provide a unique crunch to go with the descriptive fluff. Thanks again!

Marathon Voter Season 7

Helm of Brass
Aura moderate conjuration and evocation; CL 9th
Slot head; Price 32,000 gp; Weight 3 lbs.
Description
This burnished brass helm glows faintly with heat and has a pair of small obsidian horns jutting from its brow. Small wisps of black smoke curl from the helm giving off a pungent odor of brimstone.

On command, a Helm of Brass wreathes the wearer in smoky red flames that act as a Resist Energy (Fire), three times per day. While this effect is active the wearer can gather the flames and use them as a Produce Flame, with the following exception, using the fire as a thrown weapon reduces the duration of the Resist Energy.

In addition once per week on command, the helm opens a small unstable rift to the Plane of Fire. This ability creates a 10-ft.-radius emanation centered on the user that lasts for 2d6 rounds. While this ability is active the area is treated as being the Plane of Fire (Game Mastery Guide) gaining the following traits:
• Fire-Dominant
• Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the fire descriptor or that use, manipulate, or create fire (including those of the Fire domain or the elemental [fire] bloodline) are enhanced.
• Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with the water descriptor or that use or create water (including spells of the Water domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [water] bloodline, and spells that summon water elementals or outsiders with the water subtype) are impeded.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Plane Shift, Resist Energy, Produce Flame; Cost 16,000 gp

This was my first year attempting this contest and i would appreciate feedback on my item.

Thanks.

Marathon Voter Season 7

F5 F5 F5 F5 F5....

Marathon Voter Season 7

When will it end? When can we know?

Marathon Voter Season 7

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

I can't take the waiting i'm so excited!

Marathon Voter Season 7

Good luck everyone!

It's been fun voting and submitting this year!


Okay instead of just arguing over caster versu non-caster ow about an example then. Here are two Average encounters for a party of four level 15 PCs; Lets say they have a Fighter(Ranged), Wizard(Universalist), Cleric(Healer/Secondary Melee), and Ranger(Melee).

1. Black Scorpion

Black Scorpion
CR 15
XP 51,200
N Colossal vermin
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4

DEFENSEAC 30, touch 2, flat-footed 30 (+28 natural, –8 size)
hp 228 (24d8+120)
Fort +19, Ref +8, Will +8
Immune mind-affecting effects

OFFENSESpeed 60 ft.
Melee 2 claws +23 (2d8+13 plus grab), sting +23 (2d6+13 plus poison)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (2d8+19), rapid stinging

STATISTICSStr 36, Dex 10, Con 20, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +18; CMB +39; CMD 49 (61 vs. trip)
Skills Climb +17, Perception +4, Stealth –12; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth

SPECIAL ABILITIES Poison (Ex)

Sting—injury; save Fort DC 29; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Str, 1d4 Dex, and 1d4 Con; cure 3 saves.

Rapid Stinging (Ex)

A black scorpion’s stinger strikes with astounding speed; it can make one additional attack in a round with its sting as a swift action.

In my opinion the casters will shine in this encounter and the wizard should be able to disable the scorpion pretty easily with a spell. (Reverse Gravity, Power Word Stun, etc.) Most likely a one round fight.

2. Nalfesnee and (2)Vrocks
Nalfeshnee CR 14
XP 38,400
CE Huge outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +31
Aura unholy aura (DC 23)

DEFENSE AC 29, touch 13, flat-footed 28 (+4 deflection, +1 Dex, +16 natural, –2 size)
hp 203 (14d10+126)
Fort +22, Ref +9, Will +21
DR 10/good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 25

OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (poor)
Melee bite +23 (3d8+11/19–20), 2 claws +23 (2d6+11)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks unholy nimbus
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)
Constant—true seeing, unholy aura (DC 23)
At will—call lightning (DC 18), feeblemind (DC 20), greater dispel magic, slow (DC 18), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only)
1/day—summon (level 5, 1 nalfeshnee 20%, 1d4 hezrous 40%, or 1d4 vrocks 50%)

STATISTICS Str 32, Dex 13, Con 29, Int 23, Wis 22, Cha 20
Base Atk +14; CMB +27; CMD 42
Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack
Skills Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Fly +10, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (planes) +23, Knowledge (any one other) +20, Perception +31, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +23, Stealth +10, Use Magic Device +22; Racial Modifier +8 on Perception
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic; telepathy 100 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Unholy Nimbus (Su)

Three times per day as a free action a nalfeshnee can create a nimbus of unholy light, causing nauseating beams of writhing color to play around its body. One round later, the light bursts in a 60-foot radius. Any non-demon creature caught within this area must succeed on a DC 22 Will save or be dazed for 1d10 rounds as visions of madness hound it. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Vrock CR 9
XP 6,400
CE Large outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +23

DEFENSEAC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+2 Dex, +11 natural, –1 size)
hp 112 (9d10+63)
Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +6
DR 10/good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20

OFFENSESpeed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee 2 claws +13 (2d6+5), bite +13 (1d8+5), 2 talons +13 (1d6+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks dance of ruin, spores, stunning screech
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)

At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), telekinesis (DC 18)
1/day—heroism, mirror image, summon (level 3, 1 vrock 35%)
STATISTICSStr 21, Dex 15, Con 25, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 27
Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Skills Fly +12, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (planes) +14, Perception +23, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +14, Stealth +10, Survival +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common; telepathy 100 ft.

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Dance of Ruin (Su)
A vrock can dance and chant as a full-round action—at the end of 3 rounds, a crackling wave of energy explodes from the vrock, dealing 5d6 points of electricity damage to all creatures within 100 feet. A DC 17 Reflex save halves this damage. For each additional vrock that joins in the dance, the damage increases by 5d6 and the DC to avoid the effect increases by +1, to a maximum of 20d6 when four or more vrocks are dancing (the DC continues to increase with additional vrocks, but the damage does not). The dance immediately ends and must be started anew if any of the participating vrocks is slain, stunned, or otherwise prevented from dancing. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spores (Ex)
A vrock can release a cloud of spores from its body once every 3 rounds as a free action. Adjacent creatures take 1d8 points of damage from the spores, plus 1d4 points of damage per round for 10 rounds as the spores grow into thick green vines. Although ugly, the vines are harmless and wither away in 1d4 days if not shaved off before then. The spores can be destroyed by casting bless on the affected creatures or by sprinkling them with holy water. This attack can also be halted by effects that remove or provide immunity to disease.

Stunning Screech (Su)
Once per hour, a vrock can emit a shrill screech. All creatures except demons within a 30-foot-radius spread must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

In this fight i would say that the non-casters would shine seeing as how the casters spells would fail about 50% of the time or less(if they have additions to Spell Pen). While the non-casters are able to more easily combat them.

Thats just my opinion.