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I really like constraints when doing creative work, as I end up producing much better content.
Just a note: I do plan on reviewing every item in this thread at some point, but I'm also trying to win some RPGsomething-something contest, so I may not be Mr. Johnny-on-the-Review. Thanks for your patience.
Candle of Distant Assurance This item in a Nutshell a little assurance that loved ones are safe. First Impression: Absolutely fantastic. Template Use: Looks good. Critique: This item is great. The name is evocative, and leads the reader right into it’s function. It is items like this that make a roleplaying setting seem more real, with families and people living out their lives with hopes and fears just like us. You didn’t literally tell a story, but your item told a story. I liked seeing your design notes because you achieved exactly what you set out to achieve. And you did it well enough to be voted into the top 20. So why didn’t you make the 32? Most players will never buy this (all my friends play orphaned characters unfortunately). This item is for the folks at home, not the daring adventurers in the world. Wondrous items are about overcoming obstacles, solving problems, shoring up weaknesses, and enhancing strengths, in a way that magic can’t. Next year, set a goal to do one of those things, and make it as believable and captivating as this candle, and you’ll make top 32. Would I rather buy this or... Yes. I’d buy a handful.
Porcine Pendant Item in a Nutshell Dancing faerie pig fascinates onlookers First Impression: Are all faerie pigs this jovial? Template Use: I think someone mentioned that faint only need be used once in the aura. Critique: You’ve introduced the concept of a faerie pig, and the spell carry companion in the requirements makes this seem like you’ve actually caught a faerie pig and have it trapped in the necklace. Does that mean they have stats? Do faerie pigs always act like this? Can it be attacked or killed, and what happens if it is? Since you haven’t explicitly said that the hypnotic effect of the piggy functions like the hypnotic pattern spell, it works exactly as you wrote it in the item, which doesn’t list any save vs. the fascination of the pig and there isn’t any limitations as to how many HD of creatures can be affected, and as written this piggy would fascinate blind creatures as well. This means that this little piggy could stop an ancient gold dragon cold, possibly more than one. Since it can only move 20 ft away, I'd be worried about being fascinated by our gyrating porcine friend as well. There are too many loose ends with this item, and in the end it fascinates creatures for 1 minute, possibly makes them like you better, and you can influence them to do something, which if was there was a thematic connection to pigs might work, but as it is seems a little jokey. With extreme care you might be able to pull this off. Would I rather buy this or... Bag of tricks? Eh, if the rules were ironed out a bit, possibly, but I’d like to see a better explanation about how faerie pigs got their groove. WOAH, what if the pig caused an irresistible dance-like effect? Makes everyone dance with it. Hmm.....
Adjudicator (Inquisitor)
Interrogator’s Intuition (Ex): Once per day, the adjudicator may reroll a Sense Motive check or Diplomacy check made to gather information that she just made before the results of the roll are revealed. She must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll. This ability replaces monster lore. Trial by Jury (Su): At 3rd level, once per day as a standard action, the adjudicator can grant allies adjacent to her the benefit of one of her active judgments for 1 round. This ability replaces solo tactics. Mark the Accused (Su): At 3rd level, once per day as a standard action, an adjudicator can mark a creature within 30 feet with a divine rune. (Will negates, DC 10 + 1/2 the adjudicator’s class level + the adjudicator’s Wisdom modifier). A mark lasts for 2 hours or until dismissed. A creature can only ever be marked once. A marked creature receives a -2 penalty to Will saves against spells cast by the adjudicator. The adjudicator can locate a marked creature as if she were using the locate creature spell. If the adjudicator knows or learns that a marked creature has broken an oath (e.g. an ex-paladin, ex-cleric, etc., or simply someone who broke a serious promise) she may, as a swift action, activate the mark on that creature, immediately causing 1d6 points of damage for every two adjudicator levels she possesses. A creature with an active mark receives a -1 penalty to all saving throws and a -1 penalty to Armor Class. Creatures who are within or enter within 30 feet of a creature with an active mark are affected as though the adjudicator had cast denounce on the marked creature. An active mark sheds light equivalent to a light spell. At 6th level, and every three levels thereafter, the penalty to saving throws and to Armor Class from an active mark increases by -1. Also at these levels, the adjudicator can improve mark the accused by choosing one of the following: Increase the number of uses per day by one.
The adjudicator may choose an improvement more than once. Their effects stack. This ability replaces all bonus teamwork feats.
@TanithT: You hit the nail on the head. Tabletop gaming (indeed almost all gaming) is such an boy's world we really should be surprised there are any women gamers at all. It's similar to the dearth of women in science and technology professions. Everyone at the top is scratching their heads wondering where the women are, when at almost every point leading up to the top women are implicitly or explicitly discouraged from continuing. What makes tabletop gaming unique from other games is that it is REALLY good at telling stories: Anything is possible!. Why then are we telling the same stories? What TanithT brought up is that a lot of the tropes of tabletop gaming are excluding women in a way that male gamers never have to think about; they are non-issues for them. As GM_Solspiral mentioned, this is at the root a problem with society, but I would counter the assumption that because men spend the money men get the games. If women thought tabletop gaming was worth their while, they'd spend money on it. I'm not talking about flowers and unicorns and that type of stuff: that's the stuff that the ignorant think of when the think of what women want ("It's for a girl? Make it pink!"). I'm talking about a game which doesn't alienate them before they've even opened the rule-book. A game where the can participate in the community and not be dismissed or harassed for their gender. A game that is a safe and fun space to tell kick-ass stories. Unfortunately I think the best solution to the problem is to have more women game designers. As Marie just said, we need to mentor and encourage women designers, and continue to shape Pathfinder and it's community to be much more inclusive. More women players -> more women designers. We need to prime the pump as it were. This thread is a good start, as long as it's not an end. It would behoove us to listen with an open mind to the women posting in this thread.
I wish I had seen this item during voting (though it appears you didn't need my vote to get here). Very nice effects, with a cool theme. Any pirate worth his salt (*groan*) would love to have one of these.
Boots, Rat-tread
On command, rat-tread boots summon a rat swarm to the wearer's area. The swarm moves with the wearer and acts as a living carpet. As a move action, the wearer can travel on the backs of the rats as they swim, moving up to 15 feet across the surface of calm waters. If surface conditions become worse than calm, the rats disperse and the wearer falls. On land, the swarm allows the wearer to ignore the adverse movement effects of up to 15 feet of difficult terrain per round. If the wearer falls unconscious while rat-tread boots are active, on the wearer's next turn the rat swarm attempts to move her away from the nearest foe, moving 5 feet before dispersing. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If such movement is impossible, the swarm disperses immediately instead. The swarm summoned by rat-tread boots is a normal rat swarm, except its area does not exceed that of the wearer, and it cannot move out of the wearer's space. The rat swarm disperses when the effect's duration expires or when the rat swarm is reduced to 0 hit points or less. The command activated ability can be used for up to 10 minutes per day. This duration need not be continuous, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. Rat-tread boots grant the wearer immunity from the attacks of rat swarms, including their special attacks.
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