Mask of the Elemental Guardian: This full face mask comes in four types: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. The air is made of clear glass, the earth of gray stone, the fire of charred wood, and the water is made of blue crystal. Each mask grants the wearer energy residence 10 based on the mask’s type: Air is electricity, Earth is acid, Fire is fire, and Water is cold. Also once per day as a full round action, the mask can grow around the wearer forming into a Huge Elemental of the mask’s type for 1 minute. Functions as a Summon Monster VI spell except the wearer may take no action other than mentally directing the elemental and there is no line of effect to the wearer. If the elemental form’s hit points are reduced to 0, the elemental crumbles and the mask breaks into pieces. It can not be repaired once this occurs
Faint Abjuration and Moderate Conjuration; CL 11; Craft Wondrous Item, Resist Energy, Summon Monster VI; Price 70,400
Activation: - ; Use-activated (mental)
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Yeah, this is another item that simply changes the character's type, but I like the time limit on it and I can actually see this item existing in the game world. The name is ok, the costing doesn't seem wildly off, and there's the bit about the mask breaking if the elemental dies.
I had to read it a couple times to understand the line about the user being able to take no action other than directing the elemental (the invocation of the summon monster spell threw me off for a second). So I would have appreciated slightly more specific language.
Still, though, this is pretty neat.
Seems to be missing some mechanics to me. What can you do in the elemental? Can you dismiss it early, say before it dies? What effects do you gain for being in the elemental (which is what I presume is happening, its like you are inside an elemental mecha).
I'm having problems with this, though I like the idea.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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As for what you can do inside the elemental, I think the item itself is pretty explicit: "the wearer may take no action other than mentally directing the elemental"
The "can you dismiss it" is a good question, since you can dismiss the Summon Monster spell, but I think you couldn't, since the only action you can take is to mentally direct the elemental.
I still like this, and I still think we should Keep it.
Bubble item for me. I'll leave it to Erik. It is neat and deserves honorable mention. But I dont know. The mechanics just arent there for me.
Erik, decide its fate.
I'm chaning my mind. If we are keeping Erik's gloves of adaptive combat, we should keep this.
Kept.
This one doesn't seem superstar-ish to me. The writing is tough to follow and the effects aren't that cool.
El Skootro
I agree that it's ungainily written, but I like the idea of having an elemental suit. Not sure how you still wouldn't drown in a water elemental though, or suffocate inside an earth elemental, even if you're protected from ten points of elemental damage. Not sure there's much benefit in being "inside" an air elemental. The idea is cool though. Reminds me of a less silly version of the Amulet of Oozeriding.
Maybe combine the effects of the "avoid planar effects" spell (can't remember the name) and Hold Person while the elemental is summoned. That way you can think whatever you want, not just command the elemental--and the effects of the elemental won't instantly start killing you...
I'm chaning my mind. If we are keeping Erik's gloves of adaptive combat, we should keep this.
Now I'm curious about the "gloves of adaptive combat," which didn't make the list. Clearly, there was some "horse-trading" here: "I'll vote for one of the things you really like, if you'll support my vote for something I really like."
Interesting to get a peek in the judge's minds here.
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I'm chaning my mind. If we are keeping Erik's gloves of adaptive combat, we should keep this.Now I'm curious about the "gloves of adaptive combat," which didn't make the list. Clearly, there was some "horse-trading" here: "I'll vote for one of the things you really like, if you'll support my vote for something I really like."
Interesting to get a peek in the judge's minds here.
Looks like the gloves made the cut now after some DQ's.
Looks like the gloves made the cut now after some DQ's.
Wait, there they are. Hmm.
This is a Polymorph for elementals.
And there is nothing wrong with that. Polymorph is a rules nightmare. This is pretty rules-clean. I like it. (Could be better written, but 'cool' beats 'spelling'.)
I like the concept of the elemental suit. The execution is a bit clunky, but the idea is solid. It feels a bit MMPORGish to me, though. If that makes sense.
Meh, there are too many elemental items out there, IMO.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4
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The writing needs work. And I'm not certain how often you'd get to use the elemental suit effect. At the levels at which you could afford something this, a large elemental isn't much more than a speed bump. I could very easily see this thing destroyed after one use. Is that really worth the 58000?
In defense of the item, the wearer technically rides around stomping ass inside a Huge elemental - kicks the CR up by a mere 2, of course, but gives the "elemental power-suit" a lot more kick and a crap-ton more hit points.
This item is actually my favorite from the entire list, kicking the ass of my own item by a pretty fair degree. The sheer awesomeness of my Rogue slapping on a "Mask of the Earth Guardian" and stomping (or earth-gliding) my way out of an ugly fight is making me giddy.
Heh. Sweet. Yeah, it appeals to my anime-Jr. High-super-power sensibilities, but D&D is about fun. The day that I'm too cool to think that my Huge, lightening-quick burn-happy battle-chassis is a heaping helping of rockstar awesome, I'm going to stop playing D&D.
This item is actually my favorite from the entire list, kicking the ass of my own item by a pretty fair degree. The sheer awesomeness of my Rogue slapping on a "Mask of the Earth Guardian" and stomping (or earth-gliding) my way out of an ugly fight is making me giddy.
As I take breaks from my hopefully awesome country, I've reading through some of the posts. I understand that there may be some mechanics and pricing problems with my item, but is it fun? Can it add to your role playing experence? Can it create a clulch moment when the rogue turns into a huge earth element and starts landing awesome blows left and right? That was to type of item I was looking to create and believe that I did so to a point. To me added fun to a game is the main thing that we as DMs and designers to striving to do. That why we change and tweek the game. I hope that throughout this contest that is never lost
And boomer I think your item is pretty cool. I easily see me using something like it in the future in some encounters.
Well, back to the salt mines. Good luck to the rest of the 32.
Bill
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4
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To me added fun to a game is the main thing that we as DMs and designers to striving to do. That why we change and tweek the game. I hope that throughout this contest that is never lost
Hell's . . . YES. Good call, and well said. I think that it's very easy, as a DM (or even player, honestly) to get swept up in the mechanics or minutia or the crunch of the game and lose sight of the awesome that is just . . . playing.
Better than any MMORPG, better than any novel, better than any movie - just storytelling with your friends.
As I get ready to go to bed (pulled an all-nighter on the country . . . I'll re-read it at noon or so to see if it was actually written in English), I keep thinking about the simple charm and fun of the Masks.
Basically, I want one of each. And that's a damn, damn good item.
Elemental mecha?? Interesting idea. It doesn't fit to my game style, but I like it. :-)
PS: You should add a sentence that the suit doesn't impede the users senses.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4
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Elemental mecha?? Interesting idea. It doesn't fit to my game style, but I like it. :-)
PS: You should add a sentence that the suit doesn't impede the users senses.
Good call. I've been assuming that the user is also completely invulnerable while inside the thing, held in a kind of duo-dimensional stasis, but I guess that that aspect isn't really spelled out.
Otherwise, the Air Elemental suit could get you killed pretty quick.
Okay, going to bed now.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4
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Good call. I've been assuming that the user is also completely invulnerable while inside the thing, held in a kind of duo-dimensional stasis, but I guess that that aspect isn't really spelled out.Elemental mecha?? Interesting idea. It doesn't fit to my game style, but I like it. :-)
PS: You should add a sentence that the suit doesn't impede the users senses.
Found it. From the entry: "There is no line of effect to the wearer."
Man, I love this item!
Very interesting and original awfully powerful blend of magic and game mechanics you adapted and made your own.
Seems to act like an enhanced minor ring of energy resistance with a blend of a short term improved variant primal form elemental suit of armor or a elemental variant greater planar exchange spell which should probably be based on Summon Nature's Ally 6 or Summon Monster 7 if the owner is just transforming into the huge elemental form. IMO it should be based on the Planar Ally Greater spell for a Huge 16D8 elemental damage sponge that absorbs 136 or 152 hit points or damage before the player takes a single hitpoint of damage. For the meat shiedl variant I;d probably add the status spell to know when to swap back before the elemental dies and the item is destroyed.
Good luck on your country.
Am I the only one who looked at this item and instantly thought of the Avatar season finale?
Great show. Can't say it didn't influence me.