Utility vs. Creativity

[ntin]

Is consideration for Round 1 wondrous items more for the purely creative side or are they more intended to be items that potentially could be placed in a Pathfinder product? Would something like “Troll Head in a Jar” a “enthrall spell in a can” item (How the heck did someone get a troll head in a jar? Let us stare at it and discuss amongst ourselves leaving this doorway unguarded) being a quirky but fun item, the sort of item that is looked at as a winning item? Rather than “Inquisitor's Monocle” a lens that allows an Inquisitor to detect two alignments at once, a practical item but not the most creative.

[Berik]

I think the idea is that a Superstar item shouldn't really need to choose between utility and creativity. A winning item would be both creative and useful.

Personally I'm currently at the point where I think the utility of my item is good, it does something which I think is both different and useful. At the moment it feels a little dull though, so I won't let it loose into the wild until it stops feeling that way. :)

[Joshua Kitchens]

It's one of those situations were it's some of Column A, some of Column B. They are looking for something that really catches the attention, shows off what you're capable of creatively, but at the same time it needs to be something that adventurers would generally like to own. A clunky or obscure item that is very creative but doesn't have many practical applications for your average adventurer is going to have points against it. The same is true of the inverse, a very functional item that a character would use all the time but it's as bland as waterlogged toast.

You have to strike a balance.

[gbonehead]

ntin wrote:

Is consideration for Round 1 wondrous items more for the purely creative side or are they more intended to be items that potentially could be placed in a Pathfinder product?

The best way to answer this question is to look at the past years' RPG Superstar items and see what you think.

In general, I think it's pretty clear from that selection what kind of items the judges are looking for. It's not a given, and it's hard because you'll find that you don't necessarily agree with every item chosen, but in a general sense that's the answer to your question: something that's as good as the previous winners.

[Sean K Reynolds]

"Good enough to end up in a book of magic items, not good enough to be superstar" was the closing comment for many, many items that didn't make it into the Top 32 in previous competitions.

A belt of strength is a necessary utilitarian item in the game, but it isn't creative at all.