Judges: you are ironmen, and I salute you.

[Winterthorn]

Kudos to Champions, Marathoners, and Dedicated! I'm a Star (did 100+ pairs today) and my brain is already fried!

[Jeff Lee]

Way to take one for the team, Winterthorn. Feel free to vent any frustrations here.

[Andrew Marlowe]

Drejk wrote:

Next year hit: hanging ropes!

Shucks and Darn It!

Now I won't be able to unveil the amazing clockwork noose of redundant lightning cause *everyone* will enter a hanging rope. I might as well make a mutilating box of swarm storage and cover it in filigree.....ooh....Maybe I have a new idea here!

[Jeff Lee]

I'm thinking shaving kits might be the big thing next year, after the beards go out of fashion.

[Monica Marlowe]

Shadowborn wrote:

I'm thinking shaving kits might be the big thing next year, after the beards go out of fashion.

I'm thinking I'll go with the companion item - wonderous nail trimmers. They don't do anything on their own, but once they're attuned to the rest of the grooming kit, they function as if they were made of adamantine.

[Jeff Lee]

Holy crap! A new, never before seen item! I thought I'd been through them all already, but there it is...in all its unexciting mediocrity. Well, vote up the other one and move on, I suppose.

[Mikko Kallio]

I've seen a few new items today. Mostly mediocre ones, though. I'm glad the voting period ends soon, it's simply too hard to tell myself to stop. :D

[Orthos]

Andrew Marlowe wrote:

Drejk wrote:

Next year hit: hanging ropes!

Shucks and Darn It!

Now I won't be able to unveil the amazing clockwork noose of redundant lightning cause *everyone* will enter a hanging rope. I might as well make a mutilating box of swarm storage and cover it in filigree.....ooh....Maybe I have a new idea here!

Misread this as "mutilating swarm of filigree" the first couple of times...

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Orthos wrote:

Misread this as "mutilating swarm of filigree" the first couple of times...

Dang, now you've spoiled my monster idea...

[Jeff Lee]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Orthos wrote:

Misread this as "mutilating swarm of filigree" the first couple of times...

Dang, now you've spoiled my monster idea...

I'm doing a crossbreed of a phoenix and an extra-dimensional space from the plane of Shadow. Hope that wasn't your backup plan.

[Kenton Abel]

Shadowborn wrote:

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Orthos wrote:

Misread this as "mutilating swarm of filigree" the first couple of times...

Dang, now you've spoiled my monster idea...

I'm doing a crossbreed of a phoenix and an extra-dimensional space from the plane of Shadow. Hope that wasn't your backup plan.

Sorry to ruin your idea with the shadow stuff, my bet is the monster twist is it needs to be from the plane of water but live in a river in the River Kingdoms. The phoenix hybrid with a filigree water denizen would be interesting to watch as it rises from a pile of soggy ashes.

[Jeff Lee]

Kenton Abel wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Orthos wrote:

Misread this as "mutilating swarm of filigree" the first couple of times...

Dang, now you've spoiled my monster idea...

I'm doing a crossbreed of a phoenix and an extra-dimensional space from the plane of Shadow. Hope that wasn't your backup plan.

Sorry to ruin your idea with the shadow stuff, my bet is the monster twist is it needs to be from the plane of water but live in a river in the River Kingdoms. The phoenix hybrid with a filigree water denizen would be interesting to watch as it rises from a pile of soggy ashes.

Meh, I'll make it a creature that lives in the Shadow plane version of the River Kingdoms. Muddy shadow-ashes it is. I'll stay away from filigree. That's just too cliche.

[Sean McGowan]

Shadowborn wrote:

Meh, I'll make it a creature that lives in the Shadow plane version of the River Kingdoms. Muddy shadow-ashes it is. I'll stay away from filigree. That's just too cliche.

You say that now, but when the filigree golem becomes the darling of round 3, you'll be sorry.

[Feros]

Afterall, filigree golems are powered with vampire blood, don'tcha know.

[Monica Marlowe]

Sean McGowan wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

Meh, I'll make it a creature that lives in the Shadow plane version of the River Kingdoms. Muddy shadow-ashes it is. I'll stay away from filigree. That's just too cliche.

You say that now, but when the filigree golem becomes the darling of round 3, you'll be sorry.

Only if it has a beard, Sean, only if it has a beard.

[Anthony Adam]

mamaursula wrote:

Sean McGowan wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

Meh, I'll make it a creature that lives in the Shadow plane version of the River Kingdoms. Muddy shadow-ashes it is. I'll stay away from filigree. That's just too cliche.

You say that now, but when the filigree golem becomes the darling of round 3, you'll be sorry.

Only if it has a beard, Sean, only if it has a beard.

In addition to their two claws, they also have a prehensile serrated disembowelling tail, a kangaroo pouch of many spaces and have no feet, hence are untraceable because they float off of the ground.

[Monica Marlowe]

Anthony Adam wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

Sean McGowan wrote:

Shadowborn wrote:

Meh, I'll make it a creature that lives in the Shadow plane version of the River Kingdoms. Muddy shadow-ashes it is. I'll stay away from filigree. That's just too cliche.

You say that now, but when the filigree golem becomes the darling of round 3, you'll be sorry.

Only if it has a beard, Sean, only if it has a beard.

In addition to their two claws, they also have a prehensile serrated disembowelling tail, a kangaroo pouch of many spaces and have no feet, hence are untraceable because they float off of the ground.

Now you're just being ridiculous.

[Andrew Marlowe]

mamaursula wrote:

Now you're just being ridiculous.

No ridiculous is that according to the statblock every one of these creatures is typically carrying {redacted round one entry} and wearing {redacted round one entry}.

[Eric Morton]

Your filigree golem is no match for my cliche golem.

Built entirely of cliches, this golem is made of body parts, clockworks, filigree, shadows, mirrors, quills, needles, healer kits, musical instruments, cooking utensils, camping gear, fashion accessories, communication devices, recording devices, scrying devices, comedic gnomish contraptions, things that repel undead, extradimensional spaces, and witches.

Once the cliche golem has had 24 hours to attune itself to its creator, it can choose to inflict negative energy damage to itself, at which point its true power is revealed. It then gains several new uses for its ki pool, a favored enemy it can detect at will, and various +5 competence bonuses that make it vastly more powerful than any mere filigree golem. (In the first combat of the day, that is. Each combat after the first results in a 10% cumulative chance that the cliche golem overloads and explodes in self-destructive temporal paradox.)

[Monica Marlowe]

Eric Morton wrote:

Your filigree golem is no match for my cliche golem.

Built entirely of cliches, this golem is made of body parts, clockworks, filigree, shadows, mirrors, quills, needles, healer kits, musical instruments, cooking utensils, camping gear, fashion accessories, communication devices, recording devices, scrying devices, comedic gnomish contraptions, things that repel undead, extradimensional spaces, and witches.

Once the cliche golem has had 24 hours to attune itself to its creator, it can choose to inflict negative energy damage to itself, at which point its true power is revealed. It then gains several new uses for its ki pool, a favored enemy it can detect at will, and various +5 competence bonuses that make it vastly more powerful than any mere filigree golem. (In the first combat of the day, that is. Each combat after the first results in a 10% cumulative chance that the cliche golem overloads and explodes in self-destructive temporal paradox.)

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

[Caineach]

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

Because it is both rediculously common and routinely improperly used.

[Monica Marlowe]

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

What Caineach said. Where have you been this voting cycle Thomas? You apparently missed the "Bonkers" thread.

[Jeff Lee]

Ah, okay. Thanks, dictionary.com. I came across an item again that had what I thought was a made-up word in the name. Couldn't find it when I initially looked it up in the OED on my Kindle. Dictionary.com offers a helpful "Did you mean one of these words?" and apparently they did want one of those, as it fit the theme of the item.

Once again, if you're going to use big words, make sure you know them.

[Jacob W. Michaels]

I have to admit, I could actually see a filigree golem being kind of cool. The type of guardian you might have in a fancy Taldan household, so it blends in more with the rest of the ambiance.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Caineach wrote:

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

Because it is both rediculously common and routinely improperly used.

When voting ends, I need the improper filigree item pointed out to me. I really don't remember seeing it.

[Eric Morton]

mamaursula wrote:

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

Challenge accepted. (Also, I added a swarm-related effect.)

Cliche Golem – 597 Words:

This shambling form is an animate heap of broken wondrous items.

Cliche Golem (CR 10)
XP 9,600
N Large construct
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
---
AC 24, touch 8, flat-footed 24 (–1 Dex, +16 natural, –1 size)
hp 101 (13d10+30)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4
DR 10/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic
---
Speed 20 ft.
Melee[b] 2 slams +19 (2d10+7 plus life trapping)
[b]Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks favored enemy, ki pool, life trapping, overload, true power
---
Str 24, Dex 9, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +13; CMB +21; CMD 30
---
Environment any
Organization solitary or gang (2–4)
Treasure none
---
Favored Enemy (Ex) A cliche golem has one favored enemy, as per the ranger feature. The golem's favored enemy is chosen when the golem is created and cannot be changed.
Ki Pool (Su) A cliche golem has the ki pool class feature as if it had a number of monk levels equal to its Hit Dice. The typical cliche golem has 6 points in its ki pool.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) A cliche golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance.
Life Trapping (Su) A cliche golem functions as a mirror of life trapping with only one extradimensional compartment. Creatures seeing their reflections are unaffected by this effect, but any creature hit by the golem's slam attack must make a DC 23 Will save or be trapped, as per a mirror of life trapping. A creature trapped by this effect is freed if the golem is destroyed.
Overload (Su) A cliche golem can safely roll initiative at the start of a combat only once per day. Each additional time per day it rolls initiative at the start of a combat, there is a cumulative 10% chance the golem implodes in a temporal paradox and is destroyed.
True Power (Su) Upon creation, a cliche golem requires 24 hours to attune to its creator. Thereafter, the cliche golem can deal 2d6 points of negative energy damage to itself as a standard action. This damage affects the golem as if it were a living creature that did not have construct traits. So long as the golem is suffering one or more points of this damage, it gains a +5 competence bonus on all skill checks and gains the following spell-like abilities (CL 13th): clairaudience/clairvoyance, dimension door (to a location viewed with clairaudience/clairvoyance only), locate creature (creatures matching the golem’s favored enemy only), summon swarm. These spell-like abilities can be used at will, but the cliche golem must spend 1 point from its ki pool each time it activates any of them.

Created from hundreds of failed wondrous items and discarded magical supplies, cliche golems are animate sculptures assembled from numerous parts, including any or all of the following: body parts, clockworks, filigree, solidified shadows, mirrors, quills, needles, healer kits, musical instruments, cooking utensils, camping gear, fashion accessories, and comedic gnomish contraptions. Each of these parts was meant to function as a wondrous item of some sort—a communication or recording device, a scrying or storage device, an acesssory for monks or witches, etc.—but is now completely nonfunctional.

A cliche golem is 9 feet tall and weighs 900 pounds.

Construction
A cliche golem is created from a heap of trash of negligible value.
---
CL 15th; Price 40,000 gp
---
Requirements Craft Construct, Craft Wondrous Item, bestow curse, polymorph any object, creator must be 15th level; Skill Craft (sculptures) DC 20; Cost 20,000 gp

[Monica Marlowe]

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

I have to admit, I could actually see a filigree golem being kind of cool. The type of guardian you might have in a fancy Taldan household, so it blends in more with the rest of the ambiance.

{mama voice} Jacob W. Michaels, step away from the filigree, you don't know where that has been. {/mama voice}

[Feros]

Eric Morton aka Epic Meepo wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

Challenge accepted. (Also, I added a swarm-related effect.)

I can't believe you challenged Epic Meepo to design a monster of ANY sort in less than 600 words. Didn't you know he is renowned for his monster building skills?

[Orthos]

Eric Morton wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

Challenge accepted. (Also, I added a swarm-related effect.)

** spoiler omitted **...

*slow clap*

[Monica Marlowe]

Feros wrote:

Eric Morton aka Epic Meepo wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

Challenge accepted. (Also, I added a swarm-related effect.)

I can't believe you challenged Epic Meepo to design a monster of ANY sort in less than 600 words. Didn't you know he is renowned for his monster building skills?

No one can accuse me of playing favorites, Feros. I love my 2012 Top 32 boys and Meepo didn't get to shine as much last year as I know he can.

[Curaigh]

Eric Morton wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

If you can make all that happen in 600 words, you are a Superstar :-)

Challenge accepted. (Also, I added a swarm-related effect.)

** spoiler omitted **...

Nice! :)

[Wolfboy]

Eric Morton wrote:

9 feet and 900 pounds of pure awesome...

However, you forgot Wonderous...

[Eric Morton]

Wolfboy wrote:

Eric Morton wrote:

9 feet and 900 pounds of pure awesome...

However, you forgot Wonderous...

I'm saving that for the greater cliche golem whose powers change based on the ioun stone you attach to its forehead.

[Anthony Adam]

If it's a greater cliche, shouldn't that be pulsating in it's chest / heart cavity?

[Andrew Marlowe]

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Caineach wrote:

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

Because it is both rediculously common and routinely improperly used.

When voting ends, I need the improper filigree item pointed out to me. I really don't remember seeing it.

I wasn't picking on it for being misused there was just a lot of it in the item descriptions this year. I certainly didn't hold its presence against any item -- I won't fault folks for parallel design -- but wow it came up a lot. Enough that I'm going to try and steer clear of filigree next year.

And now that you mention it I think I'll be avoiding regalia too. In fact, if round one voting is open to public again next year I think the "Bonkers" and "Ironmen" threads should be read almost as carefully as Sean's advice threads.

[Sean McGowan]

mamaursula wrote:

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Why is filigree getting such a bad rap? There are about the same number of regale/regalia items.

What Caineach said. Where have you been this voting cycle Thomas? You apparently missed the "Bonkers" thread.

Just doing a quick search on my files:

Out of my recorded 821 objects, there are ten that use 'filigree' in the description. (That's not counting for possible misspellings, but it might be too depressing to do that...) Most of those don't use it inaccurately, though ironically the very first item I saw with it weeks ago definitely had an improper usage.
Now, obviously, that's a really low percentage altogether. I suspect the filigree jihad is based on someone getting a bunch of these items in a row, the word grating on them, their calling attention to it in the early days of voting, and then it just stuck out like a sore thumb to the rest of us. Which I suppose is unfortunate/unnerving for anyone who decided to use the word, but I can honestly say for myself that regardless of an apparent anti-filigree bias on the boards I never actually figured the presence (or lack) of decorative metalwork into my voting criteria.

And regalia/regale only popped up in four items I saw, for whatever that's worth. :-)

[Andrew Marlowe]

Sean McGowan wrote:

Now, obviously, that's a really low percentage altogether. I suspect the filigree jihad is based on someone getting a bunch of these items in a row, the word grating on them, their calling attention to it in the early days of voting, and then it just stuck out like a sore thumb to the rest of us.

Once it's been pointed out it's really hard not to notice when it shows up.

The way certain items repeated several times in a voting session also adds to illusion even though they don't show up back to back (typically). When as many as 10 items with filigree take turns showing up every few votes you'll end up with the impression that there is a lot of filigree.

[Caineach]

Ok, I was only familiar with filigree as a metalworking term. When looking it up, it appears to be used in caligraphy designs as well.

[Anthony Adam]

ok, ok, I couldn't resist one last verse - to Boney M's, Oh Christmas Tree...

oh filigree, oh filigree, on all the entries we do see
oh filigree, oh filigree, on all the entries we do see
Each year you bring me fright, splattered on many items tight
oh filigree, oh filigree, on all the entries we do see

[Jeff Lee]

Yargh.

[gbonehead]

I can only say one thing. I'm damn glad my item didn't have filigree :)

I will reserve comment on whether I was affected any of the remaining pointed observations until the reveal.

[Andrew Black]

Eric Morton wrote:

Your filigree golem is no match for my cliche golem.

Built entirely of cliches, this golem is made of body parts, clockworks, filigree, shadows, mirrors, quills, needles, healer kits, musical instruments, cooking utensils, camping gear, fashion accessories, communication devices, recording devices, scrying devices, comedic gnomish contraptions, things that repel undead, extradimensional spaces, and witches.

Once the cliche golem has had 24 hours to attune itself to its creator, it can choose to inflict negative energy damage to itself, at which point its true power is revealed. It then gains several new uses for its ki pool, a favored enemy it can detect at will, and various +5 competence bonuses that make it vastly more powerful than any mere filigree golem. (In the first combat of the day, that is. Each combat after the first results in a 10% cumulative chance that the cliche golem overloads and explodes in self-destructive temporal paradox.)

You missed Walkie-Talkie :P