I hate to say it but I'm absolutely guilty of stereotyping and profiling...
I might be unfairly biased against:
-Items that manipulate time (b/c they are a PITA for a DM)
-Items that involve multiple elements (b/c they bore me)
-Items that are EVIL not evil, EEEVIIL (b/c they are lame)
-Items that are super special versions of a bag of holding or efficient quiver (b/c they lack creativity)
-Items with Tricky in the name but Obvious in the design (b/c I hate oximorons)
-Items that are totally your homebrew game's version of a walkie-talkie (a.k.a. I designed this between pwning noobs in Black ops 3)
-Items for healers and crafters (a.k.a. item your character gives his NPC girlfriend)
Example:
Elemental Boots of Dark Kronos
Once per day these boots allow you to stop time and kick the good guy in the nuts for your choice of cold, fire, acid, lightning, or negative energy lightning damage. Oh and if they die they come back as a zombie that loves you forever!
Tricky Stash Sash of Healing
Finally a sash that holds your super awesome thieves tools, daggers,disguise kit, rope, 15 changes of clothing and magical healers kit, soooo tricky.
Edit: for those that will immediately be offended/butt hurt isn't the title of the thread sort of a warning, this was meant to be humorous, don't be a buzz kill.
-Items for healers and crafters (a.k.a. item your character gives his NPC girlfriend)
I take it back, I'm going to bait my players with a bunch of this crap, then see how many get themselves in the dog house in my kingmaker game
"But sweety this will make you awesome at darning my socks and stitching my wounds plus I got you a cooking item that replaces your dreadful cooking. How is that not a good anniversary gift? Hey whatcha doin' with my club of head twacking?"
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Anything that's a PITA for a GM is an immediate red flag for me.
You can have a really cool item, but if it requires me to have two post-it notes to use it and track it from the GM-side, that's a problem.
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Anything that's a PITA for a GM is an immediate red flag for me.
You can have a really cool item, but if it requires me to have two post-it notes to use it and track it from the GM-side, that's a problem.
Agreed. Anything that requires excessive bookkeeping in general doesn't tend to be very good - with so much going on in a game of pathfinder, you need your item to be well streamlined.
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The big time-related element for me is the "do-over." As a GM, no, I'm not going to rerun the last 20 minute of combat because your magic item says I have to.
I wish we could get the bottom 25% back so I could print "Terrible Item Bingo" cards for my gaming group. We could place bets and try to make BINGO!
I wish we could get the bottom 25% back so I could print "Terrible Item Bingo" cards for my gaming group. We could place bets and try to make BINGO!
There's always next year. Although I kind of want to work out the logistics of terrible item bingo, given that, aside from the free space in the center, you'd have to find 24 of the most egregious and common mistakes that are basically guaranteed to show up.
TwoDee, as for the most common and egregious mistakes, you could always pull from Sean K. Reynolds' 26 auto-reject topics in the consolidated advice thread . . . or from the current phrases-driving-you-bonkers thread.
GM_Solspiral, I would like to defend the use of healing and crafting items as hero-worthy, not just NPC girlfriend material . . . and I would like to let you know that I did laugh at your sock darning & head thwacking post.
Overall, I am actually somewhat concerned that reading these boards has prejudiced me against some potentially good items. Now when I see an entry that includes gossamer shadows in filagreed lanterns first created by evil ninjas of blood-sucking, or whatever, my first reaction is to crack up and count the bonkers buzzwords, even if the item, on its own, would be a perfectly good and interesting item.
I am at least trying to be impartial when I vote. I don't want to let a buzzword that happens to be common this year hurt the chances of an item that actually uses that word or concept well.
Marathon Voter Season 6
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I actually think I may give up on voting entirely. I've been voting like a madman since the culling to try and find my item again, but I'm starting to realize that I've become extremely, probably excessively harsh in my judgement of the items I'm seeing. I'm afraid that my votes are becoming more arbitrary because all I see in the items anymore are their flaws. It's hard to decide which item is better when everything starts looking like an auto-reject.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8
aka FaxCelestis
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Thoughts?
That is awesome.
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Thoughts?
Ha! You actually did it. Wondrous Item Buzzword Bingo. I love it!
Perhaps this should be combined with mamaursula's drinking game in the bonkers thread ... although, with the amount of times these show up, that could get dangerous fast!
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Marathon Voter Season 6
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Thoughts?
Excellent work, though "multiple spells in one can" is what they normally call a "Swiss army knife." Saves a couple of words. :P
Also, there should be entries for items that name specific components needed to make the item ("cockatrice-fried unicorn steaks" or what have you) or specific command words that activate its abilities.
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
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Thoughts?
I concur with the awesomeness.
I am sad over the general disgust with filigree. It was such a common historical form of decoration (dating back to its sporadic use in ancient Egypt) that it makes sense for masterwork items to have elaborate decorations along the same lines.
But, yeah... When we look at a bajillion items, some that couldn't possibly even have attached filigree work, it makes one rather jaded.
Thoughts?
Looks like you have a pretty good list here! Suggested changes...
Spell in a Can = Spell(s) in a Can
Multiple spells in a can = Proper Name in Title
Great Item, horrible format = Ignores Template
I like that these items aren't all bad, necessarily.
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Thoughts?
Glorious.
Though to play, you can only mark a space if you up-voted the item because it was the better of the two.
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I am sad over the general disgust with filigree. It was such a common historical form of decoration (dating back to its sporadic use in ancient Egypt) that it makes sense for masterwork items to have elaborate decorations along the same lines.But, yeah... When we look at a bajillion items, some that couldn't possibly even have attached filigree work, it makes one rather jaded.
So I was finally just kicking back and reading the latest AP installment, and the word 'filigree' popped up twice. Perfectly valid use of it, both times, and yet after weeks of voting and seeing that word WAY too often, I frowned.
Voting overdose has led me to be arbitrarily critical of Richard freaking Pett.That just ain't right.
The sad thing is that filigree has so many suitable synonyms.
Thoughts?I concur with the awesomeness.
I am sad over the general disgust with filigree. It was such a common historical form of decoration (dating back to its sporadic use in ancient Egypt) that it makes sense for masterwork items to have elaborate decorations along the same lines.
But, yeah... When we look at a bajillion items, some that couldn't possibly even have attached filigree work, it makes one rather jaded.
I am okay with the use of filigree or scrimshaw, these designers are trying to stand out with their description in ways that are authentic. It seems a lot of people got the same idea, some are using it better than others, but all are trying to not create "just another_______." I actual reward that in my comparisons.
RPG Superstar 2015
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Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka mamaursula
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Thoughts?Ha! You actually did it. Wondrous Item Buzzword Bingo. I love it!
Perhaps this should be combined with mamaursula's drinking game in the bonkers thread ... although, with the amount of times these show up, that could get dangerous fast!
Perhaps a drink per Bingo? That way your max imbibing is 5 per voting page.
Thoughts?Glorious.
Though to play, you can only mark a space if you up-voted the item because it was the better of the two.
I like this rule.
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Thoughts?
Missing a spot for items that are obviously versions of things from a popular TV series/movie/novel/video game.
Thoughts?Missing a spot for items that are obviously versions of things from a popular TV series/movie/novel/video game.
I only saw three of those.
...It's sad that I saw three of those.
I am horribly prejudiced against healing items, raise dead/resurrection items, crafting items, and horse items.
Healing is so thoroughly covered in the game, that I really don't see the need for 32 or even one more way to do so.
Horse items seem to either be variations of mount or some sort of Figurine of Wondrous Power.
Oh- my other disliked theme that I just remembered are what I call, "dressing room items". Things that change your clothes or your horse's saddle either in actuality or in appearance without you or your horse needing to expend any tedious effort.
And don't let me forget to mention the much maligned camping items. There is already the Sustaining Spoon, we don't need a million ways to make instant lunch. And the magic pillows and bedrolls- this is a game about adventure, not sleeping.
All of these really just smack of a PC item instead of a designer item.
Worst of all, they are BORING.
Anyway, the item I entered isn't much better...
There is one item that is for horses that I kind of liked, BTW.
And the magic pillows and bedrolls- this is a game about adventure, not sleeping.
This. A thousand sleepless times this!!! Slumber and Somnambulists! I do wonder at what point their creators' thought: "Yep, definitely some RPG Superstar wow-factor going on here!".
There are enough crafting stations, insta-soup kitchens, caravans, huts, carpets and campsites to aid an entire grey nomad army of elderly tourists. Not adventurers!!! Reminds me of the cartoon in the 1e DMG about the DnD adventurers playing a game of Papers and Paychecks...
I am sad over the general disgust with filigree. It was such a common historical form of decoration (dating back to its sporadic use in ancient Egypt) that it makes sense for masterwork items to have elaborate decorations along the same lines.But, yeah... When we look at a bajillion items, some that couldn't possibly even have attached filigree work, it makes one rather jaded.
So I was finally just kicking back and reading the latest AP installment, and the word 'filigree' popped up twice. Perfectly valid use of it, both times, and yet after weeks of voting and seeing that word WAY too often, I frowned.
Voting overdose has led me to be arbitrarily critical of Richard freaking Pett.
That just ain't right.
For the past two competitions, I have had a main idea I intend to submit, then think of something I like more, and end up submitting. I was determined to submit it this year, but again came up with something else.
Given that this constant bridesmaid is enchanted filigree, I'm so glad I went with something else this year.
There is one item that is for horses that I kind of liked, BTW.
This is worth stating again. I'm sure we all have our prejudices, but it's still our duty as voters to give credit where it is due. (BTW, I think I know which horse item you mean... it was better than the others).
At this point, I am really annoyed when I see a lantern item.
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RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16
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Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8
aka FaxCelestis
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Thoughts?
I think you should replace the Free Space with "Item That You Could See In The Top 32".
I've had to stop voting for a while for this reason... and I still haven't seen my item at all. ...Not even once. :/
I just got so burned out that I was catching myself getting ready to vote for the second of two items without reading either of them fully just because the first one dinged on one of my pet peeves in the first sentance or two. I knew I had to walk away when I almost voted immediately against something because I'd seen a similar item I didn't like... only to force myself to read the whole thing and discover it was actually very well designed.
I haven't gotten this way with lanterns, but I definitely have with quivers, even though I've seen a few that I quite liked.
I'm hoping by the weekend I'll be less burned out so I can vote some more. I'm finally seeing new items with some regularlity, so yeah.
Oh, and a note on the filagree thing... It really only irks me when it's obviously used incorrectly. ...But I write product descriptions of jewelry for a living, so that might be a personal thing. (That's not filagree... That's maybe an etching or an inlay or...just call it an embellishment... but be accurate about it!)
Thoughts?
That was epic bro, seriously epic. As a reward here's an item for your personal use.
Brass Meditation Balls
These brass meditation balls always come in a pari and fit soothly into one hand. The texture is pleasing and provides a soothing sound that gives both a morale bonus of +2 which applies to both attacks and saves vs fear based effects. In addition you gain a +2 confidence bonus to Intimidate if the balls are visible.
Requirements: Create Wonderous Item, must be awesome in everyway Cost: allot
I actually think I may give up on voting entirely. I've been voting like a madman since the culling to try and find my item again, but I'm starting to realize that I've become extremely, probably excessively harsh in my judgement of the items I'm seeing. I'm afraid that my votes are becoming more arbitrary because all I see in the items anymore are their flaws. It's hard to decide which item is better when everything starts looking like an auto-reject.
I'm there myself, on both looking for my item and getting cynical. Your taking a break suggestion has merit. MAybe I'll resume if they do another cut.
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Marathon Voter Season 6
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At this point, I am really annoyed when I see a lantern item.
The lanterns don't bother me as much as the needles. Good lord, all the needles. And if it's not a needle, it's tipped with a needle, or studded with needles, or full of needles. And about 75% of them just fix your stuff! If you have to write a spell-in-a-can, why would you can a mending spell, of all things?