![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
Joseph Kellogg RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka RainyDayNinja |
![Grigori](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/PZO9032-Grigori.jpg)
Once you submit it (or any other entry), you have no legal ownership of the intellectual property. So publishing it on your own would be a violation of Paizo's copyright. For just a pitch though, the issue is fuzzier, but at that point you're already guaranteed to have a contract to write something, so it might be best to save it (or cannibalize it) for a future, official project with Paizo.
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
terraleon Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 |
![Small Demon](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/forge.jpg)
A pitch is a pitch. That's it. The implementation is another matter, and of course, the intellectual property of the setting can't be used for profit elsewhere.
If you go off and write the adventure in not-Golarion with not-Golarion setting material, that's not what you pitched, and it's all yours. Filing the serial numbers off a pitch can be tough sometimes, though.
-Ben.
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
Curaigh Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 |
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
Rogue Eidolon |
![Lolth](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/Spider-queen.jpg)
I have often wondered if the three other pitches became their PFS scenario or if they start from scratch. Probably a mix of both considering the size and scope differences.
I have never seen a PFS scenario that resembled the three other pitches, so I would say not a mix of both, they start from scratch. PFS has a lot of meta-plot and other concerns that mean the other three proposals aren't going to fit what they need.
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
Sean McGowan RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32, 2011 Top 4 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka DankeSean |
![Elephant](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/juggler.jpg)
Curaigh wrote:I have often wondered if the three other pitches became their PFS scenario or if they start from scratch. Probably a mix of both considering the size and scope differences.I have never seen a PFS scenario that resembled the three other pitches, so I would say not a mix of both, they start from scratch. PFS has a lot of meta-plot and other concerns that mean the other three proposals aren't going to fit what they need.
Yeah, to date 'losing' pitches haven't been recycled into scenarios for the runner-ups, and I'd seriously doubt that's ever likely to happen. For several reasons:
First, all the final four adventure ideas are pitched with the idea of becoming a full-length adventures. Bear in mind one of the more common criticisms each year is 'Wow, this would be an awesome adventure, but it would probably be too long to fit in a single pathfinder module'. Now consider that a PFS scenario has maybe half the page count of an actual advenure. Then divide that downwards by maybe another third (since a scenario has to have more space devoted to each encounter for the two tiers) and you're looking at something that's much, much smaller than the original concept. You think some of those ideas would have problems fitting into 32 (or, now, 64) pages? Try 18-20!
Then there's the related fact that, as RE points out, the needs of a scenario are different from a full adventure. Aside from the season metaplot that's a required element of most of them, there's also the fact that by nature they have to be considerably more contained; there can't be as much room for exploration or anything else that might cause a group to go off track and wind up not finishing the scenario in a 4 to 5 hour period. (Which isn't to say they're railroad-y; a good scenario manages to avoid that, but they do tend to be a lot more directed in nature than something you can play at a more leisurely pace.) Again, whatever the final four pitch is likely going to have been planned for a bigger stage than most scenarios can give.
And lastly, this might just be my opinion, but in some ways it would feel unfair to the actual winner of RPGSS (as well as the voting public) if the non-winning adventures got published as well. At the end, we're voting for ONE idea to carry the day and bask in glory. That gets kind of diminished if your idea is guaranteed to see publication in another format. Which isn't to say that there aren't worthy ideas among the 'bottom three' in the final round; heck, I've voted in every single year of this and I think I've only backed the winning entry twice, maybe three times. But in the end, I'd argue that it would be a disservice to the voters to breathe second life into the entries that don't win. (Because otherwise, where's the point in getting passionate about voting?)
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
![]() |
![Xamanthe](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/PZO9033-Centaur.jpg)
If Paizo only has those terms to protect itself, does you guys care if the writer publishes it themselves though?
There should only be a conflict of interest if Paizo ever possibly intends to use it, which from I understand, isn't the case.
So the copyright stays with Paizo, but Paizo doesn't care if the writer develops of their own accord?
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
![]() |
![Tiefling](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/flyintiefling.jpg)
Anything you submit to Paizo as part of RPG Superstar becomes property of Paizo (as explained in previous years, it's to protect us against frivolous lawsuits). This applies to the module pitch round as well.
I was wondering if the parallel clause about things posted to the boards automatically becoming the property of Paizo would play into that. As in, would a developed version of that pitch posted freely on the Paizo boards and nowhere else be breaking any rules as both the pitch and the developed post/thread would belong to Paizo?
Or would it cleave too close to posting large swathes of printed material on the boards, which definitely is bad pool? Or would it be similar to an adventure devloper releasing their "director's cut" notes on a module/Adventure Path chapter that has seen official release?
And lastly, this might just be my opinion, but in some ways it would feel unfair to the actual winner of RPGSS (as well as the voting public) if the non-winning adventures got published as well. At the end, we're voting for ONE idea to carry the day and bask in glory. That gets kind of diminished if your idea is guaranteed to see publication in another format. Which isn't to say that there aren't worthy ideas among the 'bottom three' in the final round; heck, I've voted in every single year of this and I think I've only backed the winning entry twice, maybe three times. But in the end, I'd argue that it would be a disservice to the voters to breathe second life into the entries that don't win. (Because otherwise, where's the point in getting passionate about voting?)
As a voter, I actually feel the opposite. I hate to see wonderful concepts "lost forever" so to speak, and there have certainly been module pitches that didn't win that I'd dearly love to see revisited.
Honestly, more often than not voting is a painful choice between two or more modules that I absolutely want to see happen in some form. I wouldn't feel like a disservice had been done so much as feel relieved that after being forced to choose which child to keep, the other one grew up alright and is living a good life.
Hyperbolically speaking, of course.
![](/WebObjects/Frameworks/Ajax.framework/WebServerResources/wait30.gif)
Rogue Eidolon |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
![Lolth](http://cdn.paizo.com/image/avatar/Spider-queen.jpg)
As a voter, I actually feel the opposite. I hate to see wonderful concepts "lost forever" so to speak, and there have certainly been module pitches that didn't win that I'd dearly love to see revisited.
Honestly, more often than not voting is a painful choice between two or more modules that I absolutely want to see happen in some form. I wouldn't feel like a disservice had been done so much as feel relieved that after being forced to choose which child to keep, the other one grew up alright and is living a good life.
Hyperbolically speaking, of course.
Cult of the Ebon Destroyers is awesome, but I still want to see Jim Groves's one from that year. It's biggest failing was being too long for the old module format, so it's perfect for the new one!