The Floating Bazaar


Round 3: Design an encounter

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

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The Floating Bazaar
==========

Where the Great Market of Katheer bumps up against the River Pashman, enterprising merchants ply their trade among a massive sprawl of ships and boats known as the Floating Bazaar. Swaying walkways link the vessels, while colorful sails and banners fly overhead, displaying the various goods available—from spices and silks to weapons and magical trinkets. Amidst the constant buzz of haggling and hawking, slaves bear heavy loads across treacherous gangplanks, and children dare their friends to jump the widest gaps between jostling boats. Meanwhile, greedy merchants jockey for prime berths, sabotaging competitors’ ships and “accidentally” ramming smaller vessels. Savvy visitors know the city guards and port inspectors are amenable to bribery, and more often than not the authorities look the other way when an unfortunate shopkeeper finds his goods dumped in the river.

Countless urchins and beggars make their home in the Bazaar. They hire themselves out as guides for the price of a few coppers, leading visitors through the ever-shifting chaos. Overhead, flying carpets ferry wealthier customers to shops offering high-end goods. Below, petty magicians and performers use tricks both arcane and mundane to impress passersby—while cutpurses go to work on the gawking throng. More desperate thieves swim beneath the market to avoid detection, reaching up from the water to pilfer unwatched merchandise. The gambit is not without risk, as many lose hands and fingers to guards’ vicious glaives. Worse crime thrives in the shadows, from assassinations disguised as accidental drownings to the abduction of wayward children by unscrupulous slavers.

Natural fire is prohibited, and by night the Bazaar dances with the myriad hues of magical lights reflecting off the river. Those who choose to make their home on the River Pashman—whether in the elegant staterooms of the wealthiest merchant vessels or the crowded decks of floating “taverns”—quickly grow accustomed to the constant din of commerce, for the Floating Bazaar never sleeps.

The Winking Djinn (CR 4)
==========

Panicked energy pervades this section of the Bazaar. Several nearby craft are sinking into the river as their wood turns to rot and their owners frantically offload goods. A white-bearded Qadiran man in fine silks approaches at a run from the direction of a grandiose barge that lies across the sea of debris. Lettering on the side identifies it as the Winking Djinn, and several tightly-packed bookshelves stand upon the deck. The man waves with ink-stained fingers and calls “Help me! By Abadar’s all-seeing eyes, I’m being robbed!”

In recent weeks, a series of puzzling accidents has plagued the Floating Bazaar: small shops have rotted and collapsed into the river, seemingly without explanation, their goods vanishing into the depths. Rival merchants have been quick to point fingers at one another, but the true culprit is a devious guttersnipe (R2) named Stavrisi, who has been stealing the goods and hiding them in her lair.

Stavrisi’s next target is the Winking Djinn, a barge which serves as a floating library. Its proprietor, a Qadiran merchant and scholar named Zahmo Zarr, does a brisk trade in knowledge and secrets. A curious man, he has been investigating the mysterious accidents in the Bazaar and is close to discovering Stavrisi’s lair hidden beneath the docks—much too close for the greedy dragon’s comfort. A petty and spiteful creature, she has decided that the best course of action is to rob Zahmo Zarr blind, ruining his business and making a tidy profit for herself.

Stavrisi has used her rotting wind breath to sabotage most of the smaller vessels in the area over the past several hours, causing the necessary chaos to pull off her plan. The walkway leading to the barge is stable, though there is a large gap in the center where Stavrisi rotted it through. The dragon’s hired thieves, Ahmoud and Marikh, docked their rowboat there before going to work.

A railing rings the deck of the Winking Djinn. The bookshelves are secured to the deck, and the books are held in place by long, thin pieces of wood resting on hooks—except where the thieves have been at work. A cabin at the stern functions as Zahmo Zarr’s living quarters and private library. Sparsely furnished and smelling strongly of ink, the room lies in complete disarray. Books filled with Zahmo Zarr’s strange, illegible scrawl are scattered about the cabin, and claw marks mar the furniture.

The PCs might question Zahmo Zarr before helping him. These are possible answers to some of their more likely questions:

Who are you? “My name is Zahmo Zarr, seller of secrets! I own the Winking Djinn there.”

What’s going on? “When all the boats started rotting, I got to safety, but two men sailed up and climbed aboard my shop. Now they’re stealing my books! Knowledge and secrets beyond your wildest dreams!”

Why not ask the guards for help? “I tried, but they laughed in my face! Too dangerous, they said. The useless fools!”

Why are the boats rotting? “Some foul magic is at work, no doubt!”

Why should we help you? “I would be in your debt! My books are beyond value—I could grant you access to all my precious knowledge. Maps, secrets, tales gathered from the far corners of the Inner Sea and beyond!”

Creatures: When the PCs first approach, Stavrisi is already out of sight, rummaging through Zahmo Zarr’s private collection in the Winking Djinn’s cabin (map location S). Because she can’t simply sink the barge without ruining the books, Stavrisi has hired Ahmoud and Marikh, a pair of human cutpurses, to help carry away a bigger haul. They are combing through the shelves on the deck and stuffing the most valuable-looking books—the biggest, prettiest ones—into sacks. When the PCs begin to cross towards the barge, the thieves shout a warning to Stavrisi, then take cover near the walkway (map locations A and M) and use their tanglefoot bags to delay the PCs. Stavrisi quickly joins the fight, moving close and attempting to lure PCs onto the rowboat. Unbeknownst to Ahmoud and Marikh, Stavrisi has already begun rotting the hull of their rowboat. She plans to sink it and attack them as soon as they help carry the books back to her lair beneath the docks. Stavrisi uses her rotting wind breath on the boat to dump the PCs into the river; a single breath instantly destroys the weakened craft. PCs who successfully save against the rotting wind (Reflex DC 13) jump to safety on the walkway; those who fail fall into the river. Stavrisi dives into the water to assault fallen PCs with her flensing bite and wing tricks. Rotten debris fills the surrounding waters, making it a simple DC 5 Swim check to stay afloat. PCs must succeed at a DC 10 Climb check to climb onto the walkway from the water, or a DC 15 Climb check to climb onto the barge itself.

Because the barge has no means of propelling itself, the thieves cannot steal or escape with the entire vessel. If Stavrisi falls in battle, or either thief loses his companion, Amhoud and Marikh dive into the river and attempt to swim to the Bazaar to hide. Stavrisi is far more desperate to see her mission through and will fight until reduced to 5 hp or less, even if the thieves are defeated, before attempting to flee to her lair.

Stavrisi, Guttersnipe CR 3
XP 800
hp 30 (R2)

Ahmoud and Marikh, Cutpurses (2) CR 1/2
XP 200 each
hp 10 each (NPC Codex 144)

Development: If Stavrisi escapes, she flees to her hideout and waits to extract vengeance on the PCs. If either thief is captured, he offers directions to Stavrisi’s lair in exchange for his freedom, though judging by the glint in his eye it may be a more daunting proposition to claim her treasure than he suggests. Zahmo Zarr is extremely grateful for the PCs’ help if they manage to rescue his books, and offers free access to his library whenever they have need of it. When used for research, the library grants a +4 bonus to Knowledge (arcana, geography, history, and local) checks.

Liberty's Edge Digital Products Assistant

Hi! I’m Crystal and I’m one of your judges this round. I’ll be looking at your encounter not just as a GM and writer, but also as a professional cartographer, to see how much fun it would be to run and if the map helps or hinders the experience. For a little background, I’ve been writing for RPGs since the late 90’s, and am the author of The Harrowing and Pathfinder Adventure Path #80: Empty Graves, and I try to apply the standards of pitch, challenge, fun, and map design to my own writing just as I’m applying them here.

Criteria Details:

Pitch
Is the idea clear, evocation, and easy to sit down and run without a lot of extra prep time. If it needs extra prep time, is it worth it? This also includes whether or not the formatting adheres to Paizo’s standards.

Challenge
Is the challenge level-appropriate? Does the presumed challenge players face match up with the numerical CR? If not, is there a good reason why not?

Fun
Is the encounter going to be memorable, or is this just a speed bump on the way to the treasure room?

Map Design
The map doesn’t need to be vitally important to an encounter, but it should never, ever ruin an encounter. And if the map or environmental elements can add to the flavor of an encounter, or give players more options, all the better.

Pitch
The pitch is probably the weakest part of this adventure: “Save my bookstore from thieves,” but the overall setup is very clear and quick and it gives a GM enough information to hook the characters. And the added twist to what’s really going on it nice and well-handled.

Challenge
There’s a well-balanced challenge here, taking place in an environment that benefits one of the monsters but hinders his mooks, and the rotting rowboat in the middle adds a nice complication that isn’t especially harmful.

Fun
I like encounters that start as by-the-book fights that reveal a hidden twist; it keeps players on their toes and it gives GMs something to cackle about when the reveal finally happens. The atypical environment helps as well; it’s always nice to take the fights outside of an enclosed room.

Map Design
This map is a good example of how to do a ship map well; it ties in to its surroundings and makes the environment a functional part of the encounter. My only real quibble is that a third of the map space is wasted on the map key and the bazaar map, neither or which are very important. Given how easily Stavrisi can escape back to her lair, I would’ve liked to see the layout of that “nearby” lair or at least some underwater features in case players follow her into the river.

The encounter is fun and clever, even if the hook to get the PCs is a little weak. I do recommend this encounter for advancement.

Cartographer

Decent looking map reference, everything is clear and easy to read, I don't think the key needs to be so big in the final, helpful for executing the final design though. I like the encounter idea makes for an exciting chase.

I do recommend this encounter for advancement.

Paizo Employee Developer , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

Hey Mike, congratulations on making it to the top 16.

I am the developer of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, which means I see lots of short adventures and self-contained encounters over the course of a year. It’s a developer’s job to read through, revise, and fact-check pretty much everything, so it’s tough to boil down what I’m looking for into a couple of clever headers. Essentially, I’m approaching this round like I would a scenario turnover, which involves marking up a copy of your encounter and providing feedback on what you did and how you might improve—my teaching experience in action.

My Style:
Since tone is a little hard to express while in this medium, I encourage you to read my comments in a friendly way; it’s how I intend them. As I warn many freelancers, I ask the question “why” a lot. Sometimes I do this because I am legitimately confused. Sometimes I do this to get the freelancer thinking in a certain way. Sometimes I know what the answer is, but I want to illustrate that there’s not enough information for the GM to understand what’s going on.

That said, this is a tough round, for we’re going from 16 to four contestants.


My Criteria:

Setting: Does your encounter fit in Golarion? Is it an urban encounter? Is the CR appropriate for the setting and the encounter? Is it clear how a GM might use this encounter?
NPCs and Creatures: How well did you incorporate the Round 2 creature into your encounter? Does it feel like a natural fit, or was it forced? Does the creature have a chance to shine? Do your NPCs fit in the location? Do their motives make sense? Is there an opportunity for roleplaying (appreciated but not essential)?
Numbers: Are all of your statistics and calculations correct? Are your skill check DCs reasonable?
Style: Did you watch Paizo’s styles, both in terms of writing and formatting? The more closely a writer can match Paizo’s styles in the turnover, the easier it is for me to develop. The easier it is for me to develop, the more eagerly I assign that author more work.

Setting
You’ve done a nice job of describing a new location in a few paragraphs, providing me enough information to create improvised encounters with other merchants, create a chase scene, respond to creative solutions in the upcoming encounter, and establish the bazaar as a recurring location. This seems to be a piece of Katheer that we’ve never seen before, but its exciting yet reasonable enough that I feel it would be a positive addition to canon.

The premise for the encounter is reasonable and small-scale, which is appropriate for a low-level, stand-alone encounter. That said, rushing to the aid of a panicked merchant is a rather tired premise. This would be a stronger encounter setup if the PCs were already in need of Zahmo’s services to help them in an ongoing adventure, but I realize that that would be beyond the scope of this assignment.

As a cartographic aside, the roughly 150-foot-long ship just south of the guttersnipe lair looks nice and breaks up the pattern of smaller boats, yet I have no idea how the thing ever got in through the snarled and twisting “alleys.”

NPCs and Creatures
Zahmo Zarr is a solid NPC. His access to important information strengthens his role in the encounter and beyond, and he definitely has some long-term potential. I appreciate the quick Q&A to give him some voice and provide the PCs some direction.

Stavrisi behaves much as a guttersnipe should, and her tactics all seem fitting. I approve of your noting how she prioritizes which books to take, which is a nice reflection of her lack of ranks in Appraise. Although the two cutpurses are going to seem like pushovers to a party of 3rd-level PCs, they do add some narrative and mechanical depth to the encounter—especially if Stavrisi can use her dirty trick to blind a PC.

Numbers
The numbers here add up. I appreciate the in-game explanation as to why some of the skill DCs are lower than would be expected.

Style
Overall this encounter is clean and polished.

Watch out for diction errors, such as your use of “extract” rather than “exact” in the Development section. Also, err on the side of placing creature descriptions and actions in the running text (standard text) rather that in the boxed, read-aloud text. This allows the GM more flexibility in how to roleplay NPCs and assumes less about the PCs’ actions. Finally, I would shift the creature species in the shortened stat blocks down to their own line (Stavrisi / Guttersnipe / XP 800 / hp 30) rather than including them in the title lines.

Closing Thoughts
This encounter has a somewhat uninspiring hook, yet everything comes together very nicely and cleanly.

I do recommend this encounter for advancement.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8 , Dedicated Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Mark D Griffin

More than halfway through the entries, and this is the first strong keep for me, so congratulations. As a side note, I'm sad that no one chose the chimney troll as the featured monster for their encounter. Had I been in the competition that would have been the direction I would have went. I look forward to seeing your module proposal.

The Exchange

I voted for you last round and as a fan of all things Al-Qadim-esque will be voting for you again. Whatever mistakes are being highlighted I feel they are nothing compared to the creativity being displayed.

Good luck in the future Mike.

P.S. It reminds me a little of the start of a great adventure Mad Gods Key as that had a superb chase scene.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

I really hope this floats in the air and not on water.

And it's on a boat. Well that's ok :)

Right, pretty typical boat market affairs. Thieves, orphan guides, swimming thieves, etc. I feel like you missed out including sharks or some sort of aquatic menace in the waters.

Guttersnipe sinking ships maybe?

Yep.

While this encounter focuses on the one boat, I think you also missed out on a more interesting map by not including a little more of sunken and almost-sunken ships.

Some alright Q & A stuff. Although I imagine that most of the players would ask "What kind of secrets and knowledge".

Cool use of rotting breath and personality for Stavrisi...no honor amongst thieves eh?

Again, I would at least think the river is nasty enough to warrant a Fort check to avoid some kind filth fever or something.

Ok developments...pretty obvious with books being and such.

Overall, the encounter has a decent idea (waterfront bazaar and good thieving personalities) but you missed out on ambient hazards and only a single boat and very little else. Weak reject for now but I could see a vote going to this.

Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7

I like what you did with the Guttersnipe. Using the rotting breath to sink boats is a nice idea. The encounter setup is a bit on the "play it safe" side but that seems prudent as many favorites have fallen by trying to do too much.

The encounter itself is very nice and cinematic.

So after doing my favorite monster you follow up with a very solid entry.

Will vote for.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka GM_Solspiral

The Good: Strong into and interesting environment. A good GM is going to use that NPC again and again to give the PCs hooks.
The Bad: Depending on the group this could well never be addressed.
The Ugly: This would not be much of a challenge for my players.
Overall: 8.5/10 This is quite good based on what I've seen thus far and might be my 4th place call, or it could get boxed out. I would up the challenge a great deal for my players in order to use this but there's enough there that I'd want to.


I just learned about this contest, being a long time Pathfinder player but never actually having an account (my GM takes care of all the published stuff, I just come to play). I'm looking through some of the entries, both from this year and the last couple years, and I thought I would contribute some thoughts.

I had similar difficulties with the intro here as I did with the Temple of the Serpent's Hand, nothing to do with your writing I just didn't know this part of the campaign setting. For what it's worth, I don't think your intro was boring. I usually play good-aligned characters who like knowledge, so your hook is just fine for me. I like how you included information about the surrounding cityscape even if it wasn't specifically part of your encounter; I do think encounters a supposed to be building blocks for an overarching story, and you have a great setup for a story beyond the encounter. The encounter itself also seems really fun; the cutpurses might be PC cannon fodder, but sometimes that's what the group needs to keep from getting frustrated. I watched your podcast interview and I agree that you definitely bring some spice to the contest, and I think this encounter plus your previous work has earned you a spot in the final four. Good luck!

Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

Disclaimer: I've been playing in Mike's "Thralls of Thrune" play-by-post for a few months now, and am going to have a more of a bias.

First Impression: The name is very descriptive, and the map backs that up. I like the inset map of the bazaar as a whole. The intro is spot-on: it's evocative, there's enough information to really set the scene, and and it lets the GM know how to play it if the PCs get side-tracked.
Upon Reflection: I like what you did with the guttersnipe and its expendable allies. Using its rotting breath attack against ships is a great use. I also like the throwaway line about the thugs grabbing books that look expensive. Zamo Zahr is a very good NPC, and I like the short Q&A you provided. The weak part is the hook: he just runs up to the PCs and asks for immediate aid. It would work better if the PCs were already looking for him, or if they already had a relationship with him.
Overall: This is a very solid entry, and my favorite so far. The terrain hazards will make for a very interesting fight. With a more compelling hook, this would be an A+. I'm giving it an A.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka burrahobbit

Hi Mike! This is an excellent entry. You've got a really flavorful location coupled with a cinematic encounter. The monster fits the location like a glove and there are good opportunities to make use of its abilities. Aquatic terrain can be frustrating for lower-level characters, but this setup is nice in that the water is a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. Nice work.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka JoelF847

This is a solid encounter, with tactical depth due to rotting wooden surfaces, and giving the guttersnipe some speed bumps/support. I also love that the guttersnipe doesn't care at all about sacrificing his hired help, and that you thought through his need for help stealing books, since they'd be destroyed if they simply fell into the water when he rotted the ship like in his other heists.

My only concern is that for a low level encounter, this could be deadly due to unexpectedly dumping PCs into the water, especially wearing armor, etc.

Star Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9

Well done Mike,
Is the encounter fun? Yes, threats of drowning on top of critters, & tactics that make sense. PCs in heavy armor will be worried about the terrain, PCs in lighter armor will be worried about the loss of items.
Is the encounter difficult to interpret? Nope, the map is well done. I loved the random debris.
Does the monster fit? It does, the guttersnipe is said to extort and you've given this one a 'mastermind' position giving him minions and the forethought by 'holing this hull' would not get the treasure. Its tactics match the critter description perfectly (weakened terrain).
This way to Dragathoa (I like to see beyond the encounter :) While there is a bigger picture with the whole bazaar, the PC's participation seems happenstance & afterword is only an issue if the critter survives. The knowledge bonus is useful however.

Nice work, good luck.

Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

After reviewing all of the Round 3 submissions, I have cast one of my votes for The Floating Bazaar.

Good luck, Mike!


This is beautifully written and I love the concept. I can really see the bazaar, and the wording is lovely. You have an excellent story here and you tell it well.

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

Hands down my favorite entry of the round. I thought most of the entries lacked in the encounter department: meaning even the ones with a god background and original ideas were pretty boilerplate as the actual combat encounters go. You took an initially humdrum concept and turned it on its head, which players will appreciate. That kind of thinking deserves a shot into the next round. Great job, Mike.

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

Mike Kimmel is stunned. He can take no actions except to thank you profusely for your feedback and support!

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 8

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Mike, I'll take this opportunity to say that your prior track record in this contest really made you one of my role models as a competitor. The fact that you broke the husk first as an alternate, then made it to top 32, and now are seated securely amongst the top 4 is an inspiration to me as a first time candidate and hopeful for next year. I think you've really paid your dues and shown just how much you've gained from those early years, and I think the judges and voters see that too.

Rock the house this round!

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Christopher Wasko wrote:

Mike, I'll take this opportunity to say that your prior track record in this contest really made you one of my role models as a competitor. The fact that you broke the husk first as an alternate, then made it to top 32, and now are seated securely amongst the top 4 is an inspiration to me as a first time candidate and hopeful for next year. I think you've really paid your dues and shown just how much you've gained from those early years, and I think the judges and voters see that too.

Rock the house this round!

Thanks Christopher! I'll be looking for your entry next year. :)

I'll probably be providing feedback for RPGSS 2015 in the Blazing 9 Months thread or via PM, so feel free to drop me a line if you like.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

1 person marked this as a favorite.

If you do hit the Blazing 9 then be brutal :)

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Mike - we should make an appearance at the Blazing 9 and just tear into those designs like we're gonna find a TPK at the bottom.

I think the B9 is a fantastic tool for designers who want to use the contest as a springboard, and I think having some finalists who participated or are familiar with the threads would have fun and help drive interest in the contest year-round!

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

Okay...that last statement was because I thought it's be fun to team up to offer feedback with other young designers. This thread is about your entry and propulsion into the final round.

You say you're stunned, but you knew you had a good entry and had the support of a lot of folks. You have to bring your best pitch, but your experiences will help you out a lot. Keep turning tropes into surprises, and tighten your writing as much as you can. You're a finalist in RPG Superstar!

Good luck my friend. We have four awesome finalists and I look forward to four awesome adventure pitches!

Paizo Employee RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8

Thanks Steven! I'll do my best to impress in Round 4. I was thrilled to see that you liked my encounter. For obvious reasons I value your opinions and feedback.

I'd love to shake things up in the B9 thread. You'll certainly see me there.

Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber

Kudos, Mike. I didn't dig your entry right away, but its quality is undeniable and ultimately earned my fourth vote because of that. Best of luck and rock the final round!

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka GM_Solspiral

Mike,

Congrats on making the top 4. You've had a long journey here but that gives the rest of us hope. You made it and you deserve it.

Some suggestions for round 4.
-Watch your show to tell ratio. What I mean by that is this, details serve 2 purposes immersion and function. Every detail should do one and in an ideal world both. If err on one side err on function.
-Trust your gut. You went for it a little more with the Chimney Troll then you seem to have with this encounter. It's a good encounter but I'd say Mikko took the win. Robert likely built an audience within a niche of folk who like to color outside the lines. Victoria might well get the we love an underdog/dark horse votes. I suspect Mikko is going to do what worked for him last round which took old and made it new, you need to do what worked for you in Round 2 which was a swing for the fences monster if ever I saw one. Go all in.

Advice overall: I think you might have a slight edge on everyone mechanically. I suspect you've matched wits with a few rules lawyers in your day and have come out the better for it. Earthbind boots solved a problem. Chimney Troll was right out of a Tim Burton yarn, and the floating Bazaar channeled all the cool Jacob had going with his guttersnipe and made good use. That is an impressive body of work thus far the trick will be (I'm going to get it for this) not pulling a Scott Fernandez from last year. HE was where you are at presently. He got nailed on formatting and that scroll golem (which I actually loved.)That said I'm also pretty sure he gets work.

Good Luck,
Frank Gori

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