So far I've seen....

[Eric Morton]

Thunderfrog wrote:

My point is solely that a voter probably shouldn't downvote an item because "copyright infringement", when that isn't actually happening.

What Thunderfrog said.

The rules explicitly allow entries to reference material published by Paizo. Cthulhu and several of his friends are monsters published by Paizo. Using them is 100% legal.

[Tripp Elliott]

The Hound of Tindalos is as Lovecraftian as it goes, and he's right there in the Bestiary 2

[Gennerik]

Argh, why would you decide to make that a [weapon] when it has absolutely no combat powers?

[Monica Marlowe]

Thunderfrog wrote:

You've both made some great points about Lovecraft, his writing, and the skill it takes to mix it with Pathfinder.

I agree with some but not all.

My point is solely that a voter probably shouldn't downvote an item because "copyright infringement", when that isn't actually happening.

I agree. I would like to say though that perhaps those are not the items to lead off with in a general popularity contest, which this is on some level. There have been some interesting Mythos stuff and I have liked it, but ultimately I doubt I'll see them again, because they belong in a more specialized grouping.

[Cthulhudrew]

Now I totally want to design a Prosthetic Rod item.

EDIT: Based on the "Peg Leg" idea. Get your minds out of the gutter, people!

[Monica Marlowe]

Ah, I found The One Ring. Or at least a close approximation...

[Tripp Elliott]

mamaursula wrote:

Ah, I found The One Ring.

Was it actually the 6 Ring?

[Monica Marlowe]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

Ah, I found The One Ring.

Was it actually the 6 Ring?

No, different, I have seen that ring as well.

[Ambrosia Slaad]

Cthulhudrew wrote:

Now I totally want to design a Prosthetic Rod item.

My brain keeps twisting "Prosthetic" into "Prostetnic", which makes me want to create Prostetnic Jeltz bard archetype.

[Aaron Miller 335]

Oh no a new cool item vs and old favorite, I will need time to work this one out!

[mplindustries]

mamaursula wrote:

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

mamaursula wrote:

Ah, I found The One Ring.

Was it actually the 6 Ring?

No, different, I have seen that ring as well.

Isn't the One Ring the Ring of Invisibility?

[Cthulhudrew]

mplindustries wrote:

Isn't the One Ring the Ring of Invisibility?

Only until the retcon.

[Aaron Miller 335]

I'm sure thats not how they work. and if that was my job and I had that item, I'd sell it, quit, and go live like a noble.

[frank gori]

roses are an interesting theme lately

[Aaron Miller 335]

codpiece are always necessary!

[Jeff Lee]

Hmm, two otherwise cool items with annoyingly anachronistic names.

[The black raven]

If your item states that it replicates the effect of a spell, it is probably better to mention that spell in the Construction Requirements

[The black raven]

And another item that lets you teleport after throwing it. With Dimension Door in the requirements.

I now wonder which spell appears most often in Construction Requirements this year.

[Monica Marlowe]

The black raven wrote:

And another item that lets you teleport after throwing it. With Dimension Door in the requirements.

I now wonder which spell appears most often in Construction Requirements this year.

I am willing to bet dimension door, summon swarm and reverse gravity are in the top 5.

[Jeff Lee]

Thank you for showing your work...

[Eric Morton]

dien wrote:

This was just general thoughts on D&D/PF + Cthulhu. :)

Re: general thoughts on PF + Cthulhu...

There are actually two versions of Cthulhu. As originally conceived by Lovecraft, Cthulhu symbolized an unknowable cosmos that rendered humanity irrelevant in the face of terrors they could neither comprehend nor defeat. This version of Cthulhu doesn't fit well in a game where the heroes are supposed to win.

After Lovecraft's death, August Derleth redefined Cthulhu. Cthulhu was now a cosmic champion of evil and hopelessness opposed by a pantheon of benevolent Elder Gods. This version of Cthulhu fits perfectly in a game where the heroes are supposed to win, since he is just a player in a fairly traditional battle between the forces of good and evil.

[The black raven]

This Rod is great and really there should be a metamagic feat that let's you do this. A keeper, even though it is dreadfully undercosted.

[The black raven]

Polished obsidian on the left.

Polished obsidian on the right.

Which shall win ?

Obsidian seems awfully popular.

[The black raven]

Belkar would gleefully kill for this :-))

[The black raven]

Nightmare to keep track of vs item of goody two-shoes :-/

I guess I prefer my game simple.

[Feros]

Jeff Lee wrote:

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

You would think it would be easy to figure out the price for a SIAC. Why is your price 5 times too much?

Filigree costs extra.

Especially mithral filigree.

[quibblemuch]

Feros wrote:

Especially mithral filigree.

Welp. I know what my next character's name is going to be...

[frank gori]

Ack I keep having to vote up that item despite the fact that it's too sexy for this party.

[Tripp Elliott]

The black raven wrote:

Belkar would gleefully kill for this :-))

Please! Belkar would gleefully kill for a ham sandwich.

[Feros]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

The black raven wrote:

Belkar would gleefully kill for this :-)

Please! Belkar would gleefully kill for a ham sandwich.

And be none too fussed about the ham.

[James Casey]

It seems to me there are also a lot of "thread"/"fishing line" items this year. Yes?

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Not sure which game system uses those alcohol rules.

[Nickolas Floyd]

Jeff Lee wrote:

Okay, wasn't blown away by this item first time around, but the more I see it, the more I like it.

Oh, yeah. That's totally my item.

[mplindustries]

What the crap? Is that a Happy Gilmore/Casey Jones item?

[Jeff Lee]

Word choice, people, word choice. Always have your friend with the dirtiest mind read your stuff. If there's unintentional innuendo there, they'll find it and giggle.

[Aaron Miller 335]

Thats one well armed cephalopod!

[James Casey]

Aaron Miller 335 wrote:

Thats one well armed cephalopod!

Must be the monster from last year's competition!

[Jeff Lee]

Take standard item, limit an ability to particular circumstances, add a bunch of fancy fluff to build a theme.

:/ Nope. Not quite.

[Matt Banach]

dien wrote:

I think that mixing Lovecraft and Pathfinder-style RPG requires a very deft touch, because the two worldviews and narrative styles are fundamentally at odds. Most PF-style RPG is about the heroes triumphing, plain and simple-- and at the core of Lovecraft's horror is the idea that you damn well can't. That, at best, you can survive through luck and ignorance, and probably you will wind up scarred and frightened, convinced of mankind's irrelevance against an uncaring doom, and you'll live the rest of your life with that knowledge and the knowledge you can't tell anyone, because what good would it do, etc...

One area where Lovecraft's work has a slightly different tone and purpose is his Dreamlands stuff, which is a little bit less about crushing despair and more about weirdness, surreality, and the tension of a human mind or body trying to navigate such strangeness. It is, I suggest, possible to bridge that gap and come back 'round to Pathfinder, as attempted in the 3PP plane-of-Dream-based Coliseum Morpheuon and associated works incorporating the Dreamlands/plane of Dream, the Men of Leng, moon beasts, and other Lovecraftian elements.

It'd be neat in some future RPGSS competition to have one round (probably a latter round) involve the creation of a cursed item specifically, in which case Cthulhu-mojo could run rampant.

I also agree with the sentiment that just slapping tentacles on an item doesn't make it Lovecraftian, but just because it isn't Lovecraftian doesn't mean it isn't still fun. Tentacles are weird and creepy, and just scream "MONSTER OMG KILL IT" as few other appendages do.

Actually, come to think of it, screaming tentacles would actually do that better. Cue the gibbering mouther!

[Jensen Toperzer]

Woah. That item is so simple and so elegant despite the name basically being a joke on an existing item, but like. I'm surprised that this thing hasn't existed in PF or even D&D in general before, especially given Gygax & Arenson's fondness for stupid puns and self-referential garbage.

like I was expecting a pure joke but no this is actually just so simple and elegant without being boring.

*e* Also I LOVE LOVE that it describes what it can do WITHOUT being like "this gives a +5 bonus to basketweaving." as a DM I would absolutely give ad-hoc bonuses to a whole slew of actions for using this item, but it doesn't lock you into what those bonuses are. So many possibilities!

[Hidari]

Finally saw my item!!

And yeah... it could use some editing. :/ Well, first year is a learning experience.

[Jeff Lee]

Free XP, check.

Ooh, that's a pretty staff.

[mplindustries]

TealDeer wrote:

Woah. That item is so simple and so elegant despite the name basically being a joke on an existing item, but like. I'm surprised that this thing hasn't existed in PF or even D&D in general before, especially given Gygax & Arenson's fondness for stupid puns and self-referential garbage.

like I was expecting a pure joke but no this is actually just so simple and elegant without being boring.

*e* Also I LOVE LOVE that it describes what it can do WITHOUT being like "this gives a +5 bonus to basketweaving." as a DM I would absolutely give ad-hoc bonuses to a whole slew of actions for using this item, but it doesn't lock you into what those bonuses are. So many possibilities!

Yep, that's my favorite item in the competition--even moreso than my own.

[Jaragil]

Technology vs. Forced alignment change with no save

Have a vote, tech item.

[Thomas LeBlanc]

Visualizing characters using some of these items is ridiculous.

[Jaragil]

Disney!

[frank gori]

Chicken VS Corn!

[R Pickard]

I Think You may Have Gone Overboard With Capitalization.

[Acre]

mplindustries wrote:

TealDeer wrote:

Woah. That item is so simple and so elegant despite the name basically being a joke on an existing item, but like. I'm surprised that this thing hasn't existed in PF or even D&D in general before, especially given Gygax & Arenson's fondness for stupid puns and self-referential garbage.

like I was expecting a pure joke but no this is actually just so simple and elegant without being boring.

*e* Also I LOVE LOVE that it describes what it can do WITHOUT being like "this gives a +5 bonus to basketweaving." as a DM I would absolutely give ad-hoc bonuses to a whole slew of actions for using this item, but it doesn't lock you into what those bonuses are. So many possibilities!

Yep, that's my favorite item in the competition--even moreso than my own.

I wish I knew what item you two are talking about! I know it's not my own, but I want to know if I've seen it and failed to realize how amazing this mystery item is :)

Well crafted, vague compliments, both of you! Kudos, your compliments are sure to make a few people's day!

[Eric Morton]

Jeff Lee wrote:

Take standard item, limit an ability to particular circumstances, add a bunch of fancy fluff to build a theme.

:/ Nope. Not quite.

If you're talking about [Redacted], I disagree. Restricting that ability in that way to fit that fluff was 100% Superstar. Imagine all the clunky ways a less Superstar designer might have tried to create that item (something involving [Redacted] transforming into [redacted] when exposed to [redacted], perhaps). As written, [Redacted] is a perfect example of a designer re-purposing existing mechanics to create entirely new flavor without having to invent a new rules subsystem.

Unless, of course, you aren't talking about [Redacted]. In that case, never mind.