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Congrats to the rest of the top 32! I'm honored to get another shot at this. Unlike my previous two attempts, I'm doing this as a father of a baby. I guess I'd better spend my now limited free time on my map.
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Or give up sleep. You might as well go with the sleep deprivation thing anyway, it's just a matter of time these next two months.Congratulations to all the newly true named and the returning Toppers from years past. Today is exciting, tomorrow you work! :-)I live in GMT +1 (+1 more for summertime), which means I'm 9 hours ahead... Does that mean no exciting for me, just work? :(
I gave up sleep years ago, always had trouble.
Then I became a parent a year ago, now rest seems a distant memory too. :P
All I want to do is work on my map, but I can't take a vacation day from being a dad. Going to be spending the day at Hershey Park, this won't be stressful at all!
All I want to do is work on my map, but I can't take a vacation day from being a dad. Going to be spending the day at Hershey Park, this won't be stressful at all!
It's funny, I was just this moment thinking my earlier chain lift analogy was inadequate, and that discovering you've made it into Superstar is much more like the launch of Storm Runner.
On the upside, use the bizarre landscaping and engineering seen at amusement parks as sources of inspiration. :)
Derro underdark roller coaster of twisted doom, I like it!
Top 32, I feel you. I'm also crazy busy doing maps, so I haven't had much time to read the items and congratulate you all properly... in any case, welcome to the guildhall you newcomers, and welcome BACK to the guildhall, you repeats! Reaching Top 32 multiple times is surely a sign that you guys have consistent design chops.
Good luck with your cartography, and remember: walls have thickness!
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That's what you get Pedro for making such a beautiful map on your entry!
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Lunch time, introduction time.
Hello everyone! I was born in former USSR Ukraine, shortly before the USSR was dissolved (you're welcome). As such, "Isaac" is the Americanized version of my true Slavic name.
Nowadays I reside and work in the Bay Area of California. I graduated with a degree in Economics (minor in Psychology). I'm a twenty-something.
I don't have any game design credits, but I do like coming up with new toys for my favorite kitchen table games (Pathfinder of course, but also games like MtG). My profile links to some homebrew I've posted on the forums in the past. My first homebrew that I can (vaguely) remember was for 3.5 when I was a young teen, and it was a full 1-20 class about bears.
This was my second year entering RPGSS.
Aside from gaming and reading, I also like baking cookies/breads and walking barefoot on morning grass (except it's rather dry in California right now, so bring on El Niño).
I'm excited to be here with all of you, and excited already for everyone who will be here in the future.
Bay Area! Woot! Represent!!!
Falling Isaac and going to make a quick intro before I get back to correcting my "cheetos fiasco".
I am a Texan (grew up and continue to live in West Texas). No don't do the cowboy thing. Well, when I was a young kid I did, but I lived in a farm town at that time.
I have my Bachelor's of Science in Biochemistry and currently work as a chemist (trace metals and minerals) and microbiologist (water microbiology) for my city's drinking water laboratory. Due to house projects and become a father last year, I actually have stopped playing Pathfinder (and pretty much everything else) other than a couple of play-by-post games.
In order to feed my need for gaming, I recently started blogging about RPGs (mostly Pathfinder and D&D). Of course, just as I started to get in the groove of writing posts, season 9 was announced early. So that project has taken a backseat.
This was my third year to enter, and I blame my best friend Mark. He entered 4 years ago, and got me hooked on the voting. I entered the following year.
This is getting long and so I'll just leave that as it is for now.
Going out of town tomorrow, so I should probably hurry up on this map since I will not be able to submit it during my 11 hour drive.
Here's me!
I'm Kiel Howell, I currently live in NW Ohio (which is where I also grew up) having moved from southern CA in June.
I'm a computer scientist by education and a software engineer by trade. Wife, daughter, son on the way, and 5 dogs.
I've gamed in various forms for the last 20 years and only in the last 4 have I gotten serious about designing. I entered RPGSS in season 6 with my Intellectual's Clay Pipe (which I still love but I see how boring it was) and every time since.
Anyhow, I've been published with various 3pp's, Fat Goblin, Flying Pincushion, Wayfinder, and Raging Swan. I'm furiously working on my map so if you'll excuse me...
Hey everyone!
My name is Robert Guthrie and this is my first time entering the contest, but I've been playing Pathfinder and RPGs in general for well over a decade (not that much when compared to some folks, but still the majority of my life).
I'm actually a freelance writer by trade, but I've never pitched anything for RPGs or tabletop gaming. It's a field I'd love to break in to, and I do a ton of tweaking/homebrewing for the games I DM, so it's a natural next step.
Obviously I'm beyond thrilled to have made it so far on my first entry and, no matter what happens, I'm excited to get involved with the community. I had a great time voting for items and I can't wait to see what maps people come up with!
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Snowblossom
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Lunch time, introduction time.
Hello everyone! I was born in former USSR Ukraine, shortly before the USSR was dissolved (you're welcome). As such, "Isaac" is the Americanized version of my true Slavic name.
My father's side of the family is from Ukraine - from a small village called Rudniki in the Lviv Oblast :)
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka Snowblossom
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I guess I should do the whole introduction post as well. I’ve been playing RPGs since my cousin introduced me to D&D when I was 12 (back in 1992) and I’ve been hooked ever since. Like most children of the 80’s, I’m a huge fan of 80’s fantasy movies and cartoons. In addition to gaming, I’m also involved in my local J-fashion community.
I have a BA degree in psychology and work as an admin assistant, but my true passion is writing children’s literature. I live in New York City with my husband (a former Top 32 Superstar), our many books and our overflowing boxes of miniatures.
Right now I’m playing in a “Reign of Winter” campaign, a “Jade Regent” campaign and we also just started a “Kingmaker” campaign. I occasionally play in my local PFS games as well. My husband and I also regularly run LARPs at local gaming conventions. I don’t talk much on these forums because I am a little shy, so I’m sorry if I seem a bit quiet ^_^;
Anyway, I just want to extend a big congratulations to all the Top 32 + alts! Wishing you all the best of luck. It is an honor to be among such a talented group of creative people.
My father's side of the family is from Ukraine - from a small village called Rudniki in the Lviv Oblast :)Lunch time, introduction time.
Hello everyone! I was born in former USSR Ukraine, shortly before the USSR was dissolved (you're welcome). As such, "Isaac" is the Americanized version of my true Slavic name.
With a name ending in -sky, I don't doubt it. My own last name has a similar ending (I'm considering updating my name to final stage true name. Maybe). I'm from Kharkiv.
Hello!
Taking a moment away from coloring, and before I wash my hands, I'll introduce myself.
I'm Jarrett Sigler. I'm from the U.S.A, born and bred in Illinois.
This means the only options for entertainment was farming, football, drinking, eating or Insurance.
I chose reading fantasy and sci-fi. Then Video games became a thing, and I grew more and more obsessed. From there, an appreciation for board-games and card games grew then from there, pick-a-path books.
I have been obsessed with rules, and peoples interactions with such things ever since.
I've also become obsessed with learning, tutelage, education, art, and really anything else that crossed my mind.
I'm also amateur blacksmith.
I also stream video games publicly on my twitch channel, and hope to one day move to Role-playing games when I can afford a microphone.
For an occupation, I am a corporate drone in a mega-insurance company. I have aspirations of becoming a Game Designer, and owner of the worlds first gentleman's club for gamers.
Since coming here, I've become OBSESSED with unlocking what this "Mojo" is, and harnessing it.
I am here to learn and to grow.
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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Here's me!
I'm Kiel Howell, I currently live in NW Ohio (which is where I also grew up) having moved from southern CA in June.
I'm a computer scientist by education and a software engineer by trade. Wife, daughter, son on the way, and 5 dogs.
I've gamed in various forms for the last 20 years and only in the last 4 have I gotten serious about designing. I entered RPGSS in season 6 with my Intellectual's Clay Pipe (which I still love but I see how boring it was) and every time since.
Anyhow, I've been published with various 3pp's, Fat Goblin, Flying Pincushion, Wayfinder, and Raging Swan. I'm furiously working on my map so if you'll excuse me...
O-H!
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Oh no. I'm a Spartans fan when I do (rarely) watch sports. The only IO I give is when I println.
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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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Oh no. I'm a Spartans fan when I do (rarely) watch sports. The only IO I give is when I println.
I'm not a Bucks fan either, but at least we'll always have ... nothing, we live in Ohio, we have nothing.
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Awww, come on, I spent a significant chunk of my young life outside of Dayton where my dad was stationed at Wright-Pat, and it was a great place to grow up. Saw my first D&D set (the old beginner's Blue Box) there!
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I lived in Columbus for 7 years and loved it. I also like southern central Ohio as the foothills and woods start there. Where I am (40 miles west of Toledo) is nothing but flat cornfield as far as the eye can see.
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/me peaks in the room. Slowly opens the door...wow! So THIS is what its like in here! Wooooooooooooow. I feel very proud and honored to be included among a group of such great and talented designers!
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I spent the longest year of my life in Coshocton. To this day, I describe it as two hours west of Pittsburgh, two hours south of Cleveland, two hours east of Columbus.
And the worst part was the smell, not to mention all the baskets...
Fortunately, I moved to State College after that: WE ARE!
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Oh! So stunned by being in here, I forgot to introduce myself. A little over one year ago I was surfing the message boards and saw someone post with a cool blue title after their name...I thought, "Hey! I want one of those too!"
Turned out it was the RPG Superstar tag and that person told me I had just missed Season 7 and would have to wait until Season 8 to enter. And so, here I am a Season later! In the interim, I have had the great opportunity to work and publish with some great and talented designers, developers, editors, teachers, mentors in some 3pp.
I live in St. Louis, MO. with the wife and 3 year old kiddo. Graduated from Washington University Medical School in STL. I started playing roleplaying games in 7th grade summer school, when our teacher figured he had 6 possible players that had to be there everyday. I have been a big fan of roleplaying games ever since and plan on continuing to design and write til I am old and gray!
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka mechaPoet
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Hello friends!
My name is Stephen and I currently live in Portland, OR. I moved here from Hawai'i to go to college and stayed after graduating with an English degree. I actually only started playing tabletop RPGs a few years ago and this is my second time entering Superstar.
My interests include various games, cute dresses, and dank memes.
Gonna go back to stressing about my map now. v.v
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Greetings from the Alternate side.
I seem to be the only entrant, as far as I can tell, to be living outside the US.
I'm Kim and living in Denmark, together with my (English) wife and fellow gamer geek, our daughter (who is a future gamer geek) and our Basset Hound Plato the Magnificent.
Interests are too many to list, but they obviously include RPGs, both p&p and computer - mainly p&p though, board games and reading fantasy and sci-fi novels.
I'm impressed at the competition this year, the list of people who've had articles published previously is extremely daunting.But I hope than my fellow first-timers and I have made a favorable impression.
Good luck everyone. :)
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
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I seem to be the only entrant, as far as I can tell, to be living outside the US.
Ah, Europeans!
Jeg tror, at Vadims kommer fra Letland. Jeg er ikke sikker på om der findes andre europæere i top 32.
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Well, I've got my map all drawn up, which leaves me the whole evening after work to get it scanned and fiddle with the digital end of things to get it submitted.
How's everyone else doing?
Map Digitally scanned. Map fiddled with Digitally. Minor corrections in place.
Working on my 50 words today, and the name of the location.
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I seem to be the only entrant, as far as I can tell, to be living outside the US.
I'm Kim and living in Denmark...
There must be something in the Nordic water that nourishes game designers, because it seems like every year we have at least one contestant from Scandinavia.
I submitted my map this morning, so now I have a moment to look up and survey the territory.
I'm the other Wasko, and I'm basically here following in Chris' footsteps. I helped edit my brother's entries throughout his RPGSS tenure, and following his progress is what got me hooked on game design. I've published a couple of projects with Raging Swan Press, and contributed monsters to the "Here Be Monsters" contest by A Sword for Hire and Outland Entertainment's "Creatures of the Outlands" blog.
Chris and I have been playing Pathfinder and its predecessors since middle school, and it's been a constant for us through tons of ups and downs in life. We've done mostly homebrew material, but we've become increasingly fond of playing Paizo's APs and modules, and recently gotten involved in organized play. We both have a penchant for introducing new players to the game (I'm actually giving 3 new players their first experience this weekend with Crypt of the Everflame). I'm also involved in ongoing Giantslayer and Mummy's Mask campaigns.
Outside of gaming I'm an MD/PhD student starting the first year of my program's graduate phase. I like dancing, improvisational comedy, Rennaissance Faires, and exploring the wilderness.
I fell off the face of the earth for a couple months earlier this year because I was studying for my National Medical Licensing Exam, but now that I passed I'm aiming to be more active on the messageboards!
Well, I've got my map all drawn up, which leaves me the whole evening after work to get it scanned and fiddle with the digital end of things to get it submitted.
How's everyone else doing?
Going to finish some lab works, scan, put on the finishing touches, and type up the description I wrote on last night. Hopefully. Going on vacation later today, so need to submit it a bit early.
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Only one thing cooler getting the news that you got into RPGSS! It's getting that news while IN Disney World! Hehe It is surprisingly conducive to the creative process.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Marathon Voter Season 9
aka Thrawn007
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Pending feedback from a couple of friends, looks like my map is done...so now I have time to introduce myself.
I'm Robert Thomson, from Bartlett, Tennessee (a suburb of Memphis).
Personal Life
I'm a consultant working with a partner of SAP software. I'm married (to a non-gamer...so won't be joining the ranks of spouse contestants) and a father of two. I grew up in San Deigo, California, and then lived in Iowa on my eventual journey to Memphis.
Turned forty this year and always regretted never publishing any RPG material, so thank you all for participating in and supporting my midlife crisis.
Gaming
I started playing Dungeons and Dragons in the early 80's, having to sneak in games, since my mother read articles that the game led to satanism. She pointed them out to me any time she saw them in the paper. By a decade later, I had her converted, when my parents bought a small town hobby store, running game nights every Saturday, where my mom remarked "This isn't satanic at all" and I got to give a big I told you so.
I've written, but never published things for numerous games over the years including multiple campaign worlds/settings for Dungeons and Dragons, a San Diego citybook for Vampire the Masquerade, and "Anniversary Tribute" re-imaginings of original West End Games Star Wars d6 modules. (I'll be breaking out Tatooine Manhunt to celebrate the new movies in December!) This is also my first time really getting involved with RGPSS. (I voted a few times previously, but the normal schedule is rough for me.)
After an over a decade long hiatus doing any regular gaming (although I still wrote during that time), I found Pathfinder Society, and will be celebrating 2 years playing Pathfinder in the next couple weeks. I'm now a venture officer for the Memphis area, trying to figure out how to recruit GM's, players, venues, and conventions to turn the mid-south into a PFS powerhouse. (We have a LONG way to go.)
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka CalebTGordan
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I think I introduced myself last year but here we go again.
My name is Taylor C. Hubler and I am known on the boards and in some online communities as Caleb T. Gordan. I am currently a Senior at CSU Monterey Bay by day and a garage attendant by night. I live in the Monterey Bay area with my wife Melina, our two dogs, a cat, and my pre-teen brother (who we are taking care of for a few months while my homeless mother finds a place she can raise him in.)
I started gaming about 18 years ago with one of the last box sets TSR put out for AD&D. With that box set I learned how to make friends, tell stories, and get all the worlds in my head onto paper. Since then I have played about a dozen different systems, not including a few I created myself.
I was introduced to the Pathfinder RPG back when the Advanced Player's Guide came out. I don't know what it was about the game and the community around it but not long afterwards I went off to my first PaizoCon and became inspired to do what I needed to do to make a career in the industry. It has been a long and bumppy ride but I have been making good progress in my goal.
This is my second season in a row making it this far, and I look forward to seeing what this years brings.
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*SLAM*
*Stomps to the corner, curls into a fetal position and whimpers in hunger!*
*Noticing no one watching, a smile spreads across his lips as he pulls out some template food taken from the Top 32 + 4!*
*Munch, slurp*
*Not as well fed as prior years, he soon quiets his empty stomach and wonders how long it will be before over half the field realise they were far too mean to feed him this year!*
*drowsy from his repast, he sleeps and dreams...*
*Yawns and stretches, awoken by Template Fu's gentle snores*
Ahhh, it must be time for Maps soon! I smell fresh scanning in the air!
*Takes his leave to the bathroom to refresh for the reviewing ahead*
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*Yawns and stretches, awoken by Template Fu's gentle snores*
Ahhh, it must be time for Maps soon! I smell fresh scanning in the air!
*Takes his leave to the bathroom to refresh for the reviewing ahead*
(ETA: I realize it is far more important at this point to focus on the new season, not old news. I'm just being a drama queen (with a far amount of silliness to boot).)
Alright. Submission complete. Time to start packing >.<
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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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Oh! So stunned by being in here, I forgot to introduce myself. A little over one year ago I was surfing the message boards and saw someone post with a cool blue title after their name...I thought, "Hey! I want one of those too!"
Turned out it was the RPG Superstar tag and that person told me I had just missed Season 7 and would have to wait until Season 8 to enter. And so, here I am a Season later! In the interim, I have had the great opportunity to work and publish with some great and talented designers, developers, editors, teachers, mentors in some 3pp.
I live in St. Louis, MO. with the wife and 3 year old kiddo. Graduated from Washington University Medical School in STL. I started playing roleplaying games in 7th grade summer school, when our teacher figured he had 6 possible players that had to be there everyday. I have been a big fan of roleplaying games ever since and plan on continuing to design and write til I am old and gray!
Summer school? Which class were you in summer school for, because that sounds awesome.
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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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I seem to be the only entrant, as far as I can tell, to be living outside the US.Ah, Europeans!
** spoiler omitted **
Isaac V is as well, but he's currently stateside, if I recall correctly. He may reveal is true name to us yet.
And... submitted! Man! I'm exhausted. I've been thinking breathing living map design since I made the cut, to the point of even dreaming about map layouts. Which makes for weird dreams, because they were all 2D and filled with symbols and other obscure dream-fueled map esoterica...
So a little about me: I discovered rp by way of Steve Jackson's Fighting Fantasy books, which led me to sign up for my middle school's rpg club where I played MERP for a year. When I moved to the US and entered high school I started playing AD&D, and still play with my old group to this day via Google Hangouts and Roll20.
I'm a self published author and marketing coordinator, and the exhausted and proud father of a supremely cute and determined one year old daughter. I've always dreamed of publishing rpg material, to the point of sighing over Paizo job ads, so this opportunity is mind blowing. I'm doing my best to enjoy the moment, and look forward to whatever this competition might bring!
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka mechaPoet
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And... submitted! Man! I'm exhausted. I've been thinking breathing living map design since I made the cut, to the point of even dreaming about map layouts. Which makes for weird dreams, because they were all 2D and filled with symbols and other obscure dream-fueled map esoterica...
I know what you mean. I haven't been dreaming about mapping, but I keep imagining text fields as top down map views and then I get confused about why all the words are "descending" on a flat surface.