The Unofficial Top 32 Guildhall and Haunted House

[Jason Evans]

Isaac V wrote:

It looks like a lot of people (not just this year but overall) have backgrounds in tech or in history/writing/theatre.

But we're missing some important demographic information.

Are you a cat person (correct answer) or a dog person?

Dogs4lyfe

[Kris Newton]

Hey, folks,

Forgive the late introduction, but this season of Superstar comes during a huge time crunch for me. Demographic info and trivia:

1. I'm Kris Newton from Eureka, CA (the real-life inspiration for Duckburg!). I'm 32, male, married, and not a duck.

2. I recently started writing for Flying Pincushion Games (nothing that's been released yet). Lots of familiar faces from FPG in this year's Top 32!

3. I just finished GMing a 16th-level adventure in my long-running PF campaign, which we've played from 1st level. A Jenga tower was involved due to my latent story-gaming tendencies.

4. De facto cat person. The cat life chose me.

5. I'm co-host of the Gameable Podcast. We recently finished our series on roleplaying in the worlds of all the animated Disney films; we're working our way through the Pixar movies now (in fact, I'm writing this post in-between editing sessions for this weekend's episode). I'm not very active on the Paizo forums, so if you want to get to know me, the podcast is your best bet.

Good luck to everyone, and sorry that I don't have more time to be active on the forum during the competition. Hopefully, my work will speak for me (and not just say "I'm so tired").

[Monica Marlowe]

Isaac V wrote:

Hm, that is strange Brian. Maybe it's because you're not a member of the Cult of 9 (no season 9 voter tag)?

Honestly, not sure. May they bequeath unto you your earned glory.

Alternates are only true named, they do not receive tags if they are not part of the Top 36. However, we do not discriminate in the Guildhall, all who are true named by the contest are welcome...in the attic this year, I believe. :-)

Nah just joking, the alternates have to sweat through the first round right along side of the other Top 32s, since there's no telling what may befall a contestant in the first week. Who knows, maybe you'll have to quit the contest to move to Seattle and join Paizo's staff. It has happened before.

[Isaac Volynskiy]

Brian isn't an alternate though.

[frank gori]

Hi everyone,

I'll skip the stuff you can find in my bio on the boards on on my blog and get right into the important stuff. Besides I know a goodly number fo you already.

Important stuff: I'm very much a cat person, dogs are just too needy and I appreciate a little bit of arrogance and attitude in my pets. I hate walking on the beach because I live on lake Ontario and there's definitely a difference between a "Great Lake" and the ocean. If I could draw better I would have snuck a pin-cushioned wizard in my map.

I hope no one is offended that I commented on all of your items. I skipped the good bad ugly routine this year as I'm trying to avoid getting too detailed and seeming like I'm campaigning. I'll root for everyone making the most of their opportunity even as part of me secretly hopes 3-4 of you suddenly fall in love/win the lotto/go on a surprise cruise and have to drop out...

Cheers
~Frank

[Mark Nordheim]

I haven't received a tag for this year yet either. I think this happens to a few people every year.

[Jarrett Sigler]

frank gori wrote:

I'll root for everyone making the most of their opportunity even as part of me secretly hopes 3-4 of you suddenly fall in love/win the lotto/go on a surprise cruise and have to drop out...

Cheers
~Frank

It's funny you should mention that... My girlfriend and I are going on a paid vacation next week! You didn't... pay for that at all did you?

If you did! Thanks!

[Charlie Brooks]

Excuse the late introduction, but I'm on vacation and have limited Internet access.

I'm a cat person, although my current cat may convert me to being a dog lover forever.

I've played RPGs since the 90s and jumped over to Pathfinder as soon as it came out. I have other publishing credits in places like Dragon and Shadis magazine (anybody remember that?).

In terms of current RPG-related material, I write a weekly blog called "Beer and Pretzels" over at Sidekickcast.com, where I talk about old RPGs, D&D weirdness, and reviews of the Pathfinder comic series.

[Chris Lambertz]

Heya, if you're missing your Top 32 tag, please drop a line to [e-mail] and I'll get you sorted out :)

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

Philip Tucker wrote:

Does anybody know if the judges will post Round 3 rules early like they did for Round 2? Or do they make the reveal when the winners are announced?

We may or may not get the full rules out early.

The monster round will be for a fantasy-themed monster tied to Golarion, CR 6-9, referencing no rules elements* not in the PRD (but allowed to access any Golarion lore), with a CR from 6 to 9.

There's no specific theme requirement this year.

*You can make up your own new abilities if appropriate and within CR and word count, but don't reference any existing rule or ability if it's not in the PRD.

[Rose Stack]

I have a dog and a cat who get on pretty well. So I'm going to diplomatically decline from choosing a side. I only have a thing against birds, but that's because birds tend to not like my partner for unknown and probably nefarious reasons.

[Brian Minhinnick]

I love cats and dogs. I own a cat however, and have two of feline species tattooed on my chest (tiger/lion). If I were in Golarion I would definitely have an animal companion of some kind.

[william collins]

Chris Lambertz wrote:

Hey Top 32 (and alternates)! I can confirm that I have 36 entries in the contest inbox (all submitted before the deadline, woot!), so hopefully this brings some ease. I'm working on hooking them up to the text portion of your entries today, and judges will be looking at them over the long weekend. As I'm not a judge, this isn't an official quality comment, but as a person who sees these things come across my desk: awesome job during this super short deadline! We know the unanticipated delay in announcement was a curve ball for many, so you should be proud of yourselves :)

Thank you thank you! It was hard to go to sleep last night, worrying that I somehow fumbled the map submission process. My anxiety beast is satiated—for the moment.

[william collins]

I receive a racial bonus on cat empathy checks, so it seems natural for me to side with the feline faction. But I also love dogs, so choosing between the two is a sticky wicket. If only there were some way to combine the two...

A couple of options:

Here's one way.

Here's another. Yes, I had this book as a child.

[Isaac Volynskiy]

Jarrett Sigler wrote:

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.

Which games?

[Kalyna Conrad]

Isaac V wrote:

Are you a cat person (correct answer) or a dog person?

Cats... sooo many cats... (4 in fact) (=

[Monica Marlowe]

Isaac V wrote:

Brian isn't an alternate though.

My bad...it has been a long week and all the new names with old faces is confusing at this point.

[Kim Frandsen]

Monica Marlowe wrote:

Isaac V wrote:

Brian isn't an alternate though.

My bad...it has been a long week and all the new names with old faces is confusing at this point.

Better than old names with new faces surely? :P

[Jarrett Sigler]

Isaac V wrote:

Jarrett Sigler wrote:

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.

Which games?

The more important question, is which games DON'T I stream.

I have a facebook page. It has a total list of all the games my computer is capable of streaming, and all of my PS4 games.

I want to when I get a microphone, stream Every role-playing game I own.

This is extensive.

[Chris Shaeffer]

Hey folks, my name is Chris. Sorry for not being around much! I have been gearing up for a horribly timed three-week work trip to Japan, so it's tough to juggle everything. (Still excited! I leave Monday! Ack!)

I've been following and participating in the contest for a while. I guess my main motivation in previous years has been for fun and because, "heck, why not give it a go?"... I always seem to forget how hair-pullingly, non-sleepingly tough it can get.

I am the sort of person who starts off strong and kind of trails off into mediocrity as life and fatigue creep in. So that is my main challenge. In any case, I am hungering to give it my all and try to win it. I have decided this season will be my last attempt before just going ahead and doing professional game design on my own, so that should be a good motivator!

Uh, not to get too serious though. I still do it mostly for fun. :)

[Kiel Howell]

Jarrett Sigler wrote:

Isaac V wrote:

Jarrett Sigler wrote:

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.

Which games?

The more important question, is which games DON'T I stream.

I have a facebook page. It has a total list of all the games my computer is capable of streaming, and all of my PS4 games.

I want to when I get a microphone, stream Every role-playing game I own.

This is extensive.

Destiny PS4 here too! I don't get on nearly as ugh as I'd like but my I go by theheadkase on the PSN.

[BJ Hensley]

Chris Lambertz wrote:

Hey Top 32 (and alternates)! I can confirm that I have 36 entries in the contest inbox (all submitted before the deadline, woot!), so hopefully this brings some ease. I'm working on hooking them up to the text portion of your entries today, and judges will be looking at them over the long weekend. As I'm not a judge, this isn't an official quality comment, but as a person who sees these things come across my desk: awesome job during this super short deadline! We know the unanticipated delay in announcement was a curve ball for many, so you should be proud of yourselves :)

I'm glad you posted this, I submitted so close to deadline I was worried about it being lost! I Never again want to make a map in such a short time frame...

Also, I'm a dog person. And I love Destiny! It's the reason we own two PS4s. I apologize for being quiet, I had to catch up on sleep and six children who wanted attention. Good luck everyone!

[Taylor Hubler]

I don't mind dogs, and I love the two that I own, but I am more of a cat person. This is especially true for my awesome cat, who is a great cuddler.

[Andrew Black]

Congrats to all the top 32 and alternates. I haven't had the time to be as involved this year. I did vote a few times and some of my likes are on the list. Good luck.

[Curaigh]

*blowing some dust off a verrry old key*

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

"Great stuff"...

Then start thinking about adventures. If you get past Round 3, you'll be surprised how quickly you need to have your basic idea in for approval even before you write up the larger pitch. I'd try to get a few ideas together that could work with whatever twist you get and at various CRs and outline them.
... more great stuff...
If you want to win, now's the time to set yourself up for it.

I would like to encourage you to write every day. Set aside an hour or a half hour or whatever you can. Work on a single project and only that for a half hour. Posting a hundred words in a ten different threads creates a habit that doesn't translate well to writing. So, even if it is stream of conscience thought, learn to focus on a single project for a half-hour/hour. It will make the half-hour you do get to design the next assignment much more productive. If you can, write 200 words a day toward an adventure pitch. In a month's time you will have a pitch that can be thinned to meet the twists for R5, or you will have a decent adventure pitch to work into the PFS open call or other 3PP.

*moves to the mantle to join the other, mostly quiet, busts*

[Jacob W. Michaels]

Curaigh added a good point: Even if you come up with a pitch that you don't use for Superstar, you can possibly use it elsewhere (obviously without the Golarion specifics).

My Ironwall Gap Must Stand module is based on what I would have submitted in 2012 had I advanced.

[Curaigh]

Since I can't edit Jacob's post. :)

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

Curaigh added a good point: Even if you come up with a pitch that you don't use for Superstar, you can possibly use it elsewhere (obviously without the Golarion specifics).

My Ironwall Gap Must Stand module is based on what I would have submitted in 2012 had I advanced.

[Garrett Guillotte]

william collins wrote:

Quick aside: I just learned how to make an em dash! I feel inappropriately proud of myself.

DID SOMEONE SAY DASHES?

Hey, here's a three-minute video about dashes.

[Matt Goodall]

Congratulations all. Looking forward to admiring your maps in a couple of days.

[Taylor Hubler]

Garrett Guillotte wrote:

william collins wrote:

Quick aside: I just learned how to make an em dash! I feel inappropriately proud of myself.

DID SOMEONE SAY DASHES?

Hey, here's a three-minute video about dashes.

Dashes? Dashes! We don't need no stink'n dashes!

[Vadims Hesins]

We don't need no BBCode,
We don't need no dash control,
No word counter in the contest,
Hey, Judges! Leave the Top alone!

All in all it's just another map on the wall.

;)

[Walter Sheppard]

What a fun place I now find myself in!

continues to watch on expectantly.

[Neil Spicer]

A sudden breeze brings a flurry of multi-colored autumn leaves winding their way through one of the open windows. They hang suspended in mid-air, coming together to form a rather tired, middle-aged human male's face. Shortly thereafter, the leaves begin to rustle together in an approximation of a whispering voice.

"Hey, guys! Apologies for not poking my head in here earlier. I've been a tad busy from reviewing magic items and maps. Lots of good stuff, it's just been a true Labor Day weekend to get through it all. I'm sorry I couldn't visit the guildhall in person, but I sent these leaves so I could still stay in contact. Currently, I'm visiting a certain Legendary Planet in an effort to get our next adventure out the door. If you haven't checked out what I'm up to with that big project, feel free to break out your crystal balls and Google it."

"In the meantime, a lot of you are about to receive a boatload of feedback on your maps. In typical fashion, I may have gone a bit overboard, but I pretty much know only one speed when it comes to commentary/feedback. I keep promising myself that I'll 'keep it short' only to get several hundred words into it before I remember my per-word pay rate doesn't apply here. Regardless, keep up the great work, and remember to avoid commenting on your stuff or discussing it elsewhere (even other sites or personal blogs) while the voting is going on. Best of luck to you all. I hope you're already gleaning a lot from the experience the competition provides. Hopefully, I can pop in from time to time stir things up. But for now, I'll bid you farewell."

The face among the floating leaves fades as they separate once more and catch upon the breeze to exit through the window.

[Kiel Howell]

*blinks* Cor, you see them leaves?

[Jeffrey Swank]

Neil, that sounds awesome! Love me some feedback! Thank you for dedicating so much time to it.

[R D Ramsey]

*Looks at leaves.*

*Looks at calendar.*

"More like the first leaves of Autumn, eh?"

[Taylor Hubler]

Neil: Just asking for a friend of a friend, but was it alright for them to use finger painting for the map? I haven't seen it myself but he described it as a fusion of impressionistic, cubism, and Jackson Pollack while remaining true to Gygax roots.

[Kalyna Conrad]

Thank you, Neil for your tireless dedication to the game. (= Also, nice leaves... I might get me some of those...

[Kiel Howell]

With ~3 hours until R2 reveal time, I'd like to offer congratulations and good luck to all of Top 32 + 4 members for this season. I look forward to seeing your maps and remember, you've already done a heck of a job getting here.

As various others have said, if you truly are interested in writing as a freelancer, don't stop at this competition. I know I personally grew enough to get me here by writing for a couple of years now as a freelancer for 3pp products.

Again, good luck folks and even though we can't guarantee the outcome I look forward to seeing what R3 brings!

[william collins]

I'd like to add*: Please Remain Calm. Don't stress out over all the little mistakes or should-have-dones connected with your map. It may not be perfect, but it's out there now and viewers' feedback helps you learn.

*this is for me as much—or more—than anyone else. My anxiety levels are Orange.

[william collins]

Also, good luck and kudos to everyone for making it this far!

[R Pickard]

I am really excited about the reveal today. Can't wait! Is that weird?

Anyway, good luck, top 32!

[Jeff Hazuka]

Best of luck, Top 36!

I recommend not panicking between rounds. Be calm. Be cool. Cool guys don't look at explosions (or incendiary reviews).

[Donald Robinson]

I'm excited and nervous.

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to see what all of you guys came up with. I know my idea woke me up at 3:30 am one night.

[Isaac Volynskiy]

Ultimately you've turned in something you're proud of, so stand tall.

[frank gori]

Good luck to all. I think anxiety is natural even for us alternates we likely do not have a dog in that hunt.

Regardless of what happens over the next few weeks we all made it this far which is an accomplishment so kudos to everyone.

[R D Ramsey]

Break some legs, all!

That's how the saying goes, isn't it? Or maybe that's just for the murderhobos.

[Brian J. Fruzen]

After finally finishing reviews of the Top 32 items, I'm confident we're all about to see some imaginative maps! Good luck and congratulations on making it this far!

[Monica Marlowe]

There are some really amazing maps over on this map page I found. Nice work Top 32.