Blighted Beginnings—Writing is a Sensory Experience

Friday, February 19, 2016

Last year I competed in the Paizo's RPG Superstar contest, and earlier this week I saw my complete winning adventure. It was humbling to see my first design work become reality. Roleplaying games are an integral part of my daily and family life. I play Pathfinder at least once a week, sometimes with friends, my children, complete strangers—I love to game! I love the social aspects of gathering around a table to share in the group storytelling experience. We explore, we laugh, we fight, we are a party, and we are together. As gamers we experience things outside our everyday lives, see places that exist in our collective imaginations. We get to be "not ourselves."

Winning RPG Superstar introduced me to a new aspect of my favorite hobby. I created a space for gamers to explore Nar-Voth and discover new things about themselves (should gamers follow those threads). One of the most important parts of the design process was finding places to include roleplaying solutions in addition to combat solutions. Creating believable NPCs was both fun and challenging. My favorite characters to create were the three "big bad" encounters. The personalities and relationships between Zohir and her underlings were crucial to giving options to players for dealing with the encounters. For each NPC, I created files of real and fictional people and relationships, created musical soundtracks, and for a few, I had specific perfumes that I wore when I wrote their scenes to help me focus and round out NPCs that could have ended up moustache twirling villains. Even now when I wear some of them I'm put in the frame of mind of Zohir and Delbera. (Editor's Note: Apparently Lady Delbera is Vétiver Fatal. We leave it up to you, dear readers, to convince Monica to share the rest!)

Illustrations by Sally Gottschalk and Vicky Yarova

Thank you Paizo, Lisa Stevens, Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, and RPG Superstar voters and judges! Without this supportive gaming community we would still be searching for like-minded friends to share our dreams. Thank you for sharing my dream of an axe wielding dwarven cleric. Thank you Andrew for believing in me and for your endless support. This module is for all of you!

Monica Marlowe
Contributing Author

More Star Power—Nick Wasko Wins RPG Superstar!

Friday, October 30, 2015

Many congratulations to Nick Wasko, who has won Season 9 of RPG Superstar!

The path to victory for Nick has been long and difficult. Through three months, five rounds, and more than a quarter of a million votes, he has continued to employ skill and creativity to overcome writing challenges that demanded originality, clarity, and strong game design. Along the way he forged armor powered by the banshee's wrath, dared to reveal the dangers of an ice dam, unleashed the fabled horror of the matianak, and offered GMs an opportunity to run players through the trials of Dead Man's End.

For the final round Nick wrote the adventure proposal Beneath the Storm-Veiled Spires, weaving a story of hags, thunderbirds, shipwrecks, and drowned cities, all set in the Sodden lands. The voters have spoken, and work will begin soon to turn this proposal into a full-fledged Pathfinder Module!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank our voters and community, without whom this contest could not exist, as well as all the contestants who put in many hours of hard work and anticipation. I'd also like to thank our judges, especially Neil Spicer, who undertook the massive task of judging every round, and Adam Daigle and Crystal Frasier, who tackled the very difficult job of helping to judge the final round. Finally, I hope everyone will join me in thanking Chris Lambertz, who provides crucial logistics and technical support for the RPG Superstar competition in addition to her extensive and crucial responsibilities at Paizo.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the competition, and I look forward to starting the whole process over again... next year!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

It's Adventure Proposal Time!

Monday, October 26, 2015

The last round of voting for RPG Superstar Season 9 has begun! After thousands of entries, hundreds of judge comments, four rounds of eliminations, and more than a quarter of a million fan votes, we've finally reached the moment when it's time to decide who is our RPG Superstar, and what adventure they'll write for Paizo! Our Top Four (Charlie Brooks, Jason Evans, Crystal Malarsky, and Nick Wasko) have successfully overcome a flood of competitor's entries, waded through five rounds of challenges, and navigated the treacherous waters of last-minute technical difficulties to bring us four proposals set in the Sodden Lands!

Charlie Brooks Round 5 Dangers of the Drowned Garden Round 4 The Faceweaver's Workshop Round 3 Swarmwyrm Round 2 The Grimple Playhouse Open Call Horseshoes of the Storm Rider Jason Evans Round 5 Escape from Moonshell Grotto Round 4 Gnome's Throw Crossing Round 3 Scrapshell Oyster Round 2 Brokeferry Bridge Open Call Starsling Buckler

Crystal Malarsky Round 5 The Starpearl Tower Round 4 Bracken Moor Bridge Round 3 Sorrow Stitcher Round 2 The Weeping Garden of Naderi Open Call Figurine of Wondrous Power, Ruby Butterfly Nick Wasko Round 5 Beneath the Storm-Veiled Spires Round 4 Dead Man's End Round 3 Matianak Round 2 Ice Dam Open Call Banshee's Wrath

Even if you've missed the rest of Season 9, it's worthwhile to jump in, read over the four proposals, pick your favorite, and vote! Not only do these proposals represent the final entries of the most popular contestants, one of them is going to form the backbone for an actual Pathfinder Module. This is your opportunity to help us decide who is going to get to add their thoughts permanently to the world of Golarion in general, and the Sodden Lands specifically.

So pull on your waders, pile some supplies on a raft, pull the brim of your hat down, and go check out the last round of RPG Superstar Season 9!

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

The Final 4 Are Revealed!

Monday, October 19, 2015

Being a contestant in RPG Superstar isn't easy. In fact, it isn't supposed to be easy. Being a freelance rpg writer isn't easy, and the contest intentionally uses short deadlines, detail-oriented rules, and a variety of different types of writing challenges to emulate some of the difficulties freelance writers face. On top of all that, being a contestant means having your work constantly judged and analyzed by professionals and fans alike without the benefit of passing through outside developers and editors first.

By the time contestants reach the last round, they've truly gotten a taste of how difficult the creative process can be. All of our contestants have done wonderful jobs not only producing interesting entries, but dealing with the pressures of forum critiques and the frustrations that come with not being able to jump in and correct inaccurate or unfair interpretations of their work. Every contestant has had to worry about how voters are reacting to a previous entry while trying to prepare to produce a new bit of game material for the next round. Over the course of the contest this process covers magic items, maps, monsters, and encounter design—some of the lynchpins in the toolbox of designing a good rpg adventure. I appreciate the hard work and dedication every contestant put into their entries, and hope those for whom the contest is over can sit back, relax, and enjoy the last round.

Of course for 4 contestants, things aren't over just yet. Major congratulations go to Charlie Brooks, Jason Evans, Crystal Malarsky, and Nick Wasko, who have one more round to face. While they might wish to bask in the accomplishment of knowing that each of them is going to get to write an adventure of us—a Pathfinder Module for the winner, and a Pathfinder Society scenario for our runners-up, there's really no time to for them to relax.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 4
Charlie Brooks Round 4 The Faceweaver's Workshop Round 3 Swarmwyrm Round 2 The Grimple Playhouse Open Call Horseshoes of the Storm Rider Jason Evans Round 4 Gnome's Throw Crossing Round 3 Scrapshell Oyster Round 2 Brokeferry Bridge Open Call Starsling Buckler	Crystal Malarsky Round 4 Bracken Moor Bridge Round 3 Sorrow Stitcher Round 2 The Weeping Garden of Naderi Open Call Figurine of Wondrous Power, Ruby Butterfly Nick Wasko Round 4 Dead Man's End Round 3 Matianak Round 2 Ice Dam Open Call Banshee's Wrath

The last challenge is the biggest one—a 2,000 word adventure proposal to be used to form the outline of the winner's final published book. Our Top 4 have until 11:59 PM on October 22, to turn in their proposals. Each must be for a 32-40 page adventure for 5th level characters, set in the Sodden Lands, and focusing on a location-based adventure. Voting will begin on October 26, and our winner will be announced October 30.

It's been a great contest so far, and I hope everyone will join me in congratulating the final four on their success making it to the final round, thank all our contestants for the fabulous work and ideas they've provided us throughout the previous challenges, and offer sincere appreciation for the voters and judges who have helped us sort through the entries to get us this far.

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

The Beginning of the End—Round 4 Encounters Are Up!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Our Top 8 contestants have tackled the difficult task of designing encounters set in one of three pre-selected Flip-Mats, and now the results are available for you to see! This is their first opportunity to put everything they've learned and practiced over previous rounds into a playable part of the game, and represents an achievement so significant that these contestants are now considered full alumni of RPG Superstar (and thus not eligible to enter the contest in future seasons).

Round 4 is the last challenge contestants must face to reach the final round. We encourage voters and fans to not just read through these encounters, but consider actually playtesting them to see how they play in actual game situations. To allow time for this, voting on Round 4 won't close until Sunday, October 18. However, the contestants shouldn't be resting too much during this period, as they must consider what adventure they'll propose should they make it to Round 5 (and soon, they will receive the information needed to create a short elevator pitch to run by Creative Director James Jacobs, for pre-approval of their adventure ideas).

So check out the Top 8 encounters, see if you can get a group together to play through them, and think about which designer you want to give an opportunity to pitch an adventure to become an official part of Golarion canon!

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

The Surviving Monsters are Revealed!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Round 3 is over, and we've revealed the Top 8's winning bestiary entries. This is an important benchmark, because contestants that make it this far are considered experienced enough to be disqualified from future seasons of RPG Superstar! Go check out the winners, and tell our contestants what you think.

That also means that the design phase for Round 4 has begun! Our remaining Top 8 must put together a location and an encounter within that location, using one of three provided maps. This is a major challenge, and it's their best chance to show they have the chops to design adventures. The encounter designs will be revealed on October 5th, and voting doesn't end until October 18th, to give fans a chance to playtest the encounters!

Get ready for some creative encounters, we're near the beginning of the end of RPG Superstar Season 9!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Creeping, Crawling, and Claw-Claw-Biting—It's Time to Vote!

Monday, September 21, 2015

The voting for round 3 of RPG Superstar has begun! The survivors of round 1 and round 2 have provided potential new threats to inhabit Golarion! If you want to see what our contestants—Charlie Brooks, William Collins, Jason Evans, Mark Griffin, Taylor Hubler, John Leclaire, Crystal Malarsky, Brian Minhinnick, Walter Sheppard, Jeffrey Swank, Robert Thomson, Philip Tucker, Isaac Volynskiy, Nick Wasko, and Garrick Williams have dream up, you can go check out and vote for their entries now!

While good adventures often center around the acquisition (or destruction!) of creative magic items, monsters are much closer to the heart of what makes memorable adventures in an RPG session. Whether they are dastardly foes, friendly supporters, or just creatures with their own needs and concerns, monsters are among the things PCs interact with the most often. A good monster must combine memorable visuals, an interesting ecology or backstory, solid narrative roles, and well-designed, engaging game mechanics to keep GMs and players interested. The ability to produce monsters that hit all those elements is an excellent sign of a Superstar game designer!

So check your equipment list, make a Perception check, and roll for initiative, because a whole pack of new monsters just entered the field!

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Beware, Monster Crossing Ahead!

Monday, September 14, 2015

Today we reveal our Top 16, who have survived the Open Call of creating magic items, and the dreaded Map Round (which is the newest of our challenges, having just been introduced last year). These 16 worthy contestants now have until September 17 to submit their entries following the Official Rules for round 3.

So as we turn our thoughts to Round 3, both voters and contestants are likely to wonder what judges are looking for in an RPG Superstar monster entry. Luckily, two of our judges have offered fairly extensive thoughts on that question. Developer Adam Daigle has a whole thread with more than a years worth of advice, obsercvations, and commentary! Adam has been in charge of assigning and developing so many freelance monsters for Paizo over the years that "I write monsters for Adam" is a common identifying statement as at any Pathfinder-freelancer gathering.

Our other judge to offer specific notes about monster design is Neil Spicer, a winner of RPG Superstar and one of our most prolific and popular judges. I offer his advice below, as he sent it to me.

"Going into monster design, a freelance designer has to recognize certain basic elements of the game (IE: the give-and-take of all the variables upon which it's mechanically founded). The most important defining characteristic (which has a trickle down effect) in monster design is its Challenge Rating (CR). The rules for Round 3 will either tell you what that'll be, or you'll have to determine it for yourself (IE: CR X). Thus, the "test" for the monster round isn't just determining if you can cook up a really great idea for a monster. That's expected! But, it's also to see how well you can interpret what a CR X monster is meant to have, mechanically-speaking, that distinguishes it from a CR X-1 or a CR X+1 monster.

Aside from the mechanical aspects of what a CR X monster should generally have (which can be derived from the table for monster design in the Core Rulebook), you've also got to know certain foundational elements about monsters. For instance, unlike NPCs, monsters should be built around the non-standard array for their ability scores (IE: 11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10) before applying racial adjustments. Any adjustments after that should always come in even-numbered increments (IE: +2, +4, +6, etc.). That means for a basic monster design (one without class levels), you should end up with three odd-numbered ability score values and three even-numbered ability score values. Personally, I think you should also decide on a monster's role (combat, skill, spell, etc.) to get an idea of which ability scores should stand out versus which should be more muted. Monster roles are also a good guideline for determining what kind of society intelligent monsters come from and how they think.

Lastly, once you've got that foundation, you can start building in universal monster abilities, special abilities, and other considerations to round out what makes your monster unique and special. In my opinion, for RPG Superstar, I think the wisest course in monster design is to demonstrate two things: 1) the ability to blend in existing abilities and rules by referencing them the proper way rather than reinventing the wheel and wasting word count, and 2) the ability to innovate while showing us something entirely new with a signature special ability that gives us a new way to surprise players with what your monster can do. Now all of that is on top of having a really compelling idea for a monster that fits its design niche and the terrain in which you'd find it. The monster design round is once again that perfect blend of Superstar ideas built with Superstar execution, both in the mechanical side of things and the professional polish you bring with your submission.

So, that's pretty much my baseline tactics for creating monsters as well as how I tend to assess them when judging for RPG Superstar and voting alongside the general public. I look for maximized creativity around an interesting idea, and then execute it to the best of my ability using the existing rules and monster abilities in the game, as well as crafting something new to give my monster a unique identity/niche at the gaming table."

There you have it! I also encourage both contestants and voters to read through both the Official Rules for the entire contest, and the rules for Round 3, to ensure that every requirement is met, and that everyone understands what this round is (and isn't) about.

So shut the city gate, batten down the hatches, light the torches, and call out the guard. The monsters are coming!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Ladies and Gentlemen: Your Top 32!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Today we announce the Top 32 in RPG Superstar Season 9! These contestants have won the approval of their fellow fans by accumulating the votes needed to set themselves apart from all other entrants. Their items will be available for everyone to peruse, and over the next few days our judges will comment on all the items to ensure our contestants get the feedback they need to improve as the contest proceeds.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
Charlie Brooks Horseshoes of the Storm Rider William Collins Fate-Woven Braid of the Norns Kalyna Conrad Crow Brother's Cloak Bill Davies Storm's Wrath Jason Evans Starsling Buckler Shane Fogerty Choker of the Queen Bee Mark Griffin Ebon Fury BJ Hensley Brooch of the Monarch Vadims Hesins Quill of Leng Mike Hill Purging Lotus Bell Kiel Howell Bottled Cloud Taylor Hubler Spiraled Madu Joseph Kellogg Banshee's Tongue John Leclaire Hide of the Hagfish Elizabeth Leib Glaive of the Lion-Hearted Crystal Malarsky Figurine of Wondrous Power, Ruby Butterfly	Brian Minhinnick Lava Lash Kris Newton Gown of Many Graves Mark Nordheim Swindler's Grasp Donald Robinson Daylight Diadem Chris Shaeffer Caber Twig Walter Sheppard Thornweave Jarrett Sigler Shark Toothed Maw Jeffrey Swank Boots of Ethereal Wake James Thomas Blade of The Ice Stalker Robert Thomson Phantom Corsair Boots Brandon Thorne Cloak of the High Plains Wind Philip Tucker Scattertracks Isaac V Wolflord's Fang Nick Wasko Banshee's Wrath Garrick Williams Shattered Blade Daron Woodson Defender's Door
Alternates
Kim Frandsen Brass Helmsman Frank Gori Iounic Pipes	Robert Guthrie Scallywag's Tooth Stephen Stack Leviathan's Terror

I want to take a moment here to issue a big "Thank You" to all our voters! This year our slate of items was selected entirely by public vote, rather than having the popular vote select a pool from which our judges made the final choice. Nearly a quarter of a million votes went into this selection, and we culled the bottom percentage of items 5 times throughout the contest, leaving us with just the top third of entries for the final push through the weekend. None of this would be possible without our dedicated fans and the community as a whole, and we really appreciate all the time and effort that has been put into making sure we have the best possible set of contestants going into Round 2.

We will also in due course reveal what items failed to make the Top 32 and our 4 alternates, but did make it into the top 100. Those won't be presented in any particular order (so no one will be tortured by knowing they were item #37), but for participants who want to know if they got close, we'll have the information available.

For our Top 32 and 4 alternates, today also represents the moment when they discover they definitely have a map to turn in by 11:59 PM Pacific time on September 3. The official rules of Round 2 have been available for a few days, but I encourage any contestant who hasn’t done so to read them in their entirety. While we are allowing 50 words of description this year, this is still the map round, not another example of the encounter round (which we'll still have later). Use your 24 x 30 grid to present an area that inspires GM with ideas for encounters and adventures. Make sure your visuals are clear, and that a cartographer would have no questions about what is supposed to go where. A cartographer can't read your mind, so if you don’t make it clear what's a road and what's a river, you risk having a boat in the middle of an alley (which is fine if that's part of a fascinating location you've thought up, and not so much if you wanted a mermaid pool).

Good luck to everyone! I look forward to seeing what new adventure locations you'll all create!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

A Most Unfortunate Delay

Monday, August 31, 2015

Are you eager to hear the Top 32 results for Season 9 of RPG Superstar? We certainly are! Unfortunately, we're all going to have to wait a little bit longer.

A series of unfortunate events means that our original plan to announce the Top 32 will be delayed until tomorrow. I know many of you were eager to see if you made it into the final round, and we certainly wanted to share in the excitement! In the meantime, we're going to have to ask you to delay your actions until Round 2, the dreaded Map Round! But it need not be that dreadful—we've already got a great discussion about maps in our RPG Superstar forum (not to mention last year's discussion, and if you want to be inspired, be sure to check out the amazing maps on the Cartographer's Guild. And if you're hankering for a bit of design, check out the Design Challenge and win a custom Paizo.com avatar for your winning effort!

Once again, we'd like to thank everybody for participating in RPG Superstar, both to the entrants and the voters. Just stay on target, and be back here tomorrow for the Top 32 announcement!

Liz Courts & Owen K.C. Stephens
Community Manager, Developer

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Friday, August 28, 2015

The final days of voting for RPG Superstar are here, and Soon™ we will reveal the Top 32!

There's only a few short days until we reveal the Top 32 of RPG Superstar Monday, August 31st at noon but there’s still plenty of time to get in some RPG Superstar Season 9 voting over the weekend! Your votes determine who will be in our Top 32, and one of those contestants will be writing an adventure set in Golarion, so this is a great opportunity to influence who helps us develop our campaign world!

We’ve had more than 224,800 votes, have performed four culls of items in the lower range of votes, and so far have boiled the contestants down to the top 30% of entries.

I want to thank everyone who entered Season 9 of RPG Superstar, all our judges and staff, and everyone who has spent time voting or commenting on the forums. We’re off to a great start this year, and I’m looking forward to see what everyone does with the newly revamped Round 2, the dreaded Map Round! (And if you think there’s a chance you might be part of our top 32, and you’ve got some spare time between votes, you might want to take a look at the recently-posted official Round 2 rules.)

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer

The Superstar Season Begins!

August 7, 2015

As we announced last week, RPG Superstar has come early this year! The Open Call will run until 11:59 PM Pacific time on August 16, 2015. Public voting and judging then has until the 31st of August to determine the top 32 items.

To ensure the bottom ranked items aren't showing up over and over (which both annoys champion voters and reduces the useful information we can get about how better items compare to each other), we hope to cull the bottom 10-20% of vote-getters more often. We may have to adjust the frequency based on how many entries we get and for internal scheduling, but the idea is to make sure we're constantly filtering out the least popular items. This means voter input is crucial at every step, as we refine what items are pitted against one another.

At the end of the Open Call, the top 32 remaining items become our Top 32, and the next 4 become out alternates. The remaining items in the top 100 will be presented in alphabetical order. Our Open Call judges will work on getting feedback up for our Top 32 within a few days of the reveal, since we know contestants and watchers alike enjoy seeing their commentary.

Before Round 2 begins we'll outline the full rules for the map round (short form—you'll fill in a Flip-Mat-sized grid and have 50 words to give judges and voters an idea what your map represents). From Round 2 onward the process will be much as it has been previous years, with judges giving feedback and recommendations to voters. We have an amazing line up of judges, including winner and longtime community member Neil Spicer, who is going to be judging every round this year.

So settle in, get your magic items crafted and your voting buttons limber. It's time for another season of RPG Superstar!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Announcing RPG Superstar Season 9!

Friday, July 31, 2015

Hi, I'm Owen K.C. Stephens, the host of RPG Superstar. Welcome to the beginning of Season 9!

You probably already have some questions!

Once again, we'll be doing things a little differently for RPG Superstar. First, as you may have guessed, the next contest is happening MUCH earlier in the calendar year than before. This time we are starting the Open Call round next Friday, August 7th. We'll run five rounds total to find our winner, who will be announced October 30th. There are lots of reasons for the scheduling changes, not the least of which is that fans, potential contestants, and judges can't participate when we hold it over the holidays.

Every year there are some folks who would like to be involved, but don't hear about the contest until after it's gotten started, so we're announcing it early! The hope is that by announcing the schedule in advance, we can encourage fans to help get the word out and increase the chances that everyone who wants to be part of this event can do so. We also announced the new schedule at the "Be the Next RPG Superstar" panel yesterday at Gen Con.

It's also worth noting that we've switched to "Seasons" of the contest, rather than attributing each to a year. Since this is the ninth RPG Superstar contest, we're calling it "Season 9." That's a change in name only, since we've already crowned Monica Marlowe as Superstar 2015. We thought it was important for the folks involved in the both 2015 and Season 9 to know they don't have to “share" Superstar titles and achievements.

The above are only a few of the things that we've changed up this time. How we determine the Top 32 and our 4 alternates is now going to be decided exclusively by the popular vote. We'll have the same comparison voting we've done for the past several years, but the bottom few percentages of vote-getters will be culled out every few days. Once voting closes, we'll also provide a list of the items that fell short of this mark, but landed in our top 100 entries in alphabetical order. For the first time, all the voting for the Open Call is entirely in the hands of the fans. Our Open Call judges will give feedback about the Top 32 because we know how important that feedback is to a lot of people, but not until after voting is over.

Here are a few more Season 9 details:

• The Open Call round has changed to: design a wondrous item, magic armor, or magic weapon
• We're allowing 50 words of description for the maps in Round 2
• We're going to have some pre-generated maps contestants must use for their encounter design in Round 4.

Exact rules for later rounds will be available as the contest progresses. The main thing to know for Open Call is the category of items to submit, that we aren't allowing siege weapons, intelligent items, or cursed items, and that the only rules contestants should reference are those available on the PRD.

We also have a wonderful line of judges lined up including two return RPG Superstar winners, some interesting challenges, and many fewer last-second twists than last year. Which isn't to say we may not have more twists in the future! I believe making sure we don't get into a rut is important, but for now, the earlier contest schedule and revisions to Open Call are plenty of change.

So get your calculators and graph paper ready, warm up your playtesting dice, and spread the word for everyone to prepare for RPG Superstar Season 9! You can find more information on the main RPG Superstar page.

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

This Year the Winner is Bringing the Axe!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The winner of RPG Superstar 2015 is Monica Marlowe! She will be writing an adventure for our Pathfinder Modules using her winning adventure pitch for Down the Blighted Path, which will release next January!

Monica first won over judges and voters with a magic weapon that helps a cleric aid her party members when they face off against incorporeal undead, an idea drawn from her own experience as a player. She followed that up with the map for a dwarven lady’s stronghold, a new take on a classic "headless" monster, a battle in a vile "hanging garden" of trapped cages and undead, and finally an adventure that brought many of those elements together into a tale of vengeance, undeath, and duty. At each stage she came up with an interesting and unexpected idea and left the voting public wanting to see more. We’re very excited to begin working with her to develop her vision for a Darklands adventure, and congratulate her on winning RPG Superstar!

Thanks and congratulations also go out to all the contestants, staff, judges, and especially the voters who picked an awesome set of finalists! RPG Superstar wouldn't be possible without the community's participation, and we're grateful for the ongoing support the contest receives.

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

What Time Is It?

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

It's adventure pitch time! It's been a long, strange road, but the last round of RPG Superstar 2015 is finally open to voting and participants can see the adventure pitches of our Top 4 contestants! One of those contestants is going to earn the voter's confidence and support, and go on to write their adventure pitch into a full adventure for the Pathfinder Modules line!

RPG Superstar™ 2015 Top 4

Brian J. Fruzen — Milwaukee, Wisconsin Round 5 Journey into Midnight Round 4 The Gloomsworn Path Round 3 Geomaw Round 2 Salvation's End Round 1 Pyrolastic Spike Monica Marlowe — Cincinnati, Ohio Round 5 Down the Blighted Path Round 4 The Hanging Gardens of Karexin Round 3 Narrick Round 2 Firebrand's Redoubt: Stronghold of Lady Delbera Axebringer Round 1 Spectre Blight

Kalervo Oikarinen — Helsinki, Finland Round 5 Bellflower in the Dark Round 4 Fellforge Chapel Round 3 Dread Glutton Round 2 Ancient Cyclops Stronghold in the Icerime Peaks Round 1 Fate-binder Christopher Wasko — Connecticut Round 5 The Hollowheart Conquest Round 4 Darkblight Fallow Round 3 Deeplit Round 2 The Drowning Temple Round 1 Windstrider Mail

So, what's it going to be? "Journey into Midnight" by Brian J. Fruzen? "Down the Blighted Path" by Monica Marlowe? "Bellflower in the Dark" by Kalervo Oikarinen? Or "The Hollowheart Conquest" by Christopher Wasko?

One of these new authors is going to get to add something to Golarion forever. It's up to you, the Paizo fan community, to decide which one!

So go read the entries, give it some thought, and vote for your favorite adventure pitch!

Vote now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

The Final Four!

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Behold, our four finalists! They have navigated the surprise of creating a new category of magic item, diligently labored to create stand-alone maps, wrought creatures of the Darklands, and braved the travails of creating new and interesting encounters! Hundreds began this exhausting and arduous path, and now four have proven themselves the best of the year. As a benefit of being among the last group of finalists, each of our final four will have the opportunity to write for Paizo—Pathfinder Society Scenarios for the three runners-up, and an adventure for our Pathfinder Modules line for this year's RPG Superstar. Learn more about our Top 4 here!

RPG Superstar™ 2015 Top 4

Brian J. Fruzen Round 4 The Gloomsworn Path Round 3 Geomaw Round 2 Salvation's End Round 1 Pyrolastic Spike Monica Marlowe Round 4 The Hanging Gardens of Karexin Round 3 Narrick Round 2 Firebrand's Redoubt: Stronghold of Lady Delbera Axebringer Round 1 Spectre Blight

Kalervo Oikarinen Round 4 Fellforge Chapel Round 3 Dread Glutton Round 2 Ancient Cyclops Stronghold in the Icerime Peaks Round 1 Fate-binder Christopher Wasko Round 4 Darkblight Fallow Round 3 Deeplit Round 2 The Drowning Temple Round 1 Windstrider Mail

One more challenge remains to determine which of our finalists shall claim that grand prize, and it comes in two parts. First, each contestant must send a short pitch for their adventure idea to James Jacobs and myself to ensure the basic concept is something Paizo can publish. Once their pitches are approved, they must create a full adventure proposal, up to 3,000 words, to be judged and voted on.

Because this is the largest challenge of the contest, and they have to get approval before proceeding, we're giving our final four a bit more time than previous rounds. They have until 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, March 13th, to turn in their proposals. Each must be for a 32-40 page adventure for 5th level characters, set in Nar-Voth. Hopefully that allows the contestants to use the research they've done for rounds 3 and 4, so they can take the entire time from now until March 13th to craft and hone their perfect proposals.

Also, if you didn't have a chance to catch it this past Saturday, our Top 8 were featured in a Know Direction podcast. Check out their interviews here!

It's been a great contest so far, and I hope everyone will join me in congratulating the final four on their success making it to the final round, and thank all our contestants for the fabulous work and ideas they've provided us throughout the previous challenges.

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Encounters in the Darklands

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Voting for Round 4 has begun! You can now go check out the RPG Superstar Top 8's entries and vote for your favorites. This round will determine our Top 4, who will submit their own adventure pitches for the final round. The ultimate winner and RPG Superstar will be determined out of these Top 4, who will earn a contract to write their own adventure for our Pathfinder Modules line!

As with every round this year, we set the bar just a little higher with the Round 4 requirements. The contestants had to manage to provide an encounter with our tightest word count restrictions ever, along with using a monster from a previous round and adding a trap, and then setting the whole thing in Nar-Voth. They also had to produce their second map for the contest, placing an additional set of design requirements into the same deadline as their writing. All the contestants did a great job creating interesting and creative encounters that fit the bill, and now it's up to the community to decide who did it the best!

The contestants that move on to the last round have just one more design challenge to face, so I encourage everyone to take the time to look at their entries this round and decide who you think will write the best adventure to enter the canon of Golarion. To help make that as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, I'll preview a little of the rules for the upcoming last round:

The contestants' final challenge will be to create pitches for an adventure set in Nar-Voth for 5th level characters. This will allow the Final 4 to get the greatest benefit of the research and design they've already done for the last 2 rounds, freeing them to take their time and focus on their writing.

Also, we are very excited to announce that some of our Top 8 will be featured in a Know Direction podcast this weekend! Be sure to mark your calendar for this Saturday, February 28, at 5:30 PM Pacific time.

The community is a huge part of what makes this contest such a big success and we thank you! Go ahead and vote and help us determine our next RPG Superstar!

Vote now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

PS: Our regularly scheduled Adventure Card Game blog will be up tomorrow afternoon, following our weekly Web Fiction!

Superstar Monsters Revealed!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

We just unveiled the Round 3 entries of the Top 16 RPG Superstar contestants, making them available for everyone to check out and vote on! These competitors have gone through some of the toughest challenges we've ever had in this contest, including having the first round undergo a major rules change with no advance warning, making a full-page map in just three days, and now having to create a Bestiary-style Golarion monster native to Nar-Voth, including a physical description, stat block, and general monster description, in 550 to 600 words.

I encourage everyone to take a look and then vote on your favorites. This is an especially crucial stage of the Superstar contest. The contestants who move on to the next round become the Top 8, a level of success so high it disqualifies them from entering in future years. The Top 8 are also all competing for important opportunities, since the Top 4 finalists each have a chance to write official material for Paizo. The winner obviously gets to write for the Pathfinder Modules line, but the other three finalists also gain the opportunity for a paid commission to write a 16-page Pathfinder Society Scenario.

We've had amazing community feedback and participation this year, and we very much appreciate your involvement. The forum members who voted hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of times in Round 1 made it possible for the judges to go through hundreds of entries of new magic items, and I thank them all for their massive help. Everyone who comments, critiques, and discusses the submissions in every round helps the competitors grow, and shows everyone know what kinds of things the Pathfinder fan base enjoys. And, of course, community voting determines the winners of each round from here on out. So go take a look, see what creative monstrosities our newest Superstars-in-Training have produced, and use your votes to help determine which of them are going to earn the chance to help shape the Pathfinder RPG in years to come.

Vote now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Top 32 Announced!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

We are thrilled to announce the RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32 finalists! The community has cast thousands of votes for the submitted magic items in our Open Call round and helped our judges, Liz Courts, Mark Seifter and myself narrow down the final entries. They are, in alphabetical order:

RPG Superstar™ 2015 Top 32

Gabriel Almer Staff of the Prime Mover Charlie Bell Crook of Unseen Forces Charlie Brooks The Hero's Breath Russ Brown Ice Fang Christopher Donnangelo Staff of the Vanara King Brian Fruzen Pyrolastic Spike Mark Hart Venom's Kiss Jeff Heikkinen Flowing Fortress Armour David Higaki Earthcracker Dana Huber Ophidian Coil Taylor Hubler Fist of Havoc Ben Iglauer Fool's Scepter Jason Keeley Rod of Exorcism Jacob Kellogg Soulshifter Staff Patrick Kilcullen Swarm-strike Caster Scott LaBarge Keyhole Stiletto

John Laffan Staff of the Thieving Magpie Monica Marlowe Spectre Blight Matthew Morris Psychopomp's Crosier Kalervo Oikarinen Fate-binder Ben Parkin Magrim's Mountain Crusher Anthony Pennington Depth Charger Newton Philis Breach Barrier R Pickard Harvestweal Olivier Rayé-Lalonde Ring of the Investigator Justin Riddler Mountain Stance Armor Matt Roth Rimewinder Chris Shaeffer Hide of the Vibrant Frog Maria Smolina Shield of Stormwall Frankie Trombetta Interrogator's Ally Christopher Wasko Windstrider Mail Benjamin Wilkins Staff of the Trusted Phsyician

Alternates

Jeff Hazuka Fellbough Hookhammer R D Ramsey Tunnel Fighter's Ring

Allana Sliwinski Harlequin's Hurlbat Jensen Toperzer Rod of the Iron Rose

This contest is an important part of Paizo's efforts to find new talent and give fans the opportunity to prove they have what it takes to join our stable of freelance writers. Thank you to everyone who voted in the Open Call! And to our Top 32, good luck in Round 2!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Round 2 is Coming

Saturday, January 17, 2015

As I suggested I might, I'm going to give you the general guidelines for the mysterious "Create a Map" round the Top 32 will face starting Tuesday. This isn't official (the official rules will be posted Tuesday), but it's not a trick either—this is just a casual discussion of what we're looking for, and what we expect.

For Round 2, contestants will be asked to provide a full-page map, or a previously unmapped fantasy-themed location in Golarion. Submissions will need to be sent by email before the deadline. It needs to be 8.5" x 11", and approximately 150 dpi when submitted. Your map may be color, grayscale, or black and white, and may be hand-drawn or computer-generated.

The map itself is the entry, so it is important to make it interesting and creative. Above and beyond all the tips on making your map legible and having enough information for a cartographer to be able to create a publishable map from your entry, it's crucial you make sure you map something that really needs a map. If the map isn't needed to understanding what the area is like and how characters may move around in it, then it's a waste of space that could be used for something else. If the map is boring, no one will care about the location it represents.

No one needs a map of a 20-foot by 20-foot room with a door centered in the north and west walls, or of a forest that's six miles long and three miles deep with a single road and one town in the middle. Your map should be something that sparks the imagination, and leads to interesting encounters. It should also use the 8.5" x 11" space well. A map that clearly ignores half or more of the page will be disqualified.

Your submission need not be something that could be published, but it must be something that could be used by a GM to run a game set in the mapped location, and it must have all the information a cartographer needs to make the final map. Voters are asked to vote not on artistic talent, but on clarity, imagination, and usefulness.

Maps are incredibly important, and they are a skill we simply haven't emphasized enough in the past. A good map can get a GM or players excited about a location before they have read a single word, while a bad map wastes space and may even confuse people. Even very good adventure writers can produce maps that have to be entirely redrawn by our developers or (worse) be so incomprehensible we have to abandon them and rewrite an adventure to use a map we can create ourselves.

Freelancers able to create clear and imaginative maps that don't need us to do anything but send them to a cartographer have a huge advantage over those who can't (and may even get work to create sketches of maps we then hand to adventure writers).

It's a big challenge, but it's also part of what I was talking about when I said if you are a finalist this year, I want you to be confident you have the skills it takes to become a successful RPG freelance adventure writer.

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Keep Your Eyes on the Stars!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

All of the Round 1 RPG Superstar 2015 entries are in! Go get voting and help us find our Top 32! If you have any questions about voting, check out our Voting FAQ, or email us at contest@paizo.com.

Vote Now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Keep Your Eyes on the Stars!

Monday, December 15, 2014

The deadline for Round 1 of RPG Superstar 2015 is tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16 at 2:00 PM Pacific time! We've had a number of lively discussions and great advice, but in the end it’s all about the item. Don't miss the chance to be part of the Superstar experience, be sure to get your submission in well before the cut-off!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Get Ready to See Stars!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

It's that time of year again, we're beginnig to announce details for the next RPG Superstar™ contest! Every year, Paizo holds an annual open-call RPG design competition to give the best and brightest aspiring game designers a chance to show the world their talent. This year, we're going to be shaking things up a bit.

For starters, I'll be acting as your host throughout the contest. For those of you who have no idea who I am, my name is Owen K.C. Stephens and I was brought on as a developer by Paizo earlier this year. I work primarily on the Pathfinder Modules and Pathfinder Player Companion lines, and I have a long history of writing for Paizo on a number of products. Since the prize for winning RPG Superstar™ is an adventure we'll publish in one of our RPG Modules, I'm getting involved in the contest early and will be helping oversee it this year.

The contest itself is going to be ramping up the degree of difficulty in several rounds as a result of how consistently amazing the entries have been year after year. We're convinced the talent pool exists to make several of the stages tougher than previous years, and that the best contestants are going to thrive under the pressure. That shouldn't discourage anyone from entering! Instead, think of this as an even better test of your skills. Anyone who makes it to the last few rounds of this year's contest should be confident they have what it takes to get work in the tabletop RPG industry.

What won't change is the core concept and processes we've developed over several years of RPG Superstar™. We have some surprises for you, and some rounds will have new challenges, but things will seem very familiar to fans who have followed the contest for several years. Where things significantly change from previous contests, I'll provide extra guidance on how we envision the round going, and why we made the change.

The first big change: entries for Open Call are not wondrous items, as they have been in every other year of the contest. Instead we're asking contestants to create a magic item from one of the following categories: armor, shield, weapon, staff, ring, or rod. As always, the magic item should conform to the rules and format given in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for items of that type. In the case of a magic suit of armor, shield, or weapon, it should be an example of a specific armor, shield, or weapon, rather than one created by adding magic special abilities. Think breastplate of command and life-drinker, rather than a +1 ghost touch chain shirt or +1 keen flaming bastard sword. Further if you decide to do a magic staff make sure you have a concept that elevates it above a "spell-in-a-can" with multiple spells. We are, after all, looking for Superstars!

We're making this change to the first round for a number of reasons. First, we want to strongly encourage contestants to create something new, rather than re-submitting an item they've used in previous years (even if they've modified it since then). Secondly, we want to see how well people can do with a surprise and a tight deadline. Writing in the RPG industry is often done with short schedules and sometimes the needs of a project change after you've already started working on it. By shaking things up in the first round, we'll get finalists who know they can handle the chaos and pressure of writing for RPG projects in real-world conditions.

Open Call is otherwise very much as past years. The open call begins today, and you need to have your entry in by December 16 at 2:00 PM Pacific time. We'll be maintaining public voting for these initial entries as we've done for the past 2 years. So your magic item will initially be judged by being presented to voters along with another randomly determined item. That means if you submit a magic ring it'll be compared to many items that aren't rings, so be sure you present something that can stand up to competition in any form. The top 32 items will be determined by the community along with feedback and oversight from our judges for this round, and those 32 competitors will face other game design challenges in the remaining rounds of the competition!

So loosen up your creative muscles, start crafting a magic item, and get ready to be the next RPG Superstar™!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Victoria Jaczko Wins RPG Superstar 2014!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2014 RPG Superstar contest. After 4 months, more than 1000 submissions, and nearly half a million votes, game designer Victoria Jaczko is 2014's RPG Superstar! Paizo will publish Jaczko's winning Pathfinder Module pitch, The Daughters of Fury, set to release November 2014.

Victoria's design decisions—a grief-based magic item, an undead warhorse, a haunted chapel in a land torn by revolution, and a city besieged by a devil trying to collect a debt—are all unusual and interesting choices, showing she has the ability to approach an idea from a new perspective and present it in an intriguing way. Being able to come up with something new really struck a chord with the voters, allowing her to establish an early lead in the Round 4 voting and maintain that until the end.

The three runners-up—Robert Brookes of Newmarket, NH, Mikko Kallio of Helsinki, Finland, and Mike Kimmel of Seattle, WA—have won assignments to write Pathfinder Society scenarios.

I'm very proud of this year's RPG Superstar winner. The judges often point out that the goal of RPG Superstar is to find the next superstar designer—someone who has well-rounded skills for creating fun magic items, interesting monsters, clever encounters, and exciting adventures. Victoria's progress through the challenges of each round shows that she can produce quality work, and I look forward to seeing her finished adventure module and her future contributions as a published designer. Congratulations, Victoria!

Special thanks to the 2014 RPG Superstar guest judges Peter Adkison, Rich Baker, Judy Bauer, John Compton, Liz Courts, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Lee Hammock, James Jacobs, Rob Lazzaretti, Russ Morrissey, Patrick Renie and Amber Scott.

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Vote For Your Superstar!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

It is time.

From hundreds of wondrous item submissions, the voters have narrowed the field to just four competitors. Having made it through a brutal cut from 16 people in the previous round, the Top 4 have weathered the storm and are ready for your final evaluation. Each has created a 3,000 word urban Pathfinder Module adventure proposal, and the three celebrity gaming judges have weighed in with their opinions on those proposals.

Now it's time for you, the voters, to pick the next RPG Superstar! Each voter gets one vote. The voting ends Monday, March 10th, at 2 PM Pacific time. The ultimate winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 11th.

Tears at Bitter Manor, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Steven Helt, will be released later this month!

Good luck to our Top 4!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Top 4 Revealed!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Paizo Publishing today announced the Top 4 for RPG Superstar! Judges John Compton, Crystal Frasier, and Rob Lazzaretti gave their critiques on the 16 locations, encounters, and maps submitted for Round 3, and the 4 entries which received the most votes from the public advance to become the Top 4!

From a fragment of a crashed starship, to a haunted wedding chapel, to a cult-infested shrine, to a cluster of ships used as a shady bazaar, this year's best-voted entries are a mix of the mundane and the exotic, showing a wide range of interests and design chops from these competitors.

The Top 4 finalists (and their winning wondrous items and monsters) for RPG Superstar 2014 are (in alphabetical order):

Mike Kimmel — Seattle, WA Round 3 The Floating Bazaar Round 2 Chimney Troll Round 1 Earthbind Boots Mikko Kallio — Helsinki, Finland Round 3 The House of the Serpent's Hand Round 2 Immured Round 1 Deck of Falling Houses

Robert Brookes — Newmarket, NH Round 3 Impact Site Round 2 Disir Round 1 Spirit Window Victoria Jaczko — Tucson, AZ Round 3 The Wedding Day Chapel Round 2 Chwal Round 1 Bitter Widow's Veil

The Top 4 are now be required to create a pitch for an urban adventure set in Paizo's world of Golarion. They've already had a discussion with creative director James Jacobs about their ideas, and are hard at work creating what they hope to be a winning adventure proposal, due Friday, February 28th at 2 PM Pacific time. These Round 4 submissions will be revealed to the general public on Tuesday, March 4th with judges' comments, and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on March 10th and the designer with the highest number of votes is announced on March 11th as the next RPG Superstar!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Round 3 Voting!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Voting is now open for the encounter round of RPG Superstar 2014. This is where the competition gets fierce—only four competitors from our Top 16 get to advance to the final round, and your votes determine who those lucky and talented four are!

In this round, each voter gets 4 votes to divide among the encounter entries. Take your time, read all the encounters, look at the maps, then pick your favorites. You're also welcome to add your own comments to the discussion thread for each encounter—let the competitors know what you think! You can change your votes as often as you want up until the Round 3 voting deadline (Monday, February 17 at 2 PM Pacific time). Meanwhile, competitors should be working on their pitch for their Round 4 adventure!

Does your favorite designer have what it takes to get through this round and move on to the Top 4? Your votes decide!

Vote now!

Unfortunately, last week judge Peter Adkison had a friend hospitalized in critical condition, and therefore Peter is not able to perform his judging duties at this time. Our thoughts are with him and his friend, and any similar expressions of support from the Paizo community are greatly appreciated.

Join the Know Direction podcast for a very special pair of shows tonight and tomorrow as they interview the RPG Superstar 2014 Contestants LIVE!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Top 16 Revealed!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Paizo Publishing today announced the Top 16 for RPG Superstar! Judges Liz Courts, Lee Hammock, and Adam Daigle gave their critiques on the 32 monsters submitted for Round 1, and the 16 monsters who received the most votes from the public advance to become the Top 16!

"This year's monster round presented a unique challenge: creating a monster suitable for an urban environment. The competitors did a great job creating weird and interesting creatures, such as creepy chimney trolls, undead warhorses, and twisted fey spirits of trees turned into lumber. Congratulations to this year's Top 16, and good luck in the ENCOUNTER design challenge!"

Furthermore, Paizo has asked the Top 16 to provide short autobiographies so that the voters can learn more about their favorite competitors. After all, this competition isn't just about completing game design challenges, it's about finding the next superstar game designer! You can check those out here.

The Top 16 finalists (and their winning wondrous items and monsters) for RPG Superstar 2014 are (in alphabetical order):

Andrew Marlowe — Cincinnati, OH Round 2 Kaliswyrm Round 1 Scourge Vial Brian Fruzen — Milwaukee, WI Round 2 Emberling Round 1 Groundbreaker Cloak Christopher Wasko — Storrs, CT Round 2 Timberjiff Round 1 Bonedancer Bodhrán Emmanuel Greene — Fishers, IN Round 2 Nafligo Round 1 Crest of the Fallen Jacob W. Michaels — Bethlehem, PA Round 2 Guttersnipe Round 1 Poltergeist Knot James Casey Round 2 Filth Dragon Round 1 Gossiper's Gourd Joseph Kellogg — Kingsport, TN Round 2 Shattered Dryad Round 1 Ironmorph Dust Mark Nordheim — St. Louis, MO Round 2 Portrait Phantom Round 1 Horned Helm of the Wild Stag

Mikael Sebag — Irvine, CA Round 2 Miscaster Round 1 Amulet of Reverse Incantation Mike Kimmel — Seattle, WA Round 2 Chimney Troll Round 1 Earthbind Boots Mikko Kallio — Helsinki, Finland Round 2 Immured Round 1 Deck of Falling Houses Rich Malena — Portland, OR Round 2 Bogle Round 1 Sun Wukong's Puzzle Box Robert Brookes — Newmarket, NH Round 2 Disir Round 1 Spirit Window Tripp Elliott — Stafford, VA Round 2 Grymp Round 1 Bosun's Call Tyler Beck — Cumberland, MD Round 2 Selachipoda Round 1 Deck of the Hellwasp's Sting Victoria Jaczko — Tucson, AZ Round 2 Chwal Round 1 Bitter Widow's Veil

The Top 16 are now be required to design a location, encounter, and map to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges, and submit that concept by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, February 7. These Round 3 submissions will be revealed to the general public on Tuesday, February 11 with judges' comments, and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on February 17 and the Top 4 by votes will move on to Round 4: the module pitch!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Round 2 Voting!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Voting is now open for the monster round of RPG Superstar 2014. For the first time in forever, the public gets to vote on a selection of 32 monsters submitted by amateur game designers!

In this round, each voter gets 8 votes to divide among the monster entries. Take your time, read all the monsters, then pick your favorites. You're also welcome to add your own comments to the discussion thread for each monster—let the competitors know what you think! You can change your votes as often as you want up until the Round 2 voting deadline: Monday, February 3rd at 2 PM Pacific time.

(Meanwhile, competitors should start working on their Round 3 challenge: design a Golarion Location, Encounter, and Map!)

Does your favorite designer have what it takes to get through this round and move on to the Top 16? Your votes decide!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Top 32 Revealed!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Paizo Publishing today announced the finalists for RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying game design contest in history. The paizo.com community cast over half a million votes to sort the best gamer-submitted wondrous items using the rules from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, available in stores and in electronic form at paizo.com. Judges Judy Bauer, Patrick Renie, and Russ Morrissey selected the best 32 items from the highest-voted wondrous items. The Top 32 wondrous items are now on display at paizo.com, complete with judge commentary. Gamers are invited to contribute their own comments to the entries.

"This year's RPG Superstar competition is off to a great start. It's a unique to get RPG industry professionals to scrutinize your work, with the end goal of join Paizo's stable of talented freelance writers," said host and Paizo game designer Sean K Reynolds. "This year's competition has many new faces, but some familiar ones from previous competitions as well. As was the case last year, the public voting on the wondrous items has selected the best items for the judges to review—the zeal and dedication of the Paizo community shows a real commitment to making RPG Superstar a continuing tradition of gaming excellence. Congratulations to this year's Top 32, and good luck in the monster design challenge!"

The Top 32 finalists (and their winning wondrous items) for RPG Superstar 2014 are (in alphabetical order):

Andrew Marlowe Round 1 Scourge Vial Andrew Shumate Round 1 Charlatan's Symbol Andrew Umphrey Round 1 Choker of the Siphoning Scorpion Brian Lefebvre Round 1 Evergreen Seed Pouch Brian Duckwitz Round 1 Voidspun Lenses Brian Fruzen Round 1 Groundbreaker Cloak Bryan Jones Round 1 Hedgewall Seed Pouch Calder Rooney Round 1 Stormcrusher Gauntlets Casey Clements Round 1 Patternward Spectacles Christopher Wasko Round 1 Bonedancer Bodhrán Clay Clouser Round 1 Nightsbane Quiver Emmanuel Greene Round 1 Crest of the Fallen Iain Reid Round 1 Goblet of Liquefied Cognition Jacob W. Michaels Round 1 Poltergeist Knot James Casey Round 1 Gossiper's Gourd Jesse Southwick Round 1 Quicksilver Gloves

Joseph Kellogg Round 1 Ironmorph Dust Kalervo Oikarinen Round 1 Murktouch Cloak Kenneth Elliott Round 1 Bosun's Call Mark Nordheim Round 1 Horned Helm of the Wild Stag Michael Patrick Round 1 Bog Boots Michele La Barbera Round 1 Familiar's Soulstone Mikael Sebag Round 1 Amulet of Reverse Incantation Mike Kimmel Round 1 Earthbind Boots Mikko Kallio Round 1 Deck of Falling Houses Peter Jhansen Round 1 Death Mask Robert Brookes Round 1 Spirit Window Sam Harris Round 1 Star Cinder Terry Dutton Round 1 Fetish of the Frog Queen Tyler Beck Round 1 Deck of the Hellwasp's Sting Tyler Cowart Round 1 Jar of Mottled Clay Victoria Jaczko Round 1 Bitter Widow's Veil

2014's alternates are Rich Malena, Robert Hetherington, and Tyler Coveney.

The Top 32 will now be required to design a monster to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges and submit that concept by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, January 24. These Round 2 submissions will be revealed to the general public on Tuesday, January 28 with judges' comments, and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on February 3 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round 3.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced March 11, 2014, will write an adventure for Paizo's Pathfinder Module line to be published in early 2015. The 2013 RPG Superstar champion module, Steven Helt's Tears at Bitter Manor, releases in March 2014.

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Round 1 Voting is Closed!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

And with the flipping of an electronic switch, voting is closed for Round 1 of RPG Superstar 2014!

This year, over 2,100 voters cast a total of more than 310,000 votes to sort hundreds of items into a manageable hierarchy. Now it's time for our three judges—Paizo editor Judy Bauer, Paizo developer Patrick Renie, and EN World's Russ "Morrus" Morrissey—to read over the top items, critique them, and determine our Top 32. The Top 32 are revealed Tuesday, January 21st, and their next challenge is to design a monster.

As a former RPG Superstar judge, I'd like to take a moment to again thank everyone who voted on the wondrous items in this year's competition. Before Paizo added public voting for Round 1, the judges had to spend many hours over the holidays evaluating wondrous item submissions. By sharing this responsibility with the public voters, you've allowed the judges to focus their efforts on the very best items.

In particular, a big "thank you" to the 76 people who voted over 1,000 times this year, you've definitely earned your custom Marathon Voter messageboard tag. And a super-big "thank you" to Azouth, Feros, and Thomas LeBlanc, who each voted over 5,000 times—congratulations on your 2014 Champion Voter messageboard tag!

Congratulations to everyone who submitted a wondrous item to RPG Superstar this year. Please refrain from discussing your wondrous items until the Top 32 are revealed on January 21st—we don't want to bias the judges or break anonymity for any items. Start working on your R2 monster, whether or not you think you're in the Top 32: it's good practice, and by starting now (instead of waiting until next Tuesday) you give yourself an extra week of design time. Monster entries for the Top 32 are due Friday, January 24, 2014!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Don't Fear the Reaper

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Hello, gamers, and welcome back to RPG Superstar 2014!

We've had a week of public voting for the Round 1 wondrous item submissions, and now we have enough data to evaluate which are the least popular items in the submission pool. In order to help focus the voters on evaluating the better items, today we culled many of the the lowest-ranked items. For your information:

• So far we've had nearly 200,000 votes cast.
• The culled items had 60% or more votes against them (in other words, 60% of the time, a voter voted for the other item it was paired against).
• The culling removed the bottom 20% from the pool of available submissions.

We greatly appreciate the hard work of all the voters. By removing the lowest-ranked items from the pool, you can look forward to seeing the better items paired against each other, and your votes are what jockey the best items into the top of the hierarchy. Remember, there's still plenty of time to earn a message board title for casting 100, 500, 1,000, or even 5,000 votes.

Voting closes at 2 p.m. PT on January 14th, at which time the judges will look at the highest-voted items and pick the Top 32, who will be revealed on January 21. Those 32 competitors advance to Round 2: Create a Bestiary Entry (the rules for which will be posted soon)!

Good luck, competitors! And thanks again, voters!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: R1 Submissions are Closed, Public Voting is Open!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Hello, gamers, and welcome back to RPG Superstar 2014! I'm Sean K Reynolds, host of this year's RPG Superstar competition, designer at Paizo, and a judge for the previous four RPG Superstar competitions.

As of 2 PM Pacific time, the Open Call for Round 1 submissions is closed. If you submitted a wondrous item, congratulations and thank you! If you didn't submit a wondrous item, there's always next year!

Now it's time for the public vote. Anyone with an account on Paizo.com can participate in the Round 1 public vote. Just go to the voting page, sign in to your Paizo.com account, and you'll be shown two wondrous items. Take a minute to read both items, then vote on which of the two items you think is better. If you honestly can't decide which item is better, there is a “both items are equal” option, but that actually doesn't help sort items (it's a neutral result in the voting), so use that only as a last resort.

If you see an item that you think breaks the rules of the contest (such as being a copyright violation, such as an item from a novel or movie), contact contest@paizo.com.

Once you've voted, the website will present you with another pair of items to evaluate. You can vote as many times as you like.

You may see your own item—and you're allowed to vote for it. You may see some items come up more than once. As there are hundreds of items submitted to the contest, you might vote many times and still not see all of the items. You might want to save a copy of items you'd like to use in your game, or items you want to talk about later.

Your participation in the voting process is use and critical for the success of RPG Superstar. For the 2013 competition, over 500,000 votes were cast by hundreds of voters. Just like we did last year, we'll be awarding people who vote 100, 500, 1000, or 5000 times with custom message board titles (Star Voter, Dedicated Voter, Marathon Voter, Champion Voter) as our thanks for participating in the voting process.

Over time, these numerous votes sort all the wondrous item submissions into a hierarchy. At the top of that hierarchy are the items which got upvoted more often than any item they were paired with, and at the bottom are the items which got downvoted more often than any item they were paired with. (The Paizo tech team may cull the lowest-voted items partway through the voting period so voters can focus on the evaluating the highest-voted items.)

At the end of the public voting period (January 14, 2014), our panel of judges will look over the highest-voted items and select the Top 32. We announce the Top 32 on January 21, and the authors of those items proceed to Round 2: Create a Bestiary Entry!

Good luck, competitors! And thanks in advance, voters!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

Superstar 2014: Last-Minute Advice for Round 1

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Hello, gamers, and welcome again to RPG Superstar 2014! I'm Sean K Reynolds, host of this year's RPG Superstar competition, designer at Paizo, and a judge for the previous four RPG Superstar competitions.

Tomorrow, January 1, 2014, at 2 PM Pacific time, is the deadline for your Wondrous Item submission for Round 1! If you haven't submitted your item yet, remember to set aside a little bit of time between now and the deadline. If this deadline has caught you by surprise and you're not prepared, do not let that stop you from entering this competition. Submit an item. Jot something down, fiddle with it for a few minutes, and submit it. We've had people make it into the Top 32 who have never played the Pathfinder RPG—whether you're a GM or a player, you should give it a shot. You can't win the competition if you don't submit a wondrous item (and you can't advance to the later rounds if you don't submit a wondrous item for Round 1).

Here's some last-minute advice for people who haven't submitted an item yet:

• 1) Use the magic item format provided in the Round 1 Rules.
  Double-check the rules here. Not only does this make your submission look better, but it helps make sure you don't accidentally leave out an important part of the item stat block, like the Price or Slot.
• 2) Preview your item on the site before you hit "Submit."
  When you use the submission tool on the main RPG Superstar page, remember that it works just like a message board post—you can and should hit "Preview" to see how your item looks. It should look similar to a magic item entry in the Core Rulebook. Maybe you accidentally turned everything bold or italic, or have an extra return in the middle of a sentence. Now is the time to fix these problems. And, before you hit "Submit"...
• 3) Check your word count.
  When you preview your item, scroll all the way up and look above your username and avatar picture—right there should be your item's name, a dash, and how many words are in your magic item. There is a hard limit of 300 words for your wondrous item—if you're over 300 words, you're automatically disqualified. If your item is over 300 words, trim some words out of its description (don't trim words like Aura, Slot, or Price... those are required). If you're at 290 or so, double-check to make sure you haven't left out any spaces between words (especially between the item's Price or Cost and the abbreviation "gp" ... there has to be a space there). Make sure your item's name is also in the body of the post, not just the subject—that counts toward your word count. Once you've made your adjustments, hit Preview again to look at it one more time.
• 4) Save a copy of your final item.
  Select it, copy it, paste it into a text file or word processor, and save it for later. You'll want a record of it, just in case you don't make it into the Top 32 and want feedback on your item (technically we can look up items later, but it's a lot easier if you have a copy).
• 5) Click "Submit."
  You're done, no going back! Congratulations, you've made the plunge.

Good luck!

Sean K Reynolds
Host, Designer, Former RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2014: Week 1 Advice

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hello and welcome again to RPG Superstar 2014! I'm Sean K Reynolds, host of this year's RPG Superstar competition, designer at Paizo, and a judge for the previous four RPG Superstar competitions.

So far after a full week since the Round 1 submission period started, we have about 200 wondrous items in the hopper, which is about on par for previous years. Given that we usually have a surge of entries at the start and end of the Round 1 open call, I expect we'll have about as many wondrous items this year as we did last year. Here's some quick advice for everyone who hasn't submitted an item yet.

1. When I was an RPG Superstar judge, I wrote a series of long posts about "design traps" you should avoid when designing your wondrous item submission. Although I'm not a judge this year, the public voters and the official judges are aware of these "traps," so I suggest you read about each of them.
2. Remember to use the standard magic item stat block format presented in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. The submission tool uses the message board interface, so you can use [b][/b] for bold and [i][/i] for italics. The Round 1 rules actually include a properly-formatted magic item stat block template—you can save yourself a lot of work by copying it to your favorite word processing program, writing your item into template, and (when you're 100% ready to submit it) paste it into the submission form. Just remember to hit the Preview button to see how it looks, and only hit Submit Post when you're sure it looks right!
3. Don't let your inexperience talk you out of submitting an item. We've had people as young as age 9 make it into the Top 32, and people who've never played Pathfinder before. Give it a shot!

Also, last year, about 5% of the items submitted to the competition were by women (based on the gender info the author provided in the Paizo.com message board profiles). I'd really like to see that number go WAY up! RPG gaming has been a male-dominated hobby for a long time, but in my 18 years in the game industry I've seen a steady increase in the number of lady gamers. If you are female, or know any ladies in or outside your gaming group, please encourage them to create a wondrous item and submit it to RPG Superstar this year. Of course, feel free to encourage any gamers you know to write something for the competition, too!

Remember, the deadline to submit your item is January 1, 2014 at 2 PM Pacific time! Open voting for all Round 1 items begins immediately after the submission deadline.

Thanks, and good luck!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Host & Former Judge

It's the Most Superstar Time of the Year!

Tuesday, December 10, 2014

It's time for RPG Superstar 2014! Every year, Paizo holds an annual open-call RPG design competition to give the best and brightest aspiring game designers a chance to show the world their talent. This year's winner will receive a contract to write a Pathfinder Module to be published by Paizo.

Previous winning modules include Christine Schneider's Clash of the Kingslayers, Neil Spicer's Realm of the Fellnight Queen, Matthew Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, Sam Zeitlin's The Midnight Mirror, Mike Welham's Doom Comes to Dustpawn, and Steven Helt’s Tears at Bitter Manor. We look forward to welcoming the next winner to the ranks of published adventure designers!

Even if you don't win the grand prize, RPG Superstar offers a number of different routes to getting your name on a Paizo product. Runners-up will have their work critiqued by industry leaders, and the three final-round runners-up will earn a contract to write a Pathfinder Society Scenario, a downloadable adventure sanctioned for play in Paizo's worldwide Pathfinder Society mega-campaign. Staff and audience favorite entries from RPG Superstar's earlier rounds may show up in Paizo publications as well.

Getting noticed in RPG Superstar might be the start of a long-term professional relationship with Paizo as one of our regular freelancers. Developer Rob McCreary got his start with Paizo as a finalist in the first RPG Superstar. Even though he didn't win the final challenge, his creativity and talent earned him a staff position as one of the creative leads behind our flagship Pathfinder Adventure Path line.

This year's competition begins today with an open call to design an original wondrous item. Last year we introduced public voting by fans for these initial entries, and the response was so great—over 500,000 votes cast—we’re doing it again this year. Tell us about your magical treasure in 300 words or less by January 1, 2014, and you might just have started your RPG design career! The top 32 will be picked by our guest judges and staff, and those 32 competitors will face other game design challenges in the remaining rounds of the competition.

So loosen up your creative muscles and start crafting a wondrous item, and get ready to be the next RPG Superstar!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Host & Former Judge

No Tears at This Bitter Manor

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Photo by (and of) Steven Helt

My first RPG game was a high-level adventure, and had something to do with queens, demons, webs, and pits. We didn't last long, but I was hooked on the concept. Over the years, I graduated from aimless power gamer to aspiring storyteller. I've been blessed with great friends and great campaigns. Though I cherish my faith and family more than anything, I have been a gamer longer than any other attribute or hobby I could ascribe to myself, so this opportunity is very special to me.

I'll compete for my third Iron GM crown at Gen Con this year. As I became a better GM and storyteller, I began to flirt with the idea of adventure and game world design, even making notes on a few novels. I entered every year of RPG Superstar thinking I'd improved from the year before, and hoping I could get past the gatekeepers into a round where I might shine. When I made it in this year, I immediately started working to take advantage of this great opportunity.

Fortunately, I have lots of contacts from my two favorite gaming towns, both those who know about the large events I host at Gen Con and organizers and fellow competitors at Iron GM, LLC. In addition to gathering support from multiple areas, I worked on several design options. In fact, not a single entry for any round of Superstar this year was among my first three ideas.

If I have advice to offer next year's contestants, "never give up" seems pretty strong. Also, I'd offer the same counsel I give hopeful Iron GMs. Always keep your brain (and your flashdrive) stocked with new ideas. The first one or two might not be your best. A rules twist might make your adventure pitch impossible to submit in the final round. Have confidence, and never stop working or improving. Submit cinematic ideas, and surround yourself with honest editors and writing critics.

I'm working on Tears at Bitter Manor every day. My goal is to deliver a gritty horror/mystery adventure, and to include plenty of new material so players who read the proposal round will still be challenged and surprised. I look forward to your comments and questions about the adventure when it's released, as well as a lengthy and detailed obituary. Thanks to Paizo for this fantastic contest, and to the online community of Pathfinder players for making me this year's RPG Superstar!

Steven Helt
Contributor

Superstars from Spaaaace!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Illustration by Alex Tooth

It's no secret that the Pathfinder campaign setting includes a number of science-fiction elements, from the future-tech-wielding barbarians of Numeria to the crashed flying cities of the Shory in the Mwangi Expanse. Back in 2012, RPG Superstar contestant Mike Welham tapped into this underlying theme of the setting and ran with it, and his adventure proposal for Doom Comes to Dustpawn ultimately won the contest by a public vote.

The release of that adventure is just around the corner, and we wanted to show off some of the crazy-cool Superstar stuff you'll find within. First, there's a crashed spaceship leaking terrible things into the atmosphere, causing nearby farmers and townsfolk (and maybe the PCs) to have horrific dreams and even mutate into otherworldly abominations.

Then there are the strange cultists who are also seeking the fallen spacecraft for their own sinister reasons. (Hint: it's not cause they're interested in scientific exploration.)

And I don't even know what to say about this guy other than that he's bound to send your PCs on something of a wild ride if they hope to survive their encounter with him!

Illustrations by Scott Murphy

Doom Comes to Dustpawn by RPG Superstar 2012 winner Mike Welham is available for preorder now, and will be out in stores everywhere next week!

Mark Moreland
Developer

RPG Superstar 2013: Steven Helt!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

After 4 months and more than half a million votes cast, we are proud to announce that Steven Helt is the winner of RPG Superstar™ 2013! Paizo will be publishing Helt's winning Pathfinder Module proposal, which has been renamed Tears at Bitter Manor.

Steven Helt - Tulsa, OK
  Round 5 The Golden Watch
  Round 4 Ssel Asha - Ancient Naga Temple
  Round 3 Deadfall Dweller
  Round 2 Floodwalker (Witch)
  Round 1 Quicksand Cloak

The three runners-up, Matthew Duvall of Chicopee, MA, Scott Fernandez of Allen Park, MI, and Pedro Coelho of Sau Paulo, Brazil, have won assignments to write Pathfinder Society Scenarios.

Congratulations again to Steven and look out for Tears at Bitter Manor, coming this November!

RPG Superstar™ will be returning in 2014!

Vote for the Next RPG Superstar!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The time has come to determine this year's RPG Superstar! For Round 5, each of our Top 4 competitors have submitted a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal. They've rolled with the puches and absorbed feedback from the judges and voters, and now it's time to see who will come out on top!

Matthew Duval - Chicopee, MA Round 5 The Seven Veils Masquerade   Round 4 Mienka's Cauldron   Round 3 Blackwood Drake   Round 2 Everbloom Monk (Monk)   Round 1 Seer's Soap Pedro Coelho - São Paulo, Brazil Round 5 Through the Dream Sands   Round 4 Feer's Crossing   Round 3 Leechroot   Round 2 Water-Born Votary (Monk)   Round 1 Reins of Unstoppable Stride

Scott Fernandez - Allen Park, MI Round 5 The Scrollmaster's Ransom   Round 4 The Pools of Iridescence   Round 3 Yellowtongue Hulk   Round 2 Forecaster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Steven Helt - Tulsa, OK Round 5 The Golden Watch   Round 4 Ssel Asha - Ancient Naga Temple   Round 3 Deadfall Dweller   Round 2 Floodwalker (Witch)   Round 1 Quicksand Cloak

Vote now!

Congratulations again to our Top 4! Your votes will determine the next RPG Superstar and the winning Module proposal!

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar: Top 4 Announced!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The votes are in, and the Top 4 competitors in RPG Superstar 2013 have been chosen!

Matthew Duval - Chicopee, MA Round 4 Mienka's Cauldron   Round 3 Blackwood Drake   Round 2 Everbloom Monk (Monk)   Round 1 Seer's Soap Pedro Coelho - São Paulo, Brazil Round 4 Feer's Crossing   Round 3 Leechroot   Round 2 Water-Born Votary (Monk)   Round 1 Reins of Unstoppable Stride

Scott Fernandez - Allen Park, MI Round 4 The Pools of Iridescence   Round 3 Yellowtongue Hulk   Round 2 Forecaster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Steven Helt - Tulsa, OK Round 4 Ssel Asha - Ancient Naga Temple   Round 3 Deadfall Dweller   Round 2 Floodwalker (Witch)   Round 1 Quicksand Cloak

Congratulations to the Top 4! Now is the time to double down in their efforts and write a proposal for an exciting adventure that'll impress the judges and the voters. Check back on March 26, 2013, to view the final entries for RPG Superstar 2013!

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar: Round 4 Submissions!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The official playtest period for the Round 4 encounters is over and voting is open! Voting closes Monday, March 11, so you still have a few days if you want to playtest the encounters. Whether or not you get a chance to playtest, be sure to read the entries and playtest feedback from other gamers, then cast your vote.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar: Round 4 Submissions!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Top 8 RPG Superstar contestants have completed their Round 4 entries! This round, our contestants have created a Golarion Location, Map and Encounter. Round 4 included a couple new twists: the contestants must use another designer's monster, and the encounter had to include a trap. Fan votes will determine who of the Top 8 advances to Round 5, where the Top 4 will be submitting a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal.

The submissions and judge reviews are now live! Discuss the entries and vote for your favorites, as well as engage in the playtest. Voting starts on March 5 and ends March 11, and the Top 4 (by votes) will move on to Round 5.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8 Announced!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Top 8 for RPG Superstar have been chosen! In Round 4, they will be creating a Golarion Location, Map and Encounter. In this round, fan votes determine who advances to Round 5, in which the Top 4 will submit a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal.

The Top 8 have until Friday, February 22 to complete their write up on their Location, Map and Encounter. On February 26, Paizo will reveal judge comments on all 8 submissions to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites, as well as engage in the playtest. Voting on Round 4 will begin on March 5, 2013 at 2 PM Pacific Time.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8

Clay Blankenship - Huntsville, AL Round 3 Thoughtstealer-Ooze   Round 2 Skinchanger (Witch)   Round 1 Cobra-Hood Cloak Matthew Duval - Chicopee, MA Round 3 Blackwood Drake   Round 2 Everbloom Monk (Monk)   Round 1 Seer's Soap Michael Eshleman - Chapel Hill, NC Round 3 Bloodroot Vine   Round 2 Uringen Assayer (Alchemist)   Round 1 Walking Stick of Concealed Thaumaturgy Michael Pruess - Berkeley, CA Round 3 Egelsee Cocktail   Round 2 Outsea Delver (Alchemist)   Round 1 Tree Frog's Gloves

Nicholas Herold - Davis, CA Round 3 Caliban   Round 2 Huckster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Gorget of Living Whispers Pedro Coelho - São Paulo, Brazil Round 3 Leechroot   Round 2 Water-Born Votary (Monk)   Round 1 Reins of Unstoppable Stride Scott Fernandez - Allen Park, MI Round 3 Yellowtongue Hulk   Round 2 Forecaster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Steven Helt - Tusla, OK Round 3 Deadfall Dweller   Round 2 Floodwalker (Witch)   Round 1 Quicksand Cloak

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Congratulations to the Top 8 and good luck in Round 4!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Round 3 Voting!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Voting is now open for the monster round of RPG Superstar 2013. View and comment on the Top 16 monster stat blocks and vote for your favorites! The voting booth closes Monday, February 18th, at 2 PM Pacific Time.

Meanwhile, competitors can check out the Round 4 rules! The full Round 4 rules and FAQ are available here.

Does your favorite designer have what it takes to get through this round and move on to the Top 8? Your votes decide!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16 Announced!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The votes are in, and this year's Top 16 contestants in Paizo's RPG Superstar competition have been chosen! In Round 3 of the competition, each of the Top 16 will be submitting a Bestiary-style Golarion monster. Entries for Round 3 are due this Friday at 2 PM Pacific time. Voting on Round 3 will begin on February 12, 2013 at 2 PM Pacific Time.

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Charlie Bell - Fayetteville, NC Round 2 Green Knight (Paladin)   Round 1 Spell-Winding Timepiece Clay Blankenship - Huntsville, AL Round 2 Skinchanger (Witch)   Round 1 Cobra-Hood Cloak Joseph Kellogg - Kingsport, TN Round 2 Gralton Infiltrator (Alchemist)   Round 1 Shattered Mirror of the Insect Queen Kalervo Oikarinen - Helsinki, Finland Round 2 Lonesome Rider (Gunslinger)   Round 1 Gloves of the Frugal Healer Landon Cole - St Neots, Cambridgeshire, England Round 2 Water Snake (Ranger)   Round 1 Ghost Ship Binnacle Matthew Duval - Chicopee, MA Round 2 Everbloom Monk (Monk)   Round 1 Seer's Soap Maurice de Mare - Zaandam, Netherlands Round 2 Wandering Judge (Ranger)   Round 1 Sash of the Salty Seas Michael Eshleman - Chapel Hill, NC Round 2 Uringen Assayer (Alchemist)   Round 1 Walking Stick of Concealed Thaumaturgy

Michael Pruess - Berkeley, CA Round 2 Outsea Delver (Alchemist)   Round 1 Tree Frog's Gloves Nicholas Herold - Davis, CA Round 2 Huckster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Gorget of Living Whispers Pedro Coelho - São Paulo, Brazil Round 2 Water-Born Votary (Monk)   Round 1 Reins of Unstoppable Stride Rorik Moore-Jansen - Kansas City, KS Round 2 Red Adder Magus (Magus)   Round 1 Trick Shot Glove Sam Harris - Chicago, IL Round 2 River Wrangler (Rogue)   Round 1 Witchwood Comb Scott Fernandez - Allen Park, MI Round 2 Forecaster (Alchemist)   Round 1 Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Shawn Kowalke - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Round 2 Awakened (Rogue)   Round 1 Whispering Gloves Steven Helt - Tusla, OK Round 2 Floodwalker (Witch)   Round 1 Quicksand Cloak

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar will be announced on April 2, 2013, and will be writing a Pathfinder Module. Doom Comes to Dustpawn, written by last year's RPG Superstar, Mike Welham, will be releasing this May!

Congratulations to the Top 16 and good luck in Round 3!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Round 2 Voting and Monster Rules

Thursday, January 31, 2013

This is just a quick reminder that voting is open for the archetype round of RPG Superstar 2013. View and comment on the Top 32 finalists' archetypes and vote for your favorites! The voting booth closes Monday, February 4th, at 2 PM Pacific Time.

Meanwhile, the competitors are hard at work on the Round 3 challenge: design a monster! The full Round 3 rules and FAQ are available here.

Does your favorite designer have what it takes to get through the archetype round? Is excellent flavor more important than perfect mechanics? Whose monster do you really want to see in the next round? Your votes decide!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar: Round 2!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Our Top 32 contestants have submitted their Round 2 new archetypes! These round two submissions have been revealed to the general public with judges’ comments. Discuss the entries and vote for your favorite! Voting ends on February 4 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round 3. You can change your mind anytime until voting closes Monday, February 4 at 2:00 PM Pacific time.

This year's ultimate winner will write a Pathfinder Module to be published by Paizo. Three runners-up will win the opportunity to write Pathfinder Society Scenarios, meaning all finalists will be offered professional writing contracts with Paizo Publishing, and an opportunity to begin their freelance careers with high-profile RPG releases!

Last year Mike Welham's Doom Comes to Dustpawn emerged victorious as 2012's RPG Superstar winner after a week of public comment and fan voting at paizo.com. His winning adventure will release as a full-color printed Pathfinder Module.

Vote now!

RPG Superstar™ 2013 Top 32 Revealed

Tuesday, January 22, 2012

Paizo Publishing today announced the finalists for RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying game design contest in history. The paizo.com community cast over half a million votes to sort the best gamer-submitted wondrous items using the rules from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, available in stores and in electronic form at paizo.com. Judges Wolfgang Baur, Clark Peterson, and Sean K Reynolds selected the best 32 items from the highest-voted wondrous items. The Top 32 wondrous items are now on display at paizo.com, complete with judge commentary and additional comments from 2012 RPG Superstar finalists Steve Miller, James Olchak, and Tom Phillips, and winner Mike Welham. Gamers are invited to contribute their own comments to the entries.

"RPG Superstar is the only gaming contest of its kind—the opportunity to get industry professionals to scrutinize your work and give you the opportunity to join Paizo's stable of talented freelance writers," said judge and Paizo game developer Sean K Reynolds. "This year we have a great mix of new faces and competitors from previous years, and the incredible voter turnout in Round 1 means the gaming community has been involved from the very start of this competition. Congratulations to this year's Top 32, and good luck in the contest's next challenge!"

The Top 32 finalists (and their winning wondrous items) for RPG Superstar 2013 are (in alphabetical order):

Adam Blanchard Goblet of the Elements Charlie Bell Spell-Winding Timepiece Chris Shaeffer Cloudwrangler's Gloves Christopher Dudley Icon of Aspects Clay Blankenship Cobra-Hood Cloak George Cunningham Skipping Stone Guy Russell Rat-tread Boots Isaac White Ethersnare Dust James Conder Map of Refuge Jobe Bittman Quiver of Spiderkind Jon Haire Swarm Slurper Joseph Kellogg Shattered Mirror of the Insect Queen Joshua Kitchens Hell-shod Boots Kalervo Oikarinen Gloves of the Frugal Healer Landon Cole Ghost Ship Binnacle Mark Nordheim Wintertide Candle

Matt Blackie Gorum's Stompers Matthew Duval Seer's Soap Maurice de Mare Sash of the Salty Seas Michael Eshleman Walking Stick of Concealed Thaumaturgy Michael Pruess Tree Frog's Gloves Mike Kimmel Gloves of Flame Command Nicholas Herold Gorget of Living Whispers Nickolas Floyd Thorn Creeper Sandals Pedro Coelho Reins of Unstoppable Stride Rorik Moore-Jansen Trick Shot Glove Sam Harris Witchwood Comb Scott Fernandez Verdant Crown of Oak and Iron Shawn Kowalke Whispering Gloves Steven Helt Quicksand Cloak Zachary Hensley Spectral Lampblack Ziv Wities Many-Layered Veil

2013's alternates are Giorgios Abate, Jeff Lee, Damien McGurrell, and Garrick Williams.

The Top 32 will now be required to design a concept for a class archetype to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges and submit that concept by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, January 25. These Round 2 submissions will be revealed to the general public on Tuesday, January 29 with judges' comments and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on February 4 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round 3.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 2, 2013, will write an adventure for Paizo's Pathfinder Module line to be published in early 2014. The 2012 RPG Superstar champion module, Mike Welham's Doom Comes to Dustpawn, releases in April 2013.

The Paizo Community is a Collective Judgernaut!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

We've said it before but it bears repeating: when we asked you to help us sort through the wondrous items for RPG Superstar Round 1, we had no idea just how dedicated our fans truly are. We had almost a half million total votes cast. That's at least 8,000 hours of cumulative time spent ranking items, or the equivalent of one person* working full time for more than four years—all over the course of a single month.

• Number of Star Voters (100 votes): 592
• Number of Dedicated Voters (500 votes): 231
• Number of Marathon Voters (1,000 votes): 84
• Number of people who voted exactly 99 times: 8
• Number of people who voted exactly 501 times: 116

Special thanks go to our three Champion Voters (5,000 votes):

• Thomas LeBlanc: 8,197 votes
• CHEERS: 5,371 votes
• Feros: 5,327 votes

The judges are combing the results right now, and the top 32 items will be unveiled Tuesday, January 22 at 2 p.m. Pacific time. If you haven't started on your Round 2 archetype for the River Kingdoms, you'd better get busy!

Gary Teter
Senior Software Developer

*Note: If that one person is Clark Peterson or Neil Spicer, the task would be completed in under one calendar month, but that's only because they're actually inhuman judging machines.

RPG Superstar Round 1 Voting Has 1 Week Left!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Public voting for the wondrous item round of RPG Superstar is in its last seven days. Did you hear about the the new messageboard titles for voters? Even with just a week left, if you spend an hour or two each day voting on wondrous items, you should be able to earn at least a Dedicated Voter title.

Remember, whether you vote 10 times or 100 times, every vote helps!

Once the voting closes on January 15th, the judges will pore over the best-voted items and select the Top 32, which will be revealed on January 22nd at 2 PM Pacific time!

If you submitted a wondrous item for Round 1, don't wait to find out if you're in the Top 32 to start working your Round 2 archetype for the River Kingdoms—start now! Every extra bit of time helps!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar Round 1 Voting Update

Friday, December 28, 2012

When we first discussed the idea of letting the fans vote on their favorite wondrous items, we didn't know what kind of participation we'd get. The response has significantly exceeded our expectations! These numbers, current as of the posting of this blog, show just how excited people are about this contest:

Total number of votes so far: 203,909
Number of votes cast in first hour: 3,762
Number of votes cast by top voter: 3,690
Number of people voting more than 100 times: 505

Your dedication has blown us away, so we'd like to return the favor by offering a little messageboard bling based on your participation. If you're one of the top participating RPG Superstar voters, you will earn a new title that will appear everywhere on the messageboards while voting is open,and display exclusively in the RPG Superstar forums once this year’s voting has ended. The tiers for RPG Superstar voting titles are:

100 votes: Star Voter
500 votes: Dedicated Voter
1,000 votes: Marathon Voter
5,000 votes: Champion Voter

Some fans have expressed concern that they're just sorting the bottom of the pile and not having any impact on the actual rankings of the items that have a chance of winning. At first it's fun to see items that aren't ready for superstar status, but after a while it's hard to keep voting when you see more bad items than good. We've got enough data now to begin culling the herd, so today we're going to drop the bottom 25 percent of items from the voting pool.

Thank you all for your help in this groundbreaking effort, and remember, the more data we get the better the results are, so vote early and vote often!

Gary Teter
Senior Software Developer

RPG Superstar 2013 Round 1 Voting is Open!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Today is the start of something new. In previous years of RPG Superstar, only the judges saw the wondrous item submissions, and the judges decided which ones would become the Top 32. This year, the wondrous items are public, and your votes help select the Top 32 finalists!

• To vote, all you need to do is log in to your paizo.com account and go to the RPG Superstar voting page. You'll be shown two random wondrous items submitted by novice designers, and you vote on which of the two you prefer.
• You can vote as often as you like.
• The voting period closes on January 15, 2013, at 2 PM Pacific time. That gives you plenty of time to look at several items each day and contribute many votes overall.

For the first time, the paizo.com community gets to take an active role in determining the Top 32. Remember, whether you vote 10 times or 100 times, every vote helps!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Round 2: Archetypes

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The submission period for Round 1 wondrous items is over! The tech team is preparing the voting software as we speak. So what's next?

• Public voting begins this Thursday, December 20, at 2 PM Pacific time! Unlike in previous years, anyone can log in to paizo.com and vote on entries. Your votes will separate the good entries from the bad and determine the best competitors to move on to Round 2.
• You can vote on items as much as you like. Exact details of how the voting works will be available when the voting period begins, but in short you'll be shown two random entries and vote on which one you like better.
• The voting period closes on January 15, 2013, at 2 PM Pacific time. That gives you plenty of time to look at several items each day and contribute many votes overall.
• If you did submit a wondrous item for Round 1, you should be thinking about archetype designs for Round 2. If you start planning now, that's four extra weeks of design time for your archetype masterpiece! And be sure to read my advice about archetype design posted on the messageboards.
• The Round 2 rules will be revealed later this week—be sure to check the Paizo blog and the RPG Superstar page for the surprise twist!

Also, be sure to check out the Atomic Array's Special Edition segment, featuring RPG Superstar 2012, Mike Welham!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar 2013 Deadline Reminder

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Have you submitted a wondrous item for RPG Superstar 2013 yet? The deadline to submit your item is one week away! We have hundreds of submissions so far, but there's plenty of room for more—and yours might be exactly what the voters are looking for! Check out my RPG Superstar advice thread for some tips about your item!

The deadline for entries is December 18 at 2 PM Pacific time, and voting begins on December 20!

And remember, this year everyone gets to vote on the wondrous items!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™ 2012: Mike Welham!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

After five rounds of intensive competition, amateur game designer Mike Welham has won RPG Superstar 2012!

RPG Superstar is the largest annual tabletop roleplaying design contest. The popular vote of paizo.com's more than 200,000-strong fan community chose Mike Welham's Doom Comes to Dustpawn Pathfinder Module proposal. Welham will receive a contract to write the full adventure for Doom Comes to Dustpawn, which will be released in January, 2013.

On behalf of the judges and Paizo Publishing, as well as the many voters, congratulations again to the rest of our Top 4 contestants Steve Miller, James Olchak, and Tom Phillips.

RPG Superstar will return in 2013!

Mike Welham - Kernersville, NC
Doom Comes to Dustpawn - Round 5
The Thanatopic Amphisbaena - Round 4
Phasic Ravager - Round 3
Monster Reformation Alliance - Round 2
Raptoring Gloves - Round 1

RPG Superstar™: Vote For Your Superstar!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The time has come to determine this year's RPG Superstar™! For Round 5, each of our Top 4 competitors have submitted a 3,000 word Pathfinder Module adventure proposal. They've rolled with the puches and absorbed feedback from the judges and voters, and now it's time to see who will come out on top!

Congratulations again to our Top 4! Get to voting and determine who will become RPG Superstar™ 2012! Voting ends on April 2 at 2PM Pacific Time.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar™, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

Vote now!

RPG Superstar: Round 5, Go Go Go!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Top 4 competitors in RPG Superstar 2012 are hard at work on their adventure proposals, which are due tomorrow at 2 p.m. Pacific Time! This weekend the four judges and guest judge James Jacobs review these entries, and on Tuesday, March 27, they go live for public reading and voting!

Don’t worry, competitors, you still have more than 24 hours to go before the deadline! James, Mike, Steve, Tom... good luck!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™: Advice from Your Future

Thursday, March 15, 2012

To the top four competitors: congratulations! Though I’m not a guest judge this round, I will be the person developing the winner’s submission, so I thought I’d take the opportunity while you’re putting together your adventure proposals to offer some advice. Chances are good that the same elements I touch on here are the same things Clark, James, Neil, Ryan, and Sean will be looking for and judging you on next weekend, so pay attention!

1. Scope: Every year at least one competitor puts forward an adventure proposal that simply couldn’t fit in a 32-page print product. The judges will ding you for this hard, and even if you win by popular vote despite that, the physical limitations of the medium will necessitate changes from your proposal that may jeopardize your winning vision. A Pathfinder Module typically has around 20,000 words, with 1,800 of those restricted to appendixes. That means you have around 18,000 words to describe all the backstory, characters, and locations in the adventure, as well as all the stats contained therein.

The average encounter is 500 words (including statblocks). If you anticipate using 10,000 words of your final adventure detailing a cult’s lair, know that you’re going to need (and have room for) about 20 encounter areas. Some of these will be fights that have statblocks that push them over the average, and some will be mostly empty rooms with only a paragraph or two of text to even that average out. But if you set half of the adventure in a giant castle that couldn’t reasonably have less than 20 rooms, chances are you’ll have to cut a lot of the contents within, or cut other elements of the adventure to make room. If everything you propose is vital to the story, then cutting things can drastically change the adventure from the proposed concept.

2. Simplicity: Another thing we see every year are what we’ve termed “wahoo” elements in folks’ proposals. I understand why some competitors want to pull out all the stops with complicated and cinematic fights, locations, villains, and adventure premises: you want people to think your adventure will be the coolest to play. But consider that the more we need to explain something—whether it’s a rules subsystem or the complex way an encounter in a weird location plays out—the less words you have to tell your story. You’ll note we often save our rules subsystems for Pathfinder Adventure Path books, where they can be explained as independent articles that don’t eat into the adventures themselves. This is because we don’t have room for such things in most 32-page modules. Tell an engaging story that relies on plot, memorable characters, and interesting locations rather than a few complicated, off-the-wall elements; your job, my job, and the GM at the table’s job will be easier, and if it’s a good story, the players will enjoy it just as much as something wacky, as long as their PCs partake in something meaty.

Along the same lines, consider the number of sources needed to run the adventure and especially to run any single NPC. If your adventure hinges on a creature from the Bestiary 3 who has levels in both alchemist and rogue and uses an archetype from Ultimate Magic, you’ve necessitated the use of four books to design, develop, and ultimately run that character. In most cases, the same story can be told with only one or two books, everyone has an easier time, and the encounter can be just as memorable.

3. Scale: The assignment this year is to propose a 9th-level adventure. That means it assumes a balanced party of four 9th-level PCs and thus needs to be able to account for some of the things a 9th-level party can do. By this point in a character’s career, she has become a mover and shaker on the national or even regional stage. A 9th-level spellcaster can cast such spells as commune, dominate person, polymorph, raise dead, scrying, teleport, and true seeing. It’s not unreasonable to assume they also have a few higher-level spells on scrolls, which are more than affordable in limited quantities. Characters of this level should always be assumed to be able to fly, turn invisible, and take on whatever disguise they want, and encounters that hinge on them not being able to do these things will fall flat. Large parties of creatures with class levels to bring them up to the right CR are likely to stretch credulity, in that a meager thieves’ guild wouldn’t typically have a lot of people in it with more than a few levels; they’d have already taken over the whole town, not to mention that masses of low-CR creatures are literally speed bumps overcome with a single area of effect spell. All of these are the sorts of things to keep in mind when deciding if a general premise or specific encounter is appropriate for characters running through your adventure.

4. Format: Pathfinder adventures (and Pathfinder Modules specifically) follow an established format. When coming up with your idea, consider whether it will work within the format it will be published in. Could the “story so far” fit on a page or two at most in the Adventure Background section? Can the events of the adventure itself be summed up quickly and concisely in the Adventure Summary? Would you need to use more than the two and a half pages of maps most Pathfinder Modules get? Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and end that could be broken into three distinct parts or acts? Does it contain a new monster and can that monster be run without us needing to print its stats twice (i.e. the base creature in the appendix and a version with class levels in the adventure itself)? Is there a location in the adventure that, while set in Golarion, could be easily ported to a different setting or dropped into a GM’s game independent of running this adventure? All of these are parts of the Pathfinder Module format, so it’s important you build an adventure that adheres to these elements.

And now that I’ve fully channeled Neil Spicer with my lengthy post, I’ll let you get back to the task at hand. I hope the above advice is helpful and doesn’t discourage you from proposing the story you really want to tell. Rather, I hope it encourages you to find creative ways to tell that story in a way that will both capture the voters’ attention and garner the backing of the judges and your potential future employers here at Paizo. Best of luck, gentlemen!

Mark Moreland
Developer

RPG Superstar™: Top 4 Announced!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Congratulations to our Top 4 RPG Superstar™ competitors!

Steve Miller - Raleigh, NC James Olchak - Raleigh, NC

Tom Phillips - Fleming Island, FL Mike Welham - Kernersville, NC

The Top 4 competitors have rolled with the punches and absorbed feedback from the judges and the voters. Now they are making that last push toward the finish line. Now is the time to double down in their efforts and write a proposal for an exciting adventure that'll impress the judges and the voters.

Congratulations to the Top 4—they've survived three rounds of voting and four rounds of sometimes-harsh judge commentary. They've caught the eye of the people at Paizo who make freelance assignments. Each of them has an eye on the prize: getting to write an adventure module and get it published, in print, with his name on the cover. The winner supplies the text, Paizo takes care of the rest. The proof of the winner's quality will be in game stores all over the country.

The deadline for Round 5 entries is March 23rd and submissions for will go live for voting March 27th at 2 PM Pacific time.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar™, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

RPG Superstar™: Get Those Round 4 Votes In!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The official playtest period for the Round 4 encounters is over and voting is open! Voting closes Monday, March 12, so you still have a few days if you want to playtest the encounters. Whether or not you get a chance to playtest, be sure to read the entries and playtest feedback from other gamers, then cast your vote. Next round is the big challenge: create an adventure proposal for a 32-page Pathfinder Module. The winner of RPG Superstar gets paid to write that adventure, and Paizo will publish it in 2013!

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™: Voting for Round 4!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Our Top 8 contestant have had their entries playtested by you and it's time to vote! This round, our contestants have created a Golarion Location, Map and Encounter. Round 4 included a new twist, where each submission is being playtested and each encounter uses monsters from the Pathfinder Battles Heroes & Monsters miniatures. Fan votes will determine who of the Top 8 advances to Round 5, where the Top 4 will be submitting a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal. All finalist submissions, complete with judge and reader commentary, are posted to the paizo.com messageboards.

Voting ends on March 12 and the Top 4 will move on to Round 5. You can change your mind anytime until voting closes Monday, February 12 at 2 PM Pacific Time

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

Vote now!

RPG Superstar™: Grab a character sheet!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Round 4 entries for RPG Superstar are live! Take a look at the locations and encounters designed by the Top 8, playtest the encounter with your group, and post your results! Your playtest feedback may be what pushes a competitor into one of the Top 4... or knock him out of the running entirely!

Voting opens Tuesday, March 6, and closes Monday, March 12!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™: Round 4 Submissions!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Top 8 for RPG Superstar have completed their Round 4 entries! This round, our contestants have created a Golarion Location, Map and Encounter. Round 4 included a new twist, where each submission is being playtested and each encounter uses monsters from the Pathfinder Battles Heroes & Monsters miniatures. Fan votes will determine who of the Top 8 advances to Round 5, where the Top 4 will be submitting a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal. All finalist submissions, complete with judge and reader commentary, are posted to the paizo.com messageboards.

The submissions and judge reviews are now live! Discuss the entries and vote for your favorites, as well as engage in the playtest. Voting starts on March 6 and ends March 12, and the Top 4 (by votes) will move on to Round 5.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

RPG Superstar™: Get Ready to Playtest!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Right now the Top 8 are working like mad to finish the Round 4 challenge by tomorrow’s deadline. Their location-encounters go live on Tuesday, but there’s a unique twist to this round—the competition schedule includes a week for the public to have an open playtest of these encounters. This has never been done before in RPG Superstar, and we strongly encourage you to playtest at least one of the Top 8 encounters and post your playtest feedback in the encounter’s thread on the RPG Superstar messageboards.

Voting begins on March 6th, and we expect the playtest feedback will greatly help sort out who’s moving on to the Top 4 and the final design challenge for RPG Superstar 2012!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™ Top 8 Announced!

The Top 8 for RPG Superstar have been announced and are advancing to Round 4, where our contestants will be creating a Golarion Location, Map and Encounter. The plot thickens, as they will also be playtesting these Encounters and using monsters from the Pathfinder Battles Heroes & Monsters miniatures. In this round, fan votes determine who advances to Round 5, in which the Top 4 will submit a Pathfinder Module adventure proposal. All finalist submissions, complete with judge and reader commentary, are posted to the paizo.com messageboards.

The Top 8 have until Friday, February 24 to complete their write up on their Location, Map and Encounter. On February 28, Paizo will reveal judge comments on all 8 submissions to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites, as well as engage in the playtest. Voting starts on March 6 and ends March 12, and the Top 4 (by votes) will move on to Round 5.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

RPG Superstar: Encounter Challenge Preview

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Voting for RPG Superstar Round 3 continues, and the competitors are gearing up for Round 4: Design an Encounter with Map!

We’re revealing the finished Round 4 rules on Friday. In the meantime, here’s a preview of the two twists we’re adding to the encounter round this year.

Twist #1: All creatures appearing in your encounter must be drawn from the miniatures in the Heroes & Monsters set of the Pathfinder Battles minis line!

Twist #2: The Round 4 entries are revealed on February 28, but voting doesn’t start until a week later because we’ve added a week for open playtesting of the encounters!

Voting closes on Monday, February 20th and the Top 8 winners are announced on Tuesday, February 21st. In the meantime, competitors should look over last year’s Round 4 rules and FAQ.

RPG Superstar: Round 3!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Our Top 16 contestants have submitted their Round 3 CR 7 monsters! These round three submissions have been revealed to the general public with judges’ comments. Discuss the entries and vote for your favorite! Voting ends on February 20 and the Top 8 by votes will move on to Round 4. You can change your mind anytime until voting closes Monday, February 20 at 2 p.m. Pacific time.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

Vote now!

PaizoCon Pathfinder Society Review

Monday, Febraury 13, 2012

I have never been to PaizoCon. I have heard many stories over a pint from friends who have been. I have wanted to go the past few years but it just never worked out, whether it was expenses or work related obligations. One of the perks of my job is now I get to go to PaizoCon every year. Of course, Erik has told me the only excuse for missing it is if I was dead and the body couldn’t be recovered. I promise, you don’t need to twist my arm to be there. I am excited to experience my first PaizoCon with many of you. Not only do I get to attend, I get to help plan the convention. I can’t begin to tell you how cool that is. Every week, I’m working on one preparation or another to help make this PaizoCon the best yet. With that in mind, I thought I would share some of what is being planned for Pathfinder Society. I need to share some of this excitement so I don’t explode.

We are scheduling 150 tables of Pathfinder Society scenarios over the three days. The response of volunteers to GM was overwhelming. We filled all 150 tables in 23 hours and we currently have 22 people on the waiting list to step in if someone has to cancel their trip. It looks like I’m not the only one excited about this year’s PaizoCon. We’re scheduling every Season 3 scenario for PaizoCon over multiple tables.

We’ll also be debuting the GM 101 Workshop. Georgia Venture-Officers took the initiative late last year to put together a program to inform prospective GMs of what they might expect while running a Pathfinder Society scenario or sanctioned module. They received excellent feedback from participants, shared it with several other Venture-Officers to run in their regions, and refined the program. They pitched the idea to me to run it at conventions and I thought it was a great idea. This 4- to 5-hour workshop will be broken into two parts.

The first half includes topics such as how to bring a 4- to 5-hour scenario to life, how to make rulings on the fly, how to manage a table of complete strangers, how to organize a game day, and how to adapt to players doing the unexpected. Participants will circulate between stations to learn and practice the skills involved. During the second half, Georgia Venture-Officers will reveal the Deck of Many Situations. They will lead a humorously instructive game that challenges its players to handle tough GMing situations based on real, in-game dilemmas. Participants will have the opportunity to play the parts of both the GM and the troublesome players. Judges will offer feedback for each round, giving everyone the opportunity to learn. Note that we will also be running GM 101 workshops at Gen Con. I prefer that anyone who wants to volunteer to help run them at Gen Con attend one of these workshops at PaizoCon.

Finally, we are returning the Grand Convocation to its rightful place at PaizoCon. There will be tiered mini-quests that take an hour or two to complete. There will be side events where special Chronicles can be earned. And, according to Major Maldris, the Blakros family is planning to make an appearance. It is unclear exactly what they want. Major Maldris seemed visibly upset (who can blame him when the Blakros are involved) when asked about it, as there have been whispers of bargains, deals, marriages and the like that the Blakros family is pursuing.

I hope to see many of you there and to match faces with messageboard names and avatars. I also hope that I can help provide all of you that are attending with your most memorable Pathfinder experience to date. I look forward to seeing you all in July.

Oh, I almost forgot one important note. It has been mentioned for several years that there would be occasional special events for retired, 12th level PCs. The Grand Convocation is the debut of these special, Tier 12+ events.

And one more thing: Check out the final cover art by Grafit for Pathfinder Module: The Midnight Mirror, an adventure by RPG Superstar 2011 winner Sam Zeitlin!

Mike Brock
Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

RPG Superstar: Monster Stat Block Preview

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Voting for RPG Superstar Round 2 continues, and the competitors are getting anxious. To give them something to do, here’s a sample boards-friendly monster stat block. Competitors, feel free to practice your Round 3 monster challenge using this format—you’ll be able to copy and paste this into your entry and maintain proper formatting.

[b]zzMonstername CR ##[/b]
[b]XP ##[/b]
zzAlignment zzSize zzType
[b]Init[/b] +##; [b]Senses[/b] zz, zz,; Perception +##
[b]Aura[/b] zz (## ft., DC ##)

[b]----- Defense -----[/b]
[b]AC[/b] ##, touch ##, flat-footed # (+## zzModifier, +##zzModifier)
[b]hp[/b] ## (##d##+##); fast healing ##
[b]Fort[/b] +##, [b]Ref[/b] +##, [b]Will[/b] +##
[b]DR[/b] ##/zzMaterial; [b]Immune[/b] zz; [b]Resist[/b] zz ##, zz ##; [b]SR[/b] ##
[b]Weaknesses[/b] zz, zz

[b]----- Offense -----[/b]
[b]Speed[/b] ## ft., fly ## ft. (zzManeuverability)
[b]Melee[/b] zzAttacktype +## (zzDamage plus zzOthereffect), zzAttacktype +## (zzDamage)
[b]Ranged[/b] zzAttacktype +## (zzDamage)
[b]Space[/b] ## ft.; [b]Reach[/b] ## ft.
[b]Special Attacks[/b] zz, zz
[b]Spell-Like Abilities[/b] (CL ##zz; concentration +##)
At will—[i]zz[/i], [i]zz[/i]
1/day—[i]zz[/i], [i]zz[/i]

[b]----- Statistics -----[/b]
[b]Str[/b] ##, [b]Dex[/b] ##, [b]Con[/b] ##, [b]Int[/b] ##, [b]Wis[/b] ##, [b]Cha[/b] ##
[b]Base Atk[/b] +##; [b]CMB[/b] +## (+## zzConditionalmaneuverbonus); [b]CMD[/b] ## (## vs. zzManeuvername)
[b]Feats[/b] zzFeatname, zzFeatname
[b]Skills[/b] zzSkillname +##, zzSkillname +## (+## zzCondition); [b]Racial Modifiers[/b] +## zzSkillname, +## zzSkillname in zzCondition
[b]Languages[/b] zzLanguage
[b]SQ[/b] zz

[b]----- Ecology -----[/b]
[b]Environment[/b] zzClimate zzTerrain
[b]Organization[/b] zz, zz, or zz
[b]Treasure[/b] zzCategory

[b]----- Special Abilities -----[/b]
[b]zzName (Ex/Sp/Su)[/b] zzDescription

Notes for the Competitors

Here are some tips for using the above stat block, and building stat blocks in general.

• ## is a placeholder for a number, so an entry like "Init +##" should be something like "Init +2" or "Init -2" in your monster stat block.
• zz is a placeholder for anything other than a number (obviously, "zzSize" means you should replace it with a game term for size, such as "Medium," not "zzMedium").
• When you are finished, your monster stat block should not have ## or zz in it at all.
• If your monster doesn't have an ability mentioned in the sample stat block format (such as DR, SR, Immune, an "plus" effect for a melee or ranged attack, a conditional skill bonuses, or racial skill modifiers), delete that ability and its placeholders. For example, if your monster doesn't have damage reduction, delete the "DR ##/zzMaterial" and the semicolon after it so the line starts with "Immune."
• If your monster has an ability that isn't presented in the sample stat block format (such as Spells Known), add it to the stat block, making sure to put it in the correct section of the stat block (for example, Spells Known goes in the Offense section) and match the bold and/or italic format for that ability as shown in a printed stat block.
• If the monster doesn't have Feats, Skills, or Languages, delete the entire Feats, Skills, or Languages line.
• If your monster has Space 5 ft. and Reach 5 ft., delete that entire line (the default is a monster with that size and reach).
• When you are finished, your stat block shouldn't have any "blank" entries like "DR —."
• The Defense, Offense, Statistics, and Ecology lines have "-----" at the beginning and end to visually offset those section headers. This is because the messageboard code doesn't allow you to underline text, and this is an easy and clear way to duplicate the printed stat block format for this purpose. Do not tamper with those lines.
• In a printed stat block, the individual listings for the spell-like abilities are indented, but it's difficult to make that work in the messageboards, so if your monster has spell-like abilities, just use the non-indented format as presented in the above sample stat block.
• If your monster has a new ability (such as "Arcane Vengeance" or "Eyeball Eater"), you must explain it in the Special Abilities part of the stat block.
• If your monster has a common ability from the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook (such as sneak attack) or a universal monster rule from the Bestiary or Bestiary 2 (such as grab or stench), you do not need to provide the description of that ability in the Special Abilities part of the stat block (we assume the reader knows how sneak attack, grab, and stench work, or can look them up in the appropriate book).
• When in doubt as to how to format part of your stat block, check the monsters in the Bestiary and universal monster rules.

Voting closes on Monday, February 6th and the Top 16 winners are announced on Tuesday, February 7th. At that time we’ll reveal the “twist” for Round 3!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar: Round 2!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Our Top 32 contestants have submitted their Round 2 new organization concepts! These round two submissions have been revealed to the general public with judges’ comments. Discuss the entries and vote for your favorite! Voting ends on February 6 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round 3. You can change your mind anytime until voting closes Monday, February 6 at 2 p.m. Pacific time.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

Vote now!

RPG Superstar: Item Feedback

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Tuesday, we announced the Top 32 for RPG Superstar. Now those lucky, skilled gamers are hammering away at the Round 2 task of designing a new Golarion organization. Their submissions are due Friday, secretly reviewed by the judges over the weekend, and go live for voting on Tuesday, January 31. Good luck to the Top 32!

If you submitted a wondrous item and didn’t make it into the Top 32, don’t lose heart! One, not winning your first RPG Superstar is a fine tradition upheld by 2009’s winner Neil Spicer and 2010’s winner Matt Goodall—you now have a year to practice and hone your craft for the next competition. And don’t forget to stop by the Official Critique My Item Thread to get some feedback on your item from the community and perhaps the judges!

I’m also doing something new this year. During the selection process, the judges set aside items that may be suitable for the Top 32, usually ending up with 40–60 items that they winnow down to just 32 plus four alternates. If your item is on the following list, your item was on that longer list but didn’t make that final cut. To help improve your skills, if your item is listed here and you’d like me to give you feedback from the perspective of a Paizo developer, reply to this blog post and I’ll repost your item with my feedback—the same sort of feedback I’d give to a new freelancer.

Note: Only the items in the following list get this special treatment... I don’t have time in my work schedule to give feedback on hundreds of items. Also, requesting feedback means you won’t be able to submit this item next year, as the judges will know who you are and therefore your item won’t be anonymous anymore. Fortunately, a true superstar has more than one awesome idea, and you should be able to take what you learned this year and create something even better next year!

Bracers of Versatile Channeling
Compass of the Void Shaper
Darklight Candle
Dust of the Shaitan
Facsimile Stone
Gloves of Theurgy
Gunhunter's Coin
Meridian Needles
Mirror of Monstrous Echoes
Necklace of Mirrored Alignment
Orb of the Dawnflower
Periapt of Continuous Haleness
Ponderous Pebble
Scatterself Stone
Shelyn's Thrush
Stubborn Nail
Torc of Zealous Tenacity
Vest of Second Skin
Viperfang Scabbard
Walking Stick of the Revered Elder

Sean K Reynolds
Developer and RPG Superstar Judge

RPG Superstar™ 2012 Top 32 Revealed

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Paizo Publishing today announced the finalists for RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying game design contest in history. Judges Ryan Dancey, Clark Peterson, Sean K Reynolds, and Neil Spicer selected the Top 32 from hundreds of submissions in an initial contest to design a wondrous item using the rules from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, available in stores and in electronic form on paizo.com. The Top 32 wondrous items are now on display at paizo.com, complete with judge commentary and additional comments from 2011 RPG Superstar finalists Sam McGowan, Jerral Toi, and winner Sam Zeitlin. Gamers are invited to contribute their own comments to the entries.

"RPG Superstar is a unique opportunity for gamers to become professional designers and for Paizo to discover new, talented writers," said judge and Paizo game developer Sean K Reynolds. "As a developer who regularly works with about a dozen notables from previous competitions, I look forward to seeing these designers grow and improve over the next four challenges. Congratulations to this year’s Top 32!"

The Top 32 finalists (and their winning wondrous items) for RPG Superstar 2012 are (in alphabetical order):

Chad Bartlett Gloves of Reconnaissance Alexander Bennett Dustings of Darkness Jim Callaghan Cloak of the Swashbuckler Will Cooper Ghostvision gloves Adam Donald Flask of Liquid Sunlight Bob Drouin Figurine of Familiar Power Anthony Guillotte Bottled Time Mark Hart Spellblight Cage Dan Jones Claw of the Crawling Spell Mikko Kallio Vexing Spirit Lamp Jacob Kellogg Cloak of Energy Reversal N. Edward Lange Sunblossom Thomas LeBlanc Metamorphosis Saddle David Ludwig Basilisk's Eye Sight Andrew Marlowe Cayden's Cup Benjamin Medrano Chalice of Eternal Fire Jacob Michaels Haunting Glass

Steve Miller Night Monarch Vardo Greg Monk Shadow Box Eric Morton Boots of the Phantom Staircase Joshua Murphy Gloves, Charlatan Jason Neals Binder of Unbound Forms Andrew Newton Sticky Pugfoot James Olchak Rajah's Silhouette Tom Phillips Feywhisper Crown Sam Polak Moonlight Flute of the Ghost Hunter James Raine Spellbreaker Gauntlets David Ross Clockwork Conscience Daniel Rust Elixir of Resurgent Flame Chris Shaeffer Scent of the Savored Sting Ian Studebaker-Grey Silhouette of the Phantasmagoria Jacob Trier Sunrise Shawl Russell Vaneekhoven Chimaeric Mantle Mike Welham Raptoring Gloves

2012’s alternates are Benjamin Medrano, Andrew Newton, and Alex van der Kleut.

UPDATE: Anthony Guillotte, a Top 32 contestant, elected to drop out of the competition, and Jason Neals failed to complete an organization, allowing Andrew Newton and Benjamin Medrano to advance from alternate to the Top 32.

The Top 32 will now be required to design a concept for a new organization to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges and submit that concept by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, January 27. These round two submissions will be revealed to the general public on January 31 with judges’ comments and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorite. Voting ends on February 6 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to round three.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced April 3, 2012, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2013. The 2011 RPG Superstar champion module, Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror, releases in April 2012.

Words from the RPG Superstar Trenches

Thursday, January 12, 2012

As the four judges whittle down the RPG Superstar wondrous item “keeps” pile from about 60 to just 32 + 4 alternates, I thought we could take some time to hear from two of our guest judges for Round 1—Sean McGowan and Jerral Toi, who made it to the Top 4 last year. Take it away, gentlemen!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

∗∗∗

RPG Superstar has, over the past few years, become as much a part of my holiday season as any family traditions I may have grown up with. It’s just not a proper winter wonderland ’til there’s a big, pretty link to the Superstar forums on the left side of the Paizo page. (Plus, it serves as a reminder that I need to start getting some shopping done.)

Paizo has created a great annual event with this contest, and much like the Macy’s parade or the New Year’s Eve ball drop, I hope it never goes away, but just stretches on into the future leaving an infinite number of superstar winners in its wake. Leaving aside the fun factor (and that’s a lot to leave aside...) it’s a great experience to just be able to see new RPG writers developing.

The first two years of the contest, I had a blast just being a spectator and kibitzing from the sidelines. The next two years I was lucky enough to make it in as a contestant. As one of the Top 4, I was thrilled at getting the chance to write a Pathfinder Society Scenario for Paizo, and loved the experience. This year, I’m enjoying the role of guest judge for Round 1. I’m very much looking forward to participating in the contest in this new fashion, not least because I’m a deeply impatient person and getting to see the Round 1 entries a week before they’re public is awesome.

Sean McGowan
RPG Superstar Guest Judge

∗∗∗

2011 was a crazy year. The RPG Superstar contest was one of the most stressful, yet fun and exciting times of my gaming history. In the end, I placed in the Top 4 and was given the opportunity to start edging my way into game design freelancing. In addition to working with Mark Moreland on Pathfinder Society Scenario #3–09: The Quest for Perfection—Part I: The Edge of Heaven, I also infiltrated the kobold mines and snuck an article featuring alchemist archetypes into Kobold Quarterly 19. Right now, I am working on a series of steampunk-themed projects for Nevermet Press.

Publication, however, is only one of the many good things to emerge from competing. The contest forced me to reexamine several previously engrained thoughts and habits pertaining to writing and gaming. During the contest, the judges and broader audience shared a lot of information and advice about gaming, writing, and the RPG industry, as well as personalized and individual feedback. Where else can you get good and immediately applicable advice like this?

I am looking forward to learning even more in 2012.

Jerral Toi
RPG Superstar Guest Judge

Round 1 Deadline is Tomorrow!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Greetings, potential superstars! This is just a warning that the deadline for your Round 1 wondrous item submission is tomorrow at 2 PM Pacific Time!

What's that? You say you haven't submitted an item? Why not? You have nothing to lose by submitting an item. Every year, most of the competitors who advance to Round 2 planned their item ahead of time, but we always have a few who decided at the last minute to participate. There's still time tonight to prepare yourself and submit a cool item.

• Read the contest rules.
• Read the Round 1 rules.
• Read my wondrous item advice thread.
• Listen to the RPG Superstar judges giving advice in a PaizoCon panel.

Even if you don't think you're going to win, you should submit something anyway. Your wondrous item may have exactly the sort of creativity the judges are looking for. You may end up writing professionally for Paizo. Wouldn't it be cool to get your name on a Pathfinder RPG book? Wouldn't it be cool to get paid to write roleplaying games? This is an incredible opportunity, and if you don't submit something by tomorrow, you'll have to wait until December next year to try again.

Good luck!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

Here's to a Wondrous 4712

Monday, January 2, 2012

The Paizo offices are closed today as we all celebrate another orbital cycle around the sun, and it’s likely many of you fine Paizo blog readers are off today doing the same. But that doesn’t mean everyone should relax. No, the fine RPG Superstar judges are working hard to pare down the entrants in this year’s contest to the 32 best submissions, and since their judging duties are in addition to their everyday jobs, a day off is a great time to make headway on the daunting task.

For those of you playing at home, a holiday is also a great time to get your Round 1 entry polished off and submitted. There are only a few days left to submit your wondrous item for review and a chance to make the Top 32 and move on to Round 2 of RPG Superstar 2012, so don’t miss out! The deadline is this Friday, January 6; see all the rules and submission guidelines here.

May 4712 AR be the best year yet for Paizo, RPG Superstar, and all of you—our faithful fans and constant customers. Desna smile upon you!

Mark Moreland
Developer

Round 2 Challenge Preview

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Greetings, potential superstars! There’s been some discussion about the Round 2: Organizations challenge, as smart competitors want to start working on a Round 2 submission early just in case they make it into the Top 32. While we haven’t finalized the rules document for Round 2 yet, we have decided the Organization format will match that in the Inner Sea World Guide, which looks like this:

Organization Name

Alignment: [two-letter abbreviation]
Headquarters: [location]
Leader: [character name]
Structure: [multinational corporation, military hierarchy, orders of crusading lawbringers, loose affiliation of like-minded explorers, religious cult, assassin’s guild, and so on]
Scope: [regional, national, or global (specify region or nation, if any)]
Resources: [property, valuable assets, castles, fortresses, equipment, network of local agents, informants, safe houses, and so on]
[100-word introductory paragraph summarizing the organization.]
Structure and Leadership
[100 words on this topic.]
Goals
[100 words on this topic.]
Public Perception
[50 words on this topic.]

Note that the organizations in the Inner Sea World Guide are approximately 1,400 words, so your submission write-up is a lean, stripped-down version of that. If you don’t have a copy of the Inner Sea World Guide handy, here’s the entry for the Aspis Consortium - (3.9 MB zip/PDF) from that book that you can use as a model for your write-up.

Your organization should be something PCs would normally oppose or come into conflict with, not an organization a typical heroic PC would join. The organization doesn’t necessarily have to be villainous, but it should definitely be a potential antagonist.

Full details (including a BBcode-formatted template for this challenge and an example organization from the Inner Sea World Guide) will be available next week. In the meantime, use the above information to guide your design for Round 2.

Remember, the deadline to submit your wondrous item is January 6th! You can’t submit an organization in Round 2 unless you make it into the Top 32 by submitting a wondrous item!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

Status Report: RPG Superstar 2012

Thursday, December 15, 2011

We’re one week into the Round 1 submission period and we already have 12 items in the “keep” pile! If we maintain this pace, we’ll have well over 40 interesting wondrous item submissions when the round closes on January 6th! At that point, the three other judges and I have the difficult task of whittling down those “keeps” to the Top 32 (plus four alternates), whose next task is to write a “new organization” for Round 2!

Have you submitted an item yet? If not, why not? RPG Superstar is a unique opportunity to get your foot in the door as a freelance game designer. If you haven’t submitted an item yet, be sure to check the contest rules and Round 1 rules. Don’t forget the helpful advice in my consolidated advice thread and Clark’s link to the recording of the PaizoCon RPG Superstar panel where all four judges answered questions about what we’re looking for.

Remember, the deadline to submit your wondrous item is January 6th! You can’t participate in the later rounds—or win the competition—if you don’t submit something for Round 1!

Sean K Reynolds
Designer and RPG Superstar Judge

It's RPG Superstar Time!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Tomorrow marks the official launch of RPG Superstar 2012, Paizo’s annual open-call RPG design competition! That means a lot of excitement here at the Paizo offices, because if this year’s Superstar is anything like the previous four, we’re about to discover some serious design talent that will help us years into the future.

As in previous years, the final winner of this year’s RPG Superstar will receive a contract to write a Pathfinder Module to be published by Paizo. Previous winning modules include Christine Schneider’s Clash of the Kingslayers, Neil Spicer’s Realm of the Fellnight Queen, Matthew Goodall’s Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, and The Midnight Mirror, by last year’s Superstar winner Sam Zeitlin, which is scheduled for release in February!

And while winning the chance to write a published Pathfinder Module is great, it’s also important to remember that RPG Superstar offers value to more than just the single winner. This year, the three finalists will also earn a contract to write a Pathfinder Society Scenario, a downloadable adventure sanctioned for play in Paizo’s worldwide Pathfinder Society mega-campaign. The first Pathfinder Society Scenario from last year’s finalists, Jerall Toi’s The Edge of Heaven just came out last week, and the two additional sequels that make up the “Quest for Perfection” campaign arc are all being written by RPG Superstar finalist and semi-finalist alumni.

Speaking of prizes for finalists, did you know that Pathfinder Adventure Path developer Rob McCreary first came to our attention as a finalist in the first year of RPG Superstar? He didn’t win the final challenge, but his hard work and excellent creativity made him a natural choice when a staff position opened a few years ago, and he’s now one of the most important elements of Paizo’s monthly editorial effort here at the Paizo offices.

This year’s competition begins tomorrow with an open call that asks you to submit an original wondrous item by January 6, 2012. If you can use your 300 words wisely (and awesomely) enough to earn a place in the judges’ Top 32, you’re on your way to what might just become a RPG design career! As a special treat, we plan to include selected wondrous items from this year’s Top 32 in 2012’s Ultimate Equipment Pathfinder RPG hardcover, which will also include selected favorites from previous years.

See paizo.com/rpgsuperstar for more details, a complete RPG Superstar calendar, and rules for Round 1.

So start sharpening your pencils and shaking up your creativity. The next RPG Superstar could be you!

Erik Mona
Publisher

RPG Superstar 2011 has a winner!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Paizo challenged amateur game designers from around the world to show off their skills in RPG Superstar 2011, the fourth season of Paizo's search for great undiscovered game designers. Judges Ryan Dancey, Sean K Reynolds, Mark Moreland, and Neil Spicer narrowed the field to 32 would-be RPG Superstars, and guest judges including Paizo designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland, cartographers Jared Blando and Robert Lazzaretti, and Paizo's Creative Director James Jacobs provided their advice as the contestants answered each new challenge.

In the final round, we asked this year's Top 4 to propose a 32-page Pathfinder Module for use with Paizo's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Contestants Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID), Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA), and Sean McGowan (New York City, NY) responded with four excellent submissions, but there can be only one RPG Superstar 2011, and so after the judges offered comments, the general public selected one winning proposal to be published by Paizo in early 2012.

Congratulations to Sam Zeitlin for his victorious proposal, Grasping at Shadows which will be released as The Midnight Mirror. Here's a brief description of the adventure from Sam Zeitlin's winning RPG Superstar 2011 submission:

A horror and investigation adventure for 4th-level characters.

In shadow-haunted Nidal, the denizens of the Plane of Shadow intermingle with the common man. Now people are disappearing, and it falls to the PCs to stop the terror. Faced with terrible shadow creatures, an unruly mob of scared citizens, and an unpredictable creature of light, can the heroes undo a greedy and uncaring noble's self-serving mistake?

The Midnight Mirror is an adventure for 4th-level characters, written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and compatible with the 3.5 edition of the world's oldest RPG. In addition to the adventure, this volume also features a brand-new monster and a gazetteer of a brand-new location in the shadow-tainted nation of Nidal.

Written by Sam Zeitlin, the winner of Paizo Publishing's RPG Superstar contest, which allows unpublished authors to compete before a panel of celebrity game designers and legions of their peers for the chance to write a Pathfinder Module.

Pathfinder Modules are 32-page, high-quality, full-color, adventures using the Open Game License to work with both the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set. This Pathfinder Module includes new monsters, treasure, and a fully detailed bonus location that can be used as part of the adventure or in any other game!

As RPG Superstar 2011's Grand Prize, Paizo will contract Sam Zeitlin to write The Midnight Mirror, which we will release as a Pathfinder Module in January, 2012.

But you don't have to wait until January to reserve your copy! Head over to the new The Midnight Mirror product page here on paizo.com to preorder your copy of Sam Zeitlin's winning adventure! If you're already a Pathfinder Modules subscriber, The Midnight Mirror will arrive as part of your subscription.

On behalf of our judges as well as the whole Paizo Publishing family, congratulations to Cody Coffelt, Jerall Toi, and Sean McGowan. Though only contestant one earned the title of RPG Superstar 2011, for the first time in Paizo history, the runners up will be contracted to write a scenario for the Pathfinder Society, Paizo's organized play program. Keep an eye out in the months ahead for when these scenarios will be released.

And we'd like to offer one final thanks to you, the readers of paizo.com, and to anyone who submitted an entry or voted during RPG Superstar 2011.

And for those of you who didn't, RPG Superstar 2012 is less than a year away!

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

RPG Superstar 2011 Final Round Voting Begins

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

It’s time to vote for the RPG Superstar! We’ve seen the field winnowed down to just 4 competitors. Each has created a 3,000-word adventure proposal for the Pathfinder Modules line, and whoever the voters choose gets his or her adventure published by Paizo!

It has been a long and difficult journey. The competitors have slogged through hard deadlines and brand new game design territory. Their reward for all this work is the chance to get published. You decide which of the four gets the big prize—the contract to write a module published by Paizo. Read the submissions here! Vote here! You get one vote, so make it count! Voting ends Monday, March 21, at 2 p.m. Pacific Daylight Savings Time. The winner is announced Tuesday, March 22, at 2 p.m.!

• Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID) — Return to Nihility
      The Broken Crucible Foundry
      Lyell, Deacon of Ash
      Hound Master (Cavalier)
      Flask of Five Fifths
  
• Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) — Isgeri Blood and Orphans' Tears
      The Old Cassomir Dollhouse
      Tarvin Haddon, Agent of the Grim Harvestman
      Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)
      Phlebotomist's Gloves
  
• Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA) — Grasping at Shadows
      The Black Mirror
      The Gentleman Knave
      Still-Water Meditant (Monk)
      Book of Night Without Moon
  
• Sean McGowan (New York City, NY) — Among the Gears of Madness
      The Rotting Kremlin
      Lady Rosiline Mistandre, Razor of Crownsgate
      Evangelist (Bard)
      Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity
  

Vote now!

Sean K Reynolds
RPG Superstar judge

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Top 8 survivors have battled their way to this point and have spent the last couple of weeks designing a unique encounter set in Golarion. They've written stat blocks, some flavor text, and created maps in the hopes of moving on to the next round. Regular judges Ryan Dancey, Mark Moreland, Sean K Reynolds, and Neil Spicer, plus special guest judges, professional cartographers and regular Paizo contributors Rob Lazzaretti and Jared Blando, have posted their comments and recommendations to the discussion pages of all eight submissions, and now it's your turn to vote for your favorites! The Top 4 finishers will proceed to the Finale! In the end, while everyone who makes it to the Finale will be contracted to write something for Paizo, only one contestant will be chosen as 2011's RPG Superstar, winning a commission to design a complete Pathfinder Module that Paizo will publish!

The Top 8 entries are:

• Artus Nemati (Oviedo, FL) — Ruined Temple of Saint Braxtus
      Varstrius, Connoisseur of Living Dolls
      Charlatan (Rogue)
      Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker
  
• Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID) — The Broken Crucible Foundry
      Lyell, Deacon of Ash
      Hound Master (Cavalier)
      Flask of Five Fifths
  
• Ethan Day-Jones (Ireland) — Red Snow Ravine
      Drayden D'Arteros, Prince of Knives
      Exalted Armsman (Cleric)
      Eye of the Void
  
• Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) — The Old Cassomir Dollhouse
      Tarvin Haddon, Agent of the Grim Harvestman
      Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)
      Phlebotomist's Gloves
  
• John Bennett (Rochester, NH) — Apep's Head
      Meneena, Derro Bard
      Saboteur (Ranger)
      Cocoon Cloak
  
• Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA) — The Black Mirror
      The Gentleman Knave
      Still-Water Meditant (Monk)
      Book of Night Without Moon
  
• Sean McGowan (New York City, NY) — The Rotting Kremlin
      Lady Rosiline Mistandre, Razor of Crownsgate
      Evangelist (Bard)
      Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity
  
• Trevor Merback (San Diego, CA) — Razorbreath Chasm
      Ankradula the Sane
      Impaler (Fighter)
      Bag of Holes
  

Vote now!

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

RPG Superstar™ 2011 Top 8

February 15, 2011

Eight amateur game designers have advanced to Round 4 of Paizo Publishing's RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying design contest in history. Paizo Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland joined Pathfinder Tales author (Prince of Wolves) Dave Gross, celebrity judges Sean K Reynolds and Mark Moreland from Paizo, former Dungeons & Dragons Brand Manager and creator of the Open Gaming Movement Ryan Dancey, and RPG Superstar 2009 winner Neil Spicer to critique complete villain designs based on archetypes created in the previous round or from an official Paizo source. As a special Round 3 twist, the 16 finalists had to base the villains on artwork provided specifically for this purpose.

"If you think you have the chops, and you have a burning desire to do roleplaying design for a living, then participating in RPG Superstar is the best way to prove it. At the very least you’ll improve your craft through a crucible of constructive criticism," said guest judge Stephen Radney-MacFarland. "Even before coming to work at Paizo, whenever I taught game design classes, I recommended RPG Superstar to my students who wanted to take their game to the next level."

The Top 8 finalists for RPG Superstar 2011 and their winning entries are:

• Artus Nemati (Oviedo, FL) — Varstrius, Connoisseur of Living Dolls
      Charlatan (Rogue)
      Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker
  
• Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID) — Lyell, Deacon of Ash
      Hound Master (Cavalier)
      Flask of Five Fifths
  
• Ethan Day-Jones (Ireland) — Drayden D'Arteros, Prince of Knives
      Exalted Armsman (Cleric)
      Eye of the Void
  
• Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) — Tarvin Haddon, Agent of the Grim Harvestman
      Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)
      Phlebotomist's Gloves
  
• John Bennett (Rochester, NH) — Meneena, Derro Bard
      Saboteur (Ranger)
      Cocoon Cloak
  
• Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA) — The Gentleman Knave
      Still-Water Meditant (Monk)
      Book of Night Without Moon
  
• Sean McGowan (New York City, NY) — Lady Rosiline Mistandre, Razor of Crownsgate
      Evangelist (Bard)
      Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity
  
• Trevor Merback (San Diego, CA) — Ankradula the Sane
      Impaler (Fighter)
      Bag of Holes
  

The Top 8 will now be required to design a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game location set in Golarion, the world of the Pathfinder RPG. The location must come complete with lore, a full encounter, and a map. Contestants must submit their entries to Paizo by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, February 18. These Round 4 submissions will be commented on by the four regular judges plus two special guest judges, professional cartographers and regular Paizo contributors Rob Lazzaretti and Jared Blando. On February 22, the entries and judge comments will be revealed to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites. Voting ends on February 28, and the Top 4 (by votes) will move on to Round 5.

The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, who will be announced on March 22, 2011, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2012. The winning 2010 RPG Superstar module, Matt Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, releases in February 2011.

Hyrum.

2010

Design Tuesday: Superstar Maps!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

For RPG Superstar last year, I put together a series of quick map sketches with commentary on my personal blog in order to show different map turnovers, ranging from absolutely pathetic to pretty good. This year, we've migrated that information to here on the Paizo blog so it's easier for competitors to find.

As a general tip, make your maps legible. If your map is just a few wavy lines on the page, if your handwriting is so illegible that only you can tell the difference between a 5 and a 9, if you can't draw a straight line with a ruler, do whatever it takes to improve. You have to bring your A-game. Just as your text has to stand on its own without a mini-you nearby to explain it, your maps have to, too, and if a professional cartographer can't decipher your map, their version of your map probably isn't going to match up with your text.

So take a look at the map turnover examples below, and try to make your map the best it can be. If you need inspiration for a great map turnover, check out this Paizo blog featuring the work of frequent contributor Tim Hitchcock. Pretty stuff!

I'm just putting these all together for comparison's sake for the benefit of the competitors in this round.

This map gets an "F." This map is awful. It's drawn in pencil and the scan barely shows the lines. I can't easily see where everything is supposed to be. Even where I can see it, I don't know what it is! Are those lines rivers? Are they forests? Lakes? What are those circles? Are those letters or numbers next to them?

Map, grade "D." This map is marginally better than the previous one. All I did was go over the pencil with a dark pen so the lines would show up more clearly on the scan. I still don't know what these lines represent, or the circles, and the numbering isn't even clear.

Map, grade "C." This is a marked improvement, but could still be clearer. It looks like the upper left border uses the old "use a humped line to indicate the edge of a forest." The big loop on the right may be a lake, a giant mud pit, a swampy area, not entirely clear, but a quick email to the designer would clear it up. Rather than generic circles, the four locations use little icons--two forts or castles, some kind of ruin, and something that's hopefully a cave but maybe is a giant eyeball. The numbers are clear and legible.
If you can't draw forts, cities, or what have you, find a symbol on the internet, print it out, and tape or glue it to your map before you scan it.

This ENworld link is a handy collection of common gaming map symbols, and here is another.

Map, grade "B." This is the exact same map as the Grade C map, except I colored in the forest and the blob on the right--green means forest, blue means water (rather than mud or swamp or magical barrier). It doesn't matter if you color it with colored pencils before you scan it or if you're using a coloring tool on your scanned map--color helps clarify what you're depicting.

This map is still missing a compass (indicating north) and a scale marker, so I'd still need to talk to the designer about it.

Map, grade "A minus." Some map as before, except I actually named the locations on the map as well as giving them numbers. I also added a simple compass rose and a scale marker.

Note that the scale marker is based on the grid size of the paper, which doesn't show up on the scan--if squares are important (like in a dungeon), make sure the grid shows up so the mapper knows what the scale is!

Also, because the resolution of the scan may mean your map appears at a different size on your screen than the mapper's screen, thus relative statements like "1 inch = 1 mile" may change; always include an on-map scale marker so the mapper can determine the scale without having to figure out at what DPI you scanned your map.
I give this map an A- rather than an A because in some places the handwriting is a little sloppy; if you have text on a map, it's best to include a text file turnover of all the text on the map, spelled correctly. This allows the mapper to (1) just copy & paste the text onto the map, rather than puzzling out your handwriting, (2) cross off each piece of text as he works on adding it to the map, so he doesn't miss anything that's supposed to be there.

Thus, for this map, I should include a text file that says:
1 Fort Zur
2 Fort Brun
3 The Ruin of Castle Happydeath
4 Ogre Lair
Bloodmurder Forest
Drownwicked Lake
[[compass rose]]
1 square = 1 mile

(The last two entries are mainly reminders rather than actual copy-paste goals... the cartographer isn't going to put the text "[[compass rose]]" on the map. We're not expecting Round 4 entries to include a map tags list, just make your map readable, please!)

If your handwriting is bad, either use a text tool in your graphics program to add text to the map, or print out the text, cut it out, and glue it onto the map before scanning it.

Note that the A- map doesn't get an A- grade for being awesome or interesting, it gets an A- for readability and how easily the cartographer could turn this into a professional map. I am 99% sure that if I handed this to a cartographer, he'd create a map that is exactly what I'm looking for.

Note also that this map could be much more interesting, with more details and such--but remember that the cartographer hasn't read your text for the book, he doesn't know if all the extra little details are necessary for your map, or if they're just flavor to make it look cool (for example, if you draw a scrap of paper on the floor of a room, he doesn't know if you're trying to make the room look more interesting, or if that paper is a vital clue the PCs can find in the room). As you work with a company and a cartographer more, you'll gain an understanding of the acceptable level of detail. For the purpose of RPG Superstar, the priority is readable, functional maps, not creating maps that are so awesome and detailed that you should be working as a professional cartographer rather than a writer.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, RPG Superstar Judge

Illustration by Carolina Eade

The Origin of the Garuda

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

As we find ourselves deep in the midst of RPG Superstar 2011, it is fitting that last year's winning adventure proposal is shipping out to subscribers this week. Matthew Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers pits the PCs against a despicable cult of assassins and murderers from the distant land of Vudra. Among the many new Vudran elements featured in the module is the book's new monster—the garuda. These avian native outsiders typically inhabit rugged hills and sometimes serve as protectors of isolated human settlements. Due to space constraints, we had to cut much of the garuda's world flavor from its write-up in the adventure itself, but it seemed a waste to simply leave it in my ever-growing cut text scrapbook file. What better way to show off Matt's debut adventure than feature his winged creation on the Paizo blog?

Garudas are distant descendants of the goddess Janasini, the mother of birds. Legend tells that Janasini made an unwise wager with her sister Ravithra, the goddess of nagas and snakes. Ravithra cheated, and Janasini lost and became the slave of Ravithra's naga children. Sudachala, the first of Janasini's garuda children, offered to complete any task to free his mother. The nagas demanded a legendary bowl of nectar said to rest atop the tallest mountain in Vudra. Sudachala flew to the mountain and overcame many obstacles to retrieve the bowl, as detailed in the Azvadeva Pujila.

As Sudachala flew back, the god Gruhastha appeared and told Sudachala that the nectar was the elixir of immortality. The wicked nagas had tried to trick Sudachala into stealing the elixir from the gods' hiding place so they could drink it and live forever.

Sudachala alighted in front of the waiting nagas, placing the bowl on some sedge grass, and the nagas freed Janasini from servitude. But when the nagas tried to drink from the bowl, they cut their tongues on the sharp grass, for as Sudachala and Gruhastha had planned, the god had whisked the true elixir away, leaving only an illusion in its place.

Since then, garudas have been the mortal enemies of nagas. Only the most depraved and outcast garuda would knowingly associate with any kind of aberrant serpent.

Additionally, we've released rules to run the module as part of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign, complete with a unique Chronicle and advice on running it within the organized play format, available as a free download here.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Time to Vote!

February 8, 2011

The Top 16 survivors are back with descriptions and complete Pathfinder Roleplaying Game statistics for their winning villains. Regular judges Ryan Dancey, Mark Moreland, Sean K Reynolds, and Neil Spicer, plus guest judges Pathfinder Tales author Dave Gross (Prince of Wolves) and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland, have posted their comments and recommendations to the discussion pages of all 16 submissions, and now it's your turn to vote for your favorites! The Top 8 finishers will proceed to Round 4. In the end, only one contestant will be chosen as 2011's RPG Superstar, winning a commission to design a complete Pathfinder Module that Paizo will publish!

The Top 16 entries are:

Artus Nemati (Oviedo, FL) — Varstrius, Connoisseur of Living Dolls     Charlatan (Rogue)     Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID) — Lyell, Deacon of Ash     Hound Master (Cavalier)     Flask of Five Fifths David Vigil (Mission Viejo, CA) — Tamonash Byrraju, Vengeful Monk     First World Druid (Druid)     Candle of Viscous Ephemera Eric Hindley (Calgary, AB, Canada) — Chittik, Fey Would-be God     Knife Fighter (Fighter)     Shadow Falconer's Glove Erik Freund (Seattle, WA) — Tellasara, Princess in Repose     Moon Shaman (Druid)     Corsage of the Captured Voice Ethan Day-Jones (Ireland) — Drayden D'Arteros, Prince of Knives     Exalted Armsman (Cleric)     Eye of the Void Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa) — Tarvin Haddon, Agent of the Grim Harvestman     Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)     Phlebotomist's Gloves Joel Flank (Schaumburg, IL) — Voracek     Hedge Wizard (Wizard)     Plentiful Pouch

John Bennett (Rochester, NH) — Meneena, Derro Bard     Saboteur (Ranger)     Cocoon Cloak Marie Small (Colorado Springs, CO) — Nyrazha, Soul Slayer     Tactician (Fighter)     Verdant Vine Nick Bolhuis (Burlington, ON, Canada) — Karuuk Soulrender, The Unrelenting Embrace     Champion of Philosophy (Cavalier)     Assassin's Rose Ryan Marsh (Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada) — Sarkun     Goldfever Alchemist (Alchemist)     Grim Howler Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA) — The Gentleman Knave     Still-Water Meditant (Monk)     Book of Night Without Moon Scott Fernandez (Allen Park, MI) — Hoarfrost Throat-Tearer, Shapeshifting Huntsman     Grave Robber (Rogue)     Nightmare Boots Sean McGowan (New York City, NY) — Lady Rosiline Mistandre, Razor of Crownsgate     Evangelist (Bard)     Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity Trevor Merback (San Diego, CA) — Ankradula the Sane     Impaler (Fighter)     Bag of Holes

Vote now!

Hyrum.
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

The Top 16!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

After a record number of votes in this year's Round 2, sixteen amateur game designers have advanced to Round 3 of Paizo Publishing’s RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying design contest in history. Ryan Dancey, father of the Open Gaming movement, joined celebrity judges Sean K Reynolds and Mark Moreland from Paizo and RPG Superstar 2009 winner Neil Spicer to critique 400-word class archetype concepts submitted by the top 32 Round 1 survivors, and a public vote resulted in 16 advancing submissions. The finalists must now create backgrounds and Pathfinder RPG stat blocks using one of 32 preselected villain images and an archetype, either from a previous round or from any published Paizo product.

Artus Nemati — Charlatan (Rogue)     Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker Cody Coffelt — Hound Master (Cavalier)     Flask of Five Fifths David Vigil — First World Druid (Druid)     Candle of Viscous Ephemera Eric Hindley — Knife Fighter (Fighter)     Shadow Falconer's Glove Erik Freund — Moon Shaman (Druid)     Corsage of the Captured Voice Ethan Day-Jones — Exalted Armsman (Cleric)     Eye of the Void Jerall Toi — Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)     Phlebotomist's Gloves Joel Flank — Hedge Wizard (Wizard)     Plentiful Pouch

John Bennett — Saboteur (Ranger)     Cocoon Cloak Marie Small — Tactician (Fighter)     Verdant Vine Nick Bolhuis — Champion of Philosophy (Cavalier)     Assassin's Rose Ryan Marsh — Goldfever Alchemist (Alchemist)     Grim Howler Sam Zeitlin — Still-Water Meditant (Monk)     Book of Night Without Moon Scott Fernandez — Grave Robber (Rogue)     Nightmare Boots Sean McGowan — Evangelist (Bard)     Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity Trevor Merback — Impaler (Fighter)     Bag of Holes

Round 2: Vote for your favorite Archetypes!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Our Top 32 contestants have submitted their Round 2 alternate class concepts for use with Paizo's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and judges Ryan Dancey, Sean K Reynolds, Mark Moreland and Neil Spicer have commented on each contestant's submission. Now you can read and critique the top 32, and then vote for your favorites! The 16 designers garnering the most votes will continue on to Round 3 and the ultimate winner will earn a paid commission to write one of Paizo's upcoming Pathfinder Modules!

Artus Nemati — Charlatan (Rogue)     Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker Charles Dunwoody — Filthy Beard Brawler (Monk)     Iron Bands of the Blue Dragon Cody Coffelt — Hound Master (Cavalier)     Flask of Five Fifths Danny Lundy — Con Artist (Bard)     Meditation Beads of the Flaming Fist David Vigil — First World Druid (Druid)     Candle of Viscous Ephemera Eric Hindley — Knife Fighter (Fighter)     Shadow Falconer's Glove Erik Freund — Moon Shaman (Druid)     Corsage of the Captured Voice Ethan Day-Jones — Exalted Armsman (Cleric)     Eye of the Void Isaac Duplechain — Frenzied Protector (Barbarian)     Alchemist's Viper James Martin — Crooked Man (Bard)     Poisoner's Retort James Olchak — Ripper (Rogue)     Erinyes Braid Jerall Toi — Tengu Blademaster (Fighter)     Phlebotomist's Gloves Jerry Keyes — Chronologist (Oracle)     Martyr's Tear Joel Flank — Hedge Wizard (Wizard)     Plentiful Pouch John Spalding — Juju Snatcher (Witch)     Illusionist's Veil John Bennett — Saboteur (Ranger)     Cocoon Cloak

Joseph LaMothe — Treasure Seeker (Rogue)     Ampoule of False Blood Joshua Stevens — Wandslinger (Wizard)     Imp's Wishbone K. Patrick Barley — Denouncer (Inquisitor)     Seeds of the Spirit Totem Levi Miles — Ivory Guardian (Paladin)     Amulet of the Rakshasa Marie Small — Tactician (Fighter)     Verdant Vine Nick Bolhuis — Champion of Philosophy (Cavalier)     Assassin's Rose Ryan Marsh — Goldfever Alchemist (Alchemist)     Grim Howler Sam Zeitlin — Still-Water Meditant (Monk)     Book of Night Without Moon Scott Fernandez — Grave Robber (Rogue)     Nightmare Boots Sean Huguenard — Dreamer (Summoner)     The Smuggler's Collapsible Robe Sean McGowan — Evangelist (Bard)     Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity Sue Flaherty — Death Warden (Paladin)     Pharasma's Death Sacrament Tom Phillips — Varisian Carver (Fighter)     Iron Collar of the Unbound Coven Trevor Watson — Viper Monk (Monk)     Talisman of Synchronicity Trevor Merback — Impaler (Fighter)     Bag of Holes Victor Miller — Gladiator (Fighter)     Silver Skein

Vote now!

Illustrations by Carolina Eade and Mike Sass. Wallpaper design by Crystal Frasier. Widescreen version here.

Ebon Destroyers!

Friday, January 21, 2010

As I was contemplating which wall paper to put up on the blog this week, Warehouse Will made it super easy since he came by to drop off advance preview copies of our upcoming products. The Inner Sea Poster Map Folio (3-1/2' × 5' of map goodness) and Condition Cards are awesome, but what really got me excited were my copies of Cult of the Ebon Destoyers. Written by RPG Superstar 2010 winner Matt Goodall, the module pits 8th-level PCs against a murder-cult of terror set against the backdrop of Jalmeray and its capital city of Niswan. Can the PCs wipe out the Ebon Destroyers before the beloved ruler of Jalmeray is beheaded? You'll be able to find out in a few weeks! Until then, enjoy this fabulous wallpaper depicting one of the many members of this evil cult of Vudrani assassins.

Hyrum.
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

The Top 32

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The 2011 RPG Superstar contest drew in hundreds of entries from around the world in a contest to crown the ultimate new roleplaying game design talent. The judges spent the better part of six weeks whittling down the entries to a top 32 finalists and 4 alternates. With their hard work done, the onus now rests on the public to crown the next RPG Superstar!

Artus Nemati — Mirrored Lantern of the Pious Seeker Charles Dunwoody — Iron Bands of the Blue Dragon Cody Coffelt — Flask of Five Fifths Danny Lundy — Meditation Beads of the Flaming Fist David Vigil — Candle of Viscous Ephemera Eric Hindley — Shadow Falconer's Glove Erik Freund — Corsage of the Captured Voice Ethan Day-Jones — Eye of the Void Isaac Duplechain — Alchemist's Viper James Martin — Poisoner's Retort James Olchak — Erinyes Braid Jerall Toi — Phlebotomist's Gloves Jerry Keyes — Martyr's Tear Joel Flank — Plentiful Pouch John Spalding — Illusionist's Veil John Bennett — Cocoon Cloak

Joseph LaMothe — Ampoule of False Blood Joshua Stevens — Imp's Wishbone K. Patrick Barley — Seeds of the Spirit Totem Levi Miles — Amulet of the Rakshasa Marie Small — Verdant Vine Nick Bolhuis — Assassin's Rose Ryan Marsh — Grim Howler Sam Zeitlin — Book of Night Without Moon Scott Fernandez — Nightmare Boots Sean Huguenard — The Smuggler's Collapsible Robe Sean McGowan — Singing Bowl of Redoubled Clarity Sue Flaherty — Pharasma's Death Sacrament Tom Phillips — Iron Collar of the Unbound Coven Trevor Watson — Talisman of Synchronicity Trevor Merback — Bag of Holes Victor Miller — Silver Skein

Eric Reed, Kevin Wixson, Mike Kimmel, and Mikko Kallio were selected as alternates. (Names are listed in alphabetical order.)