RPT Quest: Magic Items

[Strolen]

Quote from Roleplayingtips.com newsletter and the official competition description.
=======================================================
Magic Items Contest Announcement

 It's time for another reader contest!

 Gator Games is sponsoring the contest and you can win some great books from them.


 = How To Enter =

 Follow the 3 Minute Magic Item template described below to create a magic item.

 Email me your magic item creation: johnn@roleplayingtips.com

 Multiple entries are welcome!

 Format: plain text, Word, RTF or just in the body of your email are all ok.


 = Prizes Up For Grabs =

 Care of Gator Games (available to North Americans only due to shipping restrictions):

 * Wraith Recon Core Rulebook for use with D&D 4th Edition
 * Dungeon Master's Guide 2 for D&D 4th Edition
 * Monster Manual 2 for D&D 4th Edition
 * The Adamantine Arrow for Mage the Awakening
 * Player's Guide for Aces and Eights
 * Fantasy Craft Core Rulebook from Crafty Games
 http://www.gatorgames.com/

 And these prizes are available to anyone in the world:

 PDFs from Open Design and Kobold Quarterly
 http://www.koboldquarterly.com/

 Copies of AstroSynthesis 3.0 from NBOS
 http://nbos.com/


 = How to Win =

 There will be three sets of prize draws:

    Nov 7, Nov 21 and Dec 5

 All entries submitted before each date will be eligible for each draw. So enter early and often.

 If you're creating magical rewards for your campaign, why not enter them into the contest at the same time?

 Note that winners are drawn at random, so don't worry about the quality of your writing - I'll help edit.

 As always, entries will be given back to the community after the contest, so you'll be helping your fellow GMs too.

 If you have any questions, drop me a note.

 To summarize, here's the stat block template to use for your entries:

 * Awesome Name
 * Appearance
 * Benefit
 * Drawback
 * Lore
 * Twist

 Read on to learn more about what each stat block item is about.

 Thanks to Gator Games for their sponsorship!

[Strolen]

For the quest submission describing the stat template:
http://strolen.com/viewing/How_To_Create_Great_Magic_Items_In_Just_Three_Minutes

Or visit Johnn's site here: http://www.roleplayingtips.com/gm-techniques/how-to-create-great-magic-items-in-just-three-minutes/

Here is the quest page:  http://strolen.com/quest/31

[Pieh]

So far: 3 days into the Quest, 5 submissions submitted. Off to a good start! Best of luck everyone! Keep them coming, guys, and if you haven't looked into Johnn's Tutorial yet I suggest you do. It's a good read and very simple and quick way to create a magic item (I'm a bit skeptical about being able to accomplish all of this in 3 minutes though, it's been more like 20 - 30 minutes for me, but I like to let ideas stew a bit).

[Cheka Man]

7 now.

[JohnnFour]

I'm a bit skeptical about being able to accomplish all of this in 3 minutes

Please do let me know if your times get faster (or longer  ). I've been asking folks over at RPT how long it took to create their contest entries, and answers have ranged from 3 minutes to 30.

The 3 minute ones, I've noticed, fall closer to how I use it - point form, pure ideas, no sentences or extra frills.

But, as always, work the way that suits your campaign needs and GM style best. For example, you could give portions of a detailed write-up to players as a handout, but that would not work if you go ultra-brief. You'd need extra time to unpack your brevity.

I'm looking at the captcha I've been given to submit this post. It scares me. If you don't read this post, you'll know I've failed at Knowledge (Captcha).

[Pariah]

Now, going with the pure idea that you were trying to bring across I have no problem pumping out an interesting item in 3 minutes or less, the problem is to make it presentable as a submission for this site, which would take quite a bit longer.

Example:
Name: Plague (~15 seconds once I thought of the power)
Appearance: A short bladed knife with a ebony handle, the ancient dwarven rune for plague is carved into the handle. (the knife is a puukko to be more precise) (~30 seconds for appearance, 3 minutes to find the word puukko, because I'm slightly OCD...)
Benefit: +1 (couldn't help myself...), Makes wielder invisible to the mindless undead, deals death/negitive energy damage (1 minute)
Benefit/Drawback: Anything killed within 3 minutes of being cut by the knife rises in 15-20 seconds as a zombie. (0 seconds, this was actually the first thing I thought of...)
Lore: One of a set of seven knives created by an omnicidal, dwarven cult of death and destruction and stuff.  Six of the seven (GASP!) members were killed by a wandering group of adventurers and never heard from again. (~20 seconds)
Twist: 7th member escaped and rebuilt the cult from the ground up, when they realize the adventurers found one of their knives they will stop at nothing to try and get it/any information the adventurers have about where they found it and any of the other weapons. (40 seconds while getting another drink)

Which comes out to a grand total of 2:45 for a fully functional item, the problem being that I wouldn't feel comfortable putting that up on the main site as is, at least not by itself.  It'd fit in a 30 magical knives of magicalness submission, but not by itself.

[valadaar]

I've got one of these in work - to this level.

Its in work cause I can't get a good summary yet

I don't see a problem with the short sub since its part of a quest and might break my logjam of too long subs in work

[JohnnFour]

Now, going with the pure idea that you were trying to bring across I have no problem pumping out an interesting item in 3 minutes or less, the problem is to make it presentable as a submission for this site, which would take quite a bit longer.

Good call, Pariah. I did not think of that. 

[Dossta]

As a random aside, I was poking around with Seventh Sanctum's magic item name generator and found it to be . . . less than ideal.  Most results are senseless or unusable; some are average, very few are decent/good.  Still, I thought I'd share some of the more humorous ones with you all

Mystic Throwing Knife of Lizard Seduction
Howling Pin of Seek Ogres
Lotion of Stability Deflection
Yellow Tower Shield of Sludge Alteration
Shoes of Seek Humanoid
Sphere of Tactics Deflection
Ancient Drink of Fish Slaying
Holy Instant Draught of Humanoid Seduction
Traveller's Hatchet of Fertility Control

Here's the link for those of you who could use a good laugh today:
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=magicitem

[Pariah]

As a random aside, I was poking around with Seventh Sanctum's magic item name generator and found it to be . . . less than ideal.  Most results are senseless or unusable; some are average, very few are decent/good.  Still, I thought I'd share some of the more humorous ones with you all

Well, because you asked I'll explain all of them for you...

Mystic Throwing Knife of Lizard Seduction - Like Cupid's arrows, except it only functions on Scalies...
Howling Pin of Seek Ogres - You know those Nerf darts that whistle when you shot them, this is like that (in that it howls when thrown) and acts like a homing missile in regards to Ogres.
Lotion of Stability Deflection - Mages are people too, and sometimes they like playing pranks on each other, this gives the user a very bad case of vertigo.
Yellow Tower Shield of Sludge Alteration - It alters sludge, and it's a shield, what more could you want?
Shoes of Seek Humanoid - The humanoid in the description is kinda vague, it actually used to seek a specific part of the humanoid where if you "seek" hard enough, they will be tasting dirt for a week.
Sphere of Tactics Deflection - AKA Idiot Ball, it's the reason why NPCs are so stupid when the story calls for it.
Ancient Drink of Fish Slaying - Sulfuric acid, now in cherry flavor!
Holy Instant Draught of Humanoid Seduction - A holy powder used to make holy love potions of holiness, like Demonic Instant Coffee of Wakefulness, but less useful.
Traveller's Hatchet of Fertility Control - One word: Eunuch

[Chaosmark]

Why oh why can't I upvote your post, Pariah? That was a brilliant summary!

[valadaar]

I laughed both times I read Pariah's post.

[Dossta]

I've been laughing for the past minute and a half -- that was brilliant, Pariah!

[Dossta]

By the way, does anyone know if we also need to email these things to Johnn to qualify for the drawing?

[Strolen]

Nope. I upload every sub to a shared google doc which he used to randomize. First drawing is complete and one of us won, just waiting for the official announcement!!

[Pariah]

So, interesting question, if I put up a 30 (I've got 10 so far...) would that count as a legit entry?

[Chaosmark]

The powergamer way is to submit them all as individual entries. More chances for winning.

That said, I see no reason why a 30 wouldn't be acceptable, assuming every entry follows the format.

[Pariah]

The powergamer way is to submit them all as individual entries.

I can't say I wasn't tempted, but seeing as some (for extremely large values of some) of them have about as much depth to them as the above example I posted, I wouldn't feel too great with them all being stand-alones.

[Strolen]

Awesome set!! Will try and get the voting setup this week. Happy if anybody else takes it on!!

Random drawing from Johnn should go on this week so good luck!

Awesome quest!!

[Scrasamax]

I think this quest has been fantastic, it has been quick and to the point. It has bypassed lengthy log jam submissions and gets to the point without long winded convoluted backstories and such. I approve.

I would like to see more in this vein. Mountain of Boats is an amazing submission, but it is so massive that unless you have Captain Penguin's brain in a jar, its nigh impossible to use. These smaller subs are by far more usable.

And if you happen to have the Cap'n's brain in a jar, I want it. Name your price.

[Dossta]

I agree with Scras -- this quest was a really refreshing change in pace.  The clear format & time limit guideline got me out of a long writer's funk.  Looking forward to more like it in the future!

[Strolen]

Well, lets come up with some sweet ass templates Citadel style.

[Strolen]

No winners for us in the last round of picks.

This weekend will put up the vote for our own Quest Winners!