Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WizO_Autumn 09-14-04, 11:48 PM	Develop This! The Game: Using 5 random facts, create a character that has a concept and background that best utilyzes these specific criteria. Rules: You must incorporate all 5 facts into the character so that the character is based on these things. They can't just be peripheral facts- they must be the core of the character somehow. For character building- it's a 4th level character, but all you put here is the concept. Describe the character- the personality, background, adventures, friends, description etc. in 300 words or less. Don't worry about specific rules- That's the Character Optimization Board contest! It has to be a believable character though based on the build rules presented HERE. -- specifically 32 point buy, standard starting gold, and only WotC material. Ebberon campaign setting only (or standard Greyhawk world)- no Forgotten Realms, Planescape, etc. Entries Mail entries to WizO Autumn at autumn@wizo.wizards.com with the subject line Develop This! Entries should include: Character name/ class/ 300 words or less describing the character and how it incorporates all 5 of the facts below. Deadline All entries must be submitted by Saturday, September 18th, 12 noon PST. By 4 PST they will be posted on this board for judging through Sunday, September 19th. Winners will be chosen by 3 votes--2 judges and then a poll as the 3rd judge. Autumn will post entries to keep the identities of the entrants secret on Friday. Winners will be annouced on Sunday or Monday at the latest. Prizes are available! 1st place will be a WotC publication (some choice available). 2nd place will be a Custom Avatar. Ready for your assignment? Your Character Must Incorporate: 1) Vikings and/or Norse customs, mythology, etc 2) Cloud Cities 3) Demons 4) A "big brother" ish government/ ruling class/ leadership etc 5) Traveling, crime solving/adventuring minstrels How you incorporate these facts is purely up to you. But remember, this is just a concept! Not a build-- for that, see the Character Optimization Board contest! (Feel free to enter both!!) Also! See the Playing with Everything Board to use these same criteria in a short adventure! Good luck!
lightman 09-17-04, 04:55 PM	oh what the heck ill give it a try
Galahad_Knight 09-17-04, 05:20 PM	If I have time tonight I'll work something up. Good luck Lightman, if this is anything like last year it'll just be you and me. ;)
WizO_Autumn 09-17-04, 05:36 PM	Make sure submissions are EMAILED, not posted! Read the rules.
lightman 09-17-04, 05:48 PM	oh
His Majesty 09-18-04, 06:22 AM	It has to be a believable character though based on the build rules presented HERE. Where? What is PST in GMT again?
Galahad_Knight 09-18-04, 07:21 AM	I just went by the rules mentioned in the first post, I don;t know if the 'HERE" was supposed to be a link that didn;t get included or just emphasis that it was the rules in that post, so I went with the latter. My submission has been e-mailed. As for our GMT offset, I believe it's +7 or 8, depending on daylight saving time
Elzaban the Ethereal 09-18-04, 07:22 AM	PST would be -8:00 GMT EDIT: Accursed time zone acronyms... the MT's and the ST's get confusing after a while...
His Majesty 09-18-04, 12:48 PM	Perhaps she meant this.
WizO_Autumn 09-18-04, 01:53 PM	Thanks Majesty- I did mean to link to that. There's about an hour and a half left from right now!
Mr. VanderMeer 09-19-04, 11:53 AM	I see a lot of the entries disregard all the rules that were mentioned in the contest. Some characters are completely statted out, others are well over the word count allowed. The most popular character does both. Is all of this no problem? I don't want to seem like a stickler but it is a bit unfair to those that went through a lot of trouble trying to follow the rules.
Galahad_Knight 09-19-04, 02:21 PM	I noticed that myself. While I don;t remember seeing any rule saying you shoudn't have stats (in fact, requiring a 32 point buy character suggests you NEED stats), I DID notice that the most popular character has more than ONE THOUSAND words in his entry, while another has more than six hundred. Considering I busted my hump doing my best to squeeze my character's bakcground into only 300 words I find this extremely unfair that someone who disregarded the rules is not only allowed in but is winning with an unfair, illegal entry. I PMed autumn anout it but she hadn't replied. I'm just glad someone else notieced. It really isn;t fair.
Doppleganger 09-19-04, 02:50 PM	:confused: The one with the 1000 words only has 1 vote, which means I'm the only one that voted for it so far. :P The most popular entry has 300 words almost exactly (I counted 295), and no stats anywhere, so I have no idea what you guys are complaining about?? :confused: :confused:
WizO_Autumn 09-19-04, 02:58 PM	I'll take care of the rules- This is a point system and remember, the poll is just 1 vote. There are other votes going on too with a panel of judges. People that didn't follow the rules will loose points from their total. Remember, there's a rule about not disclosing your entry too ;)
WizO_Autumn 09-19-04, 03:00 PM	Oh- and re the stats- That's fine. Sometimes to explain the development you need to explain some of the build too.
His Majesty 09-19-04, 03:32 PM	Well, I think that it's unfair too, for what it's worth. Also, I wish I could still submit things. About one hour after the end of the submission time I came up with a concept that is much more interesting. Silly me.
WizO_Autumn 09-19-04, 08:58 PM	The one with the build was posted in both contests. If you don't think it's fair, don't vote for it. I promise these concerns are taken into account behind the scenes. These polls are just so you can vote on what you like. Points are deducted after.
shadow mage 09-19-04, 09:49 PM	Actually, as a point of clarifying the rules, when you stated the 32 point by and standard gold and whatnot that was mentioned for the Character Optimization contest, not this one. For the record. -backs away slowly-
Zherog 09-20-04, 12:25 AM	Actually, as a point of clarifying the rules, when you stated the 32 point by and standard gold and whatnot that was mentioned for the Character Optimization contest, not this one. For the record. -backs away slowly- This is from the "Rules" section in the first post of this thread: specifically 32 point buy, standard starting gold, and only WotC material. Ebberon campaign setting only (or standard Greyhawk world)- no Forgotten Realms, Planescape, etc ;)
WizO_Autumn 09-20-04, 12:31 AM	See how it says "Character name/class/"? after that slash, I meant it to say: "other details important to know about your character"... But I didn't. Oops... Anywho, it doesn't matter. Those details will not help the entry in any way. Remember, a lot of votes are being done by a panel of judges. The poll counts as just 1 vote together with the 3-4 judges... And the judges are following the rules strictly, whereas the poll is set up so everyone on the boards can enjoy the entrant's hard work. Having good material on the board is even more important then an entry in a contest :)
WizO_Autumn 09-20-04, 12:58 AM	The voting is done and the points have been counted! How points were assigned.. There were 4 judges and then this poll. Each judge picked a winner for each category. The entry then won that many points. So each category had 5 names that got either 10 or 20 points, depending on the category. I then added all the points and got to a very clear winner... Ready? Drumroll... The winner, with 110 points is... Jaren Lek, posted by Galahad Knight! Second place, with 50 points is... Kharlendir Ivanholf! Posted by... I don't know! They didn't send their screen name to me :) Will the real Kharlendir Ivanholf please stand up? You both need to email me so you can get your prizes sorted out. 1st place is a WotC material, 2nd place is a Custom Avatar. Congratulations!!
Mr. VanderMeer 09-20-04, 05:01 AM	Congratulations to Galahad Knight. It is well deserved! :D
Galahad_Knight 09-20-04, 06:16 AM	Thanks. Which one were you, my good Dutchman? I'm just glad someone who (presumably) posts here more than I do got the Custom Avatar.
Mr. VanderMeer 09-20-04, 06:21 AM	I did Loki, the shifter. I just thought I had to get the entire thing in 300 words or less. Well by the look of the voting I wouldn't have had much of a chance even if I got to put up the entire story. Yours was good. It just shows again that you are a good writer.
Morka 09-20-04, 08:11 AM	Congratulations for the winners! Mine was Pastrid the half-orc.
Trydan 09-20-04, 09:42 AM	Wow... I was away for a few days, and missed the announcement, contest, voting, judging and everything completely! My goodness, that was quick! However, I went an had a look at all the entries, and I must say that they were all ganz cool. (Better than anything I would have ever come up with!) So, well done everyone! And, as Morka said, "Congratulations for the winners!"
Galahad_Knight 09-20-04, 06:18 PM	Maybe next year we can up the word count. It was insanely hard just to get all five elements in in 300 words, let alone describe the character and smooth it all out. In the end I went wiht the assumption that the background had to be 300 words and the rest was kind fo window dressing.