RPG Superstar 2015

Voting for RPG Superstar 2015 starts today. For those unfamiliar with it, RPG Superstar is a Pathfinder design contest hosted annually by Paizo Publishing for the past eight years. Entrants face a series of design challenges with the winner selected by public vote; the winner receives a contract to write a module-length adventure for Paizo, and the three runners-up receive smaller contracts. The contest attracts a tremendous amount of game design talent, and numerous previous winners and contestants have gone on to successful freelance careers.

Traditionally, the opening round has featured an open call for a wondrous item, the catch-all category for magic items other than weapons, armor, rings, and spellcasting implements. Voters are shown two anonymous entries at a time and have the option of voting for either item or neither. Once voting has concluded, the contest judges pick the best 32 of the 64 items with the most votes, and then the contest proper begins.

This year, the judges have decided to increase the difficulty of the design challenges, starting with the Open Call itself. With only a week between the contest announcement and the submission deadline, contestants were informed that the first round this year would not be wondrous items, but instead would be the contestant's choice of a magical armor, weapon, ring, rod, or staff. The subsequent rounds will be to design a map (also new this year), a monster with stats, an encounter with a map (the map likely drawn from the earlier round), and finally an adventure proposal for final voting.

After many years as a voter and several additional years where I talked myself out of it, I have entered the contest this year. As the first round is anonymous, I can't share my entry just yet, but I encourage everyone to vote on some items if you find yourself with free time over the holidays! First round voting begins today and continues through January 13th.