A Festival of Splendor [September Contest Discussion]

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Discuss the September Contest here.

[Raelifin]

Okay, I need a bit of clarification on the desired entry.

"...design a campaign setting hook for a series of adventures taking place in Rushon, as well as an outline of potential campaign, adventure, and story arcs."

What is a "campaign setting hook?"

Do you want an outline for a campaign and an adventure or just whatever is "potential?" Do you define campaign to be "a series of adventures?"

[Ishmayl-Retired]

The best way to describe a "campaign setting hook," is using those exact words.  You need a gimmick, hook, method of capture, et cetera for a campaign setting.  The contest is not to design a complete campaign setting (that would be a bit beyond the scope of one contest), but rather to design a good basis for a campaign in and about the city of Rushon.  Ideally, entries would be drafted in the format of:

*Description of Rushon
*Description of festival
*Description of a campaign hook based in/around Rushon
*Description of possible event/adventure/campaign synopses
*List of possible encounters

The thing to keep in mind is that this is basically set up like a rough draft or brainstorm of a campaign and adventure arc.  So you're not going into full details on any of the themes, you're just sketching out the ideas in an organized format.

Does that help?  If not, maybe something could be reworded better...

[Raelifin]

Aha, I understand now. Just like an adventure hook is an idea that seeds an adventure. Thanks.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Absolutely!  So can we expect an entry from you? ;)

[Raelifin]

Probably.
Depends on how much free time I end up having in the next few days. :)

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Excellent!

Alright folks, Raelifin is throwing down!  Word through the grapevine is, no one else is competing this month because they're scared of him.  They're scared the big, mighty, elf-eating Raelifin is going to stomp them into mush. Smelly mush!  Either that, or they're a bunch of slackers!*  What do you guys think of that?  Huh?














*Disclaimer:  Raelifin never in fact said these things... but he's thinking them.

[Lmns Crn]

[note]In this thread, LC whines. Whine, whine, whine.[/note]I have been ruminating over some ideas for this contest, but the prompt is much tougher than last month's. Scholastic obligations may also delay my work.

I'm glad to hear Rael's working on something for it, too. I'd be self-conscious about being the only entrant.

Also, I'd hate to deny him the opportunity to stomp me into smelly mush. I guess.

[KeshFerrar]

I harped this with the Cartographers, and I'll say it here.

When the prompt isn't that well defined, it gives you a whole lot more freedom to be creative! So what if the festivals are wildly different, it really becomes you own work then.

Of course that's just my opinion...

[Ivar]

I'll be submitting an entry!

Working on the idea now.

Also, don't forget about the torn edge of the map detail guys!

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Right, Ivar!  That's a seed that needs to be included!

[Lmns Crn]

Could someone clarify the "torn edge of a map" detail, then?

When I look at RobA's entry, I see only a compass rose resembling an enameled lens, not a map scrap. Am I missing something, or is the piece of a map the proscribed method of including the compass rose in these entries?

If it's the latter, do entrants have flexibility in including the compass rose via other means? (For example, an actual enameled lens?)

[Ishmayl-Retired]

LC,
The compass was created by RobA, but a compass rose by itself wouldn't have much to do with any adventures.  I added in the fact that one of the seeds is a torn edge of a map with said compass rose - as well as the indecipherable script - on it, because it seems much easier to include a compass rose with a map into an entry than just the rose itself.  However, if you want to include the compass rose in other ways, be my guest.  Perhaps part of your hook involves finding an actual, glass compass rose (that came off a compass?).

[Raelifin]

Interesting entry, Mr Crayon. I feel that it's only fair to warn you that you missed out on a number of the "necessary" items.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Well, two of the "necessary includes" jumped out at me for not having been included, and they are:

*A hidden organization that hides within the city, ready to come into the open at the festival.
*An adventure and/or campaign outline (bullet points) to follow.

However, I'm curious if LC intended this line:

Soon, creatures native to the dreaming subconscious realm will have access to the waking world.

To represent possibly the hidden organization?  And then that entire section of his entry, "Things the Waking Mind Forgets," to be his plot outline?  Both would work, though I'm not entirely sure how well the "creatures of the dreaming realm" constitute as a hidden organization.  Were you thinking of something else, Rael?  Perhaps LC can clarify.

There is no limit to the number of edits one can make before the deadline, so if you left something out, that can be fixed.