VOTE for the Screen Name Tavern Contest!

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Time to vote! Below is a list of entries that have qualified for voting. There are 26 qualifying entries this time around; please try and give each one a thorough look before you vote! :)

Please PM your votes to VOTE. VOTE here (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=;action=imsend;to=VOTE). The votes are due by 12:00 noon (5:00 PM GMT) on Tuesday, March 21st. Please check the guidelines for voting in this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11247707 71).

The Sneaky Snarl Inn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11397844 97) by Sneak (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Sneak)
Mr. Jongluer’s Smile (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11398123 10;start=0#0) by Jongluer (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Jongluer)
Ilover's Fortnight (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11398253 60) by Ilover (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Ilover_Juventad)
Silanas’s Shadow Inn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11398700 28;start=0) by Silanas, Vengeance Seeker (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Thrune)
The Loch Daelin Potato Festival (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11399616 94) by potatocubed (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =potatocubed)
The White Blade Inn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11397995 22;start=0) by White Blade (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Micah_Davis)
Nolfar's End (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11399860 19) by Nolfar (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Nolfar)
Wukei's Kicking the Dead Horse Tavern (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11397749 08) by Wukei (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Wukei)
Beelzebub the Fourth's Tavern of Hell (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11405895 10;start=0#0) by Beelzebub1111 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Beelzebub1111)
Renloth - The Inn of the Dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11405690 04) by Renloth (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Renloth)
St. Fhaolan's Rest (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11399364 24) by Fhaolan (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Fhaolan)
Lysander's Center: The Inn in the Library (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11406479 72) by Lysander (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Lysander)
The Wolf and Ravyn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11397845 58;start=0) by Ravyn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Ravyn)
Vignirsson's Tavern (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11400403 73) by LeifVignirsson (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =LeifVignirsson)
Gate to the Glyphstone (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11398783 26;start=0) by The_Glyphstone (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =The_Glyphstone)
The Deep Blue Sea (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11415522 38) by Blue C. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Blue_C%2E)
Blue Baths and the Wizard's Whores (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11417644 24;start=0#0) by BlueWizard (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =bluej2)
Mephibosheth's Mess Hall (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11410929 84) by Mephibosheth (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Mephibosheth)
The Elvaris Lives Hotel, Resort and Casino (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11400636 94) by Elvaris (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Elvaris)
The Quincunx Mission (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11420103 31) by Quincunx (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Quincunx)
Vorpal's Gaping Maw (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11414983 20) by The Vorpal Tribble (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =The_Vorpal_Tribble)
Haarculaneaum's Volcanic Magic Inn (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11420222 69) by Haarculaneaum (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Haarculaneaum)
The Serpents Sky Tavern and Messenger Guild (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11410210 39;start=0#0) by Skyserpent (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Skyserpent)
Sucros’s Rest (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11422393 51) by Sucros (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =Sucros)
The Armoured Owlbear (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11411837 22) by armouredbear (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =armouredbear)
Fox Tail Lounge (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11400307 15;start=0) by foXXtail (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=viewprofile;username =foXXtail)

Judging Categories
Best Articulation of the Screen Name Theme
"Wish I was There" (award for the tavern you'd msot like to visit yourself)
Best Signature Item
Best Adventure Hooks
Best Fantasy
Best Science Fiction
Funniest
Best Overall
Gorby's Seal of Approval (Website Staff Award)

Good luck to everyone!

[hr]
If you haven't been keeping up with the contest, below are the rules and guidelines so you can read up on exactly what everyone's trying to do in this contest :)

We all know that the best adventures always include at least one trip to the local tavern - be it the Prancing Pony or the Mos Eisley Cantina - and countless epic campaigns have gotten their start over a mug of ale. In this contest, you get a chance to design your own tavern wherein many a great adventure can begin.

The trick is, the tavern's name and theme have to be based off your screenname.

The rules are as follows:

1) Even though it's called the tavern context, you can actually design any place where adventurers adventurers congregate to form parties and plan adventures. You can even design an event, like a fair. The only requirements are that the location/event be open to the public (and especially adventurers, which means it has to accept a rather varied clientle), and, if it's an event, it occurs on at least 7 days every year. Note that this doesn't mean it has to be easy to get to - the tavern could very well be on another plane of existance!

1a) You can make a tavern for a fantasy setting or for a science fiction setting. Since certain stats may be required, use the D&D and d20 Modern/Future SRDs in order to determine these. Avoid using any trademarked or copyrighted properties - ie. you can't make a Star Trek specific bar, nor one for ShadowRun, Firefly, Wheel of Time, or Lord of the Rings. If at all possible, do not make a bar that is specific to one D&D setting either.

2) The name of the tavern must be based upon your screen name. If your screen name includes numbers, articles (the, a, etc.) or pucntuation (!, _), you may omit these. If your screen name consists of two words (eg. a noun described by an adjective, or a full name), you may omit one of these words (preferably the adjective in the case of the first example). You may add as many other words to the title as you wish, and you may rearrange the words (but not letters) in your screen name as well (this includes splitting compound words). See below for more detailed guidelines.

3) The theme and design of the tavern should relate in some way to your screenname, but how is up to you. If your screen name is based on an old PC, feel free to base the tavern on him or her.

4) Each entry must include the following:
Box text for the tavern - ie. what a DM would read the first time a party enters.
Physical description of the inside and outside of the bar, specifically any notable features. Maps are nice, but not required.
Additional background & history (in particular, include DCs for Knowledge (local) - and/or other appropriate Knowledges - and Gather Information checks to find out information about the tavern)
A brief description of the proprietor (or at least one major NPC the party encounters), including a brief physical description, class levels, and maybe some relevant stats. This does not need to be (and probably shouldn't be) a full NPC write up.
At least one plot hook related to the tavern in some way.
A signature item. For an actual tavern, this is simple - just come up with a speciality drink or food item. Preferably non-magical; this should at most be a sort of keepsake or momento.
5) Each new entry should have a thread started on the contests board with [TAVERN] at the start of the title.

6) When your entry is complete - and not before! - post a link to it in the entries thread (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11397741 51;start=0#0).

7) Follow the contest guidelines (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11247707 71).

8) The contest starts as soon as this thread is posted, February 12th, and entries will be locked and final on March 14th at 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (5:00 PM UTC/GMT).

9) Have fun and good luck!

Judging Categories
Best Articulation of the Screen Name Theme
"Wish I was There" (award for the tavern you'd msot like to visit yourself)
Best Signature Item
Best Adventure Hooks
Best Fantasy
Best Science Fiction
Funniest
Best Overall
Gorby's Seal of Approval (Website Staff Award)
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[hr]
1) Since I've already allowed you to only use only a single word from your screenname, you must use the entirety of that word. You can use a variation on it only if it only adds on new letters at the beginning or the end.

Example: If your screenname contains "Joke," Jokes, Joker, or Joked would all be fine. However, if your screenname contained "Angry," Angered would not work.

2) You may change numbers from their numeral to the written word or vice versa (three to 3). This may also be done with a phonetically spelled letter (Tee to T). This cannot be the only word you use in naming your entry, however, and you may only do this if the number or letter is a seperate word from the others in your screenname. This is an exception to #1.

Example: If you screenname includes "1138," you can change it to One-thousand One-hundred Thirty-eight (or the same number in another language). If you screenname includes Four, you can change it to 4 (or IV).

Note: If your screenname consists entirely of numbers and individual letters (THX1138, for example), you have to use the entirety of the screenname in order to meet the requirements.

3) If you change your screenname for some reason, and this change would invalidate your entry, you must change your screenname back by the end date of the contest and keep it that way until voting is complete. If I detemine that you have changed your screenname just to make it easier to enter this contest, I will disqualify your entry.

Example: Say your screen-name is "The Blue Clad One." Under the rules, you could name your entry "The Blue Rat." If you change your screen-name to "The Pink Clad One" for Valentine's Day, you must change it back to include "Blue" before the end date (and you can't change it to "The Green Clad One" for St. Patrick's Day unless voting is finished by then).

[hr]
I have recieved a few questions in regards to whether or not it's okay to use a name for your entry that is similar to or related to your screenname. This is not allowed. You must meet the requirements as explained above. For example, if your screenname is "Hairy," you can't use "Furry."

[hr]
EDITS:
14 February - Added rules 1a to allow Science Fiction based entries and to clarify other issues. Modified Awards (removed Most Original and Most Likely to Be Used in a Campaign as other categories essentially covered these; added Best Fantasy and Best SciFi).

14 February - Added additional specifications in regards to questions about how to meet the screenname requirement.

[Sneak]

Wheee! Vote thread's up! Now I need to think of a good bribe to get people to vote for me...

Anyway, good luck to everyone else (and myself)! I will not be voting, myself, but I have a bunch of personal favorites that I'd lilke to win.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Why aren't you voting?

[Sneak]

I never do. And I don't want to vote for my competitors, but voting for myself would be cheating.

And it's hard to pick favorites, and I'm too lazy to go look at all the entries.

[Gefangnis]

Wait! Don't we have a couple more hours?!

Edit: Ah, crap. Well, just in case you're feeling generous, the last edit date is before the deadline. I guess it's only missing a few pictures.

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11405314 95

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I never do. And I don't want to vote for my competitors, but voting for myself would be cheating.

And it's hard to pick favorites, and I'm too lazy to go look at all the entries.
http://boards1.wizards.com/images/smilies/ahem.gif

[LeifVignirsson]

I never do. And I don't want to vote for my competitors, but voting for myself would be cheating.

And it's hard to pick favorites, and I'm too lazy to go look at all the entries.

Voting for yourself is the American way, my friend, though I appreciate your honesty. I will get on looking at these and vote for who I think deserves it the most.

[Quincunx]

I have a better question--what happened to the science-fiction entries?* For now, I'm looking at all the alternate planes/alternate history taverns as potential sci-fi and cutting out the ones that have a staple of fantasy in them.

[EDIT: As I reread these entries, I have been dropping some mentally into a new category: Plug and Play. The long entries may be rich in detail and backstory and all that, but you can't just reach for one when your players say, "We're going to the inn," without pausing the game for fifteen minutes. Plug and Play gives me a way to compare the simpler entries on their polish and originality.]

*ok, I admit it, I expected a Vorpal Tribble Discotheque in neon and mirrors, bass loud enough to sunder, tribble mosh pit, etc. etc. for a sci-fi entry.

[slapdash]

I was disappointed by the lack of sci-fi. Of course, I never wrote up that sci-fi fast food chain...If I had, I'd be running uncontested!

Voting for yourself is perfectly acceptable, as long as you think you're the best. ;D

[Silverwings]

Mine would have been sci-fi... had I had the time to put one together. Life takes precedence sometimes.

Good luck, all!

[Gefangnis]

Alright, I may as well start voting.

[Sneak]

[EDIT: As I reread these entries, I have been dropping some mentally into a new category: Plug and Play. The long entries may be rich in detail and backstory and all that, but you can't just reach for one when your players say, "We're going to the inn," without pausing the game for fifteen minutes. Plug and Play gives me a way to compare the simpler entries on their polish and originality.

I hope mine falls into that category. It's pretty vague, just some unnamed town or village, and it could probably pretty easily be adapted to a city environment.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Well, except that there is no category for 'ease of usability'. The point of the contest was to make an interesting tavern and story for it, not fit it into another game.

Please don't judge them by how they might be used in your own game, as thats not a fault of the tavern but the setting.

[White Blade]

Well, except that there is no category for 'ease of usability'. The point of the contest was to make an interesting tavern and story for it, not fit it into another game.

Please don't judge them by how they might be used in your own game, as thats not a fault of the tavern but the setting.
But... But... I like things based on how useful they are... because I don't like useless things, no matter how well made they are. And don't act like you'll automatically lose everything, because not everyone is gonna vote like that. Some will though, and honestly how and why they vote is there business, not yours. You don't need to act like you get hit everytime someone says something that implies that they might not vote for you like: I'm too lazy to read thru all the entries
Note: Also, there used to be a category for that. But it got removed because it was "Covered"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

And don't act like you'll automatically lose everything, because not everyone is gonna vote like that.
I'm not.


Some will though, and honestly how and why they vote is there business, not yours.
Sure its their business, doesn't mean I can't point out how it makes little sense. Some of these taverns are extraplanar. Most settings aren't though. A couple or more are set near a sea. What if your campaign is a desert world or in the middle of the continent and you'll not be venturing towards an ocean?

So the entry can still be a gem, but because of the wide variety of settings out there it might not be usable. Doesn't mean its not better, just not useable in this instance.


ou don't need to act like you get hit everytime someone says something that implies that they might not vote for you like: I'm too lazy to read thru all the entries
I don't do anything of the sort 'everytime'. I've only entered two contests for Pete's sake and I don't believe I said anything liek this last time. I was scowling because I just dislike the idea of someene writing an entry, hoping for folk to read it and vote for it, but being, in their own words 'too lazy' to do the same for them. Nothing to do with the actual getting of votes. Excuse my smiley, didn't mean to offend ::)

Edit: Whoops, there I go again. No offense!

Anyways, whats all this about anyways? Who gave you the paladin stick treatment today?

[Sneak]

Please, don't fight. If you really need to, just take it to PMs.


I was scowling because I just dislike the idea of someone writing an entry, hoping for folk to read it and vote for it, but being, in their own words 'too lazy' to do the same for them.

I completely understand that. I also disagree. There's no requirement for me to vote, and note that that was also only one of my reasons for not voting. I have only so much free time, and I'll spend it the way I want to, thank you very much, and if I don't want to read through every single entry, I won't. And I think voting without reading every single one is bad. Plus, I'm not necessarily expecting other people in the contest to vote for me or even read my entry. It would be nice, but there are enough people on these boards not participating that I could still rack up a decent amount of votes.

EDIT: I'm not really trying to be defensive, so I apologize if it sounds like that. I am just explaining my view to VT.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Comrade Gorby: Okay, people, I have absolutely no tolerance when it comes to the Vote thread getting turned into a giant argument over - well, any of the stuff that's being argued over right now. So cool it. If I have to warn anyone for bad behavior in this thread, I will DQ your entry as well.

[hr]
EDIT:
Okay, folks, this shouldn't be that hard. I have already recieved a couple vote PMs written in such a way that I can't figure out who the sender wants to vote in for which category. Please take the time to read the voting section in the guidelines (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Contests;action=display;num=11247707 71) and follow them so that I can figure out who you're voting for. If I can't figure it out, your vote won't get counted.

Now, if you've taken the time to write things out but I'm still a bit confused, I'll send a PM for clarification... but if all you've sent me is "I vote for X" or "I vote for X in <non-existant category>," then we have a problem.

[Gefangnis]

Aww, shucks, no dice. Well, I'm off to vote!

[Seffbasilisk]

Ugh. Thought it ended on the 20th. Poor Seff's pub.

[BlueWizard]

My games are all sci-fi to some degree. The Blue Baths can go many places, and has many visitors.

[Fhaolan]

Having never participated in one of the contests before, I'm curious: How long is the voting period, normally? A week or so?

[Sneak]

The votes are due by 12:00 noon (5:00 PM GMT) on Tuesday, March 21st.

I dunno if this is how it goes for most contests, but...

[Fhaolan]

Ah, I must have missed reading that bit, or forgot about it. Thanks.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

WHAMMO!

Voting hath ended.

[BlueWizard]

Good luck all.

[Sneak]

Anyone know around when the winners will be announced?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Anyone know around when the winners will be announced?
Well, looks like the last contest took 4 days after the voting deadline for the winner to be announced, and the contest before that 8 days. So somewhere in between there most like.

[BlueWizard]

Thanks Tribble, for the tip in the other thread.

I look forward to the next contest, now that I have a feel for it.

Hey Gorbash, for us eager writers, when is the release date for the psionic contest beginning?

The Blue Wizard, Archmage of the 37th order.

[Gorbash Kazdar]

The next contest won't start until April 1st at the earliest.

Winners for this contest will (probably) be announced Friday or Saturday. The Staff award may have to wait for Sunday or Monday, but I won't delay the other awards for my decision.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

*holds his breath till he turns blue*

[Nolfar]

*holds his breath till he turns blue*

*working on it too* LOL, I've got first contest nervousness.

[Sneak]

*holds breath along with the rest of the crowd*

I hope I win SOMETHING...

[Renloth]

Heres to hope...

But I'm not holding my breath. (Maybe the rest of you will pass out, and I'll win by default... ;D)

[The Glyphstone]

No comment. :)

[Sneak]

[Insert generic annoyed comment over winners not being posted yet.]