The Pirate Contest!

[Roland St. Jude]

Pirate Contest

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Gather round y'bilge rats and beauties and put down yer grog long enough to make yer' entries! In honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day later this month (Sept. 19), I present to you -- The Pirate Contest.

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until midnight, October 1st (Eastern US Time, which makes it 4 a.m. GMT October 2nd). Please remember, as always, to follow the general contest guidelines.

The Rules:

1.) You will be creating a pirate, his sidekick, his booty, and if you like, his ship & crew.

2.) Your entry must include the following:

1. A pirate (be sure to give your pirate a “trademark” pirate phrase!)
2. The pirate’s sidekick, who may be an animal companion, henchman, follower, or whatever really.
3. The pirate’s treasure.
4. (Optional) The pirate’s ship (including crew)

3.) Entries should be for D&D only and not specific to any particular setting (e.g. Forgotten Realms or Eberron.) Try to avoid referencing non-core books if at all possible, but do what you have to do. For those statting out the ship and crew you may find texts such as Stormwrack helpful, if not downright necessary (that's why it's optional). All items will need to list the relevant details as per standard descriptions, including magical aura, CL, feats & spells required for construction and cost as appropriate for the item.

4.) The character and creature descriptions should include, in addition to the description and history, a stat block containing all relevant details per standard descriptions.

5.) Each new entry should be started on a new thread here on the Contests board, dedicated to just that set of items and the discussion of it. Put the tag [Pirate] in front of the title of that thread. Any thread without this tag will not be officially entered.

6.) Post a link to your entry on The Entry Thread to let the mods know that you have completed your [Pirate] entry. We'll try to keep a post with all the entries listed in one place for easy reference.

7.) If this is your first time entering a design contest here and you say so, you're eligible to win the First Timer's Entry Award.

8.) Categories of voting and judgment will include the following:

• Best Overall
• Best Pirate
• Best Sidekick
• Best Ship (Optional!)
• Best Booty
• Funniest Overall Entry
• Funniest Single Item (The single item you found most amusing; having this a separate item allows you to include a single amusing element without going for a whole funny concept.)
• Best First Timer's Entry
• Roland’s Choice Award (Staff Award).

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to post them to this thread.

This should provide plenty of opportunity for both serious and not-so-serious designs with a balance of crunch and fluff. Good luck!

[Draz74]

4.) The character and creature descriptions should include, in addition to the description and history, a stat block containing all relevant details per standard descriptions.

Is the format of these stat blocks strictly standardized as well? I know that's been important in the past when Gorby has run Contests.

Awwww, this time there's a First Timer's Prize? Why, why didn't I wait one more Contest to start entering?? Can a second-timer who has won nothing still get this prize? ;)

[Roland St. Jude]

Is the format of these stat blocks strictly standardized as well? I know that's been important in the past when Gorby has run Contests.

Awwww, this time there's a First Timer's Prize? Why, why didn't I wait one more Contest to start entering?? Can a second-timer who has won nothing still get this prize? ;)

Yes, the stat block should be standardized. If I need to spell that out somewhere I can, but I thought a standard was already established.

As for the first-timers thing, well, I just thought of it. :P

[Psymon]

If you could just spell it out that would be fabulous, as I suddenly find myself with extra time on my hands I would quite like to enter the contest, but with no easy access to the CRB making a full and accurate character sheet from memory is going to be impossible. However just assigning a few relavant feats and skills shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

[Draz74]

Do what I'm going to do -- just look at someone else's entry (someone who knows what they're doing because they've entered many contests) and copy & paste their format.

On a side note -- ARRRR MATEY! 'Dis be da bestest Contest Theme ever to grace da Seven Seas! Wind to the sails!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

This is gonna be interesting ;D

What amuses me is today is my sister's birthday and she's having a pirate-themed party.

[RobbieOC]

Awwww, this time there's a First Timer's Prize? Why, why didn't I wait one more Contest to start entering?? Can a second-timer who has won nothing still get this prize? ;)

Same here, man. Same here.

[The Demented One]

How much of this can/should be homebrewed? Can we give the berk homebrew items, feats, PrCs, or the like?

[Roland St. Jude]

How much of this can/should be homebrewed? Can we give the berk homebrew items, feats, PrCs, or the like?

As much as you like. Just be sure to give the underlying items, feats, PrCs, etc. appropriately complete descriptions.

[Roland St. Jude]

If you could just spell it out that would be fabulous, as I suddenly find myself with extra time on my hands I would quite like to enter the contest, but with no easy access to the CRB making a full and accurate character sheet from memory is going to be impossible. However just assigning a few relavant feats and skills shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Use this one @V, note that variations may be necessary, if so do your best to put them somewhere that makes sense. ;)

[The Demented One]

Yo. Anyone spots any errors or ambiguities in this, just drop me a line.

Name
Gender, Race, Class
Size/Type:
Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
Armor Class: ( ), touch , flatfooted
Base Attack/Grapple: +/+
Attack:
Full Attack:
Space/Reach: ft./ ft.
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves: Fort +, Ref +, Will +
Abilities: Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Skills:
Feats:
Challenge Rating:
Possessions:
Alignment:
Spells per Day (If Applicable):
Spells Prepared/Known (If Applicable):
Spellbook (If Applicable):

[Mike_Lemmer]

Try to avoid referencing non-core books if at all possible, but do what you have to do.

What counts as core books for this?

[Sucros]

Awesome

[Lord Iames Osari]

What counts as core books for this?

At a guess, I'd say the PHB, the DMG, and the MM1. You know - the core.

[Roland St. Jude]

At a guess, I'd say the PHB, the DMG, and the MM1. You know - the core.

That is the core. I would suppose that, while not core, the SRD is within reason, too.

And it's not a hard and fast rule, do what you have to do.

[foXXtail]

A million thank yous!

I, uh, may have some positive feelings towards making pirates as NPCs. And PCs. And, um, in my spare time.

[Draz74]

If I had time I could probably look this up somewhere, but ...

More than one entry per person is allowed in these Contests, right?

Not that I plan to flood the contest or anything. But I might want to do, say, two entries. Because I have one idea that I feel obliged to enter, but I'm not sure I want it to be my primary entry.

If one per person is encouraged, I just won't link the one entry to the "Contest Entry Thread," and that will be fine.

[foXXtail]

Yeah, I checked to make sure because I entered 2 as well.
But I am also curious about the "allowed" versus "discouraged" line.

[Carmichael]

What guidelines for character are to be followed here? -- e.g. ability score distributions.

[Mike_Lemmer]

I'd assume elite array or roll like a PC. I chose roll like a PC; makes the character more personal.

[Roland St. Jude]

What guidelines for character are to be followed here? -- e.g. ability score distributions.

Do whatever you like for things like ability score generation, level, etc. It's meant to be kind of wide open.

[Rama_Lei]

Hey, first timer here. i was wondering, can it be two shiops, a large one, and a smaller companion? I'm working on a Father/Daughter Team, and wany to know ahead of time.

[Roland St. Jude]

Hey, first timer here. i was wondering, can it be two shiops, a large one, and a smaller companion? I'm working on a Father/Daughter Team, and wany to know ahead of time.

An entry must include: a pirate, a sidekick/companion, a booty. It may include a ship & crew.

I'm not really sure what you're asking. Can the daughter be the sidekick? Can she be on her own ship? Sure.

[Rama_Lei]

An entry must include: a pirate, a sidekick/companion, a booty. It may include a ship & crew.

I'm not really sure what you're asking. Can the daughter be the sidekick? Can she be on her own ship? Sure.

Yes, I was asking if it could be two seperate ships. Thanks.

[nathkry]

Does the ship have to be a ship? Or could it be a monster? ???

[Roland St. Jude]

Does the ship have to be a ship? Or could it be a monster? ???

Given that ship & crew are optional, I'd say you could take an expansive view of what qualifies as a ship. I'd leave it up to the judges to sort out if they prefer an animal ship or a ship ship.

[Dareon]

First-timer here, too. Should our entries be added to the completed entires thread when we've initially posted all details, or when we've made whatever changes the crtiquers have mentioned and are ready to finalize things, as it were?

As a corollary, are we allowed to edit our entries once they've been critiqued? I haven't seen anything barring that, but I don't want to be accidentally disqualified, you know? :E

[The Vorpal Tribble]

First-timer here, too. Should our entries be added to the completed entires thread when we've initially posted all details, or when we've made whatever changes the crtiquers have mentioned and are ready to finalize things, as it were?

You post it when you yourself think its done. Everyone probably adjusts after comments, which can continue until the last day. So I say put it in done, and let the comments roll 8)

As a corollary, are we allowed to edit our entries once they've been critiqued? I haven't seen anything barring that, but I don't want to be accidentally disqualified, you know? :E

You can edit to your heart's content until the cut-off time.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Btw, how about mentioning the Pirate contest in Homebrew. Everyone has probably seen the Organization results by now ;)

[Roland St. Jude]

Btw, how about mentioning the Pirate contest in Homebrew. Everyone has probably seen the Organization results by now ;)

You read my mind. That's on my to-do list for the day.