The Monumental City Contest

[Grey Watcher]

The Monumental City Contest

Hello, and welcome to the next Official Contest of the Giant in the Playground Message Boards!

For this contest, participants will be creating a city. As usual, please make this cities usable for your typical D&D setting (such as GreyHawk or the Forgotten Realms). Specific details are OK, for example, if you concieve your city as existing in a particular place in the Forgotten Realms, but the idea is not to present something so rooted in an esoteric setting that it becomes unusable in another one.

For a unique twist, the city must include a monument. What it memorializes, how the populace feels about it, or how old it is are all up to the author. It is only required to be something prominent and important enough that most of the populace has at least heard of it.

Your entry should include:

Introduction: This should be a description of the city through the eyes of a traveler arriving in it for the first time.

Stats: The Dungeon Master's Guide gives stats for cities, including a Size Category, the exact adult population, the demographics, the maximum value of any single item that can be purchased there. (I'll post the specific tables entrants who don't have a DMG will need later today.)

Background Information: Talk here about anything about the city's background. This category is so broad, that I've offered several examples of subcategories. This list is by no means exhaustive or definitive. Feel free to add new subcategories you need or remove those you feel you don't.

Physical Description: The one subcategory that IS required, this should describe local geography, as well as the general layout of the city. Maps are not necessary, though if you feel they'd help, they're certainly welcome.

Arts and Culture: Talk here about how prevalent the arts are in the city, it's developments and how the public responds to it. Recent trends or traditions.

Economics: Talk here about major industries, important imports or exports. You might also discuss the classes and how they interact.

Religion: Talk here about the various religions in the city, how important religion is to the everyday person, or what hierarchies exist within the major religious institutions.

Government: Talk here about the structure of govenment, law enforcement, and political relationships with the rest of the world.

Crime: This section is fair game for demographics on crime, information about organized crime syndacites, rebellions, underground railroads and various other activities that find themselves working against the lawful authorities.

The Monument: This entry is, of course, your chance to describe the monument itself.

Power Struggles: This section should outline major conflicts in the city. Unlike the previous section, this should be a more "active" crisis. It can be recent or longstanding, but it should be a point of serious contention. It can be anything from a virulent Theives' Guild versus a stern government to two rival schools of art. The point is, it should be a major struggle between two forces within the city. Major figures in these conflicts should get minimal stats (race, class, level, and alignment).

Adventure Hooks: Please include two specific and immediate plot/adventure hooks that a DM could throw at his players right off the bat.


You can vote for any complete entry in any one of the following categories:

Best Overall City: Choose the one you feel stands out among the rest as the single best entry.

Best Adventure Hooks: This is a chance to honor that entry that offers the most interesting opportunities for potential players.

Most Original or Wondrous City: This category will recognize the city that has has the most interesting quirk. If something about the city itself made you say "Wow, that's cool/scary/spectacular/amazing," you might consider voting for it in this category.

Most Playable City: This category is for the city that you would most like to play (or DM) in. Note that this is seperate from the adventure hooks section for a reason. That one is specifically about the hooks that the entry provides. This category is about the entry's overall atmosphere and fecundity as a setting for your gaming session. For example, you like the political intrigues of City A, but aren't as fond of the specific plot hooks offered by the author, this is the entry to vote for him in.

Best Monument: This entry is to honor the best individual monument, regardless of the quality of the city around it.

Best Vacation Spot: That's right folks, vote for the city you (the real you, not your character) would most like to spend that week off in.

Grey Watcher's Personal Pick: Unlike the other categories, this will not be voted on. I will simply choose the entry I like best and fashion some sort of award for it. (It'll be a surprise.)

You have until August 1st to finish your entries.

Now, go forth and design!

[Winged One]

I've already got an idea. A city where nobody who is entirely one race is allowed in. Please don't steal my idea... >:( ;D

EDIT: By the way, when is the deadline?

[The Glyphstone]

What's the time limit?

[Frojoe21]

Do you get bonus marks for putting in a map?

[Axelgear]

Where do you submit it?

[Wukei]

We don't have to vote if we're submitting a city do we? I don't like to vote when I'm competing.

[Safria]

Yeah, a) when's the deadline....b) don't suppose a public transport system is really a monument is it....never mind think i've got an idea for the monument :D.


And allready had the city in my head for days....I echoe Frojoes comment as I've allready been doodling maps. Could their even be like a "best maps?" prize or is that giving unfair advantage to artists?(just an idea).

Anyway....going to get going on this :D

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Deadline will most likely be midnight, Eastern US time zone, August 1st (I can say this 'cause I'm the one locks the thread ;D But GW has final say there).

Submit entries by starting a thread with [City] at the beginning of the name.

As for maps, unless GW adds a category, I'd say they're a nice touch, but how much it matters will depend on the individual voters.

No one has to vote when that comes up (not til August), but it's encouraged that as many people do so as possible, including people with entries. The Voting is secret, so don't worry on that count. We do encourage people not to Vote for themselves, but you can if you really want to. We'll just make fun of you (kidding!).

When you do go to Vote, please please please! read all the entries before making your decision. We also encourage you to help each other out in the creation process with constructive criticism. Just remember to play nice.

Now, for me to go work on my entry...

[MostlyHarmless]

Well, whether they're allowed or not I can't say, but for those interested who are (like me) artistically challenged, here is a good free piece of mapping software.
http://www.gryc.ws/autorealm.htm

I wish I had another 5 hours a day to enter this competition. :'(

[finn]

Sounds great! I cant wait to see what comes of this!

[Wukei]

I don't think I really have time ;D
But I really like the idea of the city I'm producing, so I had to try it.

*goes to sabotage the Glyphstone to give everyone else a chance*

(for mods that take threats seriously, it was just a joke)

[The Glyphstone]

*reinforces firewall*

I need to do some serious thinking, I have no clue what to enter. It'll win every category for sure, but I dunno what it'll be... ;D ???

[Mick_the_Rogue]

I've sent the assassins out already Glyphstone, its too late for you.

Muahahahahaha!

Seriously thopugh, good luck to all...including myself.

[The Glyphstone]

assassins? pfeh, i've got ninjas. With sword-chucks, so there!

And yes, good luck to everybody.

[jedi]Remember, vote for my entry above all others...[/jedi]

[Sneak]

Hmm...sounds interesting. I think I have an idea..."The City of Troubles..."

[Safria]

Glyphstone...the jedi mind tricks are cheating (Highlight his post if your confused :P)

[The Glyphstone]

bah..foiled again... >:(

[setenza]

Is there any problem with having more than one entry?

[The Glyphstone]

I suppose not, though it'd be twice as much work and you'd be half as likely to have one of them win...

In other news, *ding* lightbulb glows over head! I've got an idea.

[Cantankerous]

Well, I've posted my city - Wyrm's Breath. I kind of generated the idea on the way to my medical check-up. I have mixed opinions about it, since I would have preferred making something individual (or a few individual things) like a party or a set of magic items.

Oh, well. Would appreciate feedback. Thanks.

[Winged One]

I'm gonna bow out because I'd probably forget to finish it.

[Boomer]

Is there any problem with having more than one entry?

You want to tell a tale of TWO cities?

[LeifVignirsson]

Well, it wasn't a CITY, persay but mine is up and hopefully it will cut the mustard... Speaking of cutting mustard...

You want to tell a tale of TWO cities?

I was waiting for someone to say that when I read that post earlier...
;D

[Winter_Wolf]

Glyphstone: sword-chucks? Are those like wood chuks? ;D Yah, I know, I'm a jackass.

Is there a minimum size for the city? I mean, does it need to be a metropolis, or can we go for something like a small/large town? Seems like a stupid question maybe, but recently got into a "disagreement" over semantics when I was doing a translation....

[The Glyphstone]

Like nun-chucks, only with swords. Reference: 8-bit Theater.

And wow, 1 day into the contest and we have 19 entries..tough race to see if anybody will win...18-way TIE!

[PokeTheBard]

Hehe... sword-chuks... It is so pathetically not funny that every time I see that little icon with the 8-bit sword chuks I fall into hysteria. *sigh*

[Mick_the_Rogue]

Aww man, I had hoped I would at least stand a fighting chance, but with 19 entries I feel I am, at the very least, moderately screwed

Heh, this is what I get for going to sleep last night.

[Grey Watcher]

Yes, the deadline is August 1st, I apologize for not posting it earlier. Maps are not necessary, but visual aids are always nice.

[Wukei]

Man...if there was only a picture contest...nah, I wouldn't even win THAT.

[PokeTheBard]

'Glerith, The Shifting City' is pretty much done, though with a month to go i'll no doubt go into plenty more detail. Any comments and suggestions more than welcome. Thank you.