Congratulations Semako and IamSposta! You should be proud of your work. These entries were well thought out and flavorful! This does, however, leave us with a conundrum. Semako has two winning entries, but Sposta has the entry with the highest average score. We should have a short discussion about who will run the next competition and choose the categories. I'm leaning towards Semako for the two wins, but am open to suggestions. Also, Semako and Sposta, feel free to decide amongst yourselves.
Additionally, I think we should feel free to use the remainder of the thread to suggest categories for the next competition, but no pressure on the next judge!
PS. The rankings are the same when I exclude voters suspected of trolling. Phew!
I feel multiple entries should give more chances to win, but not be combined for a win or else it puts pressure on people to enter into multiple categories. After all, I could have entered into all three categories but didn’t. And I know a situation like this wasn’t anticipated when the contest rules were laid out, but they do state that victory goes to the single highest entry. However, like I said, I am a bit biased here, so I’ll abide by the popular vote however it goes. Either way, Semako is one strong competitor, so it’ll be no dishonor taking second place to them if that’s how it shakes out. Best of luck to you Semako, may the best ‘brewer win! 🤞
I feel multiple entries should give more chances to win, but not be combined for a win or else it puts pressure on people to enter into multiple categories. After all, I could have entered into all three categories but didn’t. And I know a situation like this wasn’t anticipated when the contest rules were laid out, but they do state that victory goes to the single highest entry. However, like I said, I am a bit biased here, so I’ll abide by the popular vote however it goes. Either way, Semako is one strong competitor, so it’ll be no dishonor taking second place to them if that’s how it shakes out. Best of luck to you Semako, may the best ‘brewer win! 🤞
Didn't read my own rules, huh. That's a good point. Let's see if Semako agrees, and you'll be the next judge!
If thats what the rules say, then that seems like the best way to go in this scenario.
But I agree with Sposta and think the rules should be amended for future competitions to encourage people to enter into all three categories without fear that one bad entry will drag their their average score down. Perhaps it should be changed from "who will be determined by the highest overall average score" to just the highest score period, that way a bad entry doesnt drag away from a better one in a different category.
Whoever the next judge is, I have the following ideas for categories if you were looking for inspiration:
DM Options:Toon Time (monsters and magic items based around the nonsensical, childish, or reality-warping nature of cartoon characters)
Always a Bigger Fish (what sort of monsters hunt the monsters considered to be the apex of their category? What kind of magic items exist only to subdue the effects of lesser magic items?)
PC Options: Weird Mechanisms (subclasses, feats, spells or other options based around 5e mechanics that seem underused. For example, maybe something built around using optional rules from the DMG like Honor/Sanity scores or utilizing Siege weaponry or just trying to bring more focus to PHB things like Mounted Combat, grappling, mundane equipment, etc. One could even use an entry to introduce their own unique rule mechanic as part of their entry)
Lets Try that Again (focused on either redoing or reimagining existing player options in 5e that fell short of expectations)
Inspiration Option:Faerun Cameo (focused on familiar faces of 5e lore. Could be encounters involving characters like Mordenkainen or Tasha OR even character builds to reflect what a PC for such a personality might look like)
In response to categories, one I've been thinking of for DM options is:
The Bigger They Are...The Harder They Fall. Boss monsters. Extremely difficult for their challenge rating, but with clear weaknesses that can be exploited. Perhaps the magic item category could be weapons to counter monsters, or weapons used by gigantic foes from long ago. I'm not exactly sure how I could fit terrain or other things like that into the category, but I'm sure creative home brewers could come up with something.
Hosted a battle between the Cult of Sedge and the Forum Countershere(Done now). I_Love_Tarrasques has won the fight, scoring a victory for the fiendish Moderators.
I might be biased too, but I think I should probably get the win here, simply because entering in multiple categories requires a lot more effort (and my inspirational submission was 14 pages long, for that matter...) than entering in just one category, effort that should be rewarded.
I think we should set the criteria for winning in the following way: Winner is who either has the highest score in two of the three categories or who has the highest-scoring entry in case in each category a different author's entry won. If there is a tie in one category and thus two contestants have two highest-scoring entries effectively, the one with the higher average score wins.
This should cover all situations and eventualities I think :-)
Also good job with your Time Raider, IamSposta, that is one great subclass!
I also am fine if you decide otherwise though. And these are some great category suggestions!
I think that (1) the way the rules were stated, Sposta gets the win, but (2) Semako should probably get the win because he won in 2 categories. So I don’t really know….
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Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
Alright, I'm the judge so I have to be decisive. As I've already said, both Sposta and Semako are the winners, but the RAW will have Sposta be the next judge. I think it would be a nice gesture, however, for the rules moving forward to award the judgeship to a contestant who wins more than one category, then by the highest average score on the winning entry if nobody wins more than one. One other note, being judge means that you can't participate (at least in the way I've interpreted it), so it's not as glamorous as you'd think.
Also, what do people actually think of my inspirational submission? For some unknown reason, noone gave any feedback to it that I could have used to improve it further...
Maybe the category winners should pick the theme for the corresponding categories and all winners should share responsibility and collaborate on the forum post itself (timeframe, voting submissions, etc). This would allow contestants to feel at ease knowing that submitting to multiple categories is not mandatory and would allow for some diverse themes; for example, all of the themes for this iteration are things that are commonly linked with one another.
Edit: Having winners collaborate on the organization portion of the competition also promotes community growth and relations.
For the record, some categories I considered but ultimately chose against were surrealism/absurdity (think Through the Looking Glass) and modern/fantasy warfare for inspirational options, and fantasy technology for player or DM options. Basically, I would like to see the D&D equivalents of tanks and fighter jets.
Maybe the category winners should pick the theme for the corresponding categories and all winners should share responsibility and collaborate on the forum post itself (timeframe, voting submissions, etc). This would allow contestants to feel at ease knowing that submitting to multiple categories is not mandatory and would allow for some diverse themes; for example, all of the themes for this iteration are things that are commonly linked with one another.
Edit: Having winners collaborate on the organization portion of the competition also promotes community growth and relations.
This is a great idea moving forward.
One other thing I think the rules should codify is whether the judge is allowed to compete and vote. I did not submit anything. That seems a fair setup as I was allowed to choose categories, and could have done so in a way biased towards my strengths as a brewer. I did vote. That shouldn't present an issue as long as we can verify voting using google forms.
One other thing I think the rules should codify is whether the judge is allowed to compete and vote. I did not submit anything. That seems a fair setup as I was allowed to choose categories, and could have done so in a way biased towards my strengths as a brewer. I did vote. That shouldn't present an issue as long as we can verify voting using google forms.
I believe in some of the past competitions, it was stated that the judges are allowed to vote, though I don't remember which one(s) said it. One other suggestion I wanted to propose was that voters not be able to vote on their own submissions as this can promote trollish behavior (voting 5 for yourself and then no higher than 4 for anyone else, even if their project outshines your own). I don't know if that was much of an issue this time around though.
One other suggestion I wanted to propose was that voters not be able to vote on their own submissions as this can promote trollish behavior (voting 5 for yourself and then no higher than 4 for anyone else, even if their project outshines your own). I don't know if that was much of an issue this time around though.
It could have been the case, but there's really no way to verify this unless our votes are public and attached to our usernames. There are procedures that can be used to work out if a voter is an outlier or "pivotal", but that's a pain.
Also, what do people actually think of my inspirational submission? For some unknown reason, noone gave any feedback to it that I could have used to improve it further...
Mechanically and Organizationally, it's fantastic! It was a lot to read though, having as many stat blocks as you did. I understand why though; it was clearly intended for a top level party (all 20th level I imagine). That said, even with all 20th level characters, unless the players are mostly min-maxers, I can't see a world where they have the resources to complete the encounter(s). Not only are there two CR30 enemies, but they have a combined 15 legendary resistance and incredibly high saving throw bonuses, rendering them all but immune to effects that require STs. I'm not sure if it was your intent to make a fight that is unwinnable under normal circumstances, but you certainly did!
As for a recommendation on how to improve it, I would suggest a feature that penalizes the boss creature (eye and Galdera) as the party kills more souls/extremities, maybe by adding disadvantage on saves against certain types of effects or a straight penalty to rolls of a certain type.
Oh and for everyone who's still around in here, I'd love some feedback on my entries! I was actually surprised at how average the results were for both of my options and I would appreciate some understanding that went into the lower scores so that I know what to improve upon going forward!
Also, what do people actually think of my inspirational submission? For some unknown reason, noone gave any feedback to it that I could have used to improve it further...
I gotta say, it was very long, as was the King in Yellow. I have to admit that the sheer length of both negatively impacted my votes. I could not see myself using Hastur for example as there’s just too much to it. I don’t mind a little more on player options because a player only has their own character to manage, and maybe an Extra or two, but as a DM I already have way too many smoke and mirrors to juggle. Of course, that’s just one man’s opinion (and obviously not the popular one as you won both categories), so take it with a grain of salt. However, it was well written.
Alright, I'm the judge so I have to be decisive. As I've already said, both Sposta and Semako are the winners, but the RAW will have Sposta be the next judge. I think it would be a nice gesture, however, for the rules moving forward to award the judgeship to a contestant who wins more than one category, then by the highest average score on the winning entry if nobody wins more than one. One other note, being judge means that you can't participate (at least in the way I've interpreted it), so it's not as glamorous as you'd think.
I apologize to Semako for the trouble.
I thank you, I thank you. 🥹🙏 It pleases me to no end to take the honor, and to congratulate Semako and all the he other contestants for a well fought competition. Before they start playing the music as my cue to vacate the stage, I want to say how much I am looking forward to the honor of picking the themes for the CotFB IX!! I already have some fun ideas for a couple of the categories and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for them. I haven’t decided on all of them yet, but when I do I hope you’ll like them too. (Now… how do I go about submitting my decisions when I’m ready and what’s my deadline? I’m new at this here. 😅)
Alright the results are in! The winners are:
DM Options: That Which Should Not Be
Hastur, the King in Yellow - Semako
Player Options: Mastery of Moments
Time Raider - IamSposta
Inspirational Options: Broken Seals
Galdera, the Fallen - Semako
Congratulations Semako and IamSposta! You should be proud of your work. These entries were well thought out and flavorful! This does, however, leave us with a conundrum. Semako has two winning entries, but Sposta has the entry with the highest average score. We should have a short discussion about who will run the next competition and choose the categories. I'm leaning towards Semako for the two wins, but am open to suggestions. Also, Semako and Sposta, feel free to decide amongst yourselves.
Additionally, I think we should feel free to use the remainder of the thread to suggest categories for the next competition, but no pressure on the next judge!
PS. The rankings are the same when I exclude voters suspected of trolling. Phew!
Well, I may be biased but….
I feel multiple entries should give more chances to win, but not be combined for a win or else it puts pressure on people to enter into multiple categories. After all, I could have entered into all three categories but didn’t. And I know a situation like this wasn’t anticipated when the contest rules were laid out, but they do state that victory goes to the single highest entry. However, like I said, I am a bit biased here, so I’ll abide by the popular vote however it goes. Either way, Semako is one strong competitor, so it’ll be no dishonor taking second place to them if that’s how it shakes out. Best of luck to you Semako, may the best ‘brewer win! 🤞
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Didn't read my own rules, huh. That's a good point. Let's see if Semako agrees, and you'll be the next judge!
If thats what the rules say, then that seems like the best way to go in this scenario.
But I agree with Sposta and think the rules should be amended for future competitions to encourage people to enter into all three categories without fear that one bad entry will drag their their average score down. Perhaps it should be changed from "who will be determined by the highest overall average score" to just the highest score period, that way a bad entry doesnt drag away from a better one in a different category.
Congrats to both!!
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Whoever the next judge is, I have the following ideas for categories if you were looking for inspiration:
DM Options: Toon Time (monsters and magic items based around the nonsensical, childish, or reality-warping nature of cartoon characters)
Always a Bigger Fish (what sort of monsters hunt the monsters considered to be the apex of their category? What kind of magic items exist only to subdue the effects of lesser magic items?)
PC Options: Weird Mechanisms (subclasses, feats, spells or other options based around 5e mechanics that seem underused. For example, maybe something built around using optional rules from the DMG like Honor/Sanity scores or utilizing Siege weaponry or just trying to bring more focus to PHB things like Mounted Combat, grappling, mundane equipment, etc. One could even use an entry to introduce their own unique rule mechanic as part of their entry)
Lets Try that Again (focused on either redoing or reimagining existing player options in 5e that fell short of expectations)
Inspiration Option: Faerun Cameo (focused on familiar faces of 5e lore. Could be encounters involving characters like Mordenkainen or Tasha OR even character builds to reflect what a PC for such a personality might look like)
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
In response to categories, one I've been thinking of for DM options is:
The Bigger They Are...The Harder They Fall. Boss monsters. Extremely difficult for their challenge rating, but with clear weaknesses that can be exploited. Perhaps the magic item category could be weapons to counter monsters, or weapons used by gigantic foes from long ago. I'm not exactly sure how I could fit terrain or other things like that into the category, but I'm sure creative home brewers could come up with something.
Subclass Evaluations So Far:
Sorcerer
Warlock
My statblock. Fear me!
Hosted a battle between the Cult of Sedge and the Forum Counters here(Done now). I_Love_Tarrasques has won the fight, scoring a victory for the fiendish Moderators.
I might be biased too, but I think I should probably get the win here, simply because entering in multiple categories requires a lot more effort (and my inspirational submission was 14 pages long, for that matter...) than entering in just one category, effort that should be rewarded.
I think we should set the criteria for winning in the following way: Winner is who either has the highest score in two of the three categories or who has the highest-scoring entry in case in each category a different author's entry won. If there is a tie in one category and thus two contestants have two highest-scoring entries effectively, the one with the higher average score wins.
This should cover all situations and eventualities I think :-)
Also good job with your Time Raider, IamSposta, that is one great subclass!
I also am fine if you decide otherwise though. And these are some great category suggestions!
I think that (1) the way the rules were stated, Sposta gets the win, but (2) Semako should probably get the win because he won in 2 categories. So I don’t really know….
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
For PC, I’d like to see a storm-themed category. For DM, a psychic- or dragon-themed category would be cool. I’m good with whatever, though.
Paladin main who spends most of his D&D time worldbuilding or DMing, not Paladin-ing.
Alright, I'm the judge so I have to be decisive. As I've already said, both Sposta and Semako are the winners, but the RAW will have Sposta be the next judge. I think it would be a nice gesture, however, for the rules moving forward to award the judgeship to a contestant who wins more than one category, then by the highest average score on the winning entry if nobody wins more than one. One other note, being judge means that you can't participate (at least in the way I've interpreted it), so it's not as glamorous as you'd think.
I apologize to Semako for the trouble.
Also, what do people actually think of my inspirational submission? For some unknown reason, noone gave any feedback to it that I could have used to improve it further...
Maybe the category winners should pick the theme for the corresponding categories and all winners should share responsibility and collaborate on the forum post itself (timeframe, voting submissions, etc).
This would allow contestants to feel at ease knowing that submitting to multiple categories is not mandatory and would allow for some diverse themes; for example, all of the themes for this iteration are things that are commonly linked with one another.
Edit: Having winners collaborate on the organization portion of the competition also promotes community growth and relations.
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
General homebrew links
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses
For the record, some categories I considered but ultimately chose against were surrealism/absurdity (think Through the Looking Glass) and modern/fantasy warfare for inspirational options, and fantasy technology for player or DM options. Basically, I would like to see the D&D equivalents of tanks and fighter jets.
This is a great idea moving forward.
One other thing I think the rules should codify is whether the judge is allowed to compete and vote. I did not submit anything. That seems a fair setup as I was allowed to choose categories, and could have done so in a way biased towards my strengths as a brewer. I did vote. That shouldn't present an issue as long as we can verify voting using google forms.
I believe in some of the past competitions, it was stated that the judges are allowed to vote, though I don't remember which one(s) said it.
One other suggestion I wanted to propose was that voters not be able to vote on their own submissions as this can promote trollish behavior (voting 5 for yourself and then no higher than 4 for anyone else, even if their project outshines your own). I don't know if that was much of an issue this time around though.
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
General homebrew links
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses
It could have been the case, but there's really no way to verify this unless our votes are public and attached to our usernames. There are procedures that can be used to work out if a voter is an outlier or "pivotal", but that's a pain.
Mechanically and Organizationally, it's fantastic! It was a lot to read though, having as many stat blocks as you did. I understand why though; it was clearly intended for a top level party (all 20th level I imagine). That said, even with all 20th level characters, unless the players are mostly min-maxers, I can't see a world where they have the resources to complete the encounter(s). Not only are there two CR30 enemies, but they have a combined 15 legendary resistance and incredibly high saving throw bonuses, rendering them all but immune to effects that require STs.
I'm not sure if it was your intent to make a fight that is unwinnable under normal circumstances, but you certainly did!
As for a recommendation on how to improve it, I would suggest a feature that penalizes the boss creature (eye and Galdera) as the party kills more souls/extremities, maybe by adding disadvantage on saves against certain types of effects or a straight penalty to rolls of a certain type.
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
General homebrew links
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses
Oh and for everyone who's still around in here, I'd love some feedback on my entries! I was actually surprised at how average the results were for both of my options and I would appreciate some understanding that went into the lower scores so that I know what to improve upon going forward!
Sunday DM and creator of homebrew for both DMs and players. I do lots of conversions!
My best brews: Berserker (Fire Emblem - barbarian subclass) | Swordmaster (Fire Emblem - fighter subclass) | Deserter (background) | Flame Atronach (Skyrim - monster)
My Fire Emblem Conversion Thread
General homebrew links
Spells | Monsters | Magic Items | Backgrounds | Feats | Races | Subclasses
My condolences, Semako. On the other hand, congratulations IAmSposta! I can’t wait to see what you do for the ninth CotFB!
Come participate in the Competition of the Finest Brews, Edition XXVIII?
My homebrew stuff:
Spells, Monsters, Magic Items, Feats, Subclasses.
I am an Archfey, but nobody seems to notice.
Extended Signature
I gotta say, it was very long, as was the King in Yellow. I have to admit that the sheer length of both negatively impacted my votes. I could not see myself using Hastur for example as there’s just too much to it. I don’t mind a little more on player options because a player only has their own character to manage, and maybe an Extra or two, but as a DM I already have way too many smoke and mirrors to juggle. Of course, that’s just one man’s opinion (and obviously not the popular one as you won both categories), so take it with a grain of salt. However, it was well written.
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I thank you, I thank you. 🥹🙏 It pleases me to no end to take the honor, and to congratulate Semako and all the he other contestants for a well fought competition. Before they start playing the music as my cue to vacate the stage, I want to say how much I am looking forward to the honor of picking the themes for the CotFB IX!! I already have some fun ideas for a couple of the categories and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for them. I haven’t decided on all of them yet, but when I do I hope you’ll like them too. (Now… how do I go about submitting my decisions when I’m ready and what’s my deadline? I’m new at this here. 😅)
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting