RPG Superstar Season 9
Announced at Gen Con 2015, RPG Superstar Season 9—no longer named after years to avoid confusion with RPG Superstar 2015—started on August 7, 2015, and ran through October 30, 2015. Again hosted by Paizo developer Owen K.C. Stephens, the ninth Superstar contest featured a record four disqualifications, as well as shorter rounds, a Top 32 selected by popular vote only, and fewer last-minute twists.1
The competition went on an indefinite hiatus after season 9.
- See also: RPG Superstar
Judges
The panel of judges included:23
All rounds
Open Call (Round 1, magic items)
- Victoria Jaczko, RPG Superstar 2014
- Amanda Hamon, Paizo developer
Top 32 (Round 2, maps)
- Liz Courts, artist and Paizo community manager
Top 16 (Round 3, creature with stat block)
- Adam Daigle, Paizo developer
- Jason Keeley, Paizo editor and RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16
Top 8 (Round 4, encounter with map)
- John Compton, Paizo developer
- Joe Homes, Paizo editor
Top 4 (Round 5, Pathfinder Module proposal)
- Adam Daigle, Paizo developer
- Crystal Frasier, Paizo developer
Support staff
Jason Engle was announced as a Round 2 judge but did not participate.5
Results
Winner
On October 30, 2015, Paizo announced that Nicholas Wasko had won RPG Superstar Season 9 with his Pathfinder Module pitch for Beneath the Storm-Veiled Spires. The module was released on November 16, 2016, renamed Seers of the Drowned City.6
Top 4
On October 19, 2015, Paizo announced the Top 4 contestants. These contestants were then tasked with writing a 2,000-word Pathfinder Module pitch for 5th-level characters set in the Sodden Lands, and focused on a location-based adventure. Voting began on October 26 and ended on October 29, with Paizo announcing the winner on October 30.7
The RPG Superstar finalists wrote Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild scenarios during its eighth season: The Sandstorm Prophecy by Charlie Brooks, Secrets of the Endless Sky by Crystal Malarsky, and Caught in the Eclipse by Jason Evans.
- Contestants advancing as far as the Top 4
| Charlie Brooks |
| Jason Evans |
| Crystal Malarsky |
Top 8
On September 28, 2015, Paizo announced the Top 8 contestants. Those contestants were then tasked with creating a CR 6-9 encounter, set on Golarion and using Flip-Mat: Haunted Dungeon, Flip-Mat: Battlefield, or Flip-Mat: Pub Crawl, by October 1. The entries were open for voting from October 5 to October 18, and the results were announced on October 19.8
- Contestants advancing as far as to the Top 8
| William Collins | Mark Griffin |
| Walter Sheppard | Jeffrey Swank |
Top 16
On September 14, 2015, Paizo announced the Top 16 contestants. For this round, the Top 16 are tasked with creating a Golarion-specific creature. Paizo announced the creatures on September 21, opened voting through September 27, and announced the results on September 28.910
- Contestants advancing as far as the Top 16
| BJ HensleyD | Taylor Hubler |
| John Leclaire | Brian Minhinnick |
| Robert Thomson | Philip Tucker |
| Isaac Volynskiy | Garrick Williams |
On September 18, 2015, host Owen K.C. Stephens announced that a Top 16 contestant had been disqualified. No cause was given, and no alternate was promoted.11 On September 21, 2015, BJ Hensley's monster was not posted and she stated she was the disqualified contestant as she had accidentally omitted her creature's saving throws during the submission process.1213
Top 32
The Open Call round opened to wondrous items and specific magic weapons and armors on August 7, 2015. Voting began on August 17, 2015, and concluded on August 30. Paizo's announcement of the Top 32 was delayed to September 1 for unspecified reasons.14
Of the hundreds of contestants who submitted items for Round 1 of the contest, Paizo announced the voters' selection of the following contestants as the Top 32 entrants on September 1, 2015.15
- Contestants advancing as far as the Top 32
| Kalyna Conrad | Bill Davies |
| Shane Fogerty | Kim FransdenA |
| Frank GoriA | Vadims Hesins |
| Mike HillD | Kiel Howell |
| Joseph Kellogg | Elizabeth Leib |
| Kris Newton | Mark Nordheim |
| Donald Robinson | Chris Shaeffer |
| Jarrett Sigler | Stephen StackA |
| James Thomas | Brandon ThorneD |
| Daron WoodsonD |
- Alternates
Robert Guthrie
On September 9, 2015, Top 32 contestant Mike Hill was disqualified for expounding on his entry in public, and alternate Kim Fransden was promoted to the Top 32.161718
On September 10, 2015, Top 32 contestant Daron Woodson was disqualified for not including a scale on his map,19 and Top 32 contestant Brandon Thorne was disqualified for expounding on his entry in public.20 Alternates Frank Gori and Stephen Stack were promoted in their places.
References
- A: Alternate; D: Disqualified; W: Withdrew
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (July 31, 2015). Announcing RPG Superstar Season 9!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Paizo Staff. (Retrieved August 17, 2015). Meet the RPG Superstar Judges and Staff!, RPG Superstar Judges.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (August 29, 2015). Comment on "I noticed something, Correct me if I am misremembering?", Paizo Messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (August 7, 2015). The Superstar Season Begins!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 9, 2015). Comment on "The Unofficial Top 32 Guildhall and Haunted House, Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (October 30, 2015). More Star Power—Nick Wasko Wins RPG Superstar!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (October 19, 2015). The Final 4 Are Revealed!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 28, 2015). The Surviving Monsters are Revealed!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 14, 2015). Beware, Monster Crossing Ahead!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 21, 2015). Creeping, Crawling, and Claw-Claw-Biting—It's Time to Vote!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 18, 2015). Comment on "Just had an evil little thought", Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ BJ Hensley. (September 21, 2015). Comment on "Round 3 Discussion - TOP 16 DON'T POST HERE! - How are you voting?", Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ BJ Hensley. (September 22, 2015). Comment on "Creeping, Crawling, and Claw-Claw-Biting—It's Time to Vote!", Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens and Liz Courts. (August 31, 2015). A Most Unfortunate Delay., Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 1, 2015). Ladies and Gentlemen: Your Top 32!, Paizo Blog.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 9, 2015). Round Two: New Contestant!, Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Kim Fransden. (September 9, 2015). Cabin in the Woods, Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 9, 2015). Comment on "The Unofficial Top 32 Guildhall and Haunted House", Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 10, 2015). Comment on "The Slime Vaults", Paizo messageboards.
- ↑ Owen K.C. Stephens. (September 10, 2015). Comment on "Swamp-Submerged Temple", Paizo messageboards.
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