XDMC 36: Create a Theme

• To create a resource for new Dungeon Masters drawing on the vast talent pool of the experienced Dungeon Masters of this forum.
• To create a fun and vibrant competition that is sportsmanlike and friendly.
• To showcase the creativity and talent of Dungeon Masters like you.

• Dark Sun
• Neverwinter
• Heroes of the Feywild
• Heroes of the Elemental Chaos
• Dungeon Survival Handbook

Required Elements

• Name. Name the theme.
• Mechanics. Provide all mechanics necessary to integrate the theme into a campaign.
• Flavor. Offer advice on roleplaying a character with this theme.

Optional Elements

1. Capricious: Invocation of at least one of the Theme's features is at the DM's discretion, and not the player's.
2. Featureless: At least one of the Theme's features replaces or inhibits a feature from a race or class required to obtain the Theme.
3. Gregarious: The Theme offers benefits solely in social situations.
4. Keyword: All the Theme's features require, enhance, and/or possess a specific keyword other than weapon, implement, or a power source.
5. Moonlighting: The Theme's flavor revolves around a specific non-combat profession.
6. Original: The Theme changes the PC's origin.
7. Prosthetic: At least one of the Theme's features prohibits the character from using magic items that would occupy a specific item slot.
8. Recharging: The Theme contains a power that recharges like a monster power.
9. Skillful: At least one of the Theme's features requires and/or enhances a specific Skill.
10. Terroir: The Theme is more useful in a specific environment, climate, or terrain.
11. Unfriendly: At least one of the Theme's features hinders or harms allies.
12. Weapliment: At least one of the Theme's features requires a specific weapon or implement.

General Rules

• Code of Conduct. All entries must comply with the forum's Code of Conduct.
• Contest Duration. Contests usually run for two weeks, beginning with the post announcing the competition. The Coordinator may extend the duration of the contest at his discretion after consulting the other judges for that competition. However, such extensions should be done very rarely.
• Edits Made at Entrants' Own Risk. A judge may download your entry any time after it is submitted. So any edits you make might not be considered by a judge. For this reason, you should submit your entry in as complete a form as possible. Use the preview function liberally. Once winners have been announced, entrants may edit their entries.
• Multiple Entries Prohibited. Each applicant may only submit one entry during the period in which entries may be submitted. Submitting multiple entries disqualifies all entries. Additional entries may be submitted after the competition closes, but they will not be judged.
• Multi-Post Entries Prohibited. Each entry must be contained within a single post. The judges must ignore any subsequent posts.
• Outside Materials Prohibited. Your entry may not include material hosted on a website other than wizards.com and community.wizards.com. Images from your profile gallery may be used. The judges must ignore material hosted on other websites.
• Plagiarism and Peer Reviewing Prohibited. All entries must be the original, exclusive work of the applicant. Entries found to be copying the work of another, or that have been posted for review prior to the close of the competition, will be disqualified.

Judges and Schedule

Questions and Answers

(questions posed by potential entrants and the coordinator's response)

Entry List

1. Jehojen's Half-Golem
2. Kestralb's Amnesia Patient
3. SpacyRichochet's Traveling Arms Dealer
4. XaviYago's Chain Fighter
5. geoffa's Changeling Child

Sample or Supplemental Entries

• ClanBattlerage's Reluctant Adventurer

Medalists and Scores

We are pleased to announce the winners of Expert Dungeon Master Competition 36!  The bronze medal goes to:

SpacyRicochet
with
Traveling Arms Dealer!

The silver medal goes to:

Kestralb
with
Amnesia Patient

The gold medal goes to:

Jehojen
with
Half-Golem!!!

Jehojen then becomes our newest Heric DM! Congratulations to all the winners and a special thank to my co-judge, ClanBattlerage.   Please enjoy the carefully tabulated scores below.

Apr 20, 2012 -- 3:06PM, Jehojen wrote:

How specific are we talking on the weapliment requirement? Is it "Requires a Bow", "Requires a Long Bow" or "Requires the Long Bow of Isabou the Archer of the Sands"?

The intent of the optional was to key the feature to a specific weapon kind, such as a longsword, garrotte, sling, etc.  A weapon group is not acceptable (axe, sword, bow, simple melee, etc.).

That said, if you wanted to tie it to a +6 Holy Avenger Kukri, knock yourself out, though you'll probably lose some points to usability.  

Reluctant Adventurer

Requires: Halfling

Starting Feature(s)/Powers:
You replace your racial power "Second Chance" with "On Second Thought":

Level 5 Feature
You gain a +2 power bonus to Bluff, Insight and Streetwise checks. In addition, you may use the Bluff skill to gain combat advantage or create a diversion to hide as a minor action instead of a standard action.

Level 8 Feature
You may use the Bluff skill to gain combat advantage or create a diversion to hide twice per encounter instead of just once.

Level 10 Feature
The power bonus to Bluff, Insight and Streetwise checks increases to +4.

Optional Powers

Distracting Comment	Utility 2
"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!!!"
Encounter Psychic
Standard - Melee 1
Target:One adjacent enemy
Attack:Int, Wis or Cha vs. Will
Hit: The target takes a -2 penalty to its next attack roll.
Effect: One ally adjacent to the target can make a melee basic attack against it as a free action. The target grants combat advantage for this attack.

Cutting Remarks	Attack 3
You make vicious remarks concerning your enemy's questionable parentage and focus its rage upon you.
Encounter Psychic
Standard - Melee 1
Target:One adjacent enemy
Attack:Int, Wis or Cha vs. Will
Hit: Deals psychic damage equal to the modifier of the ability score used to make the attack. In addition, you mark the target.
Effect: As long as you maintain the mark, the target grants combat advantage to your allies. Your allies also gain a power bonus to damage equal to the ability score modifier used with this attack. You may sustain the mark as a standard action.
Sustain: Standard

Duck & Cover	Utility 6
You see an incoming attack and grab a nearby ally for protection, causing your attacker to target it instead of you.
Encounter Martial
Standard - Melee 1
Target:One adjacent ally
Trigger: An adjacent enemy makes a melee attack against you.
Effect: You switch places with an adjacent ally and redirect the attack to the ally; the attacker rolls the attack against the ally's defenses.  The attacker grants combat advantage to your ally until the end of its next turn.

Unfortunate Observation	Attack 7
You innocently point out a particularly embarrassing attribute of your attacker, causing it to go into a rage and chase you around the battlefield.
Encounter Psychic
Standard - Ranged 5
Target:One enemy within range
Attack:Int, Wis or Cha vs. Will
Hit: Ability modifier psychic damage and you mark the target (save ends). The target makes a basic attack against you as an immediate reaction; charging if possible. You gain a bonus to your defenses versus this attack equal to the ability score modifier used to make the attack. If the attack hits, the mark immediately ends.
Effect: Until the mark ends, you can make a saving throw whenever the marked target attacks you. If you succeed on the saving throw, you can shift 2 squares as an immediate interrupt.

Useful Knowledge	Attack 9
From your vantage point under a table, you study your opponent carefully and realize there's a huge flaw in its defenses. You shout out this information to your allies, which aids their attacks.
Encounter Psychic
Standard - Close burst 5
Target:One enemy in burst
Attack:Int, Wis or Cha vs. Will
Effect: Make a monster knowledge check vs. the target. The effect depends on how successful you are:
vs. Easy DC: The target grants combat advantage to all attackers until the end of your next turn.
vs. Mod DC: As above, and the target is marked by you until the end of your next turn. In addition, until the end of your next turn, your allies gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to the ability modifier used to make this attack.
vs. Hard DC: As above, and until the end of your next turn, the target takes a penalty to all defenses equal to the ability modifier used to make the knowledge check.

Not in the Face!	Utility 10
You see the blow coming, let out a very unheroic shriek, and immediately collapse into a pitious, sobbing fetal position.
Encounter Psychic
Immediate Interrupt - Melee 1
Target:One adjacent enemy
Trigger: An adjacent enemy makes a melee attack against you.
Effect: You immediately fall prone and the attack automatically fails. Until the effect ends, the target must make a saving throw before it can attack you. The target takes a penalty to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier. If the saving throw succeeds, the target can attack immediately. The saving throw requirement does not apply to area attacks. This effect ends if you stand up or make an attack.

• Featureless
• Skillful
• Unfriendly 

XDMC 36: Create a theme

Travelling Arms Dealer

"Modern-day saints carry their arms, spreading the word of their gods with cutting steel and piercing arrows.
The only thing that matters is your reason for using them."

Mechanics

Starting features

Level 5

Level 10

Optional powers

Level 2 utility powers
Instead choosing amongst your usual utility powers, you can choose from these level 2 utility powers instead:

• Hasty Alert – Warlord Daily Utility Power (Martial Power 2)
  Even as you notice the attack, you signal quickly to your companions, preventing their surprise.

Level 6 utility powers
Instead choosing amongst your usual utility powers, you can choose from these level 6 utility powers instead:

• Guileful Switch – Warlord Daily Utility Power (Martial Power)
  As you distract your enemy, he never imagined you were actually setting him up for ambush. His eyes go wide as he notices too late that your companion suddenly making his move.

Level 10 utility powers
Instead choosing amongst your usual utility powers, you can choose from these level 6 utility powers instead:

• Marked Revelation – Warlord Daily Utility Power (Martial Power)
  Fools, how could they even think that you were unprotected. You quickly set them straight by pointing to a companion who they didn't spot or disregard. Wasn't he unarmed?

Flavor

Optional elements

That's my entry! Bonus points to the judge that catches the reference.

I'm guessing Yuri Orlov from Lord of War, but that's just a shot in the dark.  

A character’s weapon is more than a tool she uses to unleash devastating blows against her adversaries; the crude greatclub of the savage nomadic barbarian, the lithe raper of a dashing aerial cutthroat, or a steady longsword in the hands of the gallant sword-and-shield paladin is an extension of the warrior herself. The weapon becomes the hero; the hero becomes the weapon, and a theme by which the character lives and breathes comes to life.

Chain Fighter

The spiked chain is a wicked weapon and devastating in the hands of proficient warriors. Nimble martial warriors such as rogues, rangers and tempest fighters usually wield such weapons to champion their graceful style.

Chain Fighter Starting Feature (1st Level): You gain proficiency with the spiked chain. You can treat the spiked chain as a double weapon. As a double weapon, each end of the spiked chain is a light blade and flail and deals 2d4 damage. The primary end gains the stout property, and the secondary end gains the off-hand property.

Chain Fighter Level 5 Feature (5th Level): You can use the Grab combat action while wielding a spiked chain. As such, the Grab power is modified as follows:

Grab	Attack
You reach out and grasp your foe, preventing it from moving.
At-Will Weapon
Standard Action - Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Target:One creature that is no more than one size category larger than you
Attack:Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: You grab the target until the end of your next turn. you can end the grab as a free action.
Sustain Minor: The grab persists until the end of your next turn.

Chain Fighter Level 10 Feature (10th Level): Creatures that you grab while wielding a spiked chain take a -2 penalty to escape attempts to break the grab.

Chain Shield	Chain Fighter Utility 2
You whirl into a vortex of spikes, fending off melee attackers.
Daily Martial, Stance, Weapon
Minor Action - Personal
Requirement:You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Effect: Until the stance ends, you gain a +2 shield bonus to AC and Reflex. Whenever an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you can slide that enemy 1 square.

Chain Trip	Chain Fighter Attack 3
You lash out with your chain and jerk your foe to the ground.
Encounter Martial, Weapon
Standard Action - Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Target:One creature
Attack:Primary Attribute vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Primary Attribute modifier damage, and slide the target up to 2 squares and knock it prone.
At 11th level, increase to 2[W] damage.
At 21st level, increase to 3[W] damage.

Chain Ward	Chain Fighter Utility 6
You take a sidelong stance, whirling your chain above your head and watching your foes with sharp, opportunistic menace.
Daily Martial, Stance, Weapon
Minor Action - Personal
Requirement:You must be wielding a spiked chain.
Effect: You threaten all squares within your reach.

Spiked Shackles	Chain Fighter Attack 9
With remarkable deftness, you wrap your foe in your chain, allowing you to squeeze the spike home and control your enemy’s movement.
Daily Martial, Weapon
Standard Action - Melee weapon
Target:One creature
Attack:Primary Attribute vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Primary attribute damage, and the target is grabbed until it escapes. You can sustain the grab as long as the target is within your reach, and the target takes a -2 penalty to escape attempts.
At 15th level, increase to 2[W] damage.
At 25th level, increase to 3[W] damage.
Miss: Half damage, and the target is grabbed until it escapes; you can sustain the grab as long as the target is within your reach.
Effect: Until the target is no longer grabbed, you can slide the target 1 square as a minor action. When you sustain the grab, the target takes 1[W] damage.

Changeling Child

Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me. – Sarah (Labyrinth) 

The common folk are a superstitious lot, always nervous about anything or anyone who appears different from the norm.  If an animal behaves oddly, then it’s probably because of a witch’s hex.  If the crops fail to sprout at the expected time, it’s probably because someone was dealing with demons.  If a child looks strange, particularly if it doesn’t bear a close enough resemblance to its supposed father, then it is probably a changeling, left by the fairies when they kidnapped the true child and took it away to the feywild.

While many cases of children with unexpected features can be explained by secret extra-marital trysts, there are some unseelie fey who take children that they believe have promise and leave faerie children as replacements.  Such children always seem to have an aura about them, bringing trouble and bad luck wherever they go.  The bad luck never seems to affect them directly, though.  The changeling always seems to be just stepping out of the way as misfortune strikes a nearby companion.

Optional Elements:

Capricious – the DM has complete control over the Lucky Strike power, and influence over how several other changeling child elements take effect.  There is also plenty of opportunity for the DM to use this in a non-mechanical way, allowing the changeling child to have some serendipitous luck while nothing seems to go smoothly for their companions.  The changeling child always gets the girl, while his friend spills beer down the front of his tunic . . .

Original – a changeling child is fey in origin, though they may not realize it.  Many changeling children go to great lengths to pretend to be normal members of their race so as not to attract unwanted harassment.

Unfriendly – several of the changeling child’s abilities give penalties to allies. 

Mechanics:

Lucky Break (Level 1 Feature):

Encounter Power, No Action – This power triggers off the changeling child failing a skill check.  Re-roll the check and add a +2 un-typed bonus to the roll (+3 at 11^th level, +4 at 21^st level), but the next PC to make a skill check (up to the end of the encounter) takes an equal an opposite penalty to their roll.

Lucky Revival (Level 1 Feature):

A changeling child is used to taking the abuses of suspicious neighbors, and often receives a minimum amount of care when injured.  The changeling child regains consciousness when rolling a 19+ on a death saving throw.  The changeling child can still only spend one second wind per encounter.

Lucky Critical (Level 5 Feature):

Daily Power, No Action – This power triggers off the changeling child scoring a critical hit.  The weapon or implement’s critical hit damage dice are also maximized instead of rolling randomly.

Lucky Strike (Level 10 Feature):

At-Will Power (DM controlled) – When the changeling child misses with an attack – by 1 with an at-will power, by 2 with an encounter power, or by 3 with a daily power – the DM may choose to count the attack as a hit, and assign an equal and opposite penalty to the next attack of one ally within 5.  The DM should use this power enough so that the changeling child sees the benefit, but not so frequently that it becomes a guarantee that all close misses will turn into hits.

Right Place, Right Time (Level 2 Utility Power):

Encounter Power, Standard Action – Make an attack against an adjacent enemy, player’s choice of stat (chosen when the power is selected) vs. will.  If the attack is successful, shift the enemy 1 space into a position where it is being flanked.  The changeling child can now make an at-will melee attack against the same target.  Following the attack, the enemy gets to shift 1 space into a position where it is not being flanked.  If no such space exists within range, then the enemy gets no shift (though presumably in most cases it could simply go back to where it started).

Unexpected Mis-Fire (Level 6 Utility Power):

Encounter Power, No Action – This power triggers off the changeling child being hit with an enemy’s encounter or re-charge power.  The changeling child immediately gains resist 5 all until the end of his/her next turn but the re-charge power automatically recharges or the encounter power is not used up.  This resistance increases to 10 at level 11, and 15 at level 21.

Move Through Chaos (Level 10 Utility Power):

Encounter Power, Move – The changeling child removes any mark currently on him/her and shifts up to his/her full movement.  After this move is completed, one enemy within 5 squares may immediately shift 2 spaces.

Flavor:

There are two ways that you could go about playing a changeling child – either you know what you are, or you are blissfully ignorant. 

If you are aware of what you are, and know the effects of good luck and bad luck that swirl around you, then you will probably want to play up your successes, and the various ways your good fortune has helped the party.  Try to deflect attention from the unfortunate failures that seem to happen to your companions when they are near you.  It would be a sign of great trust for you to admit your nature to anyone, and you are probably prickly about anyone who starts asking questions about your background.

If, in character, you don’t know that you are any different from a normal individual of your race, then you are probably a happy-go-lucky adventurer.  Things just always seem to work out for you, at least since you moved away from those nasty superstitious bumpkins that made your childhood miserable.  That’s all behind you now and if bad things seem to happen to those around you, well adventuring is dangerous business, so lets not jump to conclusions.

Thinking Out Loud:

I wanted to capture the idea of a jinx – someone who doesn’t experience bad luck themselves, but seems to bring bad luck to the people around them.  On the other hand, I didn’t want to make the theme so annoyingly terrible that everyone else at the table would hate you, as a person, for using it on your character.  I feel like there are probably other themes that are better if you just want to make the most kick-ass character with awesome powers, but it might be interesting to role-play.

I was also trying to think of a better word that “changeling” to name the theme, since changeling already means something different in D&D.  Maybe it should be called “faerie child” or “switched at birth” or something like that.  I’ll probably think of a really good name some time tomorrow after the deadline has passed . . .

>>>Scores and Winners Are Here!!<<<

Jehojen's Half-Golem Show

Kestralb's Amnesia Patient Show

SpacyRichochet's Traveling Arms Dealer Show

XaviYago's Chain Fighter Show

Geoffa's Changeling Child Show

May 19, 2012 -- 7:15AM, wrecan wrote:

I have passed the antle of coordinator over to Jehojen.
Everybody please welcome and bow down before your new overlord!

Is this new overlord wearing a mantle or antlers? It determines whether I giggle as I bow.

May 21, 2012 -- 12:27PM, Jehojen wrote:

So THANK YOU WRECAN!

That is certainly worth repeating!  36 competitions is a long time to work on something like this.

Jehojen, I am certainly happy to help out with judging and participating in future competitions, and it's summer now (no classes) so I will probably even get my next entry in more than an hour before the deadline  

May 19, 2012 -- 9:59AM, Seeker95 wrote:

May 19, 2012 -- 7:15AM, wrecan wrote:

I have passed the antle of coordinator over to Jehojen.
Everybody please welcome and bow down before your new overlord!

Is this new overlord wearing a mantle or antlers? It determines whether I giggle as I bow.

Technically, they are mantlers.

May 22, 2012 -- 6:34AM, wrecan wrote:

Technically, they are mantlers.

Once again I must request the mailing address of a forum member so that I may submit a bill for cleaning services required as a result of rapidly propelling a liquid (this time coffee) through my nose and onto my monitor and keyboard.

>>>XDMC 37 is here!<<<