Every Encounter Excellent - Make Your Vote Count!

For this final round of RPG Superstar, the writers have delivered an astonishing array of wildly creative encounters. From an insane (if somewhat railroady) chase down a volcano to an attack of Monkey Goblins, the writers again deliver the goods. Soon we will be reading outlines from some of these writers, and I think just about any of them would deliver a worthwhile adventure.

I think the cinematic entries are the ones most likely to do well, and I think that will make Paizo happy, since I really think that cinematic feel is what they are looking for. That being the case, I think the current slate of writers will do well. 3.5e strives for a cinematic feel, and it looks like 4e will even more so, but there is a certain something that a purely cinematic adventure misses. When I manage to put it into words more properly, you'll surely hear more about it.

I like most of these encounters and I think the writer who best put them into context was Rob McCreary with his Goblin Monkey's Attack! He also has a grasp of the rules that I appreciate, and I think I would be able to actually play his module if he were to win the contest. The map was also well done, which I appreciate. That said, I am still mulling my second choice. Surprisingly, Russ Taylor, whose earlier entries I adored, did not deliver as well as he has in the past. All of the current group had strong entries in some of the rounds, so his earlier strength is no longer enough for me to recommend him (sorry Russ). Instead, I'm mulling choosing between Christine Schneider's Chase on Charred Ground and Clinton Boomer's Impartial Tribunal. Curiously, both are people for whom I didn't vote in earlier rounds. I'll be anxious to see the results. You too can vote - you have until noon Pacific time on Tuesday January 29!