Fall '03 Iron DM Tournament -- Wulf Ratbane is Iron DM!

[spacemonkey]

Also, seeing all these "well-known" names in this tournament has made me decide that even though it violates our guideline about how close these competitions should be to each other - that I will run a "holiday IRON DM" in December - but my ruling will be no one who has taken part in a IRON DM more than once can apply and I am going to take total newbies over those who have played before in the application process.

Sounds great! I was really bummed when I found out that I had missed the call... again. Count me in, I just hope I see the announcement this time around

 

[humble minion]

Yeah, the holiday Iron DM sounds great - if I wasn't going to be away from the computer and backpacking round North America at the time... *sighs* I'm cursed - cursed, I tell you!

 

[Pielorinho]

Yeah, the holiday Iron DM sounds great - if I wasn't going to be away from the computer and backpacking round North America at the time... *sighs* I'm cursed - cursed, I tell you!

Just so I'm clear: you're complaining because, instead of staring at a computer screen over your holiday, you're going to be out in the North American Wilderness backpacking around?

My heart bleeds.
Daniel

 

[humble minion]

Just so I'm clear: you're complaining because, instead of staring at a computer screen over your holiday, you're going to be out in the North American Wilderness backpacking around?

My heart bleeds.
Daniel

Well, do you seem me cancelling my plane tickets? No? I didn't think so...

 

[Wicht]

You are going to be backpacking North America in December?

I'd rather be in front of a computer in my warm house.
I'd rather backpack in the heat anyday than in the cold.

 

[humble minion]

You are going to be backpacking North America in December?

I'd rather be in front of a computer in my warm house.
I'd rather backpack in the heat anyday than in the cold.

Well, I'd prefer that as well - I'm your prototypical Australian - the hotter it is, the happier I am. But the young lady who I'm travelling and staying with in the States wants me to be over there for Thanksgiving (and the Return of the King premiere). So I'm just doing what I'm told...

 

[Berandor]

O.K., I have to ask: What the heck is a lothario? Is that just a personal name, or what?

Berandor

 

[humble minion]

O.K., I have to ask: What the heck is a lothario? Is that just a personal name, or what?

Berandor

A rake, lady's man, a Casanova-type. Smoove B.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Oubliette: This was Wulf's worst ingredient. A factory where you dump bodies is a far cry from an actual oubliette, which should be a dungeon, not a grave. It was far enough from the ingredient that I considered disqualification.

Hysteria: Wicht's mass hysteria was a stronger use: mobs are always fun to deal with. Greta's hysteria more confused me than added to the adventure, I thought: although it makes sense on a third reading, it ultimately felt a little forced to me.

It seems silly to quibble with a judgement that went in my favor-- and I do agree the oubliette was my weakest ingredient-- but I don't think it rose to the level of disqualification!

oubliette
A dungeon with an opening only at the top, found in some old castles and other strongholds, into which persons condemned to perpetual imprisonment, or to perish secretly, were thrust, or lured to fall.

I suppose I should have been clearer that the previous gals were "thrust, or lured to fall" into the oubliette "to perish secretly," making it more than just a hiding place for bodies, but rather a languishing place for her victims. However, in both form and function, the oubliette was as precise as the setting (1920's) allowed it to be. Unless the judge has some definition of oubliette of which I am unaware, I don't think the fact that it is not a bricks-and-mortar, slime on the walls "dungeon" is grounds for disqualification. Contrary to the judge's position, the purpose of an oubliette is precisely "a place where you put people so they'll be forgotten." The oubliette is not meant to be a merely holding cell; it is a death-sentence, meant to be a one-way trip. I should have been more clear in my indications that only Dora was dead when she made her fall into the oubliette. There was a greater chance for horror, here, if it was clear some of the victims had tried to claw their way out (or dined on the dead...)

As for hysteria, which also seems to have given the judge some trouble, I used the original meaning of the term, not the current colloquial definition of it (referenced in my entry only as "mass hysteria.") I thought that it was clear from the definition I clipped (which was precisely the reason I clipped it verbatim) that hysteria, with "the will power correspondingly diminished" and "paroxysms or fits" was a fine indication of what happens to someone who fails their Charisma check from the touch of the Chaos Beast.

All in all, I am happy to have won. I think my entry holds together very well with a clever (ok, "cute?") multi-layered use of ingredients that I personally think is among my best.

Mostly I am happy to have gotten past my Round Two curse! I also felt Wicht's entry didn't break any new ground, which is unusual-- and why I am sitting here feeling like he took it easy on me out of pity. I will do my best with the chance you've afforded me!

Wulf

 

[Pielorinho]

Wulf, I wasn't clear from your entry that the other victims were alive when they entered the oubliette. That does raise the question of why they were left alive, but it makes it a genuine oubliette. This would've benefited from clarification (I was wondering why the note existed about Dora's being a mistake; now I know).

And I got how you were using hysteria, but something about Greta's hysterical attacks just didn't quite ring true to me. I'm not sure why -- it just came across as her "playing to the camera," if you see what I'm saying, the NPC turning to the PCs and saying, "Here's a clue, fellas!"

Some ways to correct that, to make her hysteria seem more seamless:
* Give Greta a recent (since infection) history of mental illness.
* Have bodyguards discussing her erratic behavior.
* Rumors about her trip years ago to Eastern Europe and how she returned...changed...from the trip (works both to increase the red herring and to give players a clue, on following up, where the chaos beast is located).

Daniel