Urgh, I ran out of time and I'm sorry to submit something so rushed and half-baked. That definitely needed another few hours of work and an editing pass. Not happy with it at all, even though I think the core idea is good. Too much scene-setting, not enough action, and too many of the ingredients didn't get enough time front and centre. And worse still, I didn't even remember to LABEL Harsh Reality (the realisation on the part of the locals that the Company was going to let them rot on Gaharne forever). So I'm a big fat zero on that ingredient already. I think I can write this one off as a loss.
I HAVE to ask though - @Gradine especially. Was it INTENTIONAL that I was given Rampaging Gnomes as an ingredient, given I've had that exact same ingredient before in a previous Iron DM, that you in fact judged? IRON DM 2020 Tournament Thread
So, for those of you who are new, a quick breakdown of how judging will work from this point forward.
Each judge will be posting their judgment individually and independently. We will not be reading each other's judgements as we do so. Each judge will be able to offer one vote towards advancement. Two votes mean you're on the final round!
I'll be offering the third and final judgment, and will only read the other judgements after I have posted. I will then make a post to announce the winner.
Rune’s Judgement for Round 2, Match 1: humble minion vs. AustinHolm
Overview
I kind of love it when two competing entries could dovetail together into a single adventure. This isn’t quite that. Despite using different systems, both entries so seamlessly fall into their shared genre that they could be easily run back to back using one system or the other. That kind of thing is a cool byproduct that sometimes happens with a pool of shared ingredients. But that’s not what this tournament is about. Let’s get into it.
Hooks and Stakes
AusinHolm’s So Real It Burns (henceforth, “Burns”) and humble minion’s Forgotten Meat (“Meat”) both offer DNA recovery missions that will likely go from investigation to chaotic action. Both use hooks so similar they are practically parallel. Both assume the PCs are working for a wealthy/powerful patron and simply are expected to do the job. As fits the genre.
As such, the stakes for both adventures go initially from “get paid” to “hopefully survive and maybe save some people and maybe also get paid.” Pretty solid.
Structure
“Burns” leans more into its investigative structure (with its very compelling mystery) and an underlying subtle horror that might give way to a fiery climax if the PCs do the kinds of aggressive investigation that PCs tend to do. Meanwhile, “Meat” is inevitably going to switch to violent horror as soon as the xenomorph gets free and starts doing what they do.
Both entries are likely to have bleak outcomes, even if victorious. Saving the settlers in “Burns” may well be against their will and will probably not lead to their happiness. Returning the part-alien DNA of the clones to the PCs’ patron also can’t be a good outcome in the long run.
“Meat” forces its PCs to abandon most (if not all) of the colonists simply because the Company (Weyland-Yutani?) has deemed their rescue too expensive. Presumably, the PCs’ ability to save any of them (in a non-digitized form) would depend on how many cryopods they free up by dying. If that happens, the surviving PCs are presented a delicious moral dilemma as they have to figure out who gets saved and who doesn’t. All this assumes, of course that the xenomorph and the NOMs have left any of the colonists alive.
This is all good stuff. I would very much like to run both of these adventures. However, one of them is considerably more polished in presentation than the other and, thus, would likely take less preparation from the GM to do so.
Add to that polish such sections as “Countermeasures” with clearly presented truly complicating and likely twists. It looks like “Burns” takes the lead, here (although I will point out that “Meat” also has some very good complications – for example: the NOMs targeting the only available effective weapons that can be used against a xenomorph).
Except: one thing is bugging me. If the alien setup requires the human/clone’s psychic drama to function and even keep the satellite in orbit, how did it do so for so long before the settlers showed up (it is ancient, after all!)? I don’t have an easy answer to this and it forces me to question which entry truly would be easier to prep.
I guess I’ll have to revisit this if the ingredients don’t present a clear lead.
Ingredients
Flaming Spirits
“Burns” gives us two variants of this ingredient. Katrina appears as a flaming ghost because of an illusion and is neither really flaming, nor actually even dead. The PCs also will likely be made to appear as such during the course of the adventure. Felicity and Robert are clones of the original and likely only to be flaming when (if) the atmosphere ignites. They are not ghosts.
Possibly, the hoarded memories could count as ghosts. But, as they are located underground, I’m not certain how likely they will ever be aflame. I think maybe this ingredient would have been stronger if the memory angle had been better developed and the others either less emphasized or dropped altogether.
On the other hand, the flaming spirits of “Meat” are much more straightforward. They are an essential weapon against the xenomorph and a crucial resource to be protected when the NOMs turn on the colonists (and PCs). As such, “Meat” uses this ingredient best.
Harsh Reality
“Meat” is far less clear with this one. Presumably, the entire situation being covered up by the Company through Miss Primrose is meant to fit, but a number of situations therein might apply: the Company’s callous abandonment, the hibernating xenomorph, Miss Primrose’s programming, or the NOMs’ programming.
In “Burns” we have a cultivated illusion that has an underlying reality that cycles endlessly (or at least indefinitely) through high passion and murder. And if that cycle is interrupted, the atmosphere ignites. That’s harsh.
“Burns” has this one.
Gelatinous Pyramid
There are numerous gelatinous pyramids in “Burns”. The satellite, the knowledge hoard, the healing pyramids. Even the aliens, themselves. The ingredient, of course, is singular, so I suppose I should look for one of prime importance, but I’m not sure I can find one. They all fulfill their roles in the adventure.
Does it matter that they are gelatinous? It matters more that they are flammable, but the psychic jelly works. Why pyramids? I guess the best answer is why not? That doesn’t usually indicate irreplaceability of an element, but the fact that the shape makes garden gnomes an ideal illusion for the aliens is fun.
“Meat” gives a big pile of (mostly) bovine bodyparts that hides the xenomorph amidst its geletanized and frozen midst (as well as Miss Primrose’s secrets). That it isn’t, strictly speaking, a pyramid is overshadowed by the necessity that its massive and gelatinously conglomorated pile-shape influences the adventure. It must be thawed for the PCs to carry out their mission. Thus, this ingredient is crucial to the shape of the adventure and, therefore, better.
Dead to the World
“Meat” gives us an entire colony that has been written off by the Company and therefore is effectively dead to the world, assuming the world means everyone outside of the colony. That the PCs probably can’t save them adds significance to the ingredient. It’s good.
“Burns” gives us Katrina, who is presumed dead (aided by the aliens’ illusions to keep her isolated from their psy-garden). Her ability to ward her mind from the aliens’ illusions make her an important piece of the puzzle, especially because the PCs are going to need that protection.
This one looks like a draw.
Ancient Satellite
“Burns” gives us the orbiting pyramid that will likely crash into the atmosphere and ignite it. Additionally, the PCs will likely see and try to interact with it at the start, which will kick the chaos off pretty early in the adventure. That’s fun. The ancientness of it (and all of the alien setup) adds a fun layer to the mystery of the entry, but does raise the question I alluded to earlier (and one lesser question I will get to in a bit).
“Meat” sets its colony on an asteroid, which is ancient, but not significant. And not a satellite, either.
“Burns” takes this one handily.
Knowledge Hoarder
We get Miss Primrose in “Meat” keeping Company secrets from the colonists and taking steps to ensure they stay secret. This is an important element of the adventure, but they aren’t really being hoarded (that is, kept for the sake of being possessed or for their value).
The knowledge hoarded in “Burns” actually is valuable to the aliens (and will be to the PCs even after the adventure is concluded). That said, the relevance to the shape of the adventure seems a little less than in “Meat”.
I was going to give this one to “Burns”, but I think this one is a draw, too.
Rampaging Gnomes
The NOMs in “Meat” are an excellent additional betrayal of the Company. Their inevitable rampage will be glorious. But they are not gnomes. Their shape, size, and appearance somewhat resembling them has no real significance.
Of course, the aliens in “Burns” also are not gnomes. That they appear as such does at least matter, somewhat, though: they are intended to be ignored by the settlers and (once you get past the inherent creepiness of a bunch of garden gnomes placed all over your settlement) they pretty easily could be. Although – I do wonder what the settlers thought when they first got there and the gnomes were already there. Maybe they took on some other appearance at first?
At any rate, “Burns” fits better here.
Here we go.
“Burns” implements its ingredients better on the whole, but not by much. Even if the two entries are equivalently good (which I think is the case, given the verisimilitudinous lapses it presents amidst its polish), So Real It Burns comes out ahead in this judgement.
As I write this, I do not know where the other judges will fall. No matter the outcome, I must emphasize that both of these entries are excellent.
I’m not sure I have much to offer in the way of advice for either contestant. humble minion is, of course, a previous IRON DM and, as such, has proven to know how to play this game. This entry seems like it might have been a little rushed, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. Life happens or inspiration strikes late. On the other hand, AustinHolm, you clearly get it. Even if you don’t advance, I’m sure you’ll do well in future tournaments.
That said, to whomever of you does advance this time, I offer a warning: as you get deeper into this tournament, the ingredients increase in importance. This is just a natural (and intentional) byproduct of their increasing number. Do with that information what you will.
