[September MCCC]: Dungeons of Valoran
Okay, I can't stand by and see this happen another month. Hello, Boards. I am Concept Creator, Keagn, host of the June MCCC, and creator of the SR Journal Entries. When me and my collegues tried raising the bar for the MCCC in previous months, we went too far with our direction, and seemed to lose a lot of you along the way. Its time we minimized again.
Ironically, a game that had a lot of trouble with this over-expansion problem is also the primary focus of this MCCC: Dungeons & Dragons. In its inception, D&D captured the focus of all sorts of fantasy-crazed individuals, and progressed into a game that withstood the test of time, played by parents and offspring alike. Every game in some way pays homage to D&D. As time progressed, however, D&D became too complex for its own good. Seeking to correct themselves, the Wizards of the Coast produced the most current version: 5th edition. 5th edition streamlined the game, and brought it back to its core elements. This is what I hope to achieve with this MCCC.
#Schedule:
- September 3rd-17th: Accepting Entries. Must have name to be considered an entry.
- September 17th-23rd: Contest Entries are closed. Time to work on your concepts!
- September 24th: Any concepts missing lore, name, or a complete abilities section are disqualified.
- September 25th-October 2nd: Judging!
- October 3rd+: Announcing winners.
I pushed all of the dates back slightly to account for the competition's late start. Everything should run as normal, just a bit off with the dates. I realize this will throw some people off, so I'll be flexible with certain things.
#Challenges
Your task is to create a champion using D&D resources for inspiration and guidance. This means the selection of a Race (however, if you wish to use a race indigenous to the world of Valoran, you may do this as well ), Class, and Background, as described in the D&D reference material. By using these elements, you will create an original take on well-known archetypes, and create truly authentic champions.
#Components
Races:
Human: In the reckonings of most worlds, humans are the youngest of the common races, late to arrive on the world scene and short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they build their mighty empires on the foundation of conquest and trade. Whatever drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the worlds.
Elf: Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.
Drow: Descended from an earlier subrace of dark-skinned elves, the drow were banished from the surface world for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption. Now they have built their own civilization in the depths of the Underdark, patterned after the Way of Lolth. Also called dark elves, the drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, and blue. They tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves.
Dwarf: Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk.
Dragonborn: Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods or the dragons themselves, dragonborn originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Som e dragonborn are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.
Gnome: A constant hum of busy activity pervades the warrens and neighborhoods where gnomes form their close- knit communities. Louder sounds punctuate the hum: a crunch of grinding gears here, a minor explosion there, a yelp of surprise or triumph, and especially bursts of laughter. Gnomes take delight in life, enjoying every moment of invention, exploration, investigation, creation, and play.
Halfling: The comforts of home are goals for most Halflings' lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation. Though some halflings live out their days in remote agricultural communities, others form nomadic bands that travel constantly, lured by the open road and the wide horizon to discover the wonders of new lands and peoples. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along an dirt road or a raft floating downriver.
Tiefling: To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus—overlord of the Nine Hells—into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable.
Changeling: Changelings are a humanoid race who are distantly descended from doppelgangers and share their shapeshifting qualities. Their shapeshifting has led to them being used as spies and assassins which has in turn led to them being mistrusted amongst many people.
Warforged: Made primarily of metal, stone, and wood fibers, the Warforged are sentient constructs and have free will, a discovery leading to their liberation later on. Their near-human quality can be disturbing to some, and social graces are foreign to the Warforged, but their raw strength and dedication is unmatched by most - if not all creatures of flesh.
Aarakocra: Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the aarakocra, sometimes called birdfolk, evoke fear and wonder. Many aarakocra aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from a world beyond—from the boundless vistas of the Elemental Plane of Air. They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a world both strange and alien.
Other: There are races beyond these that I've mentioned for sure, especially the various races of Runeterra. These, as well as combinations of these races, are open to you, if reasonable (examples: Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Imp [TieflingxGnome], etc).
Classes:
Barbarian: People of towns and cities take pride in how their civilized ways set them apart from animals, as if denying one’s own nature was a mark of superiority. To a barbarian, though, civilization is no virtue, but a sign of weakness. The strong embrace their animal nature- keen instincts, primal physicality, and ferocious rage. Barbarians are uncomfortable when hedged in by walls and crowds. They thrive in the wilds of their homelands: the tundra, jungle, or grasslands where their tribes live and hunt.
Bard: words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own. The bard is a master of song, speech, and the magic they contain. Bards say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos. The music of bards is an attempt to snatch and harness those echoes, subtly woven into their spells and powers.
Cleric: Divine magic, as the name suggests, is the power of the gods, flowing from them into the world. Clerics are conduits for that power, manifesting it as miraculous effects. The gods don’t grant this power to everyone who seeks it, but only to those chosen to fulfill a high calling.
Druid: Druids revere nature above all, gaining their spells and other magical powers either from the force of nature itself or from a nature deity. Many druids pursue a mystic spirituality of transcendent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity, while others serve gods of wild nature, animals, or elemental forces. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines.
Fighter: Questing knights, conquering overlords, royal champions, elite foot soldiers, hardened mercenaries, and bandit kings—as fighters, they all share an unparalleled mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face.
Monk: Whatever their discipline, monks are united in their ability to magically harness the energy that flows in their bodies. Whether channeled as a striking display of combat prowess or a subtler focus of defensive ability and speed, this energy infuses all that a monk does.
Paladin: Whatever their origin and their mission, paladins are united by their oaths to stand against the forces of evil. Whether sworn before a god’s altar and the witness of a priest, in a sacred glade before nature spirits and fey beings, or in a moment of desperation and grief with the dead as the only witness, a paladin’s oath is a powerful bond. It is a source of power that turns a devout warrior into a blessed champion.
Ranger: Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, rangers keep their unending watch.
Rogue: Rogues rely on skill, stealth, and their foes’ vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They have a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem, demonstrating a resourcefulness and versatility that is the cornerstone of any successful adventuring party.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers carry a magical birthright conferred upon them by an exotic bloodline, som e otherworldly influence, or exposure to unknown cosm ic forces. One can’t study sorcery as one learns a language, any more than one can learn to live a legendary life. No one chooses sorcery; the power chooses the sorcerer.
Warlock: Warlocks are seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through pacts made with mysterious beings of supernatural power, warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.
Wizard: Wizards are supreme magic-users, defined and united as a class by the spells they cast. Drawing on the subtle weave of magic that permeates the cosmos, wizards cast spells of explosive fire, arcing lightning, subtle deception, and brute-force mind control. Their magic conjures monsters from other planes of existence, glimpses the future, or turns slain foes into zombies. Their mightiest spells change one substance into another, call meteors down from the sky, or open portals to other worlds.
Background:
Acolyte: You have spent your life in the service of a temple to a specific god or pantheon of gods. You act as an intermediary between the realm of the holy and the mortal world, performing sacred rites and offering sacrifices in order to conduct worshipers into the presence of the divine. You are not necessarily a cleric-perform ing sacred rites is not the same thing as channeling divine power.
Charlatan: You have always had a way with people. You know what makes them tick, you can tease out their hearts' desires after a few minutes of conversation, and with a few leading questions you can read them like they were children's books. It’s a useful talent, and one that you’re perfectly willing to use for your advantage.
Criminal: You are an experienced criminal with a history of breaking the law. You have spent a lot of time among other criminals and still have contacts within the criminal underworld. You’re far closer than most people to the world of murder, theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of civilization, and you have survived up to this point by flouting the rules and regulations of society.
Entertainer: You thrive in front of an audience. You know how to entrance them, entertain them, and even inspire them. Your poetics can stir the hearts of those who hear you, awakening grief or joy, laughter or anger. Your music raises their spirits or captures their sorrow. Your dance steps captivate, your humor cuts to the quick. Whatever techniques you use, your art is your life.
Guild Artisan: You are a member of an artisan’s guild, skilled in a particular field and closely associated with other artisans. You are a well-established part of the mercantile world, freed by talent and wealth from the constraints of a feudal social order. You learned your skills as an apprentice to a master artisan, under the sponsorship of your guild, until you became a master in your own right.
Hermit: You lived in seclusion—either in a sheltered community such as a monastery, or entirely alone—for a formative part of your life. In your time apart from the clamor of society, you found quiet, solitude, and perhaps some of the answers you were looking for.
Noble: You understand wealth, power, and privilege. You carry a noble title, and your family owns land, collects taxes, and wields significant political influence. You might be a pampered aristocrat unfamiliar with work or discomfort, a former merchant just elevated to the nobility, or a disinherited scoundrel with a disproportionate sense of entitlement. Or you could be an honest, hard-working landowner who cares deeply about the people who live and work on your land, keenly aware of your responsibility to them.
Outlander: You grew up in the wilds, far from civilization and the comforts of town and technology. You’ve witnessed the migration of herds larger than forests, survived weather more extreme than any city-dweller could comprehend, and enjoyed the solitude of being the only thinking creature for miles in any direction. The wilds are in your blood, whether you were a nomad, an explorer, a recluse, a hunter-gatherer, or even a marauder. Even in places where you don’t know the specific features of the terrain, you know the ways of the wild.
Sage: You spent years learning the lore of the multiverse. You scoured manuscripts, studied scrolls, and listened to the greatest experts on the subjects that interest you. Your efforts have made you a master in your fields of study.
Sailor: You sailed on a seagoing vessel for years. In that time, you faced down mighty storms, monsters of the deep, and those who wanted to sink your craft to the bottomless depths. Your first love is the distant line of the horizon, but the time has come to try your hand at something new.
Soldier: War has been your life for as long as you care to remember. You trained as a youth, studied the use of weapons and armor, learned basic survival techniques, including how to stay alive on the battlefield. You might have been part of a standing national army or a mercenary company, or perhaps a member of a local militia who rose to prominence during a recent war. When you choose this background, work with your DM to determine which military organization you were a part of, how far through its ranks you progressed, and what kind of experiences you had during your military career. Was it a standing army, a town guard, or a village militia? Or it might have been a noble’s or merchant’s private army, or a mercenary company.
#Rubric
Lore Rubric: Does your lore accurately display the functions of your champion, does it hit home and stir emotion, and how well is it written(or typed, I guess)? Since this is my only second MCCC, The rubric may be similar to my last. However, with this MCCC, The kit, ability synergy, and lore will critically affect your score just as much as balance and even more than creativity. Anyway, back on topic, here's some of the criteria regarding your entrant's lore:
Clarity-syntax does your lore have proper spelling and grammar?
Fluidity-does your lore flow well in story going from point to point and makes sense?
Theme- does your lore have a strong thematic approach?
Motivation- does your lore explain how they got their powers and why they joined this particular competition? Why does your champion exist?
Tone and mood- how does it read and does it inspire emotional or positive response? Does the reader like reading it?
Originality- is your lore original or unique? Does it keep the reader interested?
Lore is scored x/20 points.
Theme) Do the abilities and lore fit the overall theme?
Theme is scored x/10.
Lore Ability Synergy) Do your abilities reflect your character?
LAS is scored x/10.
Abilities/kit(and balance...don't forget balance)
Is your champion balanced? Are they fun to play with, against, or as? Is your champion's kit unique, or different from existing champions'? How are the character's mechanics? Are they clunky or confusing? Does the enemy have a way to fight back against your character? If not, then your entrant may need a mass rework.
Abilities/Kit are scored x/30.
Creativity) Is the champion creative and original, or is it at least an interesting take on something that has already been done/existed?
Creativity is scored x/15.
Kit Cohesion Synergy) Does everything in your abilities section work well together?
Cohesion Synergy is scored x/10.
[Note: The secret lore challenge will be worth x/5 points]
######((Rubric look familiar? I sure hope it does!))
#Entrants
Kastellian, the Guardian of Light by Black K9
Ionna, the Icewind Mage by PandaWhistle
Ferina, Defender of the Glade by Dayvigilante
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. I will clarify anything and everything as best as I can. As always, I wish each of you the best of luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
