The thing that was throwing me for a loop this whole time was the part before the prompt. I couldn't figure out what to do with that at all...until I did.


Based on the pre-finished project bit, I'm gonna try (and hopefully succeed) to make dials all month of original characters from my many writing projects I've abandoned over the years! First one incoming soon...

Mad Mud
Real Name: Dean Hanson
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 3
Points: 80
Keywords: Monster, Super School

7 11 18 3

7 11 18 3

6 10 18 3

7 10 18 2

6 10 17 2

6 9 17 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Mushy and Malleable Form: Shape Change, Super Senses. When Mad Mud is targeted by an attack, you may choose to modify either his Shape Change or Super Senses roll by +2. If you do, he can't use the other power this attack.
Well, That Was a Choice: When Mad Mud is hit with a close attack, after resolutions heal him 1 click and he can use Plasticity until your next turn.
Shapeshift Arm Into Riot Shield: Defend, Toughness. When Mad Mud uses Defend, he treats friendly characters within 2 squares as adjacent, and friendly characters within 1 square modify defense +1.
Make My Ear Giant to Enhance my Senses: Giant Reach: 3. Close Combat Expert, Outwit. Friendly characters within 2 squares ignore Stealth.



Insight:

Mad Mud started out as a superhero RPG character that I loved so much, I started a story about him. Basically he's Clayface, but as a teenage hero instead of a villain, with a little extra jazz like the thing with enhancing his senses by making his body parts bigger. So...if it helps imagine this as a Calyface dial...

My dials this month are going to be non-actors who convinced other characters that they were someone else.


#001 Unique Hulk
Real Name: Zemnu
Team: Cosmic Energy
Range: 5
Points: 100/75
Keywords: Cosmic, Monster, Robot

7 12 18 3

7 11 18 3

7 11 18 3

| | | | | |

6 11 18 3

7 11 17 3

7 10 17 3

6 10 17 3

6 9 17 3

6 9 17 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

The Magic Planet: Shape Change. At the beginning of the game, choose an opposing character. For the rest of the game, Hulk's name becomes that character's name. // Opposing characters that have the same name as this character modify all their values by -1.
I Am Vewy Hungry: FREE: KO an adjacent friendly character that was not generated by Hulk. If they are KO'd, heal Hulk 1 click and generate a "Xem Hybrid".
Hello, Boys And Girls. I've Come To Save You: Mind Control, Sidestep, Telekinesis as FREE.




#001bt Xem Hybrid
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0

6 10 17 1

Rookie Ash Williams
Real Name: Ashley Joanna Williams
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 55
Keywords: Monster, S-Mart

7 10 16 2

7 10 16 1

6 9 15 1

6 10 15 2

6 11 17 3

6 11 17 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

SURPRISINGLY DURABLE: Ash Williams reduces damage -1.
WHO'S LAUGHING NOW: STOP. FREE: Deal Ash Williams 1 unavoidable damage and generate a Hand Bystander token friendly to your opponent's force. Ash Williams gains +1 combat values for the rest of the game, even if this power is lost.
GROOVY: STOP. Ash Williams cannot be healed above this click. Range: 5. Exploit Weakness



Evil Hand
Real Name: Ash's Right Hand
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0

5 10 15 1

Design Notes: I'm pretty late to the Evil Dead train, but there's just something so appealing about it! That mix of horror and comedy just hits right for me. Sam Raimi's writing and directing was fantastic and Bruce Campbell kills it. I mostly based this off Evil Dead II, which is a soft reboot and sequel to The Evil Dead. I just think it's better all around and has more stuff to pull from to build Ash's dial, but there's still some sprinkles of The Evil Dead hidden in there.

Michael Myers
Real Name: Michael Myers
Team: No Affiliation
Range: 0
Points: 80/55
Keywords: Monster

9 12 18 3

9 11 18 3

8 11 18 3

l l l l l l

7 11 18 2

6 11 17 3

5 10 17 3

4 10 17 3

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

KO KO KO KO

Pure Evil Incarnate: Invincible. Michael Myers takes a maximum of 1 damage from close-attacks. //SAFEGUARD: Outwit, Opposing Perplex.
He's Around Every Corner: Phasing/Teleport. When Michael Myers uses it and moves 4 squares or less, after resolutions he can make a close-attack.

He’s coming For You (Sidestep)

Kitchen Knife (Blades/Claws/Fangs)
He’s Way Too Strong! (Super Strength)

Nonstop Rampage (Willpower)
Eternal Nightmare (Regeneration)

Going in for the Kill (Exploit Weakness)
Killing for the Satisfaction (Close Combat Expert)

Yea, I think it made more sense in my head than it did on paper. But you got it! We're also getting a lot of fun entries as well, but is anyone else having trouble with my prompt? Give me a bit to clear out my Inbox if you don't want to say so in the comments

IMO, we don't need intricate prompts in general. Something as simple as "make a female character" is fine for me

I’m the opposite. The more restrictions, the better IMO. Makes it more of a challenge and demands more creativity. But that’s just me.

I also don’t like design notes. I feel like I’ve failed if I have to explain my rationale.

Typically I don't do design notes unless I made a weird choice, and it was a weird prompt. I like that though, gets my brain turning trying to make it work with my idea. Even if I don't exactly reach the goal it's fun to try.

Design notes are for context. You’re translating one thing into another and it’s typically one point in time. That rationale provides said context. Citations don’t require looking up (cuz we all have time for that). I’m sure there are many more reasons for self perceived failure but design notes ain’t one.

I agree with the first opinion - though it’s nice to have a fitting idea pop right in your head, when you have to really think about it, it can be even more rewarding to complete a dial.

On the design notes thing, just in general, I feel I pick characters that not everyone knows, so I enjoy adding a little context. Also, the characters I pick are usually characters I just like talking about.

Oh hey, more people have been posting in the contest:

Really enjoying the prompt. It's actually one of my favorites I've seen in these contests. Trying to hit the overarching prompt as well as both the 'Act 1' options was a fun challenge.

I have no real opinion on design notes. I only use them occasionally but I never mind reading them when I see them.

Absolutely. What I mean is that I don't like the first person "I chose X because Y is capable of Z."

Character Backgrounds, like they had in the olden days, are wonderful. In fact, I'm actually going to have to give my character one, because I just now saw the "First Act" stipulation, and I don't think that anyone will discern the appropriateness without.