The Golden Quill Award

While Doug Rhea of North Texas RPG Convention and I were exploring my idea of the Three Castles Award™ last year, I was also nursing another idea in the vein.  This one is more personal and depends less on voting. It's my personal choice.   It's not limited to RPG but includes all table-top games.   It doesn't require someone submitting a game, but if the author or publisher feels strongly about their creation, they may do so.  It's meant to recognize truly inspirational and original game design.  I will be looking about the net as I always do, searching for that needle in a haystack; or if some fan, author or publisher of said game feels I should have a look at a particular piece,  I will read reviews if any, attempt to query the author/designer, explain the award and thereafter if I feel assured that there is a likelihood of it being a high grade in my estimation, I will purchase it, read it, seek others opinions, if possible, and then make a decision.

A small overview beyond that is presented below.  My caution is this:  Don't go suggesting your most recent fan-driven experience without first considering whether you have prior insight into what would be considered good or better game design. Though I can appreciate that sort of excitement, please look before you leap to save time for everyone involved in this, yourself, myself and perhaps even the author(s).  I expect for the most part to do this on my own with some product-pointers here or there from friends, associates or colleagues.  The monetary conferment available per annum is $500.00 in private funds earmarked for escrow and generated through the sale of my publications.  One such title, a reprinting of my adventure, "ICE GRAVE" which first appeared in TROLL MAGAZINE #1, 1997, is nearly finished.  It just requires some additional art that I am waiting on.

Original Cover Art for TROLL MAGAZINE #1 Featuring the Attack of the Ice Morph, from my Adventure, Ice Grave. Illustration Copyright Melissa A. Benson

I am happy to note that Black Blade Publishing will be hosting the .pdf of this old adventure set in my WORLD OF KALIBRUHN™, but as always, quite useful as a generic adventure outside of this due to the isolation of the adventure locale. There can be multiple awards (thus reducing the conferment to each designer), for instance, if I find more than one who is deserving.  The more originality presented in a design will earn it a higher cash award to the limit of the per annum amount. True designers will know what is original or not and what is merely a formulaic approach or add-on to past designs, which in essence may make them unique when set side-by-side with their predecessors, but hardly original.  I'm looking for the platinum here, not the electrum.

If there are questions, you can either post them here or reference my profile for my email to write me directly.