It’s once again every eager and imaginative amateur Pathfinder designer’s chance to reach for the brass ring of superstardom and distinguish themselves as one of the untapped talents of the RPG industry – RPG Superstar! Find out more after the jump.

We here are knowdirection.com have been big fans and followers of RPG Superstar since before there was a Know Direction. Paizo’s annual competition is always great for free Pathfinder compatible content and for the contest of it all, but it’s especially valuable to all of the hopeful hobbyists who consider a career in game design a dream. It is one of the few opportunities amateur game designers get to see what undeveloped rules look like and read the feedback from the big names in our hobby.

If you are considering entering this year, we suggest you scour the articles and interviews in the site’s recently updated RPG Superstar tag to hear what past winners, finalists, judges, and hosts have to say about the competition. Also, since this year’s Open Call first round has contestants designing a magic armor, weapon, ring, rod, or staff, you might want to check out PaizoCon 2014 Special 014 – Design Tips for Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, and Encounters.

Here’s the official press release from Paizo Inc:

SEARCH FOR RPG SUPERSTAR 2015 STARTS TODAY

Paizo Launches Annual Contest to Find the Next Generation of Game Designers

REDMOND, WA (December 9, 2014): Paizo Inc., creator of the popular Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, announces today’s kick-off of RPG Superstar 2015, the annual, worldwide open call for would-be game designers to have their talents discovered, and the chance at being published in an official Pathfinder RPG module.

Now in its 8th year, RPG Superstar receives thousands of entries from all over the world, which are reviewed by a panel of experienced game designers, and then voted on by the paizo.com community, who have cast millions of votes over the years.

The winner of the competition will have their adventure published by Paizo as a Pathfinder Module, a full-color, 64-page, high-quality softcover book, compatible with not only the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (RPG), but also with any game published under the Open Gaming License (OGL). Also, three runners-up will win assignments to write adventure scenarios for Paizo’s Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign, offering all four finalists professional writing contracts with Paizo Inc., and an opportunity to begin their game design careers by working on the world’s best-selling roleplaying game.

RPG Superstar will see a new Master of Ceremonies this year, game designer Owen K. C. Stephens, who promises more surprises, and more difficult challenges. Says Stephens, “Ramping up the degree of difficulty in several rounds is a result of how consistently amazing the entries have been year after year. We’re convinced the talent pool exists to make several of the stages tougher than previous years, and that the best contestants are going to thrive under the pressure.”

The first big change is to Round One, which has traditionally called for the design of a special type of magic treasure known as a wondrous item. For the 2015 contest, contestants are asked to create an original magic Item from one of the following categories: suit of armor, shield, weapon, staff, ring, or rod.

Round One is now open for magic item designs, which must be submitted by December 16, 2014 to be considered for moving on to the next round. There will be four rounds in all, and winners will be announced on March 24, 2015. For more information, or to submit an entry, visit paizo.com/rpgsuperstar.

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is the world’s best-selling tabletop RPG, in which players take on the role of brave adventurers fighting to survive in a world beset by magic and evil. The Pathfinder RPG is currently translated into multiple languages, and the vibrant Pathfinder universe has been licensed for comic book series, graphic novels, miniatures, plush toys, and apparel, and is being developed into a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game.

About Paizo Inc.
Paizo Inc. is publisher of the world’s best-selling Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, the wildly popular Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, as well as Pathfinder Tales novels, board games, and gaming accessories. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the twelve years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 60 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. For more information, visit paizo.com.