CONTEST: Grognard's Challenge #5

With the fourth Grognard's Challenge now completed -- the winner will be announced later today -- it's time to turn to Challenge #4. For this contest, the prize is the volume pictured to the left: Supplement IV of Dungeons & Dragons (1974), Gods, Demigods & Heroes

The fifth and final Grognard's Challenge is simple: create, describe, and provide game stats (if necessary) for a single new monster, spell, magic item, artifact, or deity/hero from either a real world mythology or a pulp fantasy story or novel. Unlike Challenge #1, there is no word limit on this challenge, so feel free to make it as long as you feel necessary. Game stats should be for either OD&D or AD&D (or compatible retro-clones/simulacra).

Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, brevity (there may be no word limit, but concision is rewarded), and old school feel, the last of which is an entirely subjective metric based solely on my own peculiar preferences, most of which regular readers of the blog should know by now. The whole point of this and subsequent contests is to foster an appreciation for old school traditions and philosophies, so bear that in mind. Think pulp fantasy and the early days of the hobby and you'll be on the right track. No one is barred from entering, including friends and colleagues. I will post the winning entry here and explain why I selected it over its competitors, meaning that even were my wife to submit an entry -- not that she will -- it still has to withstand my rather exacting standards. Winners receive a copy of Gods, Demigods & Heroes (in nearly mint condition) and retain ownership of their creation, which they may then do with as they please (I recommend submitting it to Fight On! or another old school product).

The contest begins immediately and ends at midnight (EST) on September 23, 2008. Submissions may be sent to my email address indicated on the right hand side of this blog. Multiple entries are allowed and encouraged, but each one must be sent in a separate email. Although not strictly necessary, I'd appreciate it if you'd make the subject line of your submission something like "Grognard's Challenge #5" as that'll make it easier to keep the emails straight in my inbox.

Any questions about the contest can be asked either in the comments below or by sending me an email at the address to the right.