Purpose: Design a character that will appear in a story arc of the Metamorphosis webcomic

Contest Deadline: November 1

To enter, fill out the contest entry form! Be as detailed or as vague as you feel is necessary.

Character Guidelines

I have a few specific points that I’ll need you to keep in mind while you design your characters so they can fit with what I have planned for Qul and his friends in the story arc where your character will appear. Please double-check to make sure your character fits!

Your character…

1.) Should be humanoid. Note: This does not mean “humanoid type” in the D&D3e sense. It means “humanoid shaped.” A human is fine, but so is an astral deva, or a succubus, or even a slaad, for example.

2.) Should live in or near Death of Innocence and have been there long enough to have a permanent residence. Six months to a year minimum, and lifelong residents are also acceptable. For more information about Death of Innocence, go here.

3.) Should be someone the main characters of Metamorphosis can interact with in some way. This can range from a permanent resident who still has some social skills left to a desperate sod who’s hoping for a way out of the town and the whole Gray Waste.

4.) Should be someone believable within the Planescape setting. Remember that you’re basically making an NPC, but also keep in mind that NPCs are people too — and that each character in the comic that doesn’t get killed off has a chance to show up again later!

5.) Can have off-screen relatives, friends, companions, etc. However, only the main character in the application will be seen in the story arc.

Application Guidelines

These are mostly clarifications of what I’m looking for. If you have any questions that are not covered in this page, please ask and I will add the answers to this list.

1.) You may make as many entries as you like. However, I prefer quality over quantity. One solid entry will have a better chance of winning than ten entries that show no effort.

2.) That being said, I’m not picking you based on your writing skill (or lack thereof). Rather, I’m picking based on what I think of your character and how it can fit in the story. That means you don’t have to edit and re-edit your app. I just want something that gets the character concept across to me.

3.) Artistic skill is NOT required. If you want to draw your character and send the picture with the application, then great! More power to ya! However, the application itself is what will tell me if I want your character.

4.) When you write your character’s appearance, feel free to provide references if you think they clarify your description.

5.) Feel free to edit and re-edit your applications once they’ve been submitted. Nothing is set in stone until the deadline. I’m going to read applications as I receive them, but I’m also going to give all applications another read-through after the deadline.

6.) Don’t worry if you don’t win. I plan to run this sort of contest several times before the end of Metamorphosis, so you can always wait until the next one.

7.) Please don’t ask for feedback on your character from me. If you are not familiar with Planescape or would like more information on Death of Innocence and the Gray Waste, I will be happy to help. However, don’t ask me if I like your character or if I think it’s what I’m looking for. If your character fits the three guidelines listed above, then it should be a viable candidate.

8.) Conversely, you CAN ask me if a proposed race fits with what I’m looking for. (i.e., “Can my character be a marilith?” to which the answer is “No!”)

9.) I am not interested in character stats. If you want to build a character sheet, go for it. However, it won’t be considered when the contest ends.

10.) By entering, you are giving me permission to use your character as I see fit for the comic, including for merchandise and general artistic use.

Prizes

First Place

- A full-color pin-up of the character with background.

- A printed and laminated bookmark of the character.

- The character will feature as a major NPC during the Death of Innocence story arc.

Second Place

- A full color picture of the character (no background)

- A printed and laminated bookmark of the character

- The character will appear at least once in a scene background in the comic.

Third Place

- A printed and laminated bookmark of the character.

- The character will appear at least once in a scene background in the comic.

Honorable Mentions (3)

- Sketch of each character individually.

- Each character will appear at least once in a scene background in the comic.