The monster apocalypse has returned! In just a few short sentences, you’ll discover the identities of the 10 finalists of our King of the Monsters 2 Contest. But first…

We would like to thank each and every one of you that sent an entry in. We couldn’t have done this without you.

The judging was not easy. There are many awesome monsters now lying bloody in the judges’ wake. But there could only be 10, so difficult decisions had to be made. The judges—Jason Bulmahn, Logan Bonner, Adam Daigle, Wolfgang Baur, and I—each made picks and championed candidates…

In a nutshell, all entries were anonymized and judged on a scale of 1–5 with Jason’s Pathfinder Roleplaying Game/3.5E choices and Logan’s 4E choices having extra weight. A couple monsters sailed through, easily getting top marks from all 5 judges. Most, though, were not so lucky.  It’s always wonderful to see the judges agree on monsters, but it’s that much more wonderful to see them disagree. Each judge brings a different perspective to the judge’s table, unique in experience and expectations. One judge may love a certain monster and another may hate it: maybe for different reasons, maybe even for the same reason. I can tell you that each of us had favorites that didn’t quite make it to this round.

But this is what makes it great! If the decisions were easy, what would be the point? It’s because the choices were hard that I know we had a great turnout. The competition was fierce and those that fell were very much contenders until the end. Many will no doubt rise again. Everyone who submitted an entry should be proud.

And now, we congratulate the 10 finalists (in alphabetical order)…

1. Andrenjinyi (Rainbow Serpent) by David Posener
2. Broodiken by Trevor Gulliver
3. Eye of Tricks and Traps by Scott A. Murray
4. Hooded Hunter by Dylan Hollinden
5. Horahk by Jobe Bittman
6. Ohsoram the Shattered King by Christian Martinez
7. Palaver by Nicolas Quimby
8. Thistle by B. Matthew Conklin III
9. Vapor Lynx by Matthew Cicci
10. Vital Necklace by Steven Hammond

The finalists are strong and varied. Sure, there may be some rough spots here and there in flavor or mechanic, but each of these 10 are here for a reason and deserve respect.

These 10 monsters will now fight for domination (and prizes!) in the public arena. All this week, KoboldQuarterly.com will be dedicated to the King of the Monsters 2 Contest finalists—2 random finalists each day. On August 30, the judges will post some comments on the process and the public voting will begin. One week later, only one monster will stand.

Everyone is welcome and even encouraged to comment on the monsters. Study them carefully. Watch how they move. Swish them around your mouth. Er… whatever you need to do. Indeed, there is a wide variety from various editions. All we ask is that you be civil.

So pull up a chair and root for your favorite!