Expert Dungeon Master Competition #1

Open a Campaign

Welcome to the very first Expert Dungeon Master Competition! The primary purpose of the Expert Dungeon Master Competitions is threefold:

• To create a resource for new Dungeon Masters drawing on the vast talent pool of the experienced Dungeon Masters of this forum.
• To create a fun and vibrant competition that is sportsmanlike and friendly.
• To showcase the creativity and talent of Dungeon Masters like you.

In this first competition, the objective is to create a scenario by which a group of four to seven adventurers might meet and be encouraged to form a party of adventurers. In order to enter the competition, you must fulfill the following required elements:

• Describe a scenario in which four to seven player characters who have not previously met might be induced to form a party of adventurers.
• The entry must narratively describe between three and five encounters, which could include combat, social encounters and/or skill encounters. Each encounter should be prefaced with the level and XP to be earned for completing it. Mechanics need only be included if they differ from the mechanics that would be found in the rulebooks for those creatures, traps or encounters.
• The entry must describe at least one character intended to be a recurring antagonist to the player characters.
• The entry must describe at least one character intended to be a recurring ally or resource for the player characters.

In addition, the entry must meet three of the following ten optional elements:

1. Aligned.  None of the encounters has a creature that is unaligned.
2. Adabtable. The entry includes advice on how to adapt the encounters for Heroic, Paragon and Epic Tiers of Play
3. Alien Ally. The intended recurring ally is not of a race described in the Players Handbook.
4. Absent Antagonist. The intended recurring antagonist will be known to the characters by the end of the scenario without them having met the antagonist.
5. No Tavern.  The scenario does not involve a tavern, inn or other public meeting hall.
6. Travel.  The scenario ends more than 100 miles from, or on a different plane than, where it begins.
7. Encounter Variety.  The scenario includes at least one social encounter, one skill encounter that doesn't require the use of Charisma-based skills and one combat.
8. Pie.  The scenario includes pie.
9. Campaign Seeds.  The scenario is intended for a party beginning at 1st level, and provides some ideas that allow a DM to run the campaign (barring character death or party dissolution) through 30th level.
10. Non-Linear.  The scenario is not linear. (I.e., the encounters need not occur in a predetermined order.)

All of the Rules of the Contest apply to this contest. However, please keep the following general rules in mind:

• Fourth Edition. This competition utilizes the rules of Fourth Edition and will be judged on that basis.
• Code of Conduct. All entries must comply with the forum's Code of Conduct.
• Contest Duration. Contests usually run for two weeks, beginning with the post announcing the competition. The Coordinator may extend the duration of the contest at his discretion after consulting the other judges for that competition. However, such extensions should be done very rarely.
• Edits After 15 Minutes Prohibited. Applicants may not edit their entries more than 15 minutes after submission. This includes editing done by forum moderators, unless the moderator specifically states that the entry had not been edited prior to the moderator's action. If the entrant submits an entry before the contest closes and then edits the entry after the contest closes, but within fifteen minutes of submission, the edits will be considered valid. Entrants should use the forum’s “preview post” function or an off-line text editor to check the entry before posting. Once winners have been announced, entrants may edit their entries.
• Multiple Entries Prohibited.  Each applicant may only submit one entry prior during the period in which entries may be submitted. Submitting multiple entries disqualifies all entries. Additional entries may be submitted after the competition closes, but they will not be judged.
• Multi-Post Entries Prohibited. Each entry must be contained within a single post. The judges must ignore any subsequent posts.
• Outside Links Prohibited. Entries may not include material hosted on another website. The one exception to this rule is described below.
• Plagiarism and Previewing Prohibited. All entries must be the original, exclusive work of the applicant. Entries found to be copying the work of another, or that have been posted for review prior to the competition, will be disqualified. The one exception to this rule is described below.
• Exception: Images. Entries that include images that are hosted on other websites and that are not the entrant's original work will not be disqualified for such inclusion. Such images, however, are not considered parts of the entry and judges cannot consider such images when judging.

 A full description of the contest's rules can be found here. Please review these rules before submitting an entry!  The contest will run from today through Friday July 18, 2008. All entries must be submitted no later than 12:00 midnight on that day (Eastern Standard Time). The judge and coordinator of this contest is wrecan.  Good luck and have fun!!

1. Gold Medalist: You Don't Have to Live Like a Refugee by Nyarlathotep
2. Silver Medalist: Life and Death by Nani?
3. Bronze Medalist: To Bake a Better Pie by Whitman
4. Honorable Mention: Lost City of Sharvalu by dulsi
5. Honorable Mention: The City in the Sky by Titanium Dragon
6. Slaves to Naga'Re by Hazard84
7. Heirs of Dhakaan by whitebaron
8. Only Two Things Are Certain in Life by nowiwantmydmg (revised version here)
9. The Lost Temple at the Crossroads of the World by Eightbitmage
10. Settlers and Heroes by Eini
11. The Vale of Copper and Mud by Voidraithe
12. Son of a Witch by Timelord Simone
13. Aye for an Aye by Someone
14. The Face of War by ES_Sparky

Sample Entry: The Surreptitious Summons by Wrecan

ramzca wrote:

I won't be upgrading until the end of my current campaign... Aww...

Since the contest asks for a Campaign Opening, why not get a jump start on your next campaign?! :D

You didn't disrupt anything and our conversation keeps the contest on the top of the board!