This thread is intended to be a repository for the collective wisdom of this board. I hope people find it a useful resource. Please let me know if you think there are any links that should be added, removed or edited for any reason.
I will not include any links to websites that require payment for the content therein. This thread is not free advertising for businesses. Enjoy the many resources for DMs!
Useful Threads on the Forums
These threads have been a valuable resource to DMs. I encourage you to peruse them for ideas and advice for your own campaign. Unfortunately, with the recent forum upgrade, the links have died. I'll work on it.
mudbunny's How to Be a Good Forum Member is a must-read on how to be a civil and productive member of the community!
The Expert DM Competitions recognize the best of the best of the forums, in their ability to meld creative use of story and mechanics to provide masterful entries.
The Wyrmling DM Competitions provide a forum for novice DMs to contribute in a non-competitve atmosphere and get constructive suggestions from the more experienced DMs of the forum.
Lessons from DMing with my GF is possibly one of the best (and most polite) internet discussions about Dungeon Mastering ever devised.
The following links lead to websites not controlled by Wizards of the Coast and Wizards is not responsible for their content. Nevertheless, there is much of value in these links. I am trying not to include any links for tools that you must pay for. This post is not intended as advertising.
Thanks to Wizo_TheCheat, who compiled the first version of this thread. And thanks to all the great members of this forum who have contributed the links and to the threads identified above.
So, your party has just escaped your latest dungeon crawl. The few survivors, missing limbs, carrying the ashes of their comrades for resurrection, possibly with fractured psyches, are exhausted. And so are you. Who knew you could get so exhausted sitting around a table rolling dice? But there's another session scheduled for next week. You tentatively mention some ideas... a lich's lair, a political confrontation with the dark secrets of their past, a horrifying trip through the nether planes... and the haunted look in their eyes says it all. Your players are getting burned out. This stuff is getting too dark. What to do, what to do.... You need a Drunk Session! Sometimes, when you play D&D, you want there to be more Aspirin's Myth Adventures and less Tolkein's Middle Earth, more Anthony's Xanth and less Martin's Westeros, more Monty Python and less Midgard Serpent, more Order of the Stick and less Morte d'Arthur. You want to recapture that youthful fun. You want to add some levity, some fun, some baudiness. The Master DM Competitions are great for serious expert DMs crafting masterful campagns. The Wyrmling DM Competition are ideal for novice DMs to hone their skills. But for DMs looking for something a little less serious, a little more fun, the Drunk DM Competitions are for you.
General Rules
Each contestant may only submit one entry for judgment in each contest. Any entries after the first will be disqualified, but the first entry will still be judged (unless it must be disqualified for any other reason), as if the disqualified entries had not been submitted. At the conclusion of the contest they may submit further entries to contribute to the wealth of material available for other DMs. However, these "post-contest" entries will not be judged.
Each entry should be original work by the author. The author may not submit his original idea for discussion or help from others.
After submitting an entry, each contestant has a one-hour grace period in which to perform edits. This will allow a contestant to modify formatting or catch obvious errors that become apparent after they've hit the submit button. Any entry that is edited more than one hour after the initial post will be disqualified! Any attempt to circumvent this rule (for example, submitting an entry, then deleting it, only to post it again two hours later) will result in disqualification. If a Wiz_O edits an entry for any reason, it is as if the contestant had edited the post.
Each judge's scores are final as soon as it has been submitted to the coordinating judge.
Judges are encouraged to comment on entries, but are not required to do so. By the way, if you submit entries to the contest, prepare to have your entries mocked and cirticized publicly. This should all be done in good humor!! Remember that this competition is all about having fun. Under no circumstances will a judge reveal the individual scores an entry received. The coordinating judge may release all the scores for an entry without identifying which judge gave each score. Participation in this contest assumes you are interested in comments regarding your work.
Contest rules may vary from competition to competition. At the beginning of each competition, special rules for that contest will be detailed. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a score of 0 for Touchstones, and may result in disqualification.
The message board Code of Conduct is in effect for all entries.
Scoring
Each entry will be scored on: Wit (15 points), Merry Fit (10 points), Touchstones (10 points), Rules (10 points), & Clarity (5 points). Each judge may (but need not) also award a single bonus point to one entry that they feel has some special element that makes it stand out. The scores in each category will be averaged together, and a final score will be calculated. Any bonus points awarded are added directly to the total. Thus, an entry that scores perfectly (50 points) may have a higher final score if at least one judge provides a bonus point. Each category is explained more fully below.
Wit (15 points): This measures the humor and originality of an entry. Wit can reflect comical parodies of existing ideas, entirely new ideas, or unique derivatives of a classic archetype. High scores are reserved for entries that are rip-roaring hilarious, completely unique, or provide a new twist on an old idea. Wit is subjective and no two judges may agree with what is funny, but that's true about the other criteria as well. Some tips:
Funny entries score higher then serious submissions.
If two entries are similar in content, the first one to be submitted will receive more credit for its originality.
Merry Fit (10 points): This measures how well the entry ensures a DM can use the material in a "drunk" campaign or gaming session. Some tips:
Serious and dark entries score lower than light-hearted entries (unless they have black or dark humor).
Entries for specific campaign worlds score lower than entries that can be inserted easily into any campaign.
Entries requiring supplements score lower than entries using only the corebooks (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide or Monster Manual I).
Entries that can be used only by a small range of party levels score lower than entries that explain how it can be adapted for parties of other levels.
Entries that can be used by parties of a specific composition (racial, class, alignment, etc.) score lower than more universal entries.
These deductions can be mitigated by including information allowing a DM to convert the entry from one with these limitations to one without.
Touchstones (10 points): This measures whether the entry contains the required elements set forth in the contest instructions, as well as the appropriate number of optional elements. This criterion also measures how well these touchstones are incorporated into the entry, as well as the entry's overall thematic coherence. Touchstones that are touched upon but are not central to the submission will score fewer points than those that are integrated fully. The more thoroughly the entry considers the touchstones, the higher the score. Entries that fail to include all required elements will receive a zero, no matter how many optional elements are added.
Rules (10 Points): Just because your entry is funny doesn't mean it can ignore the rules. This criterion measures how correctly the entry uses and represents the game mechanics and rules. If an entry presents a new mechanic or game component, it must be described well enough that readers understand how to use it with the existing ruleset.
Clarity (5 points): This measures how accessible the ideas presented are to the judges. Some tips:
Don't use unnecessary italicization (italicized game terms are fine).
Don't use boldface or underlining outside section headings.
Do use section headings to help organize an entry.
Do include stat blocks for customized encounters and do reference page numbers for encounters taken directly from a rulebook.
Do include page citations when referencing relevant rules, creatures, spells or encounters.
Do use paragraphs.
Do not use sblocks.
If using code blocks, make sure they are readable.
Do not use multiple colors or unusual fonts.
If you are making an original monster, NPC, spell, trap, or the like, do use formatting similar (or equally legible) to those found in the rule books.
Do check your spelling and grammar.
Do proofread.
Do make sure your ideas are comprehensible to an average reader.
General Information About the Master Storyteller Competition
Introduction
Welcome back to the Master Storyteller Competition! These competitions focus on the storytelling aspect that every DM faces when designing their own adventure or campaign world. Some more or less than others, but whether your game is story light or plot heavy, every DM uses some element of storytelling to bring the PCs together and to keep them adventuring. You don't have to be a writer, storyteller, or even a DM to participate in these contests. Even players have to be part of the storytelling aspect, interacting with the story, creating character backgrounds and history, or planning that advent into prestige classes and epic heroism! These contests are meant to offer a challenge to your ability to think creatively and constructively within the possibilities of a D&D game. To use the tools at hand to craft something stimulating and enjoyable. That having been said, this month's challenge is called...
The Rules
Format your entry as similar as possible to the Example Entry. Spoiler blocks are not preferred, if you are forced to use a Spoiler block, please use only one and contain your entire entry within it. Do not use multiple Spoiler blocks.
Core Material (DMG, PHB, MM) are preferred and do not need to be referenced when used in an entry. If you use non-Core material in your entry, a brief but sufficient explanation and/or footnote is required along with the book acronym and page number. Example: (BoE pg 78) A list of book acronyms can be found at this link: It's a long list.
Statistical information is usually not needed, requiring no more than a brief mention to establish rule basics that a DM can expand upon. Example: Walter the Barkeep; Com1, Dag the Murderer; Rog5; good DEX, ranks in Bluff & Esc. Artist
If Stats are required or you chose to include full stat blocks, please format them correctly. Either format (original or new) is fine as long as the information is correct and readable.
Each applicant may only submit 1 entry to judging, and that entry is to be contained within a single post. Submitting two or more entries will result in the disqualification of each the entries. If you have more than one idea, please wait until after the competition closes before submitting additional entries. These subsequent entries will not be judged.
All entries must be the original, exclusive work of the applicant. If an entry is found to be copying the work of another, or has been posted for review prior to the competition, it will be disqualified.
Applicants are allowed a 15 minute period in which they are allowed to make edits to their entry. Any entry that has been noted as edited after this 15 minute period will be disqualified. This includes editing done by the board moderators, should the entry be in violation of the board’s code of conduct. It is recommended that an applicant use the board’s “preview post” function or write the entry off-line in a text editor to check the entry before posting. Once judging is complete, applicants are allowed to go back and edit their entry if they so choose.
The Judging
The competition will be judged according to the following guidelines. Each entry will be reviewed by each of the judges, who in turn will rate the entry on its creativity, adaptability, thematic consistency, technical information and rules use, as well as clarity. At no time will a judge relate any entry’s exact scores. After the competition closes, each judge is allowed to post commentary on each of the entries if they wish to supply such information. If an applicant does not wish to have commentary on their entry posted, they should mention so in their entry.
Creativity (15 points): This is the measure of the originality of a particular submission or how well it implements a given idea or suggestion. Thus high scores are reserved for entries that are completely unique, or provide a new twist on an old idea. Creativity can reflect entirely new ideas, thoughtful parodies of existing ideas, or unique derivatives of a classic archetype. This score also measures how well the entry fits the overall theme of the contest, as well as how well it incorporates the required elements and any optional suggestions. A creative entry might make the reader think "I didn't think of that!" or "I would like to use this in my campaign!"
Adaptability (10 points): This is a measure of how much effort would be needed for a DM to include the entry in any given campaign. This competition assumes all DMs have access to the three core books (DMG, PHB, MM) and entries that use these will score higher. Thus, the use of material from sources other than these “core” books can result in a lower score. Including descriptions on how to use the entry without the supplemental material, or having a brief synopsis of what the material entails can alleviate some of the effort a DM would need, thus allowing the entry to score well even with the supplemental material. An adaptable entry would make the reader think "This is great, I can include this in my game easily."
Rules Use (5 points): The completeness and accuracy of the entry is reflected in this score. This category includes adhering to the contest rules, following the entry example, including the required elements, and presenting the entry in a logical format. While effective use of typefaces such as italics or boldface can help an entry, the use of text color, alternate fonts, or spoiler blocks in an entry is not recommended.
In the forum upgrade of August 2009, the archives of the Wyrmling DM Trials were corrupted, and a lot of the data lost. If the data is ever recovered, I will amend this post. Otherwise, I am afraid the wonderful entries of this competition are lost even to posterity.
The purpose of the WDMT is to allow fledgling dungeon masters a chance to spread their wings and share some of their ideas with the greater community while learning how to go from a beginning dungeon master to a great one. Entries will be judged by some of the regular contributors here on the forums and the entries will be graded. While there won't be any "prizes", so to speak, everyone who participates will benefit from the feedback given on their ideas. The winner(s) will simply have bragging rights.
The WDMT uses the concept of taking a new DM through the process of designing the various parts of an adventure, with an emphasis on understanding the game mechanics. Hopefully with enough interest, we can run enough WDMT challenges so that DMs both new and experienced can piece themselves together a useful adventure and maybe even learn a few things along the line.
The rules of the WDMT are very simple:
Entry is for new/inexperienced DMs only, please. While we can't truly enforce this rule, it would go against the spirit of the Trials for experienced DMs to submit stuff, so please, if you're experienced and want to submit ideas for feedback, please do it outside this competition, or at least wait until it's done. The Expert and Master DM competitions are excellent places for submission instead.
Each trial will accept submissions for 14 days. At the end of the 14 days, the judges will do their thing and come up with the scores and commentary for each submission. Soon after the trial ends, the scores will be totaled and submitted along with the winner(s) and consolidated commentary.
Please only submit original entries. The WDMTs are designed to help you flesh out your OWN adventures; stealing someone else's doesn't help anyone. Taking someone else's idea and modifying it with your own ideas is okay, though. Just be sure to give credit where it's due, should you decide not to make wholesale changes to it.
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I apologize if this is the wrong place to ask this, but I remember seeign a thread where someone had compiled lists of all the new powers, magic items, etc that had been in all the dragon/dungeon articles so far. Does anyone know where it is? And would it be appropriate to add a link to it on this thread?
My search-fu is not strong, thats why I asked here.
Not sure how people feel about blogs, but I found this one not long ago and, if nothing else, the monster stat sheet is useful. It also has various stuff for 4th ed and probably some older stuff as well.
