XDMC 34: Populate a Map: Ruins of the Wild!

Welcome to the thirty-fourth 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.

The best way to keep informed about the competition is to join the Expert Dungeon Master Competition group. There you can review the rules, archives, and future contest ideas, and get broadcasts telling you when new competitions begin and when results are released!

The topic for this competition is Ruins of the Wild.  Two maps have been created using the Ruins of the Wild set from the Dungeon Tile Mapper.  You must choose a map and create an exciting wilderness encounter to take place in that encounter space.

Required Elements

In order to enter this competition, your entry must fulfill the following required elements:

• Moniker.  Name the entry.
• Map. State which map your entry uses.
• Mechanics. Describe all the mechanics needed for your entry.  If the mechanics for a creature, trap, terrain, or object are found in the Compendium or other official 4th edition release, you may instead cite its name and the title of the release in which it can be found.
• Motivation. Explain why a party of heroes might arrive in this location.

If you fail to include a required element, you will receive a score of zero in Themes.

Optional Elements

Each entry must include three of the following optional elements:

1. Borderland. The encounter area straddles a border between two or more hostile groups.
2. City Slicker. One or more NPCs seem out of place in a non-urban setting.
3. Extraplanar:  The encounter occurs on a plane other than the "World".
4. Home Invasion:  At least one NPC lives in the encounter area as a primary residence.
5. Irenic. The PCs are expected to resolve at least one objective that does not involve combat.
6. Lure. One of the NPCs appears to be in distress in order to lure one or more PCs into a disadvantageous situation.
7. Musical. PCs and/or NPCs can use nonmagical music to their advantage.
8. Off-Road.  The PCs are not expected to enter the encounter area by road or stream.
9. Quisling.  One or more hostile NPCs may ally with the PCs during and beyond the encounter.
10. Reconnoiterable.  The PCs have the opportunity to gain tactical information about the encounter area  before they enter.
11. Snaring:  At least one terrain element is not what it first appears.
12. Tactful. The PCs can avoid combat through a Skill Challenge requiring at least one success on a Charisma-based Skill.
13. Vehicular: All PCs, all NPCs or all characters start the encounter on vehicles, mounted, or are themselves mounts.
14. Weather. The weather plays a significant factor in the encounter.

State what optional entries you intend to satisfy.  If you do not, you will only be credited with those optional elements the judges happen to notice.

Maps

Click on the Maps for larger Images

General Rules

Following are some general rules of the Expert DM Competition. The complete list of rules is in the Expert Dungeon Master Competition Group Wiki.

• 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 Made at Entrants' Own Risk. A judge may download your entry any time after it is submitted. So any edits you make might not be considered by a judge. For this reason, you should submit your entry in as complete a form as possible. Use the preview function liberally. Once winners have been announced, entrants may edit their entries.
• Multiple Entries Prohibited. Each applicant may only submit one entry 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 Materials Prohibited. Your entry may not include material hosted on a website other than wizards.com and community.wizards.com. Images from your profile gallery may be used. The judges must ignore material hosted on other websites.
• Plagiarism and Peer Reviewing 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 close of the competition, will be disqualified.

Judges and Schedule

The contest will run from today through Friday, February 3, 2012. All entries must be submitted no later than 12:00 midnight at the end of that day (Eastern Standard Time). The judges of this contest are geoffa, Koradzi and RogerC, and the coordinator of this contest is wrecan. Good luck and have fun!!

Entry List

1. Draidden's Stormy Night
2. CALEBROBERTS' Crossing Between the Winds
3. ClanBattlerage's Lost Treasure!
4. Seeker95's Witching Hour
5. Exultation's Giant's Gate
6. Dulsi's Feeding Time
7. Shaadow's Standing Room Only

Does the encounter have to take place in a forest/grassland setting?  

Could I instead locate this in Dark Sun?  i.e. the grass becomes sand, the canal is dry, the trees are dead, etc?  Would I lose point going this route?

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