Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League (DnDAL) has been embracing the creativity of its community with the Dungeoncraft program since November of 2020. This initiative empowers Dungeon Masters to design their own adventures for D&D Adventurers League campaigns. The newly released Dungeoncraft Design Guide, effective from November 9th, 2023, provides comprehensive instructions and standards for crafting these adventures.
DungeonCraft highlights the D&D AL admins desires to innovate in organized play storytelling. By directly involving the community of Dungeon Masters, the program democratizes the adventure creation process. It allows Dungeon Masters to not only run pre-designed adventures but also to craft and share their own stories within the established D&D universes. This approach empowers the Dungeon Masters, giving them a platform to showcase their creativity and contribute to the expanding lore of D&D.
Exploring Planescape Options in Dungeoncraft
The Planescape setting, effective from November 4th, 2023, offers unique opportunities for Dungeoncraft creators:- Planescape as a Setting: While being a part of the Forgotten Realms campaign, Dungeoncraft adventures in Planescape must focus primarily on the Planescape setting. Adventures must start with the code PS-DC.
- Allowed Resources: Several resources, including "Morte’s Planar Parade" and "Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants," are approved for crafting adventures in Planescape.
- Adventure Setting Resources: The main source is "Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse." Creators are advised not to contradict current information or destroy a plane, and to consider the themes and philosophies of each plane.
- Tiers and Rewards: Creators can design adventures for any tier and select consumables from approved resources. Rewards have specific limitations to maintain balance.
- Publishing Deadlines: Adventures supporting this season must be published on the Dungeon Masters Guild by December 31, 2024, and can be played through March 31, 2025.
Creating Your Own Adventures with DungeonCraft
The Dungeoncraft program allows creators to design their own D&D Adventurers League adventures. These can be tailored for various D&D campaigns, each with specific resource books, useable monsters, and magic item rewards. All Dungeoncraft adventures must align with the world of the featured campaign setting, without crossing into other settings or worlds unless explicitly allowed by that campaign's rules.Technical Requirements
Creators must use a specific template provided for Dungeoncraft adventures, including the Community Created D&D Adventurers League logo. Familiarity with the D&D Style Guide and adherence to the DMsGuild Content Guidelines are also required.Adventure Crafting
Adventures should be designed for either a two-hour or four-hour play time. The guide specifies how to handle monsters, including annotations for racial abilities and magic items, and prohibits changing the challenge rating of monsters/NPCs or creating new creatures. The adventure must occur within the designated setting and should not result in the destruction of major locations or NPCs.Treasure
The program outlines specific rules for selecting magic item rewards and other consumables based on the adventure's tier and duration. These include limits on the types and numbers of items that can be chosen from designated tables. There are clear guidelines for group monetary rewards based on the tier and duration of the adventure.Story Awards
Not everything is worth gold; a story award is a persistent award given to characters that meet the requirement in the adventure. Unlike tangible rewards like gold, items, or experience points, a Story Award typically represents a narrative achievement or a change in the character's status within the game world. It can include recognition of alliances formed, enemies made, secrets uncovered, or special knowledge gained. These awards do not provide mechanical benefits but rather enrich the character's personal story and can influence their interactions and experiences in future adventures within the AL framework. Story awards in Dungeoncraft Adventures are not allowed to provide mechanical benefits or circumvent the limits of other listed rewards.Publication and Compliance
Creators have the option to publish their adventures on the Dungeon Masters Guild. The adventures must adhere to specific coding and design standards, and only the designers are allowed to run the adventure until it is published. There are strict compliance rules, and adventures can be removed from the DMsGuild if they fail to meet these standards. Non-compliance can also lead to suspension or revocation of the creator's ability to continue creating and publishing sanctioned content under these rules.DungeoncCraft Adventures
The best way to learn how to write DungeonCraft adventures is to see how others have written them. Here are five adventures from the DMsGuild:Dohwar Heist (SJ-DC-DWR-01)
In the "Dohwar Heist" adventure, the Silver Beak merchant cartel's dohwar on the Rock of Bral face threats from mercane and a raid by vampirates, which results in the loss of their production facilities for sweet honeyfish mooncakes. Adventurers must infiltrate the vampirate stronghold, retrieve the cargo, and escape unnoticed. This four-hour Spelljammer Dungeoncraft Adventure for Tier 2 characters, optimized for APL 8, includes a PDF adventure guide, NPC and creature stat blocks, high-resolution maps, player handouts, and author notes. It's inspired by heist movies and offers various play styles but focuses primarily on action. Content warnings include alcohol, drowning, fantasy violence, and kidnapping.The Solitude of Solace (WBW-DC-DMMC-01)
This Silver Best Seller, and 5 stars from 8 ratings is a 4-hour psychological horror adventure for Tier 2 characters, optimized for an average party level (APL) of 8. The storyline involves searching for a lost girl who seeks a cure for her dying mother, leading players into a realm filled with horror. The adventure, designed for virtual tabletop (VTT) play, includes maps and an adventure PDF. It's important to note that this adventure contains mature themes such as body horror, child endangerment, gore, and mental health issues (including abuse, depression, grief, and trauma), and is not recommended for young children or those sensitive to such content.Forlorn but not Forgotten (SJ-DC-PHP-FLN01-01)
Forlorn but not Forgotten is an 5 start reviewed (by 8 ratings), Silver Best Seller. This 2-hour Spelljammer adventure for levels 1-4. Set in the Wildspace system of Forlorn, players are tasked with aiding an astral elf in finding his lost lover, marking the first part of the Crystalstar Trilogy. This adventure, ideal for newcomers, offers a mix of role-play, combat, and exploration. Content warnings include possible abduction, loss and mourning, and strangulation.Starfall (SJ-DC-ECHO-01)
In Starfall, the Silver Best Seller and 5 star (from 7 ratings) adventure, Githyanki pirates have stolen a sacred relic from the Hesperides Temple. In this two-hour adventure for Tier 3 characters, optimized for an average party level (APL) of 13, players must retrieve the relic before time runs out. Set in the Wildspace system of Echo, the adventure comes with a content warning for death by fire and a potential phobia trigger involving spiders. The product includes an adventure PDF and a map pack, with both standard and printer-friendly versions of the maps.DungeonCraft highlights the D&D AL admins desires to innovate in organized play storytelling. By directly involving the community of Dungeon Masters, the program democratizes the adventure creation process. It allows Dungeon Masters to not only run pre-designed adventures but also to craft and share their own stories within the established D&D universes. This approach empowers the Dungeon Masters, giving them a platform to showcase their creativity and contribute to the expanding lore of D&D.
