D&D General Win The Title of D&D's Best DM

WotC is running a competition called the Dungeon Master Challenge. Similar to Paizo's old RPG Superstar contest, it features various design rounds which whittle down the contenders until only one remains.

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The winner gets a trophy and some D&D products worth just over $2K.

Note: your entry becomes the property of WotC, which can use it in any way it wishes, even if you don't win. They don't even have to credit you for it. Be sure to consider this when deciding whether to enter.

• The first design challenge for a 1,000-word entry is Thursday June 17th, and contestants have three days to submit their entries. This round is open to everybody who qualifies (18+, in one of a list of countries).
• 10 contestants will then proceed to the next round in July, which is an elimination stage with various weekly 1,000-word design challenges.
• Three of those will go on to the final challenge in September, which involved being a DM on a livestream, judged by a panel.

What's a Freelance RPG Writer Worth?

Freelance writers (as opposed to those on salary) tend to be paid per word. The rate varies from publisher to publisher, and on how experienced the writer is. Ed Greenwood, for example, can command a much higher rate than a new writer can. Obviously only you, the freelancer, can decide...

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[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm really curious about tomorrow's prompt. Anyone want to give any last minute guesses?

 

[Parmandur]

I'm really curious about tomorrow's prompt. Anyone want to give any last minute guesses?

They'll provide a map, and task entrants with stocking the dungeon for a target CR budget.

(Just a guess, but it's what I would do)

 

[GMMichael]

"You are not required to purchase anything."
"You must use the DM's Tools from Xanathar's GTE."
"Design cannot exist in any published work."
"Entries must incorporate existing lore."

Would any WotC lurkers like to help out, here? I'm confused.

 

[an_idol_mind]

"You are not required to purchase anything."
"You must use the DM's Tools from Xanathar's GTE."
"Design cannot exist in any published work."
"Entries must incorporate existing lore."

Would any WotC lurkers like to help out, here? I'm confused.

Not WotC, but just my stab:

-You have to use the tools from Xanathar's, but aren't required to purchase the book. If you borrow the book from someone, check it out of a library, or what-have-you, that's fine.

-The design has to be unique, so you're not copying other lore/mechanics. But you should build on existing lore, rather than, say, dropping a new town in the middle of the Forgotten Realms or creating a new historical event that isn't linked to other D&D lore.

Ex.: "This tower, located near Boareskyr Bridge, became occupied by cultists of Bhaal in the years after his death during the Time of Troubles" versus, "This tower is home to cultists of the forgotten god Paramulous," with the latter being unconnected to any pre-existing D&D lore.

 

[Cadence]

That’s not the point. I can come up with an idea every 30 seconds. Every 15 after a couple of drinks. Nobody is claiming that their ideas are so precious. Ideas are, indeed, a dime a dozen.

It’s the general principle of if you choose to use the work, as they’ve indicated they reserve the right to, then you should pay for it. If don’t use it, fine.

As Paizo’s Erik Mona said at the above link — “If we use it, we pay for it. Period.”

Just takes a single line in the agreement.

How does it work when a game company asks for unpaid playtesting feedback and the feedback includes a rule idea or modification that gets used?

 

[Morrus]

How does it work when a game company asks for unpaid playtesting feedback and the feedback includes a rule idea or modification that gets used?

"Work" in this context means writing. As I said, ideas are the easy part -- they literally flood in. The internet is full of them. Writing it is the work. I can come up with an idea for a dog telepathy hat right now. Making the dog telepathy hat, though? That's where the value is. I can come up with 20 great ideas for a novel. Writing the novel? That's the work. That's why you end up with a lot of simultaneous movies or games on a similar topic -- ideas are so abundant, so much so that they are constantly replicated, that frequently you get parallel but independent development of the same idea; they're rarely unique or completely original. That's why you can't copyright an idea or a concept, only the specific written work which expresses it. And this is a good thing -- the day we start assigning monetary value to concepts, and copyrighting ideas, creativity and innovation ends.

 

[Cadence]

"Work" in this context means writing. As I said, ideas are the easy part -- they literally flood in. The internet is full of them. Writing it is the work. I can come up with an idea for a dog telepathy hat right now. Making the dog telepathy hat, though? That's where the value is. I can come up with 20 great ideas for a novel. Writing the novel? That's the work. That's why you end up with a lot of simultaneous moves or games on a similar topic -- ideas are so abundant, that frequently you get parallel but independent development of the same idea.

Thanks for helping me think through it! How much rewriting makes it just using the idea and not the writing? (I'm trying to relate it to how plagiarism and not appropriately quoting or citing things works in academia... and that might not be a route to take.)

Is there a point where the idea is unique enough that it itself is worth crediting? If you were struggling explaining a rule idea and someone came up with a tact you hadn't thought of and four sentences that conveyed it in a way you would use without editing, is that enough writing for credit? If they submit a creature or mechanic or spell, I assume there are a bunch of descriptive paragraphs that would all work - does choosing to rewrite that change how credit should work?

 

[Morrus]

Thanks for helping me think through it! How much rewriting makes it just using the idea and not the writing? (I'm trying to relate it to how plagiarism and not appropriately quoting or citing things works in academia... and that might not be a route to take.)

That's a deep dive into copyright law. To be safe, you should write it completely in your own words (although obviously any subject-specific jargon, such as 'armor class' needs to be retained for it to make sense).

Is there a point where the idea is unique enough that it itself is worth crediting? If you were struggling explaining a rule idea and someone came up with a tact you hadn't thought of and four sentences that conveyed it in a way you would use without editing, is that enough writing for credit? If they submit a creature or mechanic or spell, I assume there are a bunch of descriptive paragraphs that would all work - does choosing to rewrite that change how credit should work?

I'd have to have an example. They wouldn't use those four sentences, though. They’d write their own sentences. IF they used those four sentences (which they wouldn't unless they commissioned it specifically), then yes, that person has written for them. I guess if in the super rare occasion (and I've never seen this happen) somebody came up with a way to describe something in their game in a manner that was so original and unique that they had to have those exact words, they’d reach out and ask to buy them. But I can't imagine somebody explaining opportunity attacks in such an amazing way that they couldn't explain them themselves just as well. They’ve got some great writers working on their stuff!

 

[MatthewJHanson]

I'm really curious about tomorrow's prompt. Anyone want to give any last minute guesses?

My guess is something like a make a new magic item, monster, or NPC.

I don't think it will happen, but I think it would be cool it had to use an old setting that is currently unpublished.

 

[Maxperson]

Well, no chance for me to try my skills on that event. People from Québec can not apply...

I've always wondered about that. What does Quebec have against contests?