CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
The roster has been moved to the official Iron DM 2010 thread, over in the Plots and Places forum. Nobody wants to have two copies floating around. 
Now that the contest is underway, this thread will be the discussion forum where we can cuss and discuss the entries. If you are going to mention specifics, though, we ask that you please use SBLOCK tags. Some of us would like to keep things a surprise.
Contestants and judges should read this thread at their own risk, especially if they are in the middle of a match. Very little of our banter will be helpful, and could even stifle creativity or create bias. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen...
If you have any other questions, please drop me a line!
Now that the contest is underway, this thread will be the discussion forum where we can cuss and discuss the entries. If you are going to mention specifics, though, we ask that you please use SBLOCK tags. Some of us would like to keep things a surprise.
Contestants and judges should read this thread at their own risk, especially if they are in the middle of a match. Very little of our banter will be helpful, and could even stifle creativity or create bias. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen...
What is an Iron DM?
"An Iron DM tournament is a contest in which writers show their ability to turn a collection of random ingredients into a cohesive adventure over a short period of time."
So how does this work, anyway?
The Iron DM contest is a single-elimination writing contest, loosely based on the Japanese game show "Iron Chef." Contestants are given a short list of ingredients, all of which must be used to create an original adventure, encounter, or side-trek. Contestants have but 24 hours to create, write, and post their entries. The DM with the best story wins, and proceeds on to the next round.
What do I win?
This year's prizes include:
...and many other things that money cannot buy.
Who can enter?
Anyone who is not a judge. If you are reading this, you are invited to compete.
Who are the judges?
This event is organized by the Rat Bastard DMs Club, and judges are drawn from this membership.
Can I edit my entry once it's posted?
No. Entries that have a "Last edited by..." tag at the bottom may be disqualified, depending on how strict your judge is. If you spot an error in your entry, you should send a private message to the judge about it.
What are the judges looking for?
Each judge has his own way of choosing a winner...some are formulaic, others are abstract. For the most part, entries will be judged on (a) ingredient use, (b) playability, (c) creativity, and (d) overall impression.
Ingredient Use: How well were all of the ingredients tied together in the story? Was each ingredient a necessary, irreplacable part of the adventure, or was it merely a prop or McGuffin that could have been replaced with anything else? Did some ingredients get over-used?
Playability: will other DMs find it interesting and useful? Can it be easily dropped into an existing campaign, or will it require extensive work on the DM's part to adapt to his game world?
Creativity: did you use the ingredients in innovative, imaginative ways? or did you simply drop six ingredients into your favorite published adventure? Are you using someone else's adventure? Did you go "above and beyond," and include stuff like hand-drawn maps or original poetry? Did you create new monsters, spells, magic items, or other "crunchy" items?
Overall impression: is the adventure cool? Is it something that you would pay money for? Does it tell an awesome story? Can it hold the reader's interest?
Different judges will give each category different weight in choosing a winner. It is recommended that all contestants read through the judgments of last year's contest to get a feel for what different judges will be looking for.
Which edition of D&D are we supposed to use?
This contest is edition-neutral; you may use any edition you want. Most entries will probably be 3.x or 4E, but we have seen older editions before, as well as d20 Modern, Pathfinder, and even Star Wars (and I can't remember for sure, but I think there was a G.U.R.P.S. entry a while back.) So go with your favorite.
Keep in mind that one of the things you will be judged on is "playability." So if you write an adventure for a non-D&D system, consider adding some conversion notes. This is not a requirement; merely a suggestion.
"An Iron DM tournament is a contest in which writers show their ability to turn a collection of random ingredients into a cohesive adventure over a short period of time."
So how does this work, anyway?
The Iron DM contest is a single-elimination writing contest, loosely based on the Japanese game show "Iron Chef." Contestants are given a short list of ingredients, all of which must be used to create an original adventure, encounter, or side-trek. Contestants have but 24 hours to create, write, and post their entries. The DM with the best story wins, and proceeds on to the next round.
What do I win?
This year's prizes include:
- The glowing admiration of your peers
- Maybe some XP from your fans
- The respect of at least one other DM in this forum
- Street cred
- A warm, fuzzy sense of accomplishment
...and many other things that money cannot buy.
Who can enter?
Anyone who is not a judge. If you are reading this, you are invited to compete.
Who are the judges?
This event is organized by the Rat Bastard DMs Club, and judges are drawn from this membership.
Can I edit my entry once it's posted?
No. Entries that have a "Last edited by..." tag at the bottom may be disqualified, depending on how strict your judge is. If you spot an error in your entry, you should send a private message to the judge about it.
What are the judges looking for?
Each judge has his own way of choosing a winner...some are formulaic, others are abstract. For the most part, entries will be judged on (a) ingredient use, (b) playability, (c) creativity, and (d) overall impression.
Ingredient Use: How well were all of the ingredients tied together in the story? Was each ingredient a necessary, irreplacable part of the adventure, or was it merely a prop or McGuffin that could have been replaced with anything else? Did some ingredients get over-used?
Playability: will other DMs find it interesting and useful? Can it be easily dropped into an existing campaign, or will it require extensive work on the DM's part to adapt to his game world?
Creativity: did you use the ingredients in innovative, imaginative ways? or did you simply drop six ingredients into your favorite published adventure? Are you using someone else's adventure? Did you go "above and beyond," and include stuff like hand-drawn maps or original poetry? Did you create new monsters, spells, magic items, or other "crunchy" items?
Overall impression: is the adventure cool? Is it something that you would pay money for? Does it tell an awesome story? Can it hold the reader's interest?
Different judges will give each category different weight in choosing a winner. It is recommended that all contestants read through the judgments of last year's contest to get a feel for what different judges will be looking for.
Which edition of D&D are we supposed to use?
This contest is edition-neutral; you may use any edition you want. Most entries will probably be 3.x or 4E, but we have seen older editions before, as well as d20 Modern, Pathfinder, and even Star Wars (and I can't remember for sure, but I think there was a G.U.R.P.S. entry a while back.) So go with your favorite.
Keep in mind that one of the things you will be judged on is "playability." So if you write an adventure for a non-D&D system, consider adding some conversion notes. This is not a requirement; merely a suggestion.
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