Rune
Once A Fool
It’s finally here, folk! The IRON DM 2021 Tournament begins. Herein, seven challengers will attempt to dethrone the current champion by testing their adventure-writing skills through three grueling rounds (if they can last that long!) of intense head-to-head matches.
This year’s judges will be:
Iron Sky, a competitor and judge of tournaments past and the IRON DM of 2009 and 2019.
Radiating Gnome, a competitor from the early days, a well-seasoned judge, and a gnome of wisdom and renown.
Rune, a once-frequent competitor, the IRON DM of SPRING 2002, and a not-infrequent judge of tournaments past.
Our Contestants:
1: humble minion (IRON DM 2020)
2: Neurotic
3: Gradine (IRON DM 2017)
4: el-remmen (IRON DM SUMMER 2003)
5: Snarf Zagyg
6: Wicht (IRON DM FALL 2002, 2013)
7: loverdrive
8: Fenris-77
The challenge begins! Let’s get into it!
(As always, thanks to @Pbartender for photoshopping this pic of Chairman Kaga biting into a d20 back in the day.)
Round 1: The Crucible
Match 1: Fenris-77 vs. Gradine. Radiating Gnome’s judgement.
Match 2: Snarf Zagyg vs. el-remmen. Iron Sky’s judgement.
Match 3: Wicht vs. humble minion. Rune’s judgement.
Match 4: loverdrive vs. Neurotic. Radiating Gnome’s judgement.
For those who prefer to follow along with a visual bracket, el-remmen has provided one that includes all final standings in this post.
This year’s judges will be:
Iron Sky, a competitor and judge of tournaments past and the IRON DM of 2009 and 2019.
Radiating Gnome, a competitor from the early days, a well-seasoned judge, and a gnome of wisdom and renown.
Rune, a once-frequent competitor, the IRON DM of SPRING 2002, and a not-infrequent judge of tournaments past.
Our Contestants:
1: humble minion (IRON DM 2020)
2: Neurotic
3: Gradine (IRON DM 2017)
4: el-remmen (IRON DM SUMMER 2003)
5: Snarf Zagyg
6: Wicht (IRON DM FALL 2002, 2013)
7: loverdrive
8: Fenris-77
The Basics:
The tournament is set up in a single-elimination bracket style, with each match determined based on scheduling availability among the eligible contestants within the match’s tier.
Each match consists of two contestants given a single set of ingredients with which to construct a brief adventure or adventure synopsis in any game system or genre. You should waste neither time, nor words, on overly detailed stats, but you should also not assume familiarity with any given system or genre. Explain what you need to explain, and stop there!
These entries will be evaluated on their own merits and those evaluations will then be compared to determine the winner of a match, who will then proceed to the next round.
All matches will be given a time-frame to submit the entries within. An entry that is late will still be accepted, but with a penalty applied to its word-limit. Late entries that are less than 1 hour late will have their word-limits reduced by 10% (meaning, for example, a first-round entry would have its word-limit reduced from 750 to 675, which is harsher than it looks). Entries that are at least 1 hour late, but less than 1 day late will have their word-limits reduced by 30%. Entries that are at least 1 day late will have their word-limits reduced by 50%. Entries that are at least 2 days late may be disqualified at the discretion of the other competitor and judges. Entries that exceed their word-limits will be considered to end once they reach that limit; we will ignore everything after.
Obviously, you really want to avoid being late, especially in the first round, but life happens, and sometimes you just can't make it. In such cases, you should take the extra time (before your next threshold) to polish your entry with your new word-limit in mind. It won't be easy, but you might still win. Even if you don't win, you may at least find the judgement(s) enlightening for future IRON DM tournaments!
Entries are expected to make good use of all of the ingredients submitted. The ingredients should be creatively applied, well-integrated, and fundamentally necessary to the adventure that they are used in. This is the crux of the tournament, so don't think that maybe (for example) doing a good job with three ingredients will be enough, as long as you can craft a better adventure! I wouldn't count on it, if I were you.
Finally, each of the first-round matches will use six ingredients. After that, the list of required ingredients will get longer as the rounds progress.
Formatting:
All entries are to be submitted with the list of ingredients at the top and are not to be edited, once submitted. Let me repeat that last part: DO NOT EDIT YOUR POST, ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT! Check your work before you send it in. Then check it again. We will not look favorably upon any entry that has been edited and may penalize the entry as we see fit, including, possibly, outright disqualification. Part of the challenge of IRON DM is in the development and use of discipline in editing and time-management.
Please do not expect us to follow links within your entry. You may include links for others to follow if you choose to do so, but understand that any information that is necessary to the entry must be in the actual entry. We will be reading each entry multiple times and, thus, unlikely to also be willing to go outside the entry to find context for it. More importantly, expecting outside sources to carry the load of exposition very much defeats the purpose of the word-limit.
Along those lines – If the author chooses to include a trigger warning in an entry, that warning will not count against the word limit. Such a warning is being offered as a courtesy to readers (not necessarily the judges) in a context where the author can never know who those readers will be.
Further, the kind of information conveyed is not in a form that can be used to shortcut exposition in an entry. However, if an entry does use a trigger warning to provide that kind of descriptive information, any such portion of a trigger warning will count against the word-limit.
Judgement:
Each of the first-round matches will have a single judge. The second- and third-round matches will have the full panel of three. As I said before, each entry will be judged on its own merits and then the two competing entries' critiques will be compared for the final judgement. In the latter rounds, the majority opinion will determine the victor. Different judges have traditionally had different processes to arrive at such outcomes – for instance, some may use a point-based grading chart, while others may prefer a more abstract analysis.
We will endeavor to be Nemmerelesque in our judgements – critical, but also fair and constructive in that criticism. It's tradition. Even so, please understand that not everybody will agree with every decision that we make – that's the nature of the game. Traditionally, trying to figure out what the judge will want to see is all part of the game (though not necessarily a recommended strategy) – and that can lead to some undesired outcomes. It can sting sometimes (believe me, I know!), but it is a game. Let's have some fun with it!
That said, those wishing to gain a little insight into the judges’ thinking will need to do a little research to do so, but the information is out there. Be warned, though! We may have changed our thinking on some of these things within the last couple of decades!
Scheduling, Discussing, and Spectating:
To keep down the clutter, scheduling for all matches will take place elsewhere, in the scheduling thread.
This tournament thread will be used to list the ingredients and the judgements for each match, as well as the entries, themselves. Commentary and good-natured trash-talking will also be welcome in this thread, but, please, if you are commenting on an entry that has not yet been judged, hide that commentary with spoiler tags,
so that the judges can view the entries with fresh eyes!
If spectators would like to play the home game, please feel free to do that in another thread.
One final note:
Once these tournaments have been completed, we try to archive them on these boards for posterity, and so that the adventures can be run or plundered by future Internet generations. We make no claim of ownership over the entries, but we do request that you do not remove or alter your entries once the tournament has concluded.
The tournament is set up in a single-elimination bracket style, with each match determined based on scheduling availability among the eligible contestants within the match’s tier.
Each match consists of two contestants given a single set of ingredients with which to construct a brief adventure or adventure synopsis in any game system or genre. You should waste neither time, nor words, on overly detailed stats, but you should also not assume familiarity with any given system or genre. Explain what you need to explain, and stop there!
These entries will be evaluated on their own merits and those evaluations will then be compared to determine the winner of a match, who will then proceed to the next round.
All matches will be given a time-frame to submit the entries within. An entry that is late will still be accepted, but with a penalty applied to its word-limit. Late entries that are less than 1 hour late will have their word-limits reduced by 10% (meaning, for example, a first-round entry would have its word-limit reduced from 750 to 675, which is harsher than it looks). Entries that are at least 1 hour late, but less than 1 day late will have their word-limits reduced by 30%. Entries that are at least 1 day late will have their word-limits reduced by 50%. Entries that are at least 2 days late may be disqualified at the discretion of the other competitor and judges. Entries that exceed their word-limits will be considered to end once they reach that limit; we will ignore everything after.
Obviously, you really want to avoid being late, especially in the first round, but life happens, and sometimes you just can't make it. In such cases, you should take the extra time (before your next threshold) to polish your entry with your new word-limit in mind. It won't be easy, but you might still win. Even if you don't win, you may at least find the judgement(s) enlightening for future IRON DM tournaments!
Entries are expected to make good use of all of the ingredients submitted. The ingredients should be creatively applied, well-integrated, and fundamentally necessary to the adventure that they are used in. This is the crux of the tournament, so don't think that maybe (for example) doing a good job with three ingredients will be enough, as long as you can craft a better adventure! I wouldn't count on it, if I were you.
Finally, each of the first-round matches will use six ingredients. After that, the list of required ingredients will get longer as the rounds progress.
Formatting:
All entries are to be submitted with the list of ingredients at the top and are not to be edited, once submitted. Let me repeat that last part: DO NOT EDIT YOUR POST, ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT! Check your work before you send it in. Then check it again. We will not look favorably upon any entry that has been edited and may penalize the entry as we see fit, including, possibly, outright disqualification. Part of the challenge of IRON DM is in the development and use of discipline in editing and time-management.
Please do not expect us to follow links within your entry. You may include links for others to follow if you choose to do so, but understand that any information that is necessary to the entry must be in the actual entry. We will be reading each entry multiple times and, thus, unlikely to also be willing to go outside the entry to find context for it. More importantly, expecting outside sources to carry the load of exposition very much defeats the purpose of the word-limit.
Along those lines – If the author chooses to include a trigger warning in an entry, that warning will not count against the word limit. Such a warning is being offered as a courtesy to readers (not necessarily the judges) in a context where the author can never know who those readers will be.
Further, the kind of information conveyed is not in a form that can be used to shortcut exposition in an entry. However, if an entry does use a trigger warning to provide that kind of descriptive information, any such portion of a trigger warning will count against the word-limit.
Judgement:
Each of the first-round matches will have a single judge. The second- and third-round matches will have the full panel of three. As I said before, each entry will be judged on its own merits and then the two competing entries' critiques will be compared for the final judgement. In the latter rounds, the majority opinion will determine the victor. Different judges have traditionally had different processes to arrive at such outcomes – for instance, some may use a point-based grading chart, while others may prefer a more abstract analysis.
We will endeavor to be Nemmerelesque in our judgements – critical, but also fair and constructive in that criticism. It's tradition. Even so, please understand that not everybody will agree with every decision that we make – that's the nature of the game. Traditionally, trying to figure out what the judge will want to see is all part of the game (though not necessarily a recommended strategy) – and that can lead to some undesired outcomes. It can sting sometimes (believe me, I know!), but it is a game. Let's have some fun with it!
That said, those wishing to gain a little insight into the judges’ thinking will need to do a little research to do so, but the information is out there. Be warned, though! We may have changed our thinking on some of these things within the last couple of decades!
Round 1: The Crucible
All matches in the first round will have a 24 hour time-limit! All matches in the first round will have six ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in these matches will have a 750 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! That may not seem like a lot, but I assure you, it's even less than you think! Contestants who win their Round 1 matches will proceed to Round 2.
Round 2: The Refinement
All matches in the second round will have a 48 hour time-limit. These matches will each have seven ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in these matches will have a 1500 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! Contestants who win their Round 2 matches will proceed to Round 3.
Round 3: The Tempering
The third round match will also have a 48 hour time-limit. This match will use eight ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in this match will have a 2000 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! The contestant who wins this match will become the IRON DM 2021!
All matches in the first round will have a 24 hour time-limit! All matches in the first round will have six ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in these matches will have a 750 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! That may not seem like a lot, but I assure you, it's even less than you think! Contestants who win their Round 1 matches will proceed to Round 2.
Round 2: The Refinement
All matches in the second round will have a 48 hour time-limit. These matches will each have seven ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in these matches will have a 1500 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! Contestants who win their Round 2 matches will proceed to Round 3.
Round 3: The Tempering
The third round match will also have a 48 hour time-limit. This match will use eight ingredients, all of which are to be used in each entry. Entries in this match will have a 2000 word limit, not including the title and ingredients list. Any descriptions or definitions of ingredients included with the list will count against the limit! The contestant who wins this match will become the IRON DM 2021!
Scheduling, Discussing, and Spectating:
To keep down the clutter, scheduling for all matches will take place elsewhere, in the scheduling thread.
This tournament thread will be used to list the ingredients and the judgements for each match, as well as the entries, themselves. Commentary and good-natured trash-talking will also be welcome in this thread, but, please, if you are commenting on an entry that has not yet been judged, hide that commentary with spoiler tags,
like this,
If spectators would like to play the home game, please feel free to do that in another thread.
One final note:
Once these tournaments have been completed, we try to archive them on these boards for posterity, and so that the adventures can be run or plundered by future Internet generations. We make no claim of ownership over the entries, but we do request that you do not remove or alter your entries once the tournament has concluded.
The challenge begins! Let’s get into it!
(As always, thanks to @Pbartender for photoshopping this pic of Chairman Kaga biting into a d20 back in the day.)
Round 1: The Crucible
Match 1: Fenris-77 vs. Gradine. Radiating Gnome’s judgement.
Match 2: Snarf Zagyg vs. el-remmen. Iron Sky’s judgement.
Match 3: Wicht vs. humble minion. Rune’s judgement.
Match 4: loverdrive vs. Neurotic. Radiating Gnome’s judgement.
Round 2: The Refinement
Match 1: Wicht vs. el-remmen. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Match 2: Gradine vs. Neurotic. Iron Sky’s judgement. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Match 1: Wicht vs. el-remmen. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Match 2: Gradine vs. Neurotic. Iron Sky’s judgement. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Round 3: The Tempering
Championship Match: Wicht vs. Gradine. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Championship Match: Wicht vs. Gradine. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Congratulations to Wicht for securing the 2nd-Place title.
And congratulations to Gradine, the IRON DM 2021!
And congratulations to Gradine, the IRON DM 2021!
el-remmen and Neurotic have agreed to participate in an exhibition match to determine a 3rd-place winner in this tournament. This match will be quick, using the oldest-of-skool rules:
1 hour. 6 ingredients. No word-limits. No editing after posting.
3rd-Place Match: Neurotic vs. el-remmen. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
1 hour. 6 ingredients. No word-limits. No editing after posting.
3rd-Place Match: Neurotic vs. el-remmen. Radiating Gnome’s judgement. Iron Sky’s judgement. Rune’s judgement.
Congratulations to el-remmen!
For those who prefer to follow along with a visual bracket, el-remmen has provided one that includes all final standings in this post.
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</smack>
