IRON DM 2025 Tournament Thread
- Thread starter Gradine
- Start date
Rune
Once A Fool
I expect you’ll get an @-summons when the time comes.Dude, you're messing hard with my ability to check on posts without clicking on the specific thread.
Gradine
🏳️⚧️ (she/her) 🇵🇸
And that looks like three votes for @AustinHolm, who is our new Iron DM for 2025! Congratulations are in order! I don't know how often we've had any rookie champions, but it's a rare feat regardless. But will you be able to defend your crown next year? We'll have to wait and see...
@Fenris-77, you've put up some of my favorite entries in this competition so far. You clearly know what it takes to make it this far and win. In reading the judgments of my co-judges, one theme I see repeated is "missed opportunity". I wonder if maybe you found these particular ingredients difficult to work with. They appeared, in several instances, to be obstacles to be wrangled into shape. That's going to happen in the best entries, but I think in this case it happened too often, and it led to you missing opportunities to tie those ingredients together in a way that would have made each of them, and the entry as a whole, much stronger.
Unanimous results are rare in these later rounds; to have two out of three matches unanimous is rarer still. I don't want anyone to take away that these matches were not close. All of our competitors have put out incredible entries this year, and it has been the toughest for me personally to judge, by far. I think, in future years, we will look back on this year's tournament as one filled with incredible exemplars; a year to point to for any new contestants looking for a crash course on How To Iron DM.
I can't wait to see what the future holds...
@Fenris-77, you've put up some of my favorite entries in this competition so far. You clearly know what it takes to make it this far and win. In reading the judgments of my co-judges, one theme I see repeated is "missed opportunity". I wonder if maybe you found these particular ingredients difficult to work with. They appeared, in several instances, to be obstacles to be wrangled into shape. That's going to happen in the best entries, but I think in this case it happened too often, and it led to you missing opportunities to tie those ingredients together in a way that would have made each of them, and the entry as a whole, much stronger.
Unanimous results are rare in these later rounds; to have two out of three matches unanimous is rarer still. I don't want anyone to take away that these matches were not close. All of our competitors have put out incredible entries this year, and it has been the toughest for me personally to judge, by far. I think, in future years, we will look back on this year's tournament as one filled with incredible exemplars; a year to point to for any new contestants looking for a crash course on How To Iron DM.
I can't wait to see what the future holds...
I posted a design journal of sorts. That's my mea culpa.
Rune
Once A Fool
Congratulations to IRON DM 2025 @AustinHolm!
AustinHolm
Explorer
Thank you, I'm honoured!
Thanks to @Gradine, @FitzTheRuke, and @Rune for judging. @Rune, I did do some research into the judges, but mostly in the first round when @Gradine was my sole judge. I had no idea German names and dream-stuff would target you specifically. Is it, as you say, an extraordinary coincidence, or do we just share uncommonly good taste?
Thanks also to @humble minion and @Whizbang Dustyboots. I was very lucky to face two former winners in the early rounds. It definitely forced me to learn the game quickly. @Fenris-77, thanks for a memorable final. I'm sure we'll battle again! It's been a real pleasure, and I'm glad it was two Knave Jam alumni in the last match. TTRPGs can seem like both a very large and very small community at the same time, so I'm always happy to see a familiar name.
Finally, a special thanks to @WatcherDM for suggesting I enter the competition. I could never put myself out there in front of critically-minded strangers without the support of a good friend. If you've enjoyed anything I've written for Iron DM, please check out the stuff we've made together at watcherdm.com. We've got a whole bunch of modules and blog posts and such, most of which is just as weird as the stuff I've written here.
I know a lot of people were saying the Troika adventures this year intrigued them. If you do check out the game, keep an eye out for Megamidden, coming sometime next year from Melsonian Arts Council. It's a hexcrawl I wrote, set in a vast junkyard ruled by cruel landfill lords and junker aristos. I'm pretty stoked on it.
Anyways, thank you for reading. I look forward to competing next year. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes to someday break @Deuce Traveler 's record, so I hope to see you folks here again!
Thanks to @Gradine, @FitzTheRuke, and @Rune for judging. @Rune, I did do some research into the judges, but mostly in the first round when @Gradine was my sole judge. I had no idea German names and dream-stuff would target you specifically. Is it, as you say, an extraordinary coincidence, or do we just share uncommonly good taste?
Thanks also to @humble minion and @Whizbang Dustyboots. I was very lucky to face two former winners in the early rounds. It definitely forced me to learn the game quickly. @Fenris-77, thanks for a memorable final. I'm sure we'll battle again! It's been a real pleasure, and I'm glad it was two Knave Jam alumni in the last match. TTRPGs can seem like both a very large and very small community at the same time, so I'm always happy to see a familiar name.
Finally, a special thanks to @WatcherDM for suggesting I enter the competition. I could never put myself out there in front of critically-minded strangers without the support of a good friend. If you've enjoyed anything I've written for Iron DM, please check out the stuff we've made together at watcherdm.com. We've got a whole bunch of modules and blog posts and such, most of which is just as weird as the stuff I've written here.
I know a lot of people were saying the Troika adventures this year intrigued them. If you do check out the game, keep an eye out for Megamidden, coming sometime next year from Melsonian Arts Council. It's a hexcrawl I wrote, set in a vast junkyard ruled by cruel landfill lords and junker aristos. I'm pretty stoked on it.
Anyways, thank you for reading. I look forward to competing next year. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hopes to someday break @Deuce Traveler 's record, so I hope to see you folks here again!
Rune
Once A Fool
As this year’s champion, you will have automatic entry into the next tournament so that you can defend that title. Your work is quality, so I’d say you have a good shot at a streak.
Gradine
🏳️⚧️ (she/her) 🇵🇸
I was going to say; cloud giants dealing with dream stuff and the reference to the Doppelganger all felt like reminders of some of my own past entries, so I chuckled a bit when I saw Rune's comment. Almost like it was a few vampires and Y2K reference away from being a greatest hits for all three judges
We're glad you joined us! Honestly, there were a lot of really amazing entries in this tournament. You all did not make it an easy one to judge! But that's the best kind of tournament, honestly.
Being totally honest, and of course speaking only for myself, but wanting to catch and break that record is a big part of the reason why Iron DM 2024 didn't happen. I'm a little less gungho about jumping into the game again nowadays, but that bug bites us all eventually (I'm sure @Rune can sympathize!)
Rune
Once A Fool
The thematic stuff was one thing. I’m not unique in my preferences.I was going to say; cloud giants dealing with dream stuff and the reference to the Doppelganger all felt like reminders of some of my own past entries, so I chuckled a bit when I saw Rune's comment. Almost like it was a few vampires and Y2K reference away from being a greatest hits for all three judges
But the echoed technique really made me question things. Not just that a foreign language was used for names that hint at NPCs’ roles, but that the language chosen was also German! A remarkable case of parallel thinking (offset by 23 years).
I just wanted a second win. Alas, I peaked in my first outing.
Things being as they are, I don’t see me competing again, but who knows?
FitzTheRuke
Legend
I'd like to compete again. All the good entries, but particularly @Fenris-77's last couple of entries made something click for me that I'd like to try and see how I do. Hopefully I'll remember it next year (and notice the thread in time to sign up before the spots fill!)
But I enjoyed my first time judging, too, even if I feel like I held things up a bit - it took me forever to do, which is funny because I only didn't compete this year because I felt like I wouldn't have the time to do it justice!
Which, come to think of it, was the right call, because the big thing about Judging vs Competing is this: Judging is actually even more time-consuming than competing, but its only time-limit is in a desire to not let the contestants or other judges down. It's not a hard limit where if you leave it for tomorrow, you don't fail.
I think I needed that this year. I think it's obvious that I needed that!
But I enjoyed my first time judging, too, even if I feel like I held things up a bit - it took me forever to do, which is funny because I only didn't compete this year because I felt like I wouldn't have the time to do it justice!
Which, come to think of it, was the right call, because the big thing about Judging vs Competing is this: Judging is actually even more time-consuming than competing, but its only time-limit is in a desire to not let the contestants or other judges down. It's not a hard limit where if you leave it for tomorrow, you don't fail.
I think I needed that this year. I think it's obvious that I needed that!
