# The EN World IRON DM 2019 Tournament Scheduling Thread



## Gradine (Aug 20, 2019)

The time has come around again. Do you have what it takes to succeed in three grueling rounds of intense and competitive adventure-writing, in order to become this year's *IRON DM*?

*What is IRON DM?*

The founder says it best:



> _el-remmen said:
> 
> Simple. We get 8 people willing to play (and 3 alternates). I pair people off as competitors and give them a set of 6 "ingredients".
> 
> ...




That's the basic structure, but times change and the rules evolve. A more accurate and detailed set of this current tournament's rules will appear later in this post.

First, though, an introduction and some history of this tournament, one of EN World's oldest traditions:

*Who are we?*

This year's tournament will be coordinated and judged by a panel of three judges:

*Deuce Traveler, *the IRON DM of 2012, 2015, and 2016. Also a judge in Iron DM 2018!

*Radiating Gnome, *a perennial contender and experienced judge of Iron DMs past.

*Gradine, *a regular competitor since 2014 and the IRON DM of 2017, taking their first spin at judging!

*What's the history of this tournament?*



Spoiler: History



Back in 2001, before the current incarnation of these boards, Nemmerle threw together the first EN World Iron DM tournament. Contestants each had one hour for each entry. By the next year, it was 24 hours, which remained the case for several years.

Soon after the first EN World tourney, tournaments were being held at other sites, as well. The now defunct Nutkinland held a few. And, as Nemmerle was a founding member of the semi-secretive Rat Bastard DM's Club, it was only natural that tournaments happen there, as well. The judges for the EN World tournaments have almost all come out of that club, as well (I can think of only three exceptions)(Well, at least four now).

That's not iron-clad (pardon the expression!) though. If any previous contestant is interested in being a future judge, send @Rune a PM with links to the tourneys you participated in and you'll definitely be considered.

Anyway, back on topic: there were a few years (2006 through 2008) when EN World saw no tournaments, simply because the RBDM Club had a public forum for a while, and nobody ever started them up over here. But the RBDM Club moved and became private again and in 2009, IRON DM returned to EN World.

And here we are.



*How can you find the old tournaments?*

Here are all surviving EN World IRON DM Tournaments*




*

IRON DM 2018

IRON DM 2017

IRON DM 2016

IRON DM 2015

IRON DM 2014

IRON DM 2013

IRON DM 2012

IRON DM 2011

IRON DM 2010

IRON DM 2009

IRON DM 2005

IRON DM SPRING 2004

IRON DM WINTER 2004

IRON DM FALL 2003

IRON DM SUMMER 2003

IRON DM WINTER 2003

IRON DM WINTER (HOLIDAY) 2002

IRON DM FALL 2002

IRON DM SPRING 2002

And then there's the IRON DM Anthology. This is a collection of entries from the above tournaments that are particularly usable and/or inspiring. Note that many of them did not win the matches that they appeared in and should not necessarily be used as models for winning a match. Still worth a look, though, especially if you've got a game coming up on short notice. Note that these old threads were from the older version of the forum, so some formatting might be wonky on older Iron DM submissions.

*What are the rules?*



Spoiler: 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.

Each match will consist 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. Additionally, each judge may decide whether to take a late entry's tardiness into further consideration when making a decision.

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. I’ve seen it happen at least once before (by a newcomer, against a seasoned veteran and two-time Iron DM champion. Never say never!) Even if you don't win, you may at least find the judgement 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. The keyword is crucial. If we can replace your ingredient with anything else and not ruin the adventure, that means the ingredient is not crucial. Keep in mind that 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, matches have traditionally (but not always!) had exactly six ingredients. This will not be the case in this tournament. The list of required ingredients will get longer as the rounds progress!





Spoiler: Word Counter



This year we will be exclusively using: WordCounter - Count Words & Correct Writing for all of our word counting needs. You'd think something like "word count" would be pretty objective and universal, but I've had "1500 word" entries clock anywhere from 1496 to 1504 depending on whether I was using a Google Doc plugin or one of a hundred similar websites and to this day I've yet to fully grasp the source of the discrepancies. 

That's right, Wordcounter.net, the official free online word counter of EN World's Iron DM Competition!





Spoiler: 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 – I reiterate: we will be reading each entry multiple times. Please don't make that difficult for us. Don't bore us and don't make our eyes bleed. Please.





Spoiler: Judgements



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!





Spoiler: Tournament Structure



*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 2019!





Spoiler: Scheduling, Discussing, and Spectating:



Once all contestants have signed up, this thread will be used only for scheduling the matches.

The tournament thread will be used to list the ingredients and the judgements for each match, as well as the entries, themselves. Commentary will also be welcome in that thread, but, please, if you are commenting on an entry that has not yet been judged, hide that commentary with the forum spoiler function, or use the spoiler tags "(SPOILER="Title of spoiler, if you want one") Text you want spoilered, just replace parentheses with brackets(/SPOILER)" so that we can view the entries with fresh eyes!

If spectators would like to play the home game, please 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.

*Who can enter?*

_Anyone!_

@MortalPlague_,_ as the current IRON DM, has automatic entry into this tournament. The field is open to everybody else!

*So, I gotta ask:*

Are you creative enough?

Are you disciplined enough?

Are you good enough?

Sign up and prove it!

*Our Contestants:

1: MortalPlague (IRON DM 2014 & 2018)
2: Rune (IRON DM SPRING 2002)
3: CleverNickName
4: Iron Sky (IRON DM 2009)
5: ajanders (IRON DM 2010)
6: Psykick
7: Wisdom Seeker
8: lowkey13

Alternates:

1: As Needed
2: As Needed
3: As Needed*


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## Rune (Aug 20, 2019)

Ooo, ooo! Pick me!


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## Gradine (Aug 20, 2019)

One down! Who's next?


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## Rune (Aug 20, 2019)

Might be time to try out the summoning functionality of these new boards by calling out to some past contestants and/or judges?



Spoiler



@ajanders 

@CleverNickName 

@Leopold 

@LongGoneWriter 

@LucasC

@Lwaxy

@Iron Sky 

@InVinoVeritas

@PnPgamer

@Slit518 

@steeldragons 

@UselessTriviaMan 

@Waylander the Slayer 

@Wicht 

@Wik 

@Yaztromo


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## CleverNickName (Aug 20, 2019)

*FOO**LIS**H MO**RT**AL!!!  W**H**O WO**U**LD D*_*AR*_*E SU**MM**ON T**H**E PO**WE*oh, it's you, @Rune.  What's up buddy?

Is it time for Iron DM?  Count me in!


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## Rune (Aug 20, 2019)

Awesome!


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## Gradine (Aug 20, 2019)

Alright! That's three committed to the crucible! Who's next?


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## CleverNickName (Aug 20, 2019)

I emcee'd the Iron DM 2010 competition, and I've been an on-and-off-again competitor for almost a decade.  If you would like to refine your writing skills and flex your creative muscles, I encourage everyone to give it a try.  I'm gonna send a shout-out to the 2010 judges and contestants, and see if they would be interested in joining our writing contest.


Spoiler: Iron DM 2010 Hall of Fame



@Ender wiggin
@Radiating Gnome, judge
@MortalPlague
@Iron Sky, 2010 Finalist
@Tremorsense
@InVinoVeritas, judge
@Sanzuo, 2010 semi-finalist
@humble minion
@Pbartender, judge
@Pour
@MatthewJHanson
@Wicht
@Green Dice
@Waylander the Slayer
@Pro-Paladin, 2010 semi-finalist
@Allenchan
@ajanders, Iron DM 2010 Champion
@Wik
@howandwhy99


How cool would it be to get the old gang back together again?


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## lowkey13 (Aug 20, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


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## Gradine (Aug 20, 2019)

I've got you down as an alternate for now, lowkey, but we'll see if we can't badger cajole gently encourage you to commit fully before too long


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## Rune (Aug 21, 2019)

I’d watch out, if I were you, @lowkey13. One of the judges is a gnome, after all.


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## steeldragons (Aug 22, 2019)

I would love to participate again. Could really use a little time to stretch the creative writing muscles. Iron DM Tournament rules! 

Unfortunately, I know I simply will not have the appropriate time to devote in the coming weeks.

Best of luck to ALL of this year's contestants and judges. I look forward to reading up on everyone's entries (and the rulings/judgements are great reading, too!) as time allows.


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## Rune (Aug 23, 2019)

C’mon, now, folk! It only hurts for a little while!

Seriously, I am not exagerating when I say that IRON DM changed the course of my life!

It _completely _altered my aproach to adventure writing while simultaneously honing my skills. 

But those are long-term benefits. In the short-term, participating in an IRON DM tournament is just crazy fun. Crazy, hectic, anxiety-inducing, exhilerating fun. 

If you think you might have what it takes, come on. 

Step into the crucible. 

Be forever altered. 

Prove yourself.


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## Iron Sky (Aug 26, 2019)

Just worked 110+ hours in the last two weeks so fell of the face of the Internet, but I'm here and I'm in!


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## Gradine (Aug 26, 2019)

We're halfway there! Livin' on a prayer!

Who else is willing to step up to take on the challenge?


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## Rune (Aug 27, 2019)

No new challengers yet?

_No one new willing to put their adventure-crafting skills on the line?

No one new willing to challenge themselves to improve those skills?

No one new willing find out if yhey’ve got what it takes to become an IRON DM?_

There’s a reason people in the know keep coming back. 

But I’m just one guy. Maybe my fellow competitors can tell you why they come back for more. @CleverNickName? @Iron Sky? @MortalPlague?


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## Deuce Traveler (Aug 27, 2019)

Maybe we should post an item on the front page.  Not everyone checks the General  RPG section.


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## Lwaxy (Aug 29, 2019)

I won't have time this year either. Still renovating house, and I'm running games almost daily so all my creativity gets good use already.


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## Iron Sky (Sep 1, 2019)

I've been involved in IronDM for almost a decade. In the process, I've become a far better writer - especially since the word limits forced me to use precision instead of volume. I've become a better GM not only through the process of competing, but seeing other GM's process and products. Through competing I've become more resilient to criticism and critique.

Judging changed my perception and process further, adding a layer of analysis and reflection.

The time constraints, ingredients, and competition spark an explosion of creativity that has taken me to places I never would have thought to go and created adventures I don't think would have found a channel any other way.

Do it!


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## Gradine (Sep 3, 2019)

I seriously cannot oversell how fun this can be. Come on, give it a go! How often do you get the opportunity to write adventures (well, adventure treatments, generally speaking) to spec (including word count) on a deadline and then get quality feedback on it?


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## CleverNickName (Sep 4, 2019)

Last year, I wrote an adventure about Baelzebub and the politics of the afterlife.  Then for Round 2, I wrote a children's adventure about a poisoned wedding cake.  I didn't advance to the final, but I still had a great time.  If you haven't done it before, you should definitely give it a try.


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## ajanders (Sep 6, 2019)

I'm out of practice, and possibly a few other things, but I'd like to be in, if there's space.


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## Rune (Sep 6, 2019)

Sweet! Welcome back!


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## ajanders (Sep 6, 2019)

A move, three new jobs, a marriage, and a kid are a long gap.


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## Rune (Sep 6, 2019)

Another champion approaches.


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## Gradine (Sep 6, 2019)

And now we only have three spots left to fill! Two, if we can forcefully drag coerce respectfully convince @lowkey13 off of the fence.


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## Rune (Sep 6, 2019)

ajanders said:


> A move, three new jobs, a marriage, and a kid are a long gap.



We were unable to contact you for the 2011 tourney when it was time to defend your title. Glad you found your way back.


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## ajanders (Sep 6, 2019)

2011 was...difficult. Thank you for thinking of me. I think I finally got back to collecting those messages in 2016, appreciated them, and decided it might be best to let sleeping dogs lie.
Glad to be back


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## lowkey13 (Sep 6, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


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## Rune (Sep 6, 2019)

lowkey13 said:


> I don't know; I am afraid that the contest would expose my terrible shame that I can't read.
> 
> Wait- is that can't read, or refuses to listen? I always confuse those two .... someone tried to explain it to me once, but it was all BLAH BLAH BLAH.




Great! My cursory skimming of that post says that lowkey just signed up! 

I’d go back and double-check, but...eh.


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## CleverNickName (Sep 11, 2019)

Do you create your own adventures for your gaming group?
Do you play a variety of different roleplaying games, in a variety of campaign settings?
Are you a creative writer looking to polish your skills?
Do you love stories and storytelling? 
Do you love _weird _stories and storytelling?

If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, I'd like to invite you to join the 2019 Iron DM writing contest!  There's room for just three more people.  Leave a message in this thread and get scheduled!


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## Gradine (Sep 18, 2019)

Perhaps a demonstration might help to convince some folks to give it a try. So I'll extend an offer to our competitors, our alternates, and anyone else who might be following this thread: an exhibition match, right here in this thread. Everyone is welcome to participate! I'm not gonna set a time limit or word limit because this is just for fun, and it might help to give folks a ready example of just what goes on in this weird and wacky thing.

*Write an Adventure Using Each of The Following Six Ingredients:*

City of Angels
Masked Queen
Get Good
Tan Jacket
Soft Serve
Twisty Little Passages


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## Psykick (Sep 18, 2019)

I'd like to join if there's an open slot for a newcomer!


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## Gradine (Sep 18, 2019)

Welcome aboard!


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## CleverNickName (Sep 18, 2019)

Gradine said:


> *Write an Adventure Using Each of The Following Six Ingredients:*
> 
> City of Angels
> Masked Queen
> ...



Okay, here we go in ten twenty minutes...


Spoiler: The Mummy in the Subway



_The Egyptian Museum in Los Angeles, California is very excited about its latest exhibit, the mummy of Queen Bektamun, the "Masked Queen."  But just days before the mummy is to go on display, the sarcophagus goes missing...apparently stolen by the infamous master thief, Walter Good!  Their only clues are a soft serve yogurt container left behind at the scene of the crime from a popular dessert shop near the subway, and a tailor's sales receipt for a tan jacket in size 44L...and if the party puts those clues together, they learn that Good's hideout is in the old subway, at Platform 44.  The party of detectives must navigate the twisty little passages of the abandoned subway tunnels beneath LA to get Good and recover the stolen mummy._​​_A City of Mist adventure for 3-5 characters._​


Now, had this been a _real _Iron DM round, I would have been given a word count to stay under, and 48 hours to work on it. So I would have worked these ingredients a lot harder: maybe try to use each ingredient more than once, somehow make the color of the jacket important, that sort of thing. But as it is, I think it's pretty solid for only 20 minutes and 135 words.


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## CleverNickName (Sep 18, 2019)

Glad to have you aboard, @Psykick!  For a minute there, it was looking like I would be competing against an entire roster of former champions!


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## Gradine (Sep 18, 2019)

CleverNickName said:


> Okay, here we go in ten twenty minutes...
> 
> The Egyptian Museum in Los Angeles, California is very excited about its latest exhibit, the mummy of Queen Bektamun, the "Masked Queen."  But just days before the mummy is to go on display, the sarcophagus goes missing...apparently stolen by the infamous master thief, Walter Good!  Their only clues are a soft serve yogurt container left behind at the scene of the crime from a popular dessert shop near the subway, and a tailor's sales receipt for a tan jacket in size 44L...and if the party puts those clues together, they learn that Good's hideout is in the old subway, at Platform 44.  The party of detectives must navigate the twisty little passages of the abandoned subway tunnels beneath LA to get Good and recover the stolen mummy.
> 
> A City of Mist adventure for 3-5 characters.




Not a bad effort for twenty minutes! I think I remember @Rune once mentioning the very first iteration of this event back in EN World's infancy contestants literally only getting an hour to craft their adventures (in true Iron Chef fashion).


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## Rune (Sep 18, 2019)

True, but by the time I entered my first one a year later, it was up to 24. I never could have hacked it at 1 hour.

@Wicht did the 1 hour matches, though.

Also: Yay! Free practice!


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## Gradine (Sep 19, 2019)

Alright, who else is ready to step up to the plate?


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## Rune (Sep 19, 2019)

*Thrall’n Angels

A D&D 5e adventure suitable for mid-level characters

City of Angels
Masked Queen
Get Good
Tan Jacket
Soft Serve
Twisty Little Passages

Windborne Prophesy*

Twisting on the wind: strips of parchment floating minutes, hours, days apart, leading adventurers to destiny, should they but follow. On one side only: a downy grey mold, thus, a twisting curl of parchment. The other side inscribed with a a fragment of a passage, prophesy from scripture holy to the Upper Planes.

These fragments read:


Lo, the angels would not heed the call were then released from the service of Good and made there home beneath the Heavens. But there was no contentment, for they looked ever upward and yearned.
And Rot came upon them, masked as a queen. For Zuggtmoy’s Gift had now the means to enfeeble minds and the will to serve its master.
If even angels rot, so too must mortal realms. But redemption may yet be earned, for the outsiders still can unmask the queen and return wits to the fallen.
 ...but no Fires can harm him whilst he wears his jacket of tan.


*City of Thralls*

The city, gleaming, reaches for the sky. 

_Excommunion_, named in bitterness. 
Fields are overtaken by fungi, mold, decay. Once-fresh air now rank with rot.
Its deva denizens wear mantles of dark growth, have succumbed to the unrelenting _feeblemind_ effect of the Zuggtmoy-gifted fungus. No communicating with these wretches. No understanding. But vast depths of sorrow haunt their eyes.

Within the city, another class rules: 

Fungi-coated giant wasps infest the city, but are as zombies, their queen is thoroughly controlled by Zuggtmoy’s Gift and, thus, so too are they. 
Not hostile unless provoked, they will unflaggingly protect Zuggtmoy’s Gift and the queen it wears. 
[For the wasp-queen, modify the giant wasp as follows: large size, double hp, double damage]

*Zuggtmoy’s Gift*

The fungus is malevolent and servant to Zuggtmoy’s will. Zuggtmoy, being a fiend, wills that the fallen angels never be given the chance to find redemption. The further spread of rot to come is but a happy byproduct. 

Zuggtmoy’s Gift is very dangerous:

It spreads across any organic surface. Each contact necessitates a Constitution saving throw to avoid infestation.
Soon after failure, the _Feeblemind_ and _Dominate Monster_ attempts begin as it spreads inside the host. These innate abilities are used once per minute. 
Fortunately, all save DCs are only 12. 
Direct exposure to fire will instantly kill the exposed portion of fungus, and casting _Greater Restoration_, _Heal_, or _Wish_ on the host will do likewise.

*Beneath the City*

The once-wasp-queen makes her home within a tight maze of moldy tunnels beneath the city.  There, she is well-protected by her once-wasp-warriors. Another ally hides with her, unexpected, but a truly effective guard.

A venom troll, mutated through long exposure to yellow mold spores, has formed a symbiotic bond with a hybrid mold of brown and yellow (another gift from Zuggtmoy, from an era far gone). 

From _Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes_, or approximate by doubling a regular troll’s hp, giving immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and the Poison Spray cantrip (2d12 damage).]
The hybrid tan mold has all of the properties of brown and yellow molds, although only sunlight or cold damage will instantly destroy it, since it is immune to fire. The troll is likewise protected from fire by the mold, which, in turn, consume’s the troll’s body heat. Any damage sustained is regenerated soon enough.
Every move the troll makes disturbs the mold, so that, while awake, the troll is perpetually surrounded by a cloud of poisonous spores.

*Hope, at the End*

All is not hopeless, however. Zuggtmoy’s Gift has robbed the devas of their ability to think and communicate, but their wisdom and senses remain as ever they were and they cannot be dominated. Thus, they are perfectly aware that something is very wrong, although they lack the ability to understand.

One of the last devas to succumb sent the fateful scriptures on the wind, even as reason failed.

A hint of hope: Zuggtmoy’s Gift is is a hive mind who’s center resides within the wasp-queen. If destroyed, the rest of the fungus will become inert and easily exterminated. The wasps will not survive without the aid of greater magicks, for they are essentially living husks, but the angels will regain their minds and may well be inspired by the characters’ heroic deeds to seek goodness and redemption.

Rewards, should the characters deserve them, can range from wealth to powerful alliances. And even, should they choose, friendship.


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## Rune (Sep 19, 2019)

CleverNickName said:


> Okay, here we go in ten twenty minutes...
> 
> 
> Spoiler: The Mummy in the Subway
> ...




Looks fun.  Do note, though, that you’ll only have 24 hours in the first round.


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## Rune (Sep 19, 2019)

Ah nuts. I’m already seeing some glaring typos.


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## Gradine (Sep 19, 2019)

Someone's been playing Hollow Knight


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## Rune (Sep 19, 2019)

Er, no. But I suspect they took inspiration from the same sources I did: real life insect-zombifying fungi (and sometimes other insects).

Except the troll: I’ve been looking for an excuse to use a brown mold/troll symbiote for quite some time. Adding the yellow mold was a twist inspired by the “tan jacket” ingredient, of course.


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## Gradine (Sep 19, 2019)

Rune said:


> Er, no. But I suspect they took inspiration from the same sources I did: real life insect-zombifying fungi (and sometimes other insects with the aid of fungi).
> 
> Except the troll: I’ve been looking for an excuse to use a brown mold/troll symbiote for quite some time. Adding the yellow mold was a twist inspired by the “tan jacket” ingredient, of course.




I posit that it's wholly probable that the "someone" in my previous statement is "me" 

Cordyceps has been a go-to for zombification for a while, I guess (The Girl With All The Gifts, The Last of Us, etc.)

That said, very interesting scenario! I'm already mulling over how I'd judge the ingredient usage


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## Gradine (Sep 24, 2019)

We're looking for just two more contestants! Who's ready to join up?


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## Rune (Sep 25, 2019)

So close. So very close. 

C’mon, folk! It’s not _easy, _but it _is_ an immensely rewarding experience. 

If you’re on the fence because you’re not sure if you can commit the time, let me point out that part’s actually not so bad. There is a briefly intense burst of time while you are competing in a match, but the matches themselves are scheduled around player availability. And, if you make it past round 1, the time-pressure gets easier, not harder. (Other challenges, not so much).

If you’re on the fence, take the chance. It’s worth it. It really is! Win or lose, you will be better for it!


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 30, 2019)

What Rune said... It's good for writing practice and just to have a social writing session.


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## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 1, 2019)

Hm.
I've never participated in one of these before, and I usually don't visit this site. But on a recommendation by some of my online friends, I will throw my hat in the ring.


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## Gradine (Oct 1, 2019)

Wisdom Seeker said:


> Hm.
> I've never participated in one of these before, and I usually don't visit this site. But on a recommendation by some of my online friends, I will throw my hat in the ring.




Excellent! Welcome aboard!

That leaves us with only space left. How about it @lowkey13 ready to commit?


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 2, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

lowkey13 said:


> I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world because they'd never expect it.
> 
> 
> .....meh. Fine.




And Jack Handey makes 8! We are just about ready to get started!


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

@MortalPlague @Rune @CleverNickName @Iron Sky @ajanders @Psykick @Wisdom Seeker @lowkey13 

The 2019 Iron DM competition is now underway! Do we have two competitors who are ready to get started with a match later today?


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

Note: If you're interested in joining we are still recruiting alternates! Life happens and things come up, so we're always on the look for one or two (or three!) alternates who are willing and ready to step up in need be!


----------



## Rune (Oct 2, 2019)

Quick question for the judges: 

I may have missed it somewhere in the rules, but will the judges all be using a standardized online word-counter and, if so, which one? As I recall, there were some inconsistencies that came up last year.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

Ah yes, I forgot to add this!

This year we will be exclusively using: WordCounter - Count Words & Correct Writing for all of our word counting needs. You'd think something like "word count" would be pretty objective and universal, but I've had "1500 word" entries clock anywhere from 1496 to 1504 depending on whether I was using a Google Doc plugin or one of a hundred similar websites and to this day I've yet to fully grasp the source of the discrepancies. 

That's right, Wordcounter.net, the official free online word counter of EN World's Iron DM Competition!


----------



## Rune (Oct 2, 2019)

* WordCounter.net is not affiliated with EN World or the EN World 2019 IRON DM Tournament. Terms and conditions may apply. See your doctor if you run an entry that lasts longer than four hours.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

Rune said:


> See your doctor if you run an entry that lasts longer than four hours.




Didn't that happen to @Iron Sky once?


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 2, 2019)

I like to believe I'm personally responsible for the word count limits. I think one of my first entries was something like 13 pages long and I've had judges essentially say "you lose because tl;dr". 

I am not available immediately as the beginning of each month swamps me with work. I'll probably be good to go by this weekend.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 2, 2019)

Likewise I'd prefer not to start mid-week, but can dedicate time after 12 on Friday through Sunday night.


----------



## Rune (Oct 2, 2019)

Conversely, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays would be the most difficult start-times for me. Other days (specifically evenings) are better. 

Good luck to my fellow competitors. 




And allow me to be the first to offer four of you my condolences.


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 2, 2019)

Tonight seems a bit fast, to be frank. I'd rather wait until the weekend, but I could scramble a hasty reply  if you REALLY needed someone to. I am the dark horse here, so I don't mind being eliminated early if it comes to that.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

There's no rush! I'm just excited and champing at the bit a little


----------



## ajanders (Oct 2, 2019)

Gradine said:


> There's no rush! I'm just excited and champing at the bit a little



I could go Friday evening.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 2, 2019)

@Wisdom Seeker @ajanders 

How does Friday at 7:00p EST work for the two of you?


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 3, 2019)

Gradine said:


> @Wisdom Seeker @ajanders
> 
> How does Friday at 7:00p EST work for the two of you?



I should be able to submit something within 24 hr of that date, yes.


----------



## CleverNickName (Oct 3, 2019)

Sorry for the late reply; today was bonkers at work.  I'm available as early as tonight, if need be.  BRING IT.


----------



## ajanders (Oct 3, 2019)

I can do Friday at 7 pm


----------



## Gradine (Oct 3, 2019)

Sounds great! I'll post your ingredients tomorrow at 7!


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 4, 2019)

Yay... this will be fun.  Glad it worked out.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 5, 2019)

@Wisdom Seeker @ajanders 

Your ingredients have been posted.


----------



## ajanders (Oct 5, 2019)

On it


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 5, 2019)

Alright, I am also a judge.  Do I have any volunteers to go tomorrow evening?  Just need two people who can start Sunday after 3pm, East Coast time.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 5, 2019)

This weekend is out, but I can start any time next week, preferably in the morning.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 5, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> This weekend is out, but I can start any time next week, preferably in the morning.



I don't know how pairing is decided but I can go Wednesday morning if that works for you?


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 5, 2019)

I assume the ingredient description counts based on previous submissions. As I put what I have into WordCounter, I have 749 words and 4,313 characters.


----------



## ajanders (Oct 6, 2019)

I think I might be overcount. But I just barely made it.
This ingredients were a tough fit. I'm pretty sure wisdomseeker wins if he can manage coherent english.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 6, 2019)

Can anyone go Monday morning?


----------



## CleverNickName (Oct 6, 2019)

I'm a Go for Monday morning.


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 6, 2019)

As the third judge, I’ll be looking to start a match a day or so after Deuce Traveler gets his match going so we don’t have too much confusing overlap.


----------



## Rune (Oct 6, 2019)

I’m down for any evening start Monday through Thursday.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 6, 2019)

I need one more to go for Monday.  If not, I'll push to Wednesday morning.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 6, 2019)

I can go Wednesday morning or evening, but can't do Monday :/


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 6, 2019)

@CleverNickName and @Rune , let's plan on Monday evening.  I just need a yes from both of you.  Let's say 8pm east coast time.


----------



## Rune (Oct 6, 2019)

I’m good for that time, if CNN can do the evening.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 7, 2019)

I'm down for a Wednesday along with Psykick.


----------



## CleverNickName (Oct 7, 2019)

I'm down for that day/time also.  See you in the ring, Rune!


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 7, 2019)

@CleverNickName and @Rune , see you at 8pm tonight, East Coast time.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 7, 2019)

@ajanders @Wisdom Seeker 

Your judgment has been posted


----------



## Gradine (Oct 7, 2019)

@MortalPlague @lowkey13 

Looks like you two are up for our last match of the round. Are Thursday or Friday acceptable start times for you both? I can the weekends but it would be bit more difficult, unless we were starting relatively late (like in the neighborhood of 11pm EST).


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 7, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 7, 2019)

lowkey13 said:


> Thursday morning should work for me.
> Weekends not so much.




Sure thing, though keep in mind that I'm on the WBest Coast, so the earliest I could reliably post ingredients by would be around Noon EST.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 8, 2019)

@CleverNickName and @Rune, your contest starts here:









						2019 IRON DM Tournament
					

Welcome, one and all, to the 2019 IRON DM Tournament. Eight contestants enter the arena. One emerges as the IRON DM 2019.  To keep down the clutter, all scheduling will take place in the scheduling thread. Ingredients, entries, and judgements will all be posted in this thread. As usual...




					www.enworld.org


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 8, 2019)

@Iron Sky and @Psykick, I will start your round on Wednesday morning -- please chime in and let me know you're on board.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 8, 2019)

I'm good to go. Would love a 9am ET start...


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 8, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> I'm good to go. Would love a 9am ET start...



I'll do my best if that works for Psykick


----------



## Psykick (Oct 8, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> I'll do my best if that works for Psykick





Yeah that works for me 

@Iron Sky I look forward to getting crushed by you, hopefully I'll give a good fight on the way!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 8, 2019)

@Psykick Don't sell yourself short. I've lost on round 1 on more than one occasion. Plus my time is constrained harder than it's ever been; I think I have maybe 4 or 5 hours to work on this Wednesday and that's the most open day...


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 8, 2019)

That judgement was correctly harsh, I think. I did feel like the ingredients were a bit far-fetched to put together, which is why I struggled to come up with something that even included them all. IMO, 'Land Pirates' was far and away the most difficult ingredient especially because it's barely internally consistent on its own (Land Pirates == Pirates Who Don't Do Anything). But I suppose that's the point of the Iron in Iron DM.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 8, 2019)

@Wisdom Seeker generally participants put their comments in the competition thread so they can be seen by posterity (and the whatever viewing public there is) since this thread will be irrelevant as soon as the tournament is over.


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 8, 2019)

@Iron Sky and @Psykick  - I have a Dentist's appointment in the morning, which you don't care about, but it happens to be at 9 am ET, so I won't be able to start the match right then.  I'll be starting the match 30 minutes earlier at 8:30 ET.  I hope that's close enough to make it no big deal.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 8, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> @Iron Sky and @Psykick  - I have a Dentist's appointment in the morning, which you don't care about, but it happens to be at 9 am ET, so I won't be able to start the match right then.  I'll be starting the match 30 minutes earlier at 8:30 ET.  I hope that's close enough to make it no big deal.




@Iron Sky & @Radiating Gnome 

So I may not be available after all. Just found out that my county (along with most of California) will be losing power around midnight tonight and may not be getting it back for up to 7 days. Long story short, it's wild fire season and the energy company that supplies most of our power doesn't want to be held liable for fires started by their equipment so they are powering down most of the state.

I'll update tonight if I get more info but all we have right now is a vague "Probably losing power, don't know how long" statement.


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 8, 2019)

Goddamn, the lengths some contestants will go to for a little sympathy from a judge....Seriously, just charge up your phone and start soaking some towels so you can stuff them under doors to keep the smoke out until you've finished your entry.  

In all seriousness, keep us posted.  That sounds awful.

I hope that you don't lose power, and that things remain sane enough that you can participate.  Since the fourth round is already scheduled and our list of contestants didn't include any alternates, I'm going to hope like hell that everything works out for you to participate.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 8, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> Goddamn, the lengths some contestants will go to for a little sympathy from a judge....Seriously, just charge up your phone and start soaking some towels so you can stuff them under doors to keep the smoke out until you've finished your entry.
> 
> In all seriousness, keep us posted.  That sounds awful.
> 
> I hope that you don't lose power, and that things remain sane enough that you can participate.  Since the fourth round is already scheduled and our list of contestants didn't include any alternates, I'm going to hope like hell that everything works out for you to participate.




The good news is that I'm well outside of the wildfire zone, so I'll at least be safe from that but since Cali's energy grid is so interconnected they are having a hard time isolating our county from the other ones that need shutting off. Hope things work out, fingers crossed!


----------



## Rune (Oct 8, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> Since the fourth round is already scheduled and our list of contestants didn't include any alternates, I'm going to hope like hell that everything works out for you to participate.




Is it, though? I don’t think @MortalPlague has visited EN World since September. I doubt he knows we’ve begun.


----------



## CleverNickName (Oct 8, 2019)

My entry has been posted.  It's not as polished as I would have liked; I was only able to work on it for 3 hours total thanks to a scheduling nightmare at work.  I even posted it an hour early because I have to run to another engagement.   --sigh--  Ah well.  Let's see how it shakes out!


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 9, 2019)

Oh hello!  I've been busy with work and gaming and hadn't noticed that the tournament launched!  I'm here now.  If the brackets are full then I'll happily spectate, but if you need another competitor, I'd be happy to jump in.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 9, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> Goddamn, the lengths some contestants will go to for a little sympathy from a judge....Seriously, just charge up your phone and start soaking some towels so you can stuff them under doors to keep the smoke out until you've finished your entry.
> 
> In all seriousness, keep us posted.  That sounds awful.
> 
> I hope that you don't lose power, and that things remain sane enough that you can participate.  Since the fourth round is already scheduled and our list of contestants didn't include any alternates, I'm going to hope like hell that everything works out for you to participate.





Welp, looks like I'll be out of power for the next few days starting sometime tonight or early tomorrow. estimates are ranging for 48 hours to a week of outage, really not sure what to expect. If we can reschedule my match for next week when power is back that'd be great, if not I'll step out for this year and hopefully join in next year.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 9, 2019)

I have posted my judgement on @Rune's and @CleverNickName's entries.  Both were excellent.  Only one could win.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 9, 2019)

Just a heads up; I'm in a power outage starting at midnight tonight. They say it shouldn't last more than a day, but also that it could last as many as five. I believe that Psykick is in a similar situation, which may delay the next two matches for a bit.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 9, 2019)

WBest coast


----------



## Rune (Oct 9, 2019)

MortalPlague said:


> Oh hello!  I've been busy with work and gaming and hadn't noticed that the tournament launched!  I'm here now.  If the brackets are full then I'll happily spectate, but if you need another competitor, I'd be happy to jump in.




You’ve got a title to defend!


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 9, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 9, 2019)

Well, crap. Match 3 is stalled, with @Psykick out due to west coast power outage.  @Iron Sky, I think we're in a holding pattern until he re-surfaces.  Hopefully it will be in a day or so.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 9, 2019)

No worries. Whenever the inferno departs and deposits Psyckick back in the 21st Century I'm ready to go.


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 9, 2019)

Rune said:


> You’ve got a title to defend!




I suppose I do, at that.  Anytime presently is the best time for me, really.  I've got no voice so I can't be at work.


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 10, 2019)

I'm home sick today and off tomorrow.  I won't have a better window than this, aside from the discomfort of having no voice.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 10, 2019)

@lowkey13 and @MortalPlague

I can get your ingredients posted later tonight if you are both available!

I can do 8pm or around 10pm EST (probably a few minutes late), or noon EST tomorrow


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 11, 2019)

Any of those times work for me, sir.


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 11, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 11, 2019)

Alright, I will post ingredients later tonight, at about 10:15 pm EST


----------



## Gradine (Oct 11, 2019)

@lowkey13 and @MortalPlague,

Your ingredients have been posted


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 11, 2019)

Gradine said:


> Your ingredients have been posted




Those are some very interesting ingredients.  

Good luck, @lowkey13!


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 11, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Psykick (Oct 11, 2019)

@Radiating Gnome & @Iron Sky

Power is back, crisis averted!
I think I'm clear for the next week so whenever works for y'all should work for me 
I appreciate the flexibility!


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 11, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 11, 2019)

Weekends are tough for me and Monday is booked solid, but I should be good to go from Tuesday morning on next week.

Good to have you back with us, @Psykick !


----------



## Psykick (Oct 11, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Weekends are tough for me and Monday is booked solid, but I should be good to go from Tuesday morning on next week.
> 
> Good to have you back with us, @Psykick !




Tuesday works! Glad to be back


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 11, 2019)

I have an adventure I really like now, but I have to trim down from about 800 words, then somehow fit more words about the climax at the end.  750 is a tough word count to work with!


----------



## MortalPlague (Oct 12, 2019)

@Gradine - I've posted my entry!



lowkey13 said:


> Posted. If nothing else, I amused myself.




That's a wonderful entry.


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 12, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 14, 2019)

@MortalPlague @lowkey13 

Your judgment has been posted.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 14, 2019)

Psykick and I on for tomorrow. Maybe 9am ET? _wink wink, nudge nudge_


----------



## Psykick (Oct 14, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Psykick and I on for tomorrow. Maybe 9am ET? _wink wink, nudge nudge_




I'm good to go!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 15, 2019)

@Gradine , @Radiating Gnome , @Deuce Traveler , anyone able to throw us a list tomorrow morning? I can do later in the week but it gets progressively busier...


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 15, 2019)

I'll post the list in the morning for your question. 9 am easter, 8 am central, 6 am West coast.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 15, 2019)

I'm at 7am (Mountain Time), does that mean I don't get ingredients?


----------



## Psykick (Oct 15, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> I'm at 7am (Mountain Time), does that mean I don't get ingredients?


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 15, 2019)

CRAP
Two minutes


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 15, 2019)

I'm very sorry for the delay, gentlemen.  I blame middle age, and elderly dog bowel containment issues for my distraction this morning.

Your match is now posted.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 15, 2019)

Radiating Gnome said:


> bowel containment issues




Is that one of our ingredients?


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Oct 15, 2019)

Not one of yours, but it was one of mine for the morning's challenge.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 15, 2019)

Hm... interesting. Best of luck @Psykick , looking forward to seeing your entry!


----------



## Psykick (Oct 15, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Hm... interesting. Best of luck @Psykick , looking forward to seeing your entry!




To you as well!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 15, 2019)

Hm... I think I might be done! Always fascinating to follow the path the ingredients take you down and find what lies at the end. Now to let it sit and reread it a few (dozen) times.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 15, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Hm... I think I might be done! Always fascinating to follow the path the ingredients take you down and find what lies at the end. Now to let it sit and reread it a few (dozen) times.




I'm also pretty close to being finished! I expect to post this afternoon/evening.


----------



## Psykick (Oct 16, 2019)

Posted. Let the nail biting begin!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 16, 2019)

Posted. Could fiddle with the thing right until the buzzer, but have too much else to get done. Looking forward to reading your entry later today when I have time again @Psykick !


----------



## Gradine (Oct 17, 2019)

I'm not going to be around much until next Monday; we'll look to begin Round 2 sometime around then!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 17, 2019)

I'm good to go starting Monday afternoon.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 22, 2019)

I was hoping to start yesterday or this morning as the rest of the week is now pretty jam packed. I'm out to start until next Monday. :/ 

Unless someone thinks they can throw a match together in the next hour or two, anyway.


----------



## Gradine (Oct 22, 2019)

My apologies, I've been knocked out with the flu since the end of last week; it will probably be another couple of days until I'm back on my feet.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 24, 2019)

I can put together something.  I have ingredients together and can start a round anytime.  So, who can compete within the next 2-3 days?


----------



## Rune (Oct 24, 2019)

I could definitely get started Saturday evening.  Less sure about other times.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 24, 2019)

I can start bright and early Monday. 9am ET works best.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 24, 2019)

I can start you on any time in the next few days except Saturday night as I'll be out of town overnight.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 26, 2019)

It's so quiet... who wants to go with me Monday morning?


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 26, 2019)

Ok, who can go Monday morning?   Probably 7am since I have to be at work at 7:30am EST.


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 26, 2019)

I can go on Monday morning, if you need me to.


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 26, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Rune (Oct 27, 2019)

I think I’d be clear for a Tuesday or Wednesday evening start. No mornings, though.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 27, 2019)

Me and Wisdom Monday?


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 27, 2019)

@Iron Sky and @Wisdom Seeker , we will be starting at 0700 EST tomorrow.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 28, 2019)

@Iron Sky and @Wisdom Seeker , your next round starts here:









						2019 IRON DM Tournament
					

IRON DM 2019: Round 1, Match 3, MortalPlague vs lowkey13 @MortalPlague  and @lowkey13 , you have 24 hours to post your entries to this thread. Please limit your entry to a title, a list of the ingredients used and 750 additional words. Please include your list of ingredients at the beginning of...




					www.enworld.org


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 28, 2019)

Huh. Drew a total blank when I looked at the ingredients first, but now the ball is rolling in a direction I never would have expected. Time to chase it down to see where it ends up!

Happy writing @Wisdom Seeker !


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 28, 2019)

@Iron Sky To you as well


----------



## Gradine (Oct 29, 2019)

Hey all, wanted to give an update. Just as I finished convalescing PG&E decided to cut our power again. We just got power back but we're supposed to lose it again in like, 12 hours. 

Once they get all this nonsense sorted out I'll be back and able to post regularly again. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next entries (thanks for picking up the slack DT and RG!) and will hopefully be able to fully return to civilization just in time to post judgment and get round 2 match 2 rolling!


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 29, 2019)

Welcome back Gradine, however intermittently...

Question for judges to clarify, we do have 3 judges weighing in this round, correct?


----------



## Gradine (Oct 29, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Welcome back Gradine, however intermittently...
> 
> Question for judges to clarify, we do have 3 judges weighing in this round, correct?




Yes, all three of us will be judging each match from here on out


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 29, 2019)

Cool, thanks Gradine.

Entry is complete! 

...at 1700 words. _readies pruning shears_


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 29, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 30, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Cool, thanks Gradine.
> 
> Entry is complete!
> 
> ...at 1700 words. _readies pruning shears_



I'm probably going to have to sandbag this one. I'll admit this is mostly a practice experience on my part, but given my job, the time crunch was much more severe for me than I anticipated. I'll see if I can manage to make myself not look like a buffoon in what time I have left.


----------



## Rune (Oct 30, 2019)

Wisdom Seeker said:


> I'm probably going to have to sandbag this one. I'll admit this is mostly a practice experience on my part, but given my job, the time crunch was much more severe for me than I anticipated. I'll see if I can manage to make myself not look like a buffoon in what time I have left.




Note that, these days, you _can_ turn an entry in late without automatically tanking your chances. You have to tighten up the word-count even more if you do, of course, but if you need the extra time to polish, it _may_ be a worthwile trade-off.


----------



## Iron Sky (Oct 30, 2019)

Too tired to fiddle anymore. Posted.


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Oct 30, 2019)

It's something


----------



## Gradine (Oct 30, 2019)

Alright, looks like everything's been sorted out and I have once again rejoined civilization with (most) of my voice intact.

That means, we need to schedule Round 2 Match 2! @Rune, @lowkey13, when would be the best time for you two to begin?


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 30, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 30, 2019)

I can do either day; we'll see which works best for Rune


----------



## Rune (Oct 30, 2019)

Monday evening (by Eastern standards) would be great, if @lowkey13 can do an evening start.


----------



## lowkey13 (Oct 30, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


----------



## Gradine (Oct 30, 2019)

It's look like I can be good to go Monday evening. Let's say 7pm EST?


----------



## Rune (Oct 30, 2019)

Yes, although I do want to remind/inform all parties (self included) that daylight savings time ends this weekend and, thus, before the start of this match. Just to make sure everyone’s on the same schedule!


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Oct 31, 2019)

I've got to get my little ones to bed since they are not convinced by my demands to go to sleep.  I plan to grade the entries tomorrow night.  Sorry for the delay.


----------



## Deuce Traveler (Nov 1, 2019)

My final scoring is here:









						2019 IRON DM Tournament
					

Ingredients Laconic Sphynx Thieving Caravan Astral Jaunt Last Crownbearer Affluent Troll Crystal Seal Fountain of Love  Pendragon: Love Eternal  Royal Brat During the war on the continent, the party is assigned by their liege to guard a minor Frankish prince who is to be betrothed to a more...




					www.enworld.org


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Nov 1, 2019)

Spoiler: Redacted



I strongly agree with the overall judgment, even if I don't agree with some of the reasoning. In my opinion, Iron Sky made extremely good use of most of the ingredients, though the formatting deserves revision. His adventure's flexibility also gave him a well-deserved edge. I don't usually write anything stronger than five-room dungeons (I rely tremendously on improvisation), so most of the feedback here is extremely useful for me in terms of designing written adventures rather than writing settings and hastily adjusting on the fly to player action.


----------



## Rune (Nov 1, 2019)

Wisdom Seeker said:


> Congratulations @Iron Sky!
> I strongly agree with the overall judgment, even if I don't agree with some of the reasoning. In my opinion, Iron Sky made extremely good use of most of the ingredients, though the formatting deserves revision. His adventure's flexibility also gave him a well-deserved edge. I don't usually write anything stronger than five-room dungeons (I rely tremendously on improvisation), so most of the feedback here is extremely useful for me in terms of designing written adventures rather than writing settings and hastily adjusting on the fly to player action.




The other two judges haven’t weighed in, yet, though.  Until they do, you might want to hide any commentary on the match behind spoiler tags. And when you do, the other thread is the better place for it, since this one will fade into obscurity after the tournament ends.


----------



## Wisdom Seeker (Nov 1, 2019)

Rune said:


> The other two judges haven’t weighed in, yet, though.  Until they do, you might want to hide any commentary on the match behind spoiler tags. And when you do, the other thread is the better place for it, since this one will fade into obscurity after the tournament ends.



Understood.


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## Gradine (Nov 1, 2019)

I have read both entries and my judgment is written. I will wait for Radiating Gnome's judgment before posting my own and announcing the results. I will say that I enjoyed both entries quite a bit.


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## Deuce Traveler (Nov 3, 2019)

@Wisdom Seeker , I see what you mean.  When I looked them up I found references that stated how different gems and crystals are.  It seems that google took us in different interpretations.


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## Gradine (Nov 4, 2019)

Final judgment for Round 2 Match 1 has been posted.


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## Gradine (Nov 5, 2019)

@lowkey13  and @Rune 

Your ingredients have been posted


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## lowkey13 (Nov 6, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


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## Rune (Nov 7, 2019)

lowkey13 said:


> 70s disco Cthulhu




I’ll bite. What was _that_ going to look like? And does the answer require a sanity check?


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## Iron Sky (Nov 7, 2019)

Apparently it's actually kind of a thing?


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## Rune (Nov 7, 2019)

So...yes to the sanity check.


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## lowkey13 (Nov 7, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


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## Rune (Nov 7, 2019)

@lowkey13:



Spoiler



That...actually looks pretty great. I hope you repost it to the other thread at some point. I’m gonna want to read that again someday.


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## Wisdom Seeker (Nov 9, 2019)

I got swamped this week, so I wasn't able to respond, and I definitely don't want to jump into the middle of the new judgment. I still think @Iron Sky had the better adventure: He had a more unique setting and used the elements in a way I thought was very innovative (I'm sorry for using a buzzword here, but the word fits). Thank you all for hosting me, I appreciate the feedback, and I'm definitely going to be taking notes on adventure design. I don't usually design adventures in a traditional sense, but this kind of exercise helped me think on my feet. I have a ton of ideas bubbling up for a different kind of challenge, so while I don't think I'll make a return for IronDM, I'll definitely be keeping tabs on this contest and future iterations.


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## tglassy (Nov 9, 2019)

Oh no!  I didn't notice this had started!  I was moving when it was announced, and haven't been in the General Thread very much.  I assume it's too late to join, if y'all are already in round 2?


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## Rune (Nov 9, 2019)

tglassy said:


> Oh no!  I didn't notice this had started!  I was moving when it was announced, and haven't been in the General Thread very much.  I assume it's too late to join, if y'all are already in round 2?




I’m afraid so. I think the new boards messed up notifications, too, so you might want to check your settings and verify you get them for next year. 

Although I still can’t figure out a way to get email notification from an @ summons. Which is, of course, the feature that needs it most.


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## lowkey13 (Nov 9, 2019)

*Deleted by user*


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## Radiating Gnome (Nov 12, 2019)

Sorry for the delays on my end. My Judgment is up.
I’m posting from England, where I’m on vacation. So I blame any misspellings or other problems on Brexit.
Rg


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## Deuce Traveler (Nov 12, 2019)

I also apologize, but I got a bit busy last weekend.  I have the time and energy to knock out a judgement tonight.  Let me get the kiddies to bed and I'll give it a go.


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## Gradine (Nov 12, 2019)

I will probably have my judgment up by tomorrow afternoon


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## Gradine (Nov 13, 2019)

@Rune @lowkey13 

The final judgment and results have been posted.


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## Gradine (Nov 13, 2019)

Spoiler: Championship Contenders



@Rune @Iron Sky



Please let me know when you are available to begin your final match. A reminder of the rules for the championship match:

*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 2019!


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## Iron Sky (Nov 13, 2019)

Monday mornings make the best start times for me (9am ET to be highly specific). I could do tomorrow morning if Monday isn't feasible, but it would hard-cap the hours I have to work on it pretty severely.


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## Rune (Nov 14, 2019)

Monday’s a complete bust for me. (And the one after that, too.)

I could start either tomorrow or Friday or from Tuesday through Friday next week. Evengs are _far_ preferable. Otherwise, as late as possible for Iron Sky.


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## Gradine (Nov 14, 2019)

Iron Sky, does next Tuesday work?


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## Iron Sky (Nov 14, 2019)

Yes. Tuesday morning would be my preference since a Tuesday night start is essentially equivalent to Wednesday morning start for me, but I could still make it work.


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## Gradine (Nov 14, 2019)

I'll try to get it out as early as I can on Tuesday. I'm on the Best West Coast so the earliest I can get it out is 9:00a; which is noon EST.


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## Iron Sky (Nov 14, 2019)

Works for me.


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## Gradine (Nov 18, 2019)

Just a heads up; there will likely be a _slight _delay (about 30 minutes at most) in posting the ingredients tomorrow!


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## Gradine (Nov 19, 2019)

@Rune and @Iron Sky, your ingredients have been posted.


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## Iron Sky (Nov 19, 2019)

Off we go.

Catch ya on the flip side Rune; looking forward to reading your adventure!


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## Rune (Nov 19, 2019)

Iron Sky said:


> Off we go.
> 
> Catch ya on the flip side Rune; looking forward to reading your adventure!




Likewise!


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## Iron Sky (Nov 21, 2019)

Done and posted. Making myself not read it again as I always find ten more things I want to correct/reword/tinker with now that it's too late. Go Rune go!


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## Deuce Traveler (Nov 24, 2019)

Grading now and will post soon.


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## Deuce Traveler (Nov 24, 2019)

My decision is posted and it was a close one:









						2019 IRON DM Tournament
					

Ingredients Laconic Sphynx Thieving Caravan Astral Jaunt Last Crownbearer Affluent Troll Crystal Seal Fountain of Love  Pendragon: Love Eternal  Royal Brat During the war on the continent, the party is assigned by their liege to guard a minor Frankish prince who is to be betrothed to a more...




					www.enworld.org


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## Gradine (Nov 27, 2019)

The final judgment and decision have been given!


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