OPD2011

May 20, 2011 5:55 PM

It's that time of year again... The 2011 One-Page Dungeon Contest has announced winners[15mb pdf] in 15 categories ranging from the more traditional "Best Investigation"[pdf] to "Best Use of Teleporters."[pdf] (previously.)

The One-Page Dungeon Contest solicits role-playing game adventures that fit on a single page. There are no stat-blocks, so that the 'dungeons' can be as system-independent as possible, serving as a minimalist jumping off point[pdf] for a game master with a time crunch. Due to the odd format and lack of ties to specific genre, the Contest attracts innovators in game design: amongst this year's winners was Jason Morningstar, creator of the (fantastic) game Fiasco, which, with its lack of game-master and light rules, walks the line between role-playing and improv.

posted by kaibutsu (16 comments total)

This is a terrific and creative event. I submitted a design this year, and learned just how hard it is to use both the breadth, and limits, of a single page to create something compelling. Interesting as writing, design, or of course, for role playing.
posted by meinvt at 6:52 PM on May 20, 2011

The "minimalist jumping off point" map is really well done.
posted by kenko at 7:19 PM on May 20, 2011

Yeah, this isn't a self-link because my entry missed the deadline... So it's the first entry to the 2012 competition! It's a great event. Last year I used one of the winners as a jumping off point for a (kind of lengthy) piece of interactive fiction, as a tool for learning Inform 7.
posted by kaibutsu at 7:36 PM on May 20, 2011

The Best Map Art one is really nice.
posted by ServSci at 7:52 PM on May 20, 2011

10. Statuary Redux - 3 rock living statues (in the form of dwarves) are arranged in a triangle in this room, around a large glowing ruby. The massive 1,000 gp ruby is incredibly hot via some unknown magic, dealing 1d6+1 damage per round to anyone touching it, although that is its only power.
-Into the Worm’s Gullet by Dyson Logos

Is this thing gonna burn a hole in my bag of holding for what.
get a set and it could be a drow ben-wa.
posted by clavdivs at 8:38 PM on May 20, 2011

drow ben-wa

Hold the Rapture - I just lost my Bundy and coke.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 9:33 PM on May 20, 2011 [2 favorites]

I love D&D, but I've stuck with the 2E rules. Every revision since has seemed to increase complexity and reduce playability. "Three actions per turn"? Please. If I wanted that sort of granularity I'd play Avalon Hill board games. D&D is all about the role-play.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:46 PM on May 20, 2011 [1 favorite]

Love the abstracted, spatial design of Hanging in Wolverine City, where that empty Main Street becomes the arena for the playing out of the scenario. Very neat approach well worth appropriating :)
posted by elphTeq at 12:57 AM on May 21, 2011

In before the edition wars start! _sigh.
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:33 AM on May 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

This one didn't win, for perhaps obvious reasons, but is awesome none-the-less.
posted by kaibutsu at 2:30 AM on May 21, 2011 [5 favorites]

Great post! Lots of cool stuff here!
posted by Vindaloo at 5:11 AM on May 21, 2011

This is cool, and brings back a lot of memories. A lot of the time, the best part of D&D was the prep work.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:05 AM on May 21, 2011

Thanks for posting this. I've never heard of this contest but it is super cool!
posted by BeerFilter at 7:29 AM on May 21, 2011

This is very cool, and I'm tempted to buy Fiasco -- that looks really fun to play.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:05 PM on May 21, 2011

Fiasco is really great; the last game I played, two friends-since childhood in southern Alaska conspired to steal a baby from some eco-tourists, in a scheme which involved distracting the parents by getting them to club 'invasive' baby seals. Ostensibly, the idea was to ransom the baby back to the parents, but my character really wanted a baby of her own... Comedy ensues.
posted by kaibutsu at 2:19 PM on May 21, 2011

My entry didn't win, but I enjoyed just competing. I didn't really agree with all of the choices of winners, though -- there are so many good entries, I guess it's really difficult to pick the winners!
posted by AlHazred at 6:01 PM on May 21, 2011