One Thing: The Dragon's Lantern

One thing that I love about Vance Atkin's 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry is the use of "en media res" coupled with a "funnel".  The players find their zero level characters in a dire predicament, confronted by a dragon looking to strike a deal (and make good on it if they survive).

There are clever uses for fledgling adventurer abilities strewn throughout the worm tunnels, and a host of unsavory types for the characters to encounter as they fumble along trying to find the dragon's missing "trinket".  The stakes are particularly high as there is not an endless pool of peasants and torchbearers for the players to inhabit once their initial character falls into a chasm, is boiled alive, or meets some other untimely and probable demise.  This would make for a nice one-shot for a group of players with high level adventurers that have forgotten what the struggle for survival without any "plusses" is like, or as the start of a new campaign with a powerful dragon NPC which Vance has fleshed out enough for any DM to elaborate upon going forward.

Not only did Vance have time to create this winning entry, but he also helped out another creator by volunteering his editorial expertise.

Great work Vance!

One Thing: The Tower of the Great Erpution

One thing that I love about Wind Lothamer's 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry "The Tower of the Great Eruption" is the use of gliders by the gnomes that inhabit the tower jutting forth from a lake of lava.  It has a little bit of an "Escape from New York" vibe with the player characters possibly gliding in. If the Character  arrived in some other manner (even possibly through a dream state as one possible hook suggests), then the gliders could be used in a daring escape after having looting heavy cogs or other valuables from the gnomes.  Will the characters be forced to leave behind the majority of their loot in order to keep the gliders aloft on the heat waves as they attempt to flee what is likely to be a veritable army of angry gnomes?

Even if they manage to traverse the lava lake on rising hot air and lucky dice rolls, what lies in store for them after that. Perhaps the lake is near the top of the mountain, which begs for a "wing suit footage" style set piece as they zip downwards towards freedom or doom. There is a whimsical nature to the setting that conjures up imaged of a "Hot Wheels track of doom" with all manner of challenges presenting themselves as the characters attempt an escape. That or it has occurred to me that the whole dungeon is some sort of fever-dream "dick joke", in which case the "It's just a dream" hook would seem inappropriately appropriate. A lot of potential for this one as a game night one-shot, or drop it into a volcanic mountain in your setting and unleash the power of gliders in your campaign.

Nice work Wind!

2018 One Page Dungeon Contest Scores are in!!!!

The scores for the 2018 tenth anniversary contest are in, and 52 entries that scored the most combined points from the judges panel have been declared the winners!  One more winner will be upvoted from the Honorable Mentions, and there will be 3 special judge prizes that have yet to be determined, but for the most part the lion's share of the work is done, and we can finally end the suspense and lead off with the the top scoring entries of 2018!

Best Overall One Page Dungeon (received the most points)

"Town of Rydell" by Jmar  (80 Points)

Winning Entries 

Entries are ordered by number of points awarded. 

"Rampaging Robot" by Karl Stjernberg  (76 Points)
"Beneath the Namless Towers of the Kremlin" by Roger SG Sorolla (70 Points)
"Bartizan of the Blood Egg" by Max White (60 Points)

"Vault of the Witch Queen"  by Noah Lloyd and Matt Ryan (57 Points)
"The Mage in his Tower" by Spaghetting Quester (57 Points)

"Flight of the Moon Beetles" by Bodie Hartley (56 Points)
"Akhronoton" by Anton L.C. (55 Points)
"One Page: A Dungeon" by Steve Kilian (54 Points)
"Morinoux's Prison" by Connor Roberson (52 Points)
"River Gorge Gauntlet" by JD Thornton (50 Points)
"Ascent of the Robot God" by John Love and Matthew "OgreBeef" Seagle (49 Points)
"Frankenstein Leviathan" by Benji Dike (48 Points)
"Wastes of the Rhinofolk" by Glynn Seal (45 Points)
"Elf Bane" by Scott Marcley (44 Points)
"Secrets of the Menhirs" by Chris Walton (41 Points)
"Wage Slaves of the Principality" by Aaron A. Reed (40 Points)
"The Tower of the Silent God" by Daniel Comerci  (39 Points)
"Don't Wake the Dragon" by Simon Forster (34 Points)
"Escape from New Goblin City" by Brother Juniper (31 Points)

"The Chasm of Coalhaven" by Ben Chaplin (30 Points)
"Quest for the Murder Sword" by Johan Nohr (Stockholm Kartell) (30 Points)

"The Colony" by Ned Hugar (29 Points)
"Nether Beasts of Ruby Pearl Island" by Carl Niblaeus (Stockholm Kartell) (29 Points)
"Assault on Mordak's Palace" by Keith Echevarria (29 Points)

"Shannon, the Gold Dragon" by Rose Szabo and Tamora Raze (28 Points)

"Infestation" by Seth Paxton (27 Points)
"The Clock Tower" by Hamish McIntyre and Elphia H-V (27 Points)

"Fortress of Turby" by Aaron Thompson and Kelly Ellerbrook (26 Points)

"The Abandoned Plane" by Sadhbh Brennan (25 Points)

"We're All Trapped in this Cave Together" by Rebecca S. (24 Points)
"Silks Subterfuge" by Matthew H, Sylvia G, and Katie L. (24 Points)
"Salt of the Earth" by Kezle (24 Points)

"Mollusc of Madness" by Patrick Kelly and Ian Andrews (22 Points)

"Pyramid Scheme" by Mike O'Regan (21 Points)
"The Dragon's Lantern" by Vance Atkins (21 Points)

"In the Cradle of the Reborn God" by Chris Hall (20 Points)
"What is in That Large, Abandoned, and Decrepit Building?" by Michael Raston (20 Points)

"Chrono-Labyrinth of the Shattered Aeon" by Michael Wenman (17 Points)
"Crimson Rock Prison" by Stuart Kehoe (17 Points)
"Light of the Lifeless" by Wilmer Dahl (17 Points)

"Stitcher in the Woods" by Travis Cook and Bryan Wuest (16 Points)
"Duchess/ Lichess" by Idiomdrottning (16 Points)
"Mount Zorgoth" by Nate Treme (16 Points)

"The Green King's War" by theinfamousmrmeow (15 Points)
"Timmy Fell in the Well" by GM Lily (15 Points)
"Rat at Will" by André Bogaz and Camila Morais  (15 Points)

"Sinkhole of the Spider Cult" by Andre Lindenfelser (14 Points)
"Golem Like you See 'em" by Jennevieve Schlemmer (14 Points)

"Circadian Tower" by Johnathan Castle and Matt Henderson (13 Points)
"Flying Offerings" by Marco Conti (13 Points)
"Lost in the Coldbless Caves" by Gregorious21778 (13 Points)
"Dorgotar Dungeon" by Daniel Walthall (Up-Voted by Special Judge)
"Lost Lair of Lorthain Shaar" by Jeremy DS Marshall (Cartography prize awarded by Special Judge)

Honorable Mentions

Judges had a limited amount of points to assign, and each of the following entries were given points by one or more judges. 

"I Know I Came Here for a Reason"
"Seaglass Isle"
"Mad Conjurer's Tomb"
"The Love Canyon"
"Ancient Emerald Eyes"
"Tomb of the Donkey God"
"A Secret Beyond the Sewers"
"The Abbey of St. Wilk"
"Gullet of the Rust Demon"
"Monster in the Mines"
"The Scinn"
"Cliffs of Sorrow"
"Adressed to M Bova"
"Lina (9), Hendrik (7), and Joaquin (5) Wrote another Dungeon
"Bungeon of Fear"
"The Green Colossus"
"Stuck in the MUD"

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 "Tenth Anniversary" One Page Dungeon Contest!

Thanks to everyone for their patience as the judged worked through this unprecedented number of entries!

One Thing: "The Cursed Ruins of Graxx Inxomnitrix"

One thing I love about Mattias Lejbrink and Ann-Mari Karlsson's 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry is the way it inspired a new-found appreciate for the "fetch quest".  Five relics must be gathered within the crumbling, other-worldly estate: The Phantom Emerald, the Ivory Comb, the Jade Bowl (of salt), the Book of Stains, and finally the Lord's Carpet.

It was all I could do to continue reading the One Page Dungeon, and not stop to "Stat Out" these items, or make quick sketches of them.  The relics can be found in locations that make sense given their themes, and reading this entry gave me the great feeling of playing a vintage "point and click" adventure game. The cursed village hook makes this adventure easy to drop in to an existing campaign, and despite the whimsical layout, there is some surprisingly grim "goings-on" in the Cursed Ruins!
Nice job Mattias and Ann-Mari!

One Thing: "Golden Peak Spire"

One thing I love about Richard Grzela'a 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry is how easily it can be dropped into any campaign that is headed towards war, or battles. This is often part of the progression for characters, getting caught up in the politics of neighboring kingdoms or defending against vast hordes of inhuman invaders.  The banner at the top of this mountain could very well turn the tide in a losing war, or give the characters an edge before the fighting even begins.  An endless variety of hooks could lead your party to this adventure. Perhaps they will keep the banner for themselves, with one party member being saddled with the banner while the others benefit from its effects, or as part of a greater story they might part with it no sooner than they acquire it.
Nice work Richard!

One Thing: "the awakening"

One thing I love about Dan Smith and Tisha Parti's 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry is how effective it can be used as a catalyst for an entire campaign in a post-apocalyptic game setting (or even used in a fantasy setting as well).

Smith and Parti have included lots of hooks and leads including the possibility of a lower level, robotic units, and other buried bases. The awakened sleeper will also likely have extensive knowledge of the past, including the locations that may contain all sorts of loot and salvage. She could emerge as a powerful NPC that could serve in an advisory capacity, or perhaps even a target of rival tribes fearful that her knowledge will give the character's people and unfair advantage.  There are lots of directions the game master and players can take after this "campaign seed" is planted.

Nice work Dan and Tisha!

One Thing: "Island X"

One thing that I love about Pyry Qvick's entry in the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is the ever-changing nature of the environment. One minute the characters are marching towards the mysterious mountain at the center of the isle through a thick jungle, only to find themselves in the heart of a forest the next. From the jungle they may find themselves in a subterranean cave complex in an instant.

The island's inhabitants also share this peculiar, shifting quality, with familiar beasts having remarkably unfamiliar features. These effects intensify as the players near the mountain, with four possible causes listed (determine randomly or pick your favorite) once the characters reach the summit of the mountain.

Lots of potential for using bits from other One Page dungeons here as the island shifts. Is something trying to dissuade the characters from venturing closer to the mountain, or are they just neck deep strange magic that indiscriminately affects everything on the island?

Nice work Pyry!

One Thing: Tome of Horrors

One thing I love about Jeff McKelley's 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest entry is the use of riddles. While not impossibly difficult, they aren't obvious, and any player that solves one will no doubt feel a swell of pride in having done so.  The first riddle is not a bottleneck, as there is a 1/6 chance the characters will choose the correct button to push randomly, but each incorrect press and the party will be faced with an invisible foe to deal with.

The second riddle will halt the character's progress if they cannot figure it out, and given vast number of possible incorrect combinations, the odds are greatly in the favor of the party being electrocuted long before they gain access to Curiosa Binder and her scriptorium.  If the players have missed the clue, or are unable to determine its meaning, there is an easy work around. Shock them a few times and then simply have Curiosa open the door and confront the party, handing them the original tome and late fees, just as is written.

I haven't come across either of these riddles personally, and I look forward to seeing my players wrack their puzzlers trying to figure them out.

Nice work Jeff!

One Thing: "Lava Clock"

One thing I love about Sterling Heibeck's "Lava Clock" is the sense of urgency and impending doom from the beginning to the very end.  As characters navigate the dungeon, the hands of the eponymous lava clock begin turning, causing a veritable lava storm to erupt in the main chamber of the volcano.  Many of the locations are precarious as it is, but even more deadly during one of these minor eruptions.

After fighting and puzzling their way to the chamber of flame and the adventure's conclusion, all while racing against the lava-clock, the part will be confronted with an imminent, full blown eruption that will kill them if they cannot escape in time.

Nice work Sterling!

One Thing: "Quest for the Murder Sword"

One thing I love about +Johan Nohr's "Quest for the Murder Sword" is the use of two maps in the entry. The primary, larger map, details a vertical dungeon complete with bones and gore, while the second, much smaller map details the dungeon from the same perspective, but includes the names of dungeon locations.

 This second map, with hand written location names, fits the style of the first, and allows Nohr to leave the "main map" free of numbering, lettering, or other identifiers that could detract from the splendid brutality of the image.

Nice Work Johan!

Cross Over: "Clash of the Titans Part II". If Karkrazh is resurrected at the end of this adventure, how would he fair against a party of adventurers manning the gnome-titan from "The Green Colossus", or the animated giant corpse from "The Eye of the Storm Giant", or both!. If Kharkrazh is controlled by the player characters (which is possible), What dragon or other titanic beast could withstand the collective might of this unlikely trio of character controlled juggernauts?

One Thing: "The Eye of the Storm Giant"

One thing I love about Cooper Graetz's "The Eye of the Storm Giant" is the premise of using the animated corpse of a giant as an "organic mech", complete with a gaping wound the giant can pull carefully prepared explosives out of and hurl at would-be attackers.  And it seems as though the undead giant automaton has made plenty of enemies. Speaking of enemies, I wonder what the mysterious "Kevin" did to invoke the wrath of the three wizards, or pehaps even Graetz?

The giant has a number of defenses, although the effectiveness of each seems to vary, with the most powerful being the storm device that seems to shroud the giant in hurricane force winds.

Approaching the giant storm on horseback against blackened skies, while contending with elementals, boulders, and other hazards swirling about it could make for a very cinematic beginning!

Nice work Cooper!


Cross Over: Play this adventure after completing Pasquale Camuso's "Green Colossus", and allow the player characters to use the salvaged giant gnome-titan to battle the undead storm giant and its crew!

One Thing: "The Abbey of Saint Wilk"

One thing I love about Christian Sahlén's "The Abbey of Saint Wilk" is the unexpected nature of the adventure's main villain.  When reading this one page dungeon, I expected a minor or diminished demon to be lurking near its conclusion, and did not see the Grand Duke of Hell coming at all, and your players probably won't either.

What is so special about this place, that warrants such a high profile foes attention? Well there are two clues given in the adventure. The first is in the description of the grand duke himself, stating that he seeks to increase his knowledge of things, and considering a lowly knight rose from the dead to smite him some 66 years prior to the adventure, this could definitely be something he wished to understand.

 The other motivation is simply revenge.  He seeks to punish those connected to, and around the abby after his resounding defeat in the past.  His own flying steed, a formidable foe in its own right, even feels as if this is all a needless distraction and is frustrated by the whole affair, perhaps even to Eligos's peril.

Nice work Christian!

One Thing: "Wastes of the Rhinofolk"

One of the things I love about MonkeyBlood Design's "Wastes of the Rhinofolk" is the the overall "feel" it evokes. From the artwork to the world-building around this wasted region, It leaves a wind-swept and desolate impression on the reader/ player. The Rhinofolk live in careful balance with the harsh environment here, hunting sandworms and establishing elaborate rituals to give meaning to their otherwise unenviable lives.

Despite their brutal nature, I found my loyalty lies with the Rhinofolk. Any characters that wish to loot the great Blackhoof Tower probably deserve whatever cruel fate awaits them, but that might just be my Anthropology degree getting in the way.

Characters will face the threat of dehydration (and having once trudged through several kilometers of the Sahara with no water remaining, I can attest that this is no fun at all), poisonous sandworms, and of course the mighty Rhinofolk themselves if they wish to plunder this brutal, yet I dare say majestic, group of beings.

Nice work Glenn! 

One Thing: Into the Lair of the Slobbertooth Kobolds"

One thing I love about Luke E. Dodd's "Into the Lair of the Slobbertooth Kobolds" is the challenges it presents to a party of low level characters, for whom it is designed. Even one of the implied hooks (recovering barrels of oil) seems "low-stakes", just the sort of thing a group of unknown adventurers might be trusted to handle.

 There are opportunities to use stealth to avoid enemies, although the prospect of destroying the crumbling watchtower and the kobolds within at the start of the adventure seems very tempting.

There are multiple entrances, avoidable traps that can spell doom for low level characters, a hidden room with more than one opportunity to discover it, and the kobolds themselves who employ a variety of tactics (stealth/ barricades/ taking cover/ flaming oil flasks) which encourage the characters to do the same.

Nice work Luke!

One Thing: "The Green Colossus"

One thing I love about Pasquale Camuso's "Green Colossus" is the potential to use the environment, and by environment, I mean the steam and magic fueled titan, to eliminate potentially dozens of kobolds. This has a cinematic feel, especially considering these actions will likely take place by accident, and have a "pure dumb luck" feel to them when confronted with the large tribe of kobolds guarding the colossus.

Turn the wrong lever, and flood the chamber with scalding vapor, as the titan, a remnant from a great battle, is severely damaged.  Turn another lever, or crank, or wheel, and cause a half buried arm to rise, destroying kobold structures built atop it.

Twist the wrong (or right) knob and unleash torrents of flame from the titans bearded mouth, roasting kobolds and possibly setting the entire forest ablaze!  If I know my players (and I do) they would find themselves trapped in the head of the titan (colossus) in a final confrontation with the kobold chieftain and his honor guard as a massive forest fire threatened to end them all, and probably the nearest human settlement!

Nice work Pasquale!

One Thing: "Creation:Infected"

One thing I love about Markus Linderum's "Creation:Infected" one page dungeon are the little things that can be discovered to aid the characters.  A crude gas mask can be found on the corpse of a dead adventurer, which will help to ward off toxic gas effects. There is also the opportunity to discover the "spawning point" of  Dire Tapeworms, which will prevent them from appearing later in the dungeon to attack the characters.

Not all of the discoverables are helpful, and characters may find themselves struggling to climb out of a toxic cesspit, only to discover that some of their party members have been mutated into bile golems!

As the point of entry is variable, it is possible that the character's will bypass some of these features before encountering the boss villain "Patogenus"(its very name a play on "infectious"). I like the random nature of this setup, ensuring that two run-throughs could look entirely different.

Nice work Markus!

One Thing: "Mount Zorgoth"

One thing I love about Nate Treme's "Mount Zorgoth" are the side quests that will send the characters back down the mountain chain to complete. While these quests are optional, they add a lot to the "whimsical post-apocalyptic" feel this one page dungeon is dripping with, which is paired perfectly with the artwork and layout.

After breaching the permacloud, the player characters might plan to run straight to the top to confront Zorgoth directly, but it is hard to resist the pull of rescuing a sentient goldfish from a lost city of bat-folk along the way! And who wouldn't trek back down the mountains to gain a free luck point after defeating the Fuego Fiend of the Blue Volcano?

Nice work Nate!

One Thing: "Rampaging Robot"

One thing I love about +Karl Stjernberg 's "Rampaging Robot" is his take on the "Post-Apocalypse". Throughout the entry, there are tons of humorous references to things and even Non Player characters as seen through the perspective of dog-food eating, "stop sign" armor wearing simple folk trying to survive after the "final war".

Mox, an Npc that was either once a mechanic or engineer (or has access to this sacred knowledge) is referred to as a "Tech Whisperer".  Grenades are "boom spheres", a hologram projector is "the ghost machine". The fearsome machine gun mounted to the rampaging robot is known as "the death spitter". These clever takes on mundane and even futuristic items can be found throughout the entire One Page Dungeon.

 Fans of Karl's "The Rad Hack" will love running this adventure, and although it fits nicely into the world Karl has created there, Karl has left out system specifics to make the adventure playable across virtually any rules system. This is the part where I don't talk about how it would work well with mine too!

Nice work Karl!

One Thing: "Abandoned Quarry"

Once upon a time, in what feels like a lifetime ago after the past couple of weeks, I posted a series of posts on my "wastedthegame" blog where I highlighted one thing that I loved about One Page Dungeons submitted to previous contests.  It's not easy to pick just one thing to love about these entries, and maybe sometimes I blurred that line, but I will be at it again starting with the 2018 submissions. Remember that I am not a judge, and so these opinions are strictly my own....

One thing I love about Daniel OHare's "Abandoned Quarry Turned Dwarf Raiding Camp" is the clever use of the environment as a "security feature".  A slight slope leading to the entry of the "fortress in progress" is scattered with loose gravel, and unwitting player characters can easily disturb the small stones, sending them rolling towards the entrance.  This of course, alerts the guards and increases the difficulty level of the adventure quite a bit, forcing the characters to take the more perilous option to gain entry.

This simple "alarm trap" is well thought out, and adds consequences to the actions of the players. It is avoidable, as the dwarven raiders have cleared out a small path that can be noticed by dwarven characters, or other observant or cautious "ten foo pole" types.  Nice work Daniel!

Your Work is Done, But Ours Has Just Begun.

The judges are pouring through the entries, even as I type (well, it is late now, so I hope that is not true).  I have begun to upload entry images to a 2018 gallery page on the www.dungeoncontest.com website, and will continue to add more each day, in the order they were submitted to the contest.

I have completed the layout for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Compendium, I have added all the entries and linked every one (*that had a link supplied) by hand, like some sort of old world crafts-person with a computer and Photoshop and InDesign...

The point is the book is basically done now. All I need to do is add the pages that feature the winning entries, and reorder some of the pages after that! This was the largest book I have tackled by far, and with the help of all the fantastic entries inside, it looks good!

"Underpaint Study" by Michael Richards/ CC BY 3.0
(the image has been cropped and enlarged from the original)
http://butteredbap.deviantart.com/

What A Ride! 162 Entries in the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!!!

The 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest submission period has drawn to a close in what proved to be, for some including myself, rather dramatic fashion!

My wife left me high and dry tonight, of all nights, to work on her Doctoral Dissertation (I have to admit that is a good reason). The kids were taking advantage of my situation (trying desperately to keep up with incoming entries while tweeting and Facebook Posting  and updating the website) by binge-watching "Walk the Prank" on YouTube.  The dog was barking non-stop through the window at a rabbit that stood defiantly in the front yard.  I had to make dinner, I had to help my daughter with her math homework. I needed to share the entries with the judges, all the while the dog kept barking and barking...with the deadline only minutes away.

I ran upstairs, chased the rabbit out of the yard, threw two yogurts at the kids, turned off the TV and got my daughter started on her homework and sent my son to take a bath, ran back downstairs, and was able to enjoy the final moments of the contest. I managed to cook dinner, get all homework done and checked, and get both kids in bed reading for twenty minutes. I am not 100% certain, but I think I just leveled up and look forward to choosing a new ability once this day is over.

In all seriousness, I am blown away by the amount of participation and hard work that went into this contest by the creators! I won't lie, just a few days ago I was feeling a bit deflated as we were sitting on around 38 entries, and it looked like this year's contest might have the lowest participation ever.

I thought it would take nothing short of a miracle to match last year's number of entries, let alone the "pie in the sky" number of 100 entries...

We now have 162 entries!!!!
This number could even increase as I comb through the contest email account to ensure all entries have been uploaded to the judges, as well as the website email account that also received several entries by mistake.

I feel for the judges! A Herculean task awaits them reviewing all of these entries, most of which came in within the last three days.

The judging period was originally envisioned as roughly two weeks, but with more than double the expected number of entries, it might take a bit longer to complete.

I will keep you up to date on the progress and the latest developments in here, and via twitter and Facebook.

Thanks again to everyone for making the tenth anniversary of the One Page Dungeon Contest the biggest contest year to date!

22 Hours 54 Minutes to go!

The 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest submission period is winding down to a close, but there are still twenty two hours and fifty four minutes left to send your submission.

So far we have 105 entries this year! The judges are going to be busy!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

GM Lily takes Reddit by Storm!

I noticed a reddit post about GM Lily's One Page Dungeon Contest entry in this year's contest, (Thanks to @SlyFlourish on twitter) that has over 300 comments, and 10.8K up-votes!

Nice work Lily, that is impressive!

You can check out the buzz and add to the conversation here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/8ejhps/oc_the_kiddos_one_page_dungeon_contest_entry/

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

52 Entries and Counting (on you to submit yours)!

With just under four days remaining in the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest, we have reached 52 submissions as of this posting.  There has been a real spirit of collaboration this year, with creators encouraging, and even helping one another to make their entries even better!

There are a number of new creators submitting entries this year, as well as returning friends to the contest. I have had the good fortune to see all the entries as they are sent to me, and they do not disappoint!

The Fantasy genre has assumed dominance once again among the entries so far. I have yet to see an Espionage, Western, Gothic Horror, or even a Sci-Fi themed entry (that one surprises me as we usually see a few), but the submission period is still open and who knows what the weekend will bring.

Will "Infinity War" prompt an eleventh hour "Superheroic" One Page Dungeon this year?



With a number of past creators still missing from my inbox, I wonder if we will surpass last year's number of entries (the number to beat here is 78) in the remaining days. The current total has already surpassed my grim prediction of  low creator participation using a complex set of algorithms I came up with that I cannot explain, nor do I fully understand, so that's good news.

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

2012 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Edition now available!

Cover Image by Michael Richards
"Magma Gorge" CC By-SA
https://butteredbap.deviantart.com/art/Magma-gorge-358962768

The Print Edition of the 2012 One Page Dungeon Compendium is now available, and you can it HERE.

The Print Edition of the 2012 One Page Dungeon Compendium featuring 102 One Page Dungeon Contest entries spanning several genres including horror, sci-fi, and of course classic fantasy.  The submissions are fairly system neutral by design, and many can be easily dropped into your existing campaign!

Authors/ Creators

Michael Richards, Random Wizard, A.A. Bunkerclub55, Aaron Bianco, Aaron Frost, Mundi King, Aaron Kavli, Aaron Webb, Alan Brodie, Andrew Durston, Heleen Durston, Benoit, Berin Kinsman, Bill De Franza, Boric Glanduum, C.M. Lebrun, Chris Engle, Chris Longhurst, Chris Olson, Christian Hollnbuchner, Clarabelle Chong, Clay Thomas McGrew, Dakota Dornbrack, Dale Horstman, Dan Roy, David Brawley, David Dornbrack, David Gay, David Thiel, David Van Slyke, Diogo Nogueira, Dylan Hartwell, Edward Green, Eran Aviram, Aviv Or, Eric Harshbarger, Eric Minton, Joshua Krause, Evangelos Vafeiadis, Nicolas Kabasele, Fco. Javier Barrera, Felbrigg Napoleon Harriot, Gabriel Perez Gallardi, Gene Sollows, Gerardo Tasistro, Greengoat, Ian Johnson, Jan Pralle, Jason "Flynn" Kemp, Jason Shaffer, Jasper Polane, Jeff Mckelley, Jeff R., Jeff Shepherd, Jens Thuresson, Jerry LeNeave, Jim "Wilmanric" Pacek, John Bailey, John Geoffrey, Joshua Taylor, Kabuki Kaiser, Katie Simpson, Kelvin Green, Kevin Heuer, Michael Jones, L.S.F., Leslie Furlong, Lester Ward, Luka Rejec, Mark Garringer, Mark Morrison, Matthew Schmeer, Micah Blackburn, Matthias Hoefler, Michael Atlin, Michael Prescott, Michael P. Bonet, Michael Woodhead, Mike Monaco, Nick Wedig, OtspIII, PJ Cunningham, Paolo Greco, Dyson Logos, Stonewerks, Peter Regan, Radulf St. Germain, Ramsey Hong, Ricky Anderson, Rob S., Rodney Sloan, Roger Carbol, Roger SG Sorolla, Roland Volz, Ryan Lucas, S. Harlan, S.D. Hilderbrand, Scott Slomiany, Sersa Victory, Sharang Biswas, Grace Gage, Shawn Harris, Simon Dale, Simon Forster, The Seven-Sided Die, Tom Denton, Tony Dowler, Vivian Smith, Vladislav Volchenko, Warren Abox, Wayne Snyder, Will Doyle, Xyphon, and Yves Green.

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The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Heck Yes You Still Have Time!

If you are worried, or wondering if you still have time to create and submit an entry into the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest, well the answer is yes, you do!

I created a One Page Dungeon today, starting from scratch. In fact, I managed to cram three One Page Dungeons into one, without going below 12 pt font (aside from the CC license which is 10 pt.).

Behold, The Multi-Purpose Dungeon.  I did this all today, from start to finish in between all the real life stuff , I swear to Graxxl!

You can grab it HERE.
(Edit: I have now uploaded the correct version, yikes!)

Would this one be a winner, if I was able to enter the contest and all that? Probably not, but it was fun to make. If I was able to enter, I would still have nine days to tweak it before the deadline (at the time this blog post was written).

I would probably drop one of the genres and flesh the remaining two out more, maybe even add a small illustration for each, but I digress. The point is that you still have plenty of time to create a One Page Dungeon this year!

-Aaron

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

TSR Games is Sponsoring the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

TSR Games is once again sponsoring the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!  We are incredibly happy to share that TSR is joining the One Page Dungeon Contest once again, just as they are celebrating the release and incredibly successful Kickstarter for "TOP SECRET: NEW WORLD ORDER".



So what have they left in the dead drop you ask?

For the "Best Overall One Page Dungeon", they are providing a Boxed Set of "Top Secret: New World Order", as well as a limited edition hardcover.

For three other "grand prize winners" they are providing Boxed Sets of "Top Secret: New World Order", and PDF editions of "Top Secret NWO" for all other winners!

Huge thanks to Jayson, Chandra, REDACTED, REDACTED, and everyone at TSR Games for making these prizes possible!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

April 18th Update

Looking at the countdown timer, I see that there is a little over eleven days left to submit an entry for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest. Most of the current entries have been sent in by new/ first time participants this year, although I have been assured that many are planning on returning to the contest again this year for the tenth anniversary.  Looking over the entries that have been submitted so far (a perk of organizing the contest is being the first person to see them all as they come in) I can tell you that the judges have their work cut out for them!

The One Page Dungeon Contest has new(ish) Twitter and Facebook pages that are typically more up to date than this blog, so you should definitely check them out:

https://www.facebook.com/dungeoncontest

https://twitter.com/DungeonContest

Resources:

I added a resources page to the www.dungeoncontest.com website, but it is anything but exhaustive.

If you have any suggestions for information that would be helpful for first time or returning creators, especially given the ever-dwindling amount of time left in the submission period, by all means let me know in the comments, and I can add it to the website as well.

I started to work on this post earlier while looking for more resources, but I started watching  a Michael Prescott video and barely managed to pull myself out of the isometric rabbit hole in time to make a post.

This is the video that reeled me in and the start of my binge watching and it's worth much more than a crow's nest full of cookie packets!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Behold the Sponsors of the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Inspiration for One Page Dungeon Contest Entries

I was dropping my daughter off at a friend's house this afternoon, and instead of listening to one of two local college radio stations, she had control of the radio. A Taylor Swift song came on, one that I have passing familiarity with, but had not paid close attention to lyrics wise, and a snippet stuck with me. I thought, taken out of context, this could make for an interesting one page dungeon.

"Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby"
-Lyrics from "Ready For It?" by Taylor Swift

So my mind went to Inception, with the players as secret agents remotely invading the mind of a foe in order to uncover secrets, or perhaps even assassinate the villain from within.

The adventure would likely take place in one location given the size constraints of a one page dungeon entry, a memory that involved an Island just after sunset. The twist would be that the players would discover the villain to be a sympathetic character, or perhaps even come to doubt they had the correct person, but still forced to fight a large number of foes manifested by the target's subconscious.

A quick search of islands,and Pinaki Atoll, which is just over 170 acres is good inspiration for a location. A google translation of "lost blue" into French results in "Perdu Bleu", the name for my fictional resort on my fictional island.

The "dream state" of the island and resort has the staff and vacationers reacting to the player characters as other guests of the resort until they initiate any hostilities or are discovered accessing restricted areas. This allows the characters time to explore the island memory, which is an endless night.

I have been to an island resort once, so I can write about what little I know about the experience:
All inclusive, so lots of food and drinks, windsurfing classes, water aerobics, sunbathing, exclusive restaurants as well as buffets, a local town outside of the resort, theme nights, multiple bars, bonfires and beach parties after dark, etc...

So why this memory and this place?  Perhaps this is a memory of when the villain's partner died by drowning or perhaps even killed in the crossfire during an assassination attempt.  Maybe this is a stealth mission and the characters must alter the memory through their actions to convince the villain that he or she was ultimately responsible for the partners death. 

Maybe it is a memory from the villain/ protagonists childhood, and they are represented as a child in the adventure/ memory.

Maybe this whole adventure is set in a dystopian or post apocalyptic future, and a tech genius backed him or herself up with an artificially intelligent "cloud based" clone, and must be unraveled by accessing this seemingly innocuous memory.

There are a lot of ways to go with this, all from a snippet from a song improbably played on my car's radio.  

This is a decent start. Now to work out the map, the encounters, the items, the opponents, the challenges, the rewards, the art, the overall design, and fit it all onto one page!

What a Day, What a Lovely Day (to work on your one page dungeon)!

"Scavenger" class illo from my
Post Apocalyptic Hack.

There is definitely an up-tick in "non-fantasy" entries so far, and by "non-fantasy" I mean Post-Apocalyptic (19% of the current entries!). I am looking forward to the possibility that this year we will see more genre diversity (espionage/ sci-fi/ horror/ modern/ super heroic, etc.)

It is still "early" in the submission process for most creators (based on how close to the deadline entries are typically submitted each year), but for some creators having only two weeks (and three weekends) left (especially those working in collaboration with other creators) the May 1st midnight UMT deadline might be getting tight.

The first One Page Dungeon that Random Wizard and I worked on together (Meckwick's Revenge) took a few weeks to complete, as we were working on different aspects of it independently, and then had to put it all together in the end.  Add in the fact that I was still new to digital art and trying to figure out all the ins an outs of Photoshop and learning how to use my old Intuos tablet, all while juggling life.  Life definitely got in the way that year, but we manage to pull it off, submitting a final version very close to the deadline.


In short, make sure to give yourself enough time to submit an entry this year!
There are a lot of sponsors (twenty three with more coming!) offering incredibly generous prizes and you have the chance to be part of what is now a ten year tradition of wrestling with the constraints and design challenges the contest provides as well as share your work with a large (and ever-growing) audience! It is a great feeling to hear that someone used your creation as part of their campaign or as weekend one shot!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Wayne's Books is Sponsoring the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Wayne's Books is sponsoring a $100 gift certificate, as well as youth prizes. I had the pleasure or working with Wayne last year, when we introduced the youth prizes, and I can't say enough about how great he is to work with.  Random Wizard will tell you the same thing, as Wayne has sponsored the contest for several years now!

The generosity and support of sponsors like Wayne have gone a long way towards making the One Page Dungeon Contest a tradition as opposed to a one-off event!




Huge thanks to Wayne and Wayne's Books for making these prizes possible!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Will Doyle and Stacey Allen Raised the Bar and the Stakes!

Will Doyle recently tweeted, wondering if he and Stacey Allen would retain their grand prize winning crown. Well, technically they have a few of these crowns lying around over the course of the contest's history!

  I'm no judge, but looking at last year's winning entry by the duo, it probably won't be easy to nab that crown!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Luka Rejec and Michael Prescott are sponsoring the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Luka Rejec had the idea to produce a black and white illustration to accompany a winning One Page Dungeon entry, and asked how an artist could support the contest in this way.  Michael Prescott picked up on the idea as well, and the pair designed a prize that includes both a B/W illustration by Luka and an isometric map by Michael. Anyone familiar with their work, which is undoubtedly anyone reading this post, is aware of what a fantastic and unique prize this is.

Both Luka and Michael are past winners of the One Page Dungeon Contest, with entries that, well, speak for themselves...

 Thanks to Luka and Michael for making this prize possible!




http://www.wizardthieffighter.com/
https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter

Luka's winning entry in the 2017 One Page Dungeon Contest:

Teleportation Administration Substation 'Big Pineapple'

http://www.michaelprescott.com/
https://www.patreon.com/adventures

Michael's winning entry from the 2017 One Page Dungeon Contest:

The Mermaids' Knot

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Tenkar's Tavern to Sponsor the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Tenkar's Tavern has offered two RPGNow gift cards ($25/ $10) as prizes in the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest.
Erik is a champion of the OSR and prolific blogger, and the Tavern is not only a vibrant community but serves as a colossal resource for players and game masters alike!


Big thanks to Erik and The Tavern for making this prize possible! Swing by the Tavern and say thanks for the support!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

2010, 2011, and 2012 Compendia at "Pay What You Want" Pricing!

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the One Page Dungeon Contest, the three newly created compendia (2010, 2011, & 2012) have been given  "Pay What You Want" pricing on OBS. They will remain at this pricing until the deadline for the 2018 contest (May 1st midnight UMT)

2010 Authors/ Creators
Michael Richards, Random Wizard, Adam Thornton, Antti Hulkkonen, Chris Gonzales, Clarabelle Chong, Corwin Riddle, Craig Brasco, Heron Prior, Herwin Wielink, Jimm Johnson, Jeff Lynk, Lord Kilgore, Paul Siegel, Peter A. Mullen, Rob Antonishen, Shane Mangus, Simon Bull, Stuart Robertson, Tim Shorts, Tom Holmes, Aaron Schneider, Andrew Durston, Brenton Haerr, Caleb Jensen, Chris Maler, Darcy Stratton, David Bedell, Dean Bemen, DeForest Piper, Dennis Carter, Eric C. Alderson, Fabien Deneuville, 
Gabriel P., Gottfried Neuner, Greg Hartman, James Carr, James D. Jarvis, Jens Thuresson, Jesse Rothacher, John Laviolette, Lee Barber, Maximilian Thieme, Michael Christensen, Michael Hutchinson, Michael K. Tumey, Michael Wiemholt, Moritz Mehlem, Mrrkyllothur, Onno Tasler, Patrice Crespy, Paul Fini, Philippe Tromeur, Redrobes, Rick Ray, Ron Parker, Samuel Dennler, Scott Morrison, Scott Wylie Roberts, Shawn harris, Sven Vogler, Tim Hartin, Tim Morgan, Todd Hughes, Tom Allman, and Tom Livak.




2011 Authors/ Creators
Michael Richards, Random Wizard, Aaron Frost, Mundi King, Dyson Logos, Greg Gillespie, Jason Morningstar, Joe Sarnowski, Kelvin Green, Leslie Furlong, Lester Ward, Mike Monaco, Rob, Sutart Robertson, Thom Wilson, Tim Hartin, Andrew C. Durston, Ben 'Kthulhu' Bullock, Bill De Franza, Billy Miller, Brian Leet, David Eynon, Dennis Filipiak, Donald Peterson, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, Dylan Hartwell, Emil Larsson, Eric Jones, Greg Schuster, Iaian Jones, James Pacek, Jay Brown, Jens Thuresson, Joe Pruitt, John Laviolette, Jonathan 'Wyrd' Brazell, Jonathan Walton, Jordan Penny, Joshua Bennet, Joshua Burnett, Justin Colussy-Estes, Kirk Stone, Marc Pavone, Mark Morrison, Matthew Schmeer, Michael Bors, Michal Gibbons, Michael K. Tumney, Nicholas Sigwald, Patrick Maguire, Peter Regan, Ravi, Rodney Sloan, Roger S.G. Sorolla, Roland Volz, Shane Knysh, S.J. Harris, Simon Forster, Steve Johnson, Tim Labor, Tim Shorts, Todd Mitchell, Tom Livak, Travis Miller, and Zack Buntin.




2012 Authors/ Creators

Authors/ Creators

Michael Richards, Random Wizard, A.A. Bunkerclub55, Aaron Bianco, Aaron Frost, Mundi King, Aaron Kavli, Aaron Webb, Alan Brodie, Andrew Durston, Heleen Durston, Benoit, Berin Kinsman, Bill De Franza, Boric Glanduum, C.M. Lebrun, Chris Engle, Chris Longhurst, Chris Olson, Christian Hollnbuchner, Clarabelle Chong, Clay Thomas McGrew, Dakota Dornbrack, Dale Horstman, Dan Roy, David Brawley, David Dornbrack, David Gay, David Thiel, David Van Slyke, Diogo Nogueira, Dylan Hartwell, Edward Green, Eran Aviram, Aviv Or, Eric Harshbarger, Eric Minton, Joshua Krause, Evangelos Vafeiadis, Nicolas Kabasele, Fco. Javier Barrera, Felbrigg Napoleon Harriot, Gabriel Perez Gallardi, Gene Sollows, Gerardo Tasistro, Greengoat, Ian Johnson, Jan Pralle, Jason "Flynn" Kemp, Jason Shaffer, Jasper Polane, Jeff Mckelley, Jeff R., Jeff Shepherd, Jens Thuresson, Jerry LeNeave, Jim "Wilmanric" Pacek, John Bailey, John Geoffrey, Joshua Taylor, Kabuki Kaiser, Katie Simpson, Kelvin Green, Kevin Heuer, Michael Jones, L.S.F., Leslie Furlong, Lester Ward, Luka Rejec, Mark Garringer, Mark Morrison, Matthew Schmeer, Micah Blackburn, Matthias Hoefler, Michael Atlin, Michael Prescott, Michael P. Bonet, Michael Woodhead, Mike Monaco, Nick Wedig, OtspIII, PJ Cunningham, Paolo Greco, Dyson Logos, Stonewerks, Peter Regan, Radulf St. Germain, Ramsey Hong, Ricky Anderson, Rob S., Rodney Sloan, Roger Carbol, Roger SG Sorolla, Roland Volz, Ryan Lucas, S. Harlan, S.D. Hilderbrand, Scott Slomiany, Sersa Victory, Sharang Biswas, Grace Gage, Shawn Harris, Simon Dale, Simon Forster, The Seven-Sided Die, Tom Denton, Tony Dowler, Vivian Smith, Vladislav Volchenko, Warren Abox, Wayne Snyder, Will Doyle, Xyphon, and Yves Green.

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Johnn Four to Sponsor the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Johnn Four was our first official sponsor for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest, and has generously offered a Lifetime license to Campaign Logger!  Campaign Logger lets you store all your campaigns, adventures, and session with notes in one place with infinite logs, customizable tags, and much more (click the link to see for yourself).

Johnn is the the co-writer of the Dungeon Master's Guide II, founded the GM Toolbox column in Dragon Magazine, and has been publishing the RolePlaying Tips Newsletter for GMs since 1999!

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

Flying Buffalo Games to Sponsor the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest!

Flying Buffalo Games is sponsoring two great prizes for this years contest! First up is a PDF edition of "Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls", followed by a PDF edition of "T&T Japan Adventures"!

Flying Buffalo has been at this since 1970 and founded the Play by Mail industry. It is an honor to have their sponsorship this year!

Big thanks to Rick Loomis and Flying Buffalo for making these prizes possible! (you can thank him on twitter @buffalorick)

The Deadline for the 2018 One Page Dungeon Contest is May 1st, by midnight UMT

Visit dungeoncontest.com for more details, and grab a free copy of the submission guide HERE.

2011 One Page Dungeon Compendium Print Edition Now Available!

The 2011 One Page Dungeon Compendium is now available in print from OBS!

DrivthruRPG          RPGNow

The Print Edition of the 2011 One Page Dungeon Compendium featuring 62 One Page Dungeon Contest entries spanning several genres including horror, sci-fi, and of course classic fantasy.  The submissions are fairly system neutral by design, and many can be easily dropped into your existing campaign!

Authors/ Creators

Michael Richards, Random Wizard, Aaron Frost, Mundi King, Dyson Logos, Greg Gillespie, Jason Morningstar, Joe Sarnowski, Kelvin Green, Leslie Furlong, Lester Ward, Mike Monaco, Rob, Sutart Robertson, Thom Wilson, Tim Hartin, Andrew C. Durston, Ben 'Kthulhu' Bullock, Bill De Franza, Billy Miller, Brian Leet, David Eynon, Dennis Filipiak, Donald Peterson, Doyle Wayne Ramos-Tavener, Dylan Hartwell, Emil Larsson, Eric Jones, Greg Schuster, Iaian Jones, James Pacek, Jay Brown, Jens Thuresson, Joe Pruitt, John Laviolette, Jonathan 'Wyrd' Brazell, Jonathan Walton, Jordan Penny, Joshua Bennet, Joshua Burnett, Justin Colussy-Estes, Kirk Stone, Marc Pavone, Mark Morrison, Matthew Schmeer, Michael Bors, Michal Gibbons, Michael K. Tumney, Nicholas Sigwald, Patrick Maguire, Peter Regan, Ravi, Rodney Sloan, Roger S.G. Sorolla, Roland Volz, Shane Knysh, S.J. Harris, Simon Forster, Steve Johnson, Tim Labor, Tim Shorts, Todd Mitchell, Tom Livak, Travis Miller, and Zack Buntin.