What the Hell is a "D&D Tournament"
Let's Find Out Together
...I don't rightly know, so of course I'm going to co-run one in order to find out.
Back in the Elder Days of Yore ("my what?"), D&D tournaments were, if not common, then at least a known quantity. The sweaty, neckbearded gamers of yesteryear would gather in an airless room and battle their way though an adventure with an extremely judgmental "grading" rubric. Possibly those who won the most points would receive fame, glory, and the adoration of their peers.
Other than maybe that last bit, ours isn’t going to be quite like that.
We’re envisioning our D&D tournament for the modern age as something more of a D&D-mixer and community building event. Often, we D&D players are siloed from each other—appreciating and enjoying the game within our own groups, but never experiencing the joy of gaming with strangers, meeting people through gaming (unless we happen to be in the convention scene, which comes with its own stressors and expenses). Bay Area RPG, the company I day-job DM for, is putting this tournament together largely to capture that social convention experience on a much more manageable scale.
(Of course there are also points, but D&D has ever been a milieu where, to steal a phrase, “everything is made up and the points don’t matter.” Also players will get the chance to score their DMs, which I think is absolutely wonderful.)
The tournament is happening on Saturday, August 23rd, 12-6pm at the Joe Goode Annex in San Francisco. I have no idea how quickly tickets will sell, so round up a friend or two and click this link for more info and to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dungeon-and-dragons-tournament-1-tickets-1428177119209
Speaking of things I’m learning by doing, have you been watching my livestreamed cyberpunk game Midnight in the Garden of Chrome & Fog? I’m told the best way to experience it is to catch the ‘stream on Wednesday evenings, 7pm PST (not tonight—it’s my birthday, damn it; I get an evening off—but starting up again next week) hereabouts on Twitch, because that way you get to be part of the community shaping the story together. But if you’re a luddite like me, most of the episodes have been gussied up a bit and uploaded to youtube in this convenient playlist.
Smash that like button? Do something equally violent to the subscribe… lever? Again, I don’t really know how any of this works, but the players are fantastic and I’m having a load of fun horrifying them in dystopic future-San Francisco, so maybe that’s your jam.