Roleplaying Game Submission Tips
DunDraCon focuses much of its energy on table-top Roleplaying games; we schedule upwards of 150 individual games every year. RPGs are given a private room for playing. We can accommodate requests for adjacent rooms or rooms directly across the hall from each other for linked games. There are also limited spaces for mega-RPGs (9 or more more players). We are willing to work with the GMs and Hotel to make other special accommodations, just let me know.
Facilities:
RPGs are usually scheduled in a private room. If you have special needs for room assignment, be sure to fill in the Additional Information for the Scheduler field in the form below.Players and Game Length:
Games should last between 4 and 12 hours, for 5 to 12 people.GM Benefits for Official Games:
A GM will receive a full membership and a priority slip for running at least one RPG for 4 hours, accepting 5 people. GMs who run additional games may receive additional benefits.
Assistant GMs:
Assistant GM benefits are assessed on a case-by case basis. We are unlikely to give complimentary memberships to assistants in games totaling less than 50 player hours and offering to seat at least eight people. We do not consider the notion that a game can be significantly better for the inclusion of an assistant, and that in turn it justifies additional complimentary memberships. While we appreciate that this may improve the quality of the game, it is not something we will acknowledge as justifying free membership. Very large games may in fact justify a free membership for one or more assistants, but they probably won’t fit in a standard private room, so we may have to use a larger room, and these are in limited supply.Things to be aware of when making your game request
Please read our Game Policies before submitting a game.
The first games start on Friday at noon. Don't ask for an earlier start time, it won't happen.
The last game ends on Monday at 4pm. Don't request a 10- or 12-hour game on Monday!
Games start on the even hours. All games will be scheduled for an even number of hours, so if you ask for a 5-hour game slot it will automatically be upgraded to 6 hours. Games asking to start at an odd-numbered hour (say, 7pm) will be adjusted to the next hour (8pm). We accept submissions only via this website, or an e-mail with the necessary information attached or incorporated in the body of the e- mail. We no longer accept submissions via U.S. Mail, as we need a working e-mail address to communicate with all our prospective GMs.
The number of players in the game (roster size) is a parameter published in the program and on-line. GMs must add walk-up players to fill a game to the published roster size if players are available, either to fill slots not filled by registration, or where registered players do not show up. Where there are more walk-ups than available slots, the choice of players is at the GM's discretion. GMs are allowed to add one walk-up player over the published roster size (assistant GM, for example) at their discretion, but may not add walk-up players beyond that number.
Include a brief description of any variations that you expect to be using. Please limit it to 40 characters and spaces; anything longer belongs in your on-line description. If you don't want a specific character type (e.g. No Psionics) this is the place to list it.
Power level should be described in terms of the game system (e.g.: "1st-3rd level"; "50 Build points"; "Best Skill 75%"). This lets players know what they can look forward to in terms of opposition. If you are not providing characters, it is also your criteria for what character levels you expect players to provide. Try not to put too much information in this space.
Make your game description succinct. Try to hit the high points of why a player should choose your game. This is your advertisement to the players, so make it snappy (and short - a maxiumum of 160 words)!
The Additional Information field is meant to let the scheduler know of any special needs. This information will not appear to the public.
What we are looking for in a game
We have more space for RPGs than ever before, but we still have to curate submissions to make sure we can offer a great mix of games. So we have to choose, and to disappoint at least some people. In that regard, all of the following statements are true:- For the best chance of being scheduled when you want, get your proposal in by November 1. Often GMs who submit after that will find that they do not get their first choice of space or time.
- The less restrictive you are about time slots you will accept (that is, the less time you rule out in the 'Can't Run' field of your proposal), the better chance you have of being scheduled.
- The better written your proposal is, the better chance you have of being scheduled. Spelling counts, grammar counts, logical consistency counts. Story counts too.
- The easiest games to schedule are those running 8 hours or less. If you want a longer game slot, note the restrictions on scheduling, above. Also consider Friday noon or Monday start times, as these are more likely to be available later in the process.
Apart from the above, we are trying to balance lots of factors:
- Diversity of game systems: we want to see everything from GURPS to Paranoia to Deadlands to Buffy to Call of Cthulhu to Spirit of the Century to [you-name-it]. While we'll always have a lot of D&D and Heroes-system games, and are happy to offer them, we want to offer a very broad spectrum of other game systems on the schedule as well.
- Diversity of style: we want epic games and games for beginners, intense games and off-the-wall games, and everything in between. Especially, we want games with great stories to power them.
- Diversity of GMs: we hope to see lots of veteran GMs return, and we want to schedule GMs who have never before run a game at DunDraCon.
So that's how it works. Keep these guidelines in mind as you compose your game, and we'll give you proposal careful consideration when we get it.