This time around the characters are no slouches either as the band of adventurers included clock in at 22nd level! Yowza!
From Wizards of the Coast:
The longest running D&D tournament in existence — the D&D Championship — returns again this year to Gen Con Indy on August 16-19! This year’s team competition sends the players spanning the breadth of Faerûn to foil the plot of one of Lolth’s followers — the deadly archmage Nurymm Zek.
Epic tier awaits you, as you play a group of 22nd-level heroes bent on thwarting Zek’s scheme. Check out the characters to prepare for the event!
Characters
This adventure uses the five pre-generated 22nd-level characters from the link above. All permanent choices are already made, although players can swap gear between their characters. If they choose to do so, they must announce it during play, after the timer has started. Players are responsible for making sure their characters’ statistics are accurate. Players whose characters have the ability to prepare spells can choose them before time starts and show their choices to the DM.
Adventure Background
You are heroes who have made names for yourselves even while staying out of worldly affairs. But now Lolth plans to become god of magic, and the leaders of Faerûn have sought your help to prevent the schemes of one of the Spider Queen’s followers.
Nurymm Zek is the archmage of a drow city in the Underdark called Undrek’Thoz. The powerful forces allied against Lolth have discovered that Zek plans to uncover four ancient implements created by the Imaskar Empire, then use them to free a creature called the Masters of Absolute Accord. This dark being is composed of four spellcasters from ancient times, who merged into one creature before being eventually imprisoned in a supposedly impenetrable dimension. When Zek has seized the Masters’ power, he plans to grant that arcane might to Lolth so that he can be merged with her, sharing in her glory.
This information was discovered only recently. The archmage’s agents have already been dispatched. He has sent the elite Blackened Fist monks to do his dirty work, then return to him with the artifact implements. The more implements they bring back, the more likely it is that Zek will be able to crack open the prison that holds the Masters of Absolute Accord.
Your mission is to travel to four locations across Faerûn—the four sites where the ancient Imaskari relics have been hidden until now. You must defeat the Blackened Fist monks before they can escape with the artifacts and return them to Nurymm Zek. If he does successfully seize any of the relics and manages to free the Masters of Absolute Accord, you must fight and defeat Zek before he merges with Lolth.
You don’t have much time if you are to succeed.
Event Details
Want to participate? Here’s what you need to know!
- The D&D Championship is a ticketed event at Gen Con Indy consisting of two rounds. If your team advances, you don’t need to purchase a ticket for the final round.
- Teams consist of 5 players (you are also allowed to register one alternate). Teams can be registered when they are seated for the entry round. Your team will be provided with 5 pre-generated characters to play during the championship.
- The entry round runs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The final round runs on Sunday. See the Gen Con Indy program for specific times.
- The entry round consists of 5 encounters. For the entry round, you will have 45 minutes to complete each encounter from the time the DM starts the clock. Once you finish one encounter and tell the DM you are ready to begin the next one, the timer will begin on the next encounter. Fast play and quick decision-making are critical to completing an encounter within the allotted time. The clock will always be ticking from the time you begin play, so be sure to monitor it.
- Your group may take short rests between encounters in the entry round when possible, but may not take an extended rest at any point during the D&D Championship. Deliberation during a short rest counts during your game time for either the encounter you’ve just completed or your next one, depending on the team’s decision.
- Characters that die and are unable to be brought back to life during the D&D Championship are out of play. You may take a fallen comrade’s gear with you during the remainder of the adventure. Players that have a dead character may not help the other players for the remainder of the adventure, but they may continue to observe. Players of dead characters are still treated as a member of the team for purposes of rewards and potential advancement to the final round.
- Your team stops play and is immediately scored if any one of the following occurs: your characters take an extended rest, all the characters are killed, the team decides by majority vote to stop play, or time runs out before an encounter is finished.
- Teams advance to the final round based on a scoring system. Scoring will be based on encounters completed, survival of party members, and number of rounds it took the team to complete the final encounter. Additional tie-breakers will be used as necessary.
- No more than 10 teams will advance to the final round. The final round will consist of one mega-encounter that must be defeated within the time allotted. Scoring will be similar to that used in the entry round to determine the winning team.
Prizes
All players advancing to the final round will receive a prize. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams will receive D&D product prizes. In addition, the 1st place team will receive special trophies commemorating their victory!
Want to Help Out?
Our Dungeon Masters earn all sorts of valuable perks for running the D&D Championship at Gen Con Indy. If you’d like to run the adventure or help out with other D&D events at the show, contact our premiere organizer, David Christ. He can be reached through his website at http://www.baldmangames.com/genconhome.
Good luck and we’ll see you at the big show!
Lots of luck to you and your team Keith!
My team and I are looking forward to participating and dominating! SKULLSMASH DISPATCH!