Contest Rules for the AATC

The Authentic Adventures Teaching Contest (AATC) seeks to award the best TEACHER who creates a video helping others to design their own game adventures, specifically for “Fantasy Role-playing Games,” defined as games that incorporate the traditional medieval/magical setting familiar from King Arthur, Lord of the Rings, Conan, Newhon, Narnia and like literary references.

The contest begins on the day of announcement, January 15, 2022, and comes to an end on May 31st, 2022. Entries must be posted on YouTube or Nebula (of Curiousity Stream) by that day, by 12 midnight, before June 1st, with an appropriate email (see below) informing Alexis Smolensk, SPONSOR of the contest. See Entry Criteria and Requirements, below.


ENTERING

No entries may be made by a group or organisation. Each Creator may enter one video, which may be posted and updated at any time prior to the contest deadline. Updated entries must be confirmed with the Alexis and the judges. Once submitted, all entries remain the property of the creator, with permission for Alexis Smolensk to make use of on his blog and as an example for possible future contests.

The AATC is in no way affiliated with official Dungeons & Dragons, or Wizards of the Coast, nor with YouTube, Nebula or Curiosity Stream. The AATC is sponsored SOLELY by Alexis D. Smolensk. The Sponsor is acting as a passive conduit between the Creative Teacher and the Judges. The Sponsor is responsible for holding and dispensing awards for the contest, in accordance with the JUDGES’ FINAL DECISION, the contest rules and the Entry Criteria.


VOTING

First Round: upon viewing the Creators’ material, each of FIVE JUDGES will choose their personal best three videos. These will be assigned by each judge as 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. A Judge’s first place pick will be counted at 3 pts.; a 2nd place pick, 2 pts.; and a 3rd place pick, 1 pt.

Second Round & Beyond: the totals for each video will be calculated, with those four videos having the most combined points being named as the FOUR FINALISTS after the first round of voting. A second ballot will then be cast, determining the three winners and the video receiving honourable mention. If necessary, ties will be settled by additional ballots.


REWARD

The 1st Place Winner will receive the grand prize of $800 USD. 2nd Place will be awarded $200 USD. 3rd Place will be awarded $50. There is no monetary award for Honourable Mention.


ELIGIBILITY

The contest is open to all persons who are 18 years of age. There is no cost to enter. The video must be posted on YouTube or Nebula, and must be active on the final date of the contest.

Once a video is posted, the Entrant officially enters the contest by sending the Sponsor (alexiss1@telus.net) an email with the following information: url of the posted video, first name, last name, city, country, daytime telephone number, email address and date of birth, along with an optional personal photo. Once an email address entry has been submitted by an entrant, that personal information cannot be used by any person except for the purposes of validation, if the entrant wins. Entrants are asked to state in the email that it is okay to use his or her first and last names, city and country, and photo, and no other information, when the Sponsor awards his or her prize publically on the Internet. Entrants failing to include this approval risks rejection from the contest on those grounds.

By submitting the entry information, each teacher confirms the accuracy and veracity of the statements and information contained therein.


ENTRY MATERIAL & REQUIREMENTS.

• The video content must be presented in English.

• The content must be at least 20 minutes and must not exceed 80 minutes.

• The content cannot include VISUAL hashtags, trademarks, logos, artwork, products or brand names belonging to or copyrighted by the Wizards of the Coast or any other third parties representing a group or organisation. Referencing D&D or other games and game products is acceptable, so long as these do not physically appear in the content.

• The content must be practical and useful when applied to ALL editions of D&D and other fantasy role-playing games.

• The content must be CLEARLY intended to TEACH how to create an adventure, and must not be used as a showcase for the creator’s own adventure. It’s recommended that familiar iconographic game modules and adventures should be referenced, but not displayed, when giving examples of a particular kind of feature or technique, rather than the creator’s own unknown module.

• The video cannot have been entered in any other contest.

• The video must not disparage the goodwill or reputation of any other Creator, nor the Sponsor.

• The video must not contain any advertising or promotional materials, or solicitation for any form of product.

• The video must not contain any references or depictions to alcohol, tobacco, drug paraphernalia, firearms, or any description or representation thereof.

• The statement or photo must not include obscenities or other objectional material that defames or invades the publicity or privacy rights of any person, living or deceased, or that otherwise infringes upon any third party’s personal or proprietary rights, as determined by the sponsor in his sole and absolute discretion.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

By participating, each creator agrees to:

(a) be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor or Judges, which are final and binding in all respects;

(b) waive any rights to claim ambiguity with these Official Rules;

(c) indemnify and hold harmless the Contest Entities from any and all liability resulting or arising from the use of any submitted Entry; and

(d) release all right to bring any claim, action, or proceeding against the Contest Entities.

If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, the Sponsor, at his sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel, suspend or modify the Contest or any portion(s) thereof and judge the Entries and award the applicable prize from all salvageable eligible Entries received prior to and/or after (as appropriate) the action taken by the Sponsor, or award the applicable prize in a manner that is fair and equitable and notice of such action will be posted on the Sponsor’s Websites. The Sponsor reserves the right, at his sole discretion, to disqualify any individual found to be tampering with or defrauding the entry process or the operation of the Contest; to be acting in violation of these Official Rules; or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person.

Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest will be ineligible for a prize and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In case of a dispute over the identity of the Creator who submitted a winning Entry, the authorized account holder of the email address associated with that Entry will be deemed the Creator. Said person must comply with these Official Rules, be the person who completed the act of entering, and, in Sponsor's sole discretion, may be required to provide proof of ownership of the email account.

By entering the contest, each creator agrees and acknowledges that the sponsor and the judges shall have no responsibility or liability (including, but not limited to, liability for any property loss, damage, personal injury, or death) in connection with participation in this Contest; human error; incorrect or inaccurate transcription of Entry Information; disputes over who is the Creator of any entry.


See also,

Launching the Contest

Judging Criteria