TBD by the Judges when contest goals have been achieved)
Open to:
Everyone worldwide (all submissions must be in English)
Submission Requirements
Our preferred entry method is for you to post your submission in the Hawgleg Forum. To ensure that you include all the required material, we suggest you download our entry form, which is a Word.doc online that has headings and spaces for all the required info. To ensure that you have all the required info, we recommend you download it and fill it in. Also, you should strongly consider downloading our current online adventures and reviewing the formatting and type of material we’re looking for. Submit as much or as little info as you want. The bare minimum is: Title, description, victory conditions, and setting. We can fill in the rest.
Each entry must include your name and e-mail address (the latter is very important – if we can’t contact you, you can’t receive a prize).
Each entry must include a title (this counts for a lot, so be creative: “Defiance at Devil Dog Canyon” is a much better title than “Barroom Brawl”).
Each entry must include a short description of the plot. Keep it short – a few well-written sentences are better than a long, rambling plot full of details (visit www.imdb.com and look up some of your favorite Westerns for examples of what we’re talking about).
Clearly state the following:
How many teams are there (or is it an “every man for himself” adventure?)
Recommended number of characters per team
Describe the setting (small town, big city, isolated ranch house, island in the middle of a lake, or on a passenger train). You don’t have to draw a map (we’d love one if you’d care to include it), but we do need a clear enough description for us to draw a map.
Character and NPC names and descriptions – if there are any. If you are familiar with the Gutshot rules, you may use Character Type descriptions (Sodbuster, Deputy, etc.) or you may just use generic terms (crusty old miner, big thug, etc.). Describe any special abilities or other physical descriptions. Please keep in mind, you don’t have to describe these: you could just be generic and say, “two gangs of outlaws and the sheriff’s posse.” Not naming the characters makes it easier to include this adventure in an ongoing campaign.
Describe any important terrain or layout considerations, as well as starting positions for figures (such as, the Black Hat Team needs to start the game 36 inches from the Livery Stable door, so it takes them at least three actions to get there).
Can the game be played without a GM (a simple White Hats vs. Black Hats scenario), or would it play better with one (there are secret events going on, NPCs waiting to ambush the characters, or secret events like when the train is arriving)?
Special rules or set-up considerations?
Victory Objectives:
What must each team do to win? Be specific (“Full victory is achieved when the Black Hats leave the south edge of the game table with the loot” or “Partial victory is achieved if the Black Hats escape with their lives.”)
Are there any special provisions or conditions (“No character can shoot at the schoolmarm”).
What happens if there is a draw (“Both teams lose if the schoolmarm dies during the rescue attempt – all action just ends”)?
Are players “out of the game” if they move off the table, or may they re-enter the game, and if so, under what conditions?
A longer description and any other info you think would be useful to players running the game. Don’t be afraid to elaborate on back story and sub-plots, or even special victory conditions for specific characters (see our online adventures for examples).
See Rules below for specific entry requirements regarding age, language, and country of origin.
Submission Guidelines
Keep it short. We want each adventure to run about 2-6 pages, including maps, NPC sheets, and player handouts.
Keep it simple. We don’t want a cast of thousands or complicated, hard-to-find buildings or terrain. For example, most Wild West gamers have a bank, saloon or hotel, but do not have a 25mm riverboat available. The same is true for multi-level cliffs with caves and rattlesnake pits. When describing your setting, stick to common things that are easy to find or make.
Keep it real. Well, at least cinematically real. Stick to realistic events and settings, feel free to make up your own towns and people (and make liberal use of the stereotypical characters like square-jawed marshals, feisty deputies, madams with hearts of gold and greedy cattle barons), but steer clear of fantasy and sci-fi themes like elves, time travelers, zombies and monsters.
Keep it clean. If your story were a movie, it would need to be PG-13. No obscene language, nudity, rape, racism or depravity is allowed. These topics can actually be in the background of the story if they are handled tastefully, but should not be the focus of the story (storylines from “Gunsmoke” or “Bonanza” are fine, but stay clear of HBO’s “Deadwood”).
Keep it honest. You may use movies and books for inspiration, but you may not plagiarize them. Do not copy the movie or character names. For instance, a one-eyed marshal named “Rooster Cogburn” is definitely off limits, but a one-eyed marshal named “The Duke” is okay.
Keep it fun for everyone. One man against a whole town makes for a great Spaghetti Western, but it makes for a darned short game in Gutshot… unless it’s a solo adventure (one player versus a GM). Try to create adventures that are suitable for 2-8 players with clearly defined teams or groups, or create a situation where it is logical for every many to be against everyone else.
You do not need to be familiar with the Gutshot rules system. You can just describe a character in everyday language as “a tough old man who’s a crack shot with a pistol,” or a “cold-blooded killer who can ride with the reins in his teeth while firing two pistols.” We’ll convert these descriptions into game stats.
If you are familiar with the Gutshot rules system and choose to write up character stats, please follow the rules as put forth in the book. In other words, don’t try “stacking” the Sure-Shot Specialty for a +2 bonus. Follow the rules as best you can.
You don’t need to be a great writer to win this contest. To be honest, we’re probably going to edit or rewrite what you send us so that it will match our house style and formatting. We are looking for great titles and ideas. One of our favorite adventures was inspired at a game table when, looking for an idea, one of the players made a simple suggestion: “The rancher’s daughter is going to elope and her dad’s men are trying to stop them.” That set-up was eventually fleshed out into the “Love & Bullets” adventure that’s become one of our standard convention games.
Don’t worry about maps or illustrations. We’ll take care of all that.
We may contact you during the editing process to ask you questions or discuss possible changes with you. Our goal is to create an adventure that you’ll be proud to hang your name on.
Rules
We respect your privacy and will never distribute your e-mail address to anyone else.
Upon completion of the contests and drawings, the winners shall provide a valid mailing address so we can ship the prizes.
In the event that we cannot contact you after 30 days, we reserve the right to select a new winner or prize recipient.
Hawgleg Publishing is not responsible for lost or damaged prizes if the winner does not provide accurate mailing information.
The contest is open to everyone, however:
Participants must be over the age of 13.
Submissions must be in English.
There are no restrictions regarding where you live (country of origin), however, prize substitution may occur at our discretion if the winner is from a remote area of the world, or where customs regulations may make it difficult to mail the prizes. If this happens, we will discuss this with you beforehand and make every effort to work out an agreeable solution.
Limit one winner per household (if you win one of the contests, you are not eligible to win either of the drawings).
Cash may not be substituted for the prize.
Dates for contest close, prize selection, and drawings will be finalized and announced near the end of the contest.
We reserve the right to edit and format all submissions as needed.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, we must require that all submissions become the property of Hawgleg Publishing.
In the event of duplicate (or similar) submissions, we will select the entry that was received first.
By submitting an idea or title to this contest, you are acknowledging that you wish us to publish the material online in the form of a PDF for free, public download.
You assume full responsibility for the content of the material you submit, and assert that it is your own creation (or if it is “inspired” by another work, you have made enough changes so as not to infringe on the original creator’s copyright). In other words, you assert that you are not plagiarizing your submission and you assume full legal and financial responsibility should any litigation or action be sought against Hawgleg Publishing that stems from the publication of your submission.
We reserve the right to pull/delete submissions from our Website or forum if they are deemed inappropriate or that they have been plagiarized.
Rules are subject to change without notice or remedy.
Contest and drawings may be terminated without notice.
All taxes and customs fees (if any) are the responsibility of the winner.
Chances of winning are based on the total number of entries.
A “valid entry” is one that, as determined by the judges, is an entry that appears to have enough information to be considered for publication.
Decisions of the judges are final and may not be disputed.
If, for whatever reason, you choose to seek legal remedy to this contest, you agree:
That ALL court proceedings shall be conducted in Harris County, Texas.
Lawyer Fees, Court Costs, and Punitive Damages may NOT be sought in ANY legal action filed against Hawgleg Publishing, yet Hawgleg Publishing reserves the right to seek such damages and awards from you.
That by participating in these contests and drawings, you willingly and knowingly relinquish all rights to legal remedy against Hawgleg Publishing, its founders, co-founders, employees, associates, sponsors and volunteers.
