Posted in: Games, Role Playing Games, Tabletop | Tagged: Portals to Adventure, Secret Doors, Strange Owl Games, World’s Largest RPGs

Secret Doors: Volume 1 Contest Announced For TTRPG Writers

Would you like to write a TTRPG adventure and have it published? The Secret Doors: Volume 1 Contest has launched witht hat goal in mind

Published Sun, 13 Apr 2025 15:12:07 -0500

by Gavin Sheehan

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Article Summary

Enter the Secret Doors Contest for a chance to publish your TTRPG adventure and win cash prizes.
Design a unique, 5E-compatible dungeon behind a secret door, from a cursed library to a twisted demiplane.
Submit an adventure, map, intro video, and thumbnail before July 2, 2025, for fan voting and prizes.
Open worldwide for writers 18+, collaborate with TTRPG legends, and compete for publication in Secret Doors.

Portals to Adventure, alongside with World's Largest RPGs and Strange Owl Games, announced a new TTRPG completion with the Secret Doors: Volume 1 Contest. Starting today, would-be TTRPG writers have the opportunity to write up their own adventure setting to be included in the first volume of Secret Doors, which will essentially be an anthology of 5E compatible settings for DMs to use in their campaigns. We have more details about the contest for you here as you can enter your submissions until July 2, 2025.

Secret Doors Volume 1 Contest

What's behind your secret door? Contestants are challenged to design a creative, 5E-compatible dungeon space that lies hidden behind a secret door: anything from a trapped vault to a forgotten lair, a cursed library, or a portal to a twisted demiplane. Submissions will be voted on by fans, with the top entries winning cash and publication.

Prizes and Publication Opportunities

1st Place: 50% of Prize Money Total, Publication, Trophy, Secret Doors Book
2nd Place: 10% of Prize Money Total, Publication, Trophy, Secret Doors Book
3rd–10th Place: 5% of Prize Money Total each, Publication, Trophy, Secret Doors Book
All 20 Finalists: Featured on the site and awarded commemorative ribbons

All winning entries will be published in Secret Doors, Volume 1, an anthology of amateur and professional dungeon entries included with the World's Largest Dungeon: Platinum Edition, set to release in 2025. Winning authors will be published alongside TTRPG industry legends, set to be included in the Secret Doors Volume 1, including:

Timothy Brown (Dragon Kings)
Robert J. Schwalb (Shadow of the Demon Lord)
Leamon Crafton (Torg Eternity)
Rachel Savicki (Space 1889 After)
Patrick Kapera (Krafty Games)
Kaitlyn Walden (Thieves' World)
Ian Starcher (Cthulhu Mythos)
and many more!

Submission Requirements

To participate, entrants must submit:

A written Secret Door adventure (up to 4,500 words)
A dungeon map (hand-drawn or digital)
A short video introducing themselves and their concept
A thumbnail image for fans to see when browsing submissions

Submissions are accepted from April 13 through July 2, 2025. Fan voting occurs in two rounds:

Initial Voting: April 13 – July 2, 2025
Final Voting: July 3 – July 17, 2025
Winners Announced: July 18, 2025

Fan votes cost $1 each, with a maximum of 10 votes per submission per fan. Vote proceeds go directly toward the contest's prize pool.

Open the Door to Your Future

The Secret Doors Contest is open to international entrants aged 18 and older who have never held a full-time job creating role-playing games. Freelancers and hobbyists are welcome to compete. All submissions must be original and adhere to SRD 5E rules. AI-generated content is strictly prohibited.

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