CCGs, board games, and miniatures games are all geared toward a tournament structure as well as casual play (although I’m so competitive it’s hard for me to grok casual), but how roleplaying tournaments can crown a “winning team” has always mystified me a little bit. I did once win an award for best roleplayer, but that was voted on by your group, so it was easy to understand.

One of the leading roleplaying tournament organizers and writers in the country has written a primer over on the Strategicon forums.  He’s got some pretty good insights, and I actually understand how these things are run and judged much better after reading it

Spinachcat says…

I love RPG tourneys because they offer a completely different gameplay experience than a regular convention RPG event or a home game. The tourney pits the players against the adventure in a win/lose endeavor with actual cash prizes on the line as incentives for victory.

So get on over there and read his six tips on How To Win a D&D tournament.