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Can someone break down the process to get adventures published as Adventurers League official modules?
Currently I am a writer/producer of RPG adventures and 3rd party material, but I'd really like to be able to publish my work as official Adventurers League modules (D&D 5e Organized Play).
As of late 2020, Wizards of the Coast replaced the CCC program with the Dungeoncraft program.
Anyone can make an AL legal adventure module if it is in the setting of the current season and follows some broad rules for content and rewards. Wizards publishes these guidelines on their website. Adventures written by these rules can be published for sale on the Dungeon Master's Guild website and run by anyone.
The current 2021 Feywild season rules are here: https://media.wizards.com/2021/dnd/downloads/Dungeoncraft_Wild_Beyond_the_Witchlight_v1.2.pdf
For historical comparison, the 2020 Icewind Dale rules are here: https://media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/DC_PlagueAncients.pdf
Note that each of these seasons stipulates a publishing deadline to be Adventure League "legal". As of this writing, it is August 31, 2022 for Domains of Delight modules.
From the FAQ, emphasis mine:
Why should I participate in the Dungeon Masters Guild?
...Your content can be rated and reviewed by fans who purchase your adventures, allowing you to improve as a designer, and allowing Wizards to easily identify the best creators for additional publication opportunities.
Mike Mearls also stated in his Reddit AMA when DM's Guild launched that identifying new talent was part of the intent of creating the guild. (ENWorld summary)
Last year (2015) Adventurer's League put out an open call for new designers; the article linked above contains tips on good AL design from the WotC staffer who reviewed all of the submissions. Highlights include:
Since you're already publishing, it may be that you can cut the line a bit. You might be able to float some of your material past WotC's AL staff--yes, it appears to just be one person--and see if you can get traction. But there're no guarantees in life.
The main method to get adventures you have written is to partner with a convention and submit an application for Convention Created Content. This is how Baldman Games is writing Adventurers League legal adventures to be distributed on DM's Guild.
With the creation of the DMs Guild, the D&D Adventurers League has opened an exciting new opportunity for convention organizers. Convention organizers may now create (or have created) unique adventure content set in the Moonsea region of the Forgotten Realms for their events, and have that content approved and declared legal for D&D Adventurers League play. In order to get the D&D Adventurers League stamp of approval, we ask that you follow the rules and processes outlined below. These are subject to change as the program matures and as we learn more about what works, what doesn't work for the D&D Adventurers League community.
Criteria
To qualify for CCC, the convention must be large enough to span multiple days and must run at least 15 total tables of D&D Adventurers Leagued over the course of the event.
…
At least 9 months before the event, the request for Con Created Content must be submitted to the D&D Adventurers League Resource Manager that includes:
- Your name and email
- The convention's name and website
- location and dates of your convention
- Details of the content you want to write (# of hours, # of adventures, etc.)
…
Your adventure(s) are not approved as legal for D&D Adventurers League play until the process is complete.
Once your adventure has premiered, it must be submitted and published in the Dungeon Masters Guild within six months.
…
Process
- After submitting your request, if your show is chosen to pursue unique content, it is up to you to locate and contract with any authors, editors, or artists you may need. The D&D Adventurers League will not provide any resources to design or develop your unique content beyond any commentary necessary to help you comply with the process/requirements. You are responsible for meeting the deadlines listed in the process. If you fail to do so, your final content will not be approved as legal for D&D Adventurers League play. The D&D Adventurers League admins will provide you with details on the process we use to construct an adventure concept, and what we expect from your final draft (along with experience and treasure guidelines).
- Nine months (shortly after you are approved to pursue new content) before your show you must submit an adventure concept for each adventure you are requesting. The AL team will get back to you within two weeks approving, denying or requesting changes to your concept. Your adventure will take place in the Moonsea, should not kill off a major NPC in the region, destroy any significant settlements, give inappropriate treasure, or violate the established canon of the campaign or of unique content that is already in the pipeline prior to your submission. If you do, we may suggest minimal changes for you to bring your adventure content into compliance. If this is not possible, your content will not be approved. Additionally, please only use monsters and other such rules elements that appear in fifth edition D&D products published by Wizards of the Coast.
- Three months before your show, you must provide the D&D Adventurers League team with a final draft of your adventure(s). The AL team will not edit or change your draft, but will read it over to make sure it complies with the expectations of what we approved within the scope of your original concept. If we find any issues, we will return the draft with a request for changes to help you improve your adventure. Once your adventure is approved, we'll put the D&D Adventurers League stamp on it and send to back to you. At that point it is yours. You can run it at your shows. You can trade it with other shows for their content and you can post it on the Dungeon Masters Guild as official D&D Adventurers League adventure content.
