Give the Gift of D&D: Winners Announced!

Nearly 40 entries later, our contest to give away a 4e Basic Set, Keep on the Shadowfell, and D&D Minis starter has ended. And we have winners to announce!

First, our runner-up, who posted the snarkiest answer. Tonester’s saga was as following:

I didn’t know we were going for serious stuff…

In that case, I’d give it to a young boy name Wudawudawutwalo that my wife and I started sponsoring a couple of years ago. His parents were killed by some neighboring tribal warlords when they invaded his village. He is the eldest of 3 other brothers and so it is his responsibility to take care of them to the best of his ability.

The problem is that he was only 11 at the time and lost both of his thumbs in the attack. To complicate matters, one of his siblings has AIDS, another has cancer, and the third was born with a rare medical condition where he can only bend 1 leg and the muscles in his face are uncontrollable. If you haven’t figured it out already, this particular brother tends to walk in circles all day long while drooling on himself and appearing as if he is practicing in the mirror for the most complicated movie role ever… all the other kids make fun of him constantly – its horrible. 

I would send this awesome prize to Wudawudawatwalo. They could use it (esepcially the minis) to hone their strategic combat skills and begin the planning for their revenge attack on the evil warlords who attacked their village a couple of years ago. The $20 and bag of rice that my wife and I send each month only goes so far – this gift along with a set of mosquito nets would really put them over the top…. not to mention the fact that the dice could be used as slingshot ammo in the off-chance they are surrounded by rabid goats again with no rocks around (this happened to Wudawuda just last week… it was horrible).

Thanks in advance.

Tonester wins a promotional Gleemax brain, as it was the most appropriate prize I could think of.

But the winner is of the main prize is…

Eric Downtown! Here’s what he had to say:

I would give this to my soon to be newest players, my best friends daughters that are VERY excited to try D&D for the first time in early January.

The youngest (Shelby – age 8 ) “made” me photocopy the basic race and class info so that she could read it at home before we play. The next oldest, Chloe flipped through the PHB and immediately was drawn to the Eladrin and as she read more, she was dying to to play a Wizard. We had to start her character on the spot, even though we are not playing until after New Year. The oldest (Sammi) was sick (and not at our house to look through the PHB) was ecstatic and is looking at the photocopied pages herself, leaning towards a Tiefling Warlock (the little goth-to-be she is!)

The main reason, however, is that their parents, our (My wife and I’s) best friends, just lost their house to foreclosure and have moved in with their Grandmother. Their parents are struggling to give the girls a good Christmas at this point. We are trying to do our best to help out, and I KNOW that this D&D would be truly the best gift of all, something “frivolous” that their parents would not be able to give them themselves.

Thank your for giving me this opportunity to possible spread a little extra joy to my best friends girls. The card will say “From Critical-Hits.com 

The judging was tough, since so many of you had worthy causes to give to. But being able to help make a Christmas better for that family of new D&D players sounded like where it would do the most good.

I encourage all of you who entered to try and give away D&D (of any edition, or any appropriate RPGs) to those in need. We all know that those who play RPGs while young grow up to be awesome, so one small gift may help change a lifetime.

Stay tuned for some more contests… we have some dice to give away in the next contest which will be (appropriately enough) a little more random.