Wardens Program Guide

The Role of the Program Guide 

Gamehole Publishing has released a free downloadable Player Guide which, as the title suggests, lets players learn the details of our setting, how characters are created, how leveling and magic items are handled, among many other subjects. While the Player Guide explains how to play Wardens, this Program Guide exists to explain how to run and represent Wardens. 

Here you will find: 

  • Expectations for official Wardens tables. 
  • Standards for tone, conduct, and presentation. 
  • Guidance on running seasonal content and shared systems. 
  • Clear procedures for rewards, reporting, and the Emporium. 

Together, these documents ensure that Wardens of the Eastern Marches remains a coherent, welcoming, and professionally run organized play program – whether it is hosted at a major convention or a local event. 

Please keep in mind that the whole point of our sharing the Wardens program is for conventions and events to have control of their D&D organized play experience, while making certain the play experience is consistent across events. 

What Is Wardens of the Eastern Marches? 

Wardens of the Eastern Marches (WotEM) is a shared-world, organized play campaign designed for convention and event play. It blends the structure and continuity of organized play with the flexibility and personality of strong individual tables, allowing players to carry characters, choices, and consequences from one game to the next across multiple venues. 

At its core, Wardens is about exploration, and consequences. Players take on the role of Wardens – individuals sanctioned to travel the Eastern Marches, respond to threats, uncover secrets, and shape the region through their actions. While individual adventures may stand alone, they are all part of a larger, evolving narrative shaped by collective play. 

These goals are supported by our Alliance system. There are six Alliances in Wardens of the Eastern Marches play. Each character must be a member of an Alliance. In each Wardens adventure, there are separate Alliance missions above and beyond the general goals of the adventure. To read all about the Wardens Alliance system, download our Player Guide. 

Unlike a home campaign, Wardens adventures are written to be: 

  • Portable – playable at different conventions and locations 
  • Consistent – with shared rules, rewards, and expectations 
  • Persistent – where character progression and earned resources matter 

Unlike purely drop-in play, Wardens emphasizes: 

  • A living setting that changes and grows with each new season 
  • Long-term character identity 
  • A recognizable tone and standard of play 

Running Wardens at Your Convention 

For Conventions: 

Wardens of the Eastern Marches is a convention-based organized play program. Conventions purchase a license tier based on expected attendance, which grants permission to run Wardens adventures during the event and determines (1) the minimum scheduling commitment required to offer a consistent player experience and (2) which program options and support materials are available. 

All convention tiers share the same core expectations: a clearly marked Wardens play area, consistent table identification, and reliable admin coverage for every Wardens slot so organizers and players have a predictable, well-supported experience. As conventions scale up, the required minimum number of slots and tables changes, and additional program options and support from Wardens become available. 

We built Wardens of the Eastern Marches to be a premier 5th edition D&D organized play experience. Every aspect of the program is purposeful with the only goal of providing an outstanding play experience for both players and DMs. 

We very much want you to succeed with our Wardens program. We will do everything that we can to help you put on a top notch play experience for both your players and DMs. 

The areas of greatest needs: 

Lead Admin(s): 

The responsibilities of your Wardens Admin include: 

  1. Ensuring an Admin is present for each and every slot of Wardens events being run at the convention. 
  2. Ensuring that all the necessary support materials, including Magic Item Certificates, Pregenerated Characters, and Wardens’ journal pages are present for your DMs to be able to run their Wardens games. 

There is a lot that goes into being a Wardens Admin which further includes being present to help adjudicate rules or character creation questions and distributing physical Alliance rewards should the convention choose to include those. 

Gamehole Publishing will help train and advise your designated Admins within the allotted hours to be able to fully discharge these duties in order to ensure that your players and DMs have the best possible experience. 

Recruiting Wardens DMs. 
  1. Recruiting DMs should be undertaken by your Wardens Admin team.
    • Establishing a DM rewards schedule. Examples are complimentary badges, hotel room shares, and physical product rewards. Creating a balanced schedule of games and times that meet the Wardens’ minimum requirements for the conference size. Wardens of the Eastern Marches Lead Admins can help with this. 
  2. Establishing DM standards which includes the express understanding that all DMs must be fully prepared to run their Wardens adventures and must have a good understanding of the Wardens program generally and the character creations guidelines specifically. 
    • These must also adhere to the Gamehole Publishing code of conduct standards and your convention standards. Wardens DM Guidebook will be provided to be shared and printed by the DMs and the convention. 
    • Enforcing a set of Player Safety Tools. There are several good options out there, but we recommend Deck of Player Safety. 
Game play: 

Wardens games are played at a table of 3-6 players. Each table for each game should include a table covering/cloth. This can be in the form of disposable plastic table coverings all the way up to branded coverings featuring your show’s logos and Warden’s logo. Your show will have access to our logo assets, so you are free to brand the Wardens area, consistent with the minimum standards set forth below, as you see fit. 

Because there are some unique rules to Wardens over standard D&D 5e, Wardens has created a Player Guide which admins and DMs should be familiar with. The largest deviation from standard 5e play concerns player creation and Gamehole Publishing’s propriety Alliance system. These subjects and many others including a description of the Eastern Marches setting are discussed in our Player Guide, a free download on the Gamehole Publishing site. 

DMs receive their magic item certificates at the start of their game to hand to players after the conclusion of their game. All players and the DM get a copy of the certificates. Players should mark gold, game, and DM information on their Wardens journal. The handling of magic items discovered during Wardens play is detailed in the above referenced Wardens Player Guide. 

Larger conventions have the option of offering a limited number of custom magic certificates (approved by Wardens Lead Admins) which can be for sale in the Emporium which your players can buy spending GP earned during Wardens play. 

Game play area: 

Wardens play areas/halls must have the minimum number of games/tables per slot detailed below in the Convention Options and Responsibilities tables. This includes a required Admin table regardless of convention/event size. There must always be Wardens journal and pre-generated character sheets available at the admin table. All tables, play and admin tables must be properly identified so that our Wardens players can easily find their play table and will know where to go with questions. 

There is a minimum level of Wardens branding and signage required as detailed in the Convention Options and Responsibilities tables below. You will have access to logo resources. You can and should 

co-brand with your own convention/logo assets. Make Wardens yours -investing in Wardens signage and bannering will pay off for many years to come. 

Support materials including branding, DM and Alliance rewards: 

Both players and DMs love our physical Wardens rewards. If your convention elects to accept these responsibilities, Gamehole Publishing will provide you with all the I.P. necessary to produce your own convention branded Wardens support swag. This includes print-ready files for the magic item certificates and an array of Wardens logos. We encourage your show to create a Wardens DM shirt using your and our logos. Any swag, rewards, or gifts given to players with the Wardens logos or other I.P. need approval of the Wardens Lead Admins. 

The following tables lay out the levels of Wardens Conference options based on expected tables and the support, options and requirements based on each level. 

Please note* that if you cannot support at least two tables of Wardens play per each four-hour convention slot, you are not eligible to run the Wardens of the Eastern Marches program. 

For Stores of Home Play: 

Simply visit Gamehole Publishing here: https://gameholepublishing.com/shop/ and purchase whatever adventures you wish to run. If you would like to acquire any of the support materials mentioned above, please reach out to us. 

Season Structure & Content Overview 

Each year we create a complete season of adventures that all tie into a central theme or narrative. Your access to these adventures is determined by your level of participation (see above tables of Convention Options and Responsibilities). 

Each new season premiers at that year’s Gamehole Con. Following that premier, conventions and events are eligible to purchase that season’s adventures per the above Convention Options and Responsibilities tables. 

Currently available is the entirety of our Season One: Night of Fire. 

Season One contains 11 total adventures which span Rows 1-4 (levels 1-12), and the learn to lay adventure. This season was designed to be an overall tour of the Eastern Marches setting. This season focuses on a massive explosion in the skies above the Eastern Marches on Midsummer’s Eve. This conflagration resulted in a series of large comets flying across the night sky and landing at various locations across the Eastern Marches. This night, the Night of Fire, tasks adventurers, each connected with their chosen Alliance, with determining what exactly it was that fell from the sky, who or what is responsible, and whether or not this all represents a greater threat to the Eastern Marches. 

Currently in production for premier at Gamehole Con 2026, Season Two: A Time of Troubles 

Season Two features 16 total adventures spanning Rows 1-4 (levels 1-12). Picking up in the months after the conclusion of Season One, the ripples from that event are being felt in the length and breadth of the Marches causing unrest, sedition, and rebellion. 

Custom Content for your convention or event: 

At this time, we have no such plans to support convention specific adventures given the time, cost, and quality control concerns involved in such an undertaking. But it is a possibility with the right partner who shows a commitment to the Wardens program. 

The Emporium and Magic Item Certificates 

  • Baldin Zunskar’s Emporium is a feature we offer that works just like magic items and equipment shop. Players earn gold during Wardens play. They may purchase physical magic item certificates which describe the item they purchased for them to use them in further Wardens play.
    • If that item is a consumable, e.g. a potion, when that consumable is used during Wardens play, that magic item certificate is given to the game’s DM and the DM returns that Magic Item Certificate to the admin table at the conclusion of the game. 
  • The number of purchasable magic items you may offer through your Emporium is limited by the plan chosen (see Convention Options and Responsibilities tables above). Players are limited to purchasing only those items that are listed on your convention’s/event’s Emporium Menu. 
  • If you wish, players may sell Magic Item Certificates to the Emporium at a rate of 50% less than the purchased price or purchase prices stated on the Emporium Menu. 
  • In game acquisition of all treasure and magic items sold or purchased are all tracked in each Player Character’s Warden journal. These journals are a free download on the Gamehole Publishing site. 

Organizer Support & Communication 

Wardens of the Eastern Marches is a growing organized play program, and clear communication helps keep things running smoothly for everyone. 

How to Ask Questions 

Primary Email (Official Channel): wardensadmins@gameholecon.com This inbox is monitored by the Lead Admin Team and is the best place for: 

  • Rules and policy questions 
  • Program or licensing clarification 
  • Organizer and DM support 
  • Anything that needs an official answer 

Secondary (Community Support): Discord 

Discord is great for quick questions, connecting with other organizers and DMs, and getting help from the community. As the program grows, many common questions may be answered there before an Admin needs to step in. For official rulings, email is always the final word. 

Reporting Problems & Feedback 

  • Please send all issues, concerns, and feedback to: wardensadmins@gameholecon.com 
  • This helps ensure your message reaches the full Lead Admin Team, is tracked properly, and can be addressed in future updates or clarifications. Discord is great for discussion, but official reports should always go through email so nothing gets missed. 

Updates, Rulings & Official Announcements 

  • Official program updates, rulings, and policy changes will be announced in both places: 
  • Facebook (Public Announcements): Wardens of the Eastern Marches https://www.facebook.com/p/Wardens-of-the-Eastern-Marches-61575054772865/ 
  • Discord (Community Updates & Discussion) If a change affects how Wardens content is run, it will be communicated through these channels and reflected in future guide updates when appropriate. Email responses from the Lead Admin Team should be treated as official guidance. 

Resources and Useful links 

Gamehole Publishing’s downloadable 

  1. Wardens Player Guide 
  2. Wardens Journal 
  3. Character Sheet 

For any questions regarding any of this, please reach out to us here: https://gameholepublishing.com/contact/ 

Or send us an email at: wardensadmins@gameholecon.com 

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