SAN DIEGO -- Devotees of one of the world's most popular fantasy trading-card games have gathered here this weekend to compete for a $100,000 grand prize.

World of Warcraft Trading Card Game's world championship tournament runs from Friday though Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center. The second-place finisher gets $25,000; third and fourth, $10,000 each; fifth through eighth get $4,000 each; ninth through 16th places get $2,000; and 17th through 100th places get $1,000.

The tournament is sponsored by Carlsbad's Upper Deck, which makes the cards for the game and is awarding the prizes. The game, in which players assume the role of heroes who fight against powerful foes, is based on the megahit World of Warcraft online role-playing game.

Upper Deck was originally known as a seller of sports card memorabilia. In recent years, it has expanded into entertainment. Last year, it teamed up with Blizzard Entertainment, creator of the popular World of Warcraft online game, to bring out a card version.

With more than 9 million players worldwide, World of Warcraft is one of the most popular of what are called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPG. This genre is a technologically updated twist on the classic Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

In the online version, players log on to their computers to meet other players and band together on expeditions. They might fight computer-generated monsters, or confront other players. Because it's computer-based, the other players could come from nearly anywhere in the world.

That global appeal extends to the trading card game, released in October 2006.

"Right now, it's probably neck-and-neck with Magic: The Gathering," said Collin Baird, manager of Pair-A-Dice Games in Vista.

More than 1,100 players from more than 30 countries have qualified for the championship tournament and been invited to this weekend's event. Other World of Warcraft tournaments will be held at the same time and place this weekend, although they don't get the prizes of the international tournament.

"It's got a social attraction," said Ross Marian, 17, about the online game. Marian, of San Marcos, said the ability to interact with other people got him interested in the game. "These are people you're spending hours with every day. Sometimes you can hook up a microphone and talk to them."

However, Marian said he hasn't played World of Warcraft since January.

"It was destroying any social chances I had in the real world," Marian said.

More information about World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, including hours and prices, is online at: http://tinyurl.com/y63yva.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.