NTRPG Con Day 1: "Let's Go Kick Skylab's Ass!"

My first day here at North Texas RPG Con is winding to a close and I'm about to hit the hay. Gotta be up early-ish tomorrow for my game of Cavemaster with Jeff Dee. So here's today's travelogue of thoughts, observations, and flotsam:

* Got up today at 6 a.m. after last night's involuntary coma. Went downstairs where there were a few games in progress at some of the tables in the lobby. Whether they were new games that began early that morning, or if they were games that were ending from last night, I'm not entirely certain.

* The breakfast buffet spread was awesome. I thought it was odd that they had bratwursts on the buffet until someone pointed out to me that those were big damn link sausages. Ah, Texas, with your "bigger than usual" everythings...

* I have had no less than 4 people spy my nametag from across the room who then charged over to meet "sniderman of The Savage AfterWorld." Didn't think this little corner of the bloggersphere had that kind of name recognition. I was honestly flattered. Thanks for the ego-boost, guys, and enjoy your new Savage AfterWorld dice!

* I like the idea that the main atrium in the center of the hotel will be for pick-up games throughout the con. (Though there are some "official" games scheduled for there too.) It's like a big tabletop gaming arena right there in the center of everything where you can stop and look down upon the gamers as they play. "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?"

* An exchange I just overheard: "Man, I could use a drink." "Well, I got a bottle of whiskey up in my room." "What kind of whiskey? (thinks a moment) Wait a sec, who the hell cares WHAT kind of whiskey it is? Let's go!"

* I arrived at the location for the game I'm running, and found that we had our own boardroom. With private bathroom. With a giant whiteboard mounted on the wall for mapping. With serving wenches who stopped by every 1/2 hour to get us drinks and food. Damn, this beats Gen Con's "four tables with six people at each one crammed into a smaller place" set-up all to hell.

* Just finished up a rousing game of Timemaster running one of my favorite scenarios: "The Day the Sky Fell." Amongst the players were Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern and his lovely wife Rachel. It was a pleasure to meet them, as well as all of the players in tonight's game. (Shout-outs to Corwin and Stephen Getty, Josh McQueen, and Brenda Wolfe!) Amongst the highlights:

---- Rachel rolled a successful Wrestling skill check to put a traitorous alien into a full Nelson. When his second set of arms exploded from his sides, we all joked that, if she made a new Wrestling skill check, she would successfully put him into the first "quadruple nelson." (She failed though.)

---- Josh actually scored critical damage on an alien by throwing hot coffee on him. We told him he should add "Barrista" as a combat skill.

---- Stephen: "I'm gonna use my Military Leadship skill to get back into the spacecraft." "You are? How is that skill applicable?" "Watch. Ahem...PULL ME BACK IN!!!!"

---- Corwin's tether was severed in space, and he pulled a "Wall-E" by successfully using a spare oxygen cannister to propel himself out of the way of an exploding booster rocket and back to the team's craft. (He crashed into the windshield, but at least he made it back!)

---- My favorite line of the night was spoken by Brenda when the team reaizes it needs to "force" Skylab to crash on schedule in 1979: "Well then, let's go kick Skylab's ass!"

---- And Josh, if you're reading this: "Get me a cuppa coffee, wouldja?"

And, as usual, here is a photo collection of scenes, folks, and other items of interest I snapped while wandering about. Excuse the lack of captions or identification: