Inaugural Road Crew Game Day In The Books! And Next year, It's WAR! (of the Cyclops Con)

This past Saturday, Goodman Games rewarded their hard-rolling judges by hosting the first-ever Road Crew Game Day! This free event was open only for members of the Road Crew - those folks who have taken time to run a game (or games) for public consumption. The Goodman Crew run a fine online event -- as their numerous Cyclops Cons and DCC Days Online have shown. And having a mini-event just for the folks who run and promote their game lines was a nifty idea and much appreciated.

I had the opportunity to run my upcoming "Mayhem on the Magtrain" MCC adventure for a party of eager Seekers who managed to defeat the S'kwik menace while trying to stop a runaway locomotive. (The rover also learned to listen at doors before swinging them open.) It was a great final playtest and I'm glad the players had fun.

I also got the chance to play, and my long-running cleric Jarrod Theodyne found himself in the middle of a Secret Playtest run by Brendan LaSalle himself! I'll steer clear of any spoilers, but this was for an upcoming holiday adventure. The only spoiler I'll toss out is that you should prepare yourself for some sad, depressing, heart-rending situations. (One player's background had Bambi's mom -- yes, THAT scene.) In spite of the soul-crushing depression, we laughed our keisters off and saved the world. Great time, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final adventure!

The evening wrapped up with a Twitch show discussing the day's events and some upcoming goodies for the Road Crew to be aware of. (Take a gander below for info.) Great time, and I appreciate that Goodman Games hosts such events for the folks who keep the tables humming. Thanks!

And now, howzabout some pix?

A team of Seekers find themselves hurtling across Terra A.D. in "Mayhem on the Magtrain"!

Some "Armageddon Barbarian" cosplay

Road Crew judges will have access to an exclusive adventure next month! Want it? Join The Crew!

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And in 2023, it's WAR (of the Cyclops Con)!

And speaking of "War", this will be the perfect opportunity to unveil a project I've been working on for a while...

Road Crew Game Day Sept. 24 - Final Playtest Of Mayhem On The Magtrain

This Saturday, Goodman Games is rewarding their hard-rolling judges by hosting the first-ever Road Crew Game Day! This free event is open for members of the Road Crew - those judges who have run a game (or games) for public consumption. So if you've run a game at a game store, convention, or other public venue and you're a member of the Road Crew, this day is for you!

Been too busy running games to play? Well then, several Goodman luminaries and writers will be hosting games just for you to play! I personally am looking forward to finally sitting at Brendan LaSalle's table and seeing what insanity he unleashes upon his players! (And if you have time to sit at my table, I'll be hosting one more MCC playtest session of Mayhem on the Magtrain before it's sent off to the printers.) See you this Saturday!

DCC Day 2022 Self-Indulgent Photo Montage

Well, DCC Day 2022 has come and gone. Hope everyone had a chance to toss some dice and/or TPK some 0-levels. I had a bunch of personal stuff that occupied most of my day, so my in-person, at-store event ended up being a quick visit to The Soldiery to pick up the goods and say "hey" to a table of DCC players who were about to have an "An Incident at Toad Fork."

But my day wasn't totally non-DCC-related, as I found time throughout the day to work on other DCC- and RPG-related projects. I'll thought I'd drop this photo montage of hints and teases...

Wore my DCC Day t-shirt, which (I think) was only available during the first event. And I only wear it on DCC Days. So after washing, back into the closet it goes for 365 days.

Grabbed this year's offerings (but missed out on the dice).

Check out the editor's credits for the Adventure Pack! You may be seeing my name a lot in the coming months...

It's not DCC-related, but I'm a sucker for the Tiny Epic games. Picked up TE Dungeons and Stories while I was out.

I really wanted the free DCC Day sticker Goodman Games was giving away with any order, so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the MCC RPG nightlight they had in stock.

Spent a bit of time writing up some notes for a future MCC project of mine. It's been jokingly referred to it as "MCC: 1889", but the concept is "What if the Martian invasion of 1890 as documented in War of the Worlds was the Great Disaster of Terra A.D.?" Still a ways off though...

Now that in-person gaming and conventions are returning, I spent a few minutes sewing a new OSR patch onto my Bag of Holding. 

Like I said, you'll be seeing my name a lot in the coming months. This was just put to bed, in fact.

And for those of you who indulged me and read this to the end, here's a teaser cover for next month's CMGC release, "Wasted". Meet The Doombrewer and "Junebug".

DCC Day 2022! More Than 100+ Stores Participating! Find One Near You!

DCC Day 2022 is fast approaching! I've already posted a preview of the goodies and grabbies that will be available that day, so I won't repeat myself in this post.

However, the DCC Day Store Locator has just been posted, and there are more than 100 stores across the U.S. and Canada participating this year! Click the link and find one near you! In-store demos and online games will also be played everywhere that day, so check out the Road Crew Event calendar to see what's happening. And even if you can't get the goods that day, leftover DCC Day print releases typically end up on the Goodman Games Store website shortly after the event, with PDFs of all releases available online forever after.

Finally, it appears a local store will be hosting DCC Day for the first time, so I have someplace in my "backyard" this year! Plans are currently being made to run a funnel or two. Stay tuned!

DCC Day 2022 On July 16! Games, Adventures, And *10* New Releases!

It's time again to get excited all you fans of Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, and You-Name-It Crawl Classics! The third annual DCC Day is coming two weeks from now on July 16! 

The celebration of all things DCC will be happening in stores around the world, so check to see if your FLGS is hosting an event! If not, take the reins and run a game or two yourself on this day. You can also check out the Road Crew Event calendar to see what's going on in your neck of the woods. (I've also been told a list of participating stores will be posted soon...)

Also this year, Goodman Games has not one, not two, not three, but *10* special DCC Day releases! First up, the DCC Day 2022 Adventure Pack contains two adventures: "The Last Life Guardian" for MCC RPG and "Incident at Toad Fork" for DCC RPG! This will be available free while supplies last! Next up is the adventure "Chanters in the Dark" for DCC RPG. Ever wonder what happens after the events of "Sailors on the Starless Sea"? This might answer some of those questions! Also for DCC RPG is "The Book of Fallen Gods," a sourcebook of seven new patrons for your spellcasters to invoke! "Chanters" and "Fallen Gods" will be available for purchase. Finally, you like dice? Well, there are seven new sets of weird dice corresponding to the new patrons in Fallen Gods, and these dice sets will also be available for purchase!

Successful Playtests, New FLGS, And More On Free RPG Day!

Well, Free RPG Day 2022 is in the books and I must say, it was "successfully fun" for Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman! Let's recap, shall we?

I road-tripped down to Columbus to check out Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy, a new game store that opened February this year. Always like to check out new places when they open and support those who make a go at supplying us hobbyists with the fuel we need to sate our gaming hunger! The store was surprisingly huge with a lot of various offerings for fans of comics, boardgames, minis, etc. Their RPG selection was a bit thin, mostly 5e, but a surprising number of indy RPGs I never expected to see on a store shelf. I asked about DCC and MCC and the owner was aware of the games, but hadn't yet committed to carrying them yet. (Maybe a few games run by Columbus peeps might help him change his mind, eh?) Anyway, I grabbed the new DCC RPG adventure by Mike Curtis as well as Tiny Epic Dungeons. (I missed the Kickstarter for it, and I'm a sucker for a well-designed solo boardgame.) I also grabbed a t-shirt for the store as I'm a believer in supporting new folks. Sniderman says, "Check 'em out."

Later that day, I ran an online playtest of an upcoming MCC RPG adventure "Into The Glowing Depths", also by Mike. My happy crew of three Seekers ran the adventure through its paces - shaking out the bugs, so to speak. I'm gonna steer clear of any spoilers for now, but I will offer a word of advice: If someone tosses an unidentified artifact at you that's shaped like a small pineapple while saying "Catch!"... Don't catch it. In fact, dive for cover.

Keeping the online playtesting rolling, I ran another MCC RPG playetst for "Rivers of Iron", a 0-level funnel by your truly. Another group of three Seekers (including one new to MCC RPG - Hi Jeremy!) running a ragtag assembly of 12 zeroes were sent on the Rite of Passage. Again, without spoilers, 4 members of the team returned from the arid, magma-encrusted region with artifacts in hand! Success!

Over all, it's been a busy few days for me, but I'm happy to say I had a great time. New store, new adventures, new gaming, new players - everything Free RPG Day encompasses!

Free RPG Day June 25! (Plus Two MCC Playtests This Weekend!)

Hey gang! Free RPG Day is just around the corner on June 25! Be sure to stop into your FLGS, pick up some free goodies, and drop some coin on their stock while you're there. (If you stop in, grab stuff, and don't spend a dime, you're likely to be eaten by a grue.) Click -->here<-- to find a participating retailer near you!

This year's free DCC RPG release is "Danger in the Air", a 0-level funnel by Michael Curtis!

"A gigantic alien creature drifts in the air high above the homes of simple villagers, its transparent skin rife with wounds. The creature hangs in the sky—unmoving, as if slain—and a trickle of coins slowly drops from its ravaged body. What other treasures—and terrors—might this strange visitor from elsewhere possess, and who in the village is brave enough to venture within its otherworldly form?"

The Goodman Games Road Crew also appear to have MCC and DCC games scheduled for in-store play that day, so be sure to check out the Goodman Games Events Page to see what's being played in store that day.

And finally,Your Friendly Neighborhood Sniderman (yours truly) will be running not one, but TWO MCC playtests this weekend online! There are still seats available for both, so from the comfort of your own home, you can play in one of the following!

Saturday, June 25, 5 pm- 9 pm EST: "Into The Glowing Depths", 2nd-level MCC playtest

A most unusual intelligence requires the aid of surface-dwellers to help thwart an invasion of oceanic mutant lifeforms rising up from the depths. A legacy of humanity’s attempt to tame the seas, these creatures have been further changed by the weird radiation and pollution beneath the waves, and they have now set their conquering eyes on the surface world of Terra A.D.! Take a deep breath and hold it as we plunge “Into The Glowing Depths”!

 Sunday, June 26,  11 am - 3 pm EST: "Rivers of Iron", 0-level MCC mini-funnel playtest

“The season is upon us once again to invite those who wish to do so to undertake the Rite of Passage!” The village elder points to a column of smoke rising in the distance from a small mountain peak. “In years past, I have left the direction of the Rite of Passage to the discretion of those who walk the path. This season, I have chosen your path instead. I am curious as to the nature of the smoke we have all seen in recent days. I now task you, while on your Rite of Passage, to determine the nature of this new vision and to inform me of your finding upon your return.”

Free games galore this weekend, so visit your local game store (or find one near you) to enjoy the day!

2020: My Busiest Convention Year Ever?

Because I live in the middle of a gaming "black hole", it's tough for me to get to the table without driving an hour north or south of my present location. And, as all GMs know, trying to get a game together remotely is like herding cats. That's why I try to attend two or three conventions every year. It's where I'm guaranteed to have full tables of eager players ready to play. This year's global C19 pandemic squelched that, by cancelling face-to-face tabletop gaming events worldwide.

Or did it?

The first scheduled event this year I was planning to attend was Gary Con, which was also one of the first directly affected (i.e., shut down) by the pandemic. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the gaming community as we all saw the writing on the wall for the rest of the year. However, in an inspiring show of community and never-say-die, the Gary Con staff and organizers hurriedly assembled "Virtual Gary Con", which became solely an online convention. Admittedly, I had never run an online event before, nor had I played in one as I'm admittedly a grognard about such things. But I also wanted to show my support for a convention that I really enjoy and that was having a tough time this year. So I studied up, signed up for a Zoom account, and ran four online games over the weekend.

Shortly thereafter, Goodman Games wanted to test the online waters (and support Tabletop Events) by hosting their own virtual event, Cyclops Con! It's no secret I really enjoy their Mutant Crawl Classics line so - once again - I signed up and ran three more games online. A little less than two months later, Goodman Games' DCC Days expanded to encompass an online event as well, and thus DCC Days Online was launched. And, yet again, I ran three more online games.

So, for those of you who need help with the math, in 5 months, I went from an online gaming know-nothing to running 10 online events with a running time of around 40 hours. And next week, I'm running two events for Gen Con Online - each 4 hours long - taking me to 48 hours of gaming. Heck, even in my best convention-attending years, I've never run that many accumulated hours in a year.

And the year's not even close to being over. Here's hoping I see you at the virtual table this year.

DCC Days Is Here! Play DCC/MCC All Weekend Long And Support Your FLGS Too!

DCC Days is upon us, so get to your FLGS for DCC-related goodies and plant yourself in front of your computer screen for online games and fun! 

Similar yet bigger and more focused than Cyclops Con last month,  DCC Days grew from DCC Day (singular) which was to be a one-day, in-store celebration of Goodman Games' product line. Your FLGS would provide freebies and new Goodman products and swag (ala Free RPG Day) as well as run in-store games and demos. Well, COVID-19 put the kibosh on in-store games, so the folks at Goodman expanded the gaming to the online realm. So this weekend sees online games of Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, etc., but if you want the goodies and swag, you must venture forth and visit the stores (who, in turn, could really use your business at this time).

Last night I ran a team of four mighty mutants into The Desk in Room 8-10, and Sunday, I'll be running two more MCC games: Plague From Below and The Albuquerque Starport (yes, the classic Gamma World adventure)! As the social isolation continues, I'm really getting the hang of online gaming, which allows me to play with folks from across the country and around the world. And events like Cyclops Con, DCC Days Online, Virtual Gary Con, and others to come later this year continue to bring us together while we remain apart. 

And now a few photos of DCC Days thus far!

Remember, when you go out, be sure to wear a mask!

Another band of micro-mutants tackling the dangers to be found within The Desk in Room 8-10!

Visited my FLGS and picked up a few DCC Day goodies, including the exclusive adventure "Shadow of the Beakmen" and a compilation Adventure Pack with 3 adventures for DCC, DCC-Lankhmar, and MCC!

I also picked up The Princess Bride RPG as I love the movie, heard the game was good, and wanted to support the store while there getting freebies.

Also, my nifty new toxic waste rusted drum arrived today in the mail. Perfect for holding any radioactive debris during those MCC games.

And my homemade nametag for the event. 

Cyclops Con Days 1-3: Seminars, Games, And Mutants-Mutants-Mutants!

As readers of The Savage AfterWorld knows, with every game convention I've attended, I have filed a daily travelogue so folks who couldn't make it would be able to game vicariously through my thoughts, photos, and amusing anecdotes. Welp, just as I did with Virtual Gary Con a few weeks ago, I'm filing today's report from Cyclops Con! (AKA, my basement and home office.)

Cyclops Con was founded, formed, and launched this weekend by Goodman Games to celebrate all things DCC, as well as give home-stranded gamers an outlet for those RPG frustrations. Since I began an old hat at online judging at VGC (or so I think), I decided to throw caution to the wind and run 18 mutants through my three Mutant Crawl Classics adventures - one available, one coming out next month, and one that got an initial playtest at this event!

As usual with these little travelogues, I'll share what I've seen and done to give you a feel for what's going on each day I attend. However, since the "seen and done" mostly takes place in one room of my house, I'll combine all three days into this missive.

And here we go:

• DAY ONE: After I got home from work Friday evening, I fired up the old laptop and ran six folks through my MCC 0-level funnel "Dead in the Water." I've been running this for years now, but I always get a kick out of bringing new folks into the hazards of The Island of Fire. By the time the game ended, I had killed off nearly half of the 0-level fodder, and the highlight occurred when one brave zero-level nobody took a deep breath, ran through a forcefield and onto the ocean floor, and stabbed a giant squid in the eye with a trident. Not only did the ocean depths not instantly crush him, he delivered the killing blow to The Sea-Wraith, and the survivors were welcomed back as heroes!
• DAY TWO: Today's game was "The Desk in Room 8-10" - a small adventure (Ha!) I've written to be released next month on DCC Day. The team managed to fight their way into The Underdrawer where they met the remaining memebers of a previous Seeker team as well as held off The Ravenous Ones until they could repair MICRON to end the experiment! (Yes, I realize this is vaugue, but you'll have to play the game to put the pieces together!
• Later that evening, I joined up with other Goodman fans (as well as with Joe himself!) at the Boulder Tossers bar, where we gabbed about our respective gaming backgrounds and kicked back with a few cold drinks. (My beverage of choice that night was a frosty Yoo Hoo.)
• DAY THREE: Today was the day I led six excited players through the premiere run of "Plague From Below." While visiting a neighboring village, a mysterious illness began to overtake the village council. The team was tasked with finding a cure for this ailment at a recently uncovered Ancient medical complex. Skyhooks, Time Wolves, Virii, and a "helpful" med-bot named MORT provided the cure to the ailment. (Exc ept there was one last issue to take care of upon returning.) The players enjoyed the game and I got some valuable feedback on where to tighten up some plotlines.
• Due to some technical glitches (as well as losing track of time), I was unable to attend DCC College. However, right behind it was Joe's "What's New at Goodman Games" seminar. He shared news and artwork from upcoming projects such as Xcrawl Classics, Empire of the East, and Dying Earth. He discussed DCC Day (still scheduled for next month, but some alterations could occur during the pandemic crisis). The item that stunned me was the announcement of the next in the Original Adventures Reincarnated line: "The Temple of Elemental Evil"! And finally, he discussed the new ways that Goodman Games is embracing VTT gaming with artwork and adventure support for Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds rolling out. A lot of incredibly exciting things are coming from the Goodman Gang, so keep an eye open!
• One special treat, I recorded my game of "Plague From Below," so if you'd like to see some mutant mayhem, click this link to be taken to the video!

And, finally, as the online event comes to a close and my screen's phosphor dot slowly fades, here are some random shots from throughout the event:

Joe Goodman presents "What's New With Goodman Games"

My visit to the Boulder Tossers after hours lounge had gamers from across the country and around the world in attendance!

The players first encountered the pseudoscorpion in "The Desk in Room 8-10"!

Holy crow! The Temple of Elemental Evil has been announced as the next adventure in the OAR series!

Several MCC mutants found themselves "Dead in the Water"!

During my visit to Boulder Tossers, I inked up my MCC dice, adding gold paint to the high digits to tel them apart.

For this event, I cracked open a case of the finest chocolate-milk-like beverage money can buy!

I love the shirt designed for this year;s Cyclops Con!

And my homemade badge to commemorate the event. Thanks everyone at Goodman Games for a great time!

Cyclops Con: All Dungeon/Mutant Crawl Classics! All Weekend Long!

This weekend, keep an eye out for Cyclops Con! (Ha! See what I did there with "eye"? Because a cyclops only has...one... ahem.) Cyclops Con is the brainchild of the Dark Forces at Goodman Games who are holding a weekend-long online convention revolving around their many role-playing games: Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mutant Crawl Classics, XCrawl, Fifth Edition Fantasy, and any versions and derivatives thereof!

I've recently taken a shine to MCC RPG, creating material for the game for the annual Gongfarmer's Almanac as well as my own 0-level funnel, "Dead in the Water." So this weekend, I'll be running three adventures I've written: One released, one coming out next month, and one currently in playtesting.

Friday sees the return of "Dead in the Water" to the the (virtual) tabletop. I had retired this from convention play, but I thought I'd give it one more turn at the table for this specific con. After all, it's their game that spawned the adventure in the first place!

Saturday I'll be running a few folks through the terrors to be found in "The Desk in Room 8-10." The adventure is written and being laid now, with plans to be officially released on DCC Day on May 16! (And I may just run it again on that day to celebrate!

Sunday will see the premiere first run of my newest adventure "Plague From Below." It's a concept I've had for awhile and am super-stoked to give it its first runthrough with a team of second-level MCC players. It will be a bit "looser" as I'm still working out some of the details of the plot, but it's gonna be fun for all.

Cyclops Con has a few hundred games to choose from, plus several DCC-focused seminars and talks from the creators and authors. Also, each night has a social hangout where you can talk All Things Goodman with other fans. Hope to see you there!

"The World's Gametable": Staying Home Yet Attending Conventions

When the current global pandemic prompted the cancellation of Gary Con this year, I admit I was crushed. It's one of my favorite events to attend, so knowing I was gonna be missing out on several days of back-to-back gaming with my friends was a bitter pill to swallow. However due to some last-minute adjustments and a sweeping push by both GMs and players to migrate online, Gary Con XII lived on as "Virtual Gary Con," complete with hundreds of online events, seminars, and general drunken after-hours get-togethers. By the time the weekend ended, I ran 16 hours of games, watched a seminar or two, and hung out with about 30 other gamers from around the world as we drank and swapped tales from the table.

I attended Gary Con, all without leaving my basement rec room. And it was a blast.

Since then, spring gaming conventions in danger of being cancelled have made a similar adjustment to take place in the electronic aether. KoboldCon now launches May 1 in an online format, and this coming weekend sees the premiere of Cyclops Con, Goodman Games' new online event. Origins Game Faire is one of the recent events that has switched over to an online format (though details are still worked out at this time).

For many of us, we may have the opportunity to attend game conventions across the nation - and even worldwide - that we would otherwise never have a chance to attend. (I already have my eye on running some virtual games for some west coast events.)

Online gaming has always been a thing with many gamers, with services like Roll20, Astral Tabletop, and Fantasy Grounds remaining popular, as well as boardgaming apps like But it seems like the recent circumstantial push toward online gaming have forced grognards (like myself) and others to give it a try. Whether through a gaming-specific service or through other online telecommunication services like Discord, Skype, Zoom, or even chatrooms, it appears that online gaming will be The World's Gametable in the coming months.

So look for this face staring back at you from your screen this summer!