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!

Both A Success And A Failure On Free RPG Day

Well Free RPG Day was both a success and a bit of a bust for me today. The "success" was the event itself, and the "bust" was an unfortunate bit of illness that hit me.

I made the trip down to Ravenstone Games in Columbus, Ohio, both to mark Free RPG Day and to also check out the store as it was one I've been meaning to visit for some time. I got there at 10:30 a.m. when the store first opened, as I know that the Free Swag is in short supply and, having never visited the store before, I wanted to get something before everything was snapped up by the regulars. When I got there, I saw a few folks milling about, so I toured the store. Liked what I saw. Clean, well organized, interesting selection of popular and obscure games. (Store needs to be restocked soon as I saw many game supplements for sale, but none of the core games those supplements...supplement.)

I grabbed this year's DCC RPG offering, leaving the rest of the materials for others to come later. I watched a few folks pick up some swag, then leave without purchasing anything. C'mon folks! Don't be "That Guy." Support the damn store for participating by dropping some coin in his coffers! To make up for what I saw (and because I had my eye on it anyway), I spent a bit more than I had planned by grabbing a copy of Munchkin Deluxe, a Monty Python Fluxx support pack, and a new set of percentiles for future Pacesetter games. (I wished I had picked up the "Welcome to Mortistown, USA" I saw, as it was a licensed Rotworld supplement!)

I chatted with the store's owner for a bit, then headed out to check out my old stomping grounds (went to OSU). My plan was to kill a few hours then return for Jim Yoder's DCC RPG game at 2 p.m. Sadly, around noon, some bug or virus or bodily malfunction kicked in and it became important for me to get home if you get my drift, and I think you do. So I was unable to stick around and play anything. (And a last minute Cryptworld game I tried to assemble that morning didn't materialize either.

VERDICT: I like Ravenstone quite a bit. It's on the north side of the city, so it's very easy for me to get to. Plus, it's located very near to some old haunts of mine (used to work at the old defunct Northland Mall in college) so I'm familiar with the area. I like the store itself, small but with plenty of room, if that makes sense. I totally would like to begin setting up and running games there in the future. And considering I have a FLGS within walking distance of my own house an hour north, that's saying something. So I hope everyone else had a good Free RPG Day. I got some swag, found a new store I like, and have decided to make it my gaming playtest location for adventures and games currently in the works. Thanks Ravenstone! Now that I know where you are and what you're like, I'll be stopping by again more often.

How To Ensure There Won't Be A Second FLGS Visit

This is my obligatory Free RPG Day summary, along with some friendly advice for the Friendly Local Game Store I visited.

I went online and found a store within 30 miles that was participating. Didn't even know this store existed (it's in a small little nearby town) and I had hoped I had found a new FLGS to frequent. When I walked in, the first thing that struck me was the microscopic small size of the store. Picture one bookshelf on one wall filled with games and RPGs, and two display cases (in a U-shape) filled with dice, cards, smaller swag, etc. On the shelves behind the counter were tons of Magic booster and HeroClix. Now imagine all of this crammed into a room the size of your bathroom -- it was that tight. But as small as the place was, I was stunned by the sheer amount of good stuff there.

So I mentioned to the two behind the counter that Free RPG Day brought me there, and I was looking for a new place to hang. Owner seemed happy -- clerk behind the counter less so. (Very bored.) I set aside a piece of free swag and began looking around to drop more cash in the store.

"So your site says that you hold events and tourneys. Where are those held?" I asked.

"Oh, right here in the store," the owner said, as I tried to figure out the mechanics of how that would work. (I wouldn't have to wait long.)

About that time, four other "local regulars" entered. (The store is now literally packed with the five of us -- it was THAT SMALL.) The owner and clerk obviously knew them and they struck up a conversation about whatever campaign they're involved in. The new arrivals gathered around the display cases, purchased a few Magic boosters, and began incorporating them into the decks they had brought. (I was kinda shoved away to the back of the store and away from the merchandise I was trying to look at.) A mat was brought out and draped over the display case (the one I was trying to look into), and two three-person Magic games broke out among everyone but me. I had been forgotten.

So I thanked the owner, paid for my Cthulhu Dice (the only item I had picked out before the regulars showed up), and left. I was trying to decide between Munchkin Quest, Settlers of Catan, and The Adventurers (we need a new board game for my group), but I decided I just wasn't gonna drop that kind of scratch on a store that brushed off the New Guy so easily.

Oh, I did get the DCC free item that brought me there, so it wasn't a total loss.

MY ADVICE TO ALL FLGS: If someone new walks into your store, assume that it's someone with a stack of cash looking to buy something substantial that day (as well as stopping in for future purchases). Also assume that this person was scouting out a location to recommend to his friends (and blog readers). And finally, although your "local regulars" are your daily bread-and-butter, try to remember that -- more than likely -- they're there solely to play and hang out rather than shop around -- unlike the guy who told you he specifically sought you out that day.