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.

Organize Your Convention Travel Data With Your Own Personal PC Record Sheet

When attending a game convention, there's a ton of information you need to have on-hand -- your flight number, your hotel reservation number, a checklist of everything you need to take, your planned purchases, your game schedule, etc. When I go to a con, I have all of this info printed out and tucked into folder I take with me. Convenient, yes, but very cumbersome. 

Brandon Kruse of D&D Doodles felt the same about his various checklists and schedules, so he created the "Unofficial GenCon Character Sheet." Styled like a typical PC character sheet, the form has a place for all of your travel info as well as your schedules, checklists, and other important information all on one sheet. Incredibly useful, and the design of the form is a masterstroke. Although tagged with GenCon's logo, this sheet will come in handy for *any* game con you plan to attend. I've already downloaded it and I plan to print a few for my upcoming con attendance this year. Great work, Brandon!

My Prediction Of Gen Con 2014 Opening Day

Three More Con-Run Mutant Future Adventures Available For Download

I've run Mutant Future games at a few conventions now and, in fact, I appear to be the only guy running Mutant Future at events. To encourage other Mutant Lords to run their own games at conventions, and thus drumming up more post-apocalyptic interest, I'm sharing three of my convention-run games with you today. One -- "Gimme Shelter" -- has previously been made available. But I've placed it and two others run at Gen Con 2012 available here for your use. (Plus, don't forget that Thundarr the Barbarian: Across the Dimensional Divide is also available!)

Pre-gens were given to players, but are not available here. I figured you could handle that. These games are designed for 3 to 6 players and should run about 3 to 4 hours from start to finish. Keep in mind that these are not fully fleshed-out modules, but rather railroad-y "Point A to Point B to Point C to Big Bad Boss" convention one shots. Even still, you should be able to run your home PCs through them for a quicky evening's entertainment or, even better, run one of them at your local convention. I won't mind!

 

Gimme Shelter - Run at Gen Con 2011

 

Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job - Run at Gen Con 2012

 

Weed World - Run at Gary Con 2012 and Gen Con 2012 

Some of the more observant amongst you may notice one game is missing from this library: Dead in the Water, run at Gen Con 2011. Well, I have special plans for that adventure, so it isn't available for public eyes.

Not yet anyway...

[Thundarr Thursday] Gen Con's "Thundarr the Barbarian: Across The Dimensional Divide" Available For Download

There were many folks who wanted to play in my "Thundarr the Barbarian" game at Gen Con. Sadly, I only had room for the six players who signed up, and I didn't have time to run it more than once. However, if you'd like to see what the game was all about, or if you'd like to run your own home group through it, I have made the adventure and pre-gens available for download.

A few notes:

• The adventure is hardly a polished effort, as it's my rough notes for use during a con game. So please excuse spelling errors, formatting issues, and general unattractiveness. Originally, it was just for my eyes only.
• The script should be easy enough to follow, but it is a 3-4 hour "railroad" convention one-shot. There's not much "depth" to it. Point A to Point B to Point C to Big Bad Boss at the end.
• I played the opening credits on a tablet for the players as we started. And when we were done, I played the end credits. This really helped the atmosphere and set the mood.
• There are pre-gens for Thundarr, Ookla, and Ariel. You'll need to make two copies of each. (You'll see why when you read the text.) Encourage the players to play the characters straight as it really helps make the game a success.
• Be sure to play it like the cartoon. Play up the voices and the exaggerated action sequences. If your players want to do it, let it happen! In my game, Ookla landed on the hood of a moving car, driving the engine block into the ground, and sending the car flying. Thundarr jumped onto the back of the Dimensional Worm and rodeo-rode it to submission. One Ariel cast a light-bridge to reach the foe while the other Ariel ran along it to deliver the final blow. The other Ookla grabbed a set of car tires and threw them over the wizard, effectively trapping him within. Cartoon action, my friends!
• If you'd like to run your home PCs through the adventure, you should be able to "ramp up" the encounters and the lethality of Yin/Yan. However, this game takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where magic exists. If magic doesn't exist in your campaign, have Yin/Yan's merging/dimension breaches be the result of "Ancient technology in the wrong hands."

Click on the cover or this link to go download the adventure.

Lords of Light!

Gen Con Wrap-Up: Steampunk Pirates, Useless Shoe Inserts, And Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

I'm home now after "The Best Four Days in Gaming." I'm also popping everything in the medicine cabinet as I try to shake a dreaded case of Con Crud. I'm going over some random thoughts about the event that I jotted down here and there as well as some photos I meant to post earlier. I also took pictures of what I came home with (slightly less of a haul than last year), and I'll close with a personal announcement about next year's Gen Con:

• If I could summarize the overall theme of the costuming this year by what I saw most of, for the men it would be "Steampunk pirate." For the women, it would be "Slutty fill-in-the-blank."
• On the way home, I passed a cargo truck that was COVERED in Radioactive/Biohazard/Poison placards. Whatever he was hauling must've been super-scary. I idly wondered: "If I run him off the road and release those toxins, would I jump-start the Mutant Future apocalypse?" But he took the next exit, so the world is safe.
• I got some of those Dr. Scholl's "gellin'" shoe inserts to prep my feet for 4 days of walkin'. It was like slogging through Jello everyday. My feet were still tired and, as a bonus, I got a blister across the tops of my toes from where they rubbed against the insides of my shoes due to the extra "lift" under my feet.
• I plan to post my three Con-run modules in the next few days (Gimme Shelter 1 and 2, and Weed World). I'll also post the Thundarr the Barbarian script and pre-gens for those who want to run their groups through it. Speaking of which...
• If I can find time, I'm going to write up the Thundarr game as played by the Gen Con players as a fictionalized "lost episode" of the cartoon. They stayed in character so well and played it so straight, it was like watching an episode unfold. I gotta share it with you all, but it's going to require a bit of work on my part. I may run it as a three-part series.

And now for some remaining random pictures taken here and there:

At the Dead Games Society cocktail party, "Vincent" the mascot polishes off a bottle of gin.

That giant dragon balloon sculpture is finished. Wings, fire breath, 7+ feet tall. It was an amazing piece of work that took 3 days to complete.

Let's see, starting from the top left, I brought home Skull Mountain, James Ward's Dark Outpost, a hardback copy of Zak's Vorheim, my own copy of Are You A Werewolf?, the D&D CD from Midnight Syndicate (I have every other CD they've released), Dungeon Run, two "new-old stock" Task Force Games - Intruder and Valkenberg Castle, and Gloom and expansion deck.

My messenger bag wasn't cutting it, so I broke down and purchased a Bag of Holding backpack from Offworld Designs. How big is it? It held everything pictured above PLUS the books I brought with me PLUS my laptop and tablet WITH room to spare. It's a canvas beast. The DCC RPG rulebook was purchased through Goodman Games, but I placed it there so you'd understand why I purchased a set of  DCC-compatible polyhedrals (and skull dice bag). The only one they didn't have on-hand was a d14, but I got a matching one from eBay the second I got home.

OK, wrapping up with that personal announcement: This will probably be my last Gen Con for the foreseeable future. I did enjoy myself and it was great running games, playing games, and meeting pals. However, Gen Con is just too big of an event for my tastes. Every game I played in or ran was held in the hotel furthest from my own, requiring a hike of several blocks for each one. The crowds are overwhelming -- worse so in the Dealer's Hall. My ears are still ringing due to the din. The prices are high and the distance is great to get there. The same experience can be had much cheaper and closer, in my experience. Although I do love Gen Con, I always feel beaten and ill when I get home rather than refreshed, inspired, and rejuvenated.

Therefore, I'm taking my leave of Gen Con next year and rather refocusing on the smaller con circuit in my own backyard (Ohio). Con on the Cob is coming up this fall, and Origins is held less than an hour's drive from here. I could attend U-Con if I wanted to head up north. And, of course, I **WILL** attend Gary Con next March, as it's become my favorite convention to attend by far. If I'm gonna roadtrip next year for only one convention next year, this is the one I'll go to, no doubt about it.

So thanks for the great times and memories, Indy. I'm gonna miss you next year. But we're not breaking up! I'm just suggesting that we see other conventions for a while.

Gen Con Day 3: A Stack Of Pancakes, Con Crud, And A 42-Hit-Point Phlegm Ball

As the sun rises on Day 3 of The Best Four Days in Gaming, Sniderman is feeling what little youth and vitality he had slip away under the relentlessness of the event. (Translation: Sniderman celebrated his 46th birthday last week and he's reeeeeeally feelin' it this morning.) Last night's DGS cocktail party was a blast, but this morning I had to shave my tongue, drink a gallon of water, and pop Tylenol like they were Pez. But after shaking the cobwebs from the ol' braincase, here is today's post:

• To treat myself, rather than munching on the granola bars I brought for breakfast, I went down to the hotel restaurant and had an honest-to-God stack of pancakes, a few strips of bacon, and coffee served in a china cup. The silent morning respite did me some good. Breakfast was $25 (with tip) and worth every penny.
• Mild morning hangover aside, my throat is really feeling it today. I'm hoping my Mutant Future game at 10 a.m. does't suffer. Last year, I had to cancel a game of TOON I was going to run when I came up with laryngitis. I brought a bag of cough drops to try to get me through this, but it's gonna be tough.
• I swear, if another person in the Dealer's Hall stops dead in front of me, I'm gonna wack 'em with my backpack. And if I come across another group of gamers stopped in the dead-center of a crowded Dealer's Hall intersection yakkin' it up, I'm bodychecking them all into the nearest display of minis. Move your collective asses out of traffic before you socialize, folks!
• The 10 a.m. Mutant Future game went well, with the d30 coming into play at the end for awesomeness. Here's are some choice scenes: plant life is growing amok and the players' village is nearly destroyed by giant Mummy vines plants bludgeoning the huts; a trek to visit Zhonie Kharsin; a mutant raccoon spies a blue glow coming from nearby and gets face-to-face with a Taser Thistle (ZAP); the PCs find that Splinterthorn is responsible for the mutant enzyme entering the water table; one acid-spitting mutant rolls the d30 to hit, rolls a  NAT 30 for QUADRUPLE DAMAGE, and an acid loogie-ball he spits goes THROUGH the villain's head. Like I said, awesome.
• Swung by the Dungeon Crawl Classics game at 4 p.m. in hopes of using a few generics to squeeze in. Sadly, 5 other generic-holders had the same idea. Even more sad was all of the original players showed up, so there wasn't even a no-show to replace anyway! The DM graciously offered to run a late-night pick-up game for the generic holders, but that's just not in the cards for me tonight as I have world-conquest plans with an evening Illuminati game. Heading back to the room for lunch and rest.
• .....annnnd I woke from my nap with Con Crud, apparently. Voice is gone, body hurts, I'm sneezing a lot, and generally feel like warmed-over Crap-on-a-Stick (pat. pend.) I'm gonna gargle, pop more aspirin, and go back to bed. Fortunately, I leave in the morning and it's a 3-hour drive home, which is comparatively short. Unfortunately, I'm gonna be a no-show for the one event I've been looking forward to since I signed up in January. Fnord, indeed dammit. Sorry Justin. Give the Gnomes of Zurich Hell for me! And if I shook your hand today, you might want to slather sanitizer on it.
• Back to bed. New post after I'm home, unpacked, and rested. So this is Sniderman, live from Gen Con, and signing off.
• ---couch cough wheeze---

Gen Con Day 2: Mystery Doors, Barrel Beasts, And A Pissed-Off National Monument

Good morning folks. As is The Custom, this daily Gen Con missive is started in the morning and updated throughout the day. so let's get to it:

• Sniderman's Travel Tips: Hey folks. This your first time in a hotel? It is? OK, here's some friendly advice. You see that mysterious Door to Nowhere over against the far wall? The one that's deadbolted for some reason? Did you open it only to find ANOTHER door? Well, that's not a utility closet, nor is it the entrance to a secret underground bunker. That's a door to the other room next to yours. The cleaning staff may use it to move back and forth from room to room while straightening up, or friends rooming next to each other may open it up to allow free access back and forth. If you do not know the person in that next room though, DO NOT TRY TO OPEN THE MYSTERY DOOR AND FOR GOD'S SAKE DO NOT KNOCK. The guy in the next room who's trying to catch a power nap may have a heart attack waking up to "Intruder Noises" occurring within his room. And if it happens again, I'll explain this to you in person at 3 a.m. while I pound on that same door as hard as my fists will allow. Thank you. (Now that I got THAT Public Service Announcement out of the way...)
• Stopped by a Starbucks for a quick pick-me-up and saw a product called Blue Machine. It has pureed berries and other healthy stuff, so I gave it a go. It was like drinking a sweat sock, both in flavor and texture. Nasty.
• A chick in a leotard wearing cat ears and cat tail is sexycute. Conversely, a DUDE wearing a leotard and cat ears and cat tail is creepyweird.
• Am I the only one here NOT wearing a black T-shirt?
• Ok, just finished up my Mutant Future game "Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job" and, although it seemed to start slowly, it picked up speed until it collided with the mother of all epic endings. Some scenes that occurred: Barter John the mutant bear merchant tasks the team with finding  his scout Joey Gills who hasn't returned from Black Hill where an Ancient monument is located; the team needs to retrieve a large sculptor's model of the Mount Rushmore monument; rock guys exploding up from underground, overturning their truck; Morty the Moose bull-charging a rock-guy, missing, and continuing to run; Burger King the gravity-manipulator dropping a truck on another rock-guy; Apollo the mutant chipmunk missing with FOUR grenades; Morty also drops a grenade, destroying the gift shop the model was housed in; Mount Rushmore comes to life and pulls itself out of the ground to give chase to Our Heroes; "The Brain" creates an illusion that Joey Gills destroyed the model, pissing off the Living Monument and causing the 400-foot-tall granite colossus to smash Joey Gills into a fine red paste. Next year? Barter John has a little mission to the ISS...
• Got a chance to play in a Labyrinth Lord game hosted by none other than Dylan, the Digital Orc. He ran the party through his Blasphemous Brewery of Pilz. I got to play my preferred class of "cleric," and we were sent to the northern hills to investigate why the favored beer brewed by the monks was "off." I'll be vague in this entry as the adventure is available for sale (so no spoilers here for future players!), but I'll just say that, if you decide to stab a Burpee, you should totally rethink that strategy! I had to leave the game at the appointed ending hour as I had other commitments, so I'd love to find out how the rest of the party fared against the "Barrel Beast"!
• I arrived later that evening at the Dead Games Society cocktail party. In fact, as I hammer out this final entry, I've only just gotten back to my room with 2 or 3 or perhaps 7 gin-and-tonics in my system. (I kinda lost count.) It was a great time hanging out with Michael and Colin and the rest of the gang in the hotel's Presidential Suite. Mike makes a mean Tom Collins, even if he has to occasionally make substitutions, like olive juice for the sour mix. I have about 9 hours before I need to run tomorrow's Mutant Future games, so I'm gonna go to bed and try to detox a bit. And here are some random pix taken during the day...

This amazing dragon balloon sculpture was about 7 feet tall. The photo really doesn't do it justice.

Cardhalla is yet again in full swing. Card houses (towers and villages actually) are built and, on the final day, loose change is thrown to bring it all down. All change is then donated to charity.

Gen Con Day 1 Addendum: My Visit With Wil

So, as I mentioned in my earlier day's post, Wil Wheaton was the Guest of Honor when I stopped by the Dealer's Hall this afternoon. I'll keep the slathering fanboy praise to a minimum, but suffice to say that I really like Wil's professional work, and his embrace of gaming culture is damn cool. So I was really looking forward to meeting him and letting him know I was a fan. He engaged each person in turn; talking, joking, and genuinely giving everyone his undivided attention. Very cool of him to make that connection with each well-wisher.

It's funny, but while I stood in line and worked my way up to the front, I found myself getting a bit lightheaded and short of breath. No, not in a "OMG I'MMA GONNA FAINT"-type swoon. That'd be weak. No, this was the same feeling you get when you're 5 years old and waiting to meet Santa at the Mall (to stretch an analogy). The months of anticipation have built up to this one short "dear God, don't let me do or say anything stupid" moment. And then I was next.

"Wil, it's a genuine pleasure to meet you," I said. Wil smiled and said thanks. I slid my copy of Mutant Future over to him.

"I'd appreciate it if you could inscribe Wheaton's Law on the title page. Having it in your hand would be very cool. And take your time. I'm trying to absorb some of your residual awesome." Wil laughed at this and graciously inscribed Wheaton's Law on the title page, followed with his signature.

I reached into my pocket and handed him one of my Savage AfterWorld dice as well as a Thundarr the Barbarian button I had given out at my game earlier. Wil's face lit up.

"Aw, no way! I loved Thundarr the Barbarian!" Wil said, turning the button over in his hand. "The other cartoons of the 80s were all trying to sell you something: GI Joe, Transformers, He-Man... But Thundarr was just awesome. The way it mixed up genres and settings. Thundarr was a gateway to heavy metal to me."

Taken aback that I had apparently hit a "nerd nerve," I told him that my blog hosts Thundarr Thursday, and that I've actually created a Mutant Future supplement based on the Thundarr the Barbarian universe. He looked at the dice.

"Is this your blog? The Savage AfterWorld?" When I said yup, Wil took out his Smartphone and said "savage afterworld" into it. My blog popped up.

"You're in my browser history now," Wil said. "When I get a chance, I'm totally downloading that Thundarr supplement. And Mutant Future, did you say? Too cool."

As one final request, I asked Wil if he could pop that ever-famous eyebrow arch of his while I did the same with my own bemused eyebrow arch. Pictures were snapped, thanks and goodbyes shared, and I wandered off, totally elated by the encounter. Thanks Wil. Your appreciation for All Things Thundarr and seeing you check out this lil' piece of the Internet did me a world of good. Appreciated, man! Hope you enjoy thumbing through the supplement. And I'll be happy to set aside a seat at next year's Thundarr game for you if you feel like swinging a Sun Sword.

Wil and I engage in an "Eyebrow Arch-off." Wil won handily with the Ming the Merciless scowl, whereas I can only muster a bemused smirk.

 And Wheaton's Law in the author's own hand now graces my Mutant Future rulebook. Awesome-sauce.

Gen Con Day 1: Demon Dogs, The Wrong Room, And Meeting Wil

Good morning! (As I begin today's post, it's 6:51 a.m.) Getting ready to head to breakfast then over to the ICC for the traditional Opening Ceremonies. Later today, it's the inaugural run of my "Thundarr the Barbarian" Mutant Future game. So here are today's thoughts:

• Gen Con Plus: I like it when random folks start up a friendly conversation with you about their interests, hobbies, and whatever. Gen Con Minus: I don't like it when they continue to follow you around and talk about their interests, hobbies, and whatever after you've excused yourself and walked away.
• Want to have 30,000 geeks and nerds razz you? Have your computer crash on you while setting up your "Welcome to Gen Con" video presentation/ Nothing like watching the Blue Screen of Death pop up on a 30-foot screen overhead.
• At the Opening Ceremony, it was proclaimed by the Indy Mayor that Gen Con is officially "the four best days in gaming." The traditional Throwing Out of the First Dice was done by Mike Carr, designer of Dawn Patrol, which he has run at every Gen Con since Gen Con 0 in 1968. Couldn't get a picture due to the crowds.
• This year, rather than checking badges individually upon entry, they opened up the door to the Dealer's Hall and stepped aside. Ever see 30,000 gamers break into a mass sprint?
• My Thundarr the Barbarian game was AWESOME. All of the players were very familiar with the TV show, so many '80s action cartoon cliches were tossed about. The twist to this game was that a wizard had opened a dimensional door, creating TWO Thundarrs, Ooklas, and Ariels! Yup, all of the players got to play one of the main characters. And everyone got a chance to be a star, as every player performed some miraculous feat of derring-do. Here are some highlights: Thundarr racing up and cleaving a Possuman's club in two; Possuman cringes and toadies up to the gang and becomes their new lacky "Nathan the Possuman"; while riding a runaway fire truck being chased by laser-firing Possumen in Indy cars, the two Ariels cast simultaneous Sleep spells on the drivers, causing them to crash spectacularly; at the final showdown at the Indy Speedway, Ookla picks up a VW Bug and swats a giant purple worm with it; Thundarr leaps onto its back and rodeo-rides the worm; meanwhile OTHER Thundarr and Ookla pull a Fastball Special, bringing the wizard down from his high perch; Ariel creates a bridge to reach the wizard while OTHER Ariel races along it to drop the magical MacGuffin in the Bad Guy's lap. I could go on, but the game ran beautifully, although quite fast. (We finished in only 2 hours due to some awesome rolls by the teams.) Everyone seemed to enjoy the game as well and the teamwork amongst everyone was awesome-sauce.
• Having some time before my 5 p.m. Labyrinth Lord game, I decided to stop by the Dealer's Hall to see if I could meet Wil Wheaton, who was the Guest of Honor at that time. Big fan of Wil's, and his embrace of nerdom and geekery is awe-inspiring. The line was fairly short (it was the end of the day), so I was able to meet him and exchange some pleasantries. The visit merits its own post, so stay tuned!
• Sadly, I screwed up and missed my Labyrinth Lord game. I went to the wrong room, hung around for 10 minutes past time (at which point I decided I was lost). When I did find the game, it was well underway and it appeared someone with generic tix had taken my place. Glad to see it had a full house, but chagrined that I missed it.
• I'm heading to a game of Are You A Werewolf? in about an hour, so I'll close this with some photos of today's events:

The crowds are gathered outside of the Dealer's Hall, waiting for the stampede to begin.

Wizards had this awesome full-sized display of Lolth. The underlying blue light made it super-creepy.

Lords of Light! Our Thundarr  the Barbarian game rocked! (Much "thwarting" was had.)

And Wil Wheaton was pretty much the cool guy you'd expect him to be. We talked at length about...well...regular readers of this blog KNOW what we talked about. Stay tuned for more!

Gen Con Day 0: The Ram, The Stink, And Lucy Van Pelt Is EVIL

As I did last year, I'll be posting a daily "Live from Gen Con!" update with what I've seen, what I've done, and what I should have avoided... Because Gen Con doesn't really get started until tomorrow, tonight's update is all about the prelim games and events leading up to tomorrow's Big Show. I started this blog post at 10 a.m. upon arrival, and I'll be adding to it as the day goes on:

• As I traveled down 70 West out of Ohio, I passed a white Ford Focus with four younger-ish guys in it. They were kicking up and joking and laughing as they headed west. Later, this same car passed me. Then I passed them. For 160+ miles up to the Gen Con exit (which they also took). So, although I didn't technically travel with anyone, I had four "friends" with me from Columbus, Ohio, all the way to the ICC. Good to tag along with you, "unnamed dudes in other car"!
• While unpacking, I found a mechanical pencil I had lost. And by that, I mean I "found" it embedded in my hand as I emptied out my messenger bag. I have a huge gouge in my right hand and it hurts like the dickens.
• Zipped over to the ICC around noon to pick up the program guide. Wasn't expecting a lot of activity, but the Will Call lines are already up and running. They were also surprisingly long again this year, but since they're going to run them overnight, I think the backlog of early arrivers will get through pretty fast. But anyone who arrives tomorrow morning and expects to walk right through may be surprised by all of the OTHER folks who expected to do the same. Will report on how it turned out tomorrow.
• Took the camera to grab the usual shots of Big Damn Displays, but nothing is out and on display yet! I'm wondering if there's going to be anything this year, as the full-sized Drizzt, Ogre, Dragon, etc. statues are usually already out and being photographed. Was told at the KFG meet-up (see next post), that they were there, just hadn't been put out yet. Photos to come...
• Stopped by The Ram for my traditional noontime "Just got to Gen Con lunch". Had a Slaughterhouse Cheddar burger (ham, bacon, BBQ sauce on a think juicy cheeseburger) with a side of onion rings and a TALL mug of Indy Blonde Ale. Was feelin' fine, until my Cthulhu game in the backroom.
• At 1 p.m., I played in "It's the Great Cthulhu, Charlie Brown!" hosted by Kentucky Fried Gamers and run by "Rbree". I played Linus -- the philosophical intellectual who taught at Miskotonic. Also in our group was Charlie Brown (a war vet who was suffering from blackouts and was still pining over the Red-Haired Girl), Snoopy (now the nickname of an ace WWI pilot in our group), and Lucy (who was still practicing psychiatry). We had all been called together for a reading of the will of my recently deceased grandfather. To summarize: we all got bizarre inheritances; a mass of burning "darkness" invaded the mansion; we escaped just in time to encounter The Dreaded Kite-Eating Tree; did I mention the Deep Ones?; and we ended up at a lighthouse basement where Sally was about to be sacrificed by Marcie, Woodstock, and the Red-Haired Girl. We stopped the sacrifice and Lucy retrieved the moonstone, giving her dominion over the Deep Ones. And what happened next? Well, guess who the Mastermind was behind it all...
• 
• Great game. None of us saw it coming. The stunned "You do WHAT now?" moment was priceless. (And the Quote of the Game: "OK, roll against me to see if you're a virgin.")
• The Gen Con Stink was fun and much swag was collected by all. I also hosted the Labyrinth Lord Society Meet-n-Greet which had a handful of folks stopping by to grab some dice, tuck a few LL bookmarks into their tomes, and generally hang out for a bit. Not as many people visited as I had expected, but it was nice to meet the few who did make the effort to drop by.
• I'll be gaming until midnight every night this week, so I'm going to turn in early tonight while I have the chance. 

Hitting That "Holiday Road" (To Gen Con)

It's 4:30 a.m. here in The Savage AfterWorld. I've got the Landmaster packed up and fueled, and I'm heading out to Gen Con right now. Stay tuned for semi-regular Gen Con updates for the next few days!

And, as is a tradition in the Sniderman household, all of our vacations begin with this Lyndsay Buckingham song blaring from the CD player. I'm queueing it as this post goes live, so it's only fair you enjoy it too...

 

UPDATE: The Landmaster has landed! I'll have a "Day 0" post later this evening.

My Fairly-Well-Packed Gen Con Schedule

My 2012 Gen Con adventure begins one week from today. Looks like I have a full schedule planned too. Some folks who wanted to meet were asking me what my schedule looked like. Well, here's where I'll be, when I'll be there, and what I'm doing when I get there:

WEDNESDAY

• Noon or earlier - Check-in at The Canterbury Hotel.
• 1 to 5 p.m. - (playing) "It's the Great Cthulhu, Charlie Brown!" (Call of Cthulhu) @ The Ram as part of the Kentucky Fried Gamers' Wednesday Night Gaming.
• 6 to 8 p.m. - (running) The Labyrinth Lord Society Meet-n-Greet at the Gen Con Stink @ Union Station Grand Ballroom. Come on out, meet other Goblinoid Games/Pacesetter fans, and get some swell swag!

THURSDAY

• Noon to 4 p.m. - (running) "Thundarr the Barbarian: Across the Dimensional Divide" (Mutant Future) @ Marriott, Indiana Ballroom C. That's right! Thundarr Thursday is finally LIVE!
• 5 to 9 p.m. - (playing) "Lair of the Lizardfolk God" (Labyrinth Lord) @ ICC, Hall C, Red, 25-27.
• 10 p.m. to midnight - (playing) "Are You A Werewolf?" @ ICC, Hall C, Boffer Combat Arena. I've wanted to play this massive game of "find the werewolf in our midst" for quite a while.

FRIDAY

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - (running) "Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job" (Mutant Future) @ Marriott, Indiana Ballroom C. The sequel to last year's Gimme Shelter. (Available for download!)
• 5 to 8 p.m. - (playing) "The Blasphemous Brewery of Pilz!" (Labyrinth Lord) @ JW, room 311. I get to play in Digital Orc's sandbox, run by the man himself!
• 8 p.m. to midnight - (drinking) 'The Dead Games Society Cocktail Party" @ a mystery location. I'm running my games this year under the DGS banner. This night, they're holding an invitation-only get together filled with drinkin', gamin', and drinkin'. I may run a pick-up game of Ghostbusters there, or run another party through my Thundarr adventure.

SATURDAY

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - (running) "Weed World" (Mutant Future) @ Marriott, Indiana Ballroom C. This went over quite well at Gary Con in March, so I thought I'd give it another run at Gen Con.
• 4 to 8 p.m. - (playing, I hope) "Fate's Fell Hand" (Dungeon Crawl Classics) @ JW, room 301. I got closed out of this event when registering, but I'm hoping I can squeeze in with some generic tickets.
• 9 p.m. to midnight - (playing) "Illuminati" @ ICC, Hall C. I'm a big fan of this classic Steve Jackson game. I have a near-monthly local group that plays, in fact. Let's see how I do against some of the brightest conspirators worldwide. Fnord.

NOT SCHEDULED, BUT PLANNED

• Guest of Honor, Uber-blogger, and all-around good guy Wil Wheaton will be signing autographs in the Dealer's Hall each morning. Would really like to meet him and have him sign something for me.
• Games-on-Demand across from the Dealer's Hall in ICC238 offers demos and pick-up games of some of the hottest indie RPGs. Hope to try out Fiasco, Life With Master, Dungeon World, Apocalypse World, and other unusual RPGs.
• Digital Orc sent out the clarion call for an OSR Blogger Meet-up. Not sure if this is gonna happen or not, but would like to try to cross paths with a few fellow blog-meisters during the four days.
• I have an advance playtest copy of a not-yet-released-or-announced RPG that I'm dying to run folks through. (Yes, I'm being deliberately vague due to a non-disclosure agreement I signed.) The creator was also kind enough to send me a playtest adventure as well. Gen Con would be the perfect place for a quick dry run of this exciting new setting for a classic system. (Ooooh! Spoilers!)
• I also need to attend some of the auction, the "throwing out of the first die" to open the show, trolling the Dealer's Hall, visiting the OSR booth, and maybe shoehorning in a pick-up game at some point.
• Sleeping. yes, I somehow plan to try to get some sleep.

And, as always, I'll be posting a daily Live From Gen Con blog post just like last year. Stay tuned!

Gen Con Labyrinth Lord Society Meet-and-Greet Reminder

A reminder that the First Annual Labyrinth Lord Society Meet-and-Greet will be held during the Gen Con "Stink"! Swag to be had, pick-up games to plan, and plenty of other games and merriment will be going on!

Wednesday, August 15 at 6 p.m.
Location: Union Station :: Grand Ballroom


Wondering where we'll be? Just be on the lookout for this nifty banner supplied by Gobinoid Games! (Thanks again, Dan!)

Also, it's been brought to my attention that there will be an OSR booth again this year! Booth 1359 in the Dealer's Hall will be offering a wide selection of retro-themed products from many publishers. There will also be a white board available for folks to post info about pick-up games and other spontaneous events at Gen Con!

30 Days To Gen Con And Counting...

We're now one month away from the biggest gaming convention in North America. I'll be attending this year again, running Mutant Future (including the long-awaited Thundarr game!) as well as live blogging each day during the event. I'll also be representing the Labyrinth Lord Society at the "STINK" as well as playtesting a not-yet-announced RPG for any folks interested. Add in any games I'm either running or playing, and I've got a pretty full schedule. In fact, here's what it looks like as a pictogram:

Stay tuned for more information to come!

Official Gen Con 2012 Mutant Future Schedule

Hey Gang,

I'll be running three Mutant Future games at Gen Con this year (the only Mutant Future games, it appears). If you'll be in Indy and would like to traipse through the wastelands with yours truly, here are the events I'll be running:

RPG1230160 - Thundarr the Barbarian: Across the Dimensional Divide
Mutant Future - 6 players - 4 hours
Thursday, August 16 at noon
Location: Marriott :: Indiana Ballroom C :: Table 1
Demon Dogs! A dimensional time-rip has appeared near "Indeenapliss". It must be the work of an evil wizard, but who? Join Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel as they try to save the world of 3994 AD!

RPG1230159 - Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job
Mutant Future - 6 players - 4 hours
Friday, August 17 at 10 a.m.
Location: Marriott :: Indiana Ballroom C :: Table 2
NOW HIRING: Barter John needs up to 6 mutants to help secure and move four very large Ancient busts near the village of Blackhill. Must be OK with heights. Tools supplied. No mants need apply.


RPG1230158 - Weed World
Mutant Future - 6 players - 4 hours
Saturday, August 18 at 10 a.m.
Location: Marriott :: Indiana Ballroom C :: Table 2
Within the last month, the growth of vegetation has accelerated, threatening to overrun your post-apocalyptic village. Does a children's story of "The Devil's Greenhouse" hold the key to survival?

And don't forget that the First Annual Labyrinth Lord Society Meet-and-Greet will be held during the Gen Con "Stink"! (Yours truly will be hosting as well!) Come out and meet other folks who enjoy Goblinoid Games' offerings! Swag to be had, pick-up games to plan, and plenty of other games and merriment will be going on! (Did I mention they have a bar too?)


ENT1229591 - Stink 9: Apocastink
Entertainment Event - 400 attendees - 2 hours
Wednesday, August 15 at 6 p.m.
Location: Union Station :: Grand Ballroom
Kick off Gen Con with the 9th Annual Stink party: APOCASTINK! The original Wednesday night event where you can meet gaming groups, socialize with gamers from around the world, see friends you haven't seen in a year, and play unique games!

Event registration opens May 20 at noon. Hope to see some of you there!

First Annual Labyrinth Lord Society Meeting At Gen Con 2012

Attention all Labyrinth Lord Society members (and those interested in joining...)

The Labyrinth Lord Society will hold its First Annual Meet-and-Greet at Gen Con 2012. Ever wanted to meet fellow LLS members? Want to discuss Labyrinth Lord, Mutant Future, and other Goblinoid Games RPGs with like-minded fans? Want some cool swag?

The First Annual Meet-and-Greet will be held during the Gen Con "Stink" (the annual kick-off party for the convention). 

Date: Wed Aug 15
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Place: Union Station in the Grand Ballroom

There is a lot of activity going on during the Stink -- lots of folks meeting each other, swag being tossed about, pick-up games, drinking (there's a bar here), etc. The LLS will have a table set aside, so stop on by and introduce yourself!

Tickets are available for the Stink (it's a free event), although a ticket is not required to get in. (The Stink is an "unofficial" event, though Gen Con likes to know how many people attend, hence the tickets.) Be sure to sign up when Event Registration goes live on May 20th.  And more info about the Meet-and-Greet will be posted as we approach the date! I'll be spearheading the event, and I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

The Savage AfterSwag

Ooooooooo... Pretty, shiny precious...

Some folks at Gary Con and Gen Con are gonna get some really nice six-sided swag. The folks at Chessex did a remarkable job of matching my blog's colors and fonts, eh? Good prices too. I recommend their custom service to anyone who wants some custom dice whipped up.

Taking Attendance For Gen Con

Are you an old-school grognard? Do you have an RPG blog? Are you attending Gen Con 2012 in August? Want to potentially meet-and-greet with other like-minded OSR enthusiasts? Would you like for me to get to the point?

Digital Orc has sent out the call for other Gen Con OSR bloggers who are attending Gen Con with the hopes of encouraging contact and a potential get-together amongst attendees. Fill out the form (here's the link) to have yourself included in the Master Spreadsheet of Gen Con OSR Blogger attendees.

Gen Con 2012 -- All Mutant Future, All The Time

Today is the last day for the first round of Gen Con 2012 event submissions. (There's another round, but the first round gives you better placement and what-not.) Just tossed in my first three events and, this year, it's all Mutant Future, all the time. Several folks told me last year that they wished there had been more Mutant Future events, as it seemed I was the only one running it. Had a great time running it last year, so this year, that's all I'll be running.

And here are the current events, dates, and times:

Thurs-Noon: Thundarr the Barbarian: Across the Dimensional Divide (RPG1230160) - Demon Dogs! A dimensional time-rip has appeared near "Indeenapliss." It must be the work of an evil wizard, but who? Join Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel as they try to save the world of 3994 AD!

Fri-10 AM: Gimme Shelter II: The Rushmore Salvage Job (RPG1230159) - NOW HIRING: Barter John needs up to 6 mutants to help secure and move four very large Ancient busts near the village of Blackhill. Must be OK with heights. Tools supplied. No mants need apply.

Sat-10 AM: Weed World (RPG1230158) - Within the last month, the growth of vegetation has accelerated, threatening to overrun your post-apocalyptic village. Does a children's story of "The Devil's Greenhouse" hold the key to survival?

Yes, there is now an "official" Savage AfterWorld "Thundarr Thursday" scheduled for Gen Con. (I may also add a second one for later that same day depending on demand.) See you in August!