Gary Con Day 3: Rebounding Grenades And Bailing Out The Warden

Today is my last full day of Gary Con as I plan to hit the road home nice and early Sunday morning. So I'm spending my last few hours hammering together this update and review while things are fresh in my mind. However, I have a rather lengthy "My encounter with James Ward" story that will go live while I'm on the road. So let's consider this post as "Part 1." Let's get to the wrap-up:

• I was STARVING last night before I went to bed, so I called room service and had them drop off a pizza from the special "Gary Con Gamer Special" menu they had. It arrived in short order and I pounded it, then went to bed. The next morning, I was thankful my wife didn't come along on the trip. talk about "Save versus Poisonous Cloud!" Which bring me to...
• This is a public apology to Jeff Sparks who played in my Mutant Future game yesterday. Jeff, you were totally right. I've been rolling my Mutant Future saving throws backwards (rolling low vs. rolling high). Thanks for taking the high road and dropping the issue during the game even though you were apparently looking right at the correct rule in the book at the time.
• One nice Gary Con detail I forgot to mention: All gaming tables have a stand with a sign on it that identifies the table number from a distance (so you can find your game easily) as well as a "PLAYERS WANTED" or "GAME FULL" sign. You can tell as you walk in whether a table is accepting walk ins. helps to sign up for events, but you can also find a table willing to bring you in at anytime.
• Classic bit of "Holy crap, did I screw up": In an 8 a.m. Star Frontiers game, I was in the rear of a group exploring a planet we had crash-landed on. As we cautiously made our way through a forest, our first combat encounter began with a ravenous pack of razor-toothed lizards (two dozen of 'em). I got initiative, so I threw a frag grenade into their midst. I botched the roll, then rolled again to see where the grenade ended up. It bounced BACK into our front line and went off. I took one player to -5 and another to +5 hit points. We were able to stop the bleeding and get both of them back on their feet, but I was ordered to not throw any more grenades for the remainder of the game. (We had a great time and succeeded in our mission, but that initial combat round will live in infamy amongst the group, I feel.)
• Note to myself -- Next time, pay attention to the bottle of aspirin you purchase. I grabbed BABY aspirin by mistake. I'm popping these things like they were Skittles. It takes 6 of them to slightly affect a headache.
• I later played in Jim Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game. That whole epic encounter and event merits a separate post, so stay tuned for it in a following post!
• I visited Dan's Goblinoid Games booth again just to say "Hey." A new item was now for sale: prints of the cover art from Rotworld and Mutant Future -- signed and numbered by artist Mark Allen! I bought the top Mutant Future one, which was 2/200. Turns out I missed getting the first one (1/200) by minutes! ARRRGGGHHH.
• Spoke with Luke Gygax about the attendance figures. He knows they surpassed 550 attendees this year, and that number may go even higher. And according to a survey attendees were asked to complete, it seems they're already considering how to grow the event for next year, as it seems ready to outgrow the Lodge.
• I attended the Gary Con raffle and auction this evening. All proceeds were being donated to the Bail Out The Warden Fund to help Jim Ward with his sky-high medical bills. The raffle was run by Luke Gygax, and Tim Kask and Frank Mentzer were the co-auctioneers. there was some crazy-rare items up for bids, including the original banner for Gary Con 1, original artwork from some of TSR's classic games, and other items donated by the original movers and shakers. By the time the evening ended, $10,000 was raised for this incredibly worthy cause. (In fact, if you've read this far, please make a donation by clicking the link above or over there in the right-hand column. Thank you.)
• As I made one last passthrough of the gaming area, I ran into Bill who was one of the players in my Mutant Future game yesterday. "I heard you missed out on getting that 1/200 Mutant Future cover print," he said. I asked how he knew about that, and he admitted that he had bought it. When he stopped by Dan's booth again later, Dan mentioned my angst at having been beaten. Bill then very graciously offered to trade my 2/200 for his 1/200, stating that he knew it'd mean more to me having the first one. Bill, thanks for the trade. It made my day.

I think that's just about it. I need to get up early, pack, and hit the road for the long trip back so I'm in my room at the end of the day now. Remember to stop by for my Jim Ward encounter tomorrow (it will go live while I'm on the road). I want to thank the organizers for a great time. I WILL be back next year for this awesome better-than-Gen-Con-by-a-long-shot event. And you should plan to attend too.

Addendum: Just returned from the registration desk -- again. To revisit my sole complaint about the event: After yet another day of regularly stopping by the reg. desk, checking on delivery status of the 2011 cap I ordered in February, being told to come back later, double-checking, come back later, etc., all the way up until 10 p.m., that frigging cap never did turn up. Although I was presented with a replacement souvenir of a much, much higher value -- and I do appreciate the effort -- it wasn't really something I particularly wanted. A refund or the new 2012 cap would have been fine. But I accepted what was offered just to settle the issue. The entire ordeal was a series of souring frustrations over four days...all over a $10 hat. Note to self: Never pre-order anything again. It's just easier to purchase items on-site.

And here is my last set of photos from the Con:

This gargantuan lending library of games was available in the restaurant/lounge, available for any and all pick-up games you could possibly want to play.

This game of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Part the Second" was run by Brother Maynard's Brother (aka Michael Browne of the Dead Games Society). Every time the PCs would ride their horses, they had coconuts to clap together.

A game of Fuzzy Heroes being run for children. A miniatures game that uses toys and stuffed animals? **I** wanted to play!

The Kenzer and Company booth was always busy with fans of Hackmasters and KODT.

On display in the lobby was the original prototype for TSR's Dungeon! boardgame.

The Circvs Maximvs trophy to be awarded to this year's winner.

This print of the Gary Con III wizard logo is surrounded by cards autographed by many of the original TSR writers, founders, artists, and "old guard." This was for sale for $500.

Gary Con Day 2: Timemaster, Mutant Future, and the Phantom Flusher

Howdy folks. It's Day 2 at the Celebration of a Life Well Played. I'm getting ready to leave my room this morning to begin the day, so the following posts are updated throughout the day until I return to my room later tonight:

• During the night, I was awakened to bloopgurglehissssgurglebloop. Dozed back off. Half-hour later, bloopgurglehissssgurglebloop. Discovered my room's toilet must have a leaky stopper flap. Water leaked into the bowl and, when the level was low in the upper tank, it'd refill. I fixed it by shutting the bathroom door. (Will mention it to the front desk in the morn.
• One heartbreaking moment: When downloading my pix to my computer for last night's post, I found some pix on my digital camera my wife had taken of our dog just days before we had to put her down. They must be the last pix taken of her. Had no idea they were on here. Damn, that was a tough discovery to make. I has a sad. :(
• My throat feels like I was gargling with barbed wire. Really overdid the gamemastering yesterday. Need to dial it back a bit to get through today's Timemaster and Mutant Future games. I'll be voiceless tomorrow if I'm not careful. (I had hot tea and throat lozenges for breakfast.)
• Before my Timemaster game, I swung into the dealer room and finally met Dan Proctor of Goblinoid Games. Sadly, I only had a few minutes to shake his hand and exchange pleasantries, but I told him I'd swing back through before the day was up.
• Speaking of Timemaster and Mutant Future, both games went very well and much fun was held by all. Had two players in the Timemaster game who were tasked with ensuring the first run of the Pony Express in April 1860 was a success. There was a riverboat fight, a horse chase, an ambush at a remote relay station and -- most interesting -- a "reset" of the timeline when the Bad Guy sent a warning to himself earlier in the timeline. But they were able to puzzle it out and set the Continuum straight. In my Mutant Future game, plantlife was growing wildly out of control and the mutants had to get to the bottom of it. By the time they reached the source of the problem, they were face-to-face with a pissed-off 25-foot-tall mutant oak tree.
• I asked one of the last players to arrive for my Mutant Future game if he was familiar with the game. "I think so. I wrote two modules for it," he said. It was Jeff Sparks who wrote both Re-Energizers and Realm of the Technomancer.
• Met Dan Proctor later in the hotel bar where he, his wife, and I had a drink and talked about editing, accents, linguistics, and future plans for...well...that'll be a post for another day.

And now on to the photos...

My Timemaster game in full swing.

The lobby's been hopping with pick-up games since I arrived!

A large-scale miniatures battle in progress.

Dan Proctor and I.

Dan was kind enough to autograph my Mutant Future rulebook.

Oh, and there was a special hardcopy limited release of the hot-hotty-von-hottest RPG currently abuzz. Grabbed my copy for $20. Yet anther benefit of being here!

Gary Con Day 1: Bustin' Ghosts And Donation Frustration

Whew, it's been a loooong day of gaming goodness, so I'm dropping by my room with updates as I have them. Here we go:

• Went to bed last night at 9 p.m. Yes, I crashed early at a 24-hour game con. But I rolled out of bed at 6 a.m., bright-eyed and ready for the day (and still crazy-early enough to take care of everything I wanted to get out of the way before my games started at 2 p.m.)
• Discovered my Timemaster pre-gens had a bunch of data and info inappropriate to the game I was going to run. Spent the better part of the morning retyping them by hand (stupidly forgot to save the originals), then raced to the business center to print them off for tomorrow.
• The business center is right next to the now-up-and-running registration table, so I stepped over and asked how to donate items for the benefit auction on Saturday. I was told they weren't accepting donations just yet as they just opened and were trying to get the paperwork and mechanics of the table organized. No problem, and I noticed the boxes of Gary Con souvenirs being placed out for purchase. I asked about about my pre-ordered (and pre-paid) items, and was told those pre-purchased items would be available for pick-up that afternoon. So I agreed to return later.
• Ran into Luke Gygax and reintroduced myself. I reminded him that we played in the same Tower of Gygax game at Gen Con last year, causing the GM to do a spit take. "Yeah, Sniderman! I totally remember that!"
• Walked through the gaming rooms and snapped pix of games in progress. There are a LOT of folks playing this year, and I'll bet attendance records are shattered.
• Didn't really sit down to play anything today as I didn't have enough free time in a row...an hour here and there, but no good "gaming stretches."
• Returned around 1 p.m. to pick up my pre-ordered swag and was told that they'd be available around 3 p.m. Since I was running a game from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., I figured I'd swing by afterwards. Picked up a dice bag that I hadn't ordered. Very keen! (Pic to come...)
• Ran my Ghostbusters game at 2 p.m. Much fun was had, with lots of failed Ghost Die rolls popping up to drive the players insane. At the end of the day, they saved the world and got free ales and wines for life. (They also caused Lake Erie to turn into vodka, but that's another tale.)
• One nice service for the GMs that Gary Con offers. After your game starts, a rep walks up with a rolling cooler. GMs are free to help themselves to a pop or some candy to fuel them through their game. very cool of the organizers to do that for the GMs!
• Whipped by the registration booth at 6 p.m. to find them packing everything away, closing up for the evening. I was able to pick up most of my swag (shirt, glass stein, two cups), but the 2011 cap I ordered wasn't delivered to the convention hall and wouldn't be there until possibly Saturday. I offered to buy the new 2012 cap, paying the difference, but they were already put away and would be available in the morning. Also wanted to pick up raffle tickets and a swag bag (particularly for the nifty Gary Con d4 dromo die), but -- again -- too late and was told to stop by tomorrow morning. I didn't even bother to ask about when, where, and how to make my auction donation again.
• Ran my second Ghostbusters game from 8 p.m. to midnight. Didn't have anyone sign up, but Mark and Robbi -- who both played in my earlier game -- showed up to play a new adventure. Great fun as the 'Busters fought a Lovecraftian Great Old One. They met both "Dagum" -- Dagon's redneck brother and "Jimmy" -- the slow Deep One. (Excuse me, "Shallow One.")
• There's a game of Are You A Werewolf? going on in the lobby now (midnight), but I'm beat. I'd love to play, but I have a game at 10 a.m., and I want to visit Dan Proctor at the Goblinoid Games booth when the Dealer Room opens at 9 a.m. Maybe I'll play tomorrow night instead.

Overall, I'm having a great time, but I'm still irritated at stopping multiple times throughout the day to pick up some items I purchased (months) in advance. (And I still don't have it all yet.) as well as still having auction donations I need to drop off. But this is all bush-league bitchin' so don't mind me. I'm, just tired and all will be straightened out in the morning.

Enjoy these random shots of this, that, and the other thing:

This Gary Con banner featuring the KODT cast hangs above the stairway leading down into Gary Con Central.

Got my Dead Games Society Gamemaster Power Ring of Gaming on! Wonder Twins powers, activate!

Gary's Table of Honor right in the thick of all of the gaming. I think it's a great yearly tribute to him. And speaking of gaming...

This is a jousting tourney simulation. The players at either end were "clopping" coconuts together with each pass of the jousters. Very cool set-up!

Me and two players in my first Ghostbusters game as we waited for the rest of the PCs to show up. Great game, great fun! Brew-ha! (And Robbi and Mark played in my SECOND game a few hours later!)

This is ONE of the five rooms running games on Thursday around noon. Every table was packed and running. And through a nearby set of doors...

Another room filled with games and gamers taken just moments apart. This place is HOPPIN'. (You can see the Kenzer and Co. booth in the rear. The Dealer Hall opens tomorrow.)

Issue 8 of Wisdom From the Wastelands Released

Issue 8 of Wisdom From the Wastelands, the new weekly Mutant Future missive from Skirmisher Publishing, "Diseases and Medical Options." From the press release:

During the final wars that destroyed the Ancients’ civilization, some of the most horrifying weapons unleashed were terrible biological diseases and plagues. Such diseases were great equalizers, their viruses and bacteria striking down unlucky victims regardless of wealth, ethnicity, or homeland.

Although the Mutant Future core book touches on optional rules regarding diseases and their effects, this issue provides Mutant Lords with a wider range of possibilities. These additions expand the Constitution Table, include healing rates and negative hit points, and provide simple but effective rules covering mutants using the Ancients’ drugs and medical equipment. Several new types of disease — both infectious and mutagenic — are also introduced, as well as detailed rules covering symptoms and a new type of saving throw. In short, everything a ML needs to make player characters’ lives that much more “interesting.”

Put on your hazmat suit and stay away from that sneezing mutant! Issue 8 is only 99 cents and available at Drive Thru RPG.