[This is a continuation of the belated recap of GaryCon V that took place in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin last month. This recap also features my brother Michael as a guest blogger.
Also, I need to get this done so I can move on and blog about other things.]
Friday
One of the things I told myself I was going to do Thursday was to get everything together for the Shootout. That didn't happen, so for the second year in a row I was scrambling to get building models assembled and paper minis cut out. The glue sticks I purchased for the models didn't work at all, so I had to run back to Wal-Mart to buy tape. As for the minis, it turns out that I didn't have them with me when I left upstate New York. And my attempts to print out copies from the hotel's printer failed spectacularly as they didn't have any PDF viewers on their office computer. I decided to make do with the fantasy minis I used the day before and continued on. My only interruption being when Michael came back from his 9am game earlier than expected. I'll let him explain.
Showing posts with label Aces and Eights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aces and Eights. Show all posts
Monday, May 6, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
9 Days Till GaryCon! Now Is Not The Time To Panic.
Ever have a deadline for something that you are given notice months in advance, yet by the time that date is almost upon you you realize how much you have yet to get done?
Yeah, that's me finally getting all my buildings printed for my Aces & Eights Shootout.
And I still have a few other things I need to get squared away before next week.
Yipes!
Yeah, that's me finally getting all my buildings printed for my Aces & Eights Shootout.
And I still have a few other things I need to get squared away before next week.
Yipes!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
32 Days Till GaryCon! I Got a Ticket to Ride.
I just bought my plane ticket this afternoon. So now I just have to make sure I get my vacation time approved and GaryCon V is a lock. Meanwhile, prep work continues as normal. I just printed out a few more buildings for the Shootout and a Battle Sheet for HackMaster. I'm going to have to start cutting out buildings soon enough.
I also managed to work out by vehicle situation for the convention, saving myself a couple hundred bucks. The pressure is now officially on. This week we will be a month away from the convention and the week after that will be my 200th post on this blog. I think I'll take some more of the advice I received last week and discuss why I chose to play in the games I signed up for as well as getting more in depth about the other games I am running.
Meanwhile, it seems that Kenzer & Company is running a contest for a one-shot HackMaster adventure that will be printed in Knights of the Dinner Table. That does sound like something I may try my hand at, since I've had some luck in getting a one-shot adventure published by Kenzer before. So it looks like things won't be lightening up any time soon.
I also managed to work out by vehicle situation for the convention, saving myself a couple hundred bucks. The pressure is now officially on. This week we will be a month away from the convention and the week after that will be my 200th post on this blog. I think I'll take some more of the advice I received last week and discuss why I chose to play in the games I signed up for as well as getting more in depth about the other games I am running.
Meanwhile, it seems that Kenzer & Company is running a contest for a one-shot HackMaster adventure that will be printed in Knights of the Dinner Table. That does sound like something I may try my hand at, since I've had some luck in getting a one-shot adventure published by Kenzer before. So it looks like things won't be lightening up any time soon.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
33 Days Till GaryCon! More Aces & Eights Prep
The shootout rules for Aces & Eights doesn't require much in the way of stats. In fact, all you need are two stats (Accuarcy and Speed), hit points and knowing what weapon you are using and how much ammo you have. So you don't need much in the way of a character sheet either. last year I just used index cards for character sheets. This year, I'm going even smaller.
What we have here is ten shootout character sheets printed out on Avery Business Card stock. The sheets are already perforated so I don't have to cut anything out. The front has the basic stat blocks typed out. The back is printed with headstones so that when a PC dies, the player can flip the card over and put him in the 'graveyard' of dead varmints. I bought a pack of 10 sheets at Wal-Mart for less than $4, which should give me up to 100 PCs for the game. I don't think it will get that high, but you never know.
These things will be test-driven at GaryCon V. If they work there, I'll share them with the rest of the internet.
These things will be test-driven at GaryCon V. If they work there, I'll share them with the rest of the internet.
Friday, February 8, 2013
34 Days Till GaryCon! Memories of GaryCon IV: Part II
So Thursday started off with something new. Me sitting at a desk in my underwear desperately trying to get about nine paper building assembled in time for the shootout. I managed to convince Michael to help me ans soon we had our buildings done and I got some pants on. Things were looking up.
After a quick bite we went downstairs to find our table and get set up. I was a bit disappointed to see that we were at a small table shoved in the back room of the convention center. It wasn't until well into the game that we were actually given three tables and had that entire room to ourselves. Players began to line up, the majority from the Kenzer boards. Though I never took an actual count, I would say that we had at least a dozen players going. And despite having around twelve people gathered around the table, for some reason everyone seemed to be drawn towards the bathhouse for their starting position. It even got named the "Bathhouse of Blood" for all the kills that occurred around it. One of the highlights of the game when +Barbara Blackburn joined in, said "Take that you man-varmint!" and shot another character in the butt.
The game went for about three and a half hours before everyone had their fill and there was one player left standing. Since I didn't have much in the way of prizes to hand out, I had to settle for giving the winner the cheap paper model of the bathhouse as a reward.
After that I went to the Kenzer booth where I managed to get +Jolly Blackburn, +Barbara Blackburn, and +Steven Johansson to sign my special upside-down bound Hacklopedia of Beasts. Michael and I had ourselves some dinner and around eight o'clock we were back downstairs for some more gaming. This time I was playing HackMaster instead of GMing it. Our GM was +George Fields, the Ironman of HackMaster GMs. George runs more HackMaster games than the freaking Kenzer D-Team!
One thing that I like about making the switch from game master to player is that not only do I get a chance to get out from behind the screen, I also feel that by playing under other GMs makes me a better GM. It's nice to take a look at how other people interpret the rules and handle players. Even if you don't agree with how another GM makes a call, it does give you insight into aspects of the game you may have overlooked.
George's game wrapped close to midnight, and I was spent. Michael went on to do some more gaming that evening. Within two years he went from the timid guy unsure about even going to the convention, to socializing with strangers at a moments notice. I, on the other hand, went to bed for a much needed rest. After all, there were still three days of gaming to go.
After a quick bite we went downstairs to find our table and get set up. I was a bit disappointed to see that we were at a small table shoved in the back room of the convention center. It wasn't until well into the game that we were actually given three tables and had that entire room to ourselves. Players began to line up, the majority from the Kenzer boards. Though I never took an actual count, I would say that we had at least a dozen players going. And despite having around twelve people gathered around the table, for some reason everyone seemed to be drawn towards the bathhouse for their starting position. It even got named the "Bathhouse of Blood" for all the kills that occurred around it. One of the highlights of the game when +Barbara Blackburn joined in, said "Take that you man-varmint!" and shot another character in the butt.
The game went for about three and a half hours before everyone had their fill and there was one player left standing. Since I didn't have much in the way of prizes to hand out, I had to settle for giving the winner the cheap paper model of the bathhouse as a reward.
After that I went to the Kenzer booth where I managed to get +Jolly Blackburn, +Barbara Blackburn, and +Steven Johansson to sign my special upside-down bound Hacklopedia of Beasts. Michael and I had ourselves some dinner and around eight o'clock we were back downstairs for some more gaming. This time I was playing HackMaster instead of GMing it. Our GM was +George Fields, the Ironman of HackMaster GMs. George runs more HackMaster games than the freaking Kenzer D-Team!
One thing that I like about making the switch from game master to player is that not only do I get a chance to get out from behind the screen, I also feel that by playing under other GMs makes me a better GM. It's nice to take a look at how other people interpret the rules and handle players. Even if you don't agree with how another GM makes a call, it does give you insight into aspects of the game you may have overlooked.
George's game wrapped close to midnight, and I was spent. Michael went on to do some more gaming that evening. Within two years he went from the timid guy unsure about even going to the convention, to socializing with strangers at a moments notice. I, on the other hand, went to bed for a much needed rest. After all, there were still three days of gaming to go.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
36 Days Till GaryCon! What Is A Shootout?
Aces & Eights is one of those games I own but almost never play. I suppose my interest in it is due to the fact that the engine for A&8s was used as the base for HackMaster once the license for the AD&D 1e engine expired. I played in a beta of HackMaster "5th" at GaryCon I, and that piqued my interest in its Wild West predecessor. I especially like the move from a turn-based combat system to a count-based one that had a more dynamic feel to it.
I purchased the softcover version of Aces & Eights at Games Plus a few years back. And right away I found myself in the position of owning a game that no one else played, and therefore had no one else to teach me how to play. Fortunately the game comes with two sets of rules; Basic and Advanced. And it's with the Basic rules that the shootout comes into play.
The Basic Rules of Aces & Eights consists of the simplest things one needs to play the game: an Attack Modifier, a Speed modifier and Hit Points. Those are the only stats one needs for combat outside of weapon range and damage. The Advanced game has more in-depth stats fora typical RPG. But with the Basic Rules comes the opportunity for a "bigger" game as far as number of players goes. And that is where the Shootout comes in.
A Shootout is simply a big ol' gunfight like you would see in an old Western. Since the Basic Rules are all that is needed, character creation takes less than 20 seconds. From there you place your gunfighter on the board and go from there. My game on Friday, "Last Varmint Standing" is an everyone for themselves battle. Your characters move between buildings in the town and attempt to take out everyone else that is playing. And since character creation is so easy, a person that gets taken out and roll up a new character and re-enter the game in no time. The last player standing is declared the winner.
Last year's game (which I will get into Friday) was a lot of fun and had a larger turnout than I expected. And it was really easy to get people who never played before into the game without slowing things down. I'm hoping for a similar turnout this year, and maybe a few more people joining in for a while. In the end, it will be guaranteed to an unpredictable but fun game.
I purchased the softcover version of Aces & Eights at Games Plus a few years back. And right away I found myself in the position of owning a game that no one else played, and therefore had no one else to teach me how to play. Fortunately the game comes with two sets of rules; Basic and Advanced. And it's with the Basic rules that the shootout comes into play.
The Basic Rules of Aces & Eights consists of the simplest things one needs to play the game: an Attack Modifier, a Speed modifier and Hit Points. Those are the only stats one needs for combat outside of weapon range and damage. The Advanced game has more in-depth stats fora typical RPG. But with the Basic Rules comes the opportunity for a "bigger" game as far as number of players goes. And that is where the Shootout comes in.
A Shootout is simply a big ol' gunfight like you would see in an old Western. Since the Basic Rules are all that is needed, character creation takes less than 20 seconds. From there you place your gunfighter on the board and go from there. My game on Friday, "Last Varmint Standing" is an everyone for themselves battle. Your characters move between buildings in the town and attempt to take out everyone else that is playing. And since character creation is so easy, a person that gets taken out and roll up a new character and re-enter the game in no time. The last player standing is declared the winner.
 |
| One of the buildings used in the shootout last year |
Last year's game (which I will get into Friday) was a lot of fun and had a larger turnout than I expected. And it was really easy to get people who never played before into the game without slowing things down. I'm hoping for a similar turnout this year, and maybe a few more people joining in for a while. In the end, it will be guaranteed to an unpredictable but fun game.
Friday, February 1, 2013
41 Days Till GaryCon! Memories of GaryCon IV: Part I
One of the nice things about vlogging my trip to GaryCon last year is that it makes recapping things a lot easier.
The first video is from Day 'Zero', a/k/a the day before the convention started.
On another note, most of these vlogs were about a day late when I first uploaded them. The file sizes on my Flip were fairly big, the internet at the hotel was fairly slow and my laptop had the annoying habit of powering down if left unattended for too long. I've managed to do something about the latter issue. The first two may be out of my control.
After settling in, we did go down to the bar area and chat with a few friends and get something to eat. I remember having a pretty good burger and failing to get anyone interested in a game of Give Me The Brain. I also hot the sack early and missed my opportunity to get my model-building for the shootout done. I would regret that the next day.
Next Week: The convention begins.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
44 Days Till GaryCon! More Model Madness.
So yesterday's post was about my having problems getting cardstock to work with my plotter. In addition to my daily posts here, I also have a link to my Google+ page. So far, I received no solutions, but both that post and the Google+ got +1ed. It's like the response to my post was, "You're having technical difficulties! Awesome!"
By the way, I found a solution. It's called, "plot one sheet at a time and apply gentle pressure to the cardstock to get it to feed." An annoying strategy, but effective. When it works.
In other GaryCon news, I am attempting to get my six hour HackMaster event shortened to a four hour event if possible. In the past I may have needed more time to go through chargen and the game, but I think I got the hand of it now. Plus I believe people are more likely to sign up for a four hour event than a six hour one.
Other than that, everything seems to be going smoothly. Just have a bunch of models to slowly print out. Assembly will have to wait until the day before the shootout, since assembled models will get crushed. I'll probably cut things out at home and have a model-gluing party Thursday night in my hotel room. Woohoo!
By the way, I found a solution. It's called, "plot one sheet at a time and apply gentle pressure to the cardstock to get it to feed." An annoying strategy, but effective. When it works.
In other GaryCon news, I am attempting to get my six hour HackMaster event shortened to a four hour event if possible. In the past I may have needed more time to go through chargen and the game, but I think I got the hand of it now. Plus I believe people are more likely to sign up for a four hour event than a six hour one.
Other than that, everything seems to be going smoothly. Just have a bunch of models to slowly print out. Assembly will have to wait until the day before the shootout, since assembled models will get crushed. I'll probably cut things out at home and have a model-gluing party Thursday night in my hotel room. Woohoo!
Monday, January 28, 2013
45 Days Till GaryCon! Technical Question.
As you know by now, I will be running a big shootout for Aces & Eights on Friday during GaryCon V. Once again I will be using the Whitewash City models by Eric Hotz as the basis for the town. But I have a slight problem that needs addressing and I hope someone out there has a solution for me.
Ideally, the models should be printed on cardstock and then cut out and glued together. Unfortunately, my inkjet printer won't take any of the cardstock I own. Which is weird since it will take the slightly thicker postcard stock I used for my D&D pregens. Last year I printed everything out on paper and cut out and taped it all together at the convention. The result was usable, but very sloppy and rickety. I would prefer to have a sturdier set of models to use this year. So I need a means of getting the models printed on cardstock without spending a lot of money. Does anyone know of any means I can use without breaking the bank? And at the same time not come off looking cheap?
|
| This is the saloon model I built last year for practice. |
Sunday, January 27, 2013
46 Days Till GaryCon! Event Registration is Live!
Outside of some technical difficulties, the event registration for GaryCon V has now begun and will be running until February 23rd. You also have until January 31st to register for the convention with a Copper Badge that gives you 15 SP to register for events.
In good news, I got all the events that I wanted to sign up for. So I will definitely be doing stuff at the convention whether it's playing or running a game. My itinerary looks like this:
Thursday:
8am-2pm (GM) HackMaster- Monsters in the Barn
This is the event I wrote for GaryCon II that was published in HackJournal #39 last year. It's an introductory session for those that have never played Hackmaster before.
3pm-5pm (Player) TSR with Gary Gygax
One of the seminars I wanted to attend. I played in an OD&D game with Mr. Mentzer last year and the stories he told were the best part of the game.
6pm-10pm (GM) Basic D&D- Steaks
This is an AD&D adventure from A1 that I have converted for the BECMI rules. Not heavy on combat, but should still be fun.
Friday:
10am-2pm (GM) Aces & Eights-Last Varmint Standing
This was another fun game I ran last year. Just a big shootout amongst all the players in a last man standing situation. Walk-ups are greatly welcomed here as things will go up and down at a moments notice. No experience necessary.
7pm-10:30pm (Player) Advanced D&D- Quondam Fount
I had fun at Frank Mentzer's table last year, why not do it again?
Saturday:
8am-Noon (Player) Mutant Future- Thundarr the Barbarian: Warlord of the Sacred Library
Ariel! Ookla! RIDE! (This is going to be so awesome)
2pm-4pm (Player) Dungeon!
Never played this game before. My brother highly recommended it. Gonna give it a shot.
6pm-10pm (Player) HackMaster- The Temple of Unrelenting Despair
My friend Paul is running this game. I always make it a point to support my friends at GaryCon.
Sunday:
10am-2pm- Mongoose Traveller- A Rock And A Hard Place
An old-school game that I never heard of until a few years ago. One must always be open to new things.
So, has anyone else registered yet? What did you sign up for? The clock is ticking, so be sure to get signed up as soon as possible. And I will see you at GaryCon V.
In good news, I got all the events that I wanted to sign up for. So I will definitely be doing stuff at the convention whether it's playing or running a game. My itinerary looks like this:
Thursday:
8am-2pm (GM) HackMaster- Monsters in the Barn
This is the event I wrote for GaryCon II that was published in HackJournal #39 last year. It's an introductory session for those that have never played Hackmaster before.
3pm-5pm (Player) TSR with Gary Gygax
One of the seminars I wanted to attend. I played in an OD&D game with Mr. Mentzer last year and the stories he told were the best part of the game.
6pm-10pm (GM) Basic D&D- Steaks
This is an AD&D adventure from A1 that I have converted for the BECMI rules. Not heavy on combat, but should still be fun.
Friday:
10am-2pm (GM) Aces & Eights-Last Varmint Standing
This was another fun game I ran last year. Just a big shootout amongst all the players in a last man standing situation. Walk-ups are greatly welcomed here as things will go up and down at a moments notice. No experience necessary.
7pm-10:30pm (Player) Advanced D&D- Quondam Fount
I had fun at Frank Mentzer's table last year, why not do it again?
Saturday:
8am-Noon (Player) Mutant Future- Thundarr the Barbarian: Warlord of the Sacred Library
Ariel! Ookla! RIDE! (This is going to be so awesome)
2pm-4pm (Player) Dungeon!
Never played this game before. My brother highly recommended it. Gonna give it a shot.
6pm-10pm (Player) HackMaster- The Temple of Unrelenting Despair
My friend Paul is running this game. I always make it a point to support my friends at GaryCon.
Sunday:
10am-2pm- Mongoose Traveller- A Rock And A Hard Place
An old-school game that I never heard of until a few years ago. One must always be open to new things.
So, has anyone else registered yet? What did you sign up for? The clock is ticking, so be sure to get signed up as soon as possible. And I will see you at GaryCon V.
Monday, January 21, 2013
52 Days Till GaryCon! Planning Ahead.
With less than a week until registration begins, it's important to get an idea of what you need to play before you sit down in front of your computer on the 27th. Having only a limited amount of gold and silver points to spend, and an even more limited amount of time, I like to write up a timetable and plan my games accordingly.
So far, I have myself scheduled for 2-3 events a day. That's including the games I'm running. And I am allowing myself plenty of down time in between. I'll be playing AD&D, Mutant Future, Dungeon, HackMaster and Mongoose Traveller. Three out of those five games are games I never played before, which is part of the reason to go to a con to begin with. I just wish I knew what time registration starts so I don't miss out on any events.
So far, I have myself scheduled for 2-3 events a day. That's including the games I'm running. And I am allowing myself plenty of down time in between. I'll be playing AD&D, Mutant Future, Dungeon, HackMaster and Mongoose Traveller. Three out of those five games are games I never played before, which is part of the reason to go to a con to begin with. I just wish I knew what time registration starts so I don't miss out on any events.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
53 Days Till GaryCon! Priorities.
This was from a Skype conversation with my brother this afternoon.
[12:12:17 PM] Michael Lawson: Remind me, if Monsters doesn't get many signups for it, I'm gonna sign in. I know the thing yes but at least it helps to have someone more there jic.
[12:17:00 PM] Michael Lawson: but, and this is terrible, I hope I don't have to because the Dead Game society is running a DC universe game in that morning. xO
[12:18:00 PM] David Lawson: Play your game. My game is the first RPG of the entire con. At the very worst I might need a co-GM for chargen. Just show up for Last Varmint Standing.
[12:18:18 PM] Michael Lawson: kk. And... ****. Can't sign in till the 27th anyway.
[12:18:21 PM] Michael Lawson: XO
[12:18:26 PM] Michael Lawson: I wanna buy seats now!
[12:18:47 PM] David Lawson: Me too. I'm playing Thundarr on Saturday.
[12:19:04 PM] Michael Lawson: I'm going to the noon seminar on Gary Gygax and TSR.
[12:19:11 PM] Michael Lawson: Because DAMN that's something I wanna hear.
[12:19:21 PM] Michael Lawson: I'm a huge nerd.Heh. We all are Michael, we all are.
[12:47:38 PM] Michael Lawson: Blaaaah. That first day has too many good events.Have strength baby bro.
[12:47:41 PM] Michael Lawson: I must look away.
Friday, December 28, 2012
76 Days Till GaryCon! Memories of GaryCon II- Part 2
So Friday morning started with my Learn to Hack game and the table was packed. I had about 8 people signed up and all of them showed. Since this was the first time I was demoing a game for people, I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough time. Back then you registered in four hour blocks, and I was sure I needed at least six hours to get things done. So I signed up for two sessions with the plan to take as long as was needed.
The session went really well as far as the players went. The thief was a combat machine taking out kobolds left and right while the dwarven mage struggled to keep up with the rest of the party. By the end of the session, my voice was almost gone and I retired to my room for a few hours before returning to the floor to chat some more with +Derek White, +David Kenzer and +Jolly Blackburn. At the end of the day, we hit the bar where a bluegrass band was playing. We took in the sounds and enjoyed a few adult beverages before calling it a night.
The next day started very slow. Originally, I had anticipated needing to work that morning as at the time I had a part-time teaching job. But since the class I was supposed to teach was cancelled, I had my morning free. So I set out for the Chicago suburbs to drag my brother kicking and screaming to GaryCon.
Michael was quickly introduced to the Geekpreacher. Michael quickly apologized for not talking much as he described himself as "socially awkward". To his credit, Derek pointed out that the fact that showing up for the convention meant that he wasn't really socially awkward. He elaborated further that since gaming is a social activity, no one at GaryCon could truly be socially awkward. This improved Michael's mood considerably as we coined the new phrase "awkwardly social" to describe your typical gamer.
My brother had brought his copy of Mertwig's Maze with him to the convention in case anyone wanted to play. It didn't take long for him to find out that the game's creator, Tom Wham, was at GaryCon. So with that in mind, he spent the afternoon working up the courage to ask for an autograph. Meanwhile, I prepared for the game I was playing later that night. At about 9pm, in the middle of a tension-packed game of Aces & Eights, Michael came to my table to let me know that not only did he get the game signed, he also got to sit down and talk to Jean Wells for about ten minutes. "I had to go back to the room and geek out," was his reply afterwards.
The Aces & Eights game ended early due to an impromptu shootout on the train. So my brother and I grabbed the Geekpreacher and his buddy Redd and headed to the bar to play Give Me The Brain and The Red Dragon Inn. The next morning we took part in The Lodge's breakfast buffet before heading for home. On the ride home my brother, who not more than 24 hours earlier was peeved at the thought of going to Lake Geneva, turned to me and said, "Next year, I'm taking time off so I can attend the entire convention."
And thus a family tradition began.
(EDIT- "Awkwardly social" is the term we came up with. Not 'socially awkward' which already exists.)
The session went really well as far as the players went. The thief was a combat machine taking out kobolds left and right while the dwarven mage struggled to keep up with the rest of the party. By the end of the session, my voice was almost gone and I retired to my room for a few hours before returning to the floor to chat some more with +Derek White, +David Kenzer and +Jolly Blackburn. At the end of the day, we hit the bar where a bluegrass band was playing. We took in the sounds and enjoyed a few adult beverages before calling it a night.
The next day started very slow. Originally, I had anticipated needing to work that morning as at the time I had a part-time teaching job. But since the class I was supposed to teach was cancelled, I had my morning free. So I set out for the Chicago suburbs to drag my brother kicking and screaming to GaryCon.
 | ||
| This is the face of a man who wanted to sleep in on Saturday. |
My brother had brought his copy of Mertwig's Maze with him to the convention in case anyone wanted to play. It didn't take long for him to find out that the game's creator, Tom Wham, was at GaryCon. So with that in mind, he spent the afternoon working up the courage to ask for an autograph. Meanwhile, I prepared for the game I was playing later that night. At about 9pm, in the middle of a tension-packed game of Aces & Eights, Michael came to my table to let me know that not only did he get the game signed, he also got to sit down and talk to Jean Wells for about ten minutes. "I had to go back to the room and geek out," was his reply afterwards.
The Aces & Eights game ended early due to an impromptu shootout on the train. So my brother and I grabbed the Geekpreacher and his buddy Redd and headed to the bar to play Give Me The Brain and The Red Dragon Inn. The next morning we took part in The Lodge's breakfast buffet before heading for home. On the ride home my brother, who not more than 24 hours earlier was peeved at the thought of going to Lake Geneva, turned to me and said, "Next year, I'm taking time off so I can attend the entire convention."
And thus a family tradition began.
(EDIT- "Awkwardly social" is the term we came up with. Not 'socially awkward' which already exists.)
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
93 Days to GaryCon!
Thursday
8:00AM- Monsters in the Barn (HackMaster)
My introductory adventure, complete with tutorial on character creation. I'll probably retire this adventure after GaryCon 2013 since it's already been published in HackJournal #39. So this will be your last chance to play the adventure with the creator as the GM.
6:00PM- Steaks (D&D)
A short adventure for characters level 5-7. Not a lot of 'action' in this adventure, but it is made up for with the mystery hook and a lot of potential for role-playing. This adventure appeared in I13- Adventure Pack I, which I have literally owned for decades yet have never run until now.
Friday
10:00AM- Last Varmint Standing (Aces & Eights)
A big free-for-all shootout for new players and seasoned veterans alike. While there is a sign-up list for this game, it's really intended to be open to anyone that wants to drop in and play. Ideally people can rotate in and out as they cycle through characters. But if last year was any indication, there will likely be a nice core group of players to play with.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
99 Days till GaryCon!
 |
| Laserbeak: Prepare to Roll for Initiative! |
As you can see from the above picture, I have a decent collection of game books. This year I am running two games, a HackMaster 'Learn to Hack' session and an Aces & Eights shootout. Now for the shootout, I'll need my Aces & Eights book since I'm not as innately familiar with all of the rules, plus I'll need to verify things from the tables. For HackMaster, I'm running the same adventure I've ran at the last three GaryCons, Monsters in the Barn (which you can get a copy of in HackJournal #39 if you are so interested). Since I know that adventure like the back of my hand, I won't need to bring as much with me as far as needing material to refer to, HackMaster Basic is more than sufficient. However, I will likely be playing in a few games as well, so bringing my Player's Handbook is going to be a priority. I also have a 'unique' version of the Hacklopedia of Beasts that I would like to get signed by the rest of the Kenzer D-Team, so I should bring that too.
As for the other books, I am planning to play in quite a few other games while I am there, otherwise why show up at all? But in a lot of those games, I probably have the rules down pretty well, or I'll be sitting down as a newbie and learning from the other players. At best, I might bring my Rules Cyclopedia or Pathfinder Core Rulebook. But I don't know how much use I'll get out of them.
There's one other book I'll be bringing with me to GaryCon, though it has little to do with gaming.
Since I moved to upstate New York, my only way of getting to GaryCon is by plane. But since there are no direct flights from Elmira to O'Hare, that means a layover in Detroit. I got into the James Bond novels after Casino Royale came out a few years ago. Nowadays, I only seem to read the books when I'm at the airport. I'll probably need to grab The Spy Who Loved Me before I leave since I'm sure I'll be done with Thunderball over Christmas.
Any other game book/reading suggestions? I do have plenty of time before GaryCon to grab a few more.
Monday, April 9, 2012
G is for GaryCon (Followup)
If you haven't seen them already, here are my vlogs from GaryCon for days zero, one, two and three.
First of all, it looks like plans are underway for GaryCon V. The estimated attendance this year was around 550 people. At the rate things are going the convention may have to move to a bigger venue as The Lodge. I actually wouldn't be opposed to that. When GaryCon II was first held at the Lodge, I thought it was a great venue. It was big enough for all the con-goers and had great amenities like a Friday night seafood buffet and a Sunday morning brunch as well as a bluegrass band in the bar on Saturday night. It was a gaming convention with a little bit of everything else to keep things interesting. Then the hotel changed management and next thing we know, the restaurant is closed for the convention save for some burgers and overpriced bags of chips. This year saw a limited menu of "gamer grub", but it pales compared to the good breakfast I had with the Geekpreacher two years ago.
As far as gaming went, I overextended myself this year. At GaryCon I, I sat and played what would become HackMaster Basic with the Kenzer & Company D-Team. At GaryCon II, I ran my first HackMaster Learn to Hack and played Aces & Eights. At this year's convention, I tried to run and attend as many games as possible. And I ended up too tired to engage in any of the festivities in the bar afterward.
First of all, it looks like plans are underway for GaryCon V. The estimated attendance this year was around 550 people. At the rate things are going the convention may have to move to a bigger venue as The Lodge. I actually wouldn't be opposed to that. When GaryCon II was first held at the Lodge, I thought it was a great venue. It was big enough for all the con-goers and had great amenities like a Friday night seafood buffet and a Sunday morning brunch as well as a bluegrass band in the bar on Saturday night. It was a gaming convention with a little bit of everything else to keep things interesting. Then the hotel changed management and next thing we know, the restaurant is closed for the convention save for some burgers and overpriced bags of chips. This year saw a limited menu of "gamer grub", but it pales compared to the good breakfast I had with the Geekpreacher two years ago.
As far as gaming went, I overextended myself this year. At GaryCon I, I sat and played what would become HackMaster Basic with the Kenzer & Company D-Team. At GaryCon II, I ran my first HackMaster Learn to Hack and played Aces & Eights. At this year's convention, I tried to run and attend as many games as possible. And I ended up too tired to engage in any of the festivities in the bar afterward.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
GaryCon IV Vlog: Days Two and Three
I know it's late but here are some more scenes from GaryCon IV.
After the last clip, we finally got four more players to complete the Hackmaster game. Later that evening I played Pathfinder for the first time. Being that it was my first experience with anything post-2nd Edition D&D, I have to say that I enjoyed it. I even went so far as to order the Core Rulebook off of Amazon as soon as I got home.
I'll have more to say about the con as a whole later. I'm going to unwind now that I am home and prepare for going back to work tomorrow. Overall though, I had fun, and it was a worthwhile vacation.
After the last clip, we finally got four more players to complete the Hackmaster game. Later that evening I played Pathfinder for the first time. Being that it was my first experience with anything post-2nd Edition D&D, I have to say that I enjoyed it. I even went so far as to order the Core Rulebook off of Amazon as soon as I got home.
I'll have more to say about the con as a whole later. I'm going to unwind now that I am home and prepare for going back to work tomorrow. Overall though, I had fun, and it was a worthwhile vacation.
Friday, March 23, 2012
GaryCon IV Vlog: Day Zero
I'm at GaryCon IV this weekend. I thought I would keep everyone updated on what is going on at the one of the fastest-growing conventions in the U.S.
Due to FlipShare being slow, these vlogs will likely probably be up much later than when they were recorded. I will try to get them up sooner, so please bear with me.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
GaryCon 2012 Catalog is up!
Apparently, the event catalog for GaryCon IV went up last weekend. Sign-up for events start on the 29th. Just a reminder that I am running an open event on Thursday, "Last Varmint Standing" (number 110602). So be sure to stop by the table and take your turn at Aces & Eights. See you there!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)