So I try to attend as many local conventions as I can. I almost always run more games than I join as a player. Since Long Con ‘22 I’ve also been operating a booth with my co-host from Rules As Written, Matt a.k.a. GrapeApe. So let’s do an overview of the 4 in-person conventions I’ve been to this year.
NTRPGCon
I had a great time here. Got to meet Luau Lou, hang out with Levi Combs, chat with David Baity, and so many other folks. I was super busy with playing and running a bunch of games. I chatted with Courtney Campbell, Jacob Hurst, and Matt Finch.
I ran 4 games: The Technomancer of Candy Mountain (MCC), Big Trouble for a Little Blood (Weird Frontiers), The Sinister Secret of the Slugmen (Weird Frontiers), and Christopher Robin’s Nightmare (DCC). All except that last one were playtests. The MCC one and the DCC one are both ones that I’ve published at this point, but the Weird Frontiers ones are planned for next year. Each one was a great game where I got to play with new and old friends.
I also played in Paul Smith’s The Star At Night Are Big and Right (Weird Frontiers). It’s a big and possibly world ending adventure that he’s putting together. It felt like the kind of adventure that might sing better if run over 2 or 3 sessions, but there were a ton of cool set piece encounters. I also dropped into a Marlo’s Mire game, which was really fun and stupendously simple to play. I also dropped into a Dungeon Dwelling Creature (then labeled Horde Crawl Classics) game where we were essentially monsters trying to subvert, harass, and ruin the Village of Hommlet. As someone who’s run that adventure and the Temple of Elemental Evil, it was a blast messing around in that sandbox from such a different perspective. Lastly, I got into a Pacific Crawl Classics game, which is a post-WWII setting where the nukes woke up Godzilla, pissed off ghosts, and all sorts of other nonsense. In general, the playtests were each a little rough (except Marlo’s Mire), but all very fun. If you see any of those games listed at conventions you’re going to, definitely try to get in!
Lone Star Game Expo
Anyway, let’s talk Lone Star Game Expo! It had about 400 people this year, but they definitely have room for more folks! Last year, I ran Portal Under The Stars and Acting Up in Lankhmar. This year I ran The Arwich Grinder and The Croaking Fane. Plus, I got to play in a session of We Deal In Lead. There was just a few other DCC games, and let me tell you, they all sold out! So plan to come to Grapevine, TX next year. If you run 8-hours of games, you can get a Game Runner’s badge for less than 5 bucks!
Running a booth was a great time! Despite there not being a ton of DCC games on the schedule, there were tons of DCC fans. We had 2 copies of the limited edition Glow-in-the-Dark MCC rulebook and they sold quick! I thought I’d bought enough product to be good for this con and also Long Con, but I’ve had to do a re-order!
Plus, I got to chat with so many awesome people. I met the father of a kid who played in one of my games last year. I gave that kid a copy of the Quickstart Guide one year ago and he told me that he was gonna run Portal for his friends. These days, he’s the regular DCC judge for his friends, older brother, and his dad!
Reaper Con
I was only there on Friday, as I hadn’t originally planned to go until a couple weeks before the con. So just 1 game (Neon Lords of the Toxic Wasteland!) as a player and scoping out the convention in case I wanted to run a booth there the following year. The Neon Lords game was an absolute blast! Shout out to Grand Poobah and Chief Road Chud Jono for running an awesome game! I backed the Kickstarter so I have the a copy of the 2nd printing, but hadn’t actually played before! Other than that, I mostly wandered about and pondered how many unpainted minis that I have at home. Whatever the number is, it’s far too high. I bet a lot of us can say that.
Long Con
Long Con was amazing! I don’t really know what else Longview Texas has to offer but what a fun convention. I played in a WHPA13 game on Thursday night, ran Doom of the Savage Kings on Friday, then it was playtesting time! I have a series of adventure all focused on giants that I’m working on. Saturday was my level-2 adventure: The Cyclopean Storm. A flying city is on a crash course with Punjar. The PCs journey to find a once proud cyclopes people, robotic “storm giants”, and cosmic demons that have brought the city’s downfall. Sunday was my level-3 giants adventure: Savage Scions of the Sea. The PCs journey to an isle where a bunch of fomorian sea giants are partying! It’s rather sandboxey and the PCs really decide their own goals, but common ones are to rescue captives/ unwilling gladiators, free a dwarven forge master, or slay the Jarl that plans to unite the sea giant pirates!
I was got into/ran several other playtests. Friday night, I was in a game of Dungeon Dwelling Creatures. The session went a little long, but the judge had great notes from the session and ran an improved version the next day. Saturday I ran a quick 2-hour DDC game where my pitch was “The Ring didn’t entirely melt in Mount Doom. Go save Mordor!” I need to detangle that adventure from the LotR IP, but it was an amazingly fun and fast paced game. To keep it brief, one of the PCs ate Frodo, another poisoned Sam, and Gollum was in a weird romantic relationship with Shelob. By the end, the Grafted PC had acquired eagle wings and Shelob’s spider butt, and the Fiend had possession of a partially melted (and thus not at full power) One Ring. They left to quest on how to reforge it.
After that, I was in a Weird Frontiers playtest with Dave Baity. The Dark Marshall had us in the North West and investigating some strange and murderous happening in a small town. I suspect that we didn’t get to mess around with even half of what that adventure entails and will be looking forward to it coming out in the future.
Then Sunday, after most folks left, Brendan LaSalle ran Sign of the Southern Cross, a Shudder Mountains DCC adventure. If yall ever get to sign-up for that game, then do it! One of my best times as a player in recent memory. Of course, I did spell duel the BBEG and we even had Phlogiston Disturbance so it was extra memorable because of that. In the end, Matt Gullet slew the BBEG by pinning his shadow to the earth with an iron nail. Just the perfect end to a Shudder Mountains game.
Of course, I also ran a booth with Matt once again. It’s nice having a spot to sit down and chill at a convention. It’s also a great excuse to get to just chat with folks for a while. One of my favorite parts of going to conventions is simply getting to hang out with folks that I otherwise don’t get much opportunity to see. Much love and well wishes to all my friends out there!
What else is going on?
Free Books by Michael Lauck
Michael writes martial arts fantasy novels, books about cops in space and one inspired by what Power Rangers would be like in the Misfits did the theme song. And these books are free until the end of the month! He hangs out on the DungeonCrawlers and Goodman Games discord servers. I haven’t had the time to read these myself, but they sound super fun!
Indie Creator Summit
Indie RPG Creator Summit is three days of Zoom webinars where RPG creators hear from dozens of experts on every aspect of RPG publishing. Learn about product design and art direction; layout and print production; crowdfunding and digital selling; marketing and distribution; and everything in between.
I’ll be one of the hosts on the Layout 101 panel (Jan 9, 6PM Central), but will also be attending as many of these panels as I can! Join us LIVE on ZOOM: January 8-10, 2024. Early bird pricing before December 31!