Okay, it's Saturday morning and here are a few more pics.


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A note about Tim Kask's Acaeum Game.  Tim runs a fun nonformal game.  No character died this year although I believe one of the burtwire boy's character was almost drown.  The title of the adventure is:  Snakeriders of the Aradondo.  I have alot of the Acaeum game modules that Tim has created and I think this is his best work.  THe cover artwork is fully conceptualized and imaginative.  The storyline is everything an old school gamer wants.  Just getting to the dungeon was an accomplishment as we were attacked by Rocs, giant frogs, giant bats, carnivorous apes, and Aradondo caimans.

We ran out of time just after reaching the dungeon.  Having read thru the adventure I doubt few of the characters would have lived to tell about it. (Quite frankly that's the way I like it.) The snakeriders are an awsome construct.  But I'm going to stop the review here so that you all can have the chance to discover this adventure on your own when Tim publishes this adventure in a more formal way.

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Today's agenda.  True Dungeon at 3pm.  The Acaeum members have bought out a time slot.  So it will be an all Acaeum adventure.  I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Martin

All sound like you guys had a better Saturday than I did.
I attended Claymore 2010 here in Edinburgh which was fairly good if you're a wargamer and fairly crap if you're a roleplayer. Try as I might, I spent my day rummaging through the ever changing jumble that is the 'bring-and-buy' trading section, and found no hidden gems.
Food was good which was a big surprise.
Looks like your Con' was a lot more fun than mine.

So, what did the Necropolis mss. sell for?  And when exactly was the EGG auction again---Thursday night or Friday night??

Yes, I am so disappointed.

I tried to get Paul Stormberg to get me the auction list early enough that I could get a Proxy at the Con to bid for me.

I ended up getting the full list about 1 hour before the auction.

I attempted to call Stratochamp, Prufrock and Bracton, hoping someone would bid for me... no one answered their phones (must have known it was me).

In any case I only wanted to bid on 2 items, the Cigar Box (willing to go $300.00) and the Brief Case (willing to go $2000.00).

So that's what I get for not going to GenCon

grodog wrote:So, what did the Necropolis mss. sell for?  And when exactly was the EGG auction again---Thursday night or Friday night??

I believe this mss went in the neighborhood of $200.  However, my recollection of the event is marred by being extremely tired at the time.

Doug - my phone was on.  I do not understand why you could not get a hold of me.  Sorry about that.  

Martin

Prufrock wrote:Okay, my Gencon 2010 is over.  It was much better than I thought it would be.  

Yesterday, myself, Jeff and Angela, Malcolm and Karen, Bill, Mark, and Jeff's friend (name escapes me) took on True Dungeon.  The Acaeum members will be proud to know that we made it to the boss room without loss.  Also we solved everyroom except one.  We defeated a gelatinous cube and an ice demon.  Upon gaining access to Ol' Smokes lair we attempted to relieve the dragon of his earthly existence.  We were utterly spectacular in our failure.  But then so was everyone else.  This was my first experience and I hope not my last.  It is a lot of fun going thru with friends.

After True Dungeon, Jeff invited me to play in a Pathfinder game he was DMing at 7 pm.  I've never played Pathfinder and jumped at the chance.  If he had not told me it was pathfinder, I would have thought is was my regular 3.5 game.  I enjoyed Jeff's style of Dming.  He was there to help make happen what the players wanted.  Gus (from Reaper), his brother Vince, Jeff's friend, Angela and I had a great time hacking hobgoblin's to death.  Jeff role plays monsters especially well.

My legs are jelly.  I spent more than I wanted but less than in previous years.  It was another good Gencon experience.  I sincerely hope more of you can attend next year.

Martin

Oddly enought, I've always thought that Jeff would be a good DM, must be his flamboyant style.....!  

Great you guys had a good time, I hope the Acaeum represented well in the collectible auction. Hope to get there for next year.

Mike B.

Back from Gen Con 2010.  When I have some time, I'll try to post some general thoughts and reactions.  But for now, some pictures will have to do.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to the dinner Wednesday night.  Fortunately, Prufrock remembered his, and has already posted a picture or two above.

For the third year in a row, I sprang for a "Very Important Gamer" (or "VIG") badge.  Among other things, it gets you into the dealer hall one hour before everyone else on Thursday morning.  But we still had to wait in a line to get in.

The line ahead of me:



The line behind me:



Here's what the hall looks like, before the doors open for general admission:



This is the House Atreides booth, with our own Lawrenson and a Burntwire and Strahd's Minion.



Much to my shock, there were, for the first time I recall, open and unused booths.  These were right next to House Atreides.



And there were these large open areas, which I don't recall seeing in the hall before.



If you have lots of money and the space, one exhibitor has some pretty awesome (and expensive) gaming tables you can buy.



Here, the horde of general admission awaits entry into the dealer hall.



And in they come.



And now, what the hall typically looks like.



Tim Kask ran another game just for Acaeum members, Friday afternoon.  This year's adventure:  "Snake Riders of the Aradondo."  Each of us received a personalized copy of the adventure.  We then held a secret ballot for best player, to determine who would receive the DM copy.  A four-way tie led to a d4 roll (natch), and dbartman won the toss.







As for the auction, I would say there were more rares than last year.  But prices were, in general, shockingly low.









One of my pickups at the auction was a sketchbook by Jolly Blackburn, the creator of Knights of the Dinner Table.  The book has around 50 sketches of characters, notes and ideas for strips and storyboarding rough-outs for stories used in the comic.  Blackmoor and I fought it out for this one.



As has already been posted, the final item sold in the Gygax Auction was Gary's briefcase.  Here it is, in the case before sale.



Frank Mentzer, auctioneer.



Tom Wham, auction/engineer.



The auctioneers for the Gygax auction were Tim and Harold Johnson.  Harold is the author of, among other things, Lost Tamoachan.



Gail Gygax:



These are pictures of the auction hall, during the Gygax auction.





Jon Huston (of Troll & Toad) and Bruce Carson, who own the company that runs the auction.



Tim at the Gygax auction.



Prufrock and Blackmoor, bidding at the Gygax auction.



Invincible Overlord, Malc Lawrenson (not really visible), Karen Lawrenson and the Burntwires at the Gygax auction.



Gary's briefcase, at auction.



The briefcase was won by Bill Dufton.  The crowd demanded he open it, and he obliged.  This is Paul Stormberg (aka The Collector's Trove) telling Bill the combination.



Bill opening the case:



And the inside.  There wasn't much; some letterhead, I think, a business card, a pencil, and one of Gary's convention badges from a Gen Con.



Blackmoor, in kilt.



Again, one of my favorite events at Gen Con was Tracy Hickman's Killer Breakfast.  The Blackmoors, Contrarian and stratochamp were there as well.  Tim and Frank are invited as special guests to be killed.  But this year, Frank survived . . . as he took the role of St. Nicholas.  (Tracy:  "I can't kill Santa Claus!")

Did they mention the briefcase had "unknown" items inside when they auctioned it? Hopefully that guy didn't buy it thinking there might be something amazing in there...

Was there a buyer's premium on top of the sales prices for these auctions?