Got home about an hour ago. What a blast. Finally got to play in a game with Frank and met Nogrod (a fellow Gnome). Frank was kind enough to let my 6 year old sit in - who had been monumentally bummed out when I told him he couldn't play - hat's off to the DM, thanks Frank!  
Gary Con is the perfect size, everything within a 5 minute jaunt, everybody focused on having fun; Luke, Dale and all the staff treated us like kings.
Picked up the new Eldritch Ent. mods and a few of Ghul's Hyperborea adventures. Largest purchase for me was Ian Baggley's original drawing of the "Pyromancer" (He's the Ligmancer now!   ). Absolutely awesome! Hmmm, maybe it's time to finally add an avatar...

P.S. And then there was the Tomb of Horrors...futility really is hilarious. We knew it was a snake when we picked it up, and we had a riot! Can't wait to go back next year.

Fun write-up on one of Jim's Metamorphosis Alpha games:

http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com.au ... ndrew.html

Wish I could have been there.  The MA game at last year's NTRPG was so much fun but this one sounds even better.  And now I am starting to rethink my decision to not sign up for the MA game at NTRPG this year.  I figured I would give others a shot at getting in on one of his games.

Screw that.  

Kingofpain89 wrote:Fun write-up on one of Jim's Metamorphosis Alpha games:

http://savageafterworld.blogspot.com.au ... ndrew.html

Wish I could have been there.  The MA game at last year's NTRPG was so much fun but this one sounds even better.  And now I am starting to rethink my decision to not sign up for the MA game at NTRPG this year.  I figured I would give others a shot at getting in on one of his games.

Screw that.  :P

Damn that was funny, and fun.  

BTW, just a note to anyone playing in one of Jim's games, I get the impression from watching and reading game recaps that in one of Jim's games, just ignore everything that isn't part of your goal, and kill everything else.  A word to the wise!

Mike B.

Badmike wrote:anyone who attended Garycon have any info about the auction? What was sold, how much, etc?

I know that we grossed 10,000 $US in just an hour or so.
But I'm just the song-and-dance man, somebody else kept the records.

F

OK, time to post some pictures.  First, the registration desk.  Just a weeeee bit smaller than at GenCon.  



Jim Ward holding court at the gaming table.  I didn't get a chance to play in one of Jim's games this year.  Probably my only disappointment from this year's convention (other than having to work when I wasn't gaming   ).  That's Contrarian to Jim's left.



And now one of Frank's games.  Since I play in his game every other week, I didn't sign up and take a slot away from someone else.  Catch the body language on the guy in the front.  I wonder how things were going at this point . . . .



This is grodog running one of his Castle Greyhawk games.  I played in his game on Sunday.  You can always recognize Allan by his shirt.  Jeff Talanian (of Castle Zagyg and Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea fame) is in the glasses to Allan's right.



Kenzer & Company had a booth in one of the gaming rooms.  With Jolly himself behind the table.



The same room also had a table of honor set aside with some of Gary's gaming items.



The con ran an "AD&D Open" for the second year in a row.  Some of the sessions were part of the tournament, but you could also sign up for a game with a VIP DM (Frank, Tim or Chris); those weren't in competition . . . but you did get a signed copy of the adventure, "Mission Critical".  Here the Burntwires and I are playing with DM Tim.



I also played in one of Chris Clark's games, The False Prints.  



Jeff Talanian ran several games using his Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea system and world.  I signed up for one of them, exploring the ruins of a Viking longship in the desert.  Much to my surprise, all but one of us survived.  Barely.



One of the highlights for me the last couple of years at NTRPGCon has been playing in a DCC RPG game DM'd by Harley Stroh.  So I signed up again (especially since I will not be able to make it to Texas this year).  And for the second year in a row, he killed my character.  



Saturday was the raffle and auction.  Last year, the proceeds went to the Gygax Memorial Fund.  This year, the proceeds went to the Bail Out the Warden Fund, set up to help Jim Ward.  As was mentioned, over $10,000 was raised over the weekend.  Here's the table with the raffle items.



And the items for auction.



Luke Gygax picked tickets for the raffle.  My name was called for an item, even though I didn't think I had the number; then someone pointed out to Harold Johnson (who was comparing numbers to names) that the last three digits were in fact the same as a ticket I held, but the first three were not.  





Jim, Frank and Tim -- three of the Eldritch Enterprises four -- waiting for the auction to start.



Auctioneers extraordinaire:





One of the items sold was the original banner from GaryCon I.  I think it went for around $750.  Eat your heart out, Doug.



A few things I picked up while at GaryCon . . . .



Every other year, GaryCon has printed 100 special, limited edition commemorative coins with the con logo.  The first coin was available at GaryCon II, and had the logo for GaryCon I on one side, and GaryCon II on the other.  This year, a new coin was available, with the logo for GaryCon III on one side and GaryCon IV on the other.  You could buy relatively high number coins on the website before the convention.  But at auction, they put up for sale coin number 001 for each of the two series.  Guess who bought both at the auction?  





Finally, some closeups of the new products from Eldritch Enterprises.





All in all, another fantastic convention.  Both GaryCon and NTRPGCon are throwbacks to what conventions used to be like.  I love GenCon in its own way, but there are no places for playing games like GaryCon and NTRPGCon.  If you haven't been to one of them, you are really missing something.

Ligmancer wrote:Largest purchase for me was Ian Baggley's original drawing of the "Pyromancer" (He's the Ligmancer now!   ). Absolutely awesome! Hmmm, maybe it's time to finally add an avatar...

That was my second-favorite piece of Ian's at the show:  nice catch!

This was my first Gary Con, and I really enjoyed it.  

And I got the chance to play in Allen's Castle Greyhawk game on Sunday.  



Klang Jr. at his first RPG con.

Thanks for posting all those pictures, Bracton!  The Phoenix Tower, The False Prints and Mission Critical look really cool, as do the four Eldritch Enterprises releases (can't wait to get ahold of those!).

Six or seven years ago, I really wanted to go to LGGC and have a chance to meet Gary, shake his hand and thank him for a hobby that has occupied my attention for 30+ years.  I kept putting it off and never did go.  

Finally last summer, after reading of gamer's exploits at Gary Con and NTRPGCon on various blogs and message boards, I decided I was attending a Con this year.  It came down to Gary Con or NTRPGCon and I chose the latter mostly because it is closer to me and worked out better logistically this year.  I'm thrilled to be going to the Dallas area in June for my first real convention experience in all my years of gaming.  These pictures and stories from Gary Con are serving to whet my appetite!  I'm hoping sometime in the future I'll get to attend Gary Con too.

Nogrod wrote:

grodog wrote:
Thanks for posting the pics, Zach!  Do you mind if I repost the ones I'm in to Facebook (duly credited, of course)?

Of course. You don't have to source them though

Thanks.

Same Q to Mark and Clang, too:  do you mind if I repost your pics?