It's no rumor....

Tim registered and the web page has been updated....

He is looking to run 2 4-5 hour games with up to 12 players in each game..

This is will be a special module for the Con...

Might even have some limited signed copies for the raffle... details to follow after some more talks with Tim.

ScketreWhisp wrote:It's no rumor....

Tim registered and the web page has been updated....

He is looking to run 2 4-5 hour games with up to 12 players in each game..

This is will be a special module for the Con...

Might even have some limited signed copies for the raffle... details to follow after some more talks with Tim.

Where do we sign up for placement in one of his games?

ScketreWhisp wrote:As we get closer to the Con, we will have a better idea of what games are being DM'd by who.

Mike will be working on a schedule that we can post at some point.. then we can get sign ups at that time (I'll post it on the website when we have it and have a sign up for like the registration form, it'll just be simpler and only for the games).

I know Frank has said 2 games, and Tim has said 2 games. I don't want them to over commit and they need to play too

I haven't got confirmation from Allan if he'll be running any games, nor Mike Stewart for sure either, all I have is a maybe on both. Mike might even run a game and I am reviewing a couple of home grown modules form other authors that might be fun to run. I know BlackFire is thinking of running a 3x module for those younger attendees that might want to play something they know

We will have three main gaming slots:  Friday 6 until midnight; Saturday morning 8-noon; and Saturday night 6-midnight.  Sunday is a bit more "free form" due to the Reaper tour and many of the convention goers having to leave town, but I'm expecting we might be able to fit some "unscheduled" games in Sunday afternoon.  The logistics of the Reaper tour (the tour itself, and having to get to Denton and back) may take up more time than anticipated. I'm suspecting Sunday afternoon we might have a pickup game or two before everyone has to leave, though...

The way the schedule looks now, Tim will be running a Friday night and Saturday night game. Frank's game will be Saturday night.  We will have two Saturday morning slots open from 8-12 that right now don't have any set games, I would like to put shorter, "time sensitive" games there so we can break off in time for the BBQ at 1 pm.  Let me know if you are interested in running a 4-4.5 hour game there (board or RP) and we'll see if there is interest.  

I wanted to give Tim and Frank the "longest" slots (6-12) so they wouldn't feel any time constraints whatever they needed to do.  Frank may be given only one slot due to his stated desire to do some dice rolling himself and not have to run games all weekend; I don't know if Tim is similarly inclined, since Tim volunteered two large sessions (he says he can handle up to a dozen people for each), but if so we'll accomodate him by knocking off one of his sessions and letting him game some.  Personally, and I don't know if either gentleman would be so inclined, I think it would be a hoot to see Frank play in Tim's game, or vice versa (if there is space available...)  

Plans will firm up the closer we get and the more we lock in guests and attendees.  When the final time slots are set, I'll announce here first "sign up" for the various games, and it will be first come, first served. The great thing about the smaller venue, if you don't make Frank's game, you'll get into Tim's game, or vice versa...so if both of them run games Saturday night everyone who wants to should be accomodated! If there is an overflow of attendees with nothing to do (doubtful, but you never know); or if you want to come but either don't want to commit to a RPG session or don't even like old school gaming, we'll have the space and ability to set out several board games.  I know someone has suggested a game of Divine Right, that's exactly the kind of "old school" game I'd love to see played there if 4-5 people are interested (I have a few copies, and would volunteer to referee a game or even play in one if I have the time).

Right now, we want to be able to give everyone who is running a game a chance to also play in one if they desire.....we don't want to do what a lot of cons do and bog these guys down in running game after game so they don't have any fun with the actual "hanging out" part of the convention.  Since we are anticipating 50 people at most, with perhaps half that number wanting to game "old school" at any one time, I think we can pull it off.  Also remember the informal nature of our little shindig; we really want this to have the feel of a bunch of guys getting together to run games, the way it used to be on weekends at the local civic center or school cafeteria (high school or college). In the old days, you'd just show up early Saturday (or Friday afternoon) with your dice bag, a character sheet, your rulebooks, and maybe some minis, and everyone would drift around looking for a game to join (or if you were a DM, recruit others to play in your game). We are hoping to get a bit of that feel Friday night, actually.

So, the best thing to do is keep checking here to see when things get nailed down.  We still have over two months so things might change.

Mike B.

Badmike wrote:BTW if you aren't keeping up, Tim joins Frank Mentzer, Paul Jaquays, Allan Grohe and Jason Braun as our "special guests" for the first ever RPG con.

Given the above august company, you can just call me a "regular attendee" Mike---everytime I see the list, the old Sesame Street "Which of These is Not Like the Other" song goes through my head

I'm also planning to run some Castle Greyhawk stuff:  whether one of my own levels or some of Rob's levels will depend at least in part on whether or not he's planning to attend and if so if he plans to run anything I want to play (ahem:  "Lost City of the Elders"! ) or if he wants me to co-DM, and how crunched I am for design time over the next month or two.

Aneoth wrote:Speaking of Sesame Street............

If I may make a suggestion?

Please keep in mind that several young kids will attend as well.

A game set up just for them (Or two depending on how many youngsters attend and when) seems like a great idea to me.
Perhaps the Saturday Afternoon time slot?


A Question now......
The Auction?
Is the aution only for those few items, or will the auction also include additional items offered up by regular attendees and re-sellers as in the larger RPG conventions?

There won't be any specific activities for youngsters, although there will be several board games available, many for the "younger generation".  If someone ran a pickup game specifically for the younger set (depending on how many attend) that would be great.  I'm going to assume most younger people attending are going to be of the "mature" sort and not need a lot of coddling; kids are pretty good about finding stuff to do in a room full of games!

Right now we are only planning on auctioning a few items specifically brought for that purpose (to defray the cost of running the convention); perhaps if there is interest in the future we might think about expanding the parameters to include other items by attendees. We are trying to keep it as simple as possible this year, and logistically that's just one more event we would have to handle in addition to all the others. The auctions this year shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes and at this time that's all we have planned. However if we see a lot of interest in having a auction session it will definitely be considered.

Mike B.

Badmike wrote:We also now have a local gamestore (Generation X) willing to work a 25% discount to any NTRPG con attende wearing a badge. Yes, we will have badges even though the convention is free..and you can only get badges if you pre-register.  A dastardly ploy on our part to get people to pre-register so we can have some kind of head count.

Since it's only March no hurry,  but it does help to plan ahead, if anyone wants to attend and run a game let us know so we can set up "events". Although any sort of gaming (especially board gaming) is fine and encouraged, we want to keep an "old school" theme if we can for the festivities.  In that vein, if you are attending and wish to referee a old school boardgame or roleplaying session please let us know so we can begin planning. I have one or two Acaeum-related D&D games I'm looking at running, and I have several boxes of older boardgames that I am going to bring depending on interest.  I'd say Talisman and Arkham Horor (old school versions, natch) are definitely on the table, as well as some sort of Axis and Allies game (pretty much the only boardgame my brothers will play). However, we would definitely be in the market for anyone wanting to run one of the following games:

A Castles and Crusades scenario;
A Basic D&D (Holmes, Moldvay, or Mentzer set rules) low level scenario;
Any simulacrum game scenario, particularly OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord, or Basic Fantasy Roleplaying;
A classic Judges' Guild scenario;
A classic 1E scenario run from the actual module itself (it would be very cool to see the old DM screen and module cover sitting there on the table!);
Miniature game using a version of the Chainmail rules.

Mike B.

Hey Mike,

Of this list of "games wanted" for NTRPG Con, which ones are kind-of-sort-of scheduled and which ones are "still wanted"?  

After talking briefly with Grodog a week or so ago and after reading about the official cancelling of LGGC, I'm thinking about attending NTRPG Con and wouldn't mind running a session of AD&D for those interested in playing in my sandbox.

I've got lots of stuff I could run, including a classic Judges Guild high level romp (hint: from the Book of Treasure Maps by Paul Jaquays), either one of two XRP OSRIC adventures (either the one I ran at Gen Con last year or the one I'm going to run at Gen Con this year), something from any of the Goodman Games AD&D releases (especially Iron Crypt of the Heretics) or a classic TSR module from the early 1980's.  

I think this con would have a lot of appeal for me, and I hope it might work out.

tacojohn4547

PM sent.

ScketreWhisp wrote:Well, due to the larger than expected number of attendees that have signed up, we are looking to extend the Con beyond the 1300 time time slot on Sunday afternoon.

I have asked the manager at the hotel is we can keep the conference room until 1800 that evening. A church group usually has the room after noon on Sundays, but since we are actually paying for the room, we'd like it all day

He is suppose to let me know later this week if all is good...

So, the hope is to have some gaming available from 1200-1800 again on Sunday (since Frank's & Tim's flights don't leave until 2000 Sunday evening, we need to have something for them to do)

I'll keep you updated as I know more.

Good man.  Nice to get some extra gaming goodness in before everyone has to leave......

Mike B.

Before the whole gif loaded, I thought you'd used that awful d20 thumbnail sketch as your avatar. Oh man.

I should have the vector file done tonight, then we'll kick the tires a bit on colors/positioning, etc.

tacojon, it's exciting to hear that you might make the trip!