March 4th is GM's Day, time to show some appreciation for your GM(s).

Geek's Dream Girl has some useful suggestions.

This isn't a naked plea for prezzies from my players, but instead a reminder that it would be nice to tell your GM how much you appreciate what s/he does to entertain you. GMing is fun (or I, at least, wouldn't do it), but it's always nice to hear that your work is appreciated.

GM's Day is actually several years old, and happens to be the anniversary of Gary Gygax's death.  This is a coincidence, as GM's Day predates the passing of that gaming icon.  Here's a posting from ENWorld from 2005 discussing how it began in 2002 (original thread).

Do something nice for your GM(s) in March - even a sincere thank you is always nice.

 There were the usual glitches of the site being overloaded, but I got all but one of my first choices, and my second choice for that slot was good as well.   I'm working some at the Rogue Games booth, sleeping in most mornings, and looking forward to a fairly relaxed 25th Gencon.

• 01:00:00 PM - Ghostfacers in Hell (Supernatural, Cortex System)

• 08:00:00 AM  - Pathfinder Society #57: Before the Dawn, P1: The Bloodcove Disguise
• 08:00:00 PM - The Shotgun Diaries: Die Zombie Die! (Ker-blam! Ker-blam!) (John Wick's The Shotgun Diaries)

Saturday 8/7

• 08:00:00 PM - All the Better... (Supernatural)

Sunday 8/8

• 10:00:00 AM - Alien Agents (Monsters and Other Childish Things)

My resolution to spend my 25th Gencon playing (rather than my usual mix of running/volunteering more than I play) lasted till mid-morning today. mind_of_richard  emailed me about helping out at the Rogue Games booth and the next thing I know, I'm saying "sure".  I like their products (particularly Colonial Gothic), and much of what I want to do at Gencon is talking to people anyways, soooo... there it is.

Whomever has Jan 20th in the betting pool, you win!

I should never try to sign up for things when my coffee hasn't metabolized yet... the slot information is beneath the listing, dummy!

Pentacon is in Fort Wayne, IN, USA, November 6-8, 2009. To register for events, go to their Consupport site.
There are just not enough slots in any con to go around - I long for the days when I was younger and could get by on a lot less sleep. I'm tickled that I might finally get to play the Pathfinder that I missed when it ran at the club (because I was eating the other scheduled scenario). Then Witch Hunter through Saturday evening - becoming a tradition for me. Sunday I have to have time to pack/check out, so nothing till 2pm, but at least I'll get in one new Fellowship of the White Star. I could easily play the whole con in any of the three campaigns, darn it! I need that thingy that Hermione used in Harry Potter!

Jae's Pentacon Schedule

Slot	When	Event	Status
2	Fri 2-6	Pathfinder #3: Murder on the Silken Caravan	Player
3	Fri 7:30 -11:30	WH: DP Pt 1 - Trier	Player
4	Sat 9-1	WH: DP Pt 2 - Munich	Player
5	Sat 2-6	WH: DP Pt 3 - Wiesbaden	Player
6	Sat 7:30-11:30 PM	WH: DP Interactive	GM
8	Sun 2-6 PM	FWS B205: Nature of the Beast	Player

I had a great Gencon.  Worked my tail off (16 hrs Thursday and Saturday), ran for wonderful people, bought far too much stuff, even managed to play a game or two.  Not enough time spent with chums or playing games, but next year I'm going to play and only play.

I know... I say that every year.

More later, with pics - must return to work now.

Or... registering for Origins event tickets this year.

The title is a quote from the Gencon forums re Origins Registration this year.

They hired a contract firm to upgrade their deeply awful web registration.  Alas, evidently meeting deadlines (the opening of registration was postponed, postponed again, and then was pretty much impossible to connect to), and any kind of testing aren't part of the contract. 

Actually, I'm pretty sure they are, as Trey Riley says "heads will roll".  None of which helps the majority of us who can't get our frickin' events.  I empathize - hell, I quit IT because I couldn't deal with the level of stress any more.  It's not good for Origins, though.  Their web interface has always been a poster child for poor customer interfacing, and this just piles more on top of that growing bad reputation.

It's a good thing that Origins is a totally rockin' con, where I meet up with some of the best players and GMs I've ever known, 'cause otherwise I'd have given up.

I did, after hours and hours of attempting, slip through a hole in the endless "enter address" loop, and finally dodged the "you must buy a badge" after you click "credit card" wall to get the tickets that I manged to squeeze into my cart in one lucky transaction sometime during yesterday's 8 hour ordeal.  I can't buy the last ticket I need because, well, now vast tracts of events have just disappeared from the event list.  Which, btw, currently only shows the first 25 (lowest) numbers, and is relatively impervious to efforts to see anything else.

I hope they get it fixed, and soon.  I understand that the problem is probably the contractor, but well... management hired the contractor.  No matter how you spin it, it's EPIC FAIL.

If you use Twitter, the tags are #Origins2009 and #OriginsFAIL.

My schedule (I hope)... There's a distinct lack of early morning events, and I've left Saturday wide open in case Blackmoor is in dire need.  And I'm actually playing!  That's because I expect most of Gencon to be work, work, work, with the launch of Blackmoor 4th ed.

Wednesday 6/24/09

• 1:30 PM    6049    WitchHunter - Dark Providence: Redemption    That which was stolen must be returned; that which is free must willingly return to captivity.
• 7:00 PM    6102    Strange Times: I Am Mythos    Lou Grant meets the Tick meets Cthulhu in this game of horror and humor.

Thursday 6/25/09

• 8:00 AM    6251    WitchHunter - Dark Providence: Corruption    Along the Italian Alps a poison spreads; a pact once sworn has been broken. The pact must be avenged before the oaths can be restored.
• RUN 1:30 PM    6381    Star Mage Prophecies: R001 - Reborn    The StarMage Prophecies is a continuing RPG campaign that launched at Origins 2007. It is *not* Living Dragonstar reborn.
• 7:00 PM    6516    WitchHunter - Dark Providence: Salvation    Death walks the land. The hand that set the stone to roll may be forever severed if the memory of the hunt is keen.

Friday 6/26/09

• RUN 1:30 PM    6780    Fellowship of the white Star: A208 The Fat Lady's Song, (Part Four of the Faulty Towers series ) An Interactive Event.    Origins Premiere #4.  A semi-historic d20 horror campaign module set in San Francisco 1906.
• RUN 7:00 PM    6902    Star Mage Prophecies: R001 - Reborn    The StarMage Prophecies is a continuing RPG campaign that launched at Origins 2007. It is *not* Living Dragonstar reborn, but it could be considered Living Dragonstar reincarnated.

Saturday 6/27/09

• RUN 7:00 PM    7245    Blackmoor: Episode 49 Heroes on Ice (1-4)    With Dave Arneson's Blackmoor: The MMRPG, you can play at home or at any one of the great conventions that run Blackmoor games. We have released over 40 Episodes for home play and more popping up all the time!

Sunday 6/27/09

• SUN 1:30 PM    7502    Pathfinder Society Scenario #25: Hands of the Muted God    "When the man who would be the Muted God wordlessly stepped beyond the gates of the Starstone's Cathedral, his thousand and one faithful ringing the Ascendant Court watched with the silent contemplation that is their highest sacrament. When he failed to emerge, many of his penitents abandoned their vows but a small sect remained loyal and worshipful. You and your fellow Pathfinders are sent into the mountains north of Absalom to follow the path of a doomed party and uncover the secrets of the Muted God. His loyal band of followers, called the Hand, will stop at nothing to keep you away from their shrine--even forming an alliance with some of Golarion's most evil denizens."

wampameat  , Mike and I all started trying for Gencon 2009 rooms at noon, and scored the Hyatt on the 2nd try (point to Vic!).  There was no problem logging in, no lockups, no eternal screen refreshes... it looks like they've finally actually and genuinely upgraded the computer system!  Yippiee!  Welcome to the 21st century, Gencon!

I'll mostly be tied up with the 4th edition launch of Dave Arneson's Blackmoor, but I traditionally run one slot (at least) of my own.  I haven't submitted yet because, well, I'm just not sure what I want to run.  I've got "Something In the Dark", a Colonial Gothic that I'm working on (considerably LESS dark than last year's), and I always enjoy running some form of Firefly, and of course there's always Cat, or Savage Chill...

Last year I barely got to play, so I want to remedy that this year.  My role for DAB is as much organizational as anything, and the modules WILL be ready well ahead of time.  11-12 slots... probably half of those given over to DAB.  So, one slot, maybe two, that I'll run something.  Oh, and of course I need to make sure I sleep enough.  Drat old age...

Any requests from the peanut gallery?

I've been a fanatical consumer of (and proselytizer for) Z-Man Games B-Movie card game since I discovered it years ago. I'm not a big card player, but this is fast and fun.  The objective is to "build" a b-movie while emptying your hand, before someone plays the "roll credits" card.  What makes this fun is that you attack each others movies (sabotage is your friend!), and the cards are absolutely hysterical.  It's de rigeur to read the card when you play it.  Last year I gave all of my closest friends decks for Christmas.

Each deck is a send-up of a different genre, and Skippy the Wonder Dog appears in every deck.  (As does - Is that a tentacle?).  I ordered the latest release, Silent But Deadly NIght, sight unseen, though I was a little troubled that it cost more than any of the other decks had*.

It arrived yesterday, and now I see why it's a little more.  Besides the usual two packs of cards and instructions, it's packed in a custom holiday tin, with a tiny plush "Skippy the Wonder Dog" ornament.

Guess what' I'm taking to the New Year's Party (along with the Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog DVD, of course).

*Point of reference - the decks are:

•      Grave Robbers From Outer Space (2001)
•      Cannibal Pygmies in the Jungle of Doom (2002)
•      Kung Fu Samurai on Giant Robot Island (2003)
•      Grave Robbers from Outer Space 2: Skippy's Revenge (2003)
•      Bell-Bottomed Badassses on the Mean Streets of Funk (2004)
•      Berserker Halflings from the Dungeon of Dragons (2005)
•      Scurvy Musketeers of the Spanish Main (2006)
•      Bushwhackin' Varmints out of Sergio's Butte (2007)
•      Silent But Deadly Night (2008)

Ohhhh.. the weather outside is frightful, but the kitties inside are delightful...



( More cats + snow below the cut )

It's the season for Chill, and I have a problem.

I love running Chill, and I have a group of wonderful players.  Until I took a hiatus a month ago, we'd been running weekly for a couple of years.  I tend to long, involved scenarios deeply linked into the backgrounds of the characters.  That made for a lot of good play, but Real Life has reared its monstrous head.  Odds are good that no more than 3 of my six players will be able to make any given week night session, which ends up limiting my story options.  What do I do if I've centered the story around a character who can't make it that week - or for several weeks?

I don't want to replace the players who can't make it often - they're great players, they just have Real Life conflicts.  I want to make my game more "absence friendly" without losing the personal connection that I feel is so important in a horror game.

I'd like to go to a more episodic approach (a la Supernatural, Friday the 13th the Series or Poltergeist: the Legacy), but I'm kinda stalled.  I don't want to do tired old stuff - these folks are all pretty well mired in the horror genre.  I'd like to string the episodic events into arcs so that eventually they'd look at them an realize that this and this and OMG THAT all apply to their personal arcs, and it's time to batten down the hatches.

So I turn to you, my fellow evil geniuses, for a burst of ideas for short (3-4 hr) torture sessions...er... games.

Edit: Game blogs are available at: www.chillrpg.net/chilldetroit