Dexcon 17 and OSWARP in New Jersey (July 4th Weekend)

On Fourth of July weekend, I’ll be heading across the mighty Hudson River to the hinterlands of Northern New Jersey for DEXCON, specifically to take part in OSWARP (Old School Wargames and Role-Playing) mini-convention. It will be playtests galore as I bring the first two parts of The Four Phantasmagorias DCC RPG adventure series to the table, and the second playtest of my upcoming METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA adventure. Event registration is now live, so if you’re in the tri-state area and looking for some Old-School gaming (and are free Fourth of July weekend), consider coming on down.

In addition to my own humble presence with DCC RPG and MA, old-school games such as D6 Star Wars, classic Traveller, Swords & Wizardry, Stars Without Number, OD&D, AD&D, Adventures Dark & Deep, Call of Cthulhu, and Champions are on tap, as are a bevy of new school games and classic wargames. I’m still hashing out the details of my weekend, but I’ll certainly be around for Thursday, Friday, and part of Saturday.

Here’s the scoop on what I’m running:

R0235: Dungeon Crawl Classics; "The First Phantasmagoria" presented by Michael Curtis. An OLD SCHOOL Game - Part of the OSWARP Mini-Convention at DEXCON 17! Strange symbols appear on you flesh and the most learned minds in the realm cannot fathom why. Perhaps those eldritch priests who serve the Great Dreaming God, Cthulhu, can help decipher them. What could possibly go wrong there? "The First Phantasmagoria" is the beginning adventure in a multi-part adventure saga from Goodman Games. Thursday, 8:00PM - 12:00AM; One Round; All Materials Provided. Beginners Welcome; Fun, All Ages. 

R0269: METAMORPHOSIS ALPHA (1976); "Level of the Lost" presented by Michael Curtis. An OLD SCHOOL Game - Part of the OSWARP Mini-Convention at DEXCON 17! A formerly sealed section of the Warden has been opened and rumor has it that one of the fable command rings awaits beyond the entrance. Does your band of explorers have what it takes to overcome the hazards of the Level of the Lost and emerge with this potent artifact? This adventure is highly dangerous, but highly fun! Friday, 2:00PM - 6:00PM; One Round; All Materials Provided. Beginners Welcome; Fun, All Ages. 

R0288: Dungeon Crawl Classics; "The Second Phantasmagoria" presented by Michael Curtis. An OLD SCHOOL Game - Part of the OSWARP Mini-Convention at DEXCON 17! Venture back to the Drowse to enter the Forest of Childish Delights. Inside lies another part of your quest for the Four Phantasmagorias. But things (and people) turn weird once they cross the verge of the woods, so be forewarned. This may make overcoming the eclectic collection of enemies birthed from bloodstained fairy tales a tad difficult to overcome. "The Second Phantasmagoria" is the second adventure in a multi-part adventure saga from Goodman Games. Friday, 8:00PM - 12:00AM; One Round; All Materials Provided. Beginners Welcome; Fun, All Ages.

Hope to see some familiar faces (I know I will just looking at the folks who are running games) and to meet new gamers. Feel free to bring stuff for me to deface if you want my scrawl on something. Depending on my final schedule, I may actually play something this time around, too.

Gary Con VI Bound

I’m leaving for the still-wintery Midwest on Wednesday, travelling once again to Lake Geneva, WI to attend Gary Con VI. This year’s convention looks to be a good one for both myself and Goodman Games.

I’m bringing three new DCC RPG adventures to playtest: The Forging of the Ghost Ring, The First Phantasmagoria, and The Second Phantasmagoria. In addition to these three titles, I’ll be running Not Another Night on the Town, the follow-up to the “street crawl” adventure I took on tour with me in 2013. Unfortunately for anyone looking to register at the con, all the seats for those games are filled, but if you’re going to be at the Lodge and are looking to experience DCC RPG, Doug Kovacs will be running various pick-up games during the weekend. One way or another, if you want to play DCC RPG, we’ll find a way to make it happen.

On Friday morning, there will be a special seminar in the bar entitled “What’s New with Goodman Games?” This hour-long event features the Goodman Games’ crew unveiling our secret plans for 2014 and 2015, including a first look at forthcoming art and adventures. The event culminates with the announcement of a “hush hush” project that I’m excited to be part of. A Very Special Guest will join us to help make that announcement. I can say no more.

To add to my already busy schedule, I’ll be running two unofficial game sessions over the weekend. Wednesday night is the return of my Completely Unofficial Pre Gary Con Gamma World Game and Sunday night will see Down Where the Dead Men Go, a Call of Cthulhu game set in my Wildwyck County setting featured in Fight On! magazine. If you’re arriving early or staying late at the Lodge, track me down and I’ll squeeze you in if there’s room.

I’m looking forward to seeing a number of old friends and meeting new ones. As always, if you’ve got something you want me to deface with my scrawl, just ask.

I’ll see some of you in three days!

The Save Stonehell Fundraiser (UPDATED!)

Important Announcement!

In an unbelievable stroke of generosity, I've reached my goal (and then some) for the fundraiser in an unimaginable short time. The gift was so generous that this unnamed individual will have the choice of either both sets of my original notes for the adventures or one of his choosing. Should he wish just the one, I'll be giving the other set to the next highest donor in thanks for all the good will I've received in less than two hours.

So for the record, I'll be able to replace my aging computer and get back on with finishing the sequel. However, I promised to keep this fundraiser going for a full week to allow people access to the limited edition PDF. I intend to keep that promise. All additional funds raised from this point forward will be applied towards other expenses. This allows me to actually turn down additional freelance projects (not counting those I've already committed myself to) in the short term so that I can concentrate on getting the sequel completed before year's end. However, I know not everyone may not wish to contribute towards that goal, and I wanted to be honest with all you very fine and unbelievably generous people. So consider the PDF to be more of a "pay what you want" product than a true fundraiser from now until next Thursday.

I am deeply in awe of you all. I've said this before, but writing is an extremely lonesome profession and I'm seldom aware of how much people enjoy my work until I get out on the convention trail and meet fans face-to-face. Your contributions this afternoon have astounded me, and I remain gobsmacked at the generosity and humanity of you all. From the bottom of my heart, I extend my thanks. I will endeavor to continue producing work of my finest caliber for your enjoyment. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Very most sincerely,

Mike.


My friends, Stonehell Dungeon is cursed.

I’m not speaking of the manifold magical enchantments that lurk within, but rather a real world phenomenon that has plagued the dungeon since its inception. Back in 2009, when I was assembling the first book, my computer decided it would be a good time to cook its motherboard right when I was at the tail end of putting together the book. Some work was lost, but I was able to get my hoary computer repaired and complete the book. Now, history has repeated itself.

You may have noticed that I’ve had little to report either here or on the various forums and social media dedicated to chronicling the sequel. This is because nothing has been accomplished for reasons outside of my control. A few weeks ago, my computer decided to become twitchy, and then undergo a series of catastrophic failures. I’m typing this on a loaned laptop, which is how I’ve been connecting to the ether the past three weeks.

As with many things in life, catastrophe seldom comes when it’s convenient, and my computer giving up the ghost for good is no exception. My machine died just when finances are at their worst and, after pursuing my budget, it’s apparent it may be several months before I can afford repairs or replace the ancient computer. At this point, it’s probably the same cost to do either. Frankly, that’s a delay I do not want to endure.

To this end, I’ve decided to appeal to the fans of the dungeon to help get things back on track and to finish the book before year’s end as anticipated. Beginning today and running for one week, I’m holding the Save Stonehell Fundraiser in hopes of helping cover or at least defray the cost of getting myself back into the modern age and finish the sequel. I’m not one to ask for charity often and hate to do so, but this is one case where I feel appealing to the fans of Stonehell Dungeon in particular, and my work in general, is justified since it helps me get the book out and into your hands all the sooner. Both of us benefit in the long run.

However, rather than ask for pure charity, the Save Stonehell Fundraiser rewards you for your assistance. For the next seven days, anyone who donates any amount to the fund will receive a special PDF of seldom-seen Stonehell material. This PDF, Stonehell Dungeon—Convention Specials: Revealed, contains two special adventures set in and around Stonehell Dungeon, adventures previously only experienced by a small handful of people who played through them at conventions. After next week, I’ll no longer be distributing this PDF and its mysterious contents will return to my private archive of work for good.

The 16-page supplement contains “The Hidden Vault of Evaders Noan”, an adventure designed for 3^rd level PCs that was first run at the 3^rd Annual Dave Arneson Memorial Game Day in 2011, and “The Great Stonehell Lazer Massacre,” run exclusively at this year’s NTRPG Con. In addition to the adventures, the PDF contains a number of “Behind the Scenes” sidebars that discuss dungeon design choices, humorous anecdotes, and actual events that occurred when running these adventures. Much like Stonehell Dungeon Supplement Two: Buried Secrets, there is almost no art in the supplement (but there is a cool piece of map clarification by Jim Wampler), meaning the pages are jam-packed with goodies. If you own that supplement, you know what to expect.

As noted above, it doesn’t matter if you can spare $1.00 or $100.00. All contributors receive a copy of the PDF as a “thank you” for your generosity. I’ll endeavor to email your copy within 24 hours of being notified of your contribution. The PDF will be sent to the default email address associated with the contributor’s PayPal account unless otherwise specified by the donor. The PDF is 883 kb in size, so if you expect your email provider may have issues with a file of that size, let me know and I'll make other arrangements to get it to you.

But that’s not all. To further show my appreciation (and to possibly convince you to donate generously), the two contributors who donate the most to the Save Stonehell Fundraiser will receive a special thank you: my own personal copies of the adventures, including my hand-drawn maps, notes, and other annotations that accrued through actual play. I will personally mail each of those two contributors one of the adventures and provide extra customization (an autograph, a letter of provenance, a stick figure drawing of a Viking riding a whale, etc.) as desired. The contributor who donates the most will get first choice of the two adventures, with the second highest donor receiving the other. In the event of multiple donors contributing the same amount, I’ll determine the recipient randomly using a good old polyhedral.

At the end of each day, I’ll post in the comments below the highest contributions to date. This way, if you really want a shot of one of the adventures, you’ll know the goal to hit or exceed. Multiple donations by one person will be totaled when determining the two recipients of my personal notes, so if you give more than once, all your contributions will be applied when making the determination of the most generous donors.

How to Help Out

EDIT: Should be working now. Thank you!

On the upper right of this blog is a Paypal Donation button. If you wish to contribute to the fund, please use that button to give. I’m hoping to raise around $300.00 during the next seven days, which will either cover the cost to get my nine-year-old, second-hand PC restored to life or allow me to purchase a budget economy tower from the local electronics box store. If thirty fans of Stonehell contribute $10.00 each, my goal is reached and I can accelerate the return to working on both Stonehell and other projects, clearing my plate clean by 2014. Give what you can, however, if you’re so inclined.

Let me conclude by both thanking you in advance for your generosity and for you constant patience in waiting for the final Stonehell book. The dungeon is getting close to completion and, with your help now, will soon go from a long-standing promise unfulfilled to something you can read, use, and keep on your shelf for years to come.

Off to ConnectiCon Tomorrow!

I'm departing for my northerly neighbor of Connecticut tomorrow to attend ConnectiCon as one of the convention's Traditional Gaming Guests of Honor. My official con schedule begins at 8 PM tomorrow night when I kick things off with "Frozen in Time," but I'll be slouching around the convention center for a few hors prior to that. I've several other games scheduled throughout the weekend. Also, on Saturday, I'll be participating on a panel with James Carpio of Chapter 13 Press and Gygax Magazine about Old School Gaming.

There's still available seats in my games, so if you're planning on attending or still thinking about it, please come on down and play. My scheduled events are as follows:

Friday, July 12^th @ 8 PM: DCC RPG—“Frozen in Time”
Saturday, July 13^th @ 9 AM: DCC RPG—“In the Court of Chaos”
Saturday, July 13^th @ 8 PM: Shiverwhen Playtest
Sunday, July 14^th @ 9 AM:  DCC RPG—“A Night on the Town”

Hope to see some of you there!

Summer on the Convention Trail

Hey, looky there. It looks like I’ll actually post something here before the month runs out.

OK, so every now and then I get to pick the lock on my cage and escape into the wild for a few days before a refugee from Animal Planet comes and shoots me with a tranquilizer dark and hauls me back to the Freelancer Designers’ Home for the Mad. As summer creeps up, I know for certain I’ll be out and about and those of you interested in meeting me in the flesh can find me at certain venues. If history is any indicator, I suspect your second or third question for me will be “When’s Stonehell 2 coming out?”

As of right now, I’m scheduled to attend three conventions this summer, with a fourth a strong possibility. Here are the stops on my Summer Rampage Tour:

June 6^th-9^th: North Texas RPG Con—I’ll actually be arriving on the 5^th, so you’re sure to see me if you’re an early arrival at the hotel. I’ll be looking to play something because I’m a busy man that weekend once the con officially starts. I think all of my games are filled, but you’re always welcome to come by and see if there’s a no-show or two. I’m really very accommodating. My schedule is:

Thursday, June 6^th @ 6 PM in Trinity III at Table 4: DCC RPG—“Frozen in Time”
Friday, June 7^th @ 10 AM in Trinity III at Table 8: DCC RPG—“A Night on the Town”
Friday, June 7^th @ 6 PM in Trinity IV at Table 7: Shiverwhen Playtest—“The Perils of the Book Trade”
Saturday, June 8^th @ 10 AM: I’m actually playing! “Metamorphosis Alpha” with Jim Ward. I’m two for two in MA with Jim at the helm. This means I’m likely a casualty this time around.
Saturday, Jun 8^th @ 6 PM in Trinty IV at Table 7: Labyrinth Lord/Mutant Future—“The Great Stonehell Laser Massacre”

July 3^rd-7^th: Dexcon in Morristown, NJ. This one is not 100% guaranteed yet, but do to its proximity to my base of operations and the good things I’ve heard about it, it’s likely I’ll be attending and running some DCC RPG. More details as they emerge.

July 12^th-14^th: Connecticon in Hartford, CT: Hey, look it me! I’m a Tradition Gaming Guest of Honor at Connecticon. I’ll be bringing DCC RPG and doing another Shiverwhen playtest. My schedule is:

Friday, July 12^th @ 8 PM: DCC RPG—“Frozen in Time”
Saturday, July 13^th @ 9 AM: DCC RPG—“In the Court of Chaos”
Saturday, July 13^th @ 8 PM: Shiverwhen Playtest
Sunday, July 14^th @ 9 AM:  DCC RPG—“A Night on the Town”

August 15^th-18^th: The mother of all conventions, GenCon! It’s my first GenCon ever. It’s taken more than 30 years, but I finally get to attend the biggest RPG convention in the U.S. if not the world. I’ve got a bunch of games schedule and it’s also likely I can be found at or around the Goodman Games booth in the exhibitor’s hall in between events. My schedule is:

Thursday, August 15^th @ 7 PM: DCC RPG—“The Croaking Fane”
Friday, August 16^th @ 9 AM: DCC RPG—“Frozen in Time (zero-level funnel)”
Friday, August 16^th @ 7 PM: DCC RPG—“The Croaking Fane”
Saturday, August 17^th @ 9 AM: DCC RPG—“Frozen in Time (1^st level heroes)”
Saturday, August 17^th @ 7 PM: DCC RPG—“A Night on the Town”

Crap. That's a lot on my plate this summer. I better get back to work.

Off to the Gaming Motherland

If the gods of travel continue to favor me, at this time tomorrow I'll be nestled in the loving bosom of "The Lodge at Geneva Ridge" for Gary Con V. This is the last stop on this leg of the convention tour and one of the few cons I look forward to with boyish glee. Last year was my first trip to Gary Con and it truly felt like coming home.

I've got a pretty full schedule for the weekend and, if you're in any of the following events, you'll be certain to see me:

Wednesday Night (tentative)

Open and informal game of Gamma World (2nd Edition): somewhere, sometime. Look for the group of players giggling and groaning, and a 2nd edition Gamma World Referee Screen propped up on a table.

Thursday

4 PM--Aliens: The Reactor: I finally fulfill my promise to let Allan Grohe eat a few of my Colonial Marines on his excellent game board. I've never played before, but xenomorphs give me the willies, so I expect to have a terrifyingly good time.

8 PM--In the Court of Chaos (DCC RPG run by me): A playtest of yet another upcoming Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure I penned. It's a tad different from your standard dungeon fare and I'm eager to see what happens in actual play.

Friday

8 AM--The Curse of the Weaver Queen: I do my best to keep Tim Kask from racking up another TPK for a few hours. I give us a 25% chance of making it out alive. It'd be 50% if it wasn't 8 o'clock in the morning.

2 PM--Return to Ram's Horn Castle (OD&D with Michael Mornard): You can't go to Lake Geneva and not play OD&D, especially with the likes of Mike Mornard. I have no idea what we'll face, but it should be a hell of an experience.

8 PM--Frozen in Time (DCC RPG run by me): One of my new favorites for DCC, I channel my inner Jim Ward on this one. This will be a zero-level funnel, which is always a blast no matter what adventure you're running.

Saturday

10 AM--The Croaking Fane (DCC RPG run by me): A sneak-peak at the forthcoming adventure from Goodman Games. I've run this a couple of times now and have scared the heck out of a few players doing so. Hwah-hah-hah!

4 PM--A Night on the Town (DCC RPG run by me): The adventure that's become my preferred way to end my judging duties at a convention, ANotT throws the PCs on to the street of Oolvanvar and lets them pick their own destination in search of sanctuary on the night the Dead walk the streets. Will they make the same choice the others have or break new ground?

I'll also have my Shiverwhen stuff with me if the opportunity and desire is there for people to playtest my new game. Talk to me if you want to run through "The Perils of the Book Trade" intro adventure.

As always, if you see me, please stop me and say "Hi!" I'm always willing to sign a book or take a few moments to talk about what's coming down the line or gaming in general. Gygax Magazine #1 should be available at the con and I'll gleefully deface your copy if you'd like me to.

To those attending, I'll see you soon. Everyone else have a great weekend!

Goin' Back to Ohio

The next stop on my Ill-CONceived Tour of 2013 is CincyCon in Cincinnati, OH, where I'll be running four sessions of DCC RPG, including a sneak-peek at The Croaking Fane, a playtest of an upcoming adventure suitable for 1st level PCs or as a zero-level funnel, and my own rambling street-crawl in the city of Oolvanvar. Lodging for Cincycon 2013 is courtesy of Mr. Tim Kask, who is kind enough to let me hang my hat at his home for the weekend.

I'm looking forward to playing some games, meeting new gamers, and seeing the madcap behind of Marvin the Mage and Gygax Magazine art editor, Jim Wampler again. I should have just enough time to recoup before I climb back on a plane for Gary Con V. Hope to see some of you in my travels!

Off to TotalCon

I'm off this morning to TotalCon in Mansfield, MA, for four days of gaming. I'll be running DCC RPG (including a sneak-preview of The Croaking Fane), Labyrinth Lord, and OD&D. Both of the latter feature trips into/around Stonehell Dungeon. If you're planning on attending, there's still room (as of this writing) in two of my DCC RPG games, "Frozen in Time" and "A Night on the Town." Everything else is booked solid.

Although those five sessions look to be fun, what I'm really anticipating in the first public playtest of a game I've been working on quietly now for sometime: Shiverwhen. Once the Stonehell sequel is complete, Shiverwhen is going to see the majority of my attentions in 2013. I've started a blog to document the development of the game and to promote it. It's just getting rolling, but interested parties are welcome to point their browsers over here.

Next weekend sees me in CincyCon in Cincinnati, OH, and I'll be in Lake Geneva for Gary Con two weekends after that. Hope to see some of you on the con trail in the weeks ahead!

Reminder: I’m at Anonycon next month (Dec. 7-9, 2012)

I’ll be in Stamford, CT in just a few weeks to run some DCC RPG and OD&D fun. If you’re in the area and looking for an interesting and enjoyable weekend of gaming, please come on down! I’ll be doing the usual "meet my fellow gamers, sign some books, and referee some cool games" over the course of the weekend. Hopefully, I might even get to play a few games, too.

My schedule is:

• DCC-Emirikol Must Die! (Friday, Dec. 7^th @ 8 PM to 12 AM)
• RPG-Party Like it’s 1975! (Saturday, Dec. 8^th @9 AM to 1 PM)
• DCC-The Croaking Fane (Saturday, Dec. 8^th @ 8 PM to 12 AM)
• DCC-Frozen in Time (Sunday, Dec. 9^th @ 9 AM to 1 PM)

For more information, registration, hotel details, and more, please visit the convention website. I hope to see some of you old school (and new school) folks there!

Anonycon 2012 Schedule of Games

Things have settled into place for Anonycon 2012 (December 7-9 in Stamford, CT). There’s even an official Goodman Games link on the con website detailing the DCC RPG sessions happening over the weekend. For those of you attending, I’ll be running 4 sessions during the convention. They are:

Friday, Dec. 7^th @ 8PM-12AM: “Emirikol Must Die!” (DCC RPG)
Saturday, Dec. 8^th @ 9AM to 1 PM: “Party Like It’s 1975!” (OD&D plus Greyhawk)
Saturday, Dec.8^th @ 8PM to 12 AM: “The Croaking Fane” (DCC RPG)
Sunday, Dec. 9^th @ 9AM to 1PM: “Frozen in Time” (DCC RPG)

Arrangements are being made to have DCC RPG products available and I’ll be giving away some swag during the games to lucky survivors. As always, if you see me wandering the con, stop me and say “Hi!”, ask me to deface some books, or chat about all things gaming. I hope to see some regular readers and fans from the Northeast there in December!

DCC RPG, Anonycon (Dec. 7-9, 2012), and Me

I’ll be in attending Anonycon in Stamford, CT on December 7^th through 9^th as part of the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG world tour. I’ll be play testing some forthcoming DCC adventures, giving away some swag, and I might have a surprise or two lined up as well. The DCC RPG games currently listed on the website that I’ll be running are “Frozen in Time” and my convention version of Emirikol Was Framed! entitled “Emirikol Must Die.” I’ve submitted another two games as well and I’ll have further news if and when they get added to the schedule.

If you’re in the area, grab your Zocchi’s and come on down to Anonycon!

Affairs: See “State of”

It’s safe to say that August 2012 won’t go down as a banner month of posting here at the Society. Somehow, the entire last few weeks of unofficial summer here in the Northern Hemisphere slipped by without much activity around these parts. Such is the nature of blogging, especially when you’ve been doing it for four years now.

This dearth of regular postings does not reflect a lack of activity on my part, however. Quite frankly, I’m busier than ever writing, designing, planning, scheduling, corresponding, and brainstorming on new projects. If the OSR is in fact dead as the naysayers would have you believe, somebody neglected to inform my inbox of that fact! I’d appreciate it if you all kept it on the QT as well since I’m having a lot of fun keeping busy with the work.

So, like a neglectful boyfriend, I find myself needing to explain why I haven’t written you all lately. Hopefully, I haven’t damaged our blogger-reader relationship irrevocably, even if I’ve been catting around with other slutty projects on the side.

As long-time readers and fans of The Dungeon Alphabet undoubtedly know, Goodman Games and I are deep in cahoots. The lion’s share of work that’s been occupying my time has been for Joseph Goodman and the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG. My adventure “The Undulating Corruption” debuted in this year’s Free RPG Day release from Goodman, but it’s not the first adventure I wrote for the game. That honor belongs to Emirikol Was Framed! which should be on the shelves of your finer FLGS either this month or next depending on when the printer gets finished with it. I’ve seen the layout of the adventure, including Doug Kovacs’ excellent maps and player handouts, and I’m mighty pleased how it’s all turned out.

When I took the job of writing Emirikol, I knew I was putting myself in the crosshairs. When you’re dealing with one of the iconic images of the hobby, you’ve got to accept that people are going to have their own expectations firmly in place before they even get a look at the damned thing. Early speculation pegged it as a parody module, but it’s absolutely not. It’s a solid, pulp sword & sorcery adventure, one where Conan or Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser would be at home. My hope is that once people get a chance to read it (or better yet, play it), Emirikol will be judged on its own merits. Time will have to tell.

In addition to Emirikol, I’ve completed two more adventures for DCC. One is The Sea Queen Escapes!, a nautical-themed adventure with a deliciously evil twist for the judge to spring on his players. The second is a more traditional “stop the evil brotherhood” dungeon crawl. I’m not sure if I can make any formal announcement regarding its content or title, but regular readers can probably speculate on its subject matter if you recall what I’ve play-tested at conventions this year.

These two are not the end of my scribbling for DCC RPG either. Contracts have been signed for at least two more adventures by yours truly and they’ll take us safely into the heart of 2013. I’m also doing work for a third-party DCC RPG release entitled Tales From the Fallen Empire to be published by Chapter 13 Press. Suffice to say, if you enjoy my work and DCC RPG, you’ll be a happy camper for the foreseeable future.

The DCC RPG stuff is in addition to two more books I’ve written for Goodman (well, one and half, really). Next month sees the release of the expanded version of The Dungeon Alphabet, available in both the regular and limited-edition covers. The third printing is 33% larger than the original and features new art in addition to eight more entries covering other classic dungeon tropes we couldn’t squeeze into the original. I think “T is also for Treasure Chests” is worth the price alone, especially when you see Holloway’s accompanying illustration, but there’s plenty more to inspire in there as well.

The second book in the schedule is The Adventurers’ Almanac, a title in the same vein as The Dungeon Alphabet. It’s not a “this is how you do it” text, but one written to inspire the referee and get the creative juices flowing. I had a lot of fun writing this one. A system-neutral supplement, The Adventurer’s Almanac provides an entire year’s worth of adventure seeds, monsters, interesting NPCs, magic items, weird events, strange celebrations, and other juicy morsels to season your campaign world. It’s also a big book, much larger than The Dungeon Alphabet, so you’re bound to find something in there to suit your purposes. The release date is not yet set on the book, but hopefully it’ll be available the first or second quarter of 2013.

As part of the grand plan to make DCC RPG your game of choice in 2013, I’m going on the convention trail throughout the fall and winter of this year and a lot of the next. I’ll be running play-tests, demo sessions, and regular games at various locales along the East Coast (or as we here call it, the “Right Coast”). The process of hammering out dates and appearances is still ongoing, but there’s a better chance than usual I might be in your neck of the woods in the months ahead if you rub shoulders with the Atlantic Ocean. More on these appearances as things get finalized.

Putting my Goodman Games projects aside for now, I still find I’ve got irons in the fire, on the anvil, or quenching in the bucket. As mentioned previously, I wrote an urban fantasy game for Goblinoid Games and the play-test period of that is at an end. No official word from Dan Proctor on it yet, but if you’re a fan of Hellblazer, Clive Barker, or classic film-noir, I encourage you to check this one out once it’s available.

I’ve not forgotten poor old Stonehell Dungeon either. I recently squeaked past the halfway point on the manuscript (thirteen quadrants are finished and there’s thirteen to go) and I’m desperately trying to ride the downhill inertia to completion. For those of you playing along at home, this means that Stonehell 2 is three quadrants larger than its predecessor. Even when the manuscript is finished, there’s still a lot to be done (cartography, editing, layout, and proofs) before it gets the green light for sale. I remain hopeful that it gets completed this year, but it’ll be close.

I decided that I won’t be doing a Kickstarter for the book, although that has been suggested. It’ll be in the same style as the original to keep the aesthetics identical and the cost down. If you own the first book, you know exactly what to expect. Perhaps, somewhere down the line, I’ll go back and combine the two books into a prestige version, but that’s so far over the horizon at this point you can barely even see it from space.

Finally, I’m writing my own role-playing game and expect to have the first draft of the rules and setting completed in the next two months. After that, I intend to spend a year in play-testing to make sure the wheels don’t fall off before offering it up for public consumption. It is not a retro-clone and it isn’t even a traditional fantasy game. Despite this, I’m designing it with old school sensibilities in mind. My goal is to keep it simple and flexible, and to leave as much agency in the referee’s hands as possible when running it. I hope to have a formal announcement as well as a design & promotion blog ready in October.

There’s more things going on, but I’ve already taxed your time and interest enough with this post. Besides, I’ve got work to do. I’m eagerly anticipating the fall months as they’re not only my most favorite time of the year, but also my most productive. Hopefully, you’ll reap the benefits of that intellectual harvest in the year ahead.

Throwing Rocks in Texas (Part 2)

Friday morning saw me up early, rising before most of my fellow gamers emerged from their bedrolls, and the restaurant was just beginning to serve breakfast. But first: a quest! Needing various sundries, I decided to venture out to the gas station across the highway from the hotel. This stretch of thoroughfare was under severe construction, littered with traffic cones, mesh netting, concrete barriers, and thick, sticky mud. Traffic was a snarl even at the early hour and the whole unsightly mess became known as “The Highway Jim Ward Designed” for its sheer lethality. Dodging traffic and acquiring a thick coating of Texas mud to my sandals (they’re still caked in the stuff two weeks later), I managed to make it to the service station and back with all my hit points and limbs intact.

After breakfast, I milled around with the early risers for awhile, thinking I had time to kill. My first DCC session was supposedly scheduled to begin at 10 AM and the website and gaming grid supported that belief. Unfortunately, the convention program had it listed as starting at 8 AM, so I headed down to make the correction on the table sign in case anyone showed up early. Imagine my surprise when I found the entire table filled with players patiently waiting for me. OK, game on!

The scenario was “Emirikol Must Die!,” a stripped-down version of “Emirikol Was Framed!” I rigged up just for Texas. I discarded a lot of the backstory and set-up to get things rolling quickly, but soon learned I should have stripped it down more. As it was, I had to throw out the entire middle section of the adventure to get to the part where the PCs get a shot at the Chaotic One. They did triumph over Emirikol, thanks largely to the intervention of the elf’s patron, The Three Fates, who, thanks to a really great spellcheck, made them nigh-invulnerable for several rounds and gave them a +5 to most of their actions. Similar wise use of magic allowed the PCs to avoid a few of the deadlier traps, but I did almost manage to kill one character with a magical blueprint of death (buy the module when it comes out and see what I’m talking about).

A note about my referee style: I’m not usually a squat-behind-the-screen-and-roll kind of guy. I like standing and moving around when I run a game. This session had me going all out, however. I used the entire room to my benefit, peering over a divider to demonstrate a PC clinging to a balcony, skulking along a wall to show a thief’s move quietly attempt, squatting on a chair to emulate a pair of sleeping pterodactyls, and, in one moment of showmanship, throwing myself onto the floor to recreate a disastrous failed spellcheck roll. Something about this game had me on my best (or worst) hamming it up behavior.

I did forget to get everyone’s names who participated in “Emirikol Must Die!” A few are obvious (Erol Otus sat at my left hand during the game and took up the challenge of a DCC RPG Wizard) and fellow blogger Robert Fisher and his son were there as well. However, we had a few no-shows who were replaced by walk-ins and I didn’t grab everyone’s real names during the game. Goodman Games wants to credit you all as playtesters, so if you’re interested and are reading this or your know someone who played in that game, please contact me with your name either in the comments section or at the email addy over on the right.

After Emirikol died, I headed back to ballroom and chatted with fellow con attendees. I think I dropped some more cash at the con store at that time, picking up a secondhand copy of both Quag Keep and C.L. Moore’s “Northwest Smith.” Allan Grohe and I talked preservation of materials with intrinsic historic value (Black Blade has something very nifty in its possession and is just waiting on contracts to announce it and release it into the wild. Thanks for the early look, Allan). I’d see Allan a little later in Castle Greyhawk, but I yet again managed to miss a single one of his Aliens games. Gary Con V for sure, I promise!

Finished hobnobbing, it was time for me to wander back to the Longhorn Room for the impromptu “Gonzo Gaming” panel that was scheduled for Tim Kask and I. The link to the video of that is here. It was very nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd and I hope that Tim and I managed to sum up what “gonzo gaming” means to us and not bore you too much with war stories and off-beat ideas. Doing the panel with Tim was a lot of fun and we’re already thinking of what the “Tim & Mike Show” might do for Gary Con V.

The panel ended, allowing me an hour to grab dinner at the hotel bar before heading off to explore Castle Greyhawk. Allan Grohe does a great take on it, but I’ve learned that I really have problems facing 1E in an evening session at a con. I ran into the same situation at Gary Con IV. Basic D&D has become my game of choice and facing that wall of 1E modifiers and classes is just too much for my frazzled mind to handle in the evening hours. Notice my glazed look in the picture to the right. I’ve made a mental note of this and the next time I tackle 1E it will be the first session of the day. Despite my difficulties, my bard survived (barely), but those of us at the table agreed to never speak of the rust monster battle again.

After Castle Greyhawk wound down, I hung around for a little while longer, talking with Dough Rhea and Mike Badolato and other people wandering around. I saw Matt Finch and wished his good luck on the morrow’s Three Castle Award and finally got a chance to say hello to Tavis Allison. We kept seeing each other around the con, but never had the opportunity to shake hands and catch up. Tim Kask and I eventually wandered off to talk more about Eldritch Enterprises and other non-gaming related stuff, but soon it was way past the Witching Hour and I had to make my farewells for the evening before climbing into bed and falling instantly asleep.

Next up: Travelling through time and space, the Not-Be, and a whole lotta toads.

Throwing Rocks in Texas (Part 1)

It’s been more than two weeks since NTRPGCon and I’ve yet to chronicle my exploits in Bedford, TX. Partly to blame was the inevitable post-con crash that afflicts most of us who spend four days in the company of our far-flung comrades in dice bags only to return to the mundane daily grind, but I also came home to find my internet connection on the fritz for a week and that took the wind out of my sails. Enough time has passed to fill my proverbial canvas anew, but that also means the following may be corrupted by time and faulty memory. Take this all with a small pinch of salt.

Unlike my journey to Gary Con, the trip down to Texas was a breeze. Once again, I got to fly in a turbo prop from Long Island down to Philly before graduating to a real, honest-to-goodness jet plane. Some folks might see that as a quaint means of travel, but with my love of the past, there’s nothing like taking a ride through the skies and watching the props whirl just outside the window. Plus, the guy sitting next to me had the largest carry-on bag in history, so the flight attendant (although I think I can call her a “stewardess” if the plane has propellers) moved me up to the front row in return for promising I’d open the emergency hatch in case of a crash. That is assuming a prop didn’t break free on impact and turn me into Wash in the closing half-hour of Serenity.

From Philly it was a nice flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. The young guy beside me, hailing originally from a formerly French-controlled African nation and having the most unique accent I’ve ever heard, spent the flight watching either that movie starring Real Navy SEALS™ or the longest Armed Forces commercial in history (it’s the same thing, actually) with French sub-titles. We arrived in Texas without trouble, but I learned that the previous evening saw Biblical thunderstorms in D-FW and interrupted the travel of fellow NTRPGCon attendees.

A brief wait (less than 15 minutes) had me in the Holiday Inn shuttle and en route to the hotel. Another con attendee was in the van with me, but was suffering through his own version of my trip to Gary Con. He apologized for his surliness later and now I must apologize because I can’t remember who that was. Sorry, brother. Refresh my memory if you’re reading this.

At the hotel, I learned that since I was technically two hours early for check-in, my reserved room with the rest of the con folks wasn’t ready and would I mind another room on a different floor? Knowing my gaming kin, “Yes, please.” So instead of being ensconced on the fifth floor, I had a quiet little room on the second floor right by the stairs down to the lobby. Again, after my room in Lake Geneva (literarily the farthest room possible from the action of the convention), it was a godsend. And those stairs meant I could avoid the elevator and work off some of the big Texas meals I figured I’d be eating while in town (more on that later). Mike Badolato, one of the con’s organizers wandered by as I was checking in, so I got to put names to faces from minute one. He was just the first of many folks I’d get acquainted with over the next four days.

With my bags safely stowed in my room, I wandered down to the ballroom and grabbed my con badge. I ran into Allan Grohe manning the Black Blade booth, saw a few other familiar faces from Gary Con, and got settled. The area was quiet. Vendors had yet to arrive and most of the gaming tables were vacant. I began to wonder if this whole North Texas thing was all hype, but then learned that the Charity D&D game was underway down in the “Longhorn Room” (what else would you expect in Texas?) and that’s where the masses were gathered. Rather than join the crowd, I hung around the ballroom for awhile chatting with the stragglers and new arrivals. Out in the common area beside the lobby, Jeff Dee was setting up his display table and I introduced myself. We chatted about his Kickstarter projects and Goodman Games for a bit before Jeff kindly taught me how to play Cavemaster, his new Neolithic RPG. Folks, Cavemaster would be one of the bright lights of the con for me and I can’t recommend picking up a copy strongly enough. The whole premise (“it’s an archeological recreation of the first RPG played by our caveman ancestors”) and game mechanics (it uses rocks. Really, rocks.) are unmitigated genius if you enjoy turning an off-beat concept into high art and unique but simple rule resolution. I’d get a more in-depth crack at Cavemaster before the con was over, but Jeff taught me the rules in less than three minutes.

The Charity Game finished not long after and who should I run into by my Gary Con partner in crime and soon-to-be fellow panelist Tim Kask. Tim and I caught up, talked shop, walked the parapet, and then, (and there’s no way to write this that doesn’t sound sleazy) went back to his hotel room so he could show me his Snakeriders. Tim and Frank Mentzer, his fellow Eldritch Enterprises compadre and my own convention buddy, were roommates for the con and Frank rolled in shortly after. We chatted about upcoming EE projects (I’m eagerly awaiting “Spider Bitch on the Rag,” although I’ve been told it will have another, more commercial title when it hits the market) before they invited me to dinner at the hotel restaurant. The three of us headed out to eat and encountered the plague of NTRPGCon: the wait-staff (emphasis on “the wait”). The slow service would become the running joke of the convention. It was obvious that the Holiday Inn was not prepared for gamer appetites—or merely human ones—and I suspect that this is the primary reason NTRPGCon V will be held at a new location.

Dinner was mind-blowing, the highlight of the con for little old me. Halfway through my burger, I realized that my table companions were Jennell Jaquays, Frank Mentzer, Tim Kask, Jim Ward, and (briefly) Erol Otus. That song from Sesame Street—“Some of these things belong together…”—started running through my head, but everyone was very welcoming and encouraging and we had a blast mocking Alien vs. Predator on the restaurant TV. Nevertheless, it was a reminder that somewhere down the line I had crossed a threshold and was now officially a game designer of very small renown. Thank you all so very much for warm welcome.

When dinner wrapped up, Tim, Frank, and I hung out on the patio and they told me secrets Man Should Not Know about the old days with Gary and TSR. I don’t actively ask about the Old Days when I’m with those guys, wanting to avoid being a rabid fanboy, but I’ve learned that just by hanging around with them and letting them talk, I pick up a few interesting anecdotes along the way. I’m like the Margaret Mead of the gaming industry. Luckily for the guilty, I don’t always recall all the tales the next day, but the ones I do remember are doosies. At last, the late hour and the flight caught up with me and I managed to get to bed at a respectable hour—but not before dropping $40 on some old Judges Guild stuff from the con store. It would be the first of several purchases I’d make before heading back to NY.

Next up: Emirikol is killed and the Tim & Mike Show makes its debut. 

Moseying

Well, not just yet, but this will be the last evening I'm online until Monday. See you all soon (some of you sooner than others)! Looks to be a great weekend of gaming, hobnobbing, and shilling. Be back with pictures next week.

Two DCC RPG-Related Announcements

First, a general one to the gaming public at large: As usual, Goodman Games is participating in this year's Free RPG Day. As you might expect, their contribution is new DCC RPG material. The following is Joseph Goodman's post on the Goodman Games DCC RPG Forum:

Free RPG Day is Saturday, June 16! Just in case you missed the front page update, we've posted details on our Free RPG Day release for this year. You can find the page here: http://www.goodman-games.com/FRPGD12preview.html

This year's module features two adventures, plus the start of our Mystery Map Adventure Design Competition!

The first adventure is The Undulating Corruption, a level 5 scenario by Michael Curtis. The characters learn of a purported Crucible that can cure their wizard's corruption...but reaching this cure is not easy!

The second adventure is The Jeweler That Dealt in Stardust, a level 3 scenario by Harley Stroh. A jeweler and fence has gone missing, and his house of jewels now sits empty. Surely a cunning thief could make his way inside to steal the unguarded riches?

Rounding out the two adventures are full details on the Mystery Map Adventure Design Competition. The Free RPG Day adventure booklet contains The Mystery Map -- a partially complete map. In the Mystery Map Adventure Design Competition, your job is to complete the map and pitch us on the 5,000-word adventure you would write to accompany it. A panel of distinguished judges will decide on the winner, who will receive a contract for $1,000 to write his adventure.

More information on Free RPG Day is available at http://www.freerpgday.com.

As always, our Free RPG Day module will premiere in participating retail stores, then be available for purchase online (as print or PDF) approximately 1-2 weeks after the event.

The second item is for those happy few playing in either one of the sessions of DCC RPG I'm running this year at NTRPGCon. If you are playing (or hoping to sneak into the game) and own your own set of "Zocchi Dice" (d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, d24,and d30), please bring them! I'll have a set of "table dice" for all to share, but I know people can be...peculiar...about sharing dice and I don't want "out of game" violence breaking out at my table!

Reminder: NTRPGCon Event Registration is Now Open

Those you planning to attend the NTRPGCon in June should hustle over to the Con Registration section of the NTRPGCon website and pick your games if you haven't done so already. Some good ones have already filled-up and there's only a limited number of seats remaining in both of my DCC RPG events. Get in while the gettin's good!

UPDATE: Friday morning's game, "Emirikol Must Die!" is now full. There are a few seats remaining for Saturday evening's session of the updated and expanded "The Fane of St. Toad."

Update on DCC RPG, NTRPGCON & Me

So with any luck, you have a copy of the DCC RPG pdf in your possession and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the hard copy version in the weeks to come. By the time June rolls around, you'll be well-versed in the esoteric knowledge contained within that hefty tome's covers. But what to do with that unholy lore?

Come to Texas! I'll be running two sessions of DCC RPG over the weekend at the NTRPGCON 2012. See below for times and details, and remember: game registration opens at midnight on April 15th.

Friday, June 8^th, 1000-1400

Game Title: Emirikol Must Die!

Game System: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG

Number of Players: 6-8

Pregens/Level of characters: Yes/4^th level

World/Setting: Generic

The mad wizard Emirikol is terrifying the city! Striking without reason to slaughter the populace, the infamous mage has gone too far. Now a coffer of jewels is offered to those who would dare defeat him. Eager to collect that reward, a collection of reavers, cut-purses, heathen-slayers, and warlocks bands together to defeat the servant of Chaos within his very sanctum. The ever-changing walls of his Shifting Tower are guarded by a host of diabolical traps, fiendish guardians, and unimaginable terror. Will the adventurers come out victorious…or lose their very souls in the attempt?

Players will be provided a selection of pre-generated characters to choose from before they begin their assault. This event is open to all players and familiarity with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG is not required. The scenario mixes thrilling battles and deductive thinking. Only a party able to master both stands a chance of emerging triumphant.

Saturday, June 9^th, 1800-2200

Game Title: The Fane of St. Toad

Game System: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG

Number of Players: 6-8

Pregens/Level of characters: Yes/3^rd level

World/Setting: Generic

For as long as men remember, the cult of St. Toad carried out unspeakable rites in their squatting temples situated far from civilization. Tales of human sacrifice, squirming servants, and rich, but loathsome treasures were whispered of the cult. Now, unexpectedly, the cult has seemingly vanished, leaving behind their fanes to molder in the marshes. A brave band of adventurers gathers to explore one such tabernacle, eager to discover what riches—and terrors—the cult has left behind…

A good old-fashioned dungeon crawl, The Fane of St. Toad was first written for OD&D, but is now adapted for Dungeon Crawl Classics. Players will be provided a selection of pre-generated characters to choose from before they begin their delving of the Fane. This event is open to all players and familiarity with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG is not required. Batrachophobes need not apply.

Off to I-Con XXXI

I'm getting ready to head up to Stony Brook for I-Con XXI. I don't think this one's going to be a full three-day extravaganza for me (still burned out from Gary Con and I'm out of town on Sunday), but if you do see me either today or tomorrow, be sure to say "Hi!" I'll be in the gaming ballroom most of tonight and part of tomorrow. If you have something you want signed, I'm more than happy to do so. If you want to take a swing at me, I ask for a $20+ fee.

I am a Complete Bastard

Just got home from Gary Con and it'll be awhile before I can decompress and sift through the outstanding experience for choice nuggets. Until then, this post explains the above.