Tacticon 2010

[Harley Stroh]

Harken to my call, fellow mountain gamers!

For those of you in and around the Rockies come Labor Day weekend, I'll be running DCC playtests at Tacticon down in Denver. Among regional cons it is really a great time: well organized, large enough for critical mass, but not so big that it becomes completely overwhelming. We'll be playing (and killing) 0-level PCs rolled up at the table, both Saturday and Sunday.

http://denvergamers.org/

//H

[goodmangames]

Hmm, seem like this mysterious DCC RPG has been playtested at quite a few cons now, right Harley? DunDraCon, Condor Con, Genghis Con, GaryCon, North Texas RPG Con, GameFest, Anaheim Mini-Con, and now Tacticon...we must be up to something.

[Harley Stroh]

...we must be up to something.

Yeah ... mostly killing PCs.

//H

[Harley Stroh]

Back home from Tacticon. A big thank you to all the folks that opted to playtest a new system, especially the con organizers. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Tacticon (along with Genghis, its sister con) is a great regional convention, drawing in folks from all across the West.

We ran 4 games: 2 for 0-lvl PCs, and 2 for 3rd-lvl PCs. At one point we had 10 players around the same table, and our smallest was 5.

Highlights of the con:

• Steve's dwarf winning a strength check against a rat god. They were wrestling for a holy warhammer, calling for a contested strength roll ... dwarf versus god. Never a better time for a natural 20. Steve followed it up by cratering the rat god's cranium with said warhammer, the very next round, banishing him back to his home plane.

• Tom cutting himself free from the sucker-beast, and accidentally slicing the rope suspending him across the chasm. (Saved by Lenny and the rest of the party after a quick conference on how ropes “deform.”)

• Magmar the Lucky, erased from existence after (successfully!) distracting the writhing mists from disintegrating the dwarf. We mourned his passage long enough to roll up another character.

• The PCs assaulting the ziggurat of Orcus (set in the center of an enormous underground sea). But not before setting their own ship – the only ship – on fire. I never did understand that decision.

• Tom’s PC forsaking Orcus for the patron god of gnomes, Orcus coming to collect on old debts, and Tom living out the day.

• Pam’s halfling hurling herself into the fiery pit atop the ziggurat, sacrificing herself to save her fellow villagers … and dragging another PC with her. (Again, the contested Str check. Again a nat 20.)

• The deaths of Doug's PCs. All 4 of them. The halls of Valhalla are crowded tonight, my friend!

I know I’ve forgotten some timely crits and failed saves, so forgive any omissions.

And of course, thank you for your patience during my gaffs, not limited to:

• "I'll hang your beard from my testicles," a threat made to the dwarf by an anatomy-impaired reptile-man.

• The implied menace of the “curvy knife.” Yes, my vocabulary fails me from time to time. “But it’s a curvy knife! Oooooooooh.”

Again, thank you to all the players who made time in a packed weekend to throw some dice, and thank you the Denver Gamers Association for hosting the show. I can’t wait for the next one.

//H

[goodmangames]

That sounds great! I wish I could have been there for some of those moments.

[Black Dougal]

It was a great time. This was my first time attending Tacticon, and it was huge fun. Thank you for running the playtest Harley!

I shall mourn my 4 PCs for... well at least 15 minutes, especially the flaming dwarf who was possessed by Orcus. I am just happy that 2 of my 6 characters survived.

I am still a little disappointed that my Wizard couldn't cast a spell to save his, or anyone else's, life in the second session.

[Black Dougal]

What are the chances of another playtest at GenghisCon in February?

[Harley Stroh]

Doug!

Welcome! I was hoping you'd drop by. Thank you so much.

What are the chances of another playtest at GenghisCon in February?

The odds are very, very good. I'd love to run a game for you again. You were great in all the games, and we need another chance to go at that wizard.

That said, I think you may need to torch the "My dice are trying to kill me" t-shirt.

//H

[Black Dougal]

That said, I think you may need to torch the "My dice are trying to kill me" t-shirt.

My dice were against me for the whole Con even without the shirt. I might leave it at home next time, however. Usually my dice aren't out to get me quite that much.

[Black Dougal]

That sounds great! I wish I could have been there for some of those moments.

If Harley does run at GenghisCon in February, perhaps you could make the journey to play with us?

[goodmangames]

If Harley does run at GenghisCon in February, perhaps you could make the journey to play with us?

I would love to, but I will be at DunDraCon running games the same weekend!

[lancer]

Tacticon 2010 was great Harley!
Orcus was a wussy....
Hail to the great many deaths!
Play testing sometimes tests our playing... not necessarily the game so I thank you for the refresher course on smooth gaming... even at 50 we can learn or remember the little things that keep a game running. Ready to game up next time!
Joey/Fingers/Bishop

[mshensley]

When are you guys going to start showing some previews of this game?

[Harley Stroh]

Tacticon 2010 was great Harley!
Orcus was a wussy....
Hail to the great many deaths!
Play testing sometimes tests our playing... not necessarily the game so I thank you for the refresher course on smooth gaming... even at 50 we can learn or remember the little things that keep a game running. Ready to game up next time!
Joey/Fingers/Bishop

Orcus was a wussy ... but only you guys had the courage to tell him so.

Finger, Joey *and* Bishop were great. Hope to see them all at Genghis ...

//H

[goodmangames]

When are you guys going to start showing some previews of this game?

I'm planning to formally announce some details late this year. Every time I think we're close, we have a brainstorm and come up with some great new ideas...which makes me think I should hold off longer to get everything perfect.

[Sunsword]

When are you guys going to start showing some previews of this game?

I'm planning to formally announce some details late this year. Every time I think we're close, we have a brainstorm and come up with some great new ideas...which makes me think I should hold off longer to get everything perfect.

Hard to argue with that.

[mshensley]

I'm planning to formally announce some details late this year. Every time I think we're close, we have a brainstorm and come up with some great new ideas...which makes me think I should hold off longer to get everything perfect.

Just as long as this doesn't drag on forever like the Dungeoneer rpg...

[GnomeBoy]

I would love to, but I will be at DunDraCon running games the same weekend!

...and we sign up for these where and when???

*hopes for 'here' and 'now' as answers*

[goodmangames]

Here is the DunDraCon web site: http://www.dundracon.com/

The event submission ends in late December (around...now!) so I assume the event registration will begin soon.

I have one official DCC RPG event listed, for Sunday at 10AM, which is listed here: http://www.dundracon.com/GameSearch.php?GameType=RPG

If you happen to have a large chunk of Saturday free, we will probably also be doing some ad hoc playtesting with Erol and some other folks - still getting that set up and it won't be real rigorous in terms of schedule. Usually we try to get in a couple big chunks of gaming and this year we're talking about perhaps doing an all-day Saturday thing. If you're interested, post here or drop me a line...

[GnomeBoy]

<-- Ab-so-lutely interested.

I am coordinating being at the Con with a buddy of mine from Portland -- not sure what our schedule of arrival/departure is going to look like, until we get a lot closer to those dates. However, I think he'd be into DCC RPG demos, too.