Two Weeks

Two weeks from today, Gamehole Con kicks off once again! Just like last year, I’ll be leaving my northern redoubt and heading to Madison, Wisconsin for four days of gaming and, just as importantly, the chance to meet up with friends, acquaintances, and, I hope, a few regular readers of this blog.

I’ve said before that I’m not much of a convention-goer by nature. I know how important cons were to the early spread of the hobby, but I’ve always been shy and introverted, so big gatherings don’t naturally appeal to me. That’s part of why I like Gamehole Con so much: it strikes a good balance. It’s simultaneously small enough that you can easily find the people you’re looking for, but large enough that you can disappear into the crowd when you want to (and I often do). One of my friends once called it “human sized,” and I think that’s exactly right.

That said, what really draws me to Madison isn’t just the games; it’s the people. The Internet makes it easy to keep in touch with fellow RPG enthusiasts, but nothing compares to being face-to-face. Most of my gaming these days is online – and I genuinely love that – but there’s something uniquely satisfying about sitting at a real table, rolling real dice, and sharing a few hours of roleplaying in person. It’s a terrific social experience, and, honestly, I think we could all use more of that. It’s good for the soul.

As I did last year, I’ll have much more to share about my time at the convention once I’m back. With luck, the experience will help keep me energized through the remainder of 2025. I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire right now – the Grognardia anthologies, the second edition of Thousand Suns, Secrets of sha-Arthan, and Dream-Quest – and while I remain excited about all of them, I won’t deny that keeping these projects moving forward alongside this blog can be demanding. A little outside encouragement goes a long way.

With that in mind, I’m running a sale over at DriveThruRPG. Everything is 30% off until the end of October 9. The sale helps cover the costs of my trip to Madison, but more than that, it’s an opportunity for readers to pick up some of my existing work at a discount. If you’ve ever thought about grabbing a title or two, now’s a good time. And, of course, if you’re not in a position to do so, simply reading the blog, commenting, and sharing it with others is also a tremendous form of support.

Either way, I’m grateful for everyone who takes the time to stop by here. I’m looking forward to reporting back from Gamehole Con, as well as to rolling some real dice with real people once again.