tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post3182190051788676257..comments2024-03-29T00:32:33.920-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: OSRCon Thoughts (Part I)James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-37921307593284640012011-08-18T01:35:39.584-04:002011-08-18T01:35:39.584-04:00Inspiring stuff. Thanks for posting these. I par...Inspiring stuff. Thanks for posting these. I particularly like the "searching for dwarven cemetery" scenario. Sounds like fun.Holmentzerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705085040356135179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-82591872695638303552011-08-17T14:58:32.976-04:002011-08-17T14:58:32.976-04:00Timbits. Damn. How I miss those.Timbits. Damn. How I miss those.AndreasDavourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17170806742393291962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77114359325551919152011-08-17T00:58:17.506-04:002011-08-17T00:58:17.506-04:00James I have the character names and classes from ...James I have the character names and classes from the sheets.<br /><br />Day 1<br /><br />Mark - the younger - was Ardin the Fighter<br /><br />Ian - the artist - was Tezeros the Magic User<br /><br />Mark - the older - was Anatharul the Cleric of Typhon<br /><br />Theo - was Dalkanaeion the Dwarf<br /><br />Steve - Grimglas the Dwarf<br /><br />and <br /><br />Rob was Zinn the Thief.<br /><br /><br />Day 2<br /><br />Rob - Another Rob not the Rob from Day 1 - was Endrados the Cleric of Typhon<br /><br />Theo was Dalkanarion the Elder, Dwarf<br /><br />Matt was Declan the Fighter<br /><br />Marc - the older - was Exumbar the Magic User<br />also Skarn Raxor the dead, Old Grig the Link Boy, and Exumbar's man servants Alocious and Brantly<br /><br />and<br /><br />Brian as Dan the Handsome ThiefAnathematicianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690147218442114230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43536087746905671532011-08-16T19:55:24.201-04:002011-08-16T19:55:24.201-04:00I love how the sconces are torches. Very appropria...I love how the sconces are torches. Very appropriate.<br /><br />Next year I may have to attend. I've never been to Toronto, and this would be as good an excuse as any, to make the trip from Boston, or wherever I'm living then.Jon Hendryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18270477004436129556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16764617949744252902011-08-16T19:19:18.589-04:002011-08-16T19:19:18.589-04:00Check out Carter"s excellent blog above! He w...Check out Carter"s excellent blog above! He was involved in the Expediton to the Barrier Peaks, as well as running a great game of Labyrinth Lord.Theohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15719958535312673509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35474947614826913852011-08-16T19:15:52.704-04:002011-08-16T19:15:52.704-04:00Oh James, I also wanted to ask, did you end up tur...<i>Oh James, I also wanted to ask, did you end up turning people away who wanted in the game after your original 6 (the event doesn't look exaclty packed in the photos, so I'm thinking it might not have been an issue)?</i><br /><br>I turned no one away and wouldn't have had anyone beyond the six registered players asked to join, but as there were two rooms worth of games being played, I think everyone who wanted in on the action had a place to go.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-13216495691382635802011-08-16T19:14:16.719-04:002011-08-16T19:14:16.719-04:00It's "Brool" James...."Broooool...<i>It's "Brool" James...."Broooool"!</i><br /><br>Guess my ears are going as well as my eyes :) Thanks for the correction. I'll remember it next time we play together.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12750374393882885042011-08-16T19:01:16.710-04:002011-08-16T19:01:16.710-04:00Really appreciate the detailed report. Would love...Really appreciate the detailed report. Would love to keep hearing more. Any other blogs out there with some reports?<br /><br />(word verification: notbent - I'm clearly not a politician)OlmanFeelyushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17521657876810568251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-58265742155193378042011-08-16T18:41:01.180-04:002011-08-16T18:41:01.180-04:00Oh James, I also wanted to ask, did you end up tur...Oh James, I also wanted to ask, did you end up turning people away who wanted in the game after your original 6 (the event doesn't look exaclty packed in the photos, so I'm thinking it might not have been an issue)? At my public games I would want 6 max, but a few more would show up and I didn't want to say no to anybody. I figured I can handle a crowd, having run games for upwards of 15 and more in high school. Especially with OD&D, I thought more the merrier, and it actually turned out to be so. Everybody got to do plenty of things in the sessions.Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69202203785142126412011-08-16T18:36:10.492-04:002011-08-16T18:36:10.492-04:00I enjoyed my experiences running OD&D sessions...I enjoyed my experiences running OD&D sessions at last year's minicon and Socal Smackdown last year (and also a very enjoyable, ale-soaked pub game this year organized by Cyclopeatron). Though I explained to players "I don't do one shots" and they could hopefully run their characters again in the future, they pretty much ended up being so. Having enjoyed experimenting outside my regular group, I'm getting enough gaming in with my group to not be very inspired to do more this year. My true joy as a GM is the multiple game campaign. We all might enjoy a new one-night stand affair (all guys dig "strange"), but most of us can agree it's always even better the second time. So even though I'm slated to run a session at Smackdown again in a few weeks, I think I'll be sticking with my regular-irregulars for the remainder of the year. But who knows what next year holds.Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83417079755079003372011-08-16T18:29:42.986-04:002011-08-16T18:29:42.986-04:00Thanks for sharing your OSRCon stories, James -- I...Thanks for sharing your OSRCon stories, James -- I look forward to hearing more. It is great fun to hear what was going on at the other tables!Carter Soleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286436801953647693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35750590842996867202011-08-16T18:02:06.112-04:002011-08-16T18:02:06.112-04:00Not to unnecessarily prolong the love-in, but I...Not to unnecessarily prolong the love-in, but I've got to say that playing with Theo was a highlight of the con (I played the cleric of the group in the Saturday Dwimmermount session) - not only was he great fun to have around the table, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone mime swinging a dwarven battle-axe with quite the relish that he did...bthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01126184371926546497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-28696414434906868652011-08-16T17:48:39.843-04:002011-08-16T17:48:39.843-04:00Great stuff. The overall sentiment is identical to...Great stuff. The overall sentiment is identical to what I've felt the small number of times I've run convention games. (Actually, maybe just once with all-strangers.)Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-71576323463549736662011-08-16T17:45:10.414-04:002011-08-16T17:45:10.414-04:00Ta.Ta.Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78522805060357114932011-08-16T17:41:30.134-04:002011-08-16T17:41:30.134-04:00It's "Brool" James...."Broooool...It's "Brool" James...."Broooool"! Lol. Thanks for mentioning the scene. It was epic and the kind of heroic stuff you play DnD for. <br />The twist on Kobolds was very interesting. Initially you pity them as misshapen kin, but once you find out how they replenish, it is war to the death.<br />I highly recommend to all making an effort to attend next year. DMs were top notch and the attendees very friendly. People sitting by me chatted as if we had been gaming together for years as we fell into our roles and shared anecdotes. It helped resurrect the heady communal spirit DnD had in the early days, before gaming got so fragmented.<br />The dwarven forged warhammer has already prevailed against Dwimmermount kobolds and bugbears, slowly building it's own legend. Join the tale next year!Theohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15719958535312673509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-42235157276654970522011-08-16T17:40:36.043-04:002011-08-16T17:40:36.043-04:00Re: the kobolds. I don't recall you mentioning...<i>Re: the kobolds. I don't recall you mentioning that origin story before. Is it something you improvised at the table?</i><br /><br>No, it's something I've known and hinted at for a long time, but never explicitly stated until now.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85095146475030885982011-08-16T17:39:27.817-04:002011-08-16T17:39:27.817-04:00It's encouraging to see a grass-roots, "m...It's encouraging to see a grass-roots, "minicon" be successful. (Have good attendance numbers; be well organized; and start off an annual 'tradition'). Perhaps Toronto's OSRCon will serve as a template for OSR events in other cities (US and Canada)?<br /><br />I wish there was an OSR event in the Seattle area. I'd definitely check it out, and probably run something.KPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18374233546533225028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-27604528069915146912011-08-16T17:36:52.306-04:002011-08-16T17:36:52.306-04:00Can you say where you got it?
It's a Crystal C...<i>Can you say where you got it?</i><br /><br>It's a Crystal Caste "Combat Mat." You can order them <a href="http://crystalcaste.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CC&Category_Code=CM" rel="nofollow">here</a>.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-67312628012219331772011-08-16T17:24:45.909-04:002011-08-16T17:24:45.909-04:00That sounds like a great game. And your experience...That sounds like a great game. And your experience reminds me of one time, playing in an RPGA event way back when, our group likewise started out not knowing each other. By the time the game ended, we wished we could game together regularly, we'd had such fun.<br /><br />Re: the kobolds. I don't recall you mentioning that origin story before. Is it something you improvised at the table? It's a great way to explain Dwarvish hatred for kobolds.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79367330115083394092011-08-16T16:45:16.323-04:002011-08-16T16:45:16.323-04:00That Dungeon paper looks ideal for manmade dungeon...That Dungeon paper looks ideal for manmade dungeons and even for caverns because it would help out with distances nicely. Looks good with the figures too.<br /><br />Can you say where you got it?Kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11165997449776226774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-84673501292519363682011-08-16T16:37:16.458-04:002011-08-16T16:37:16.458-04:00Sounds like it was truly a rewarding con experienc...Sounds like it was truly a rewarding con experience. I agree, bigger events can be really overwhelming, but smaller ones--done right--can really be fun. Glad you had the chance to try out Dwimmermount with a new group!Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07997164906328234122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-88999692950947762112011-08-16T16:33:08.308-04:002011-08-16T16:33:08.308-04:00Sounds like fun!
That location looks like it co...Sounds like fun! <br /><br />That location looks like it could be a set from an old Star Trek episode.Keith Sloanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07319879076978887933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-85483315708335184022011-08-16T15:41:25.210-04:002011-08-16T15:41:25.210-04:00I wish all of my con gaming experiances ended as w...I wish all of my con gaming experiances ended as well as this one sounds like. The last con i was at, Phoenix Comic Con, had a lot of gaming, but so much of it was Pathfinder Society or some other kind of organized play that i just wasn't interested in. Good to know that one shots are still alive an well somewhere, and if it does happen again, might be worth talking to my family in canada see if i can crash on someone's couch to attend.talsinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506341065655557056noreply@blogger.com