GaryCon 2018 - Friday

GaryCon - Friday - Killed by a little Girl

                        Looking far too serious for wearing this shirt. I blame the lack of Coffee

The 5 foot long table mat

First, let me say that I have to do a post for every day, the stories and memories are amazing... I just want to get everything correct while it is still fresh in my mind... It was such a whirlwind of activity

Friday morning is when (when I attend , of course) I run my PizzaTOON Game.. I gave the players an option on what the second feature short would be and we went with

Toona Beach Blanket Bingo Jam Jivin' Rock Scissors Paper Party

I had 2 families and another player, everyone was excellent, Imaginative and mostly insane (three qualities of a really good good game)

The father of the larger Brood took the character and went through time to create an entire society, change governments based on whims and gave full descriptions on building a new society (revolving around his one subject, himself), then returning to the present  (and he did so in 3 minute segments !) 

I have run this several times and while certain events have made me laugh out loud (yeah-I typed it out), I never had 2 families playing and enjoying the game as much... Not to disparage the other gentleman playing , I found him amazing also and he never missed a change given...   Aside from the lack of dancing during the Donut dance, this was one of the best times I have had running this game


Did I mention donuts.... OH MY GOD !!! My Friend George delivered donuts from BITTNERS BAKERY. Everyone should have one when attending GaryCon,  but you have to dance joyfully at my game in order to get one... or be the table closest and get them after I disturb your table

http://www.bittnersbakery.com/

The Main EVENT

Soon after my TOON game, I had to go to

                To the Survivors Go the Spoils

Heidi’s game at GaryCon IX tested your stalwart adventurer! Don't miss this rare opportunity to have Heidi Gygax, daughter of the late E. Gary Gygax, DM a gathering of stalwart adventurers, who start at their favorite pub. Remember that this is fantasy and your character only dies if it wants to (tongue-in-cheek). Roleplay is strongly encouraged. Characters will be provided and fun will be had.

I choose this because I had played in Ernie's game 2 years ago, it fit into my schedule and Eric Garland (Who I have gotten to know since my last time at GaryCon) was in the mix

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A Moment in time, I like to watch people playing games:

Before that, I was wondering around, and I saw a Group playing Harry Potter:Battle at Hogwarts, my daughters favorite game.  It was not the game that really caught my attention, but the people playing the game. It was Luke Gygax and his 3 daughters taking time to sit and enjoy a game and NO one bothered Luke... These are the memories that make GaryCon and sometimes you forget that the people running the show are just looking to play games

I encourage everyone if they can, to volunteer because it takes that much more off of the other volunteers and allows them the time to participate in this preoccupation we all love.

So I walk into the room, do not see Heidi, but I see my pal Edwin.. I turned to walk out and her was like "Hey Greg, your in the right room, sit the F*** down"   Yes, it is cool to be treated as a friend...

So, I am sitting get prepared to play, and Luke comes in with his kids, then Jeff Leason and Elise.

So now I am in a game run by Heidi, assisted by Edwin, with Luke, His oldest daughter, Elise and Jeff and several VIPs including Eric Garland. Did I mention that this was Elise first time playing since she was young because the boys teased her... So all the Gygax who play (Except Ernie) are in this game.

I will state that during a game, I never miss a chance to be flamboyant or to die a most spectacular death... I aim to entertain

Let me say for the record that Heidi should run more games and I will try my best to be there when she is running. I do not like playing in games that I run because I may get to thinking how I would do that better, not pause, look up stuff.... I have also mentored several DM's to improve their skills.

That said, The flow, the pacing, the players... everything felt great and ran pretty good... It was the most relaxed I have been in a game in a long time. and bringing a couple of rounds of beer did not hurt either

Then, Luke's daughter killed the last thief

I felt it was my time to make a heroic (stupid) gesture, One thief had died and I was the remaining one. I climbed on a ledge that was partially over a pool of  water where I was met with a lobster type creature (they did a good job on the monster descriptions, BTW)

The lobster attacked and knocked me unconscious,  my only hope was Luke's daughter, the Fighter, coming to my rescue. She hopped up on the ledge, announced she was kicking the lobster into the pool of water below... Promptly failed her DEX check, kicked the thief into the water, where I drowned.... and thus ended Mezzo the Unselfish..

As I was reading my Next Character sheet, Mystico the Daring, she was reclaiming and looting my half eaten corpse. They brought the bodies along to use as bait. She kept my stuff and did not share...

It was my most spectacular death of the weekend... and she colored in my sheet somewhat... later I realized it was a wound

Luke's daughter was great in the game, she had good ideas and brought a lot to the game (other than my demise) It may be that I enjoy playing games when kids are there. It cuts down on the language

Then Eric brought out My Nemesis 

Shortly there after, while we were having a great time, Eric brings out "The Drink of His People"

Irish?        NO
Scottish?  NO

Kentucky !

I will report that I was up to the challenge and attempted to do away with the bourbon


Drunken Dungeon Master and the Drunken Dwarven Bar rampage

I showed up at my next game (6:00 PM CST in the Westgate C WGC-395)  very tipsy and not much more to put me over the top....

The Game was  "AD&D—So You Think You Have an Attitude?" 
               "Genertic characters provided are lame." (Apparently, so was my typing skill check)

Only Dwarves need apply. 13th-15th level. Bring your own or be issued a generic. The followers of the God of Attitude and Drink are sent on a quest for the Ultimate Ale.

I have run this game many, many, many, many times, a fact that I had to rely on because the Spotted Cow beer happy hour was about to start and I again was happy and up to the challenge.

So I tell the players that gather "This may not be the best adventure of your con, but it will be the most entertaining!"

Somewhere around 8:00 PM, I have no memory going forward... The following day, I figured there would have been a complaint about the drunk guy running the dwarven game..  It seems that from all accounts, I did a great job and much fun was had

I do remember running into a one of the live action players, the women with the finger pommell and telling her about the Bodhana group and Save Against Fear convention and that I did not embarrass or harass her in any way (she gave me a card that I have somewhere in front of me)...

I heard comments like

You were amazing and should run some all improv games
I had a great time
You killed it, we zoomed through through that adventure
How do you feel today ? 

We finished at 9:30 and all accounts I hear were good. I do apologize to anyone who only had a great time, I fell short of my goal of providing a most excellent time (Though I absolutely nailed the most entertaining promise I made from all accounts)

George tells me he ran into me at 8:30 and it seems everyone was having fun from my account.. if not see me at the next GaryCon I attend and I will buy you a beer on the Friday night between 6-8

I went to sleep around 11, then my Roommates came in drunk and chatty at 3:00 AM... Amazing day