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Post by GRWelsh on Jul 30, 2023 13:34:07 GMT -5
Who all is going to GARY CON XVI? I wasn't paying attention and now the Gold Badges are all sold out and so are all of the rooms at the Grand Geneva Hotel. There are plenty of Silver Badges left though, and I've had good luck in the past getting into events I wanted... So... I'm checking out hotel rates, now. Earlier this year I did the Cove and last year I did Seven Oaks B&B. Both were good, Seven Oaks was nicer but the Cove had an oven and stove and I like to do my own cooking. So far it is looks like: $735.67 for the Cove + $274 for a rental SUV + $344 airfare.
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Post by geneweigel on Jul 30, 2023 22:40:59 GMT -5
Unless something changes I do not seem to be able to have time for much. Had a lot more resource waste drop this year in regards to expensive trips by the family and endless man hours on family matters that are putting the squeeze. Have to shoot for 2025.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jul 31, 2023 11:54:41 GMT -5
Sorry to hear you won't be able to make it, Gene. I hope things lighten up for you!
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Post by grodog on Jul 31, 2023 21:27:29 GMT -5
Booked rooms in the vendor block today, we'll be there at the Black Blade booth again. Rates went up at the Grand Geneva: $190/night before fees, taxes, etc.
Allan.
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Post by GRWelsh on Aug 1, 2023 9:23:24 GMT -5
Great, I'm glad you're going to be there, Allan. Are you planning to run another foray into the Greyhawk Dungeon?
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Post by grodog on Aug 6, 2023 17:36:42 GMT -5
Great, I'm glad you're going to be there, Allan. Are you planning to run another foray into the Greyhawk Dungeon? I imagine that will be the case, Gary. I’ll need to see when I last ran some other levels, but the Black Reservoir may be an option Allan.
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Post by GRWelsh on Nov 26, 2023 12:44:40 GMT -5
I waited too long to buy a Silver Badge and they ran out. Luckily, I found someone on Facebook who was unable to go and willing to sell me his Silver Badge. That will teach me not to procrastinate! I booked my rental SUV (free with travel points) and my stay at Seven Oaks B&B for about $950. I held off on booking my flights as I have a business meeting on 3/20 so it looks like I'll have to book two one-way flights instead of a roundtrip.
EDIT: I still waver on whether or not to run an adventure at GARY CON... I want to run something in EGG's honor and to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of D&D, but I haven't finalized it yet. Probably the best thing to do would be to run something with miniatures, terrain, and some banners with heraldry from the World of Greyhawk. The characters would be pre-generated handouts.
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Post by grodog on Nov 26, 2023 14:43:05 GMT -5
I’m still attending but haven’t thought about GC events yet. I guess I should get on that. I’m leaning toward some lesser-known tourney scenarios, or Maze of Zayene, or something like that. I’m probably attending F&L too, but haven’t made a final decision yet. (If I buy a badge and submit events, I suppose I’m going for sure ). Allan.
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Post by GRWelsh on Nov 27, 2023 11:13:24 GMT -5
I was thinking of attending the Founders & Legends convention as a back up, or additionally, but it doesn't align as well with my work schedule. F&L looks great, however, if it is going to be smaller scale and if the goal is to meet more TSR and old school luminaries. I've been incredibly lucky in the past few GARY CONs in getting to talk to or even game with Darlene the artist, Larry Elmore, Ed Greenwood, Tim Kask, Luke Gygax, Ernie Gygax, Jeff Leason, Mike Carr, Tom Wham, Terry Kuntz, and Dave Wesely -- just to name several off of the top of my head. Wow! And besides that I've got to game with or talk to -- in person -- people I've known online for many years like yourself, Allan, as well as Gene, Zach, Paul Stormberg, Jeff Talanian and others. I feel very fortunate so getting to go to yet even another GARY CON is gravy. I'm very grateful to Luke, Paul and others who have worked so hard to run these conventions and keep them going. And Ernie has been great about hosting games at his house, in the tradition of his Dad!
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Post by grodog on Feb 6, 2024 17:50:45 GMT -5
Time flies!
My events for F&L (which are all various Castle Greyhawk levels) filled up quickly last weekend.
My GaryCon events are my first playtests for a high-level underwater scenario I designed over the summer from a 2018 idea:
Should be fun!
Did you decide if you’re running any events, Gary?
Allan.
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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 9, 2024 9:26:06 GMT -5
Hi Allan, I waited too long to submit any events so if I run anything it will only be a pick up game. I am glad to hear you are running some events including something newly developed. I will be flying out of Baltimore from a business meeting to Chicago for Gary Con so in my case it is a question of how much I want to bring in regards to miniatures and terrain. My idea was to run a dungeon using the Dwarven Forge and Hirst Arts terrain I've bought and customized, and have a very visual, easy to get into scenario.
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Post by GRWelsh on Feb 24, 2024 10:37:51 GMT -5
Below my notes on GARY CON events I was interested in... I'll be happy if I get into one event per day, and can spend much of my time being a 'wandering monster'...
Silver badge ticket sales begin today at 1 PM EST. I put the events in bold when I successfully got tickets for them.
2273 Gary Gygax Documentary Screening More info Seminar Thursday at 11:00 2 hours 43/50 Swinghurst 1086 Gary Gygax Documentary Screening More info Seminar Thursday at 20:00 2 hours 40/50 Swinghurst 2274 Gary Gygax Documentary Screening More info Seminar Saturday at 19:00 2 hours 44/50 Swinghurst
1653 Legends of Roleplaying: Mansion of Mad Professor Ludlow (Paul Stormberg) RPG Thursday at 13:00 4 hours 7/9 Evergreen 2
1828 Felithian Factories More info Board Game Thursday at 13:00 3 hours 2/3 Linwood A
127 Divine Right (Matthew Archibald) Board Game Thursday at 18:00 5 hours 3/5 Grand Ballroom A [on waiting list]
1654 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Thursday at 12:00 4 hours 8/12 Evergreen 2 1655 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Thursday at 18:00 4 hours 7/12 Evergreen 2 1668 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Friday at 12:00 4 hours 7/12 Evergreen 2 1669 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Friday at 18:00 4 hours 7/12 Evergreen 2 1670 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Saturday at 12:00 4 hours 10/12 Evergreen 2 1671 Legends of Roleplaying: Blackmoor Adventures More info RPG Saturday at 18:00 4 hours 3/12 Evergreen 2
1675 Legends of Roleplaying: Lost Crypts of the Fire Opal by EGG More info RPG Thursday at 18:00 5 hours 1/10 Evergreen 2
1685 Legends of Roleplaying: The Blackmoor Experience (Bob Meyer) Seminar Friday at 10:00 2 hours 11/12 Evergreen 2
1694 Legends of Wargaming: Battle at the Temple of Elemental Evil More info Miniatures Friday at 13:00 4 hours 0/6 Grand Ballroom A [Filled]
1554 Party of Balrogs (Zach Howard) RPG Friday at 13:00 4 hours 1/6 Grand Ballroom C [on waiting list]
343 Legendary Maps of The Forgotten Realms & Greyhawk (Ed Greenwood, Anna Meyer, Jay Scott) Seminar Friday at 16:00 2 hours 34/50 Swinghurst
1698 Legends of Wargaming: Battle of Brown Hills More info Miniatures Saturday at 08:00 4 hours 7/8 Offsite at 330 Center St 1696 Legends of Wargaming: Battle of Brown Hills More info Miniatures Saturday at 13:00 4 hours 4/8 Offsite 1697 Legends of Wargaming: Battle of Brown Hills More info Miniatures Saturday at 18:00 4 hours 7/8 Offsite
1544 JASMINE: The Battle for the Mid-Realm Collector Card Game (Darlene) Card Game Saturday at 14:00 2 hours 2/4 Galewood D
1692 Legends of Roleplaying: Tonisborg More info RPG Saturday at 18:00 4 hours 3/8 Evergreen 2
1221 Legio V Presents: Abyssal Rift in Greyhawk Wilderness (Allan Grohe) RPG Saturday at 19:00 5 hours 0/8 Evergreen 2 [Filled] [on waiting list]
1830 Moose Quest (Tom Wham) Card Game Sunday at 10:00 2 hours 1/4 Linwood A
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Post by grodog on Feb 24, 2024 11:29:49 GMT -5
Below my notes on GARY CON events I was interested in... I'll be happy if I get into one event per day, and can spend much of my time being a 'wandering monster'... Silver badge ticket sales begin today at 1 PM EST. I’m playing DR at F&L, we’ll have to compare notes if you play! Victor Raymond is also running some classic Traveller, and EPT introductory events. He’s a good DM. 1221 Legio V Presents: Abyssal Rift in Greyhawk Wilderness More info RPG Saturday at 19:00 5 hours 0/8 Evergreen 2 [Filled] By my count, there should be one ticket per event available to silver badge registration (since only 7 names are registered already). And if you don’t get in but want to play, just let me know and I’ll squeeze you in, no problem! Allan.
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Post by GRWelsh on Mar 20, 2024 21:39:08 GMT -5
Well, I made it GARY CON after two long days of traveling for work, meetings, and then travelling again to get here for my PTO. Yesterday morning I was in Orlando and then flew to Baltimore and had dinner with a client and colleagues. Today I spent all day hosting four meetings that were all on site with my client. This afternoon I returned my rental car to BWI and caught my flight to Chicago at ORD, got another rental car and drove to Lake Geneva. I just arrived at Canterbury Cottage at Seven Oaks where I stayed two years ago for GARY CON. They left me out a bottle of wine and crackers, and in the fridge a cheese plate and all sort of goodies for breakfast and snacks. The Cove can't compare with this place. I'm exhausted, but I feel like I'm home!
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Post by GRWelsh on Mar 22, 2024 9:03:07 GMT -5
Yesterday I went to Piggly Wiggly and got chicken tenders, rolls, cream and Malbec. At 1 I played in Paul Stormberg's game which was a revision of the module "The Mansion of the Mad Professor Ludlow" by James Ward which was originally published in DRAGON #42 (Dec 1980). A few years ago, Paul and Ward revised it and published in a separate module with new art, including some by Jeff Dee. I bought the new version from Paul after the game. It was a great time, and uncharacteristically for a 'Jim Ward game' we all survived and made it back to our scout camp at the end. At 6 I played DIVINE RIGHT hosted by Matthew Archibald, and also got to play with three people I played the game with last year. We all enjoyed it so much that we returned to play it again! I did not win, but my position had improved and was very strong and when we had to call it on points at midnight.
This morning I woke up and everything is covered in snow, and it is still snowing now. I have some time to relax at the cottage before going back over to the Grand Geneva today. Attendance is higher than I've ever seen it before. Yesterday, I had to park down below at the airstrip.
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Post by GRWelsh on Mar 22, 2024 21:53:47 GMT -5
Wow, another great day at GARY CON! I woke up to see snow falling and I think we got around 6 inches today. I stayed in my cottage and had to do some work this morning. Seven Oaks brings me so much food every day that I hardly need to buy anything, so I stayed here and drank coffee and ate. Around 2 PM I went back over to the Grand Geneva and lucked out to park near the entrance. Then I went to the vendor's hall and bought an XL long sleeve Gary Con shirt and browsed around the vendors, chatted with Rich Franks for a while, and saw many others selling their wares... art, game materials, dice... a roomful of treasures. Then I walked up to the Greyhawk Maps seminar due to start at 4 PM and on the way met Chris Perkins and chatted with him for a while. I told him that I loved many of the adventures he wrote for DUNGEON magazine and he seemed pleased with that and remarked that it was one the favorite periods of his life. He came across as very humble and nice, and I was glad to meet him. Then I attended the seminar hosted by Jay Scott (aka Lord Gosumba), Anna Meyer (the lady who makes all of the realistic looking World of Greyhawk maps) and Ed Greenwood. They shared many maps including what may be the original World of Greyhawk map drawn by EGG for publication and the original Lendore Isle maps drawn by Len Lakofka. Then I wandered into the great hall with all of the old wargames and took many photos of the Temple of Elemental Evil miniature which was set up for a CHAINMAIL with Fantasy Supplement tabletop scenario. I ran into Craig who was in my Divine Right games from last year and this year and we had a fantastic steak dinner at the Chop House in the Grand Geneva. There, I saw Darlene and Mike Carr having dinner, and I said hi to Zeb Cook as he walked by. Then I went to see Hanna, who was in our Divine Right game last year, and she was playing in Source of the Nile hosted by Ross Maker, whom I'd met earlier, and is part of the Blackmoor Bunch and played the first dwarf in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign. All in all, a great day!
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Post by GRWelsh on Mar 23, 2024 12:49:09 GMT -5
Battle of the Brown Hills in the basement of the old Gygax home at 330 Center Street! CHAINMAIL with Fantasy Supplement Rules on a sand table! Just the way it was played 53 years ago in 1971! We even had the old Elastolin figures. I was on Team Chaos! After four hours of play, there wasn't a decisive winner, but we had a great time. I had the idea for our wizard to cast phantasmal force of a conjured elemental advancing ahead as cover for our advancing infantry, and it worked! The illusory elemental drew a lot of fire which wasted much of the enemy's attacks for a turn. Then, our cavalry in reserve charged and flanked the enemy cavalry charging our heavy foot units and we decimated them... It was a great tactical victory, but there were still many troops that hadn't engaged yet. Our wizard cast darkness which was advantageous to the orcs, ogres and giant, allowing them to advance as the humans on the other side couldn't see or move. Their wizard kept trying to counter that, and we were in between total darkness and twilight each turn. I thought we had an edge on overall unit numbers and positioning, but it was still undecided when we had to call it on time. We all agreed that if we could have played but for another hour, we would have known the likely winner, since our wizards had revealed themselves to throw fireballs in the last turn, and if one side or the other could take down a wizard, that would shift things again even further towards a side being dominant.
Oh well, it was great fun, and very special to play in EGG's basement where he likely ran the same scenario many years ago and as a predecessor of D&D. There were also Greyhawk preliminary bits for those alert to details... Very reminiscent of the Battle of Emridy Meadows, and Oeridians being pursued by hordes of humanoids as they migrated into the Flanaess! As we were playing CHAINMAIL on the sand table in the basement, Paul Stormberg was running a Dungeons of Castle Greyhawk game upstairs with a large group! Also, I got to meet and thank Yolanda, who is the current owner of 330 Center Street and she was very nice and gracious and had nice things to say about the gaming community which she allows into to that house for such events for modest fees, all things considered. Now, after a quick lunch, I'm heading back over to the Grand Geneva to play Jasmine with Darlene!
EDIT: I played Jasmine with Darlene (as referee) and three other players and I won! I played Melantha, the malevolent and sneaky Fire Witch, and hung back to win by acquiring three magic items for a victory condition in my castle, since my fighting units were in general weaker than the others. Darlene was a sweetheart and very gracious with hints and help with the rules and keeping play moving along. After that game, I wandered down to the vendor's hall, talked to Allan a bit at the Black Blade Publishing booth and bought a Blu Ray of the documentary "The Dreams in Gary's Basement" which had a screening here but I missed it due to having to work a bit Thursday morning. Allan encouraged me to attend the North Texas RPG Con (near DFW) which I've always heard good things about, and I'm considering that for May. Now, after a long week, I'm back at my cottage and just relaxing and glad to turn in early for a change after typing these notes in front of the fireplace.
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Post by GRWelsh on Mar 24, 2024 15:50:16 GMT -5
This morning I checked out of Seven Oaks and went to the Grand Geneva and played Moose Quest with Tom Wham and 3 other gamers. Scott Wampler, the brother of Jim Wampler, won the game. It's always fun to play with Tom Wham, and I thanked him for the game. After that I walked around the vendor hall one last time and then left to get a healthy salad from the salad bar at Piggly Wiggly since I felt like I needed some vegetables after a week of non-stop carbs and overly rich food (croissants, poppyseed cake, pastries, etc. in my breakfast basket... delicious, but I can't take any more). Now I'm at my gate at O'Hare and have about two hours until I board my flight back to Pittsburgh. It's always a bit sad when a vacation like this is over, but I am thankful that I got to attend this GARY CON! It was wonderful.
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Post by grodog on Mar 26, 2024 16:11:42 GMT -5
At 6 I played DIVINE RIGHT hosted by Matthew Archibald, and also got to play with three people I played the game with last year. We all enjoyed it so much that we returned to play it again! I did not win, but my position had improved and was very strong and when we had to call it on points at midnight. I played with him at F&L and enjoyed my first game a lot. I’m going to pull out my copy for me and Henry to play together soonish. This morning I woke up and everything is covered in snow, and it is still snowing now. I have some time to relax at the cottage before going back over to the Grand Geneva today. Attendance is higher than I've ever seen it before. Yesterday, I had to park down below at the airstrip. They were limiting one car per room at the Grand Geneva, which was a new and unannounced change. The snow didn’t last long but it was pretty! Allan.
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Post by grodog on Mar 26, 2024 16:15:24 GMT -5
Then I attended the seminar hosted by Jay Scott (aka Lord Gosumba), Anna Meyer (the lady who makes all of the realistic looking World of Greyhawk maps) and Ed Greenwood. They shared many maps including what may be the original World of Greyhawk map drawn by EGG for publication and the original Lendore Isle maps drawn by Len Lakofka. From comments I heard later, it sounds like it was an excellent seminar; do you know if Jay streamed/recorded it? Allan.
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