Saturday, August 30, 2014

Sezrekan says: Suck it up, princess.

This summer has been quite the funnel.

Harbingers of doom and elation:
-Interstate DCC RPG Road Crew. / +2 hirelings
-FLGS closed. / -4 turnip farmers / +14 sad faces
-OMG GEN CON!!!11!!! / +1 billionty faces put to names / +18 friends / -4 bards / -1 voice
-Commit to playtesting without having a group in play. / +2 Chutzpah
-New FLGS, roughly the same distance from home. / +1 Luck
-Next DCC game is officially scheduled...nearly 4 months after the last game. / -3 Confidence

Okay, so I haven't posted since the first two items. Which is silly, when I think about it, since it is still easier at this point to type than to talk! (Evidence: Spellburn episode 28.) It's been nearly 2 weeks since we left Indianapolis, where we were singing, talking, yelling, hawking, and gaming - in that order - for 5 days straight (and, on my end, forgetting to eat for two of those days). I still feel rough around the edges. Con lag?

Gen Con reviews have been done. I'll let them lie as is, particularly with the latest Spellburn episode already hitting the web {because +Jim Wampler is amazing}. The best blog recap I've seen is this piece from +Edgar Johnson.

That said, there are a few tidbits I didn't prattle on about with the Judges J earlier...

Rather than prowling for gaming and chance interactions, this year it seemed that I was on the periphery of everyone else's awesome experiences. I was fortunate enough to witness some of the happiest (and even most personal) moments of some people's con. I found myself content to stand back and watch other people having a great time - not because I was spent (although the lack of food may have had some effect, in retrospect) - but because I needed to witness the glory that was 30-40 DCC RPG fans crammed together and interconnected in play while spread across 5 tables, whether they realized it at the time or not. I was in the right place at the right time to assist with the 3PP sales, thus being thrown into the instant camaraderie within the Goodman Games booth.

Truth be told, losing our FLGS and a dear friend (whom we'd expected to see at Gen Con) within the same week ripped the rug out from under me so badly... I needed to get my breath back, find my legs again, regain some steam and rejuvenate my enthusiasm level. Immersing myself within the DCC community - and being so heartily embraced by it in return - really did my soul good. And it's YOU that I have to thank for that.

(Stop looking around. You know I mean you. Whether you took time out to ask how I was doing, offered me food or coffee, or it took you a minute to realize I was "that Jen", you were exactly what I needed, and I hope your con experience was just as great.)

Side note: Holy crap, that first autograph request was humbling. "You mean you've never signed a CD?" came the response. Of course. But there's still a level of anonymity there. The listener takes home a disc and hears me (and others) do the same thing over and over. They may be able to pick my voice out of the group, but they don't progressively get to know me by way of a semimonthly recorded conversation where I don't get a second take if I flub a line. There's a weird level of intimacy, somehow. It's both thrilling and terrifying.

Cover (Kovacs, of course) for an upcoming release.
My players may recognize parts from one of last year's playtests...

Now, on to current events...
A new friendly semi-local gaming store (still ~90 mi r/t) opened in Fort Myers, exactly 2 months to the day of 2D10's closing. Their major selling points are two private rooms, 400 and 500 sq ft each, and owners who are excited about us running open tables. We're going to start with the hubby's 1st Ed. D&D game for a couple of weekends so we can get used to the space, and I can try to catch up with everything [including real life crap] that's waiting on me. I pray to Sezrekan that I'm able to swing it with only minor corruption.

"The Chronicles of the Carnifex," as I've come to think of them, shall resume on September 28th.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Get your DCC RPG on at Gen Con!

Chances are, if you've been playing DCC for any amount of time, you have some (if not all) of the 3PP out there. But do your friends? Bring 'em over to Goodman Games, booth #525, and get them stocked up on all the crack! Party members can't make it to the con? There's still time to take their orders & money! If you're new to the game or to the community, it'll be your perfect chance to get your paws on these...


Crawl! - the staple for any judge, featuring the brand-spanking-new Issue #10

Metal Gods of Ur-Hadad - turning DCC up to 11, Issue #2 will be out just in time for the madness [of Doug Kon]

Crawljammer - part DCC + part Spelljammer = all awesome

Crawling Under a Broken Moon - entertaining Thundarr-inspired seeds for taking DCC off the beaten path

Well of Souls [not pictured] - newly-published level 0 adventure, already a must-have

and...
We also have a limited number of Tales from the Fallen Empire, if you're one of those people (like me) who hasn't gotten around to ordering it: full setting book {and screen} for post-apocalyptic play in ancient realms. Available in hard cover and trade paperback.

Don't forget the ongoing DCC RPG events: 

The Seven Pits of Sezrekan, the first DCC RPG funnel tournament. (I'm posting the image because I'm hopelessly smitten with this work...oh, and it may help you with your scheduling.) The only tickets required are generics, so it's perfect for those of us who weren't able to get into any of the on-book games. I know I'll be trying to jump in whenever I can sneak off-stage and out of the Goodman and/or Marooned booths...

Wednesday through Saturday evenings, join us in the Embassy Suites lobby for after-hours shenanigans, fondly referred to as Doug Kon. This year, bring your favorite PC from another game (especially the Sezrekan funnel) and try to Escape from Catastrophe Island.

Friday evening at 8:00PM, we'll all be gathering at the Crowne Plaza for the "What's New with Goodman Games" seminar. It promises to be just as entertaining as the Gary Con precursor. (Doug Kon will commence afterward that night.)


I look forward to seeing everyone! **








**Teeny-tiny personal caveat: Thurs/Fri/Sat, I will be in costume from open to close. Do not judge. I AM NOT COSPLAYING. This is my uniform. It's why I'm here in the first place, guys. Gen Con has asked us to be here because we're not plastic, off-the-rack pirates. =)