WC defeated the Drow and freed some slaves. Unfortunately, the people we are looking for are not among them. The group decided to return to the surface and find them. We have some new information on their possible whereabouts. On the way, WC investigates a series of caves. The last one surprises us with a Salt Slide (wheeeee!) that deposits us in the midst of some hungry Gnolls eager to chow down on the freshly seasoned adventuring party.
With the Gnolls out of the way, we snoop around the cavern and uncover three wicked traps. Klem finds one way out, but it is extremely dangerous, leading to a sheer cliff face. We decide to check out a ramp leading down deeper into the earth.
WC ends up in a totally creepy room with Piercers falling from the ceiling and reversed gravity. Klem, for example, manages to fall 60 feet UP to the ceiling. What we thought were stalactites turn out to be…critters! They inflict damage when they fall. They are slow moving, so we simply avoid them and choose a different corridor. It leads into a room full of Gnolls and regular dogs. It turns out that dogs don’t like dawg pepper thrown in their faces very much. The dog noises alarm Kylie’s kitten.
Move on to a room with bluish light shining from entry. Passageway leads to a room with a bridge over a shimmering pool of something white and gooey. On the other side of the bridge is a wall of transparent crackling blue fire. The air smells of ozone…like the other room. Smells like a lightning bolt struck near here. A gnoll arm dipped into the goo gets covered in the rubbery substance, but is otherwise unharmed by it. It hardens around the limb.
Kylie and her cat fall in the goo while trying to cross the bridge. They got shocked by the flames and probably hurt. The goo is like syrup, but surprisingly, Kylie and the cat can breathe. Klem jumps in to help them out. Kylie’s foot hits something metal, but she wants to get herself and the cat out of the goo first. Cor goes in to retrieve the object and returns with an invisible sword that seems intelligent! Sweet!
We pass the sword around the group to see who it likes the most. Cor doesn’t think it is an evil sword. I wish Kylie could keep it because she found it, but Cor was the one who went in after it, so I guess that isn't 100% fair.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Three Things
1. I’m signing up for National Novel Writing Month again. The object is to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Believe it or not, it is totally possible. And unlike some people I know, I won’t be cheating. I will actually write an original piece. It will be horrible, because my lack of formal training automatically classifies me in the Peggy Hill dilettante category regardless of what I produce, but the point is I will complete the exercise and I will follow the rules. Yes, I earned those winner badges!
Go to www.nanowrimo.org in October to sign up.
2. For now, I have a job with the HackMaster Association. I’m half of a two-person team keeping track of the errata for HackMaster and Aces & Eights. Of course, as Dave Kenzer pointed out at the Gen Con Meet & Greet, there isn’t any such thing as errata—inconsistencies in the rules are just Easter Eggs deliberately left for careful readers to find! So I guess Snorky and I are Team Easter Egg.
I admit it: I haven’t been as on top of this as I should be. My travel intense summer was a big factor. Initial confusion about my exact responsibility was the other. Fortunately, a lot of things were clarified at Gen Con and now I just have to take a deep breath and begin. I am a little nervous about screwing up because Face has, on numerous occasions, threatened to toss my worthless ass out of the HMA War College if I don’t measure up. So no pressure there, right…? LOL… ***stress ball*** That's why I say "for now I have a job..." *gulp* My own husband is just waiting to drop the hammer on me and I can't say I blame him.
3. I’m a Game Master again! However, I can’t be too specific about this game. It’s a playtest for Advanced HackMaster with Face and three of my friends. =) Face was GM until he decided he wanted to play for a bit, so we switched chairs. So far, the only major obstacle has been all of that travel keeping us from meeting, plus Kira worked for the local Shakespeare Festival all summer and between that and Face’s business trips, we missed a LOT of Sundays. But…I’m a GM again! Yay! Now, if we could just...I dunno...PLAY?
Go to www.nanowrimo.org in October to sign up.
2. For now, I have a job with the HackMaster Association. I’m half of a two-person team keeping track of the errata for HackMaster and Aces & Eights. Of course, as Dave Kenzer pointed out at the Gen Con Meet & Greet, there isn’t any such thing as errata—inconsistencies in the rules are just Easter Eggs deliberately left for careful readers to find! So I guess Snorky and I are Team Easter Egg.
I admit it: I haven’t been as on top of this as I should be. My travel intense summer was a big factor. Initial confusion about my exact responsibility was the other. Fortunately, a lot of things were clarified at Gen Con and now I just have to take a deep breath and begin. I am a little nervous about screwing up because Face has, on numerous occasions, threatened to toss my worthless ass out of the HMA War College if I don’t measure up. So no pressure there, right…? LOL… ***stress ball*** That's why I say "for now I have a job..." *gulp* My own husband is just waiting to drop the hammer on me and I can't say I blame him.
3. I’m a Game Master again! However, I can’t be too specific about this game. It’s a playtest for Advanced HackMaster with Face and three of my friends. =) Face was GM until he decided he wanted to play for a bit, so we switched chairs. So far, the only major obstacle has been all of that travel keeping us from meeting, plus Kira worked for the local Shakespeare Festival all summer and between that and Face’s business trips, we missed a LOT of Sundays. But…I’m a GM again! Yay! Now, if we could just...I dunno...PLAY?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
I'm fully serious about the existance of the garden zombie...
For some reason, this seems cooler on the airplane. Oh well, check out Sky Mall if ya want one for your garden.
Flying
It’s the first day of Fall…
At Sunday’s playtest game, I found two boarding passes stashed in my HackMaster Basic book. On Saturday, I emptied out my computer bag and found a tiny bag of airline peanuts hidden in the corner. (Free peanuts—score!) And on my last stop at the Denver airport, I discovered I recognize some members of the United Red Carpet Club staff from previous trips. I’m not even remotely close to a frequent flier, but I added it up while I was in the dentist chair last week and I think I was on 24 different flights this summer. (I’m counting each connecting flight separately. I think that’s okay since each one has a separate number.) That’s frequent for ME. 24 take-offs, tiny cups of Rum & Coke, little bags of peanuts, descents, and landings. That’s a whole box of Benadryl!!
Benadryl is my flying friend because I get a little nervous when the plane shakes. What they call unexpected turbulence or “chop” I call Stop Shaking the Freaking Plane! It’s not a fear of flying, it’s a fear of the engines stopping and suddenly gliding or plummeting INSTEAD of flying. Yeah, the flying part is cake and the cake is not a lie. But I thought I might be afraid because sometimes I sit there thinking “I gotta get off this thing RIGHT NOW.” Mostly, I turn on the iPod and forget where I am—thanks to the Benadryl which is great for motion sickness and sleeping, especially when mixed with alcohol.
Then I read this article in that magazine United Airlines sticks in the seat pocket with the airsickness bag, the horrifically drawn safety card, and the coveted Sky Mall, which is so cool because you can order a Garden Zombie! It is the top half of a zombie and he looks like he’s clawing his way out of the ground. Brains! I love him. So I usually look in the Sky Mall to see if the Garden Zombie is still available and how cool he’d look in the yard and then I look at the other one, which is mostly travel articles and ads for rich people. The Delta magazine is cool because it has pictures of the planes in the back so you can see what your CRJ-700 looks like next to a 757: small.
Anyway, this travel writer talked about jet lag—how everyone always offered him cures for it—and that he really didn’t mind the disoriented feeling because it was so amazing how far he could travel on a plane in just a day. The jet lag was a reminder of how amazingly cool it is to fall asleep in the United States and wake up in China. And I thought, maybe THIS is what happens to me. I’m not afraid of flying—I’m just hundreds of miles from my pets and I didn’t have to walk, run, or trudge through the wilderness for months to get there. This shiny metal tube with wings, beverage service, and tiny bags of peanuts got me to the Midwest 7 times in one summer while I watched a Family Guy marathon.
And then we have this Ladies of Hack picture from the HMA Night Out at Gen Con 2009:
Tash came all the way from Australia for Gen Con. We’ll probably never get all of these Ladies of Hack in the same room again…but you never know. Planes get bigger and faster all the time and with luck the air travel industry won’t completely tank in the next few years… ^^ As long as Face's boss never retires, things should be fine. =)
You gotta get on that plane to go to Gen Con. Or at least, I gotta get on that plane because I don’t live anywhere near Chattanooga, South Bend, Waukegan (the movie), Manchester, Waukegan (the sequel), Columbus, Manchester (the return), Indianapolis, Des Moines, Bloomfield, or Waukegan (the trilogy is now complete).
So I decided what I really have is a healthy respect for flying and a five-year-old kid’s need to watch planes take off. Wowww… =) I also had the BEST Summer yet.
Yay for Summer!
At Sunday’s playtest game, I found two boarding passes stashed in my HackMaster Basic book. On Saturday, I emptied out my computer bag and found a tiny bag of airline peanuts hidden in the corner. (Free peanuts—score!) And on my last stop at the Denver airport, I discovered I recognize some members of the United Red Carpet Club staff from previous trips. I’m not even remotely close to a frequent flier, but I added it up while I was in the dentist chair last week and I think I was on 24 different flights this summer. (I’m counting each connecting flight separately. I think that’s okay since each one has a separate number.) That’s frequent for ME. 24 take-offs, tiny cups of Rum & Coke, little bags of peanuts, descents, and landings. That’s a whole box of Benadryl!!
Benadryl is my flying friend because I get a little nervous when the plane shakes. What they call unexpected turbulence or “chop” I call Stop Shaking the Freaking Plane! It’s not a fear of flying, it’s a fear of the engines stopping and suddenly gliding or plummeting INSTEAD of flying. Yeah, the flying part is cake and the cake is not a lie. But I thought I might be afraid because sometimes I sit there thinking “I gotta get off this thing RIGHT NOW.” Mostly, I turn on the iPod and forget where I am—thanks to the Benadryl which is great for motion sickness and sleeping, especially when mixed with alcohol.
Then I read this article in that magazine United Airlines sticks in the seat pocket with the airsickness bag, the horrifically drawn safety card, and the coveted Sky Mall, which is so cool because you can order a Garden Zombie! It is the top half of a zombie and he looks like he’s clawing his way out of the ground. Brains! I love him. So I usually look in the Sky Mall to see if the Garden Zombie is still available and how cool he’d look in the yard and then I look at the other one, which is mostly travel articles and ads for rich people. The Delta magazine is cool because it has pictures of the planes in the back so you can see what your CRJ-700 looks like next to a 757: small.
Anyway, this travel writer talked about jet lag—how everyone always offered him cures for it—and that he really didn’t mind the disoriented feeling because it was so amazing how far he could travel on a plane in just a day. The jet lag was a reminder of how amazingly cool it is to fall asleep in the United States and wake up in China. And I thought, maybe THIS is what happens to me. I’m not afraid of flying—I’m just hundreds of miles from my pets and I didn’t have to walk, run, or trudge through the wilderness for months to get there. This shiny metal tube with wings, beverage service, and tiny bags of peanuts got me to the Midwest 7 times in one summer while I watched a Family Guy marathon.
And then we have this Ladies of Hack picture from the HMA Night Out at Gen Con 2009:
Tash came all the way from Australia for Gen Con. We’ll probably never get all of these Ladies of Hack in the same room again…but you never know. Planes get bigger and faster all the time and with luck the air travel industry won’t completely tank in the next few years… ^^ As long as Face's boss never retires, things should be fine. =)
You gotta get on that plane to go to Gen Con. Or at least, I gotta get on that plane because I don’t live anywhere near Chattanooga, South Bend, Waukegan (the movie), Manchester, Waukegan (the sequel), Columbus, Manchester (the return), Indianapolis, Des Moines, Bloomfield, or Waukegan (the trilogy is now complete).
So I decided what I really have is a healthy respect for flying and a five-year-old kid’s need to watch planes take off. Wowww… =) I also had the BEST Summer yet.
Yay for Summer!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Watch City: Back From the Break
We found a trapdoor and climbed down the ladder underneath. Kylie cut her hand on a rung. There was a poison on the ladder that made her fall asleep. She fell off the ladder and landed on the thief and one of the Dwarves. After sleeping for a short time—maybe fifteen minutes—she woke and was ready to continue.
First room: Two Worgs, barking loudly. That was an easy one for Klem and the fighters.
Next room: About 67 Hobgoblins and a spellcaster. Lightning Bolt spell kills Hiram and knocks fighters down by about half their hit points. Kylie gets hit, but stays up. (Hope her cat is okay…)
Big melee follows… I had Kylie cast her last Invisibility on herself in the hope I could do something helpful, but I never got that big idea. The fighting types took over as usual. *sigh* Trashed from a long day at work, I dozed while they kicked ass. Was tapped for spells anyway.
It’s never been this hard to find a place with a group. Remember my previous Watch City PC—ugly, frigid, faithless cleric Jenya? *Twitch* My PCs just flat out don’t belong here. This game is about Klem the Troubleshooter and his Fighter support. At this point, I figure my only solution is to roll up a generic Fighter type and join the melee.
First room: Two Worgs, barking loudly. That was an easy one for Klem and the fighters.
Next room: About 67 Hobgoblins and a spellcaster. Lightning Bolt spell kills Hiram and knocks fighters down by about half their hit points. Kylie gets hit, but stays up. (Hope her cat is okay…)
Big melee follows… I had Kylie cast her last Invisibility on herself in the hope I could do something helpful, but I never got that big idea. The fighting types took over as usual. *sigh* Trashed from a long day at work, I dozed while they kicked ass. Was tapped for spells anyway.
It’s never been this hard to find a place with a group. Remember my previous Watch City PC—ugly, frigid, faithless cleric Jenya? *Twitch* My PCs just flat out don’t belong here. This game is about Klem the Troubleshooter and his Fighter support. At this point, I figure my only solution is to roll up a generic Fighter type and join the melee.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Caturday
Kasandra clued me in to this.
I usually like to do the opposite of what people expect. For example, I'm a girl who is not a huge fan of "Sex and the City." So when these guys said I couldn't post pictures of cats on the internet, I said...isn't that what the internet is FOR? Cute cat pics and porn, right? You don't seriously think the internet is for...business, communication, or science or something...?
Anyway, happy Caturday from Obie and Krystal.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Girl With A Sharpie
I helped out for several years at a conference called The Moment of Change. I have a perfect attendance record for this conference, at least, up until now. Sadly, I can’t attend this year. Who knew I actually like The Breakers? I’m honestly disappointed. There goes my perfect attendance record! I never had one of those before.
It’s one of those little things that matter.
The reason I bring up Moment of Change is, the first year the conference was held I “helped” at the Registration desk. Since it was the first one, the organizers were still working things out and the result was I ended up alone at the desk in the afternoon with no information about the hotel, the schedule, or the continuing education credits you could earn by attending. A nightmare? Yes. In short, I wish I could get a free pass to this conference for LIFE in exchange for that afternoon. I’m a shy person and it was no fun at all taking verbal punches from frustrated conference goers about my lack of knowledge. By the time I manufactured my escape, I wanted to crawl into my hotel room and never come out again.
I had similar experiences at a few subsequent conferences before the organizers got smart and hired a professional to run Registration. After all, this is an important place. People need to feel welcome and important, especially if they paid a lot of money to be there. Leaving it in the hands of the comically inept—me—was not in their best interest. Because of The Moment of Change, I have tons of sympathy for anyone who volunteers for the Registration job. I also learned a few things. One of those lessons is people who pay several hundred dollars to attend a conference like to have their names and titles spelled neatly and correctly on their badges AND have those badges printed by an actual electronic printer as opposed to the lower tech option known as Girl with a Sharpie.
I didn’t realize the importance of this until the interventionists brought it up. Many of them have certifications represented by an assortment of letters that make their conference badges look like word finds. And it is really important they have those titles on there. So Girl with a Sharpie has to make sure all the letters are in order and easy to read. My printing is nice, I’m careful when I copy the information, but it still doesn’t compare to a neat computer generated badge.
Gen Con totally reinforced my opinion that everyone deserves a nicely printed badge. I registered for Gen Con at the door this year. I had a little card to print my name and contact information on. Since I have nice printing—and I’m not exaggerating here, I totally do—I honestly did not expect the Girl with a Sharpie to completely and illegibly scrawl my name across the little paper Gen Con badge. She looked at it for a moment after reversing two letters in my last name, blacked out the mistake, and continued. Her only comment was “oops” before handing it to me. I looked at the badge, looked at her, looked at the badge again and, thanks to years of verbal abuse from other customers and that blasted sympathy for Registration workers, held my wrath when what I really wanted to say was: “Are you kidding me? I just paid $80 for this weekend. I’m working at this convention. I’m representing Kenzer & Company and you want me to walk around wearing this? It looks like I can’t spell my own name! And you think this is acceptable?”
I walked away miserable, especially when I saw Face’s neatly printed Kenzer & Company Exhibitor’s badge. I felt totally jealous, ridiculous, and small. It is really amazing how important that little name tag is. I was even thinking how I didn’t want to put it on the board with my other con badges—it was that bad!
I was able to get it fixed Thursday morning before any of my events began. It took a few moments for the con staff to figure out what to do with it because they were carefully tracking the badges. Finally, one of them agreed to swap it out and let me write my own name—which I spelled correctly! The whole thing left me wondering why Gen Con did not have the ability to print badges at the desk like Origins can—and The Moment of Change. Almost 30,000 people went to Gen Con this year. I think that is enough attendance to pay for a printer. The Moment of Change has one and they didn’t have 30,000 people (I’d know if they did because I’d be insane now).
So here is some friendly advice for all of you Registration desk workers out there. I fully appreciate how much thankless work goes into it, but please remember to be kind to your guests. If you are the Girl with the Sharpie, you have to wield it responsibly. =) Better yet, invest in a nice printer!
It’s one of those little things that matter.
The reason I bring up Moment of Change is, the first year the conference was held I “helped” at the Registration desk. Since it was the first one, the organizers were still working things out and the result was I ended up alone at the desk in the afternoon with no information about the hotel, the schedule, or the continuing education credits you could earn by attending. A nightmare? Yes. In short, I wish I could get a free pass to this conference for LIFE in exchange for that afternoon. I’m a shy person and it was no fun at all taking verbal punches from frustrated conference goers about my lack of knowledge. By the time I manufactured my escape, I wanted to crawl into my hotel room and never come out again.
I had similar experiences at a few subsequent conferences before the organizers got smart and hired a professional to run Registration. After all, this is an important place. People need to feel welcome and important, especially if they paid a lot of money to be there. Leaving it in the hands of the comically inept—me—was not in their best interest. Because of The Moment of Change, I have tons of sympathy for anyone who volunteers for the Registration job. I also learned a few things. One of those lessons is people who pay several hundred dollars to attend a conference like to have their names and titles spelled neatly and correctly on their badges AND have those badges printed by an actual electronic printer as opposed to the lower tech option known as Girl with a Sharpie.
I didn’t realize the importance of this until the interventionists brought it up. Many of them have certifications represented by an assortment of letters that make their conference badges look like word finds. And it is really important they have those titles on there. So Girl with a Sharpie has to make sure all the letters are in order and easy to read. My printing is nice, I’m careful when I copy the information, but it still doesn’t compare to a neat computer generated badge.
Gen Con totally reinforced my opinion that everyone deserves a nicely printed badge. I registered for Gen Con at the door this year. I had a little card to print my name and contact information on. Since I have nice printing—and I’m not exaggerating here, I totally do—I honestly did not expect the Girl with a Sharpie to completely and illegibly scrawl my name across the little paper Gen Con badge. She looked at it for a moment after reversing two letters in my last name, blacked out the mistake, and continued. Her only comment was “oops” before handing it to me. I looked at the badge, looked at her, looked at the badge again and, thanks to years of verbal abuse from other customers and that blasted sympathy for Registration workers, held my wrath when what I really wanted to say was: “Are you kidding me? I just paid $80 for this weekend. I’m working at this convention. I’m representing Kenzer & Company and you want me to walk around wearing this? It looks like I can’t spell my own name! And you think this is acceptable?”
I walked away miserable, especially when I saw Face’s neatly printed Kenzer & Company Exhibitor’s badge. I felt totally jealous, ridiculous, and small. It is really amazing how important that little name tag is. I was even thinking how I didn’t want to put it on the board with my other con badges—it was that bad!
I was able to get it fixed Thursday morning before any of my events began. It took a few moments for the con staff to figure out what to do with it because they were carefully tracking the badges. Finally, one of them agreed to swap it out and let me write my own name—which I spelled correctly! The whole thing left me wondering why Gen Con did not have the ability to print badges at the desk like Origins can—and The Moment of Change. Almost 30,000 people went to Gen Con this year. I think that is enough attendance to pay for a printer. The Moment of Change has one and they didn’t have 30,000 people (I’d know if they did because I’d be insane now).
So here is some friendly advice for all of you Registration desk workers out there. I fully appreciate how much thankless work goes into it, but please remember to be kind to your guests. If you are the Girl with the Sharpie, you have to wield it responsibly. =) Better yet, invest in a nice printer!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Not an Empty Promise
Yeah, I realize how it sounds when I say, "I'll post about Gen Con later!" Later doesn't always happen. I promise later will be soon. =^^= Until then, here is a picture of Face wearing the giant Munchkin head. =)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Waking Up From Gen Con
Back from Gen Con.
Gamed/partied/chilled with great friends!
There was gaming.
Hacknarok happened.
I bought stuff.
It rocked.
I'm still in the not-quite-awake stage. My head hurts and I have a little upper respiratory infection action going on. Fortunately, the cold held its attack until the Con was over. I think I did this con all the way... =^^= Pictures and stories in the werks. Just gotta get oriented. Now where did I put my cats...?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Gen Con Survival 201
Gen Con 2009 is my 19th gaming convention. Hmm. It might be 20th. My old badges are stuck to a corkboard in my cat’s bedroom. Yes, my cat has a room—to escape the dog. I use it, too, for toys, books, and…con badges! I just counted them. I feel like one is missing, but I can’t be sure.
So, 18 (or 19) conventions is probably enough of a background to relate a little bit of advice on how to survive one. In order to survive Gen Con 2009, which begins in just a few days and includes its very own iPhone app, I need advice. My con-experienced self has agreed to provide some.
Have a good packing list. I made one for Origins this year and managed to pack everything I needed. Well, I forgot razor blades, but that was only because I thought I had one in the razor. So check your razor, too, because a gamer girl should never have sandpaper legs.
You need copies of all your character sheets even if you think you are only going to need one or two out of the gang. You never know what will happen or if the group will suddenly need a Pixie Fairy thief. I have my PC sheets on a thumb drive and saved in my email inbox so I have options. Worst case, there is usually a Kinko’s nearby or the hotel business center to print one up. It’s easiest just to throw together a binder or folder with hard copies and don’t decide to leave it at home to save weight in the luggage because the stupid dumb airlines are jerks... Paper isn’t going to make that big of a difference.
Take care of yourself. This is really hard since there is minimal time to sleep. Really try to get at least six hours sleep a night so you don’t turn into Cranky Hell Bitch. If a guy loses it, he usually gets points for being tired, overworked, or that’s just how he is. If a girl loses it, she is a high-maintenance bitch forever. No, it isn’t fair, but that’s life. Get some sleep, brush your teeth, drink water, take five, and/or do what you need to do to keep your cool.
Eat when you can and eat as healthy as you can. You need the energy and a steady diet of Mountain Dew and carbohydrates doesn’t cut it. Not to mention what it does to your girlish figure. It is so hard to do this when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, but try. I find myself missing out on adequate vegetables and protein, so be aware of what you’re snacking on.
Drink water whenever you can. This is super important! I’m muy parched when my plane lands, mostly because I HATE using the teeny airplane bathroom so I don’t drink anything prior to my flight if I can help it. Then I have to chug all the water in sight. This is fine, when I remember to do it. It is really easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to drink. This time I’m going to pack my water bottle. I love my Camelbak water bottle and for some reason, I always remember to drink more when I have it.
Use the camera! I carry one everywhere and somehow forget to use it most of the time. I’m disappointed in how few pictures I have from last year’s Gen Con. I don’t have much from Origins 2009, either, so my goal this week will be to fill my memory card each day. Actually, I used the iPhone a lot to upload pictures to Twitter, which was easy and fun, but the quality isn’t great.
Bring more than one pair of shoes. If you have a great pair of comfortable shoes you can wear every day and can get away with it, awesome. For me, the same shoes every day equals massive blisters and limping around the exhibitors’ hall during teardown wondering why you ever thought you could tromp around Origins for five days in the same pair of black leather platform sandals no matter how comfy they are. I learned from experience to suck it up, accept the fact my husband will mock me to whoever will listen, and bring several pairs of nice shoes. Yeah, it is girly, but cons mean long hours on your feet. Do what YOU have to do to be comfortable. Forget what other people say—including me if you think your Keens will get you through the week. I highly recommend a mix of shoe types, too.
Bring your dice, notebook, and something to write with. Okay, this should be an easy-peasy one, and I’m really good at it--I have enough writing implements to make an engineer proud--but you wouldn’t believe how many people show up to an event without the basics. If you need it at your home game, you probably need it here, and…seriously, who doesn’t bring dice to a tabletop RPG?
The con is what you make it. Go in with a positive attitude and expect to have a good time. After all, Christmas only comes once a year and so does Gen Con. I need help with this one today. Without going into unnecessary detail, I’m worried about a lot of things pertaining to this year’s Gen Con. If you think about it…there is always something to freak out about. OMG…what if…? Sorry, didn’t mean to freak you out there. You’re thinking about that Horrid Problem, aren’t you? Okay, at least you know what it is. Now decide how you’re going to deal with it. Cry like a little girl, or refuse to let that little freak out ruin your week. Be responsible for your attitude and your own good time.
So, 18 (or 19) conventions is probably enough of a background to relate a little bit of advice on how to survive one. In order to survive Gen Con 2009, which begins in just a few days and includes its very own iPhone app, I need advice. My con-experienced self has agreed to provide some.
Have a good packing list. I made one for Origins this year and managed to pack everything I needed. Well, I forgot razor blades, but that was only because I thought I had one in the razor. So check your razor, too, because a gamer girl should never have sandpaper legs.
You need copies of all your character sheets even if you think you are only going to need one or two out of the gang. You never know what will happen or if the group will suddenly need a Pixie Fairy thief. I have my PC sheets on a thumb drive and saved in my email inbox so I have options. Worst case, there is usually a Kinko’s nearby or the hotel business center to print one up. It’s easiest just to throw together a binder or folder with hard copies and don’t decide to leave it at home to save weight in the luggage because the stupid dumb airlines are jerks... Paper isn’t going to make that big of a difference.
Take care of yourself. This is really hard since there is minimal time to sleep. Really try to get at least six hours sleep a night so you don’t turn into Cranky Hell Bitch. If a guy loses it, he usually gets points for being tired, overworked, or that’s just how he is. If a girl loses it, she is a high-maintenance bitch forever. No, it isn’t fair, but that’s life. Get some sleep, brush your teeth, drink water, take five, and/or do what you need to do to keep your cool.
Eat when you can and eat as healthy as you can. You need the energy and a steady diet of Mountain Dew and carbohydrates doesn’t cut it. Not to mention what it does to your girlish figure. It is so hard to do this when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, but try. I find myself missing out on adequate vegetables and protein, so be aware of what you’re snacking on.
Drink water whenever you can. This is super important! I’m muy parched when my plane lands, mostly because I HATE using the teeny airplane bathroom so I don’t drink anything prior to my flight if I can help it. Then I have to chug all the water in sight. This is fine, when I remember to do it. It is really easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to drink. This time I’m going to pack my water bottle. I love my Camelbak water bottle and for some reason, I always remember to drink more when I have it.
Use the camera! I carry one everywhere and somehow forget to use it most of the time. I’m disappointed in how few pictures I have from last year’s Gen Con. I don’t have much from Origins 2009, either, so my goal this week will be to fill my memory card each day. Actually, I used the iPhone a lot to upload pictures to Twitter, which was easy and fun, but the quality isn’t great.
Bring more than one pair of shoes. If you have a great pair of comfortable shoes you can wear every day and can get away with it, awesome. For me, the same shoes every day equals massive blisters and limping around the exhibitors’ hall during teardown wondering why you ever thought you could tromp around Origins for five days in the same pair of black leather platform sandals no matter how comfy they are. I learned from experience to suck it up, accept the fact my husband will mock me to whoever will listen, and bring several pairs of nice shoes. Yeah, it is girly, but cons mean long hours on your feet. Do what YOU have to do to be comfortable. Forget what other people say—including me if you think your Keens will get you through the week. I highly recommend a mix of shoe types, too.
Bring your dice, notebook, and something to write with. Okay, this should be an easy-peasy one, and I’m really good at it--I have enough writing implements to make an engineer proud--but you wouldn’t believe how many people show up to an event without the basics. If you need it at your home game, you probably need it here, and…seriously, who doesn’t bring dice to a tabletop RPG?
The con is what you make it. Go in with a positive attitude and expect to have a good time. After all, Christmas only comes once a year and so does Gen Con. I need help with this one today. Without going into unnecessary detail, I’m worried about a lot of things pertaining to this year’s Gen Con. If you think about it…there is always something to freak out about. OMG…what if…? Sorry, didn’t mean to freak you out there. You’re thinking about that Horrid Problem, aren’t you? Okay, at least you know what it is. Now decide how you’re going to deal with it. Cry like a little girl, or refuse to let that little freak out ruin your week. Be responsible for your attitude and your own good time.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Watch City Catch Up
GM Bill cancelled tonight's session because we would not have a full group and he believes we need one for the next level of the dungeon. Forshadowing!
I don’t have notes for last Friday’s session. I think I was exceptionally tired and focused on keeping track of loot. From memory:
We found the kitchen! It was full of Orcs, Hobgoblins, and I believe a couple human slavers, plus some really nasty “food.” Most of the session was spent dealing the smackdown on those guys. Kylie wasn’t able to do much. She has a quirk called Wild Gestures that basically means she is really theatrical about the somatic parts of her spells. She has to have room to cast and it can take her twice as long as the spell actually requires. I envision her performing graceful Sailor Moon-style poses, but it really means she gets in the way--just like me! Anyway, Kylie was stuck in the hall behind several teammates, unable to get close enough to see what was happening and still be able to cast. The other problem is the kitten she rescued after the guys tried to set fire to it. Klemwinkle is allergic to cats...apparently even in his new Elf form...and he was one of the guys camped in the doorway. As soon as she got within fifteen feet of him, he was totally useless.
Talk about feeling unwelcome.
Let me say: Frustrated!
I don’t try to be useless, but I am SO GOOD AT IT. I’m not sure I fully like playing the Mage, which I guess is supposed to mean I’m a bad GM…or not cut out to GM…or something like that. GMs like to play Magic Users. Not that I have ever in my whole life even pretended to think I was worth the air I breathe, but fighters and rangers are muy fun…and I’m sorry if that means I should "give up the Shield."
After clearing the kitchen, Kylie and the other magic users took care of the looting while the fighters and the thief rested up. Then a few of us went poking around the kitchen looking for more loot. In one room we discovered what the guys eloquently referred to as the Future Bacon: a wild boar. And it was very very angry. We closed the door before it got out and debated killing it for a few minutes before choosing to just leave it alone—the fighters were pretty tired out anyway.
Another door in the kitchen led to basic sleeping quarters—possibly belonging to a cook. We found a few indicators that the occupant of the room might be blind. On a totally unrelated note, we opened a closet in this room that happened to have a female figure with an odd multi-serpent hairdo chained to the wall. Yeah. That. Everybody made Saving Throws and tried to pretend we were all looking the other way when the door opened. =) Whatever. I bravely rolled my d20…like Kylie was looking at her shoes and not into the room. Fortunately, everyone looking made their Saves and the Medusa didn’t make statues out of any of us.
Wow, Klem closed that door faster than he closed the door to the Future Bacon!
We discussed and dismissed a plan involving blindly firing Earnie’s heavy crossbow into the room in favor of flooding the room with oil through a hole cut in the door and burning the Medusa. End of session.
I'm rethinking the idea of giving Kylie a Sidekick or a Protege. Considered it a few months ago, but decided I'd rather try doing a better job playing the PC I already had. Unfortunately, it isn't working out. Kylie is a lot better than my previous Watch City PC, the sadistic, faithless, frigid Cleric Jenya, but I still can't get into it like the guys do. This game is really all about the fighters. I'm thinking Kylie should befriend one as a bodyguard. Soon.
I don’t have notes for last Friday’s session. I think I was exceptionally tired and focused on keeping track of loot. From memory:
We found the kitchen! It was full of Orcs, Hobgoblins, and I believe a couple human slavers, plus some really nasty “food.” Most of the session was spent dealing the smackdown on those guys. Kylie wasn’t able to do much. She has a quirk called Wild Gestures that basically means she is really theatrical about the somatic parts of her spells. She has to have room to cast and it can take her twice as long as the spell actually requires. I envision her performing graceful Sailor Moon-style poses, but it really means she gets in the way--just like me! Anyway, Kylie was stuck in the hall behind several teammates, unable to get close enough to see what was happening and still be able to cast. The other problem is the kitten she rescued after the guys tried to set fire to it. Klemwinkle is allergic to cats...apparently even in his new Elf form...and he was one of the guys camped in the doorway. As soon as she got within fifteen feet of him, he was totally useless.
Talk about feeling unwelcome.
Let me say: Frustrated!
I don’t try to be useless, but I am SO GOOD AT IT. I’m not sure I fully like playing the Mage, which I guess is supposed to mean I’m a bad GM…or not cut out to GM…or something like that. GMs like to play Magic Users. Not that I have ever in my whole life even pretended to think I was worth the air I breathe, but fighters and rangers are muy fun…and I’m sorry if that means I should "give up the Shield."
After clearing the kitchen, Kylie and the other magic users took care of the looting while the fighters and the thief rested up. Then a few of us went poking around the kitchen looking for more loot. In one room we discovered what the guys eloquently referred to as the Future Bacon: a wild boar. And it was very very angry. We closed the door before it got out and debated killing it for a few minutes before choosing to just leave it alone—the fighters were pretty tired out anyway.
Another door in the kitchen led to basic sleeping quarters—possibly belonging to a cook. We found a few indicators that the occupant of the room might be blind. On a totally unrelated note, we opened a closet in this room that happened to have a female figure with an odd multi-serpent hairdo chained to the wall. Yeah. That. Everybody made Saving Throws and tried to pretend we were all looking the other way when the door opened. =) Whatever. I bravely rolled my d20…like Kylie was looking at her shoes and not into the room. Fortunately, everyone looking made their Saves and the Medusa didn’t make statues out of any of us.
Wow, Klem closed that door faster than he closed the door to the Future Bacon!
We discussed and dismissed a plan involving blindly firing Earnie’s heavy crossbow into the room in favor of flooding the room with oil through a hole cut in the door and burning the Medusa. End of session.
I'm rethinking the idea of giving Kylie a Sidekick or a Protege. Considered it a few months ago, but decided I'd rather try doing a better job playing the PC I already had. Unfortunately, it isn't working out. Kylie is a lot better than my previous Watch City PC, the sadistic, faithless, frigid Cleric Jenya, but I still can't get into it like the guys do. This game is really all about the fighters. I'm thinking Kylie should befriend one as a bodyguard. Soon.
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