D&D is for everyone, and more families are playing the game than ever before! Learn from experts in kid-focused D&D play on how to make your experiences with kids exciting and memorable!
Arid landscapes present a huge variety of scenes, interesting terrain, and challenging conditions. A GM/geologist highlights unusual story elements that can enliven your next desert adventure.
Description:
Desert landscapes are classic settings for adventures, yet they hold lots of unexplored potential for plot twists and gaming experiences. Even before adding fantastic elements to a desert setting, a GM can draw on a rich array of arid region landforms and natural processes to give distinctive environmental character to a campaign. We’ll talk about worse hazards than snakes, unexpected barriers to movement, and problems with too little and too much water. We’ll visit hogbacks, star dunes, badlands, rock windows, arroyos, hoodoos, and other weird spots. This session gives GMs, game designers, and writers (any genre) a chance to discuss story opportunities and gameplay factors with a GM/geologist. Scott Rice-Snow is author of 'Landscapes for Writers and Game Masters - Building Authentic Natural Terrain into Imagined Worlds', from McFarland Books.
2 of the brothers behind Terraforming Mars talk about what makes a game good - or bad! As designers, their focus is to make games where the underlying theme shapes all other choices. Time for Q&A.
Join us for an interactive discussion on how to start and maintain a long-running RPG Campaign Learn tips and tricks from module creation and story arcs to home brew character sheets and mechanics.
Description:
Each panelist has run or participated in a campaign that has lasted numerous years, with the longest being over 35+ years. While we allotted 50 minutes for last year's panel, attendees asked for more time for questions -- so this year we have allocated 90 minutes. If you need to leave early, it's no problem.
Diaspora and Dragons: How POC's can get into and influence TTRPG's
Summary:
The Cast of the Gimme Da Loot podcast and their collaborators will discuss the on ramps, challenges, and opportunities for POC players in the TTRPG space.
Description:
The Cast of the Gimme Da Loot podcast and their collaborators will discuss the on ramps, challenges, and opportunities for POC players in the TTRPG space. Topics include updating character concepts to be more inclusive, resources for new players, and how POC's are the future of TTRPG's.
Dice are not fair; they cannot be manufactured precisely. However, some dice are fairer than others. See the latest dice testing information and a dice mechanic that rolls fair with unfair dice.
Description:
No dice are fair because you cannot manufacture them with absolute geometrical precision. The closest we can come are D6 casino dice whose manufacture is controlled by Federal and state gaming laws. They are machined to within a few ten thousandths of an inch and the material of the pips (spots) has the same density as the body of the dice. In contrast, D20s are especially problematic, because it is difficult to precisely manufacture a perfect icosahedron. For this reason, we have focused on D20s. Though all dice are unfair, some are very close to fair, and some are not. Using tens of thousands of physical dice rolls, and billions of simulated dice rolls, we have studied several statistical methods for testing dice with special attention on the power of the test. We will also show you a dice mechanic that rolls fair even with unfair dice.
Dinner & Dice Rolls - On Feeding your Adventuring Party
Summary:
This panel explores food's role in world-building and story development. Whether you're a writer, DM, or player, we'll help you go beyond the basic stew and brew with tips and free recipe cards!
Have you ever been interested in building your own fan festival, convention, or event? Maybe just making one that you are currently running run better and smoother?
Description:
If we have piqued your interest, attend my seminar and learn some of the highlights and pitfalls to avoid in running your own show. With nearly twenty-five years of experience in the trade show industry, I can provide you with real world examples of problems and how to avoid them, as well as how to begin the construction or possibly the repair, of your own event.
Robin D. Laws and guests teach RPG structures & techniques to turn emotional confrontations between PCs from frustrating roadblocks into rich moments of human drama.