Ross Payton, co-host of Role Playing Public Radio and author of Road Trip and Zombies of the World, discusses the many types of zombies. Shambling hordes of flesh eating ghouls can be more than just easy monsters to kill. They can provoke moral dilemmas, puzzles and provide backdrops for new and unique settings. Find out what zombies can do for your game. All attendees get a free mini-zombie adventure for Wild Talents and other goodies.
Join the hosts of the Award winning podcast Brilliant Gameologists and learn words that will bring out the worst emotions in your gaming group and will counter the real message - either names you could call players (Munchkin, Powergamer, Drama Queen, Rules Lawyer, Meta-gamer) or whining to your GM (It’s not fair! It’s not realistic! You are railroading us!). Learn alternatives to name calling that are just as fun and clarify the real problems.
Join celebrated fantasy author R.A. Salvatore to discuss his past work, his upcoming projects, and what else is new in the world of the Forgotten Realms campaign and the life of Drizzt Do’Urden.
Relive the days of yore when the command line was king! GO WEST and LIGHT LAMP in a live-action text adventure with a few hundred of your closest friends.
Magic in most RPGs--and most fiction, for that matter--is typically based on Old World or “exotic” magical traditions. That’s fine for pre-colonial games, but games set in America should feature magic that draws on American superstition, folk magic, and even pop culture. If you’ve ever wanted to play a Hoodoo Man or Elvismancer, this panel is for you.
Over the past year, major new capabilities have been incorporated into Lone Wolf Development's industry standard roster construction tool for miniatures games. Learn how you can leverage these new features to fully customize output, integrate photos of your troops, and easily enter newly released units for immediate use.
Being a great Dungeon Master requires a variety of skills, such as rules arbiter, character actor, and expert storyteller. The art of the Dungeon Master is in combining all of these talents. Join a panel of D&D designers to discuss various tips and tricks to bring the best adventure to your players, as well as ways to make them equal participants in the story. A Q&A session will follow the discussion.
Balancing Act: The Fine Art of Creating Balanced Characters
Description:
Mr. Perfect is a pretty dull chap. Well-rounded characters—ones folks enjoy reading about—have flaws and foibles. How do you add the right amount of baggage to a hero, villain, or sidekick? How can you avoid stereotypical troubles and latch onto something sparkling and masterful?
Many theories exist out there concerning the Nazca Lines in Peru. We’ll focus on one in this talk, and then look at the evidence and see which one is supported best. We’ll look at the more recent studies concerning the Nazca Lines and what the best theories are. Bring your Tinfoil hats and be prepared!
Want to know what the future holds for Exile Game Studio? Come find out what's next for Hollow Earth Expedition and the Ubiquity Roleplaying System. What secrets will be revealed? You'll have to be here to find out! This is a chance for fans to ask questions directly to Jeff Combos and Sechin Tower.
Writers can find big opportunities to break into publishing through the small press. Learn where to go, and what it takes, to make it big in small press. Our panelists include small press publishers, editors, and writers.
Building LEGO® Games with Cephas Howard & Reiner Knizia
Description:
Join acclaimed games designer and consultant on LEGO® Games, Reiner Knizia and LEGO Games Lead Designer Cephas Howard as they present, discuss and answer questions about the creation of LEGO Games. A behind the scenes look at how the LEGO brick turned into a series of games.
Business of Writing: Agents & Query Letters & Piches, Oh My!
Description:
Writing might be an art, but there’s a side that’s all business. Do you need an agent, and how do you get one? How important is the query letter, and how do you write one? And what about pitches? We’ll offer the tools you’ll need if you want to get serious about the business of writing!
Be prepared to take notes. Now that you have your world built, your characters filled with angst, and your plot twisted, we’re going to give you more than a few tips on preparing your manuscript. We’ll also provide sage advice on catching an editor’s eye ... in a good way.
Capes, Capers, and Cannons: Margaret Weis Productions Q&A
Description:
Find out what Margaret Weis Productions has in store for fans of Cortex Plus and enjoy an opportunity to catch up with Margaret Weis and her Crew! Bring your questions and we'll do our best to give you answers. Book signing and exclusive insights into the new worlds of Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes.
You’ve got the acceptance letter, but now what? How do you keep your editor happy and asking for future manuscripts? What can you do to make their life easier, your writing more attractive to them ... and what can you expect from them in return?
After WWII, many Melanesian tribes adopted new religious practices. They imitated the behaviors of the Allies who had used their island homes as staging areas for resource distribution in an attempt to exhort the gods for 'cargo.' These 'cargo cults' are a powerful analogue for pseudoscience and those that practice it. What can Melanesian tribes teach us about the difference between science and pseudoscience? Attend this talk to find out.