Fantasy writer, cook, and entertainer Daniel "Doc" Myers teaches the basics of believable medieval-inspired cuisines in your writing.
Description:
A fantasy world should have a cuisine that takes into account the resources and technology of the people that inhabit it. In this seminar, join medieval cooking expert Daniel "Doc" Myers to learn how to make up a consistent, believable fantasy cuisine using the workings of medieval European cooking as a template. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Discuss the ins and outs of putting together 3rd Party content for the sci-fi horror Mothership RPG. An ideal seminar for writers, designers, and the Mothership enthusiasts.
Description:
Zac Goins and his team sit down with peers to discuss the ins and outs of putting together 3rd Party content for the sci-fi horror Mothership RPG. An ideal seminar for writers, designers, and the Mothership enthusiasts. Q&A to follow.
Join our panelists as they discuss creating settings & rules that allow for each table that plays in their game to have unique experiences. Is there a line between too much & not enough?
Journalist Linda Codega and a panel of industry colleagues (including Charlie Hall, Chase Carter, Christian Hoffer, and Dan Arndt) discuss why gaming journalism is a critical part of the ecosystem.
Description:
Featuring journalists like Linda Codega (Staff Writer, io9/Gizmodo), Charlie Hall (Senior editor, Tabletop, Polygon), Chase Carter (Dicebreaker, Polygon), Christian Hoffer (ComicBook), Dan Arndt (Editor at Fandomentals) and possibly more, this panel will dive into why games journalism is important to the larger tabletop ecosystem, why games journalism is culture journalism, and give insight into how these writers got started. There will be time for a Q&A where people will be able to ask the journalists about their positions, work, and also get some pointers on how to get started in an increasingly shrinking media landscape.
Planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign for your next tabletop game? Join BackerKit alongside industry experts to learn what you should, and shouldn't, do to set yourself up for success.
Description:
Crowdfunding your tabletop game can feel overwhelming at times as there are so many moving parts to consider before, during, and after your campaign. Join Jason Furie (Senior Community Manager, BackerKit) alongside Suzanne Sheldon (Restoration Games), Heather O'Neill (9th Level Games), and Lindsey Rode (Rose Gauntlet Entertainment) for an in-depth conversation covering important do's and don'ts you need to consider when crowdfunding. We'll discuss how to prepare for your strongest launch possible, the most common mistakes you should avoid at all costs, and important do's and don'ts worth considering no matter your experience level. Stick around after the conversation for live Q&A between the panelists and attendees.
Crowdfunding Strategy with the Creator of Stonesaga, Mythwind & Stars of Akarios
Summary:
Join Brendan McCaskell as he walks through the strategy Open Owl Studios has used to create three massively successful crowdfunding campaigns raising a total of over $3 million!
Description:
In this seminar you will learn the process Open Owl Studios takes from pre-development to successful crowdfunding campaign. Learn how to generate pre-launch hype and craft a narrative that resonates with your community. You'll receive unfiltered commentary from a new company with a new approach.
Cuban Missile Crisis: tense, some of what we are taught is mythology. Discusses real, potential war triggers and what a war in 1962 would have looked like. Capt. Mark McDonagh, USN/ret., NSDM staff.
Description:
RThe Cuban Missile Crisis of 60 years ago has been recognized as the most tense period in the Cold War, perhaps in world history, as the two superpowers stared each other down for several days and nuclear war was potentially one unintended consequence or misinterpreted event away. Today it is heavily portrayed in popular culture, but often told to hype the drama. Discredited mythology often wins over credible historical accounting. What were the real risks, the mechanisms which might have triggered, perhaps literally, a nuclear war? What were the opposing forces, what would such a war have looked like, what would have been the outcome, and what would the fallout, perhaps literally, be today? Presented by Capt. Mark McDonagh, USN/ret., physicist and former nuclear submarine officer with 12 years' experience at the Naval War College, on the National Security Decision Making Game staff.
Join the D&D team as they give an update on the 2024 rules revision playtest, answer some commonly asked questions, and discuss what's around the corner!
Learn some best practices from Dungeon Masters at Wizards of the Coast! Also great for new DMs - learn where to start, resources available, and best beginner D&D adventures!
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.