Mystery scenario masters Kenneth Hite, Robin D. Laws, and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan train their magnifying glasses on clue-gathering adventures to reveal the unlikely suspects behind your tabletop woes.
Description:
Mystery scenario masters Kenneth Hite, Robin D. Laws, and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan train their magnifying glasses on clue-gathering adventures. Whether you're schooled in Pelgrane Press' GUMSHOE line or want to steal its secrets for play in another system, this seminar will shine light in the darkness and reveal the unlikely suspects behind your tabletop woes.
Robin D. Laws and Kenneth Hite talk roleplaying, history, conspiracy, occultism, writing, food, movies and whatever you ask them about in this live edition of their award-winning podcast.
Time is precious and there is no room for bad games. Come find out how to make your RPG sessions and campaigns better. Bring your problems and leave with solutions, and a few laughs along the way.
Description:
The cast of the Misdirected Mark Podcast is on a quest to eradicate bad gaming, one group at a time. We are here to help you make your games better and have more fun. If you have questions...we have answer. You have problems...we have solutions. You have a funny story...we love to laugh (with you, not at you). This seminar is a open format, taking questions and topics from the audience. Our advice will is best described as a mix of: helpful, scholarly, blunt, and irreverent. With enough combined years of GMing to be a venerable half-orc we have the experience to help. So bring your best problem and see if you can stump the cast.
Swords, Spies & Shoggoths: The Pelgrane Press Panel
Summary:
Join Simon Rogers, Cat Tobin and others from the Pelgrane team for a behind-the-scenes look at what the award-winning UK publisher's been up to this year, and what they've planned for the coming year.
What is an ARG? Stepping into Alternate Reality Games
Summary:
Come find out what an Alternate Reality Game is and how to jump into these games/stories/adventures. We'll talk about what they are, how to find them and some awesome examples.
Non-denominational worship service with hymns, communion, and sermon.
Description:
Come join us for a non-denominational worship service sponsored by the Christian Gamers Guild. We'll read scripture, sing familiar hymns, hear a sermon, and offer an optional communion, and pass a collection plate for those interested in donating. Stick around afterwards to meet fellow Christians and learn more about the CGG organization.
Hacking in Fiction: The Good, The Bad, & The Bizarre
Summary:
Join our panel of professional hackers as we discuss the best & worst portrayals of hacking of 2014 in games, movies, TV, and books. Learn ways to depict hacking in a fun but accurate manner.
Description:
2014 was the year of the data breaches, and hacking was constantly in the news. This was reflected in all types of fiction, but some depictions were better than others. Join our panel of professional hackers as we discuss the best and worst portrayals of hacking of 2014 in games, movies, TV, and books. Learn ways that you can depict hacking in a fun but accurate manner.
Exercise your communication and leadership skills at the annual Gen Con Toastmasters meeting. Give speeches and answer table topics based on gaming.
Description:
Just think how cool it would be to give a speech, for manual credit, about setting up a game, or your favorite character, or other topics that wouldn't go over very well at a normal Toastmasters meeting. We might even roll a d20 for Table Topics.
Panel discussion with Q&A time on balancing faith and gaming.
Description:
Join us for a panel discussion with Q&A time on balancing faith and gaming, starting a gaming group at your church, and other topics on how to be both a Christian and a gamer. Join us for a panel discussion with Q&A time on balancing faith and gaming, starting a gaming group at your church, and other topics on how to be both a Christian and a gamer. Learn about the Christian Gamers Guild and get involved with our community at our website, www.christian-gamers-guild.org.
Carlos "Bostria" Llauger will share privileged information about the present & future of Corvus Belli, the release of upcoming books, never seen before miniatures, designs & WIP projects.
JR & Ace, founders of The Nerd Nighters, discuss tips & tricks for building a game community & mobilizing it to work for & with charities in your area.
Description:
JR and Ace, founders of The Nerd Nighters, discuss tips and tricks for building a game community and mobilizing it to work for and with charities in your area. The two have worked with many charities and other organizations to raise more than $50,000 for local and national charities in the two years they've run this group.
Join the skype RP group “The Drunk & the Ugly” to talk about how to run a successful tabletop game without actually having a table or being able to see your players.
Horror gaming can go beyond Lovecraft & tentacles. Sometimes the most frightening moments in RPGs can come from obscure references & mundane moments. Surprise your players from a new direction!
Description:
Horror gaming can go beyond Lovecraft and tentacles. Sometimes the most frightening moments in RPGs can come from obscure references and mundane moments. Surprise your players from a new direction! The panel will include Caleb Stokes (No Soul Left Behind, No Security), Ross Payton (Base Raiders, Zombies of the World), John Kennedy (Demonworld), and Jack Graham (Eclipse Phase). The title "Scary Parrots" refers to an RPPR game in which the players completely forgot about the plot and focused on a parrot THAT COULD NOT BE. Rather than dismiss the moment as a one-off, this panel will explore the unexpected places that the GM can exploit for terror. Between other writers of The Weird, discoveries in neuroscience, and philosophical thought experiments, this panel will provide a ton of original plot hooks and little disquieting scares to throw at your players.
RPPR Game Designer's Workshop: Everyday Hustlin' in Game Design
Summary:
Talk with publishers about how to get started working in games. With a few tips, you could be barely scraping by just like the pros!
Description:
Talk with Caleb, Ross, and publishers about how to get started writing for games. With a few tips, you could be barely scraping by just like the pros! The goal of RPPR's GDW podcast has always been educational. To that end, Ross and Caleb will do their best to give advice on "breaking into the industry" in a post-Kickstarter age. The conversation will focus on the more logistical, legal, and mundane business of freelancing in RPGs. On the publisher side of things, Adam Jury and Rob Boyle from Posthuman Studios are dropping by to lend their expertise. Prepare to be demystified, warned, clued-in, and tipped-off about the path to seeing your work get included in games. Questions are welcome and encouraged.
We'll continue our proud tradition of screwing up in real time. Lend your questions & comments to a live episode as the pair gives updates on Red Markets, Ruin, & other game projects.
Description:
Ross and Caleb continue their proud tradition of screwing up in real time. Lend your questions and comments to a live episode as the pair gives updates on Red Markets, Ruin, and other game projects. More specifically, Caleb will be doing playtests of Red Markets at GenCon, and No Soul Left Behind will be for sale at the Arc Dream booth. Ross has news about Ruin. Both have news about current freelancing projects and plenty of advice for aspiring game designers in attendance.
Beyond Lawful Good & Evil: Ethical Concepts in RPGs
Summary:
How do you build a character with staunch ethical principles without stopping a game dead with the dreaded my-character-wouldn't-do-that issue? Do RPG systems imply ethical philosophies? Should they?
Description:
How do you build a character with staunch ethical principles without stopping a game dead with the dreaded my-character-wouldn't-do-that problem? Do RPG systems imply ethical philosophies? Should they? Caleb Stokes (No Soul Left Behind), Ross Payton (Base Raiders, Andreas Walters (Baby Bestiary), and Shoshana Kessock (Living Game Conference) discuss ethical concepts in characters, in game worlds, and at the level of design. Bring your questions and curiosity.
Fun is obviously a byproduct of games, but that's where the usefulness of the term ends. We'll present the case against fun as a design goal, method of criticism, & aesthetic in gaming.
Description:
Fun is obviously a byproduct of games, but that's where the usefulness of the term ends. This seminar presents the case against fun as a design goal, method of criticism, and aesthetic in gaming. Caleb Stokes (No Soul Left Behind/No Security) and Ross Payton (Base Raiders/ Zombies of the World) discuss the negative and positive uses of the word of fun in gaming, along with other critical frameworks by which the word can be understood (such as the 8 types of fun).
For those who enjoy RPGs in historical settings, we'll discuss some of the tricks for playing, running, & writing role-playing games set in historical periods.
Description:
Many of us are inspired by non-fiction as much as fiction, and if movies and comics are a measure of interest, there's certainly interest in historical action-adventure. What are some of the tricks for playing, running, and writing role-playing games set in historical periods? What are the pitfalls of the same? And how does one prepare? Fraser Ronald (Centurion, Nefertiti Overdrive) discusses his approach and answers questions.
What advice can educators provide for teaching game rules to players? How about using games to enhance education? And what about the portrayal of education in games? This panel covers it all & more.
Description:
What advice can educators provide for teaching game rules to players? How about using games to enhance education? And what about the portrayal of education in games? This panel covers it all and more. Caleb Stokes is an educator and RPG writer. He frequently uses games in the classroom for a variety of purposes, and he recently worked with Arc Dream to publish No Soul Left Behind, a campaign book for the game Better Angels set in a charter high school. Ross Payton has written extensively for Monsters and Other Childish Things, and he's been teaching rules to players for twenty years. Steve Radabaugh is a high school teacher and creator of app games like Dungeon Marauders and the upcoming dice game Fey Ball. Come ask questions about how to include education in your game setting, or find out which games and game design principles work great in the classroom.
Be a part of a live episode recording of the D6 Generation Podcast! Beyond our regular segments experience the ultimate in audience participation: "Play by Mob" and win prizes!
Description:
2015 marks the 5th year we've run our "Play By Mob" event at Gen Con. At this event we ask you, the audience to participate with us as we record several segments of our show: Rapid Fire, Achievements in gaming, and our wacky and fun "Play by Mob" event. In addition to being on the show, which usually airs shortly after Gen Con, we give away LOTS of prizes to encourage participation throughout the event. AND you never know who will be there, other podcasters, game designers, publishers and more have dropping during years past. What is Play by Mob? We divide the audience up into team which work together to come out on top in boisterous creative activities which have ranged from running a character in a RPG to trying to win a game show. Here are some samples of play by mob themes from year's past: Dresden Files RPG, Deathwatch RPG, Space Cadets, Pub Games, & Gamer Feud.
How do you encourage role-playing? What influence should dice have? Character sheets? Scenarios? We play D&D, Interaction, & White Wolf. Our characters don't come out shooting.
Join our CEO, Dan Yarrington, for a look back on where we've been & an exciting preview of where we're going in the future. Featuring surprise guests & special prizes!
We'll present the fundamentals of roleplaying game design. Interested in hacking or reskinning a game? Want to design your own RPG system from scratch? Let us help you get started.
Want to publish a roleplaying game, supplement or adventure? Not sure where to get started or what is involved? Three experienced publishers are here to get you started on the path to publishing.
Tabletop Games for the Isolated Gamer: Roundtable Discussion & More
Summary:
We'll identify the types of socioeconomic & medical barriers isolating gamers from tabletop gaming. Developing & testing ways to overcome them during the con.
Tabletop Games for the Isolated Gamer: Followup Discussion
Summary:
The roundtable discussion earlier in the con formed teams that applied various approaches to reach isolated gamers in greater Indy & beyond. Now we gather to discuss results.
If you look for politics in role play or want to know what to avoid, join a conversation with Dr. David Simkins, professor & RP researcher, about what works & what doesn't.
Description:
Political RP may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy it, it can be engaging, exciting, and deeply satisfying. It can also encourage anxiety, tension, and frustration between players. Join a conversation with David Simkins about the role of politics in role play. A long time LARP and tabletop game master, a professor of game development at the Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Interactive Games and Media, and the author of The Arts of LARP, David loves politics in his game, but hates game politics when they bleed into the rest of life. David will bring research, experience, and examples to a conversation about using politics as a focus for role play, and managing politics when they seep out of the game. Join the conversation, and bring your own thoughts and examples as well. The session will begin with a presentation and end with an informal conversation.
The ever-popular Women and Gaming discussion is returning for 2015! Once again, the Gamer Wenches will be providing a lively forum for a variety of topics near and dear to the ladies.
Description:
The ever-popular Women and Gaming discussion is returning for 2015! Once again, the Gamer Wenches will be providing a forum for a variety of topics near and dear to the ladies. The seminar is open to everyone, and expect a free-flow exchange format, with a mix of Q&A and discussion topics. These are always a very lively, stimulating, and enjoyable time.
Of Course You Can Design a Game, But Can You design a Good One?
Summary:
What does "good game" mean? A lot of different things to different people. But there are principles to follow before you use playtesting to determine your target market's reaction.
Description:
What does "good game" mean? A lot of different things to different people. But there are principles to follow before you use playtesting to determine your target market's reaction. The author of the book "Game Design" and the classic wargame Britannia leads the discussion. More information at Wikipedia: "Lewis Pulsipher"
Role-playing Game Design: What do RPGs Really Amount To?
Summary:
Many people dream about designing "role-playing games" but they often mean quite different things. The author of the book "Game Design" discusses the required & optional parts of RPG designs.
Description:
Many people dream about designing "role-playing games" but they often mean quite different things. Dr. P was contributing editor of both Dragon and White Dwarf magazines, and is author of the book "Game Design" and designer of the classic wargame Britannia. More information at Wikipedia: "Lewis Pulsipher"
Indie Design the Chicken Salad Way: Publishing an Indie RPG Ross Payton
Summary:
How to turn a pile of homebrewed rules & notes into a delicious chicken salad of published RPG goodness (as told by two guys who started bad at it & got better, & one guy who’s done it a bunch).
Rivers are barriers, travel routes, watering places. Place your players/readers in memorable river scenes! Explore river types, terrain, challenges, and narrative opportunities with a GM/geologist.
Description:
This session is for GMs, game designers, and writers (any genre). Your adventurers make journeys on rivers, struggle to cross them, and seek them to sustain life (also maybe for a badly needed bath). See how your story can be enhanced by richly depicting one of the distinctive types of river channels, considering natural patterns of sandbars and islands, and incorporating tricks that currents and streambed erosion can play on unwary travelers. How does a river’s look and behavior change as you travel downstream? What interesting, game-changing terrain elements inhabit river floodplains? How are floods different from one river to another? Make each river scene memorable, with the help of a GM/geologist.
The mountain landscape of your next adventure should look/feel different from the one in your last! We’ll see the variety of real mountain forms and layouts, and facts of life in highland terrain.
Description:
A fresh look at the diverse land features of mountain regions, for GMs, game designers, and writers (any genre). What key decision points occur in travel through mountain zones, and what natural shifts in scenery support changes in a narrative’s mood? When do landslides and mudflows occur? What are the distinctive challenges in negotiating rainforest, highland tundra, hanging valleys, talus, arêtes, and alpine glaciers? How can characters gain crucial insight by reading the land? Get a look at some of a GM/Geologist’s favorite mountain adventure settings.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 101: Table Management
Summary:
Beginner-level: We'll talk about the basics of managing a table of D&D players. We'll focuses on game flow, DM decision making, determining outcomes, & handling combat.
Description:
In this Beginner-level seminar, we will talk about the basics of managing a table of D&D players. The seminar focuses on game flow, DM decision making, determining outcomes, and handling combat. All of these skills are viewed through the lens of the D&D 5th Edition rules. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 101: Table Management
Summary:
Beginner-level: We'll talk about the basics of managing a table of D&D players. We'll focuses on game flow, DM decision making, determining outcomes, & handling combat.
Description:
In this Beginner-level seminar, we will talk about the basics of managing a table of D&D players. The seminar focuses on game flow, DM decision making, determining outcomes, and handling combat. All of these skills are viewed through the lens of the D&D 5th Edition rules. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Beginner-level: We'll focus on the craft of storytelling within a game of D&D. The seminar focuses on what makes a good story, & how to draw players into the story.
Description:
In this Beginner-level seminar, we will focus on the craft of storytelling within a game of D&D. The seminar focuses on what makes a good story, how to draw players into the story, and making story elements work for you even in linear adventures. All of these skills are viewed through the lens of the D&D 5th Edition rules. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Beginner-level: We'll focus on the craft of storytelling within a game of D&D. The seminar focuses on what makes a good story, & how to draw players into the story.
Description:
In this Beginner-level seminar, we will focus on the craft of storytelling within a game of D&D. The seminar focuses on what makes a good story, how to draw players into the story, and making story elements work for you even in linear adventures. All of these skills are viewed through the lens of the D&D 5th Edition rules. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 201: Running D&D in Public
Summary:
Intermediate-level: We'll focus on challenges of running D&D Adventurers League in a public setting. We'll hit the basics of the Encounters, Expeditions, & Epic programs.
Description:
In this Intermediate-level seminar, we will focus on challenges of running D&D Adventurers League content in a public setting. The seminar touches on the basics of the Encounters, Expeditions, and Epic programs, and provides tips and strategies for helping players get the most out of the program. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 201: Running D&D in Public
Summary:
Intermediate-level: We'll focus on challenges of running D&D Adventurers League in a public setting. We'll hit the basics of the Encounters, Expeditions, & Epic programs.
Description:
In this Intermediate-level seminar, we will focus on challenges of running D&D Adventurers League content in a public setting. The seminar touches on the basics of the Encounters, Expeditions, and Epic programs, and provides tips and strategies for helping players get the most out of the program. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 202: Managing Player Types
Summary:
Intermediate-level: We'll focus on identifying & managing the different types of D&D players, & how to provide the experiences desired by each player type.
Description:
In this Intermediate-level seminar, we will focus on identifying and managing the different types of D&D players, and how to provide the experiences desired by each player type. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.
Herald’s Guild of DMs: DMing 202: Managing Player Types
Summary:
Intermediate-level: We'll focus on identifying & managing the different types of D&D players, & how to provide the experiences desired by each player type.
Description:
In this Intermediate-level seminar, we will focus on identifying and managing the different types of D&D players, and how to provide the experiences desired by each player type. Completion of this seminar counts toward your DM Ranking Level in the Herald’s Guild of DMs, a product of Baldman Games.