grodog's GaryCon XV convention report

grodog · April 02, 2023, 05:35:40 PM

My GaryCon XV convention report!: https://grodog.blogspot.com/2023/04/garycon-xv-convention-report-from-grodog.html

Allan.

GhostNinja · April 02, 2023, 05:37:42 PM

Very cool. I would really love to go one day but that's a bit far away for me.

I love that people are putting out OSR adventures with the old style covers of D&D past. That really brings me back to the good old days before WOTC got D&D and everything went stupid.

I · April 02, 2023, 10:50:30 PM

Quote from: GhostNinja on April 02, 2023, 05:37:42 PM

I love that people are putting out OSR adventures with the old style covers of D&D past. That really brings me back to the good old days before WOTC got D&D and everything went stupid.

Me too. If I was standing about ten feet away from that, it would look like a dealer's table at a convention circa 1980. Nearly brought a tear to this old eye...

GhostNinja · April 03, 2023, 08:56:00 AM

Quote from: I on April 02, 2023, 10:50:30 PM

Me too. If I was standing about ten feet away from that, it would look like a dealer's table at a convention circa 1980. Nearly brought a tear to this old eye...

I would really love to see more publishers do this. Hell, if I every publish an adventure I would go this route for the cover. Not sure if there is a template out there or people are just reproducing the old ones from scratch but I think its a great idea.

GhostNinja · April 03, 2023, 09:23:49 AM

What games were being run there?

Was it just D&D and clones or other games as well?

grodog · April 03, 2023, 11:33:07 PM

Quote from: I on April 02, 2023, 10:50:30 PM
If I was standing about ten feet away from that, it would look like a dealer's table at a convention circa 1980. Nearly brought a tear to this old eye...

You are not the only one to make that observation: https://www.blackgate.com/2018/03/13/the-1001-treasures-of-black-blade-publishing-and-goodman-games-gary-con-2018-report-part-ii/

=)

Quote from: GhostNinja on April 03, 2023, 08:56:00 AM
Not sure if there is a template out there or people are just reproducing the old ones from scratch but I think its a great idea.

I think every publisher has their own take on "the" old school design, based on their in-house style and art preferences: ASSH modules differ from XRP's AA OSRIC modules differ from caslEntertainment's modules differ from our Rob Kuntz modules. Etc.

Quote from: GhostNinja on April 03, 2023, 09:23:49 AM
What games were being run there?
Was it just D&D and clones or other games as well?

Quite a mix of games and systems, when you look across all of the games, including miniatures, wargames, card, and board games too. I don't have data for 2023 yet, but this is what last year's top 25 systems were, grouped by number of events:

Code Select


# 	Game System 	Number of Events
1 	[blank]	314
2 	D&D (5th Ed) 	196
3 	Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) 	112
4 	D&D (1st Ed) 	77
5 	Unpublished / Home Grown 	61
6 	Call of Cthulhu (7th Ed) 	39
7 	D&D (Original) 	33
8 	Castles & Crusades 	33
9 	Pathfinder (2E) 	31
10 	AS&SH 	26
11 	Mutant Crawl Classics 	23
12 	Mothership 	19
13 	Savage Worlds 	18
14 	Old School Essentials 	15
15 	Swords & Wizardry 	13
16 	D&D (Basic) 	13
17 	Pathfinder 	12
18 	Chainmail 	12
19 	Other (Please include in Comments field.) 	11
20 	Dawn Patrol (7th Ed) 	11
21 	Dark Souls RPG 	11
22 	Starfinder 	9
23 	Fate of the Norns 	9
24 	Mörk Borg 	8
25 	Dragonchess 	8
26 	D&D (2nd Ed) 	8
27 	Traveller 	7
28 	Empire of the Petal Throne 	7
29 	DCC: Crawling Under a Broken Moon 	7
30 	D&D (3rd Ed) 	7

Allan.

GhostNinja · April 04, 2023, 09:10:43 AM

Quote from: grodog on April 03, 2023, 11:33:07 PM
I think every publisher has their own take on "the" old school design, based on their in-house style and art preferences: ASSH modules differ from XRP's AA OSRIC modules differ from caslEntertainment's modules differ from our Rob Kuntz modules. Etc.

Yeah that makes sense. I am just glad that they are doing it. Very nostalgic.

Quote from: grodog on April 03, 2023, 11:33:07 PM
Quite a mix of games and systems, when you look across all of the games, including miniatures, wargames, card, and board games too. I don't have data for 2023 yet, but this is what last year's top 25 systems were, grouped by number of events:

Code Select Expand
# Game System Number of Events 1 [blank] 314 2 D&D (5th Ed) 196 3 Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) 112 4 D&D (1st Ed) 77 5 Unpublished / Home Grown 61 6 Call of Cthulhu (7th Ed) 39 7 D&D (Original) 33 8 Castles & Crusades 33 9 Pathfinder (2E) 31 10 AS&SH 26 11 Mutant Crawl Classics 23 12 Mothership 19 13 Savage Worlds 18 14 Old School Essentials 15 15 Swords & Wizardry 13 16 D&D (Basic) 13 17 Pathfinder 12 18 Chainmail 12 19 Other (Please include in Comments field.) 11 20 Dawn Patrol (7th Ed) 11 21 Dark Souls RPG 11 22 Starfinder 9 23 Fate of the Norns 9 24 Mörk Borg 8 25 Dragonchess 8 26 D&D (2nd Ed) 8 27 Traveller 7 28 Empire of the Petal Throne 7 29 DCC: Crawling Under a Broken Moon 7 30 D&D (3rd Ed) 7

Allan.

A lot of fantasy rpgs but there was some Traveler, Savage Worlds and COC in there so that's cool. Thanks.

grodog · April 04, 2023, 09:57:00 PM

De nada, happy to help. That's just the top 25, there were plenty of smaller games run at the con too: the long tail is long

Allan.

GhostNinja · April 04, 2023, 11:26:08 PM

Quote from: grodog on April 04, 2023, 09:57:00 PM
De nada, happy to help. That's just the top 25, there were plenty of smaller games run at the con too: the long tail is long

Allan.

Well that's cool. Maybe one day I will get there. I can hope at least.

Mishihari · April 08, 2023, 06:56:05 PM

I just got off the phone with a high school buddy from my every-Saturday gaming group who went. It was his first con and he had an absolute blast. He said everyone was super-nice and there were far more famous folks than I would have expected, both industry figures like Ed Greenwood and famous people who happen to game and were just there to attend like Vince Vaughn. He's trying to talk me into going with him and his current group next year.

cavalier973 · April 08, 2023, 07:25:32 PM

You sold out of "The Halls of Arden Vul", huh?

That is the current campaign of the podcast "3d6, Down the Line", and it is very entertaining. DM John from 3d6DTL said he was going to GaryCon. Did you happen to meet him?

GhostNinja · April 09, 2023, 06:14:29 PM

Quote from: Mishihari on April 08, 2023, 06:56:05 PM
I just got off the phone with a high school buddy from my every-Saturday gaming group who went. It was his first con and he had an absolute blast. He said everyone was super-nice and there were far more famous folks than I would have expected, both industry figures like Ed Greenwood and famous people who happen to game and were just there to attend like Vince Vaughn. He's trying to talk me into going with him and his current group next year.

That's awesome that there were some celebrities' there. I am going to really have to make an effort to get there next year.

grodog · April 09, 2023, 11:31:38 PM

Quote from: Mishihari on April 08, 2023, 06:56:05 PM
I just got off the phone with a high school buddy from my every-Saturday gaming group who went. It was his first con and he had an absolute blast. He said everyone was super-nice and there were far more famous folks than I would have expected, both industry figures like Ed Greenwood and famous people who happen to game and were just there to attend like Vince Vaughn. He's trying to talk me into going with him and his current group next year.

There are some special plans in the works to celebrate D&D's 50th anniversary. It'll be pretty cool, I'm sure!

Allan.

grodog · April 09, 2023, 11:34:18 PM

Quote from: cavalier973 on April 08, 2023, 07:25:32 PM
You sold out of "The Halls of Arden Vul", huh?

We did indeed

Quote from: cavalier973 on April 08, 2023, 07:25:32 PMThat is the current campaign of the podcast "3d6, Down the Line", and it is very entertaining. DM John from 3d6DTL said he was going to GaryCon. Did you happen to meet him?

I don't recall meeting him offhand, but if he didn't introduce himself as from the podcast and/or mention that he was running Arden Vul, he may have just hit the booth without introducing himself, too.

Allan.