DunDraCon 2010 - In Review

This was the first year in many that I was able to go as ‘just a player’. I was only able to make it Saturday and Sunday, but I was determined to make the most of it.

I heard some stories of misfortune, players and games getting messed around because of some fault of the randomizer. Alas I must admit that I had a perfect weekend. I Registered for three sessions of games, and got into my first choice in everyone, I even bowed out of (did not show for) my Sunday Morning game.

Let’s start with Saturday Morning.

I convinced a few friends to join me in the Ars Magica (GMFiat) game “Draconis et Carcares ('The Dungeons and the Dragon')”. It was presented as a wizard’s tournament, four invitations were sent to four powerful magi and were then allowed to form teams and participate in 3 rounds (7 events) of the tournament. The Prize was to be 30 Vis, and other less know prizes (joining the Cult, and the ownership rights of the host covenant). Underlying the events of the tournament was a murder of one of the hosts, and invasion of demonic influences into the events. I was playing a German Artificer, with powers over flora and terra (Wood, Plants, Earth and Metals), in the end I accomplished my goals, not by winning the tournament, but by being useful in stopping the end of the world and a demon lord (al la Dragon). I enjoyed my character, and the plot, and the other characters, the basics of the GMFiat system; over all a lot of fun.

I had an interlude problem where I thought I had lost my badge, after getting our dinner. I ended up buying a replacement badge. Funny thing is after unpacking my backpack Monday afternoon; I found my original badge hiding in my snack bag with my cliff bars and peanuts.

My evening game was with Rich and his Mage the Awakening game. Rich used a antagonist I had read out of “Intruders”, but done so subtly we were in the final stages of the story before I actually knew what exactly we were up against. A sleep walker was infected by an abyssal parasite, and then transferred it to one of the PC’s. It was a complex situation involving a Vampire’s Domination side effects, and a previous victim’s intentions to spread the parasite to better hosts. In the end we tracked down the Vampire, kicked in the door with guns blazing. I enjoyed the game, but it suffered from two problems; the first is a group of players whose enthusiasm was very vocal, often out voicing the GM and making it hard to remain focused on the game; the second was several of the players were suffering from early stages of ConBrain, making bickering and analysis-paralysis more common as the evening drew on. But for these issues the game would have been outstanding. I enjoyed the story and the characters regardless, Rich is an excellent GM.

The next morning I was signed up for Paul Strack’s Prime Time Adventures Game, however like many of my previous Sunday Morning games, I did not make it, allowing for sleep to be my primary concern. I arrived back at the Con just after noon with Lesley In-Tow, and proceeded to do a great deal of socializing, followed by making final notes and prep work for my Geist game “DeadLock”.

My game went very well, mostly due to my excellent group of players. Rich and Kevin W were first at my table, then my recent friend Tracy, two other players who I had not met before, and then Eric L rounded out the table with the last open seat as a drop-in. My plot was simple(ish). The Krew were summoned to Undercliff, a domain of the Underworld, with Idyllic sensibilities. All of the Sin-Eater’s Geist’s had made a deal with the lords of the Domain (previous to them being bound to the PC’s) and the PC’s were thus called to mediate a dispute between the two Deathlords involved. Both sides wanted the other to leave the domain forever (or be destroyed, whatever was most convenient). This established they released the PC’s to discover what could be done to solve the problem, only to discover that the best way to find lost answers was to visit another Underworld Domain, Athenaeum, The Realm of Dead Knowledge. They found a guide, ventured fourth, and discovered a vast repository of knowledge. They figured out lots of fact’s which lead them to picking between ‘Rock and Hard place’ to save their own “Souls”. Some clever questions and outstanding rolls allowed them to solve the situation without mass death or abductions. The only part about this game that I wish I could have improved was my content pacing; I had too much content for my 6 hour slot. The players were having a lot of fun interacting with the setting and shiny bits; allowing them the freedom to discover at their own pace left us strapped for time near the end (and going over by about an hour). If I had time I knew I could have benefited from a Play test, but alas, maybe in the future.

My DunDraCon was very good, mostly because of the awesome games, but also because I was able to enjoy the con not as a Dealer, but as a participant.