MD-DC-VA Gaming Day: Calling all GMs

It's official. MD-DC-VA Gaming Day, also known as TerpCon 2005 will be held on April 2, in the University of Maryland Stamp Student Union. Because of a regional chess tournament occuring on the same day, we do not have access to the Colony Ballroom, which was the room used in the fall. However we do have the Benjamin Bannaker and Jiminez rooms, which should accomidate us nicely.

This gives us a grand total of 18 tables for gaming. The Terrapin Gaming Club has requested 3 tables per session for open board gaming, and two tables for socializing/eating/open play. Certified GMs from the RPGA have requested 3 tables per session to run sanctioned Eberron modules, one of which will be released the day before the con. That leaves us with 10 tables per session for other games. So if you'd like to GM, please send a synopsis of your game in the following format to gertiebarden@gmail.com:

Game Name
DM: (Your Name Here)
Morning or Afternoon preference
GAME: (ie. D&D3.5)
TEASER: Mists swirl through time and space. A young Romano-British warlord and his stalwart band of retainers brave an ancient, haunted wood in search of a fabled talisman to help drive back the Saxon invaders. Will the Red Dragon of Britain triumph and hold back the darkness or will elder enchantments and the Wolves of Saxony spell his doom? (Borrowed this from old one)
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: (Anywhere from 4-9)
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated levels 5-7
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 7
• Role-Playing = 5
• Puzzles/Mystery = 5
MATURITY RATING: PG-13 (Use this to rate the game. Games with material or action inappropriate for younger players should get a "R" or "NC-17" rating)
SPECIAL NOTES: (this is where you write your special notes)

Email:
Any additional notes/contact info


GMs will mostly be selected on a first come first serve basis, yet if we get a whole slog of submissions, I'll try to make it so there's a good variety. I'd like to get all of the game submissions by February 28 so we have plenty of time for sign up and all that good stuff. So start sending. Thanks all.

Cyradon Beginnings
DM: Rasyr (a.k.a. Tim Dugger)
Afternoon preference
GAME: HARP
TEASER: The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of terror. First the mighty armies of Orsai have defeated those who would defend your city. Then comes the evacuation. Thousands fleeing north, into the mountains, fleeing for your very life. Among those thousands fleeing the city where the pitiful few hundred soldiers sent to protect everybody. Humans from Tarahir and the Treaty Kingdoms, and the Skaldi from the northwest. The Sithi Elves, archers from the far northern forests, and even the ever-wandering Gryx, those nomadic tribesmen from the far east, chased from their homelands centuries ago.

Hiding in that abandoned Dwarven outpost. That magical portal suddenly coming to life. Could that be one of the fabled Royal Roads of the ancient Cyrads?

Awakening in a strange city built on the side of a volcano. Surrounded by a blasted wasteland, devasted by magic centuries ago. A wasteland filled with creatures and abominations created by the very same magic which destroyed the plains all those long years ago.

Discovering that myths were indeed true. Intelligent, talking Gryphons who want to be friends. The mysterious Rhone, Gnomes with a deep and secret tie to the lands that they have been trying to heal for centuries. The very civiliized and cultured lizardmen known as the Nagazi. The Arali Elves, cousins of the Sithi among the refugees, as arrogant and worldly as the Sithi are rustic. Then there are the Mablung, the Dwarves who came through the portal about a week after your arrival, seeking to reclaim one of their abandoned cities.

Then came the night of the comets. Not only were all three harbingers in the sky, but all three were also at their closest to the world of Mithra. And there were the Rhona insisting that they had to perform something called the Ritual of Estrousal, and that it had to be done that night.

You sat and watched as members from each race climbed as high as they could up the side of the volcano. You waited, not knowing what was going to happen when suddenly there was that huge explosion of light from the peak. And that wave of energy that washed over you and your fellow refugees, knocking down even the sturdiest warrior. And nobody would answer any questions, always saying to wait until the morrow.

As you awoke the next morning, something was different. The air, it was cooler. There was a breeze. As you looked around you could see that the land around Belynar had come to life overnight! Then came the word, Grayson, the leader of the refugees, was looking for volunteers to scout out the land and to see how much had been restored. People who could fight and defend themselves against any of the Devastation monsters that still might be lurking nearby. Are you brave enough to volunteer?
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 6
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated level 5
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 7
• Role-Playing = 5
• Puzzles/Mystery = 4
MATURITY RATING: PG-13
SPECIAL NOTES: Cyradon is to be the default setting for the HARP system. It has not yet been published yet.

(also sent to gertiebarden@gmail.com)

Exterminate the Necromancer
DM: die_kluge (Curtis Bennett)
morning slot preference
GAME: HARP
TEASER: The party has been asked to venture in the dark swamp to eliminate the vile necromancer and her undead minions. When they finally meet the necromancer, will they have what it takes to bring her down?
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4-6
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated level 5
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 8
• Role-Playing = 7
• Puzzles/Mystery = 7
MATURITY RATING: PG-13
SPECIAL NOTES: game will be used to introduce players to the HARP rules. No HARP experience is necessary.


Round Robin DM'ing
DM: die_kluge (Curtis Bennett)
afternoon slot preference
GAME: D&D 3.5/3.0
TEASER: This game is adlib DM'ing at its finest. Each players takes turns running the game in 15-30 minute increments to create a cohesive whole. It's challenging, and fun. Roll a d6 (or two, or three) to determine character level. Throw together a character of your choosing. Next, everyone rolls an unmodified d10 for initiative. What's that, you just lost initiative? Ok, you GM first. Ready? Go!
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3-5
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Rolled during the game
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = ?
• Role-Playing = ?
• Puzzles/Mystery = ?
MATURITY RATING: PG-13 (although can't be guaranteed, as it's completely random)
SPECIAL NOTES: This game requires players who are proficient, and comfortable GM'ing D&D 3.5 (or 3.0, it doesn't really matter) in a completely adlibed fashion.

A Day in the Life of PNX Sector
GM: Fieari (aka Richard Winters)
Afternoon preference
GAME: ParanoiaXP
TEASER: Greetings Citizen! It's another fine daycycle in Alpha Complex. You have been issued your first 6-pack of clones in your neverending battle against Mutants, Commies, and other assorted Traitors! Pity that you happen to be a mutant, and a commie, and you've lost count of the other assorted items of treason you've committed... how long can you survive? Will 6 clones be enough to last the day?

ParanoiaXP is...
--NEW! IMPROVED! If you've played previous versions of Paranoia, you are in for a REAL TREAT. The new version is better than ever! Now with REAL RULES that CAN ACTUALLY BE FOLLOWED, not that you, the player, will be allowed to look at them. It's Paranoia people! If you knew how it all worked, you wouldn't be paranoid!
--The Anti-D20. In D20, you determine the circumstances and add modifiers to your die roll. In PXP, you determine the modifiers to your die roll and the circumstances follow from there. No charts to consult, no scientific calculators required. No knowledge of anything at all, in fact, is required or even encouraged!
--Competetive. There will be a definitive WINNER and LOSER at the end of each round. Match wits against the other players AND the enviornment. EVERYONE and EVERYTHING is a potential enemy.
--Humorous. If you aren't laughing, you're taking this WAY too seriously. In game rewards are awarded to those who make the DM laugh, or cause everyone else to laugh.
--Challenging. Good sports are welcomed... if this is your first time playing ParanoiaXP, you will probably die a lot, but that's why you get 6 clones. You will probably also fail at everything you do, because you won't understand anything that's going on. This is normal, healthy, and fun. The Computer tells us so. Please don't get upset. Laugh, and learn. Each mission you fail at is another lesson learned. Leveling up involves you, the player not the character, learning how to survive in this messed up world.

If you think you can handle abject failure and repeated death at the hands of both the DM and the other players, this is the game for YOU!

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Between 4 and 8 at a time.
PC TYPES: Pregenerated.
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 6
• Role-Playing = Player Dependant
• Puzzles/Mystery = 11. Our scales go to 11.
MATURITY RATING: PG-13 (Humorously described violence, could be rated PG?)
SPECIAL NOTES: "High-Level" Paranoia campaigns are some of the most convoluted, twisted, and enjoyable experiences I have ever seen, but since "Leveling Up" only happens on a meta level, I am really hoping to attract one or two experienced Paranoia players. If not, I will compensate as best I can, but the best teachers of the system to players is not the GM, but rather other, more experienced players. This is not to discourage newcommers to the game, I'm just hoping to get one or two who know what they're doing.

I changed my slot preference from morning to afternoon so that die_kluge and I are not GMing the only two HARP games at the same time.

Rasyr said:

I changed my slot preference from morning to afternoon so that die_kluge and I are not GMing the only two HARP games at the same time.

Click to expand...

Oh, I didn't even think to check that. Lots of HARP goodness at this con. Got to be some kind of record.


I can work on some 5th level pre-gens. Email me and we can divvy up creating them.

Is there anyone planning to run the same thing they ran at the last TerpCon?

I ask for two reasons:

1. There were a couple of games last time that sounded like they'd be cool to run through.
2. I'm debating whether to run the same session I GM'd last fall or to come up with something else, and was curious if I was the only one thinking that way.

SinisterMinister said:

Is there anyone planning to run the same thing they ran at the last TerpCon?

I ask for two reasons:

1. There were a couple of games last time that sounded like they'd be cool to run through.
2. I'm debating whether to run the same session I GM'd last fall or to come up with something else, and was curious if I was the only one thinking that way.

Click to expand...

I'm running the same system (Mutants and Masterminds), but a different adventure. I thought of re-running the old one, but I figure that most of the people that go will be repeats, so I came up with something new. Longer, too. I only ran one slot last time, now it's a two-parter.

Now I just need to go buy a bunch of toy tanks...

J

Also emailed to Xath.


The Good Fight, or "Blitz this, Ratzi!"
Part 1: Patton’s Push
DM: Jay Robinson (threshel)
Morning, Part 1 of 2
GAME: Mutants and Masterminds
TEASER: Allied Mystery Men v. Nazi Ubermensch! Tank throwin' tough guys and gals duke it out amidst a hail of bullets and bombs!
In Part 1, Allied leaders call together the world’s mightiest to help some of our boys out of a tough spot.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-6
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated PL 7ish
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 10
• Role-Playing = *
• Puzzles/Mystery = 5
MATURITY RATING: PG-13 (pre comics-code, but still the 40's)
SPECIAL NOTES: This is a homebrew world, based very heavily on the golden age of comics. Preference will be given to those that want to play both sessions. There will be 12 characters to choose from (6 male, 6 female), and beginners are very welcome. All you need is a creative mind and a d20! Historical accuracy not guaranteed!
*Up to the players, but I like to get into character(s). I will provide more than stats for the PC’s.



The Good Fight, or "Blitz this, Ratzi!"
Part 2: The Seige
DM: Jay Robinson (threshel)
Afternoon, Part 2 of 2
GAME: Mutants and Masterminds
TEASER: Allied Mystery Men v. Nazi Ubermensch! Tank throwin' tough guys and gals duke it out amidst a hail of bullets and bombs!
In Part 2, the Allies have Berlin surrounded, there’s just one problem: The Ubermensch have forced the Allied troops into a standstill. Once again, Earth’s mightiest have to band together. This time, however, their enemies are desperate, and willing to sacrifice almost anything to win.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-6
PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated PL 7ish
GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):
• Action = 10
• Role-Playing = *
• Puzzles/Mystery = 5
MATURITY RATING: PG-13
SPECIAL NOTES: This is the follow-on to the morning slot, although new players could join if there are empty slots. Preference will be given to those that want to play both sessions.
*Up to the players, but I like to get into character(s). I will provide more than stats for the PC’s.

Slots are filling up fast. It looks like we may only have 8 tables per session open for gaming, but that's about as many as we had last semester anyway, so I'm not too worried. There's quite a bit of diversity coming in so I think GM's will mostly be first come first serve.