What's Happening In D&D At PAX Prime?

PAX Prime is coming. It's a gaming convention in Seattle, and the one that WotC currently uses for panels or announcements rather than Gen Con (which is used for gaming). The convention takes place August 28-31. Here's what you can expect to see from Wizards of the Coast (who will also have a booth in the Exhibitors Hall from Friday through Monday).

• Acquisitions, Inc (Fri 8.30pm; Benaroya Hall) -- Armed with the latest monster-slaying technology, the heroes of Acquisitions Incorporated undertake a perilous journey into a demon-infested Underdark. Dare to descend with Jim Darkmagic, Omin Dran, Binwin Bronzebottom, and Viari as they search for a legendary dark elf swordsman who, in his quest to put an end to the machinations of the demon lords, has lost his mind. Can the dual wands of Jim Darkmagic overcome the twin scimitars of Drizzt Do’Urden and rescue him from the brink of madness?
• Sword Coast Legends (Sat 1pm, Wyvern Theater) -- You’ve played the Sword Coast Legends demo but there’s still more to see! The SCL team will show off the campaign building tools and share what they’ve got coming in the Rage of Demons DLC later this year.
• Building the Best Worlds in Game (Sunday 11.30am, Seagate Theater) -- Between Magic: the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons, Wizards of the Coast has built world after world, year after year. What are the secrets to the process? How can you build your own worlds? Our panel of experts bridging the two games offer advice, and then answer your questions.
• Ask a Dungeon Master (Monday 10.30am; Sasquatch Theatre) -- Dungeon Mastering is an art and the skills and perspective are as unique as the story being told. Join Dungeon Master extraordinaire, Chris Perkins, to discuss tips, tricks, rules and whether it's kosher to kill a halfling in the first session. All levels of Dungeon Masters welcome from seasoned grognards to those interested in taking up the mantle.
• Design-a-Dungeon (Monday, 3pm; Wyvern Theatre) -- There are a lot of elements that go into making a satisfying dungeon adventure. We're going to throw all that out the window and crowdsource the whole shebang. After an hour, we'll have created an outline for an awesome adventure - or a complete farce.
• There's also a bunch of gaming going on. Harried in Hillsfar runs every hour, and Shackles of Blood runs every 4 hours.

Harried in Hillsfar

In the village of Elventree, near the oppressive city of Hillsfar, a recent string of strange occurrences has the locals on edge. The factions have gathered here on the borders of the forest of Cormanthor to determine what’s happening. Is this the machinations of Hillsfar, or something more?

This is an introductory adventure given in 1 hour mini-missions. Perfect for playing your first game of D&D.

Shackles of Blood

The Red Plumes have increased patrols in the region surrounding Hillsfar, and a string of disappearances has followed in their wake. Naturally, this has roused the suspicion of the factions. Join your factions and find out the truth behind the missing farmers.

Be among the first to play this 4-hour adventure in its regional preview!

[video=youtube;KipPMgbpKzk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KipPMgbpKzk[/video]
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[Tyranthraxus]

I think its great what can be done in Fantasy grounds now esp. Roll20 is still used for many games too.

My only issue with Twitch (and its a very minor one) is that there is no one place which indexes all the 5e games online. I find twitch difficult to search as a lot of people give their games a very.. strange name.. and one that dosnt lend itself to finding via their search engine.

I didnt realise Gencon had such an explosion of Board games although they do seem to be getting more and more varied. Gone are the days of monopoly and Risk.

 

[UnsounderGnome]

The West of the U.S. is the second most populated region (the South is the most populated). GenCon takes place closest to the two least populated regions (Northeast and Midwest).

Population epicenter is technically Missouri, so Indianapolis kind of isn't a bad choice as far as average travelling distance goes. I don't blame West Coasters for not feeling up for that long of a journey, but coming from other regions, it's much more doable.

 

[Queer Venger]

Comic-con still has comics; the movies and TV haven't completely taken over.
D&D Adventurers League and Pathfinder PFS had 8 tables this year. That's fewer than in the past because of a late administrative change. Comic-con gets mostly walk-ins looking for something different to do, so it's primarily introductory adventures.

I ran 2 tables at Comic Con for AL, both tables were full and I had to turn players away. People want to play D&D 5, its all the talk at this con and we are talking Comic Con, which is really Pop-Con now. I believe that the table-top organizers are really trying to grow D&D but are limited becuase of an ongoing shortage of DM's. That is why in my area we are holding DM seminars, which are well attended.

 

[Mistwell]

Population epicenter is technically Missouri, so Indianapolis kind of isn't a bad choice as far as average travelling distance goes. I don't blame West Coasters for not feeling up for that long of a journey, but coming from other regions, it's much more doable.

I agree. It's just that so many people live in the west that it's not out of line to suggest Las Vegas or Seattle as a destination instead of or in addition to Indianapolis. I love GenCon. But the year I went, it was because the convention was paying for our hotel room for us and booking it for us. We couldn't have afforded it without that, as the plane flight alone was a huge amount of money. A convention in Seattle or Las Vegas, on the other hand, I can handle. Personally (and I am not sure this is the right thread for this, but I think it's related) I think GenCon should move to Vegas after their 2020 lease is up in Indianapolis. It's outgrown Indianapolis, and even with Indianapolis expanding it's still going to outgrow it. It won't ever outgrow Vegas, and Vegas is a much more pleasant destination for the convention.

I just got back from a convention in Las Vegas (ASD Consumer Goods Show), and it was inexpensive, nice, and easy. It's a fair comparison because this con has about the same number of attendees as GenCon (50,000 or so). It's roughly the same week as GenCon (early August). It has a bigger set of convention floors and booths (roughly 2600 booths across 6 floors - but of course no gaming so some booth space would be replaced by gaming space, though we're still talking more space to work with by far than GenCon), and more room to expand into beyond that (the Star Trek convention was taking place in the next week at the Rio convention center for example, and the Vegas convention center itself will be double the size by 2020 as they are expanding it right now and construction is already half completed).

The convention was free with prereg or $40 at the door - which means while I don't have private contracts in hand for GenCon and ASD, it's fair to say the Vegas convention center isn't breaking the bank any more or less than GenCon for the conventions renting that space (and is probably cheaper - it is, after all, build on cheap land in a desert, in a town massively hit by the recession). Rooms were $39/night in a nice hotel right next to the convention center, and around that at other hotels (ours was $45/night because we stayed at Circus Circus, but you can find even cheaper than $39 pretty easily, particularly in Downtown Vegas which has some nicer cheap hotels). Food was plentiful, good, and cheap, with lots of good inexpensive all you can eat buffets as well. Transportation was readily available using a monorail between major hotels and skyway/mini monorail/tram between smaller hotels. Parking was plentiful and $5-$10/day depending on where you parked (or free at hotels). We stayed at a kid-friendly hotel (Circus Circus) which had an indoor amusement park, circus shows, kid-friendly restaurants, and lots of swimming pools. We also went to see, for free, the exploding volcano at the Mirage, and the pirate ships with pirates fighting at Treasure Island. We also could have gone to see the Fountain show at the Bellagio, the fall of Atlantis at the Fourum shops at Ceasars, the Freemont Street Experience in downtown Vegas or the outdoor Neon museum in downtown, the Flamingos at the Flamingo, etc. all for free and all kid-friendly. Or we could have paid for the dolphin show, aquariums, tigers, cirque du soleil, blue man group, magic shows, etc., and there are coupons for those as well.

Las Vegas has a major airport, and pretty much every major airport flies to Las Vegas frequently, much more so than Indianapolis, which means tickets tend to be cheaper. In fact I just checked a random set of destinations and Detroit to Indianapolis was $400/ticket (though it's MUCH closer to Detroit), while Detroit to Vegas was $237. I then checked Tulsa to Indianapolis, and Tulsa to Vegas, and again Vegas was cheaper even though it's much further. Finally I checked Charlotte, NC to Indianapolis and then Las Vegas and the prices were almost the exact same (though the distances outrageously different). In sum, on average it's cheaper to fly to Las Vegas from almost anywhere in the U.S. than it is to fly to Indianapolis. Of course, driving to Indianapolis is cheaper than Las Vegas for many, though not necessarily once you figure in gas, parking, and of course all the other costs of holding the convention in Indianapolis like hotel, food, etc..

Bottom line, the experience of going to a convention in Vegas was significantly better than it is in Indianapolis. Everything costs less, and is higher quality, and easier to access. There are more options for families, and for those on a very tight budget. There is a reason the Vegas convention center is ranked #3 in the nation, while Indianapolis is ranked #27. I know this sounds blasphemous to suggest moving it from it's traditional mid-west location to a western location, but I really think it would serve the convention attendees and the companies renting booths or running games there much better than Indianapolis.

And as for the expected argument that gambling detracts from spending money on the convention floor - this example was a major consumer goods show. They do extremely well every year, and grow every year. They're selling stuff left and right - that's what the show is about, even more than GenCon, to sell stuff. The gambling doesn't seem to detract from their ability to sell. Anyone going to GenCon for tabletop gaming is still going to spend their money on tabletop gaming. Just like people going to a consumer goods show for consumer goods, are still spending their money on those consumer goods. I didn't even gamble when in Vegas this time, for instance. There was just too much to spend my money on inside the show, to bother spending money outside the show.

 

[Lanefan]

I agree. It's just that so many people live in the west that it's not out of line to suggest Las Vegas or Seattle as a destination instead of or in addition to Indianapolis.

I don't think Seattle could handle GenCon, for the same reasons it can't handle PAX now. (when a con has to limit attendance it means it's outgrown its host city)

{... a pretty good case for GenCon at Las Vegas ...}

All true, but...

Las Vegas has a major airport, and pretty much every major airport flies to Las Vegas frequently, much more so than Indianapolis, which means tickets tend to be cheaper. In fact I just checked a random set of destinations and Detroit to Indianapolis was $400/ticket (though it's MUCH closer to Detroit), while Detroit to Vegas was $237. I then checked Tulsa to Indianapolis, and Tulsa to Vegas, and again Vegas was cheaper even though it's much further. Finally I checked Charlotte, NC to Indianapolis and then Las Vegas and the prices were almost the exact same (though the distances outrageously different). In sum, on average it's cheaper to fly to Las Vegas from almost anywhere in the U.S. than it is to fly to Indianapolis. Of course, driving to Indianapolis is cheaper than Las Vegas for many, though not necessarily once you figure in gas, parking, and of course all the other costs of holding the convention in Indianapolis like hotel, food, etc..

But that's just the problem: more people will have to fly. And flying has its own limitations, most notably in how much you can carry and how fragile it might be. I live on the west coast (in Canada, no less) and I've driven to every one of the 5 GenCon's I've been to (all in Indy; sadly I missed the Milwaukee experience). Why? Because I can pile far more gype into a car than into a suitcase or two, and have control over how it's handled. I can buy a sword and not have to worry about getting it through airport security (never mind customs, but that's another matter). And I can change my plans on a (relative) whim.

And while Vegas would be far easier for me to get to, I'd be in the severe minority.

There is a reason the Vegas convention center is ranked #3 in the nation, while Indianapolis is ranked #27.

This somewhat shocks me, unless the rating is for more than just the convention centre itself; the ICC itself seems like an excellent facility.

My other concern about Vegas in mid-summer is, of course, that it's mid-summer in Vegas; and that means it's gonna be bloody hot! Indianapolis can be bad enough (example: Tuesday and Wednesday of this year's GenCon week) but it usually doesn't last. Vegas, by comparison, is rarely if ever anything other than ridiculously hot. And before you even think about moving GenCon to a cooler time of the year, keep in mind that taking it out of the summer (and thus into the school year) will chop its attendance dramatically, defeating the purpose of moving it in the first place.

Lan-"GenCon So-Cal would have worked out much better if they hadn't held it in December every year, thus exculding everyone in either of school or the retail industry"-efan

 

[aramis erak]

Population epicenter is technically Missouri, so Indianapolis kind of isn't a bad choice as far as average travelling distance goes. I don't blame West Coasters for not feeling up for that long of a journey, but coming from other regions, it's much more doable.

Chicago, Detroit, or Dallas, would be better choices, travel wise. Major hubs, lots of routinely nearly full flights (so ticket prices are lower).

 

[Zaukrie]

Detroit it's never a good choice to visit.

 

[Eric Portney]

Hi everyone. I'm Eric, the Tabletop Tournaments coordinator for PAX Prime, and the guy helping the D&D Adventurers League by provisioning space for them to operate at the show.

As already indicated in the OP, beyond the panels and WotC's booth presence on the Expo Hall floor, the D&D Adventurer's League will be running sessions for Harried in Hillsfar and Shackles of Blood all show, and we have a wing of meeting rooms in the Hyatt Olive 8 Hotel specifically for this purpose.

I know the focus here is on D&D in this thread, but I do want to point out the many other pen and paper RPGs represented at PAX Prime:

- Paizo will be running Pathfinder in two rooms in the convention center
- Catalyst Game Labs will be running Shadowrun and other RPG content in their room
- Monte Cook Games will be running Numenera and The Strange content in their room
- The Indie RPG Games on Demand group will be using four rooms in the convention center to run a wide range of indie systems and story games (e.g. Microscope, Fiasco, Monster Hearts, Dogs in the Vineyard, etc.)

This level of commitment to RPGs at PAX Prime is not new. PAX Tabletop has included this diversity and volume of RPG content for the past 4 or more years, and as the space we are allotted within the show grows, so will our RPG offerings.

For now, the limitation to growing more rapidly is, as pointed out above, that the Convention Center simply isn't large enough. But this is changing, as Seattle has approved and begun work on an expansion that will double the size of the Convention Center within a few years.

My opinion is obviously biased, but, in short, is PAX Prime a destination for RPG players? Yes. Absolutely Yes.

 

[bedir than]

I don't think Seattle could handle GenCon, for the same reasons it can't handle PAX now. (when a con has to limit attendance it means it's outgrown its host city)

GenCon is much smaller than PAXPrime and so Seattle's infrastructure wouldn't be pressured by GenCon. And considering that Seattle has hosted much larger events than PAXPrime it isn't that SEATTLE is at its limit it is that PAX made certain decisions that they wouldn't expand beyond what they are now.

 

[Mistwell]

GenCon is much smaller than PAXPrime and so Seattle's infrastructure wouldn't be pressured by GenCon. And considering that Seattle has hosted much larger events than PAXPrime it isn't that SEATTLE is at its limit it is that PAX made certain decisions that they wouldn't expand beyond what they are now.

For what it is worth, the Seattle convention center ranks 29th I think...two worse than Indianapolis. And yes it's expanding...as is Indianapolis...as is Vegas. The rankings are not based on just size obviously as I think you're correct the Seattle one is currently bigger than the Indianapolis one (or not - the Wikipedia entries show the Seattle one is rather small, not much more than 300,000 square feet).

I don't have the full list, but here are the top ten largest convention centers:

1. McCormick Place (Chicago, IL) 2,600,000 sf
2. Orange County Convention Center (Orlando, FL) 2,100,000 sf
3. Las Vegas Convention Center (Las Vegas, NV) 1,940,631 sf
4. Georgia World Congress Center (Atlanta, GA) 1,400,000 sf
5. Sands Expo & Convention Center/The Venetian | The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino (Las Vegas, NV) 1,305,052 sf
6.* Kentucky Exposition Center (Louisville, KY) 1,100,000 sf
7.* New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (New Orleans, LA) 1,100,000 sf
8. Reliant Park (Houston, TX) 1,056,213 sf
9. International Exposition Center (I-X Center) (Cleveland, OH) 1,050,000 sf
10. Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, formerly Dallas Convention Center (Dallas, TX) 1,018,942 sf

*Tied in amount of space

Now the Indianapolis Convention Center website claims, "1,300,000 square feet," which would make it 7th, but for whatever reason the trade publication covering convention centers doesn't rank it that way.