First Convention- please help

[Harmon]

After twenty odd years I am finally going to a convention and I need to know a few things about what to take and what to expect.

Books of course, the ever present ever sharp and paper, dice (not my favorite set of course), clipboard, drinks, snacks, emm- what else?

Should I bother taking characters (copies of course)- or do most GMs require that you play theirs? (This is actually the number one question that I have.)

Positive in put please, I would like to have a good time and not feel that I wasted my weekend, I feel that EN can help with that by getting experienced people to let me know what to expect.

Thanks

 

[Crothian]

Travel light, a bag of books gets heavy after a while. Don't worry about bringing your own characters, most of the games will have pre gens; that's usually easier on the DM. What I bring is some dice, pencil, and paper.

 

[Mark]

This will help some -

http://php.iupui.edu/~wrporter/tips.html

Have fun!

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Time is your biggest enemy. It can be very hard to complete a scenario in the time allotted, especially if the DM is inexperienced at running games at a convention. Do everything you can to speed things up and keep the game running smoothly. If you're using pre-gen characters and end up with something you aren't terribly familiar with, take some time before the game to read special sections (eg wildshape if you'll be playing a druid). Bookmark pages that you may need to reference frequently, especially spells. Don't let yourself get hung up on mechanics if someone makes a mistake, and don't rules-lawyer. Try to get a feel for the direction the game is taking, and follow the DMs lead. It can be terribly frustrating for the DM and the players when you go chasing down a red herring.

Most of all, have fun. Convention games can be an absolute blast. You can forget all about worrying about your favorite character dying, or whether or not you got a fair share of the loot, and all the other things that can drag a normal campagin down. Instead, you'll get a chance to maybe play something new, excersise your problem solving skills, and experience how other people play (and DM) the game. Enjoy!

 

[Harmon]

This will help some -

http://php.iupui.edu/~wrporter/tips.html

Have fun!

I hope to have lots of fun . Going with my good friend- we're the two main GMs of our group so we get to game together (as Player) very seldom.

Thanks for the site, I will read more on it tomorrow.

 

[BlackSilver]

Which Con?

Which Con are you going to Harmon?

By the way- have fun.

You have no plans to GM?

(Sorry, I recall your distaste for GMing.)

 

[Harmon]

DunDraCon

And- Lord, No!

 

[der_kluge]

If you're playing just D&D, I'd just stick with the PHB, a notepad, pencil, and dice. That's it. You don't really need anything else.

Although, cookies, candy, chips, drinks, and deoderant are always really to have around at conventions.

 

[Halivar]

Well, not anything to do with the actual gaming aspect, but...

Remember that booth babes (is that the correct term anymore?), if they exist at your 'con, don't use the wares they're hawking, and do not want to join your gaming group. This can help you avoid some awkward conversations.

Figs are also almost always (IME, AAGGNAR) overpriced at 'cons. Actually, pretty much everything else is, too. Buying at a convention is like going to the supermarket when you're hungry: you buy more than you need for more than it's worth.

Oh, and if a game's full but you really wanna play, be sure to sign on as an alternate. Somebody always drops out (I've played in games that ended up being mostly alternates.).

 

[Harmon]

Thank you all, these look like good suggestions.

So- PHB, paper, pencil, dice, clip board, sign up as an alternate for full games, avoid buying because of over pricing, snacks good, suggestions from BlackSilver not so good , sit up wind from people bring personal hygenie products (wife will remind me of that one I am sure), sodas a must- water better, food good, name badge thing so they know I paid to be there, change of clothes, room-

Have I forgotten anything?