John's Gen Con gaming (and stupid spending) report

[thormagni]

Well, compared to last year, I really reigned myself in this year. I paid full price for two books (one of which was a $9.95 book) and got the rest at big discounts.

I bought:

Mutants & Masterminds: Paragons -- super powers in "real world" settings.
Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition -- complete rules to play Savage Worlds system
Conan - Hyboria's Fiercest
Conan - Hyboria's Finest
Conan - Tito's Trading Post
BESM D20 - Monstrous Manual - Classic monsters with BESM D20 stats
BESM - Cold Hands Dark Hearts - Tri-Stat vampires and other creatures of the night

We also picked up a ton of Marvel Vs. cards and a bunch of DC Heroclix. My Chris really wants to learn to play.

Of the games I played, two were really good Hero system Champions games, one was a thoroughly excellent True 20 fantasy game, a mediocre Munchkin D20 game and one absolutely terrible game, about which the less said the better.

The two Champions games made me really miss the Hero system. It has lots of flaws, but it really is a cool system.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I didn't get a lot of gaming books - The Savage World of Solomon Kane and Conan the Roleplaying Game - 2nd Edition were it.

I did buy a lot of books though: Universal Horrors (about the Universal Studios monster movies I love so much), a research book on how vampires have changed in media presentation from the 1930's to the present, a book of essays on sex and horror, a bibliography of Robert E. Howard, and, best of all, a book called "People's Names" which lists, believe it or not, people's names from different cultures. Great for naming characters, I say.

 

[Fyrestryke]

GenCon 2007 recap

Sounds like some awesome books!

Hey Vince, how was the Conan seminar/what are your thoughts on it?

As for me, I picked up some gaming books I don't need, but they were $5 each. I got a copy of Talisman 4th Edition (board game) and Infernal Machine (card game similar to illuminati). I played a lot of board games and spent too much money on food thanks to the lack of a refrigerator in our room and "the great jelly incident of 2007". hehe

OH! True dungeon was awesome! I highly recommend it! Can't wait to play again next year.

Oh, and if you guys didn't know, 4th edition is coming.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome

 

[thormagni]

I didn't get a lot of gaming books - The Savage World of Solomon Kane and Conan the Roleplaying Game - 2nd Edition were it.

I had no idea that Conan 2 was even out. I walked right past the Mongoose booth many times and even stopped inside once, and didn't notice it. What are your thoughts on it?

 

[thormagni]

I played a lot of board games and spent too much money on food thanks to the lack of a refrigerator in our room and "the great jelly incident of 2007". hehe

And that was quite the tragedy. I felt your pain!

 

[Grimhelm]

a book called "People's Names" which lists, believe it or not, people's names from different cultures. Great for naming characters, I say.

What to look for in the future:

IM: The innkeeper gives you an ale.
Mark: What's his name?
IM: The ale has no name.
Mark: The innkeeper.
(sound of IM opening "People's Names")
IM: His name is Walagunemaagu.
Mark: Cool.
(game progresses... 10 minutes later...)
Mark: What was the name of that innkeeper?
IM: (With a generous eye roll.) I hate you.
Mark: I know.
(sound of IM opening "People's Names")
IM: Walagunemaagu.
Mark: Thanks. Chris. Write that down. How do you spell it?
IM: (spells out name) Do you go see the priest?
Mark: What was his name again?
(and so on...)

 

[InzeladunMaster]

Hey Vince, how was the Conan seminar/what are your thoughts on it?

It was okay. I enjoyed meeting the other panelists and the editor of REHupa. However, the moderator spent more time talking about his personal history with Conan than letting people actually ask us questions. The few questions we had were pretty good. It was better attended than I thought it would be, which was nice.

 

[InzeladunMaster]

What to look for in the future

Funny! (And probably reasonably accurate)

I thought of you when I bought the book.

 

[Fyrestryke]

LOL!

 

[InzeladunMaster]

I had no idea that Conan 2 was even out. I walked right past the Mongoose booth many times and even stopped inside once, and didn't notice it. What are your thoughts on it?

It is a nice big book. My temptress class made it in as a core class now. Defensive Blast for the sorcerer has more variety and makes more sense now. Poison is deadlier. There are a few tweaks here and there you might appreciate, but most of the changes are subtle at best. Soldier got some new abilities, and some of the other classes have more options when choosing a level ability.

Oh - and if your name was in the first edition book as a playtester, your name is in this one as well (Bob, Craig, Chris and Allen, IIRC). I got an "additional text" credit (probably for the Temptress class and a few feats taken from the other books I have written that are now considered core), which was nice.