UK Gamers: WWDDGD is 19 September!

[CharlesRyan]

Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day
Dungeon Master's Guide 2: 19 September 2009

Hi, everybody--

The third of three Worldwide D&D Game Day events for 2009 is coming up, on 19 September. As with past WWDDGDs, this event will be a celebration of the world's most popular RPG, complete with great activities and free stuff.

The September event celebrates not just the release of the DMG 2, but also DMs everywhere--current and future! For that reason, this event is a little different than those of the past.

In keeping with the Dungeon Master theme, instead of a premade adventure, players get everything they need to build their own short adventure: Maps, minis, stat blocks, pregenerated characters, etc. In about an hour, your group can customize these items into your own 2-encounter adventure (which should be playable in two or three hours). Then you swap adventures with another group at the event, play theirs, and see what surprises they came up with while they discover your devious plot!

Here's another small difference: Here in the UK, we're encouraging shops to take the day up a notch, and make a bit more of real event out of it. We'd like shops to promote their activities, draw in a good crowd, and give the whole thing a bit of a festive atmosphere. Not every shop has the resources to go that extra mile, so we might we a few fewer sites this time around. Those shops that do participate should run events that are more fun and more engaging.

I'll post a list of participating sites in a couple weeks. Until then, mark your calendar: WWDDGD, 19 September!

 

[Hawkwind]

Is it to much to hope that am event in London this time or are we going to get the usual excuses and be told to get a train to Reading?

 

[Demmero]

Wow--WWDDGD and International Talk Like a Pirate Day on the same date! How cool is that?

 

[Phaezen]

Is it to much to hope that am event in London this time or are we going to get the usual excuses and be told to get a train to Reading?

You still have time to talk to your LFGS into organising the event. Alternately, if there is a lack of FLGS, you could organise it yourself as we have successfully done in Cape Town for the last 2 games days this year.

Remember kiddies, before you complain that nothing is happening in your area games wise, ask yourself, what have I done?

 

[Hawkwind]

You still have time to talk to your LFGS into organising the event. Alternately, if there is a lack of FLGS, you could organise it yourself as we have successfully done in Cape Town for the last 2 games days this year.

Remember kiddies, before you complain that nothing is happening in your area games wise, ask yourself, what have I done?

the difference between the Uk and South Africa is that a certain individual in the Uk is paid to organise World Dnd day. I just want him to do his job properly

 

[bobthehappyzombie]

We went to Reading for the last one, and it was well populated and a real blast... I'm not sure where he went wrong, apart from it being a whopping 38 miles away from you.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

If you can persuade Orcs Nest, Forbidden Planet, Playing Games or the shop up in Finchley to run a session, then by all means try.

However, I don't think any of them have enough room to do so. I'm also guessing that since there are 3 WWDDGD's this year, hiring out the London Dungeon each time is a little too expensive, no matter how many people you get to come to it.

I'm more than happy to go down to Reading, as it's an excellent location with some very friendly staff and I had a great time on the 4e launch event. I'll almost certainly be there again for this one in September - unless I hear of one closer to home! My brother (Heselbine on these boards) will probably be there, also.

I may try and DM - just for the free goodies they give out.

 

[CharlesRyan]

A certain individual in the Uk is paid to organise World Dnd day. I just want him to do his job properly

There might be a bit of a misunderstanding here.

WWDDGD is a retail event. It is run exclusively at retail sites*, not just in the UK but all over the world. For better or worse, organizing an event on this scale requires WotC to rely on the global network of retail sites; organizing individual sites on our own is simply not logistically possible.

I'm well aware of the bitter irony that London, one of the world's greatest cities, is not home to any retail shops with sufficient space to host a WWDDGD event. But it's neither within my power, or part of my professional remit, to change that.

* Now, I said "exclusively," but there are two exceptions. First, anybody can run a WWDDGD event by downloading the printed materials from WotC (or, indeed, doing any D&D-related activity they want). They just won't get the physical components that WotC provides to participating shops.

Second, retailers are not required to hold the event onsite, and are more than welcome to work with clubs, groups, or individuals who can provide an alternative public venue. As long as the event is marketed through the shop and open to the public, we're happy to support it. So any club, group, or individual in London that wants to help host a WWDDGD site is more than welcome to contact a London retailer and work with them on it. In fact, that's exactly what we did, with Leisure Games, the years we ran a London Dungeon event.

I'm sorry there are no shops with play space in London; I'd really love to see the event held there again. But London had a couple years of direct support, and now it's time to share the love with some other parts of the countryl

So I guess it boils down to the "usual excuses," but I'm afraid that's just the reality of the situation.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Hi, all--

Sorry we're a tiny bit behind the curve, but here at last is a list of participating sites. As always, it's safe to expect a few tweaks in the final weeks, but this should be pretty close to final:

EDIT: Three new sites added 09/09/09.

Aldershot: Games Shop
Ashbourne: Bookthrift (Dove Dale)
Beaminster: World of Fantasy Games
Belfast: Serenity Games
Birmingham: Waylands Forge
Brighton: Wargames Heaven
Bristol: Area 51
Burton-on-Trent: Spirit Games
Canterbury : Westgate Games
Cardiff: Cardiff Games
Dundee: Highlander Games
Edinburgh: Black Lion Games
Essex: Marquee Models
Exeter: Clifton Road Games
Glasgow: Spellbound games
Glasgow: Static
Huddersfield: Patriot Huddersfield
Ipswich: Runik Games
Kirkcaldy: Kingdom of Adventure
Lancaster: Lancaster RPG
Leeds: Travelling Man Leeds
Limerick: The Gathering
Manchester: Fan Boy Three
Newcastle upon Tyne: Travelling Man Newcastle
Norwich: Games Room
Oxford: Gameskeeper
Peterborough: The Rift
Plymouth: Antics Plymouth
Reading: Eclectic Games
Redhill: The Gamers Guild
Ripley: Chimera Leisure
Sheffield: Patriot Sheffield

For contact information for any of these shops, visit www.findyourgamestore.co.uk.

You might note that this is a shorter list than the last couple of events. We've really asked the shops to step up and make something a bit more special out of this event, and not every site has the resources to carry that off. But we are expecting more exciting events at those that are running it.

Hope you'll join us!

 

[Morrus]

Southampton: Forbidden Planet

Woohoo!