Wednesday 31 October 2007

Darran's Games at Dragonmeet 2007.

0 Dragonmeet 2007. Kensington Town Hall, London, UK.
Saturday 1st December 2007.
http://dragonmeet.co.uk/

These are my games that I am running at Dragonmeet 2007.

Serenity/FireFly: HeroQuest
These are games based on the series FireFly and the film Serenity by
Buffy's Joss Whedon. The player characters will be the crew of The
Betty from Alien: Resurrection; Joss Whedon's first stab at a misfit
crew of smugglers onboard an old, broken-down ship.



The first game, 'Echoes in the Black', has been run twenty times now
at various conventions and has always been over-subscribed.

The sequel, 'The Quick and the Dead', has only been run six times and
has now been extended with extra dilemmas.

The second sequel [or is that threequel?] debuted at Conception 2007
and has only been ran once. I am running it again especially for
Dragonmeet 2007. 'Dead Reckoning' is the third in the series of
Serenity:HeroQuest games and is completely brand new [though certain
parts of the plot my be similar to the other games!]. It still uses
the crew of The Betty but puts them in more perilous and immoral
situations. Included with more silly props!

Due to the popular demand of these games a seventh player character
has been added to all games. The games can be played in order to
experience the full epic narrative arc but each game is also complete
in itself and can be played as a one-off.

+

Saturday 10:00 - 14:00
'Dead Reckoning' by Darran Sims narrated by Darran Sims.
Serenity: HeroQuest adventure for 7 players.
Newcomers very welcome. Maturity preferred.

"Feh Feh Pi Goh! This job should have been shiny!
Here we are floating in the black about to make a move on the 'verse's
easiest mark, a Research & Rescue vessel doing 'science' well away
from civilisation. The Guay Tuh Guay Nown patron said it would be like
taking candy from a baby. "Just don't use sensors as you approach," he
said, "use dead reckoning to get in close."
Not only have we just seen what they are actually doing the 'science'
on but we have just learnt who the Lao Buhn is who is bankrolling this
caper.
A certain Crime Lord with his own Skyplex and a very nasty rep.
Dead Reckoning indeed!"

+

'We are the Boys?'
This is a new game based on a very popular TV series in the UK. This
will not only stretch my scenario writing ability and my GM style but
the HeroQuest games mechanic as well. Very much a 'beer & pretzel'
game played for some laughs. I hope that it goes well.



+

Saturday 14:00 - 17:00
'We are the Boys?' by Darran Sims narrated by Darran Sims.
HeroQuest adventure for 6 players.
Newcomers very welcome. [im-]Maturity preferred.

It is the dark summer of 1940 and the storm clouds of war still hang
over Europe. Nazi Germany is poised to do Hitler's bidding and invade
this green and pleasant land. The Local Defence Volunteers will be the
last bastion of England when the invasion comes; if they fail then the
country will be under the Nazi jackboot and all freedom lost.
And where will the Nazi vanguard attack?
Walmington-on-Sea!

+

Tuesday 30 October 2007

October Update of up & coming RPG Conventions

October Update of RPG conventions.

Can you let me know of any I have missed please?


0 GAMESFEST 2. Victoria Hall, Tring.
Saturday 10th November 2007.
http://gamesfest2.blogspot.com/

0 Consequences 2007. Naish Holiday Village, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, UK.
Friday 16th - Sunday 18th November 2007.
http://www.consequences.org.uk

0 Dominicon 2007. N.U.I Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland.
Friday 9th - Sunday 11th November 2007.
http://www.dominicon.ie/

0 Grand Tribunal 2007. Cheltenham. UK
Saturday 17th November 2007.
http://sagalocator.myfreeforum.org/forum12.php

0 Dragonmeet 2007. Kensington Town Hall, London, UK.
Saturday 1st December 2007.
http://dragonmeet.co.uk

0 Warpcon XVIII. University College Cork, Ireland.
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th January 2008.
http://www.warpcon.com/

0 Conception 2008. Naish Holiday Village, Highcliffe, Christchurch, Dorset, UK.
Wednesday 30th January - Sunday 3rd February 2008.
http://www.conceptionuk.org/

0 Son Of Ramsdencon. Ramada Hotel, Colchester, UK.
Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th February 2008.
http://www.sorcon.co.uk/

0 Leprecon 29. Goldsmith Hall, Pearse St. Dublin 2, Ireland.
Friday 29th February - Sunday 2nd March 2008.
http://www.leprecon.ie

0 K2 2008. Killarney Country Club, Killarney, Ireland.
Friday Friday 7th - Monday 10th March 2008.
lir@lspace.org

0 CONcrete Cow '08. Old Bath House, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, UK.
Saturday 8th March 2008.
http://www.mk-rpg.org.uk

0 TravCon 08. Redwings Lodge, Sawtry, UK.
Friday 14th - Sunday 16th March 2008.
http://www.bits.org.uk/

0 Tentacles 2008. Castle Stahleck, Bacharach, Germany.
Friday 9th - Monday 12th May 2008.
http://www.tentacles-convention.de/

0 UK GAME EXPO 2008. The Clarendon Suites, Stirling Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Saturday 31st May - Sunday 1st June 2008.
http://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk

0 Continuum 2008. John Foster Hall [also known as New Hall], Leicester University. UK.
Friday 1st - Monday 4th August 2008.
http://www.continuum.uk.net

0 Gen Con UK 2008. University of Reading, Berkshire. UK.
Thursday 28th – Sunday 31st August 2008.
http://www.horsemenevents.com/

0 Game '08. New Century House, Manchester, UK.
Saturday 1st - Sunday 2nd November 2008.
http://www.game08.eu/

Thursday 18 October 2007

Furnace Con Book put to bed!

A quick post just to say the Furnace 2007 Con Book is now completed.

Contents
Welcome to Furnace! By Graham Spearing
About the Venue By Darran Sims
Furnace’s Charity - WaterAid
Top Ten Tips For Convention Players By Evilgaz
Aggar Homeland for Glorantha HeroQuest By David Millians
Tal’Vorn a Game World for D&D By Joshua Binks.
The Shattered Lands a RuneQuest Setting By Newt Newport
When the Snow Lay Round About By Jane Williams
‘Love, Honour & Obey’ a DitV Scenario By Ric Baines
UK Roleplayers - a Brief History By Dave McAlister
Nemesis Madness Meters in Call of Cthulhu By Dom Mooney
Mob Justice Introduction By Iain McAllister
Game Design 101 By Iain McAllister
Kadvalla - A Saintly Order for Mythic Russia By Mark Galeotti
Saturday Timetable
Sunday Timetable
Scheduled Games Tabletop
Collective Endeavour
Furnace Committee
Dragonewts! By Darran Sims

Here is the cover:


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Friday 12 October 2007

Player Characters for my 'We are the Boys...' Game

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I have now finished writing up my 100 words for the player characters of my new HeroQuest game. I am quite pleased with them as it has taken me a while to capture their characters. I will be using the 100 words to get most of their abilities as I will just use the keywords of rank as a broad ability rather than break them down into lots of related abilities.


'We are the Boys…' by Darran Sims narrated by Darran Sims.
HeroQuest adventure for 6 players.
Newcomers very welcome. Maturity preferred.

It is the dark summer of 1940 and the storm clouds of war still hang over Europe. Nazi Germany is poised to do Hitler's bidding and invade this green and pleasant land. The Local Defence Volunteers will be the last bastion of England when the invasion comes; if they fail then the country will be under the Nazi jackboot and all freedom lost.
And where will the Nazi vanguard attack?
Walmington-on-Sea!


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Captain George Mainwaring.
George Mainwaring is Captain of the Walmington-on-Sea platoon as well as manager of Shallows bank, Rotarian, and pillar of the community.
Considered pompous and overbearing by many, even referred to as ‘Napoleon’, he is a stickler for protocol. He wants things done his way but gets irritated with any hold-ups to his plans.
His wife Elizabeth constantly plagues him on the phone, he fears her more than the imminent Nazi invasion, though he will not let his men know that!
It is a bone of contention that Sergeant Wilson had the benefit of a private education though it is often Pike that gets his umbrage, "Stupid Boy!"
107 words.

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Sergeant Arthur Wilson.
A diffident, upper-class bank clerk who quietly questions Mainwaring's judgement "Do you think that's wise?" Wilson is nonetheless Mainwaring’s subordinate in the bank and on parade; his suave, understated social superiority, public school education and handsome looks lead to jealousy on Mainwaring’s part.
His effect on women is magnetic; he treats them with utmost courtesy and gives them his full attention. Wilson's approach to discipline is much the same. He offers his men to "kindly fall in", and when they do it is "thank you so much."
‘Uncle Arthur’ is beleaguered by Mavis Pike due to the perceived rough treatment of her son, Frank Pike by Mainwaring.
107 words.

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Lance Corporal Jack Jones.
A veteran soldier, with many years service (and medals) to his name, Jack Jones is loaded with ‘long’ stories of adventure and heroism. He served with General Gordon and Lord Kitchener becoming very fond of the cold steel bayonet; "they don't like it up 'em".
Jones runs the local butchers shop and he converted his butchers van as troop transport though as the Captain says "his experience will stand us in good steak er... stead".
Loyal to the Captain he will volunteer for every mission. When things go wrong he gets in a flap "Don’t Panic Mr Mainwaring!"
His ambition in life? - to marry Mrs Fox.
107 words.

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Private James Frazer.
Every town has a purveyor of calamity and gloom. Everything, according to him, will turn into a disaster "We’re doomed!" As the local undertaker he sees the world through different eyes.
He spent his youth on the wild Isle of Barra off the coast of Scotland. It was a hard life. He served in the Royal Navy, reaching the position of Chief Petty Officer. He often criticises Captain Mainwaring’s plans and chuffs at the bit when Jones does well.
James Frazer has a wealth of stories to tell of exotic lands with strange and supernatural happenings. The whole platoon listens in awe when Frazer spins his yarn...
107 words.

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Private Joe Walker.
If you need anything from whiskey to knicker elastic, watches or even black-market weapons, Joe Walker will get them for you. "Mind you, as its war-time it will cost you, 'cos you can't get 'em". Joe is a typical cockney spiv, making his way through life ducking and diving, trying to avoid the law.
Luckily for him, he is allergic to corned beef, which invalided him out of the army.
Walker rarely deals with money, relying on the bartering system to do business, and occasionally doing a little work for ‘charity’.
One of the cleverest in the platoon, others turn to him for inspiration in tricky situations.
107 words.

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Private Frank Pike.
Private Frank Pike works in the daytime as a clerk at the bank. By far the youngest member of the platoon at 17, Frank was too young to enlist in the services, but jumped at the change of belonging to the Home Guard, much to his mother's displeasure that spread to Arthur Wilson, or Uncle Arthur, as Frank would usually address him.
He is very proud of the fact that he carries the Tommy gun. He takes it with him everywhere.
Frank Pike usually ends up volunteered in the platoon’s escapades because he is the youngest, despite his protests about suffering from vertigo, croup or hay fever.
107 words.



So what do you think?