[June Update] UK RPG Convention Listing

This is the June update for the UK RPG conventions for 2019 and far beyond. 

Each has a website (though a few have Facebook pages) for information and details. 

If you know of any that have been missed please mention them in the comments below. 

Please note, a few conventions have asked to be removed from this list. 

UK Games Expo 2019, NEC, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT& Hilton, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1PP

Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June 2019

http://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk

Summer StabCon 2019, Britannia Hotel Stockport, Dialstone Ln, Stockport, SK2 6AG

Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2019

https://m.facebook.com/groups/21195645768

LongCon 2019, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th July 2019

https://www.thedodd.com/longcon-home

PaizoCon UK2019

,Bournville College, 1 Longbridge Lane, Birmingham B31 2TW 

Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th August 2019

http://www.paizocon.co.uk

Grand Tribunal 2019, Gas Green Community Centre, Baker Street, Cheltenham GL51 9HQ

Friday 16th - Sunday 18th August 2019

http://www.grandtribunal.org/wiki/Main_Page

ShadowCon XIII,Northfields Community Centre, 71A Northcroft Road, West Wali g, London, W13 9SS

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2019

http://www.shadowwarriors.co.uk

Tabletop Scotland 2019, Dewars Centre, Glover Street, Perth, Scotland PH2 0TH

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2019

http://tabletopscotland.co.uk/

GamesCon 2019, Emsworth Community Centre, PO10 7DD

Saturday 31st August 2019, 09:00am - 10:00pm

https://gamescon.co.uk/visitor-info/

Concrete Cow 19 1/2, The Old Bath House, 205 Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5RL

Saturday 14th September 2019, 9:00am - 11:00pm

https://www.mk-rpg.org.uk/Concrete_Cow

Mug & Game Games Day IV, St. John’s Community Centre, Buxton Old Road, Congleton, CW12 2ES

Saturday 14th September 2019, 10.00am - 6:00pm

https://mugandgameblog.wordpress.com

The Owlbear and the Wizard’s Staff II: Warwickshire RPG Mini-Con 2019, The Band Factory, Unit 13, Althorpe Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 2AU

Saturday 21st September 2019, 9:00am - 10:00pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-owlbear-and-the-wizards-staff-ii-warwickshire-rpg-mini-con-tickets-55534516233

Wyntercon VI, Eastbourne Sports Park, Ecat House, Cross Levels WY, Eastbourne, BN21 2UF

Saturday 28th - Sunday 29th September 2019

https://www.wyntercon.org

DragonDaze 2019, Newport Centre, 1 Kingsway, Newport NP20 1UH

Saturday 5th October 2018, 10:00am - 5:00pm

http://www.dragondaze.com

Furnace 2019, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB

Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th October 2019

http://furnace.org.uk

Spaghetti ConJunction 3b, Geek Retreat, 38 The Priory Queensway, Birmingham. B4 7LA
Saturday 19th October 2019, 10.00am - 7.30pm

https://spaghetticonjunction.wordpress.com/

GrogMeet 2019, Fan Boy Three, 25 Hilton St, Manchester. M1 1EL

Friday 8th - Sunday 10th November 2019

https://thegrognardfiles.com/grogmeet-2019/

Dragonmeet 2019, Novotel London West, Hammersmith, London, UK

​Saturday 30th November 2019, 9.00am - Midnight

https://www.dragonmeet.co.uk

Winter StabCon 2020, Britannia Hotel Stockport, Dialstone Ln, Stockport, SK2 6AG

Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th January 2020

https://m.facebook.com/groups/21195645768

ConTingency 2020, Searles Leisure Resort, South Beach, Hunstanton, Norfolk. PE36 5BB
Wednesday 22nd - Monday 27th January 2020.

http://www.con-tingency.uk/

Dudley Bug Ball 2020, Station Hotel, Castle Hill, Dudley, DY1 4RA

Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd February 2020

https://b-m.facebook.com/Dudley-Bug-Ball-Games-Convention-328010347608331/

Revelation 2020, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd February 2020

http://revelationgames.org.uk/

AireCon 2020, Harrogate International Centre, King's Rd, Harrogate HG1 5LA

Friday 13th - Sunday 15th March 2020

https://airecon.uk

Concrete Cow 20, The Old Bath House, 205 Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5RL

Saturday 14th March 2020, 9:00am - 11:00pm

https://www.mk-rpg.org.uk/Concrete_Cow

Seven Hills 2020, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th April 2020

http://7hills.org.uk/

Continuum 2020, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 7th - Monday 10th August 2020

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

Continuum 2021, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 6th - Monday 9th August 2021

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

Continuum 2022, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 5th - Monday 8th August 2022

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

[Con Report] Congleton’s Games Day III

Mug & Game Games Day III, St. John’s Community Centre, Buxton Old Road, Congleton, CW12 2ES
Saturday 25th May 2019, 10.00am - 6:00pm
https://mugandgameblog.wordpress.com

It was good to head down to Congleton for this Games Day.
An early start on the train to get there in time as I was running a game in the morning slot.
It was good timing as well as I met other gamers on their way to the venue so we shared a taxi there.



There was plenty of signage so you were in no doubt that the Games day was taking place. The venue is a converted vicarage building done in a modern style and was a good sized space.
We were greeted warmly on arrival and I started setting up ready for my game, getting my screen and PowerPoint presentation set up via my iPad remote controlled by my iPhone.



The Sign up sheets for the day were done so beautifully and nicely labeled with a different coloured meeple for each table.
My game was also well signed up, six players in all.




The players arrived promptly and several had played in my game at the last Games Day. So I must have not put them off anyway.
I started with the ‘Principles of the Loop’, and got on quickly with the character generation.

We had our 14 year old Jock called ‘Clubber’ with his cricket bat and favourite song ‘Danger Zone’ by Kenny Loggins. He has an Raleigh Aeroburner BMX bike.
The knife wielding Troublemaker was Clubber’s twin brother, Chad who is always playing Sex Pistols’s ‘Anarchy in the UK’. He has a Raleigh Chopper bicycle in fire red.
The 14 year old Rocker Chick was Trixie with her flick-knife comb and rocking off to ‘Sweet Child of Mine’. She has a black Raleigh Bomber bike.
Trixie’s kid sister at 12 is Bernadette, who is a serious Computer Geek with her amped up hand held computer console and listens to the newly released ‘Careless Whisper’ by George Michael. She rides a Raleigh Starburst bike in  red with silver stars.
Our 13 year old Weirdo Rat who always has his pet rat with him and plays Hughie Lewis ‘Hip to be Square’. He rides an old Raleigh Penny-farthing bike.
Last but not least is 13 year old Young Farmer Andy with his mini tool kit and love Suzie Quattro’s ‘Devil’s Gate Drive’. He rides a Raleigh Cruz, a motorised bike.

The scenario starts with scenes at home and Rat decides to sneak out and grabs basic supplies of crisps, biscuits, pop, a sleeping bag, and a small one-man tent. Andy has permission to go and is more organised having plenty of farm produced fresh food; meat jerky, cheeses, bread, bottles of cider, and a bottle of moonshine. He has a cassette player to play his songs and takes his bevy tent with him too.
At the sisters household they get permission to go due to their CHARM. Their mother was keen, inappropriately very keen, to see their friend, Clubber, and she seemed to be a little weak at the knees when he arrived. They have a new two-person tent with camper beds, they make sandwiches, take loads of chip sticks, sneak some of their father’s beer, and pack a map and compass too.
Clubber gets permission to go quite easily but is forced to take his twin brother with him. Their mother packs them a hamper with fresh food, they take a stove and pans, and pack a first aid kit just in case.

After the girls recover from their mother’s response to Clubber’s presence, they get on the road and head towards Gotham (pronounced GOT-ham) and the idea of a cool fresh water lake in this Heatwave.

They hit the country lanes on their bikes heading out on their adventure.
What follows is a run in with a black Mercedes, a hoover bike, an truculent robot, a gang of hooligans, rain during a drought, and scientists trying to save the world.



The players had great fun and really went to town playing the characters. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves.



I had a rapid lunch, a homemade chili con carne, provided by the con as part of the sweat equity for running a game at the con.



For the afternoon slot I wasn’t running a game so I got in on Simon Bray’s OpenQuest games as part of his Crucible of Dragons setting. This was set on the Island of Pherae, a land ruled by dragons.

It was using pre-gens so I had the Dwarf character, Karathas Goldma.
As a group we were to head out to an island that just suffered a landslide and ancient ruins were uncovered. We were to explore and ‘liberate’ any treasures we discovered.

We travelled across the ocean in the ‘Ripper’, ending with us having to row the vessel itself.

Arrival at the Sea Queen’s Isle, the original name for the uncovered island, was straight forward, at first. Creatures soon attack us on the beach and we fought off ghouls and followed by a giant crab.

After that we explored the island and got involved in the puzzles and mystery of the ruins. We were hit hard on the final climax as we missed out one of the ruin sites so missed the clues there.

It was a great game, lots of fun working out the mystery and the other players around the table were great fun to, adding to the experience.

I liked the OpenQuest system, a stripped down version of RuneQuest, it has a simpler skills set and doesn’t seem as broken as most D100 games. It was nice to dip into the percentiles dice but I don’t think I’ll be making a habit of it.



After that it was the goodbyes before heading out the door to catch the train home.
It was a very good games day with excellent attendance and was very well organised.
The next date is on Saturday 14th September 2019.

My game at Congleton’s Games Day III

I am running this Tales from the Loop at Mug and Game Games Day III.


Heatwaves and Rain-Guns
Tales from the Loop RPG
Saturday
For up to seven players. Newbies welcome!
The long summer days never seem to end and weather is hot and sunny. The adults are always moaning it is too hot and sweaty; they have stopped us using the hose pipes when we play in the garden. So we’re on our bikes and off the lakeside to swim. But who is that guy on the grav-hover motorcycle and why does he keep following us around?
Tags: Player-led, Sci-Fi (Alt-History), Nostalgia Play, No Pre-gens, Rules-lite, Newbie Friendly, Musical Accompaniment.




Mug & Game Games Day III, St. John’s Community Centre, Buxton Old Road, Congleton, CW12 2ES
Saturday 25th May 2019, 10.00am - 6:00pm
https://mugandgameblog.wordpress.com

#TalesfromtheLoop

My Games at UK Games Expo 2019

My ‘Tales from the Loop’ (and ‘Things from the Flood’) games at
UK Games Expo. There are a few spaces available in some of the games.

Bigtrax and Magic Tricks - Friday Morning
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5041

Atomic Butterflies and Feral Buddleia - Friday Afternoon
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5042

Computer Cassettes and Crash-Test Marionettes - Friday Evening
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5045

Heatwaves and Rain-Guns - Saturday Morning
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5043

On Cloud Nine and Golden Sunshine - Saturday Afternoon
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5044

Computer Cassettes and Crash-Test Marionettes - Saturday Evening
https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/game.php?id=RPG5046

[May Update] UK RPG Convention Listing

This is the May update for the UK RPG conventions for 2019 and far beyond. 

Each has a website (though a few have Facebook pages) for information and details. 

If you know of any that have been missed please mention them in the comments below. 

Please note, a few conventions have asked to be removed from this list. 

ConTRAPtion 2019, Chatsworth Hotel, The Steyne, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 3DU

Friday 3rd - Sunday 5th May 2019

https://warhorn.net/events/contraption-2019

North Star 2019, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th May 2019 

http://www.northstarcon.org.uk/

30th Beer & Pretzels, Burton Town Hall, King Edward Place, Burton upon Trent, DE14 2EB

Saturday 18th - Sunday 19th May 2019

https://www.spiritgames.co.uk

Mug & Game Games Day III, St. John’s Community Centre, Buxton Old Road, Congleton, CW12 2ES

Saturday 25th May 2019, 10.00am - 6:00pm

https://mugandgameblog.wordpress.com

UK Games Expo 2019, NEC, North Ave, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1NT& Hilton, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1PP

Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June 2019

http://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk

Summer StabCon 2019, Britannia Hotel Stockport, Dialstone Ln, Stockport, SK2 6AG

Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2019

https://m.facebook.com/groups/21195645768

LongCon 2019, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th July 2019

https://www.thedodd.com/longcon-home

PaizoCon UK2019

,Bournville College, 1 Longbridge Lane, Birmingham B31 2TW 

Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th August 2019

http://www.paizocon.co.uk

Grand Tribunal 2019, Gas Green Community Centre, Baker Street, Cheltenham GL51 9HQ

Friday 16th - Sunday 18th August 2019

http://www.grandtribunal.org/wiki/Main_Page

ShadowCon XIII,Northfields Community Centre, 71A Northcroft Road, West Wali g, London, W13 9SS

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2019

http://www.shadowwarriors.co.uk

Tabletop Scotland 2019, Dewars Centre, Glover Street, Perth, Scotland PH2 0TH

Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th August 2019

http://tabletopscotland.co.uk/

GamesCon 2019, Emsworth Community Centre, PO10 7DD

Saturday 31st August 2019, 09:00am - 10:00pm

https://gamescon.co.uk/visitor-info/

Concrete Cow 19 1/2, The Old Bath House, 205 Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5RL

Saturday 14th September 2019, 9:00am - 11:00pm

https://www.mk-rpg.org.uk/Concrete_Cow

The Owlbear and the Wizard’s Staff II: Warwickshire RPG Mini-Con 2019, The Band Factory, Unit 13, Althorpe Street, Leamington Spa, CV31 2AU

Saturday 21st September 2019, 9:00am - 10:00pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-owlbear-and-the-wizards-staff-ii-warwickshire-rpg-mini-con-tickets-55534516233

Wyntercon VI, Eastbourne Sports Park, Ecat House, Cross Levels WY, Eastbourne, BN21 2UF

Saturday 28th - Sunday 29th September 2019

https://www.wyntercon.org

DragonDaze 2019, Newport Centre, 1 Kingsway, Newport NP20 1UH

Saturday 5th October 2018, 10:00am - 5:00pm

http://www.dragondaze.com

Furnace 2019, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB

Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th October 2019

http://furnace.org.uk

GrogMeet 2019, Fan Boy Three, 25 Hilton St, Manchester. M1 1EL

Friday 8th - Sunday 10th November 2019

https://thegrognardfiles.com/grogmeet-2019/

Dragonmeet 2019, Novotel London West, Hammersmith, London, UK

​Saturday 30th November 2019, 9.00am - Midnight

https://www.dragonmeet.co.uk

ConTingency 2020, Searles Leisure Resort, South Beach, Hunstanton, Norfolk. PE36 5BB
Wednesday 22nd - Monday 27th January 2020.

http://www.con-tingency.uk/

Dudley Bug Ball 2020, Station Hotel, Castle Hill, Dudley, DY1 4RA

Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd February 2020

https://b-m.facebook.com/Dudley-Bug-Ball-Games-Convention-328010347608331/

Revelation 2020, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd February 2020

http://revelationgames.org.uk/

AireCon 2020, Harrogate International Centre, King's Rd, Harrogate HG1 5LA

Friday 13th - Sunday 15th March 2020

https://airecon.uk

Concrete Cow 20, The Old Bath House, 205 Stratford Road, Wolverton, Milton Keynes MK12 5RL

Saturday 14th March 2020, 9:00am - 11:00pm

https://www.mk-rpg.org.uk/Concrete_Cow

Seven Hills 2020, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Road, Sheffield, S6 2GB
Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th April 2020

http://7hills.org.uk/

Continuum 2020, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 7th - Monday 10th August 2020

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

Continuum 2021, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 6th - Monday 9th August 2021

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

Continuum 2022, John Foster Hall, Manor Road, Leicester, LE2 2LG
Friday 5th - Monday 8th August 2022

http://continuumconvention.co.uk/

Things from the Flood has arrived!

It is a thing of beauty.



I’ll do a review soon.

#TalesfromtheLoop
#ThingsfromtheFlood

Leicester Group First Tales from the Loop Game

So I was invited to run a Tales from the Loop game for a Meetup group in Leicester. Two of the new players from my Nottingham Dice Cup game the previous week had travelled all the way from Leicester to try the game out. They were keen to play it again and get a few more players too.

This article contains SPOILERS for the scenario ion question.

There are two board game cafés in Leicester but they were unable to host the game for ‘reasons’. Instead one of the players found an upstairs room at the Globe pub in the centre of Leicester we could use instead.

There was also rumours that ten new players had signed up for the game! Crikey! That would be hard work.

I got to Leicester from Nottingham with no issues and walked to the Globe from the Railway Station in very little time, even with my bad leg and stick. The Globe is located on Silver Street alongside Games Workshop, Forbidden Planet, and one of the board game cafés. A great little spot. The Globe itself is a cosy little pub and we had the upstairs room to ourselves. The room was nice and large and had just been renovated so there was a slight smell of fresh paint to the place that wasn’t too much of a problem. The staff at the Globe were very friendly and helpful and I had a great pint of Sunchaser to start the evening off.

Fortunately I had six players turn up, all new to role playing, two from the game before and four brand new players. Lovely.

They picked their character archetypes and I started with the ‘Principles of the Loop’ the char-gen. The previous players kept their characters from the game before so the others made new characters and developed quick relationships between them all.

So we had our Bookworm Matilda, with her magnifying glass and who has a love of Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’. She is arguing with her mother over her missing father, though her mother calls him a worthless layabout.
Louise is our Popular Kid with her ever-present can of hair-spray playing Joan Jet’s ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’.  She has been blamed for the batch of missing items in the house. Though Louise’s crazy aunt is locked in the basement, she has all the missing items.
We have a Computer Geek called Monica who’s favourite song is ‘Living in Electric Dreams’ by Phil Oakley. She plays games on her Sinclair ZX81 (maxed up to 128k) while her parents are arguing over nothing.
Our resident Weirdo is G who has an orienteering compass with magnifying glass. His anthem is ‘God Save The Queen’ by the Sex Pistols. He has to finish off his chores, namely mowing the lawn, before he is allowed out.
The Hick is Lars with his tractor playing ‘Freedom’ by Wham! He has been busy laying a brand new patio with his brother Fred at Matilda’s mum’s house.
The skateboarder Troublemaker (and car thief) is Jenny for whom the song ‘Drive’ by Cars calms her down. Jenny’s drunken dad often tries to argue with her, trying to make her do more astound the house. However she sneaks out taking his toolbox with her.

Their Hideout is an abandoned library full of old books. Soft furnishings have been provided by the stolen car seats, a ghetto blaster provides entertainment, there is a science kit with a microscope and ‘acquired’ science equipment from school. In one corner is a vanity dressing table with a selection of make-up and in another is the computer station with lots of devices wired up together. There is also plenty of fresh food provided from the farm. Possibly one of the coolest Hideouts so far!

So this group meet up at their Hideout and all were happy to attend the Steam and Transport Rally at Elvaston Castle. When they encountered Milo and his Silver-liner semi truck stuck in Elvaston Lane, they were the most reluctant group yet (most groups are very happy to have their Kids jump into a lorry cab with strangers). They needed convincing so not only did they get the offer of beer and snacks but Milo also offered to pay them cold hard cash!

So they end up working on building the outdoor auditorium for the Magic Show at the Elvaston Castle show grounds, as Milo wanted his monies worth.  The Kids were also charmed by the robot, A-Fil-08 and were particularly concerned when the scientist mess about with the robot and got it to deliver the Echo Sphere next to the stage. They also took a strong interest on Springthorpe Cottage, the folly that was also an electrical sub-station. They failed to break in at the front door so poor Matilda, being the youngest, was dropped in via the narrow window to open the door from the inside.

Of course what they discovered lead them on the Mystery, exploring the tunnels under the Loop Facility, working out the Echo Spheres, suffering the Loop Surge, seeing the Bigtrak tank, watching the Magic Show, discovering the ‘shady men’ and rescuing the Bigtrak (unlike both Nottingham groups that decided to keep the tank!).

It was a good introductory adventure for the group and they all seemed very happy with the concept of role playing and enjoying playing as Kids in the 1980’s.


The Leicester Group of Players

Hopefully we’ll be playing again soon.
Thanks again to Tanya for organising it and the staff at the Globe pub for being so helpful and accommodating.

#TalesfromtheLoop
#GlobePub
#ActualPlay