Halloween is Every Day ...
























I love Halloween, but seldom do a good job of celebrating it. Or perhaps my celebration is a bit more private. Somewhere, Jeff is lighting bonfires atop the hills, and one of these years I hope to join him. (Though I'm sorely disappointed neither the Sisters nor Ministry have made an appearance yet; for shame, sir!)

Regardless, doing a bit of inward reflection tonight, while everyone else does the inverse.

In Colorado, it always snows on Halloween. Winter is coming, which means it is time wet the quill and get some in some serious writing. A number of project on my doorstep, in their various costumes.

Or maybe I'm the one knocking at the door, uncertain if what's coming will be a trick or treat.

So a Happy Halloween to all. Let's see those demons, inner and outer ...

//H

Well any time, any place, anywhere that I go all the people seem to stop and stare they say 'Why are you dressed like it's Halloween?'

I have given up hiding and started to fight...

How Not to Be a Guest of Honor

So the good folks of Tacticon were kind enough to have me down for the weekend as their guest of honor. I get to show up, run some playtests of the DCC RPG and hang out with awesome folks. H is away in Cali for a friend's wedding, so hanging out in Denver and playing RPGs is pretty good deal all things being equal.

Of course, all things aren't equal.

As I was trying to make it out of the house this morning (water the tomatoes, pack the gaming materials, get the contract off to Joseph, make sure the wife knows I love her) somehow I forgot the duffel containing all those non-gaming essentials: clothes, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste. But I didn't realize that until around 9:30 PM after dropping H off at the airport.

Damn. Suddenly I'm 8 hours away from becoming the stereotype of The Gamer.

I don't know south Denver, so I struck out blindly, pointing the car towards the brightest strip of lights, knowing full well that any real store was certainly closed. But there, what should I behold, but Wal-Mart.

Reviled Wal-Mart, how many times have I mocked thee? And now I am at your 24-hour mercy.

Thirty minutes later I was outfitted with new underwear, socks, toiletries, a pair of jeans, 2 shirts and a 12 pack of gatoraide. A brother was ready to roll.

But what about my hypocrisy? I'm indebted to Sam Walton and his family. Otherwise I'd be hand washing a dress shirt with the free shampoo they leave in your room, hoping that if it drip dried over the course of the night, I might be able iron it into semi-dryness by my first game at 9:am.

So yes, you've won this round, Sam. How we will reconcile this debt remains to be seen. Until then, thanks for the toothpaste.

//H

Next Stop ... Tejas


This weekend the folks of Goodman Games are sending me off the one and only North Texas Roleplaying Game Convention. Dedicated to old school games of all stripes, NTRPG is the perfect venue for playtesting the DCC RPG.

(It is also the perfect venue for meeting up with the folks of Black Blade Publishing and working out their plot for world domination, but that's off the clock.)

I'll be running a few games over the weekend with the intent of putting the DCC RPG through the paces, shaking it around and seeing what rattles and falls out. And with the vanguard of the OSR in attendance, NTRPG is perfect for spotting the strengths and weaknesses of any system.

So if you're around Dallas/Fort Worth this weekend, stop on by, throw some dice and help us run the DCC RPG through the paces!

//H

Frank Frazetta

We all got the news today of Frazetta's death. There's not much to be said that carries much worth; he will be missed. That I had the chance to write to one of his most paintings was a huge privilege. Our genre is poorer for his passing.

//H

Ya Se Fue

This weekend, H&H get down with Ozo. Hope you can make it.

//H

Genghis Con XXXI
I am always exhausted after a show, and this one is no different. It's 7:25 in the Denver International Airport and yawning like a newborn. The plane to Austin is departing in 23 minutes so I'll need to make this one quick.

Highlights:

• Playtesting Goodman's yet-to-be announced game system. Awesome x 2.
  
• Trading swag with Sean Reynolds, of Paizo fame (and fellow "guest of honor"). Nice guy.
• Great Genghis staff ... giving me sweet table locations for all my events. (Or maybe it is just because I'm too loud and drown out all the nearby tables. Either way, it was great being situated in the muster area.)
• The players!!! You guys rocked. I think these were some of the best sessions I've enjoyed since last GenCon. Especially the haunted manor, with its babies in the walls, and Val, who was more than willing to take up the mantle of Toad Queen. Well played!
• RTD adventures ... a subject of another post. But suffice it to say, I walked a lot of Colfax Friday night, when I really just wanted to make it to the H-Line.
• Meeting up w/ Jay of Warhammer fame. (Not Ynnen, the other Jay.) Great gamer, but one of those folks that leaves you wondering if you are too stupid to be running games for someone of his caliber.
  
• Linda of Genghis Con, for the world's best name tag.
  
• Sweet, super-sweet skating locations at 9-mile station. Def. returning in summer with deck in hand. As the Beastie Boys once wrote, "Nothing left to lose, so I'm pissing on the third rail..."
  

They are paging Austin passengers, so I'm off. Stay alive, 'cause you're no good to us dead ...

//H

Live from Genghis Con: Don't believe the hype

For the record, they've taken great care of me. Wonderful people, and great gamers = fun weekend.

Full report later, once I'm on the plane to the next gig.

//H