Mmm, gate-foldie goodness.

Congratulations guys!

You could have a Hyperborean version of Tillinghast's Ultra-Violet device in Lovecraft's From Beyond. If the players turn it on, their characters can see inhabitants of new dimensions, and these inhabitants can now see them.

This is a great way to trigger an instant fight, surrounded by enemies, with surprise! It has the added benefit of being a good reason why an NPC has gone missing.

I concur with all of the above, but allow me to add a further small example:

About 5 years back at Gary Con, DMPrata went beyond what he described above. He ran Palace of the Silver Princess, and each session he ran represented a foray into the environment. Each foray would permanently impact the module for the next foray: chests would be looted, monsters slain or riled, fights left rooms blood-spatterd, etc. Presumably, had I signed up for multiple sessions, I could encounter my own character's handiwork. I immensely enjoyed this concept, and have sought similar con play ever since.

Chainsaw followed suit with Foolsgrave in Hyperborea, but added re-playable PCs to the mix!

I never quite realized that Grodog does something similar to what Prata did, but in his own Greyhawk Castle. It's recognizable only if you're lucky enough to witness repeat sections of this mega-dungeon. It's taken me over 5 years to spot this, and then only at this last Gary Con.

I can only assume this all follows Gygax's own Greyhawk model, but I don't know for certain as I never had the privilege of playing with the man.

The above examples rank among my favorite con games to date, but that's just me, I don't find story arcs as entertaining. I'm more keen on exploration.

The convention was fun! I had a good time.

Now you have my general mood, here is the gist: I've heard several fellows around here distraught with how some cons were handled in the past, but this first Alien Con would make any of your past logistical issues seem a walk in the park.

Attendees, promoter and hosts alike were stunned with the turnout. They expected more interest in the mainstream shows like Battlestar Galactica and Ridley Scott's Alien franchise, but support for Ancient Aliens dwarfed them all. I heard early estimates from a convention worker who stated roughly 12,000 people showed up for the convention.

Giorgio Tsoukalos was like a rock star, he had massive lines he couldn't work through despite signing for three hours straight on multiple days. The AA theorists were originally scheduled to speak in halls that could only seat from sixty to two-hundred people at most, so you can imagine the issues that arose when literally a thousand people showed up for a panel.

That said, I was prepared for debacle. I knew the TV show was big, I deal with it at a public level working in a library. I knew the space they were working with having helped run Fanime Con there prior to its move to San Jose Convention Center. So, I took it all in stride knowing this was their maiden voyage. Not everyone had my background though. The promoter, Cosmic Con, cobbled together a Q&A session, and took complaints/feedback from other attendees who were most rightly upset about standing in line for hours only to be blocked from their desired event. Discounts were promised for future events.

Kevin Burns, the creator of the TV show and discoverer of Tsoukalos is awesome. He's genuinely a fan of old horror and sci-fi. He now understands the exact interest level in his production. He and the promoter scrambled to get more space at the last minute to expand the conference. That's a task harder than it sounds especially with multiple conferences happening a

francisca wrote:

I am very glad that you keep sticking to your guns.  Advice of barracks rooms lawyers, navel gazers, and serial crowdfunders didn't make you the best of the best, when it comes to tabletop rpg crowdfunding.

I think it has something to do with Kickstarter/crowdfunding. It makes people feel like a producer with a say in how the end product will appear.

At the same time, I wouldn't call Jeff closed to ideas. Don't take anything personally should you suggest something he doesn't go with. Try to come up with something better, or venture out on your own, or just enjoy the game. :-D

Edit: I think I see the comment on the KS that spurred you to make the post. It's pretty inane to say "change the magic system," but I would have found more worth in the fellow's views if he said something like, "here's the magic system we use in my home campaign," and placed the rules up in these forums.

Ooh, almost to the Rogue's Gallery stretch goal. I do hope a certain Yoon'Deh-hunted sorcerer makes an overdue appearance. :-)

Ia, Xathoqqua! Ia, Ghul!

Thanks for pinning that event summary up at the top of the forum section, Chainsaw. Makes it easier for schedule prep.

Nice! Is that your dog? Or did a strange hound lure you into a canoe?

Nice! Yeah, still have yet to try 2nd ed.

GW and Fantasy Flight just had a falling out. If you can find Chaos in the Old World, I recommend picking it up with its single expansion. Might even make for a sound monetary investment. :-)

That said, I played Siege of the Citadel a bunch in high school (about as much as Aliens). If you don't want to pay secondary market prices, there's a current KS for a new edition. 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/274643038/siege-of-the-citadel-2nd-edition-techno-fantasy-bo/description

 

Hooray for VR! You too can now experience Gilman's Dreams in the Witch House. http://store.steampowered.com/app/398180/ But for the full effect while you play, I suggest you buy a pet rat, drizzle lightly some honey or melted peanut butter over your exposed flesh, and let the little bugger have at it!