DexCon After Action Report

Greyhawk GrognardUncategorized, , , , 7 Comments on DexCon After Action Report

So, thus ends another DexCon. I consider this to be a great success, no small measure due to the enormous response that the Invasion of the Grognards received. Not only were all four of my AD&D 1E sessions filled up to the point that I was turning away alternates, but the 5 PM Thursday panel on “What is the Old School Revival” had folks showing up (which, for that time slot and the fact that it’s a non-game, was a feat in and of itself). The Basic D&D games started slowly but were filled to capacity by Saturday night, and there was interest in Labyrinth Lord as well! This bodes excellently for the idea that there is interest out there for the old school games at conventions. The people just have to know that they’re on the schedule (and in the case of the retro-clones, what exactly they are).

My Castle of the Mad Archmage games were a blast as usual, with a mix of repeat players from previous conventions and a wealth of new faces. Tomb of Horrors was an especially fun module to DM; it really does live up to its reputation as a killer dungeon. No one actually died, but both parties ended up getting themselves teleported to the outside of the dungeon stark naked, with all of their equipment ending up in the chamber of the demi-lich.

I’m thinking of running White Plume Mountain next year. 🙂

Choice quotes from the weekend:

  • “Doors in this dungeon are just lies.” (Talking about ToH.)
  • “I’m borrowing his ten-foot pole.”

Also, the dealer’s room turned out to provide an unexpected bounty. I got many hundreds of 15mm Ral Partha figures (all in the original packaging) to start putting together my World of Greyhawk miniatures armies for a VERY reasonable price. And to top it all off, another collector gave me several hundred more for free (he had been given them himself, and promised that he’d give them to someone who would use them; when he heard me waxing poetic about my plans for the figures, he offered to give me what he had). So I’ve got over a thousand figures now; humans, orcs, dwarves, skeletons, and a few oddballs. So my spare time this fall and winter is now accounted for; painting minis!

Written by 

Wargamer and RPG'er since the 1970's, author of Adventures Dark and Deep, Castle of the Mad Archmage, and other things, and proprietor of the Greyhawk Grognard blog.

7 thoughts on “DexCon After Action Report”

  1. Thank you for posting a report!

    I just couldn't quite make it there this time around, but have been waiting to here about CotMA and ToH experiences.

    I'd very, very much like to read some further impressions of the panel discussion.

  2. Wait! Where's the "Go Go G'OSR!" or "Just Say N'OSR" post? 😉

    Thank Zagyg for a calm port in the storm. Excellent update on the convention.

    "Doors in this dungeon are just lies" & "I'm borrowing his ten-foot pole" are going on my list for writing on T-Shirts.

    Ciao!
    GW

  3. I'd love to hear some more highlights from the 1E games you ran – sounds like it was a lot of fun. (Do any of the players have blogs where they may have posted about the games?)

    "Doors in this dungeon are just lies." – classic.

  5. Thanks for running! I had a good time in the Castle of the Mad Archmage, even if mapping made me tear my hair out. Maybe next time I'll actually get to cast a spell, too! And you'd better have an illusionist among the pregens if you want 1e cred…

  6. THanks for playing in it, Eric– I had a blast running your party through it.

    And for the next session, we did indeed have an illusionist, as you demanded, er, recommended.

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