CAR-PGa Newsletter March 2020

CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 29, No. 3

An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games

March 2020

David Millians, Editor

Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA

millians.david@paideiaschool.org

FROM THE CHAIR

Hello All,

Last month we shared a heartwarming story about how the gaming community came together to support one of our members. This month we have much more troubling news about our membership.

Robert (Bob) Bledsaw II, the owner of the Judges Guild IP and son of one of the company's founders, was in the public spotlight for his long history of making racist and anti-Semitic statements on his Facebook page. As all of this came to light, several game publishers cut ties with Judges Guild, including DriveThruRPG. It should be mentioned that despite Bob Bledsaw II's views, many have come forward to defend the original founder of Judges Guild, Bob Bledsaw. 

In my very first letter to membership when I became chair in January 2019, I shared one of our goals:

Broaden our mission: CAR-PGA was established to advocate for role-playing games. As tabletop gaming has increased in popularity, that advocacy has taken on more relevance. Important work is being done on inclusiveness and diversity to encourage people from all walks of life to join us at the gaming table and the CAR-PGA should be part of that conversation.

We've made incremental progress towards that goal with our page for gathering best practices around the tabletop role-playing game industry that promote an inclusive and diverse gaming environment. And we've launched our Gamers in Need page for the most vulnerable in the industry. I believe Bob's views are counter to everything the CAR-PGA stands for.

Bob is also a member of the CAR-PGA.

We have a points system that is predicated on tracking members’ contributions to promote role-playing games, as per our by-laws:

§ 2. Membership entails no monetary dues, but rather dues consist of documented work for the cause. However, there may be a charge for the Newsletter or for copying desired documents in such extent as to cover expenses and leave a modest margin to cover changes in costs.

Our by-laws also state (emphasis mine):

§ 4. Membership can be revoked upon a motion passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors. The member against whom charges are to be preferred shall be informed thereof in writing, stating the grounds for expulsion. The member will have thirty (30) days to reply to the charges. Members going a full year without notifying the Chair of any demonstrated activity under § 2 of this article may be dropped automatically.

As Bob hasn’t notified any of the Board of Directors of “documented work for the cause” in the past three years, he can be “dropped automatically” without a vote. Effective immediately, we have removed Bob as a member.

This topic brought to light important issues for Board review, so we met the week of February 16 to determine how to proceed. One of the issues we discussed is that, despite sharing best practices on safe convention policies and tabletop play, we haven’t applied that same rigor to our own organization. We know what inclusive and diverse practices look like, so it’s time we officially incorporated them into our by-laws. We’re recommending a vote incorporating the following:

By-Law Amendment #1: Addition to “Article 2: Purpose”:

The CAR-PGa strongly supports diversity and inclusion in gaming. We believe gaming should be for everyone. We promote and support efforts to provide inclusive games and environments, online and offline.

By-Law Amendment #2: Addition to “Article 3: Membership,” inspired by Gen Con’s policy (2.5, between 2 and 3):

The CAR-PGa is committed to promoting a safe gaming environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Harassment or unwelcome conduct of our membership, whether verbal, physical, visual, or in any other form, is strictly prohibited. The CAR-PGa defines harassment as any behavior that threatens a person or group or produces an unsafe or non-inclusive environment. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, offensive verbal comments or non-verbal expressions related to gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religious beliefs. Harassment may take the form of intentionally rude and repeated comments, slurs, highly offensive jokes, or dissemination of graphic material. Harassment does not include respectful disagreement or critique offered in good faith. Any complaints or concerns about a member may be submitted anonymously to the Board of Directors and will be investigated within thirty (30) days of the inquiry. If CAR-PGa members are found to have violated the Code of Conduct, they may have their membership revoked as per Article 3.4 by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board.

By-Law Amendment #3: Edit to “Article 3.5: Membership”:

§ 5. There shall be two classes of membership, active and inactive, distinguished by the amount of dues under § 2 of this article. Membership of active or inactive members includes participation in the Google and LinkedIn groups and receiving the monthly newsletter by email. The thresholds for gaining and losing active status may be different from each other. Only active members have the right to vote. The Chair shall establish a system to give proper weight to different works for the cause with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, but no change to this system or to the active/inactive threshold(s) shall take effect less than three months after passing. Dues shall expire one year after being credited.

The Board has endorsed these three changes and believe the modified by-laws will better prepare the CAR-PGA for the future. That said, modifications to the by-laws cannot be made without a vote by the majority of active members. We welcome your thoughts. Please let us know if you have edits to the above language and/or if you will vote for or against these three amendments by March 31 by email at chair@car-pga.org.

There is much more to consider, including how we manage the point system and membership, but we thought it would be better to address each topic individually. Next month we’ll be back with a proposal around modifying the points system and defining active and inactive members.

We look forward to hearing from you and reporting back on the results in our next newsletter.

Sincerely,

Mike Tresca

Committee Chair on Behalf of the Board

ARTICLES

Book Review: Larson's Book of Spiritual Warfare

By Ted Skirvin

Bob Larson had (and may still have) a radio talk where he talked about various subjects from the standpoint of his own interpretation of Christianity. He claimed to have performed many exorcisms and to have acquired a great store of knowledge about Satanic cults operating in the U.S. and other places. I picked up a copy of Larson's Book of Spiritual Warfare in a thrift shop some time ago. It was published in 1999 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. 

The book deals with many different topics, but they all are related to Larson's views on Satanic influence in human culture. Chapter nine is entitled "Ghoulish Games", and it deals with both Dungeons & Dragons and Ouija boards. I only read the section on D&D.

On the second page of the chapter, he describes incidents of four separate teenage boys who either killed themselves or someone else, but he gives no citations in the book of where he got this information. On the same page he indicates that the National Coalition on Television Violence claims that D&D is linked to more than fifty teenage deaths. Larson considers the AD&D Player's Handbook to be an "explicit education in occultism," and he conflates the player with the character. In his book, he implies that it is the player who utters the verbal component of a spell and thus engages in occult practices. 

He talks about the AD&D Legends & Lore book quite a bit. He quotes the book several times. This book had previously been called Deities & Demigods. Larson indicates that directions for "how to have their characters commune with nature spirits, consult crystal balls filled with human blood and conjure the Egyptian deities that Moses opposed" are found in Legends & Lore. He also claims that "precise directions regarding Celtic human sacrifices" are in the book. He does, at least, admit that "Most D&D players do not pursue its more evil aspects and argue they shouldn't be penalized for indulging in fantasy," but that's not good enough for Larson. He implies in his book that imagination should only be used in regard to Christian thought and practice.

In general, Larson seems to believe that using one's imagination in a manner that in any way makes reference to spiritual entities other than the Christian trinity is a sure way to invite Satan into one's life. In a certain way, he seems to not accept the difference between reality and imagination.

The SPIEL ´19 in Essen

Part One: From Art-Games, Martial-Art-Movies and the Post-Apocalypse

By Carsten Obst

On October 24, 2019, the game-fair SPIEL ´19 in Essen opened. Until October 27, 2019, it allowed game enthusiasts to test the creativity and versatility of game authors,  designers, and companies. A new record was set with 209,000 visitors (2018: 190,000) and 1200 exhibitors (2018: 1150) from 53 nations (2018: 50), who presented in six halls on 86,000 square meters (2018: 80,000) around 1500 new games (2018: 1400). My personal impressions of the game fair as well as reviews of several German RPGs, comics, and magazines, which found my interest there, will be compiled for our readers in this article.

This year several changes of the organization happened. The first was a setback for many regulars, because tickets were no longer available on the normal presale. Instead, they had to be ordered directly from the Friedhelm Merz Verlag, paid with credit cards, or through online banking. If you are used to visit your local booking office, this was a complication. Arriving at the fair, you learned, finally, that they did not publish the book-like catalogue any longer. Instead you got a brochure, which lacks the traditional blue-white cover.

A positive change was the opening of a third entrance into the hall, enabling faster access for visitors. Large bags and suitcases for the transport of purchases could be left now in an own checkroom. So, the visitors avoided the previous chaos in front of the wardrobe. For the first time the security checked randomly backpacks and other bags, when you took them with you into the halls - a sign of the times, in which we live.

At the SPIEL ´19, the Europäische Spielesammler-Gilde (European Guild of Game-Collectors, or ESG) showed its exhibition “spielART. Von der Kunst im Spiel” (gameART: From the Art in Games), that documented the mutual relations and influences of art and games like designs, topics, or templates. A classic example is Architektur & Baustilkunde (Architecture & Architectural Styles, moses Verlag, 2002), a quiz about the history of architecture. In the board game Showmanager (Queen Games, 1997) you run your own artist agency. Several art-based or art-related games were published by the Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg. So Taxi, a board game for families from the Twenties, was designed by the Austrian artist Fritz Ehlotzky, who frequently worked for this company. In the Fifties the Otto Maier Verlag Ravensburg published Viva la Musica, which introduces children to singing, and Die große Auktion (The Great Auction), where art-fans try to complete their collection. The TU Braunschweig, a technical university, documented in 1990 100 Jahre Architektur (100 Years of Architecture) with an own family game. Das Spitzweg-Spiel (“he Spitzweg-Game, Belser, 2003) is a card-game about the popular artist Carl Spitzweg. Finally the family game Vater und Sohn (Father and Son, Südverlag, 1949) must be mentioned. It shows cartoons of the German artist E.O. Plauen, who was arrested in 1944 at the request of Josef Goebbels for political reasons. In prison he committed suicide, but his famous Vater und Sohn stories live on. The ESG-exhibition found the interest of many visitors, who actively discussed the topics.

A special event was the Educator´s Day on Friday with teachers and pedagogues as its main target group. In eight panels, the participants, who had to register in advance, discussed games as educational support, covering topics like “Games as motive forces of change: education & society” or “Spiele zur Förderung narrativer Komptenzen im (Geschichts-)Unterricht” (Games for the promotion of narrative competences in (history) classes). Partly held in English, experts like the game designer Ronald Hild moderated them.

On Saturday five more panels followed, which were open for the public. They dealt with topics like “Spielen im öffentlichen Kulturraum“ (Gaming in the public cultural area), “Board games in Iran,” or “YouTube, Podcast and Co - Die digitale Welt der analogen Spiele” (YouTube, Podcast and Company - The digital world of analog games).

Both events, the Educator´s Day and the panels on Saturday, were visited by many people with an interest in these topics. The main focus concentrated on board games, but many experiences and results are also valid for RPGs. Unfortunately, a compilation of the lectures will not be published, but the Friedhelm Merz Verlag uploaded video recordings on its YouTube-website. Interested persons are recommended to watch them.

 

New Hong Kong Story, published by Black Mask, is a new cinematic action RPG in the tradition of It came from the late, late, late Show. The PCs are actors, who appear in Hong Kong-produced martial arts  and action-movies. On 333 pages we get the rules, a description of the genre, and a list of films as templates. The players have two roles: the actors themselves and the characters, which they play in the movies. This may be confusing, but the system enables a quick familiarization with both. The rules and the point-based character creation are relatively easy. Lots of advantages, skills, and martial arts styles allow a detailed design of the PCs as actors as well as movie-characters. Their intention is to appear successfully in the films, to win awards, and to be cast for the leads in blockbusters. The system demands a cinematic game like in martial arts und action movies, where larger-than-life characters can do the impossible. Reality and logic are unnecessary, the right feeling and coolness everything. Long lists of skills, advantages, disadvantages, stunts, weapons, equipment, techniques, and martial arts styles enable to play in a cinematic way, while an extensive chapter informs the GM how to be a successful film director. A special highlight is the gazetteer of Hong Kong, Macao, and China. Locations of famous movies and historical eras as backgrounds are listed here, too. The last chapter deals with the sub-genres of the martial art films and the triads. New Hong Kong Story is a successful implementation of the movies into an RPG, which gets its special charm from the dual roles of the PCs. Furthermore, it can also be used as a sourcebook for China and its martial arts. Recommended for everyone interested in cinematic RPGs as well as martial arts and action movies.

 

FUK!, published by Mannifest Games, is a new RPG-system, developed by fans and usable for all genres. The name stands for “free/flexible, universal/unconventional, creative/card-based” (German: kreativ/kartenbasiert). That is a good description for the rule book with its comic-like artwork. On just sixty pages, we get a complete game system. The first chapter deals with the character creation, for which the player determines independently twelve skills. Each must be based on one of the eight attributes like intelligence or strength. The skill is registered on a skill card, which also notes the respective attribute and a short sentence about how the PC learned it. One example shows it: “investigate scenes of crimes/based on perception/former cop, now PI.” This way the player develops also the PC´s biography. Now twenty points can be distributed on the attributes, from which abilities like combat or health are derived. The system works well and motivates an intelligent character creation. In the following chapters all other rules are given, among them combat, skill checks, movement, damage or magic. Kept deliberately short and clear, they emphasize a fast game for fun. Other chapters deal with the further development of a PC, the FUK! points as support for checks, equipment, and weapons. Finally, the “Unicorn Police Department” is offered as a funny setting, where unicorn cops defend a fairytale country. FUK! offers an interesting RPG, enabling a fast and uncomplicated game without much effort. A deck of one hundred skill cards supports the character creation. Recommended for all fans of universal RPGs and for GMs, who are looking for an uncomplicated system.

Ulisses Spiele expanded its horror, late-Baroque RPG Hexxen 1733 with the compendium Hexenjagd. Kompendium für den Hexenjäger (Witch-Hunt: Compendium for the Witch-Hunter). Reports and notes of witch hunters inform about witches and their cults, but the information are often based on rumours or influenced by prejudices, so the players never know whether they are correct, while the GM may adjust them according to own ideas. Detailed descriptions inform about eight witch cults. Here you find the classical witches, who gather on the Brocken-mountain in the Harz, or the sea-witches of Amsterdam, who caused the destruction of the Netherlands. Eighteen organizations or groups of witch hunters are also described, among them the inquisition, the all-female military order of the Mariannen. and the Chambre Ardente (Fiery Chamber) in France. They all claim to be on the good side, but according to rumours they have their own intentions. Four hunters are introduced, whose biographies, stats, and motivations give ideas for own characters. The character creation is expanded with new roles like the witch mystic, additional professions like the Purgator, a sage, or the Okuluth, a spy and infiltrator, and more motivations. A list of occult books gives insights into the supernatural, followed by some useful equipment. Finally, with the white witch an unusual character is introduced. This girl or woman has witch powers but kept her goodness during the initiation. She may become a hunter, but few people trust her good will. Hexenjagd. Kompendium für den Hexenjäger expands successfully the rules of Hexxen 1733, offering also more information about the game world. For the fans of this unique setting the compendium is a must, but it can also be recommended for other horror and fantasy RPGs or even for Cthulhu games as additional support.

Finstere Herzen. Eine Abenteuersammlung zur Hexenjagd (Dark Hearts: An Adventure-Collection for Witch-Hunts) is a box with three adventures for Hexxen 1733. They can be played separately or as a campaign, enabling the PCs to rise from level 1 to 12. In “Das finstere Herz des Waldes” (The Dark Heart of the Woods), the first adventure, the PCs attend a wedding in Upper Austria. It seems to be a brilliant event, except that a vengeful witch has her own intentions, while at the same time a group of werewolves searches for a magical artefact. Soon the PCs face a dangerous conflict with long-lasting consequences for the area. In “Sieben Mal Sieben Jahre” (Seven Times Seven Years), the second adventure, a small town in the Taunus, a region in Germany, is plagued by mysterious events. When the PCs investigate, they find hints to a witch trial, that happened forty-nine years ago - and the final battle between the witches and the judge has just begun. The third adventure “In Flammen geboren” (Born in Flames) takes places in Kulmbach, a town in Franconia, another German region. Here a series of fires has begun shortly after a witch was burned on the stake. Did she return to take revenge? Is the family of the local prince in danger? The PCs must investigate thoroughly to find the truth. Altogether Finstere Herzen offers a versatile campaign that is also suitable as entry for new players. As support, the GM gets lots of handouts like documents and diary entries as well as markers for monsters. Furthermore, included are descriptions of important and mystical places, lists of NPCs, and in the third adventure a detailed overview of a witch cult that gives a template to develop own groups of this kind. For Hexxen 1733 game groups the campaign is highly recommended, but with some changes the material can be used for other horror and fantasy RPGs, too.

 

Archiv des Wächterbundes 2 (Archive of the Guardian´s Alliance 2) continues the adventure, source, and storybook of the same name published in 2018. Four adventures, eight articles about the alternative Europe, and three stories expand the dark world of Hexxen 1733, offering more possibilities to explore it. For this the authors use again many elements of the traditional European sagas and fairy tales, as some examples will show. The adventure “Flötenspiel in Hameln” (Playing the Flute in Hamelin) is based on the story about the pied piper of Hamelin. When a plague of rats strikes the city, the PCs discover hints of a conspiracy and the influence of a witch. “Geheimnisse der Mariannen” (Secrets of the Mariannes) deals with the secrets of the Mariannen, the famous all-female order of chivalry fighting against the supernatural, sometimes even using extreme methods to destroy evil. With “Der Henker” (The Executioner) a new character class is introduced. This PC may be unpopular in society but offers interesting possibilities. “Der zehnte Chor” (The Tenth Chorus) describes a group of witch hunters whose fanaticism worries even the inquisition. “Die Kingsman-Gesellschaft” (The Kingsman Society) is an organization of British exiles on the continent, who try to re-establish the contact with the isolated Britain - by any means. The short story “Hexen-Gambit” (Witch Gambit) describes a mission of the Mariannen. Different groups pursue their own interests, making it difficult to differentiate between good and evil. Archiv des Wächterbundes 2 expands the game world successfully, and so it is a must for Hexxen 1733 groups. It can also be recommended for horror and dark RPGs like Warhammer, if you transform the material to another background.

Hexentanz (Witch Dance) is a new music CD for Hexxen 1733. Twenty-three pieces composed by Ralf Kurtsiefer, who used styles like baroque music, rock, and flamenco to create the right feeling, concentrate on the witches and the brave hunters who fight them. “Hymne des Hexenjägers” (Hymn of the Witch Hunter) is the theme for the witch hunters. Beginning with a slow tune, it becomes fast and hard. The rhythmic “Hexentanz” is the main theme, giving the impression of dancing witches. “Königreich der Dornen” (Kingdom of Thorns) offers a fairy tale-like soundtrack for the campaign published in 2018. “In den Schatten von Paris” (In the Shadows of Paris) is the theme of the French capital. After a cheerful start it becomes hard and dark to symbolize the lurking evil. “Rituale der Unholde” (Rituals of the Fiends) has a chaotic and brutal tune as theme for monsters. “Hexenflug” (Witch Flight) is a fast piece for witches flying on their brooms. Based on Spanish flamencos, “Jacobstöchter” (Jacob´s Daughters) offers the music for a witch cult. The driving and rhythmic “Mariannen voran” (Marianne´s Forward) is the theme for the Mariannen knights. With “Im Land der Eishexen” (In the Country of the Ice Witches) we get a forceful soundtrack for the ice-covered Scandinavia. Hexentanz is highly recommended as a must for Hexxen 1733 but also for other RPGs with a horror setting or a similar dark background and even for gritty swashbuckler adventures.

Fans of the post-apocalyptic RPG Heredium had to be patient but were finally rewarded with the new campaign book Operation Eurystheus. Six adventures enable characters to explore the devastated world of the early 23rd century. The discovery of mysterious data files alarms several influential power groups, which are all determined to get them. Hired by one of these groups, the PCs follow the trail around the post-apocalyptic world through Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America. In ultra-tech cities and tribal cultures they face many varied challenges, which must be solved to continue the search, while their opponents do not hesitate to use all available options to stop them. If the PCs succeed, the campaign´s final adventure demands again all their talents, cleverness, and abilities. Operation Eurystheus offers also a broad overview of the global situation, where remnants of the old civilization exist beside stone age tribes, but especially of the important power groups. Their intentions, methods, and cultures cause new conflicts - and the PCs are drawn into them. The campaign needs some efforts of the GM, because not all parts are fully detailed, but this allows customization it according to your own ideas. Furthermore, the option to work for different clients also enables variable procedures during the game, so the campaign can be played multiple times, always running in another way. With some preparations it may even be used for a tournament with several competing groups. Operation Eurystheus is a must for Heredium fans, but it can also be recommended for other post-apocalyptic RPGs like Aftermath or with some changes for settings like Cybergeneration.

The dystopian/post-apocalyptic RPG NoReturn was expanded with the compendiums LR Kompendium 2017 and LR Kompendium 2018, which include new rules and other material. They continue the basic rules as part of the so-called living rules (therefore “LR”), often as contributions from fans. In this way, a constant expansion is planned. With the LR Kompendium 2017 we get skills like “Pet Pal,” which enables a character to understand the meaning of animal sounds. Two new martial arts styles extend the possibilities in combat, while lists of biological abnormities, hidden mutations, and robotic implants broaden the character creation. Other topics are fashion for street gangs, communication equipment, bows as weapons, and anti-tank rifles. With the street merchant, the brawler, and the shooter we get three more archetypes, while the effects of the contaminated environment give new threats. LR Kompendium 2018 offers augmentations and mutations as further addition for the character creation, a table of weapons, new armaments and body armor, four NPCs, two robot-models, a new monster, and an NPC, who may be a contact or an opponent. A gazetteer describes the region around Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia as place for campaigns. Finally, a short story gives an impression of the life in the dark future. Altogether both compendiums are valuable supplements for NoReturn and successful expansions of the game world. With some effort they can also be recommended as background material for cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic RPGs like Shadowrun or even Warhammer 40k.

NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Call, Jordan (2020 Feb 18) The Are Enough Good RPGs to Fit on a 20-Sided Die. https://theoutline.com/post/8684/dungeons-and-dragons-rpgs-recommendations?zd=1&zi=nxsh5mu5. Introduction to the variety of tabletop games available today.

Darvasi, Paul (2020 Feb 6) Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters. https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/53553/five-best-practices-teachers-can-learn-from-dungeon-masters. Design, story, choice, risk, and emotion.

Gault, Matthew (2020 Jan 31) How Tabletop RPGs Are Being Reclaimed From Bigots and Jerks. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/y3mw5b/how-tabletop-rpgs-are-being-reclaimed-from-bigots-and-jerks. Making the hobby more inclusive for all.

Hoffer, Christian (2020 Feb 13) Critical Role Comes to Hot Topic. https://comicbook.com/gaming/2020/02/13/critical-role-hot-topic-shirts/. Licensed merch.

Howes, Anton (2020 Feb 13) Where Be Dragons?. https://antonhowes.substack.com/p/age-of-invention-where-be-dragons. Why did tabletop gaming develop when it did?

Kempler, Carly (2020 Feb 28) Boardgame convention draws hundreds to Albemarle County. https://www.nbc29.com/2020/02/28/boardgame-convention-draws-hundreds-albemarle-county/. Mainstream news reports on PrezCon.

Livingstone-Garcia, Louis (2020 Feb 14) Modist Brewing rolling out D&D-inspired beer with original characters, adventure campaign. https://growlermag.com/modist-brewing-rolling-out-dd-inspired-beer-with-original-characters-adventure-campaign/. Beers, malts, mead, and live gaming.

Morrissey, Russ (2020 Feb 5) Roll20 Reports First Drop For D&D. https://www.enworld.org/threads/roll20-reports-first-drop-for-d-d.670107/. Latest data on shifting popularity of online games.

Morrissey, Russ (2020 Feb 6) Chart of ICv2 Rankings Back To 2004. https://www.enworld.org/threads/chart-of-icv2-rankings-back-to-2004.670122/. Shifting popularity of online games for the last sixteen years.

Morrissey, Russ (2020 Feb 11) Companies Cut Ties With Judges Guild After Owner’s Racist Posts. https://www.enworld.org/threads/companies-cut-ties-with-judges-guild-after-owners-racist-posts.670222/. Two companies respond to anti-Semitic comments.

Riggs, Daniel (2020 Feb 1) USAJFKSWCS Needs New Nerds: Dungeons and Dragons, SCI-FI/Fantasy Writers, and an Unconventional Way to Consider Irregular Warfare. https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/usajfkswcs-needs-new-nerds-dungeons-and-dragons-sci-fifantasy-writers-and-unconventional. Using principles of D&D and worldbuilding to train the next generation of military information and influence specialists.

Ward, James (2020 Feb 14) Gary Gygax Things. https://www.enworld.org/threads/gary-gygax-things.669413/. Experimentation and excellence.

FROM MIKE TRESCA

Tresca, Mike (2020 Feb 23) How a RPG Company Launched Virtual Reality Gaming. https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-a-rpg-company-launched-virtual-reality-gaming.669963/. FASA turned training simulators into narrative entertainment.

CALENDAR

New listings this month were provided by Paul Cardwell, others are urged to submit information. If you attend a convention, be sure and check the conventions table and let us have a copy of the fliers (or at very least the when, what, where, and contact information) for upcoming conventions available there. CAR-PGa is international, so this includes anywhere in the world.

Dates, precise venue, contacts' URLs or phone numbers, and other information, where missing from this list, would be particularly appreciated.

"[LARP]" means only LARP events as many RPG cons include at least some LARP, as likewise applies to the mention of specific game systems. The same bracketed information applies as well to game systems when the con will have only those games present.

In an attempt to get more face-to-face meetings of the membership, we list who will be going to what convention, if they will tell us. Get this type of information in at least two months before the convention itself, so we can run it at least once. Support your local cons by helping in the staff. It is a good way to promote RPG and you generally get in free for the brief time spent helping.

A review of any attended convention afterwards for the Newsletter would be appreciated too. These reviews should include demographic data such as attendance, percentage male/female, white/ethnic minorities (or what- ever is the majority/white/others), games in addition to tabletop RPG, and more subjective matters such as unusual events, quality of games and dealers' room, encouragement of new gamers, and whatever seems worth reporting. We need to work to restore CAR-PGa's reputation as the media's go-to on gamer demographics, especially since the media are still citing a study that cut off all those over 35 - at a time when that was the median age of gamers - it is closer to 40 now - which indicates we also need to work on recruiting younger players, although some increase in college age players at conventions has been noted.

Conventions are currently being compiled by archivist Paul Cardwell, 1127 Cedar, Bonham, TX 75418 or plcardwell@gmail.com, so send them there.

                                                             

March 2020

1: Norddeutche Speilkultur, Kulturbüro Südstadt, Böhmerstr 8, Hannover; http://www.spielekultur.de/event_h.htm

5-8: Salt Con, Davis Conference Center, 1651 N 700 West, Layton, UT; https://saltcon.com/
5-8: Wild Wild West, Wyndham, 245 E Ina Rd, Tucson, AZ; https://www.wildwestcon.com/ [steampunk]
6-8: Cincycon, Butler County Fairground, 1715 Fairgrove Ave, Hamilton, OH; http://cincycon.org/
6-8: CoastCon, Mississippi Coast Convention Center, 2350 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS; https://www.coastcon.org/
6-8: ConVergence, NW Gaming Centre, Stockport, Manchester; https://convergenceuk.wixsite.com/convergenceuk

6-8: Fogcon, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA; https://fogcon.org/ [primarily writer workshop]

6-8: TN Game Days, Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd, Franklin, TN; http://tngamedays.com/
6-9: PlatteCon, Ullsvik Hall, 1 University Plaza University of Wisconsin Plattesville, Plattesville, WI; http://boardgameconventions.com/events/plattecon/

7: Impossible Realities, InterAction School of Performing Arts, 228 German St, Saint John, NB; http://impossiblerealities.com/march-to-oblivion/

7-8: Agama Con, 1700 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC; http://agamacon.com/
7-8: Bremer Spieles-Tage, Volkschopchschule, Bremen, Germany, https://bremerspieletage.de/
7-8; Festival du Montpellier, Place de Charles de Gauulle, Coruum; http://www.festivaldujeu-montpellier.org/
7-8: Tupelo Comic Con, Tupelo Furniture Mart, Bldg 5, 1879 Coley Rd, Tupelo, MS; https://www.tupelocon.org/

9-12: GAMA Trade Show, Peppermill Resort, Reno, NV; http://www.gamatradeshow.com/ [trade only]
12-15: All-Con, Crowne Plaza, 14325 Midway Rd, Addison, TX; https://all-con.org/
12-15: Emerald City Comicon, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA; https://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com/
13-15: LepreCon, Goldsmith Hall, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; https://leprecon.ie/
13-15: Made in Asia, Brussela Expo, Brussels, BE; https://www.madeinasia.be/
13-15: Madicon, Festival Conference Center, 1301 Carrier Dr, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA; https://www.madicon.org/

13-15: Princecon, McCosh Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ; http://www.princecon.org/
14: Concrete Cow, Old Bath House, 205 Stratford Rd, Wolverton, Milton Keynes; https://www.mk-rpg.org.uk/Concrete_Cow
14: HerdCon, Marshall University Student Center, 1 John Marshall Dr, Huntington WV; https://www.facebook.com/events/858140327857646/
14: Pakex, Packenhasm Office Complex, Pakenham, Vic; https://pakex.com.au/

14-15: AireCon, Harrowgate International Centre, Harrowgate; https://www.airecon.co.uk/

14-15: Louisiana Comic Com, Cajundome, 444 Cajundome Blvd, Lafayette, LA; https://louisianacomiccon.com/
14-15: SwampCon, Reitz Student Union, 686 Museum Rd, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL; http://swampcon.org/
15: Calusacon,, Crowne Plaza, Fort Myers, FL, https://www.calusacon.com/CalusaCon/Welcome.html
15-17: Kawaii Kon, Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI; https://kawaiikon.com/
19-21: South by Southwest, Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX; https://www.sxsw.com/
19-22: Outlantacon, Atlanta Marriott Buckhead,3405 Lenox Red NE, Atlanta, GA; https://www.outlantacon.org/

20-22: Cleveland ConCoction, Bertram Inn, 600 N Aurora Rd, Cleveland, OH; https://www.clevelandconcoction.org/
20-22: ConnCon, Sheraton Stamford, 700 E Main St, Stamford, CT; http://conncon.com/
20-22: ConQuest SAC, McClellan Center, 5411 Luce Ave, Sacramento, CA; http://conquestsac.com/
20-22: CosCon, Vagabonds. Hall, Butler, PA; http://circleofswords.com/main/index.php
20-22: Ludesco, Maison du Peuple, 68 Rue de la Serre, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland; https://www.ludesco.ch/welcome/
20-22: MidSouth Con, Memphis Hilton, Poplar & I-240, East Memphis, TN, https://midsouthcon.org/
20-22; Omniexpo, Days by Wyndham Celebration, 3011 Maingate Ln, Kissimmee, FL; http://omniexpo.com/

20-22: Toronto Comicon, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON; https://www.comicontoronto.com/en/home.html
20-22: Zenkaikon, Lancaster County Convention Center, Lancaster, PA; https://zenkaikon.com/
21: Raiders of the Game Cupboard, Waterside Community Centre, Heath Rd, Stapenhill, Buurton on Trent; https://raidersofthegamecupboard.co.uk/pages/location.php
25-29:AdeptiCon, Renaissance Schaumburg, Schaumburg, IL; https://www.adepticon.org/
26-29: GameStorm, Red Lion Jantzen Beach, 909 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR; https://gamestorm.org/
26-29: Garycon, Grand Geneva Resort, 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, WI; https://garycon.com/
26-29: LeiraCon, Hotesl Cristal, Praia da Vieira, Marinha Grande, Leiria, Portugal, https://www.spielportugal.org/leiriacon
26-29: Lexington ComicCon, Lexington Convention Center, 430 W Vine, Lexington, KY; http://lexingtoncomiccon.com/
27-29: Cerberus, Tirohanga Camp, 214 Tirohanga Rd, Wyllies Crossing; https://cerberus.nzlarps.org/ [LARP]
27-29: Fan Expo Dallas, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX; https://www.fanexpodallas.com/en/home.html

27-29: FragCon, Regina Senior Citizen's Centre, 2134 Winnipeg St, Regina, SK; https://forums.saskgames.com/index.php?topic=8561.0

27-29: Gateway Furmeet, Doubletree St. Louis-Westport, St. Louis, MO; https://gatewayfurmeet.org/
27-29: WillyCon, Student Center, Wayne State College, 1111 Main St, Wayne, NE; https://www.wsc.edu/willycon
28: Egocon, Holiday Inn, Hwy 10 E, Stevens Point, WI; ego https://sites.google.com/site/egoconevent/
28: Portal Con, South Durham ME; https://www.facebook.com/pg/PortalConMaine/about/?ref=page_internal
28-29: Terminal City Tabletop Convention, Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC; http://www.terminalcitytabletop.com/
30-31: Playthrough, Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC; https://10times.com/playthrough

April 2020

2-4: Eve Fanfest, Harpa, Reykjavik; https://www.eveonline.com/fanfest
2-5: Ambercon, Embassy Suites Detroit-Livonia, 19525 Victor Pkwy, Livonia, MI; https://ambercon.com/ [Amber diceless only]
2-5: Tekko, Lawrence Conventioner, Pittsburgh, PA; https://tekko.us/
3-5: 221B Con, Atlanta Airport Marriott, 4711 Best Rd, Atlanta, GA; http://221bcon.com/ [Sherlock Holmes]
3-5: CodCon, Turner Conference Center, College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL; https://www.codcon.com/
3-5: Conpulsion, Teviot Row Student Union, Bristol Square, Edinburgh; http://conpulsion.org/
3-5: CyPhaCon, Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles, LA; http://www.cyphacon.org/
3-5: FnordCon, Omni Southpark, Austin, TX; http://www.sjgames.com/fnordcon/
3-5: Gryphcon, University Centre, University of Guelph, 158-50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, ON; http://gryphcon.org/
3-5: Heliosphere, Doubletree, Tarrytown, NY; http://www.heliosphereny.org/
3-5: Midwest Gaming Classic, Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI; https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
3-5: Play, Viale Virgllio 58, Modena; https://2020.play-modena.it/
3-5: Simcon, Douglass Ballroom, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY; http://boardgameconventions.com/events/simcon/
3-5: Vaticon, UCD Student Centre, Dublin, Ireland; https://cons.ie/event/vaticon/

4-5: Mag Con, NCISD Annex, 22500 Eagle Dr, New Caney,, TX; https://www.magcon.org/
4-5: Seven Hills, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Rd, Sheffield, S Yorks; https://7hills.org.uk/
4-5: Zuiderspel, NH Koningshof, Locht 117, Veldhoven, Netherlands; http://www.zuiderspel.nl/
7: DevaCon, Crowne Plaza, Trinity St, Chester; https://devaconblog.wordpress.com/
8-12: The Gathering, Vikingskipet, Hamar, Norway; https://www.gathering.org/tg20/
8-13: Fastaval, Mariagerfjord Gymnasium, Amerikavej 5, Hobro, Aarhus; http://fastaval.dk/
9-12: Norwescon, Doubletree Seattle Airport, 18740 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA; http://www.norwescon.org/
10-12: Anime Boston, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA; http://animeboston.com/
10-12: Conglomeration, Crowne Plaza, 830 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY; http://www.conglomeration.info/
10-12: Concentric, Hotel Metropole, Birmingham; https://www.concentric2020.uk/
10-12: Conquest, Melbourne High School, Forest St, South Yarra, Melbourne, Vic; https://www.conquest.asn.au/
10-12: GothCon, äldsta spelknvent, Göteborg; https://gothcon.se/cms/
10-12: JohnCon, Levering Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD: https://pages.jh.edu/~johncon/
10-12: Marmalade Dog, Bernhard Center, Western Michigan University, 1903 W Michi Kalamazoo, MI: https://marmaladedog.org/
10-12: MTAC, Sheraton Music City, Nashville, TN; http://mtac.net/
10-12: Sakura-Con, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA; http://sakuracon.org/
10-12: Who’s Yer Con, Wyndham Indianapolis West, Indianapolis, IN; https://whosyergamers.org/
10-12: Wondercon, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim CA; https://www.comic-con.org/wca
10-13: EyeCon, St Scolastica's College, 4 Avenue Rd, Glebe, NSW; http://www.sydcon.info/
10-13: Insomnia; NRC, Birmingham; https://insomniagamingfestival.com/
13-20: Swordcraft Quest, Western Oval, Park St, Melbourne, Vic; https://swordcraft.com.au/ [LARP]
16: Spiel mit den Wölfen, Stadtmission Wolfsburg, Mühlenpfad 2, Wolfsburg; http://xn--spiel-mit-den-wlfen-46b.de/
16-19: MegaCon, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL; https://www.megaconorlando.com/en/home.html
16-19: Nordic Game Jam, KADK, Copenhagen; https://www.nordicgamejam.com/
17-18: DayCon, Shelter Community Church, 1440 E Dorothy Ln, Kettering, OH; https://www.daycongaming.com/
17-19: Cape Comic Con, Osage Center, 1625 N Kingshighway, Cape Giradieu, MO; https://cape-con.com/
17-19: Constellation, Cornhusker Hotel, 333 S 13th St, Lincoln, NE: https://www.facebook.com/ConStellation-Nebraska-442296662580619/
17-19: JordanCon, Crowne Plaza Atlanta, Perimeter Center Pkwy at Ravinia, Atlanta, GA; http://jordancon.org/
17-19: No Brand Con, ChulaVista Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI; http://www.nobrandcon.org/p/
17-19: Protospiel, Best Western Plus, 5105 S Howell Ave, Milwaukee WI; http://protospiel-milwaukee.org/

17-19: Salon du Jeu, Pleaaé, Pays de la Loire, France; http://salondujeu.venez.fr/
17-19: Sci-fi on the Rock, Sheraton Newfoundland, 115 Cavendish Square, St. Johns, NF; https://scifiontherock.com/
18-19: BrisCon, Mt Gravatt Showgrounds, 1644 Logan Rd, Mount Gravatt, Qld; http://www.briscon.com.au/
18-19: Cheyenne Gaming Convention, Red Lion Inn, Cheyenne, WY; http://cheyennegamingconvention.com/
18-19: LuxCon, Abbaye de Neumünster, Luxemburg; http://luxcon.lu/
18-19: Gamer's Equinox, McDommel St Activity Center, 577 McDonnel St, Peterborough, OH; http://phantasm.pfga.ca/
18-19; RahCon, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, Ormsby Terrace Mandurah, WA; https://www.facebook.com/events/853034601739809/
23-26: Calgary Expo, Calgary Stampede Park, Calgary, AB; https://www.calgaryexpo.com/en/home.html
23-26: Ice & Fire, Deer Creek State Park Lodge, Mt. Sterling, OH; http://iceandfirecon.com/
23-26: Recon, Days by Wyndham, 3011 Maingates Ln, Kissimmee, FL; hmgs-south.com  [miniature wargaming]  
24-26: Causeacon, Raleigh County Convention Center, Beckley, WV; http://causeacon.com/
24-26: Conventus Leonis, Lomder- und Jugendzentrukm Mühlel Brauunmchweig; http://conventusleonis.de/
24-26: Farmegeddon, Farmer City American Legion, Stensel Dr, Farmer City, IL; https://farmageddon137.com/

24-26: Gaming Hoopla, Doubletree, 510 E IL Route 83, Mundelein, IL; http://www.gaminghoopla.com/
24-26: Koboldcon, Chapel Hills Event Center, 1710 Briargate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO; http://koboldcon.com/
24-26: Lexicon, Clarion Hotel, 1950 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY; https://lexicongaming.com/
24-26: Oz-Con, West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St, West Plains, MO; https://oz-con.com/
24-26: Penguicon, Westin Southfield Detroit, 1599 Town Center, Southfield, MI; https://2020.penguicon.org/
24-26: RavenCon, Doubletree, 50 Kingsmill Rd, Williamsburg, VA; http://www.ravencon.com/
24-26: UBCon, Student Union, SUNY Buffalo, NY; https://www.facebook.com/events/570150950433559/
25: ConTroll, Dorchester Corn Exchange, North Square, Dorchester, Dorset; http://havedice.org.uk/con-troll.html

25-26: Gem City Comic Con, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, OH; http://gemcitycomiccon.com/
25-27: Swancon, Esplanade Hotel, 46-54 Marine Terrace, Fremantle, West Australia; https://swancon.com.au/
30-May 3: Frolicon, Sheraton Atlanta Downtown, Atlanta, GA; https://www.frolicon.com/index.php


May 2020

1-3: Ad Astra, Toronto Don Valley Hotel, 175 Wynford Dr, York,ON; http://ad-astra.org/

1-3: Awesome Con, Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl, Washington, DC; http://awesome-con.com/
1-3: Buckets of Dice, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; http://saga.org.nz/
1-3: ChupacabraCon, Wyndam Hotel, 1209 N IH 35 North, Round Rock, TX; https://tabletop.events/conventions/chupacabracon-vii
1-3: Crypticon, Doubletree, 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA; https://crypticonseattle.com/ [horror]
1-3: Demicon, Holiday Inn Northwest, 4800 Meroe Hay Rd, Des Moines, IA; https://demicon.org/31/
1-3: Furry Down Under, Mantra on View, 22 View Ave, Surfers Paradise, QL; https://furdu.com.au/
1-3: Hydra, Brookfield Scout Camp, Rd 1 562 Moore Valley Rd., Wainuiomata, Wellington, NZ; https://hydra-larps.nz/ [LARP]
1-3: San Marino Game Convention, Palace Hotel, San Marino; http://sanmarinogame.com/
1-3; Starfest, Marriott DTC, 4900 S Syracuse St, Denver, CO; https://starfestdenver.com/
1-3: VisionCon, Springfield Expo Center, 635 E St. Louis St, Springfield, MO; https://visioncon.net/
2-3 Chaosium Con Down Under, Glebe Town Hall, Sydney NSW Australia; https://chaosconventions.com/chaosium-con-down-under

2-3: Emporium of the Weird, Oddmall, Akron, OH; https://www.oddmall.info/emporium-of-the-weird/ [Free Admission]
7-10: Continuum, John Foster Hall, Stamford Court, Manor Rd, Leicester University, Oadby; https://continuumconvention.co.uk/

7-11: Furry Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, GA; https://www.furryweekend.com/
8-10: Florida Supercon, Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr, Miami, FL; https://www.floridasupercon.com/

8-10: Marcon, Crowne Plaza Columbus North, Worthington, OH; http://marcon.org/
8-10: Pyrkon, Miedzynardowe Targi, Poznan, Poland; https://pyrkon.pl/
8-10: Sferakon, Faculty of Electrical Engineering & Computing, Unska 3, Zagreb, Croatia; http://sferakon.org/
8-12: Historicon, Lancaster County Convention Center, 25 S Queen St, Lancaster, PA; https://www.hmgs.org/page/HconHome

9-10: North Star, Garrison Hotel, 645 Penistone Rd, Sheffield, S Yorks; http://northstarcon.org.uk/
15-17: 1d4Con, Clarion Inn, Shepherdstow, WV; http://1d4con.com/
15-17: Austicon, Austin Holiday Inn, 1701 4th St NW, Austin, MN; https://tabletop.events/conventions/austi-con
15-17: CanGames, Rideau Curling Club, Lisgar and Percy, Ottawa; http://cangames.ca/
15-17: Huzzah!, Doubletree, 363 Maine Mall Rd, South Portland, ME; https://mhwa.info/?page_id=47 [mainly wargaming]
15-17: KawaiiKon, Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI; https://kawaiikon.com/
15-17: Keycon, Radisson Hotel, 288 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB; http://www.keycon.org/2020/
15-17: Motor City ComicCon, Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI; https://www.motorcitycomiccon.com/
16-17: MSP Comicon, MN State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Ave, St. Paul, MN; https://www.mcbacomicons.com/
16-17: Tidewater Comicon, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA; https://tidewatercomicon.com/
21-24: A-Kon, Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX; https://www.a-kon.com/
21-24: Core Con, Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND; http://fargocorecon.org/
21-24: LinCon, Linköpings Universitet, Linköping, Sweden; http://lincon.se/
21-24: Momocon, Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd, Atlanta, GA; https://www.momocon.com/

21-24: Phoenix Fan Fusion, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, AZ; https://phoenixfanfusion.com/
21-25: KublaCon, Hyatt Regency & Marriott Waterfront, San Franscisco, CA; https://www.kublacon.com/
22-23: Hamburger Spieletage, Hamburg Haus Eimsbüttel, Doormannsweg 12, Hamburg; http://hamburger-spieletage.de/
22-24: Anime North, Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, ON; https://www.animenorth.com/event/
22-24: Cherry Capital Comic Con (C4), Grand Traverse Resort, 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd, Traverse City, MI; http://cherrycapitalcon.com/
22-24: Comicpalooza, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX; https://www.comicpalooza.com/
22-24: ConQuesT, Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center, Kansas City, MO; http://conquestkc.org/
22-24: Thy Geekdom Con, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, Oaks, PA; https://www.thygeekdomcon.com/
22-24: UnderCon, Sheraton Crown Center, Kansas City, MO; http://www.undercongaming.com/
22-25: Balticon, Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace, 202 E. Pratt St, Baltimore, MD; https://www.balticon.org/wp54/
22-25: BayCon, San Mateo Marriott San Franscisco Airport, 1770 S Amphlett Blvd, San Mateo, CA; http://baycon.org/
22-25: BGG Spring, Hyatt Regency DFW Airport, 2334 N International Pkwy, DFW Airport, TX; https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2285500/unofficial-bggcon-spring-2020-links-and-resources
22-25: Gamex, Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA; http://strategicon.net/
22-25: MediaWestCon, Ramada Inn, 7501 Saganaw Hwy, Lansing, MI; http://mediawestcon.org/
22-25: Miscon, Holliday Inn Missoula Downtown, Missoula, OR; https://www.miscon.org/
22-25: Paizocon, Doubletree Seattle Airport, 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA; https://paizo.com/paizocon
23-24: ColoniaCon, Kölner Jungendpark, Köln; https://www.coloniacon.de/
29-31: ConCarolinas, Hilton University Place, 8629 JM Keynes Dr, Charlotte, NC; http://concarolinas.org/
29-June 1: Eternal Convention, Castle Stahleck, Bacharach; https://eternal-con.de/

29-31: UK Game Expo, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, W.Mid; https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/

30: WyvaCon, Wythevile Community College, 1000 E Main St, Wytheville, VA; https://wyvacon-inc.org/

30-31: Flower City Comic Con, Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY; https://www.fc3roc.com/

June 2020

4-7: Colossalcon, Kalahari Resort, 7000 Kalahari Dr, Sandusky, OH; https://colossalcon.com/
4-7: North Texas RPG Con, Westin DFW Airport, 4545 W Carpenter Fwy, Irving, TX; http://ntrpgcon.com/
5-6: SaltCon Summer, Davis Conference Center, Layton, UT; https://saltcon.com/
5-7: Die Con, Gateway Convention Center, Edwardsville, IL; http://www.diecon.com/Main/
5-7: Dream Con, Waco Convention Center, Waco, TX; https://www.dreamconvention.com/
5-7: Niagara Falls Comic Con, Scotiabank Convention Centre, 6815 Stanley Ave, Niagara Falls, ON; https://nfcomiccon.com/planyourvisit/
5-7: PrairieCon, Assiniboin Community College, 1430 Victoria Ave. E, Brandon, MB; http://www.prairiecon.com/

5-8: Continuum, Rydges Hotel, 7-1 Swanston St,, Carlton, Vic; http://www.continuum.org.au/
9: HickoryCon, Hickory Metro Convention Center, 1960 13th Ave. SE; Hickory, NC; http://www.hickorycon.com/
11-14: Geekway to the West, St. Charles Convention Center, St. Charles, MO; https://geekwaytothewest.com/
12-14: ConDamned, Cafe 2 Klavern, De Clercq Str 136, Amsterdam; http://condamned.nl/
12-14: NordCon, Schule beim Pachthof, beim Pachthof 15, Hamburg-Horn; https://www.nordcon.de/
12-14: OMGcon, Owensboro Convention Center, 501 W 2nd St, Owensboro, KY; http://omgcon.com/
13: SWFL SpaceCon, Araba Shrine Event Center, 2010 Hanson St, Ft. Myers, FL; https://www.swflspacecon.com/
13-14: Rob-Con, Meadow View Convention Center, 19001 Meadowview Pkwy, Kingsport, TN; https://www.robcon.org/

17-21: Origins, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 High St, Columbus, OH; https://www.originsgamefair.com/
19-21: Magic City Con, Hyatt Regency, Birmingham, AL; https://www.magiccitycon.com/
19-21: Philadelphia Comic Con, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA; https://wizardworld.com/index.php/comiccon/philadelphia
19-21: PolyCon, University Union, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA; http://polycon.org/

25-26: Irish Conference on Game-Based Learning, Clayton Hotel, Cork City, Co. Cork, Ireland; http://www.igbl-conference.com/ [game-based learning]  
25-28: Nexus Game Fair, Brookfield Conference Center, Milwaukee, WI; http://nexusgamefair.com/
25-28: PortConMaine, Doubletree Hotel, Maine Mall Rd, South Portland, ME; http://portconmaine.com/site/
26-28: RPC: Köln Messe, Messerplatz 1, Köln, Germany; https://www.ccxp-cologne.de/
26-28: Ragecon, Circus Circus, Reno, NV; http://www.ragecon.com/
26-28: Soonercon, Embassy Suites by Hilton, 2501 Conference Dr, Norman, OK; https://www.soonercon.com/
26-28: Too Many Games, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA; https://toomanygames.com/show/toomanygames2020/
27: Forest City Comicon, Centennial Hall, 550 Wellington St, London, ON; http://forestcitycomicon.ca/
27-28: Augusta Toy and Comic Show, Augusta Convention Center, Augusta, GA; https://augustatoyandcomicshow.com/

July 2020

2-5: Play On Con, Alabama 4-H Center, AL; http://www.playoncon.com/

3-5: In Con Junction, Indianapolis Marriott East, Indianapolis, IN; http://inconjunction.org/

3-5: RTX, Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX; https://rtxevent.com/

4-5: FanCon, International Convention Centre, Cape Town, SA; http://fancon.co.za/ [some LARP]

4-5: Feencon, Stadthalle Bonn, Bad Godesberg, Bonn; http://feencon.de/

8-12: Dexcon, Morristown Hyatt, Morristown, NJ; https://dexposure.com/home.html

8-12: Historicon, Lancaster Convention Center, 2300 Lincoln Hwy E, Lancaster, PA; https://www.hmgs.org/page/HconHome [wargaming]

8-19: Festival Ludique International de Parthenay, all over Parthenay; http://www.jeux-festival.com/

9-12: Anime Matsui, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX; https://2020.animematsuri.com/

9-12: Connecticon, Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT; http://connecticon.org/

10-12: Southern-Fried Gaming Expo, Marriott Renaissance Waverly, Atlanta GA; http://southernfriedgameroomexpo.com/

13-17: GACUCon Game Cruise. Hialeah Gardens Holiday Inn and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

17-19: Berlin Brettspiel Con, Station Berlin, Luckenwalder Str 4-6, Berlin; https://hunterundcron.de/

17-19: CharCon, Clay Center, Charleston, WV; https://www.charcon.org/

17-19: Con-gregate, Downtown Marriott, Winston-Salem, NC; http://con-gregate.com/

17-19: KantCon, Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS; https://www.kantcon.com/

17-19: Kitsunecon, Ki Convention Center, 333 Main St, Green Bay, WI

17-19: Open Gaming Convention, Holiday Inn, Northeastern Blvd, Nashua, NH; http://opengamingconvention.com/ogc/

17-19: Sioux City Comic-Cade, Hilton Garden Inn, 1132 Larsen Park Rd, Sioux City, IA

17-19: Tokyo in Tulsa, Tulsa Convention Center, Tulsa, OK; https://www.tokyointulsa.com/

17-19: TwisteeLordsCon, Reed Conference Center, 5750 Will Rogers Rd, MidWest City, OK; http://twistedlordscon.com/

18-19: Ettin Con, Blackheath Community Centre, Great Western & Gardiner, Blackheath, NSW; https://ettincon.org/

18-19: MiniCon II, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; http://saga.org.nz/

18-19: Wintercon, Fitzroy Pavillion, Canberra, ACT; https://cgs.asn.au/

24-26: Dokidokon, Marriott, 2747 S 11th St, Kalamazoo, MI; https://www.dokidokon.org/ 

24-26: Mechacon, Hyatt Regency Downtown, 601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA; http://www.mechacon.com/news/

24-26: Ropecon, Helsingin Messukeskuksessa, Helsinki, Finland; http://ropecon.fi/

25-August 2: World Boardgaming Championships, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Campion, PA; http://boardgamers.org/wbcindex.html

28-August 2: DrachenFest, Auf dem Quast, Diemelstadt; http://drachenfest.info/ [boffer LARP]  

31-August 2: AnimeIowa, Marriott Conf Center, Coralville, IA; https://animeiowa.com/

© Copyright 2020 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404) 377-3491, e-mail millians.david@paideiaschool.org. Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn't have someone else's copyright on it. Information, including details on joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.