The Origins 2009 Con Report
Wednesday
We arrived in the afternoon and set up shop in the hotel, then went and registered and met up with Windmill games crew. We headed back to the room after dinner and prepped to run a dread Game. Avery, one of our artists and one of the Windmill Games Crew, was out with back problems, so Rawlings and John took up some of their games. John took the 10:00am to 2:00am one that night. There was a great turnout for the game (20 extra people showed up for extra games). Windmill Games Crew certainly knows how to throw a good game, but we added our own flair to it. John might have given people some nightmares in his game.
Thursday
A late start for most on Thursday, but Alec jumped up and went to run the first character creation. It was about half filled, and we had a lot of people from that character creation swing by other games. Ed's Down In the Dumps didn't get run, but To The Heart of the Matter had a few people from last year's Origins games. John met up with Patrick from Gnome Stew and hung out and talked. Rawlings ran a few Dread games for Windmill Games Co., and Ed and Alec went and hung out. Thursday night also ended in an hour or so spent at the hotel bar talking with people we met, and then a 4am Fudge game, run by Patrick. All you need to know is this: If ever in trouble, call for Scruffy the Wonder Dog.
Friday
Friday's first character creation was a success as well. It was nearly full up and many of these people came to play in other games. Alec and Rawlings ran other character creation pick-ups throughout the day. Aesop's Failings was full up and had a great ending. It was a photo finish between thrown turtle, replacement to the replacement rabbit and flying Elven last minute entry. There were a few more pickup games run throughout the day, then Rawlings went and ran a few Dread games. On Friday night, Ed, Patrick and John went and played in a Cthulu Larp, which was a great time. It was John's first Larp and brought up a lot of good ideas for ways to push the idea of Cinematics.
Saturday
Saturday was a busy day with another packed character creation. Rawlings ran his Trouble with Troubadours game. Much fun was had, many cat-girls were defeated, devastatingly broken characters were encountered and bunnies disguised themselves as Kawaii backpacks. Meanwhile, Ed was running down in the dumps and had an incredibly broken party. Not broken as in mechanically, but as in morally. Barghest are not nice when the party doesn't care whom they eat. John ran Assault of the undead and had lizards trying to eat penguins, Pimps (Prisoned Imp) and Gunangels trying to fend off the zombie hordes. The day was saved by the burning of power giving statues and bodies, and the infernal battle-cry: "YOUR SHOE IS UNTIED!". Saturday night, Rawlings was going to run the annual Silvervine game for Windmill Games Co., but was feeling throat sore. John got handed it, and then found there was going to be an audience of 12 people. He was going to re-run Aesop's failings, but multiple issues caused it to not start until after midnight. Since everyone there had a Silvervine character, it became mostly a crew vs. onlookers game. Fighting was had, interesting things occurred, in the end John made it a giant rick-roll, and ran, and was caught, and was beaten down by many angry laughing gamers.
Sunday
Ed ran his Pimp my Siege Suit game on Sunday with a few people, and then we ran some Columbus bound errands. We came back and grabbed some food, but headed out before the annual Buca di Beppo trip. We wanted to get home and were worn out after many late nights and stories which won't be recited here.
Conclusion
Origins was a blast. It was great to hear from everyone, and we look forward to all the new contacts and Silvervine players. We're planning on doing an extended playtest in the area soon, and will be pushing through with the Player Picture Project Pictures.
Pictures - Click on the pictures to open full sized versions in a new window.
Jeremy making a new and evil character.
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Alec, whose shirt proves that evolution does in fact kill.
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I hope the Jedi can get out of this one. She looks kind of small . . .
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ADGNESEPF555 table.
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The Trouble with Troubadours, wherein everyone had to wear roady headbands.
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Zombies swarm over the helpless heroes, and then get their brains bashed in. Only one character was zombiefied.
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Jeremy and Dan.
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Two of the players for Assault of the Undead. One of them kept trying to eat the penguin player character. Can you guess which one?
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Tsali and Jeremy.
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Two battle scenes in one, from Assault of the Undead.
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The final battle scene from Assault of the Undead.
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One of the character creations.
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Ed, not pleased about being photographed.
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Rawlings, happy about being photographed.
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A single map tile which will lead to horror and doom.
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Brandon, making another character.
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A mysterious hallway . . .
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Rawlings, running a character creation.
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