Welcome to the Glyph and Grok - A “weekly” blog-letter exploring topics in the tabletop gaming arena. We explore design, execution, and culture relating to anything played on a tabletop.
Das Booth
I was at Gencon 2024 thanks in no small part to my good friends at Archon Games who asked me to come run demos of their flagship game Eschaton. If you happen to like dark fantasy aesthetic, deck builders and/or area control games, click the link.
During the day, we run demos and person this absolute metal-band-stage of a booth and then at night we play games.
Other Great Stuff
I used my sweet exhibitor status to go checkout The Arcane Library booth before opening one of the days. I got to meet and shake the hand of Kelsey Dionne herself, creator of my favorite TTRPG to date: Shadowdark. She signed the copy I was picking up for a buddy of mine, so now that one is mine and I gave him my Kickstart copy.
Hilariously due to the way Gencon does booths, if this is your first year having a booth, you are in “entrepreneur alley”. Hanging out at the booth was also Kelsey’s fellow dungeon-tuber Baron de Ropp of Dungeon Masterpiece who informed me their Saturday panel would have standing room availability after I told him I was disappointed it was sold out. So Saturday at 4pm, I found myself standing in the back listening to a panel of Game Masters who I believe most make their living off of the games they sell or the videos they’re making and have been playing TTRPGs for decades. The cast of Hack With Impunity included:
Ben Milton (Questing Beast)
Professor Dungeon Master (Dungeoncraft)
Kelsey Dionne (Arcane Library)
Baron de Ropp (Dungeon Masterpiece)
Justin Alexander (The Alexandrian)
Seth Skorkowski (Seth Skorkowski)
It was very interesting. I’ve watched videos or read something from each of the creators on this panel and it did not disappoint. I have some note written down somewhere but I was mostly just enjoying soaking in the high level nerd auras. Topics ranged from very nuts and bolts running things at the tables to conceptual game design.
I had two things from this discussion show up in the game I ran later that night.
Speaking of the game I ran that Saturday night. My next post will be a report of how that went in detail. Had 10-12 players depending on the point in time running through the Craghold temple of Order and Artifice where treasures and danger abound. Thoughts and lessons to come.
But now I will leave you with two pics of the massive play spaces, including a teaser shot of the table I got to take over to run the one-shot on.
What I Am Up To
TTRPG Reading: Shadow of the Demon Lord, Knave 2E, Wanderhome, Worlds Without Number
TTRPG Production: Gencon Oneshot, Shadowdark Solo-play
Other Learning: Draw 21, Mythic Bestiary
Audiobook: The Black Tongue Thief (Again)
Useful Things For Your Games
Spotify Playlist Add - Role: Menace and Malice