Well, January comes to an end with me buried in snow. In case you weren't aware, I hate snow. It's cold, wet, and currently everywhere.
Except in the Saving Throw, that is! It rolls around this week with my next contest entry where I finally tell you a little of the worst adventure I ever ran. It was time to dig this out of the old memory banks, though it was long enough ago that I probably didn't do the horror that was this roleplaying experience justice. Also, the end of January brings us a lot of news, though some of it is bad.
So, for your viewing pleasure, the rest of the column...
Gaming Tip of the Week
"Never believe in the no-win scenario. You might be wrong, but what's the point in believing otherwise?"
Gen Con, LLC has announced that it is cancelling its upcoming show in Anaheim, California after extensive deliberation. "Putting an end to our Gen Con So Cal show was in no way an easy decision to make," said Peter D. Adkison, CEO of Gen Con. "But at the end of the day, it became apparent to us that the show was not likely to grow and expand without immense effort and expense. With our other shows doing so well, it made sense to focus our energy and talent on making those the best shows they can be."
The decision was made for several reasons, including reductions in support from key exhibitors, the failure of attendance to rise from year to year, and a spike in competing shows. The first Gen Con So Cal was held in 2003. The company now intends to focus on upcoming shows, such as the 40th anniversary in Indianapolis beginning on August 16th.
Wizards of the Coast is planning to expand its digital presence and will be posting job openings for web developers, web designers, producers, project managers, programmers, game support personnel, and managers who are also gamers. Part of this digital initiative is the new game Uncivilized: The Goblin Game, which goes into internal alpha testing next month. Those interested in working at Wizards of the Coast should keep an eye on their job page in the weeks to come.
Wizards of the Coast is offering $20,000 in grants to college or university Dungeons and Dragons clubs through their new Expand Your Role program. Clubs can apply for a grant from a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $1,000. A minimum of 15 grants will be awarded. Eligible clubs must be governed by a college or university, have a staff-appointed advisor overseeing the activites, focus on Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying, meet at least once per month, and have at least four active members. These funds can be used to launch a web site, promote the club locally, rent or expand space for gatherings, send club members to gaming conventions, and to provide food for club gatherings.
For months, White Wolf Publishing has been preparing a new way to present adventure materials to its fans. The new Storyteller Adventure System, recently launched, will provide fans with exclusive web-only material in a dynamic, brand-new format. These adventures are ranked by the number of scenes, the mental, physical, and social challenge level, and the XP level the characters should possess to play the adventure. The new format uses scene cards that summarize the scenes and reduce the need to flip pages or scroll to find material.