A good villain makes your dramatic moments more dramatic and your heroes more heroic. What better way to learn the art of villainy than from real life villians Kat Kuhl and Jim McCulre?
Tens of thousands of tabletop gamers gather every weekend online via Roll20. Learn about the system as well as discuss future plans for the world's most popular virtual tabletop.
From orbs to class 5 free-roaming vapors ghosts seem to be all around us these days. We'll dig through the history of ghost hunting and have a look at their claims...and raise some objections.
Description:
Join the Skeptical Gamers for this courtroom-themed examination of ghost hunting! What's really going on underneath the hood of all of these paranormal investigation groups? How sound is their science? How thoughtful is their theory? We'll discuss and deconstruct and if we do our jobs right you'll leave just a little more doubtful about those who claim they can track ghosts.
Adventure terrain made up entirely of ice is already pretty daunting. Now add in crevasse fields, moulins, creeping debris, glacial surges, & meltwater torrents! A GM/geologist reveals all.
Description:
Build a richer environment for your adventurers, next time they step foot on a glacier! They might take on a challenge to cross a field of broken, slowly shifting ice blocks; follow meltwater flow across a mile-high glacier surface or through subglacial tunnels; walk on weirdly sculpted rock surfaces; or live with the seasonal dynamics and chaotic terrain of a glacier terminus. And they may want to think twice before drinking that ‘pristine’ glacial stream water! With lots of photos, we’ll examine a variety of glacier and glacier-edge settings, glacier behaviors, and their story possibilities. This session may be of interest to RPG GMs, writers (any genre), and game designers.
From Edition Wars to gender gatekeeping, there are many forms of tribalism that affect designers, retailers, & players. We'll define & discuss ways to address tribalism to better our community.
Hands-on design in open source development! Learn to develop games in popular systems; focus on supporting designers from marginalized communities. All the skills needed to start hacking are taught.
Description:
This hands-on design workshop in open source development! Learn how to develop games in popular systems like Apocalypse World and Fate. This event has a special focus on supporting designers from marginalized communities (people of color, women, etc). No experience is needed and all the skills needed to start hacking will be taught during the workshop.
Hacking in Fiction, Games, & the Media - The Good, the Bad, & the Bizarre
Summary:
Join our panel of professional hackers as we discuss interesting & absurd portrayals of hacking of 2015 in games, movies, TV, & books. Learn ways to depict hacking in a fun but accurate manner.
Description:
Join our yearly panel of professional (and slightly inebriated) white hat hackers as we discuss the best and most dreadful portrayals of hacking over the past year in games, movies, TV, and books. Ask those questions you've been dying to about real hacking, cybercrime, and malware. Learn ways that you can depict hacking in a fun but accurate manner.
The very best roleplaying games will tug on the heart strings during play. Whether the games make you feel love, grief or rage, they make for a memorable play experience.
Description:
We will discuss these emotion-rich games, and what makes them tick like a broken heart.
Here, There Be Dragons: The Ultimate RPG History Panel
Summary:
From its home-brew beginnings to a multi-billion dollar phenomenon, learn the history of our favorite hobby. With Peter Adkison, Jon Peterson, Michael Witwer, David Ewalt, and Paul Stormberg.
Description:
Dust off your pad of graph paper and plot along as the nation's top RPG historians and authors map out the history of our favorite pastime. From its humble, home-brew beginnings to a multi-billion dollar phenomenon, learn about the industry's influences, founders, successes and controversies. Moderated by Wizards of the Coast founder and Gen Con owner Peter Adkison, join Jon Peterson (Playing at the World), Michael Witwer (Empire of Imagination), David Ewalt (Of Dice and Men), and Paul Stormberg (The Collector's Trove) for this 1.5 hour history where the truth is often stranger than fiction.