Finding Me at FanExpo Canada 2018

This weekend the Toronto Convention Center will again be full to bursting with geek culture in all of its manifestations. Yes, it’s time for the massive multi-track behemoth of a show that is FanExpo Canada. Of its many tracks, the one that grows by bounds and also leaps every year is the gaming programming. Once again I’ll be talking tabletop roleplaying with the burgeoning, sometimes costumed throng.  I don’t do the booth thing at FanExpo but if you’d like to chat or get something signed, grab me at these locations before or after the panel.

Saturday 11 am ROOM 717A GUMSHOE AND MYSTERY ADVENTURES IN TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAMES

Saturday 3:00 pm ROOM 715B ROBIN LAWS SPOTLIGHT PANEL

Sunday 1:00 pm   ROOM 705 MASTER OF THE GAME: GAME MASTER MASTER CLASS

Sunday 3:00 pm   ROOM 717A GETTING STARTED IN TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAMES

Finding Me at Gen Con 2018

It feels like Gen Con comes around faster every year and this year [squints at calendar] it’s literally true!
As always I’m looking forward to chatting, signing, and seminaring. You can find me at the following public events.
Thursday, Aug 2, 4:00-5:00 p.m.: One GM, One Player MasterClass [Lucas Oil : Mtg Rm 5]
Friday August 3rd, 1:00-2:00 p.m.: Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff LIVE! [Lucas Oil : Mtg Rm 5] As usual, this has sold out, so bring your event tickets.
Friday August 3rd, 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Investigative Roleplaying MasterClass [Lucas Oil : Mtg Rm 5]
Saturday August 4: 2:00-3:00 p.m.: Swords, Spies & Shoggoths: The Pelgrane Press Panel [Lucas Oil : Mtg Rm 5]
Saturday August 4: 4:00-5:00 p.m.: Dramatic Interaction MasterClass [Lucas Oil : Mtg Rm 5]
I will also be making a special guest appearance at another panel to announce an exciting new project, but you’re going to have to guess on that one.
Otherwise, when I’m not in transit or scarfing down one of the convention center's fine calorie-bearing sustenance products, you’ll find me at the Pelgrane Press booth, #1317. As they say because it rhymes: don’t be shy, please say hi!

Catch Me at Breakout This Weekend

Toronto’s Breakout tabletop game convention levels up once again this year, expanding to the commodious downtown confines of the Sheraton Center. Along with a packed roster of board game and RPG events to play in, Breakout has rounded up a deep bench of guests from the area and beyond. Breakout happens this coming weekend, March 16-18.

I’ll be taking part in the following panels:

Saturday 4 pm - 5 pm GM Masterclass

Sunday 3 pm - 4 pm Creating Compelling Adventures

Corral me either before or after either event to say hi or get something signed.

Finding Me at Dragonmeet 2016

After a parlous period during which it seemed that Pelgrane Press’ magic spreadsheet had turned into a sensible spreadsheet, I am once again delighted to report that I’ll be attending Dragonmeet in London this Saturday. I’ll be there with the Pelgrane crew, including Kenneth Hite, Rob Heinsoo, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan and of course co-honchos Cat Tobin and Simon Rogers.

The event itself has yet again shed its skin and grown larger and for the first time will be at the Novotel London West near the Hammersmith tube station.

Stop by to chat at the Pelgrane booth, or catch me at the following seminar events:

13:30: Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff Live: Join us for a live podcast recording as Ken nerdtropes up a storm and we field audience questions with our usual jetlagged aplomb.

15:30: What’s Up with Pelgrane Press: The whole team spills the beans on plans for 2017 and beyond, and I periodically urge the non-Kens among them to use their outdoor voices and speak up for the nice people.

If the publishing gods so decree, we’ll have a special Dragonmeet preview edition of Cthulhu Confidential, the flagship GUMSHOE One-2-One release. I could not be more excited about seeing this finally arrive in print form, so please propitiate the ink deities as the weekend draws near.

(Any Simon Rogerses out there might want to take note of the relationship between the venue and a local purveyor of Christmas sandwiches—traditional lunch of choice for humble, undemanding and hard-working freelancers. See handy map.)

My Events at THE KRAKEN

Along with such illustrious names as Sandy Petersen, Jeff Richard, Ian Brumby, Jason Durall, and Michael “Mob” O’Brien, I will be doing the guest thing at THE KRAKEN, October 7-10 at Schloss Neuhausen, Germany.

This year THE KRAKEN celebrates the 50th anniversary of Glorantha and, of course, the 500th of the Reinheitsgebot, Germany’s most beloved set of government regulations. And did I mention that it’s in October?

To celebrate the Glorantha bit, I’ll be running two games: one Hillfolk, the other HeroQuest, both set in the early settlement period immediately prior to the events of King of Dragon Pass. The first may inform the other but no one will have to play both sessions to follow the action. This is important because slots in each game are made available via a lottery system.

I’ll also be taking part in the following panels:

Sharper Adventures in HeroQuest Glorantha: inspired by the best-selling convention chapbook of the same name, this examines ways to make your Glorantha-games more dynamic and player-driven.

Fix My Game, Robin! The perennial GMing master classs panel gets an imperative name.

Advanced Gaming Lore: More tips and tricks, and a free-ranging Q&A.

And here’s where we get to the Reinheitsgebot part—I’ll also be helming a German beer tasting. Root for your favorite product of the German brewing industry to win my seal of approval! London bookmakers heavily favor the Doppelbock but the truth is in the tasting.

THE KRAKEN is no mere convention, but a gaming retreat. I’ll take my trusty mic along to talk to event organizers to explain just what that means, gathering audio to recycle on future editions of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff.  And since I’ll be in the same room as Sandy Petersen it would be remiss of me to fail to snag an interview with him as well.

As of this writing, one slot has opened up for a full attendee package including accomodations. One can also attend as a day guest, if one happens to be in or around Germany’s least populated region. Book here. Cake has been promised.

Not in Germany but want to check out the proceeds? You’re in luck; they’ll be recording everything for their YouTube channel. Might a mysterious new chapbook be announced?

And if you’d like to celebrate the Gloranthan anniversary with a special feathered message for Greg Stafford, join the duck army.

For more on THE KRAKEN, follow on G+, Twitter or Facebook.

Finding Me at Gen Con 2016

Once again an early Gen Con barrels down upon us like a rollicking freight train of polyhedral mixed metaphors. And once again I will be available to chat with you either from my default perch at the Pelgrane Press stand, or in a fine variety of seminar formats. Either way, be sure to say hi. It’s what I’m there for.
Scheduled events are as follows:

Stealing From the Movies, Thursday 2 pm, Crowne Plaza Victoria Station C/D. Campaign ideas & awesome RPG action are as close as the multiplex. Pelgrane Press designers help you adapt, adopt, & improve the plots & characters of Hollywood, Hong Kong, & Hammer Films.

Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff, Friday 1 pm, Westin: Council. Join Kenneth Hite and me for a live edition of our ENnie-nominated podcast. Sold out, but check for no-shows.

Dramatic Interaction Master Class, Friday 3 pm, Crowne Plaza Conrail: Robin D. Laws & guests teach structures & techniques to turn emotional confrontations between PCs from frustrating roadblocks into rich moments of human drama. Also starring Emily Care Boss and Rachel A. Kahn.

Swords, Spies and Shoggoths: The Pelgrane Press Panel, Saturday 2pm, Crowne Plaza Grand Central Ballroom B. Join Simon Rogers, Cat Tobin & others from the Pelgrane team for a behind-the-scenes look at what the award-winning UK publisher's been up to this year, & what they've planned for the coming year.

Investigative Roleplaying Masterclass, Saturday 4 pm. Westin Capitol II. Mystery scenario masters Kenneth Hite, Robin D. Laws, Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, Ruth Tillman and Chris Spivey train their magnifying glasses on clue-gathering adventures to reveal the unlikely suspects behind your tabletop woes.

UPDATE: Location for Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff has been corrected.

Me and the Kraken

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be doing the guest thing at The Kraken at the Schloss Neuhausen in Germany this October 7th to 10th. Billed not as a convention but a gaming retreat, the event offers grown-up, all-inclusive amenities to go with its games and panels. It unfolds primarily in English and, I am now told in an exciting update, still actually has a few unsold slots left. Those unable to attend will be able to enjoy its panels when they are later posted as Internet videos.

Finding Me at FanExpo Canada 2015

Once more this year I’ll be doing the guest thing amid the crazy hugeness of Toronto’s FanExpo. I won’t be at a booth, so if you’d like to chat a bit catch me in the hall before or after a panel. As ever, if you have books you’d like signed, I am more than happy to comply. Attendees can find me at the following panels, all on the weekend:

The Robin Laws Panel
Time: Saturday, 2:15 PM
Location: 703
Description: RPG Industry godfather & Fan Expo Stalwart Robin D. Laws talks about the industry, publishing, podcasting and crowdsourcing.

Game Master Master Class
Time: Saturday, 3:30 PM
Location: 713
Description: The Game Master's craft is a tricky one.  What are the tips and tricks you find most useful when it comes to making your games come alive.  And how do you handle... That guy?  The answer may surprise you!
Fellow panelists: Ed Greenwood, Malcolm Sheppard, Andrew  Valkauskas

Getting Started with Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Time: Sunday, 12:15 PM
Location: 703
Description: Wait, do we all need to buy a player's guide? Do I need miniatures? What's the deal with these dice?  You've wanted to try tabletop RPGs but don't know where to start! Our panel of experts will give you the guidance you need.
Fellow panelists: Andrew Hackard, Jonathan Lavallee, Sara McMillen

Advanced Kickstarting and Crowdfunding
Time: Sunday, 2:15 PM
Location: 717A
Description: Have you run a crowdfunding pitch?  Did you just run out of stretch goals halfway through? Did you have to scrap it all and start from sceratch?  Come share your experiences with the panel and your fellow attendees.
Fellow panelists: Peter Chiykowski, Andrew Hackard

State of the Game Industry
Time: Sunday, 3:45 PM
Location: 705
Description: Another year has passed, and the industry remains. What
new releases wowed the market? Are stores & distributors still
relevant in the age of Print on Demand and PDF sales?
Fellow panelists: Kate Bullock, Jonathan Lavallee, Phil Reed

My Chupacabracon Schedule

This weekend I’m pleased to appear at Chupacabracon at the Norris Conference Center in historic Austin Texas. Organizers have rounded up a veritable constellation of tabletop luminaries, including my boon compadre Kenneth Hite, Feng Shui 2 developer Cam Banks, and Hillfolk contributors Jason Morningstar, Steven S. Long, John Wick and Sean Patrick Fannon.

Find me paneling, signing, podcasting and hobnobbing as follows:

Friday – Effective Networking in the Game Industry 4:30pm-6pm

Friday – Opening Ceremonies 6pm-7pm

Friday – VIP Meet and Greet 7pm-8:30pm

Saturday – Elements of RPG Game Design 9am-10:30am

Saturday – Building Memorable RPG Villains 11am-12:30pm

Saturday – Signing at Dragon’s Lair Books & Comics 1pm-2pm

Saturday – Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff LIVE 7pm-8:30pm

Sunday – VIP Brunch and Bitch 10am-11:30am

Hope to see you there, Austinites! Although your weather forecast is nowhere near as balmy as when I first started looking, it will still be an improvement on what we have here in Toronto.

Finding Me at FanExpo Canada

As sure as summer turns ineluctably to fall, the packed-to-the-rafters multi-track madness of FanExpo Canada descends upon Toronto, this time from August 28th to 31st.  I’ll be taking part in the following gaming track seminars alongside a mix of local reliables and new faces.

Sat 4 pm Advanced Kickstarting and Crowdfunding (Room 701B)

Sat 5:30 pm GM Masterclass (Room 701B)

Sun 3:15 Robin’s Laws of Life, Love and Game Mastery (Room 703)

Sun 4:45 State of the Gaming Industry (Room 703)

Though I don’t do the booth thing at FanExpo, I’m more than happy to chat and sign books if you catch me in the hallway between seminars.  It’s what I’m there for.