GenCon is almost upon us! AAAAAAAAA! It seemed so far away for so long and now it’s here! Yikes.

There’s a LOT going on with me at GenCon this year, so here’s my schedule for your benefit (and mine!).

Key:

• E is running this event
• E is a panelist/player
• E is an audience member

Wednesday 8/4

8:00 pm – ???

• Drunken D&D with various RPG bloggers (location TBA)

Thursday 8/5

9:00 am – 11:00 am

• Dating Doctor Clinic, Marriott Phoenix (tickets available)
  • The doctor is in! E. of Geek’s Dream Girl will answer your questions about dating, online dating, and relationships in a private one-on-one 20 minute confidential conference.

- lunch -

12 noon – 1:00 pm

• Gamer Girl Seminar, Westin Caucus (free event)
  • Please ignore the description on the GenCon registration site about this event. I didn’t write it!! This will be a panel of gamers of the female persuasion which may or may not include a Jell-O wrestling match between me and my arch-nemesis, Shelly Mazzanoble of Wizards of the Coast. If she shows, that is. ; -)

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

• 4e DMing Tips with DaveTheGame of Critical-Hits.com (free event)

2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

• Dark Sun game with Chris Sims (private game)

- dinner -

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

• Roleplaying Therapy for the Severely Disturbed, Westin Caucus (free event)
  • You need to come to this. Last year, my character made sweet, raucous love to a displacer beast. With sound effects. It’s best to empty your bladder before coming. You will laugh your ass off.

Friday 8/6

10:00 am – 11:00 am

• Geek’s Guide to Online Dating Success, Embassy Suites: Coronation II (tickets available)
  • Are you single? Learn the tips & tricks to writing an irresistible online dating profile and capturing the partner of your dreams.

11:00 am – 12 noon

• Dating Doctor Clinic, Westin: Foyer (tickets available)
  • The doctor is in! E. of Geek’s Dream Girl will answer your questions about dating, online dating, and relationships in a private one-on-one 20 minute confidential conference.

- lunch -

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

• Fit4GenCon, Marriott: Santa Fe (free event)
  • Join our weight loss and fitness group! Want the support of other geeks looking to lose weight or get more fit? We’ll set goals at Gen Con 2010, chat online during the year, and meet up again in 2011 to celebrate our success! Will your new healthstyle involve moving more and getting sweaty? (Ooooh, we hope so!)  The folks at GeekyClean have donated some awesome soaps for us to give away during this seminar.

- dinner -

9:00 pm – 11:00 pm

• Speed Dating, Union Station: The House (tickets available for women, men sold out)
  • Find love at Gen Con? Sure can! Go on several mini-dates with single geeks like yourself and maybe you’ll leave Indy with a love connection! Almost all the guy tickets are sold already, but we could definitely use more ladies!  Not surprised the guy tickets sold out first… but I know we’ll have some single ladies who will step up before August.

Saturday 8/7

Need some morning/early afternoon event(s)! I’d be open to a game or maybe just leisurely strolling the exhibit hall.

- lunch -

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

• Dating Doctor Clinic, Marriott, Indiana Ballroom A (tickets available)
  • The doctor is in! E. of Geek’s Dream Girl will answer your questions about dating, online dating, and relationships in a private one-on-one 20 minute confidential conference.

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

• Gamma World Seminar, Indiana Ballroom G

5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

• Appearance on This Just In… From GenCon

- dinner -

8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

• Media Meet & Greet, Union Station: The House

Sunday 8/8

Need some morning/early afternoon event(s)! I’d be open to a game or maybe just leisurely strolling the exhibit hall.

5:00 pm

• Check-in at airport to fly home – seeya in 2011, GenCon!

Here’s my final wrap-up about GenCon 2009, the sessions, the people and the exhibit hall!

The Sessions

I participated in two sessions while at GenCon.  The first was the Women of RPG Blogging, held on Friday afternoon in the Westin.  It was originally supposed to be me, Tasha of StupidRanger, and Janna of DungeonMastering, but in a late turn of events, Janna couldn’t make it to GenCon, so we had to do without her.  *sniffle*  We missed you, Janna!

It was a small turnout, but very awesome folks!  Tasha and I talked a bit about our gaming histories, how each of us got into RPG blogging, and then moved into discussing our girl RPG gamers book (still in progress!).  We shared a bit of the statistics that we discovered after compiling all the surveys and read some of the cooler bits that were written by our female survey takers.

I was super nervous.  Gosh, do I get freaked out in front of an audience.  Sigh.  Luckily, Tasha is not a STUPID Ranger, she’s a very Cool Under Pressure Ranger and she kept things moving when my brain and mouth weren’t communicating with each other.

This, folks, is why I’m a writer.

Anyhoo, the whole thing will be up on PulpGamer eventually.  I’ll update this post with the link once it’s live.

The other session I participated in was Out of the Box Roleplaying, hosted by the folks of StupidRanger. Check the GenCon Gaming post to read the insanity.  To sum it all up:  My druid had sex with a displacer beast.  On purpose.  (She’s a druid, all one with nature and stuff… right?)

The RPG Bloggers panel included Dave & Bartoneus of Critical Hits, Phil of ChattyDM and Graham of Critical Ankle Bites.  There was a good sized audience, but it was quickly determined that most of them were network members.  Most of that panel focused on plans to improve the network site and hopefully earn some money so the folks who do the work on the site can be paid for their time.  (I’ve seen Dave working on the network – it’s time-consuming stuff!)

The People

I mentioned all the awesomeness of meeting the folks from Wizards of the Coast, but GenCon was also a time to meet up with people that I don’t ever see outside of the internet!

The RPG Bloggers panel was a great time to meet and match faces to avatars with all of our blogger friends.  There was also a Media Meet & Greet where we got to hang out and drink.  Then there were all the lunch and dinner outings.

Dave, Bartoneus, and I shared a room with Phil the Chatty DM.  There’s  a lot of inside jokes that I will spare you, but let’s just say that we got along well and nobody fought over the bathroom (much).   Oh, and I have an incriminating photo of one or more members of our room that will forever be my little secret.  Unless I’m wronged, of course!   *wink wink*

I finally got to meet Graham, the man who keeps my site working and has all my passwords.   (Isn’t it funny how we now trust in people we’ve never met in real life?)  I had a fun time with him playing in drunken D&D, TrueDungeon, and our press game with WotC’s Jeremy Crawford.  Oh, and his fiancee is a totally cool chick.  They’ll make adorable babies one day.

I had already met 2/3rds of the StupidRanger crew on my trip to Denver to work on the gamer girl book.   Getting to see Josh & Tasha again was high on my list, but equally anticipated was meeting Vanir (of E.L. Fudge and tarrasque-riding fame).   Other than the infamous Blue Rhino Incident at the Marriott, my favorite memory of Vanir was him voicing the stolen eye of Dave’s character, Henry Ne’erDoWell in Out of the Box on Sunday.

Oh gosh, who else did I meet?  Everyone.  So many people that I wish I had kept a running list!  I had a great time lunching at the Ram with Yax and Nicholas of DungeonMastering and Micah of Obsidian Portal.  Such great guys!

If I didn’t mention you by name, I’m sorry!  I still love you.  Really.

The Exhibit Hall

Holy crap.  I thought the exhibit hall at Origins was huge, but GenCon blows it away.  I seriously couldn’t get my bearings in it, even after four days of wandering.  Being about as directionally challenged as the next girl, I still can usually figure out where I’m going after four days, but not in that huge exhibit hall.

It was full of all sorts of shiny beautiful gaming things and also packed full of people.  On Wednesday when the hall first opened, it was hard to walk through it!

Things I drooled over, but didn’t buy:

• Miniatures terrain by Dwarven Forge
• T-shirts: 1, 2, and 3 by Monte Cook at the Gamer Concepts booth
• Perky Goth plushie by John Kovalic (forget which booth!)
• Map clings for rivers and other water features by Dark Platypus

Things that got taken home:

• d6 purse and d20 bumper stickers by Gamer Concepts
• Alea Tools – they fixed the magnets so they don’t repel each other!
• 4e status flags – we saw ‘em at Origins and had to get them at GenCon.  Good thing Dark Platypus came to both!
• d8 and d6 Earrings by Blue Dragon Beads (d8s shown)

Fun stuff:

• The Psychic Rat adoption sign at Bucephalus Games (I have a psychic rat and he is totally awesome, and creepy.  And awesome.)
• Doctor Who RPG from Cubicle 7 due out in November!!
• There was a scavenger hunt in the exhibit hall and one of the things you had to do was hold the giant Ptolus book at arms’ length for five minutes. Ouch!
• Pathfinder was one of the big releases of GenCon 2009, and it wasn’t uncommon on Thursday to see guys carting around 6 copies (the maximum you could purchase).  Flashback to freshman year of high school, when your locker was as far as possible from your classes!
• When in doubt, you can always find the Wizards of the Coast booth.

Until Next Year…

I’ll miss you, GenCon!  I’ll miss you, people I only see in real life at GenCon!  Let’s count down the days until we meet again…

I spent the last week at the lovely home of StupidRanger & Dante of StupidRanger.com and had a ton of fun, surprisingly even though we barely left the house and there was a blizzard of over a foot of snow.

At any rate, the original plan was to meet up so we could get some real work done on the gamer girl book… oh, and maybe play some D&D…

I have to say, folks, one of the joys of the internet is flying halfway across the country to meet someone that you’ve known for months but have never actually seen in real life.   Talk about cool.

We spent a good deal of time sifting through all of the girl surveys (176 of ‘em!).  There was much reading (silently and out loud), laughing our asses off at the crazy stories, and the occasional confused blinking at a few people who didn’t make much sense.

On the whole, it was a very CATS-type experience:  We laughed, we cried… and well, we hope we don’t have to do THAT part again, but we’re looking forward to putting it all together into a great book!

One of the things we realized while sorting through all the responses was that there were topics that became very heated debates amongst the ladies (aged 12-57) who took our survey.  There were some great points made on both sides of the issues.

We’ve made some important decisions regarding the book.  First off, we’re not going to be writing much.  The responses we got were so great that we want to step back and let the ladies of RPGs tell their own tale.    Secondly, we realized that we had a perfect first chapter topic and it was at the end of our survey.    Thirdly, we wish we could tell you more, but that would ruin the surprise for later.

The other hilarity that ensued was the two session campaign we did with our twin Goliath bards – Toccata (StupidRanger) and Fugue (me).   Dante was our awesome DM, and DaveTheGame from Critical-Hits did a cameo via Skype as the pot dealer that was selling bad weed at the music festival.  (You know it’s bad weed when the people who smoke it catch fire and turn into scary skeletons hellbent on destruction.)

I was determined to make a crazy bard.   Toccata and Fugue were Goliaths that were raised in a Dwarven orphanage for the mentally disturbed.   I rolled really good stats but took a 9 in DEX just for giggles.   (Hey, gotta have a flaw!)

We started out at level 5 and Fugue was a Bardbarian Pally.  When she dinged, she became a Bardbarian Pallyvoker.  I’ve saved her in my D&D Character Builder, so hopefully I’ll get to play her again soon (*cough* GenCon *cough*).

Here’s some links to the insanity (warning, sexually suggestive language and thoughts otherwise impure and hilarious):

• Dante’s Pre-Campaign Thoughts on how to plan an irreverent campaign. 
  
• Night One - in which we ponder dwarven… equipment, excitement vs. excitement, and how breast augmentation would work in a fantasy universe
  
• Night Two - in which I admit my true talent, we eat funfetti cake, give out the title of Hunkiest Man in the RPG Blogosphere, reinact The Princess Bride iocaine powder scene, share a teabag, and kick ass.
• BONUS:  The most disturbing bard story ever, from the member of the StupidRanger crew that got left behind, Vanir.  (Do not read this post while drinking unless you want to wash your monitor.)

Another bonus to spending time with StupidRanger and Dante:   their dog Teddy is the awesomest Golden Retriever ever.   He burped in my face on several occasions, including once just after I asked him NOT to burp in my face.   Dog of Gaseousness +30.   He was also totally adorable when he was not burping.   High charisma.  Very smart move, Teddy.

MANY THANKS to StupidRanger and Dante for giving me a home away from home.   I can’t wait until we see each other again at GenCon!

As of 1/21/09, we have 173 females and 185 males that have completed the survey!

All surveys are currently closed to new entries. We are now going to be working on the task of reading through them all and pulling the snippets we’d like to include in the book!

We’ll keep you posted if we find a need to re-open the original surveys or post a follow-up survey.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As of 1/16/09, we have 127 females and 185 males that have completed the survey!

The guys’ survey is closed to new entries. We have plenty to work with and are giving the ladies a chance to catch up.  Should we find a gap in our data, we will publish a follow-up survey for guys.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This book will celebrate all the ways girls contribute to the gaming culture and we’d love to have you be a part of it.

Not part of the project yet?  Want to see your name in print as part of our book?  Please take our surveys:

GIRLS:

http://geeksdreamgirl.wufoo.com/forms/girl-gamer-book-survey-for-girls-only/

GUYS:
girl-gamer-book-survey-for-guys-only/ Update:  We have 185 guys and have closed the guys’ survey to new entries.  Thank you!

Become a fan of “Female Roleplaying Gamers” on Facebook!

Thank you for sharing your experiences and helping build our bestseller!

- E. and SR

Help promote our surveys by posting one of the following ads in the sidebar of your blog or in your sig file for your favorite gaming forum.  Set the link to http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2009/01/12/female-roleplaying-gamers-needed-for-new-book .   Thank you!

As of 1/15/09, we have 96 females and 156 males that have completed the survey!

There are gamers from all over the world responding, with an especially high percentage of French-speaking folks – Merci, Hybban!  France, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Canada, New Zealand… we have geeks from around the world!

(Don’t apologize if English isn’t your first language – we all speak RPG and love having the global perspective!)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

This book will celebrate all the ways girls contribute to the gaming culture and we’d love to have you be a part of it.

Not part of the project yet?  Want to see your name in print as part of our book?  Please take our surveys:

GIRLS:

http://geeksdreamgirl.wufoo.com/forms/girl-gamer-book-survey-for-girls-only/

GUYS:
girl-gamer-book-survey-for-guys-only/ Update:  We have 185 guys and have closed the guys’ survey to new entries.  Thank you!

Become a fan of “Female Roleplaying Gamers” on Facebook!

Thank you for sharing your experiences and helping build our bestseller!

- E. and SR

Help promote our surveys by posting one of the following ads in the sidebar of your blog or in your sig file for your favorite gaming forum.  Set the link to http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2009/01/12/female-roleplaying-gamers-needed-for-new-book .   Thank you!

We need YOUR input! Girls, you are the heart of this book; share your experiences with us!

Guys, you have an especially important role in the success of our book.  Not only do we need your input, we also need you to get out there on Facebook, Myspace, IMs, forums, chat rooms and Friendly Local Game Stores to spread the word to every girl gamer you know!

Topics to be covered include:

This book will celebrate all the ways girls contribute to the gaming culture and we’d love to have you be a part of it.

Want to see your name in print as part of our book?  Please take our surveys:

GIRLS:
girl-gamer-book-survey-for-girls-only/ Update:  The girls surveys are closed as we comb through them!  If we need more, we’ll reopen the survey later.  Thank you!

GUYS:
girl-gamer-book-survey-for-guys-only/ Update:  We have 185 guys and have closed the guys’ survey to new entries.  Thank you!

Become a fan of “Female Roleplaying Gamers” on Facebook!

Thank you for sharing your experiences and helping build our bestseller!

- E. and SR

Help promote our surveys by posting one of the following ads in the sidebar of your blog or in your sig file for your favorite gaming forum.  Set the link to http://geeksdreamgirl.com/2009/01/12/female-roleplaying-gamers-needed-for-new-book .   Thank you!

As you all know, I’ve started DMing recently.  I’m even writing a series of posts about it.

You might not know that my daylight job is that of a teacher.  I am a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent and Young Adulthood Music.  (Yep, it’s a mouthful.)   What does that mean?  I know a lot about teaching and learning.

The more I get into DMing, the more I’m seeing the parallels between the two jobs.   Let’s check those out!

A Teacher Knows Her Subject :
A DM Knows Her Game

A good teacher has extensive knowledge of her subject area.   If she is thrown into a class that she is not as knowledgeable in, she takes steps to increase her knowledge so she is able to teach her students.   For example, I was asked to teach Piano classes at my former school.   My only piano training was two years of basic piano required of a Music major.  I definitely did not consider myself to be a pianist.  I worked to increase my skills at piano and read up on piano teaching strategies so I was better able to reach my students.

A DM has extensive knowledge of the game.  (This is an area where I am lacking!)  In the absence of extensive knowledge, the DM has players who are able to help in double-checking rules and such.   However, I will admit that games run much smoother when the DM knows all!

A Teacher Preps For Lessons :
A DM Preps for Game Sessions

The word “prep” is tossed around frequently in the education world.   “Prep” the noun refers to a particular class – so for example, someone who teaches English 1, Honors English 1, and Journalism 1 would say that they have three preps.   They need to prepare lessons for three different classes.

In preparing for a lesson, a teacher knows it is best to over-prepare.  Always have more material than you can possibly go over in one class period.  This serves a couple purposes.    First, it takes the pressure off you if something comes up and you can’t prepare before class one day.  Second, if your students really latch on to the concept and master it quickly, you have material to be able to move on.

A DM may have multiple preps if he DMs more than one game.   DMs also know it is best to over-prepare in case the players move quickly through the encounters.   For some DMs, this means having a few extra encounters from further along in the adventure ready.   For others, it means having some improvised encounters that can give the PCs some trouble.

A Teacher Knows Her Students :
A DM Knows Her Players

A good teacher knows her students.   She knows the general vibe of each class, but also the things that motivate individual students.  She can divide her students up into visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.  While John may understand the concept the first time he hears it, Sue may need to see a photo, diagram, or chart to fully understand.   A good teacher is prepared with many different ways to teach the same concept so she is able to reach every student.

A DM knows the players.   On a basic level, the DM knows the strength of the party and is able to create encounters that are neither too hard nor too easy.  Beyond the basics, a DM knows what motivates each party member.  Is the party more into roleplaying or hack-n-slash?  Will they pick up on a tiny clue in a room or do they need a neon-flashing-sign clue?  Is the party ranger the one who always runs headfirst into danger?  Does the warlord’s player need a little nudge to really step into that Leader role?

A Teacher Sets the Pace of the Classroom:
A DM Sets the Pace of the Game

The teacher sets the pace of the classroom by feeding off the cues given by her students.   She is able to assess each student, make corrections when necessary, give feedback and praise.  When she feels the students have mastered the concept, she moves on to a new one.   If the students are struggling, she finds ways to strengthen their weaknesses, pulling from her knowledge of the subject and her students.

A DM sets the pace of the game.  As the storyteller, the DM is able to create smooth paths or rocky roads.  If the PCs aren’t ready to face the dragon, the DM finds a way to divert them elsewhere or perhaps lets them preview what’s ahead and decide on their own that they are not ready!

A Teacher Reflects on Her Lessons :
A DM Reflects on Her Game

After each lesson, a good teacher reflects.   What parts of the lesson went well?  What parts were enjoyable to the students?  What teaching strategies were most effective?  What parts of the lesson did not go as planned or were not received well by the students?   What parts of this lesson plan need tweaking before the lesson is taught again?  Whether this reflection is written on paper or stored in the teacher’s mind, the reflection process is the most important step to being a good teacher.

A DM reflects on the game after it is complete.   What parts ran smoothly?  What did the players enjoy?  What encounters were the most balanced for the group?  What parts of the session did not go as planned?  Did the PCs do anything that was unplanned?  What parts of the session frustrated the PCs?  For the next session, what needs more (or better) prep?

In Front of the Board or Behind the Screen

In front of the board, the teacher knows her subject and her students.  She prepares for lessons using this knowledge, sets the pace and tone of her classroom, and reflects on each lesson when it is done.

Behind the screen, a good DM knows the game and the players.  She prepares for sessions using this knowledge, sets the pace and tone of the campaign, and reflects on each session when it is done.

Whether it’s the ABCs of reading or the hack-n-slash of a great battle, it’s comforting to know that there’s someone at the helm, steering you in the right direction.

In this +5 Post of Pimping:

• GenCon goodness (and e cursing her new job’s training days)
• The lights are out, but somebody’s home!
• Prizes, prizes, prizes!
• DVDs, drunken Zelda adventures, and Power Strip Chewing 101
• Sexy Red Dragons

#1 – If you’re going to GenCon, please drink a White Russian in my honor.  *sniffle*  While you’re there, don’t miss the StupidRanger crew’s session:  Out of the Box Roleplaying.  Not only will you have a blast, you’ll get to meet everybody who is anybody in the RPG blogging scene.  (Except me.  Stupid mandatory job training.  Next year I will be at GenCon!!)

#2 – Speaking of RPG bloggers, the Propagandroid at The Gamer Dome apologizes for an unplanned disappearance of his site.  Technical difficulties.  Don’t worry – the ‘droid will be back!

#3 – RoleplayGateway is having a big celebration for the month of August.  There are trivia games and banner/tshirt design contests and all sorts of prizes are being given away, including a Personal Ad Makeover by yours truly.

You can also win:

• Custom full-color or black and white character sketches, avatars and signatures, flash animations (all courtesy of their arts team).
• A spot as a “featured member” on a future RoleplayGateway podcast!
• Getting to have your work posted as a “featured piece” on the RoleplayGateway blog!
• Getting a free Roleplay Advertisement spot, one of the site’s newest ways to promote your roleplay!
• Getting interviewed by Vexar’s new “Interview with a Roleplayer” series!

#4 – As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of The Guild.  Anyway, if you are too, there are a few things you’re going to want to check out.

• Power Strip Baby is in a Cutest Baby Contest where he can win a $20,000 scholarship.  If you think he’s adorable (and he is!), please check out the details on The Guild’s site and go vote for him.
• Guild Season 1 is available on DVD today for only $20!  Who is going to buy it for me?
• Sandeep Parikh, aka Zaboo, has a new web series called Legend of Neil.  Basically, a guy passes out after drinking and playing Legend of Zelda and wakes up to find that he is stuck in the game.  It is totally NSFW, so please don’t check it out if Big Brother can see your web history.  There are two episodes out so far and it’s pretty hilarious.

#5 – Voting for the ENnies ends August 6th.  Be sure to vote for DungeonMastering.com!

D&D Related

• Dante at StupidRanger reviews the 4e Dungeon Master’s Guide.
• Shelly Mazzanoble of Wizards of the Coast (and Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress fame) is a Dungeon Master.  May the gods help us all.
• John at Gnome Stew had a totally awesome post entitled: What Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog Can Teach You About GMing.
• Dave at Critical Hits would like some tips from GenCon veterans about True Dungeon.  (Note to my GeekBoy – you’d better get over there and comment, dear!)
• Happy blogiversary to Yax and Expy of DungeonMastering.  By the way, YOU (yes, you!) should be sure you’ve voted for DungeonMastering in the ENnies!  When you’re done, check out Things You Ought To Know About Your DM.  (My advice – know his favorite cookie variety and bring them!)
• Propagandroid at The Gamer Dome is working on an index to the 4e PHB, since the existing one, well… sucks.

General Geekery

• Felicia Day of The Guild and Dr. Horrible fame was interviewed at ComicCon by Mahalo Daily.  She’s going to be on an episode of House!  I’m so excited.  Now, if we can just get her on an episode of Big Bang Theory, my life would be complete.
• GeekNews (and GDG Commenter Alan!) pointed out a great tool to see your website as colorblind people do.
• GeekSugar had the neatest little thing – The Hang On Outlet.  It holds the plugs of things you don’t want plugged in, but also don’t want dangling around everywhere.
• Geekologie presents: Geeky Stained Glass and 25 Gesture Rock-Paper-Scissors.   Warning:  The latter will cause you to kill way too much time.
• Get fit and get a piece of Internet History!  Hawty McBloggy points the way to get a Wii Fit that is signed by the Wii Fit Girl!!  Get it now on ebay – before August 1st!
• Phil at ChattyDM just finished a four part series on RPG Blogging.   Trask at Living Dice was nice enough to tack on a 5th installment about SEO.

That’s it for the feedin’ this week!  Hope you’re full of geeky goodness!