Sale! - Lost Adventures Of Gary Con Limited Edition (OSR/5e)

 

First, full disclosure. A portion of the monies raised from the sale of the Lost Adventures of Gary Con Limited Edition will be going to help my wife, Rach, who is currently being treated for breast cancer, to assist with the out-of-pocket expenses. Also, I consider Don Semora (publisher) and Tim Kask (author) as close, personal friends. If there is any bias to be considered, it has been detailed here.

So, what is the Lost Adventures of Gary Con Limited Edition? Simply put, it is a reprinting of Tim Kask's adventures from Gary Con I & II back in 2009 & 2010. These early Gary Cons had limited attendance and thus exposure to these adventures in their original form was, by their very nature, limited.

The Lost Adventures of Gary Con Limited Edition was originally priced at 95 bucks, but through the end of 2023, LAG-LE has been placed on sale for $75.

Did I mention that each copy is signed by Tim Kask?

Looking for a gift for yourself? Late gift for your DM? Are you an OSR gamer? A 5e player? The Lost Adventures of Gary Con Limited Edition is a unique piece of gaming history.

From the blurb:

This is the Hard Cover version limited to 300 copies of the Lost Adventures of Garycon. In this special edition are two of the first tournament modules that Tim Kask wrote for GaryCon I and II. Each module is presented in it's original form, and also converted into both 1E and 5E versions, so everyone will get something out of this unique product.

The two modules are The Tower of the Mad Wizard which was played at Garycon I, and also the Return to the Frozen North, which was played at Garycon II. Also inside this limited edition hard cover are several pull out full color maps, expanded monsters, and several unique pre-gen characters. Along with this stunning hardcover purchasers will get the following.

Also included is a four page comic spread from Jim Wampler of Marvin the Mage that was first shown at GaryCon 4. Plus included is a brief how Marvin the Mage is made, where you can see the process of making the madly madcap and amusing Mage being created.

• Quality hard cover book, with full color heavy weight pages
• All copies signed by Tim Kask
• Certificate of authenticity
• Several removable maps of the areas and worlds
• 16 Unique monsters never before seen or published
• Unique Pre-Generated player characters
• The scanned original module as played by Tim Kask
• Security Hologram showing your edition number
• ONCE THESE COPIES ARE SOLD THERE WILL BE NO MORE PRINTINGS

 Some of the proceeds of the sale of this game going to do two special things. A portion of the sales will go to the 9/11 Never Forget Fund. However we are also donating a portion to Rachel Stiene, a brave woman who dedicated her life in New York City to helping those with substance abuse issues. Rachel recently was diagnosed with breast cancer, and we hope that we can help her with some of her medical expenses that she will incur that insurance will not cover.

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News - Ken "Turbo" Trbovitch Resigns as President of Servotronics

The "Turbo" saga appears to have come to a conclusion, with Ken "Turbo" Trbovitch resigning as President of Servotronics.

The lawsuit referred to below named Gary Con and Luke Gygax within its pages.

Earlier Tavern coverage here

THE BOARD OF SERVOTRONICS, INC. ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGE (link to original article)

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Servotronics, Inc. 

Dec 27, 2021, 07:30 ET

ELMA, N.Y., Dec. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Servotronics, Inc. (NYSE American - SVT) announced that Kenneth D. Trbovich has resigned as Chief Executive Officer and President and was removed as Chairman of the Board, after a nearly six-month-long internal investigation identified grounds for his termination.

While the Board of Directors conducts a search for a permanent replacement, the responsibilities of the CEO and President will continue to be carried out by other personnel, led by Chief Operating Officer James C. Takacs.

The Board's non-employee directors stated:  "Our highly skilled workforce and experienced management team have ensured that Servotronics continues to deliver on its reputation for meeting and exceeding government, defense, commercial, consumer and other customers' high standards for quality and reliability, which has been built over more than six decades. This team has delivered sequential sales growth in the second and third quarters of this year, while continuing to invest in people, product development, and production capabilities that are designed to position Servotronics for the future. We look forward to providing Jim Takacs and his team with the resources they need to continue executing, while the Board conducts an active search for a new CEO."

Today's announcement follows a previously disclosed internal investigation, authorized by the Board on June 8 when Mr. Trbovich was placed on administrative leave, one day after a then-employee filed a civil complaint making allegations regarding the executive's conduct. The investigation was undertaken by independent, outside counsel.

On Dec. 1, Mr. Trbovich was informed that grounds for termination were identified during the investigation and a Dec. 22 meeting was scheduled for the Board to hear from the executive and consider the matter. On Dec. 21, Mr. Trbovich resigned as CEO and President. At its Dec. 22 meeting, the Board accepted his resignation, removed him as Chairman, and based on the findings of the investigation determined that he committed willful malfeasance that would have justified termination. The Company has not disclosed other findings of the investigation, as they relate to personnel matters.

While the former executive remains a director, the Company does not intend to renominate him for election to the Board at the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders.

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TSR Con 2022 is Now the Same Weekend as Gary Con - March 24-27, 2022

Late this afternoon, the above convention flyer was shared by TSR CON on the TSR CON Facebook page (and elsewhere on Facebook).

Note, the venue is no longer Horticultural Hall but the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. This should lower expenses for the convention itself, as LaNassa owns the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. It is unclear how much attendance will cost and the maximum occupancy of the venue is not currently stated.

Also note, the timing is no longer the 4th of July weekend (July 1-3, 2022) but the same weekend as Gary Con (March 24-27, 2022). The timing is NOT coincidental and appears to be an attempt to piggyback off of Gary Con and the convention attendees. 

I've heard rumors from multiple sources that LaNassa was attempting to get paid by Gary Con for the use of the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum and was rebuffed. I've also heard that the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum had requested that Gary Con provide free shuttle service from Gary Con to the museum and the museum was rebuffed.

As an observation, this is the first time in my recollection that a gaming convention has announced dates and a venue location to coincide with an established convention.

For reference, the original flyer with the original date is still available on the TSR CON Facebook page. It is reproduced here for ease of reference.

It appears TSR CON has gained a sponsor (Smugglers Coffee). Now, only three out of five sponsors are entities owned by Justin LaNassa.

Note, Smugglers Coffee has a website and it appears gamers are behind the brand. I'm not a coffee drinker, but maybe you are. If so, here's the link for Smugglers Coffee.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

A Breakdown of the Relevant Parts of the Turbo/Servotronics Lawsuit and the Mentions of Luke Gygax and Gary Con

I've been asked by multiple people over the last few days as to when I was going to address the Servotronics / Kenneth Trbovich lawsuit. Well, here we go...

I became aware of the "Turbo" lawsuit Saturday morning when a friend messaged me the PDF telling me I'd be interested. I started to read it, wondering why it would be of any concern to me when I started seeing "Gary Con", "Gygax" and "Luke Gygax" get mentioned in the filing - multiple times. A lot.

It then dawned on me that Kenneth Trbovich was "Turbo" from Gary Con. I now realized I had 104 pages of a dumpster fire. Really. You can snag your own copy of the Trbo Lawsuit at this link. I dare you to call it anything but a dumpster fire.

The allegations detailed within are beyond belief and fall along the lines of "throw everything into your lawsuit and see what sticks". More, literally, is more. 

It reads like the script to a Porky's reimagining. If only 10% is accurate, Turbo is a pretty shitty person. The thing is, there are exact dates given. Which likely means the plaintiff was documenting events as they happened. Leaving out the personal drama, it shows a dysfunctional business environment.

There are, however, some parts that are relevant. One allegation states that: "Trbovich’s compensation began to balloon, particularly after Gygax was appointed Chair of the Compensation Committee." (page 47) Turbo's compensation jumped 70% from 2019 to 2020; Luke was appointed Chair of the Company's Independent Directors Committee and is also a member of the Company's Audit Committee. As Turbo and Luke are/were friends, and Turbo participated as either staff or as a volunteer at Gary Con for a number of years, this part doesn't look particularly great for Luke.

Yep, Luke was paid $85k a year as an Independent Director in 2020 by Servotronics.

Nor does Luke and Turbo going on a trip to Eastern Europe together, which kinda strains the idea of an "independent director must be completely independent and they cannot receive any compensation of any kind outside of Board stipends and reimbursement for legitimate Company expenses (such as travel to Board meetings)."(page 50)

Gary Con gets its first mention with: "Gary Con was (and is) a gaming convention owned and operated by Gygax, the “independent” director and the Chair of the Compensation Committee and Audit Committee Member." (page 52) It appears Servotronics employees were sent to the con on company time and compensation.

Then we apparently have a book written by Turbo and Luke: "In March 2019, Trbovich revealed to Pirrone that he (Trbovich) had co-authored with “independent” director Gygax a book for Gary Con. Trbovich used his nickname “Turbo” as a pen name. Trbovich implied to Pirrone that he used his pen name in an effort to conceal his identity from the Board, shareholders, and anyone else with an interest in the Trbovich Companies." (page 53). The book/module in question is Knight Fall, and yes, Turbo is credited along with Luke and Chris Clark.

Pages 60-61 give us: "Trbovich mentioned, for the first time, that he knew his travel with Luke Gygax was brought into question by the Whistleblower Complaint, as well as his spending on Noura Ibrahim." and "Specifically, Pirrone reported his concerns of corporate waste, fraud, dereliction of fiduciary duties, as well as other unlawful and unethical conduct, including, without limitation: (1) Trbovich’s Company-funded all-expenses-paid trips to Prague and Gary Con with “independent” director Luke Gygax, the Chair of the Company’s Compensation Committee; (2) Trbovich’s use of Company funds to support Gygax’s personal business ventures that are not legitimately related to the Company or the Company’s business interests; (3) Pirrone’s suspicion that Trbovich is a silent part-owner of Iron Wind (Mike Noe’s company) and Monster Fight Cub (Gygax’s company); and (4) information about Trbovich’s use of Company funds for trips and plane tickets for Servotronics contractors with whom Trbovich had admitted having a sexual relationship, quid pro quo, including Noura Ibrahim.

Page 65: "On November 15, 2019, CFO Bencel approached Pirrone to discuss the Company-funded business trips to Gary Con, involving Gygax, Grayson, and Redd. Pirrone shared dates and photographs from social media. Pirrone also reported to CFO Bencel the cross- country “business trip” involving Grayson and the aforementioned Candace (“Candy”) Miller."

Page 72: "For example, on January 28, 2020, Pirrone reported to CFO Bencel that he had found a link to a “streamed game event” from Gary Con where Beast Grayson (who was present on the Company’s dime and, in fact, reimbursed for his travel and lodging), participated in a live stream “celebrity” game with Gygax. Pirrone reported this information and suggested that these events are required by law to be referenced in the independence questionnaires for the Board. A short while later, HR Director Zechman emailed Pirrone, out of nowhere, requesting verification and additional information about the paid leave Pirrone had taken back in 2017."

Pages 73-74: "Reminder that when Ken had Luke Gygax and Jason Bear appointed to the board he had me punch up their resumes to make the case for their appointment. In the case of Jason, I believe, he also had me punch up the resume of Mike Noe, the president of Iron Wind Metals, which I suspect Ken of co-owning as the result of that fraudulent trip to Ohio where he forced me to be one of his "seconds" in a bonding ceremony with his mistress and then had me guard his tent while he was having sex with her. Ken used Mike's resume as "another candidate for consideration" to contrast against Jason. Basically radar chaff."

From Page 99 - This one I can personally attest to: "giving away hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars in OKC samples to gaming convention attendees—Trbovich’s friends—who had nothing to do with the Trbovich Companies;" Back in 2016 (17?) someone came to the booth with a bunch of knives and said "these are for you guys!" I had no clue who was giving it to us at the time, but now I do. Go figure.

Also page 99: "funneling corporate funds into Monster Fight Club and other businesses owned and/or operated by Officers and/or “Independent” Directors on the Board, which are wholly unrelated to Servotronics or OKC;"

Finally from page 100: "approving full reimbursement for massively lavish all-expenses-paid “business trips” taken by Trbovich and others, including Gygax, Grayson, and Redd, as well as contractors and friends of Trbovich, some of whom he had an ongoing personal and/or sexual relationship, including, without limitation, Candace Miller and Noura Ibrahim."

Phew. That's a lot of mentions.

Perhaps the most disturbing revelation is that Turbo was/is still using an AOL email account. I can't wrap my head around it ;)

In any case, these are simply allegations at the moment, and Luke and Gary Con are not named defendants in the lawsuit.

Luke reached out to me on Monday and explained that Turbo stepped in when Gary Con's operations manager left after being caught taking from the till and had volunteered to help the con through 2019 and that Turbo hasn't been involved with the Con in recent years. (Edit 9/30/21): For those inquiring, Dale Leonard WAS NOT the individual in question and left Gary Con Staff the year prior. Thank you Dale for the clarification.)

Luke has also offered to answer any questions I may have, but I'm leaving the questions to you, my readers. Add your questions to the comments below, or email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing. I'll put it all together and get them out to Luke

A special thank you to The Taverners that went above and beyond to provide me with clarifying details and links. Much appreciated.

Quick note, this will likely be a topic on tonight's Tavern Chat Livestream. It will fall under the This Week in Gaming Stupid segment ;)

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

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Virtual Gary Con Notifies Attendees of Need to be ID'ed via Video / VoiP Chat Prior to Attending Convention After Purchasing Badges (Updated)

Imagine my surprise when I was pinged by a Facebook thread to a new thread in the Gary Con Facebook Community.

My initial assumption was that it was a fake email, but apparently, that is NOT the case, and it was an email sent out on the behalf of Gary Con.

The concern from many attendees, registered and potential, was that the vetting was possibly going to be on political ground, but it was later clarified that the vetting of potentially thousands of attendees was to weed out one asshole. An asshole that committed an offense at last year's Virtual Gary Con and apparently was already known to convention staff.

Edit 2335 1/22/2021: I've conversed directly with Luke Gygax, and he has updated me with the following:

ID buyer to badge so right person has right badge.  Link badge to Discord ID to help lost players get to right GM.  Verify is VOIP or webcam.  No interview or vet process.  No time or desire to do that. Just like a badge check in.

Second purpose is to help deter bad actors and ban those that are proven bad actors from future events.  The rules are con policies and thats been the case for years.  So nothing new there.  Gamers are good people by and large but any big group may have some bad actors and it’s a responsibility to take prudent action to deter, dissuade and limit those bad actions.

I've included some relevant screenshots from the thread below, but I'll make my observations known here:

This is simply a horrible implementation of a vetting policy. It sounds like someone on the Gary Con Staff realized late last night they may get trolled again by last year's bad actor, and this was the solution they came up with. Registration for the convention opened in late 2020, and this policy should have been in place BEFORE anyone put their dollars down for badges.

The argument that picking up your badge at a physical convention is your vetting process does not hold water. I doubt everyone manning the badge table during the usual early convention mad-rush is matching badges to faces. No one is being asked for ID in my expereince.

If you have a bad actor at a physical convention at your game table, the GM needs to get support staff and have the person removed. At a virtual convention, you simply boot the bad actor from your VTT. 

Not every attendee has access to internet speed high enough to effectively transmit video. Is that now a requirement to attend a virtual convention? 

The man-hours required to implement this for thousands of attendees, as well as the joy of scheduling such interviews, is more than daunting. 

In the future, are we going to be asked for ID and to pay for background checks before attending a physical convention? 

All of this drama, disruption, and annoyance of your community to weed out one bad actor? I don't know what their offense was, but to take action like this, at so late a time, makes me suspect that at a physical convention it would have been an arrestable offense. This is literally panic mode. late in the game. Someone dropped a ball and this is the result.

It's very simple to fool the video vetting process - simply have someone else sit in for the video. I suspect it is more likely an innocent person will be denied attendance to the convention than the bad actor will reveal themself.

I agree with weeding out bad actors from convention spaces, but this is not the way to do it.

Obligatory screenshot dump. The original thread is currently locked.

In-Person Gary Con for March 25-28, 2021 is Canceled - Virtual Only

The following is from the Gary Con website: 

Material Gary Con 2021 Cancelled

November 10, 2020 0  By MELF

Greetings Fellow Gamers,

After thorough consideration of the circumstances throughout the nation and the world, I regret to announce that Material Gary Con is cancelled for 2021 due to the risks posed by coronavirus. The steep increase in new cases across the country and the lack of an approved vaccine made it clear to the entire staff that to go forward with a physical gathering of 1,500 people would be irresponsible and potentially put tens of thousands of people across the nation at an increased risk. This was a difficult decision because we all really wanted to bring everyone together and create the unique spirit of camaraderie that has been the hallmark of Gary Con since 2009, but we unanimously agreed the right decision was to go virtual only in 2021.

So what does this mean for our Gary Con Family? Although Material Gary Con is cancelled, we will still celebrate Ethereal Gary Con March 25-28, 2021. If you purchased an Ethereal Badge you are all set and do not need to take any action. If you have a Physical Badge Package, there are two options. You can convert to an Ethereal Badge and join us as we celebrate Gary Con XIII by filling out this form [https://forms.gle/Pdrm23968yLySzbw6]. We will convert your badge to one of 6 possible options Ethereal, Astral, or Elemental- and we added a “PLUS†option to include a special GC merchandise bundle with each. The other option, if you decide you do not want to attend Ethereal Gary Con, is to request a refund through TTE. The refund process is administered completely through their system and not the Gary Con Staff. We encourage you to show your support for Gary Con by converting to an Ethereal Badge and adding the Merchandise Bundle so we can come back strong and celebrate together in Lake Geneva for Gary Con XIV in March 2022.

The deadline for converting or requesting a refund is still December 31st 2020. Please make sure to take action as soon as you can and help us spread the word to your fellow Gary Con Goers in case they missed this in their email and social media feeds. These are challenging times for all of us, but we are strong when we stick together as a community. I look forward to seeing you and gaming alongside you in ethereal form in March. Stay tuned for more information on the great line-up of Guests and special events we have planned for Virtual Gary Con XIII. And thank you for your understanding and support as we all navigate through the effects of the pandemic.

Cheers,

Luke Gygax

PS- If you already have a virtual badge and want to get a PLUS badge with the Merchandise Bundle fill out the request form and we will get that added for you. Game on!

Gary Con Deals and Freebies for All

Gary Con has gone Virtual Table Top this year due to the pandemic. If you see a sponsor you would like to support PLEASE use their link and take advantage of the available discounts and freebies.

• New Comet Games: use the code "garycon2020" to get 10% off your order + 20% will be donated to The Wounded Warrior Project
• Brent Chumley Art: 10% off art if you mention Gary Con in the message.
• Troll Lord: 25% off everything with code "GARYCON25"
• David Lee Pancake: 10% off everything with code "GARYCON10"
• Fat Dragon Games: 20-80% off all terrain and miniature sets - no code needed.
• Hyperborea: 40% off AS&SH Players' Manual, Beneath the Comet, and Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes.
• Fail Squad Games: 75% off until 3/30/20 with code "VirtualGaryConXII"
• Savage Creations will be offering various specials on custom pens.
• Terry Pavlet will be honoring his con rates for customs - $45 and up.
• World of Game Design: free dice fanatics set - just pay shipping - with code "GARYCON2020."
• Inkwell Ideas: Buy 2, get 1 free on physical products with code "Buy2Get1"
• Hrothgars Hoard Games: 10% off + free shipping on orders $35+ with code "GARYCON2020"
• Role 4 Initiative: 12% off + free shipping on orders $39.99+ with code "GC12"
• Pacesetter Games: 20% off with code "Gary12"
• Axe N Shield: 10% off with code "GaryCon20"
• Frog God Games: 10% off with code "taking10"
• Total Party Kill Games: Free copy of Libam of Lost Spells with code "GC2020"
• WizCo Games: Free copy of Winter's Grim Tidings with code "GaryCon"
• Dark Naga Adventures: download DNH1 - The Lost Temple of Forgotten Evil Complete Set for free
• Skeeter Green Productions: download Crypt of the Science Wizard for free starting on March 25th

NEWS - Gary Con XII CANCELLED Due to the Increased Risks of COVID-19

From the Gary Con website:

As I said yesterday in a post about the public health emergency in Wisconsin, I would be posting an update within the next 24 hours. Gary Con is more than just a gaming convention, it is a celebration of the life and works of my Gary Gygax and his love of gaming.  The spirit that permeates Gary Con is one of close-knit camaraderie.  And it's that intimate atmosphere that has helped us grow so rapidly over the past years as more and more of you bring your friends and family to celebrate with us in the beautiful little resort town of Lake Geneva. As most of you know, this was my birthplace as well as the place where Dungeons & Dragons was created, in my first home on 330 Center Street. 

As I was saying, Gary Con attendees are our larger gaming family. And our highest priority has to be taking care of people and especially our family. The incredible staff, volunteers, and game masters, Gary Con has been proud to host the celebration of Gary’s life with a continued emphasis on creating fun, friendly and high-quality gaming experiences for our attendees. It is with that priority in mind that we have decided, after many hours of internal deliberation and consultation with the Grand Geneva leadership, that we should cancel this year’s event.  We decided that the health and well-being of our gaming family come first. We continued planning and did everything in our power to make Gary Con run as normal, we are convinced that following both government guidance and our own judgment concerning the COVID-19 virus is the best course of action.  I know this is very disappointing to all of you, as it is to us. We have invested hundreds of hours into bringing this celebration to life, and we will not see all of you at the Grand Geneva with smiles on your faces, rolling dice and forging friendships.  That is our real payment for the efforts put in between each Gary Con. We understand that this will impact all of you. You have taken vacation, made travel arrangements, prepared games and are looking forward to seeing your friends.  It also impacts our exhibitors, staff, the entire staff at the Grand Geneva, and the local community. It is not a decision we have made lightly; it is a decision based entirely on keeping people safe and healthy. We all wish that there was a viable option that allowed us to celebrate together as we have for the past 11 years.

The Grand Geneva Resort has been very supportive of our efforts every step of the way, and they continue to be a great partner to us.  They are releasing all rooms today at 7:30 pm without any cancellation fee.  Any reservation fees collected will be refunded and should be credited back to you within about 72 hours.  Anyone that wishes to re-book a room at the Grand for that week will be able to do so by calling the Grand Geneva.  The Gary Con room rates will be honored.

Your patience is appreciated during this time as we finalize the necessary details and logistics of how to go forward. We will have more concrete information by the end of next month. To the greatest extent possible, we currently plan to offer the following for attendees affected:

• All attendees with a GCXII (2020) badge will receive a discount for GCXIII (2021) badges. We have to assess the financial impacts before we can tell you what the discount percentage will be for 2021.  If you bought this year’s badge via a GM credit, we will rollover your badge credit for GCXIII.
• Gold, Platinum, and Diamond badge holders will be guaranteed first access to their current badge level. For example, if you were a gold badge this year, you will get priority registration for next year’s gold badges. We have to figure out the best way to do this so bear with us.
• We will mail swag bags to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond level badge holders if we have an address. We are going to bring in a part of the GC Staff to work over the weekend of March 26-28 to pack and ship the items.  We will use the most economical shipping to do so, so it may be some time before packages arrive.  For this reason, we are asking all attendees to update their badge information on TTE to include their address. To do this, please log into TTE, click your name in the top right corner, scroll to click your badge for Gary Con, then click “Edit” and select “Yes” for sharing private information, then enter your address. If you have trouble with this, please fill out this form instead.
• We will reimburse those attendees who paid additional funds for events, such as for RPEX.
• We will get all GCXII swag up on the Bazaar by March 17th. We will have big discounts on Gary Con merchandise, so please make sure to go to the website and shop at the Bazaar.  It’s one of the ways to help us recover from the damage inflicted by the cancellation and you get cool swag.

We also would like to offer some sort of gaming experience for everyone who has the weekend off. This will take place over Virtual Gary Con, an enterprise in its second year. Badges for Virtual Gary Con are separate, but they are free and can be purchased at this link. Every single virtual player and GM will receive a virtual swag pack of materials worth $60+ donated by generous sponsors.

• If you were scheduled to run events in person and had registered enough events to earn GM rewards, we will be evaluating options to show our appreciation.
• If you are willing to GM over the free Roll20 platform or another platform of your choice, please look at the Virtual Gary Con getting started guide. We will be releasing a rewards structure for virtual events soon.
• If you are interested in playing an online game, you can sign up for events at this link.
• We are currently working with our special guests to see who would be able to run virtual gaming events over the weekend. Please keep your eye on the schedule online to see what becomes available!
• We understand that running virtual events might be new to many attendees, so we encourage you to use the Gary Con Facebook Group Mentorship tabs, Gary Con forums, and Discord channel to support one another. If you have run virtual events before, please chime in to help others learn. We hope to have more resources up on the Virtual Gary Con TTE page soon as well.

We would also like to acknowledge that Gary Con is not the only entity affected by this decision. We have very generous sponsors and dedicated vendors. If you are planning to make gaming or art-related purchases, please consider supporting our sponsors and vendors as they will be losing significant income with all the cons that are canceling. Additionally, we will not be able to host our auction benefiting Extra Life or the Wounded Warrior Project so please consider making a donation. The Geneva Lake Museum has also just invested significant resources in an exhibit dedicated to Gary Gygax, so please consider supporting them as well.

We thank the Grand Geneva for partnering with us to work through this situation, as well as our sponsors, exhibitors, guests, and attendees.  It is important to understand that the Gary Con team remains committed to this event. With your help, we will be able to return next year to celebrate the life and works of Gary Gygax. We are determined to see Gary Con return, thrive, and run long into the future.

Sincerely,

Luke Gygax & the Gary Con Staff

Luke Gygax Statement re: Gary Con and CV-19

Shared on Facebook

Gary Con began as a small gathering of friends and family after my father’s funeral in 2008. What was a few people playing games and swapping stories about my Dad at the American Legion has become something far greater. Gary Con brings all of us together once a year to celebrate the life and works of my father. People from around the globe travel to Lake Geneva to see where it all began. This little resort town was the place where D&D was created and the company TSR was founded- and you can actually go play D&D at my childhood home on 330 Center Street.

The close-knit atmosphere and camaraderie at Gary Con has caused us to grow rapidly over the past few years. Thanks to a dedicated and hardworking staff, lots of volunteers, GM’s and attendees- we’ve gone from a single game day on Saturday (Gary Con I) to one of the fastest-growing and most popular gaming conventions in the country. All the time we’ve remained true to what my Dad always wanted people to understand; There’s always room at the table, that strangers are friends you haven’t made yet, and our family is oftentimes more than just the people we share blood with.

All of us involved with Gary Con are concerned with the spread of the Covid-19. When I posted about it on Saturday night we didn’t know what the next few days would bring. Many of you have expressed a need to forgo coming to the show this year due to concerns and we certainly understand. For many of our international attendees, a trip outside their own country may prove to be difficult to return from. As we said on Saturday night, each attendee must assess their personal situation in regards to attending.

So where are we right now? Currently, we are still assessing the situation and working with the Grand Geneva to determine the way ahead. Our contract with the Grand Geneva is part of our reason to stay the course as canceling the show without a ban on gathering by government authority we can’t cancel without penalties. The penalties would cripple us at best, and quite possibly be the end of the road entirely.

Some of you have mentioned Adepticon, a wargaming miniatures show that takes place the same weekend of Gary Con, announced earlier today they were canceling their show. A key difference between Adepticon and Gary Con is that the state of Illinois has forbidden any gathering of more than 1000 people for the next 30 days. Wisconsin has yet to take that strong of a measure. So the Grand Geneva would be able to sue us if we cancel because Wisconsin hasn’t forbidden the gathering, just recommended against it.

If the state of Wisconsin enacts a policy forbidding a gathering of large numbers of people that then allows both parties in our contract to abide by the “force majeure” language of our contract which then nullifies our agreement due to the action of a higher power. (In this case the state of Wisconsin.)

Please know that all your concerns are being read and weighed in our thoughts on how we are going forward. We have a meeting Friday morning with the senior management of the Grand Geneva. We feel certain that the next 24 hours will see us, partnered with the leadership at the Grand Geneva, making the best decision for our attendees, our volunteers, our family, and the community. We ask you to remain patient as we make our roll for traps check, and find the best path forward.

Sincerely,

Luke Gygax

News - Gary Con & Grand Geneva Actions to Mitigate Risk at GC XII

Taken directly from the Gary Con website as of March 7, 2020.

There is a lot of attention on infectious diseases this cold and flu season, including COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus), and we have addressed several attendees' questions about it.  We wanted to let everyone know publicly how we are working with the Grand Geneva staff to take actions to mitigate the risk of contracting an infectious disease while at the Grand Geneva Resort to celebrate Gary Con. 

We are currently acting based on information from the CDC as found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html 

The CDC makes the following recommendations that are good guidelines for everyone, including attendees, staff, and volunteers at Gary Con.

• It’s currently flu and respiratory disease season and the CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine, taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs, and taking flu antivirals if prescribed. Please read these carefully and follow them.  These are relatively simple and believed to be the best defense against infectious diseases.  Good hygiene and proper hand washing are a must. 
• Individuals and communities should familiarize themselves with recommendations to protect themselves and their communities from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like coronavirus disease 2019.
• Older people and people with severe chronic conditions should take special precautions because they are at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.
• If you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and develop symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your exposure.

In addition to those guidelines, Gary Con asks:

• If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, and especially the two main, known symptoms of COVID-19, a high fever, and a dry cough, that you stay home. It is important that you not expose others to the risk of getting sick because you decided to disregard their health and safety.
• If you live in a community where Coronavirus cases have been documented and you may have been exposed to it, we would ask you to weigh your attendance vs. possibly exposing other attendees. Be aware that people infected with the Coronavirus can be contagious with no external symptoms for an extended period of time. 
• If you suffer from chronic conditions, possess a compromised immune system, are recovering from a major illness or hospitalization or have respiratory issues we urge you to consult with your medical provider before deciding to attend Gary Con. If you are in a higher risk category please strongly consider staying home this year.  

While attending Gary Con XII we encourage attendees to minimize physical contact with other attendees. (Shaking hands, hugs, etc.) A simple wave is a good way to greet fellow Seekers!

Please be prepared! Attendees should bring appropriate amounts of hand sanitizer, germ-killing wipes and similar materials for their unique and individual needs. Gary Con has purchased hand sanitizer for the staff and volunteers, as well as several hundred travel size bottles for Guests and GMs.  There is a high demand for hand sanitizer at retail outlets and many are sold out.  So once again it is wise to bring a sufficient personal supply to last you all four days. The steps being taken by Gary Con in partnership with the Grand Geneva are outlined below.

Attendees exhibiting flu-like symptoms may be asked to leave Gary Con if they are not taking reasonable steps to protect others such as wearing a mask to contain their cough. 

When the Coronavirus outbreak first became news, we began working on an action plan with the Grand Geneva to come up with a plan. Below is a statement from The Grand Geneva to Gary Con.

Due to the recent issues surrounding the Coronavirus, as a precaution, we have introduced enhanced prevention measures and cleaning protocols to ensure the highest safety standards. Our actions are consistent with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), best practices within the hospitality industry and our Corporate risk management team.

The CDC continues to emphasize that, at this time, the Coronavirus poses a low risk of exposure to most people in the U.S. The well-being of our guests and associates is a top priority. While we don’t foresee any issues with Gary Con, we are monitoring the situation very closely and are prepared to take additional steps as new information and best practices emerge.

Steps we have taken to date:
• Educated our managers and associates per guidelines and information provided by the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which included:
 What You Need to Know About Coronavirus
 What to Do if You Are Sick with Coronavirus
 Stop The Spread of Germs
 Symptoms of Coronavirus

Contained within this information are reminders for associates on proper hand hygiene,
what the symptoms look like, to stay home if sick and the importance of properly
cleaning high-touch surfaces.

To support the communication of the above information, posters have been placed in all
associate areas.
• Enhanced hotel cleaning guidelines specific to Coronavirus have been created by our
partners at Ecolab which is being used to retrain staff. This includes increasing frequency
with which public areas are cleaned.
• Associates are being retrained on the proper use of personal protective equipment to
include gloves, goggles, and masks.
• Antibacterial soap has been provided in all public area bathrooms and associate locker
rooms and hand sanitizer stations have been placed in public areas.

We hope that the above measures address any concerns regarding the proper handling of the Coronavirus.

Gary Con is about family, friends and fellow game aficionados coming together to celebrate the life and works of Gary Gygax. By taking these reasonable steps we feel confident that Gary Con XII will be a great experience for everyone! We look forward to welcoming you to Gary Con in Lake Geneva in just a few days from now.

News - Gary Con 2020 - Grand Geneva Overbooked - Check Your Email

Shared from the Gary Con website:

Growing Pains: Grand Geneva is Overbooked

December 15, 2019  By MELF

Gary Con attendees are passionate about coming to Lake Geneva and celebrating with the Gygax Family. The Grand Geneva received such a huge and overwhelming response when they opened up the Gary Con hotel block earlier this year that the reservations team booked more rooms than there were actually available.  The error was temporary but several people were booked in a twenty-minute period when all the rooms were already reserved.  So check your spam folders and see if you were one of those people because there is a limited time offer if you were effected. 

Thankfully, the Grand Geneva has come up with a way to take care of all of the people that are overbooked.  A brand new hotel, The Fairfield Inn and Suites, opened up this fall only 1.4 miles from the Grand Geneva.  Everyone will have the opportunity to book a room at the Fairfield for $129.00 per night plus get some great perks.

• Complimentary breakfast at the Fairfield

• Complimentary transportation between the Fairfield and Gary Con at the Grand Geneva

• Complimentary parking at both places if you want to drive your car

• $25 Grand Geneva Resort Credit per room, per night for use towards food and beverage (up to $75)

• A Gary Con Gift pack ($35 value)

• Preferred booking at the Grand for Gary Con XIII in 2021

If your reservation at the Grand Geneva was effected you have until DECEMBER 30, 2019 to claim your room at the Fairfield.  SO please check your emails.

Some observations and comments from your bartender:

• Registration was back in March of 2019.
• It was booked within hours.
• It takes 9 months to realize you are overbooked?
• Fairfield Inn & Suites was asking for volunteers to move from the Grand Geneva to Fairfield a few days ago. It was a limited time offer. Does this mean the Grand Geneva was hoping enough guests would switch venues voluntarily and thus avoid having to announce the screw-up?
• Some folks affected have complained that their billing info was shared with a third party - Fairfield - without their consent.

GoFundMe - Gary Con Attendee in Need of New Kidney

As gamers, we are part of a larger community. A community that supports and encourages its members. Today, one of our members needs our support.

Dakota was brought to my attention by a gamer / police officer that I know from attending Gary Con: 

This young lady has been attending GaryCon since she was a kid, but hadn’t shared much of her medical problems with gamers until this year. She unloaded on me and my crew and we were afflicted with the Do Something disease that can still seize even the most bitter paladins… Having 3 coppers there, we were determined to blast this out to cops and gamers.

The Tavern will match the first $250 raised by members of The Tavern's Community. Just make a comment below and let me know how much you gave. Please don't stop giving when the $250 is matched. Please DO share this far and wide. Thank you - Tenkar

From Dakota's GoFundMe Page:

Dakota Alvarado-Ortiz teaches before- and after-school programs for K-5 students in Green Bay, WI. She is a sharp, energetic, outgoing young woman who enjoys dancing, modeling, and fantasy gaming. Most importantly, Dakota is the devoted mother of a 2-year old daughter, Scarlett.

Since the age of 6, Dakota has suffered from chronic hydronephrosis: her kidneys fill with fluid, become infected, and ultimately lose function. Hydronephrosis is usually a symptom of another problem, typically a blockage – but in Dakota's case, her doctors have yet to determine the cause. She has endured dozens of surgeries and learned to live with near-constant pain.

Dakota's right kidney had to be removed two years ago; her left one was recently assessed at 20% function and diminishing gradually. When it falls below 15%, she will need to be on continual dialysis. To have a good chance at a healthy, normal life, Dakota is badly in need of a kidney transplant – and there have been obstacles to this.

Because Dakota has a rare blood type, there are no eligible donors among her family and friends. The hospitals that could perform the transplant have not placed her on their kidney lists because the cause of her hydronephrosis is not known, and patients with more certain odds of success are given priority. She has been told that when the function of her remaining kidney drops below 15%, becoming imminently life-threatening, she will have a greater chance of being placed on the list – but has not been guaranteed a spot. IF placed on the list, she would wait on permanent dialysis, with an undetermined number of patients ahead of her. She would not be able to work and would have difficulty supporting her daughter.

There is a much more promising option for Dakota, however: two hospitals would place her at #3 on their kidney list at a cost of $100,000. This figure is not merely a donation to their institutions; it also covers, in advance, all medical costs of the transplant for both Dakota and the kidney donor. A properly functioning kidney would set up Dakota (and Scarlett) for an immeasurably brighter future.

Dakota's family does not possess the financial means to meet this daunting amount, and we are hoping to do so with this fundraiser. Even if we fall short, the funds raised will be an enormous help; Dakota's medical insurance is less than optimal, and she is slowly paying off substantial out-of-pocket costs from prior procedures and emergency medical services. An amount less than needed for placement on the kidney list could alternately enable Dakota to wipe out her existing medical debt, with the remainder placed in her kidney savings account toward her future transplant.

Thank you for your consideration.

Frank Mentzer Posts on Facebook re: Gary Con

Frank put up two posts on Facebook today. I'm sharing without comment:

https://www.facebook.com/frank.mentzer

PLAY GAMES

A YUUGE show is selling tickets for 2020! A colossal extravaganza!
Play the latest new games, Buy the cool Stuff… and New School rocks!
https://tabletop.events/…/hotel-registration-for-gary-con-2…

The Company is also warning you about a Clear & Present Danger:
https://garycon.com/blog/2019/02/18/harbinger-unheeded/
(Another source: https://boundingintocomics.com/…/garycon-removes-frank-men…/ )

I haven’t been the company’s Guest since 2017. I don’t know why I’m being harassed.
You’ve waited patiently for details of the accusations in that February post. You’ll have to wait longer.

I know as little as you. I’ve been in the waiting room for 3 weeks.
The Company wrote to me and said “Don't contact me again by any form of communication”. (I will not reveal details about actual People.)
Catch-22; I cannot fix this.

This Company speaks of “toxic aggression” while it does the same.
It warns of terrible danger while asking for money.

I’m a retired wizard, not a young fighter.
A creepy corporate monster ate my friends. Someone should free them.
I shall be wary of this danger. You can decide whether to flee or obey.
Is there a monster-slayer among you?

-- mustengo
(the dead horse still being beaten)

and...

The Assassination Game

"we must ensure that everyone feels welcome, safe, and believes that they are a valued member of our community regardless of..." (etc etc) -- a Gary Con business executive

Except me, of course -- for reasons Gary Con has yet to explain.
I'm just an ailing retiree, not valued at all.
Ask them why.

My public execution was a month ago. We're all waiting for the mock trial that should follow.
Ask the con for details. They haven't told me yet.
Gary Con has accused me of the following. No due process, just internet smears.

past misconduct
harassing behavior
threatening behavior
threatening communications
tone-deaf unapologetic responses
violation of the ethics policy
violation of the harassment policy
toxic aggression detrimental to the safe space

And of course Gary Con is breaking all their own rules -- a month of one-sided internet attacks -- but don't bring that up. (Oops! Do as we say, not as we do...)

"left the door open for him to attend Gary Con" -- a business executive

Yes indeed. I could again be treated like an Unperson and an outcast -- "That Guest" of 10 years and a family friend for 35, who had been Cast Out and conspicuously erased from the ranks of the Privileged.

No Thank You.

Post Gary Con Wrap Up - "Attack of the Con Crud" with Special Feature "Losing Voice"

Chris Clark

At Gamehole I got hit with some con crud that Saturday night. Or maybe I failed my save against beer and booze, who knows.

At Gary Con this past weekend I started getting the runny nose sniffles along with some hoarseness of voice. Now its Tuesday night and my sniffles are mostly gone, my voice is nearly gone and my bowels have been having issues most of the night. If things don't improve I may need to reschedule the two Fireside Chats I have for tomorrow, one in the morning and one in the evening.

Worst case of Con Crud I can recall getting. If I was running a Kickstarter it would be worth AT LEAST a year or two of delays.

Had a great time at Gary Con. Was concerned Rach and I wouldn't make it back next year, but with a 5-week spread between TotalCon and Gary Con in 2020, we're looking good :)

I did take this one :)

Didn't take nearly the number of photos I would have liked, but there were a few photos taken by others that really rock!

Edit - and Google / Blogger is having issues with uploading photos - le sigh

Gary Con Wrap Up - 2019

When I was packing for Gary Con I realized I never brought anything with me to have members of the gaming community sign. It didn't take long to realize that my AD&D Player's Handbook from 1980 (one of my first two RPG books - the DMG being the other) was the perfect book to bring. Thanks to all that signed it. I'll track down more folk at NTRPG Con. (Beware Tom Tullis)

I ran the last (convention) session of Rappan Athuk: Mouth of Doom today. I must say, not having to assemble the dungeon at every con going forward is a blessing, but not running it again is a shame. There will be another level of Rappan Athuk in 3d terrain up and running by Gamehole, or so I've been told. Leaner, more deadly and possibly cavelike ;)

It was great meeting folks from the gaming community. I'd name you all but I'm sure I'd forget to mention more than would get shout outs. I appreciate every kind word said.

Gary Con was a blast. Hopefully, Rach and I will get the opportunity again next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. And...