Thank You GM Gifts for Summer Cons.....

This is venturing a bit into self-promotion territory, but I promise you that isn't my intention....

We're a month away from the good times that is North Texas RPG, the "Unofficial Start to the summer convention season" (that's just a thing I'm making up here and now...), which means I'm deep into convention prep. I've got a Whiskey Tasting to get ready for (mostly making up the new tasting kits as the needs for the event have changed, and I knew if I gave away the old kits I'd have to make new ones instead of trying to get by.) and while I'm not running any games this year I am signed up for five.

I've mentioned, probably too often, that I have a decent amount of convention experience, playing, running tables, and even events (multiple tables at once/entire company's convention games). With very few exceptions, running a convention game is a bit of a PITA and definitely a fair amount of work. Conventions generally (I hope current trends prove me wrong!) don't do much at all for a table GM unless they run an obscene amount of games at the convention, like 8 hours a day every day. Don't even get me started on the headaches I had with GenCon......

The point is that running a convention game generally is a thankless task and that kind of rubs me the wrong way, and I'm fortunate enough to become cognizant of this and motivated to do something about it. The last few years I've made GM Thank You Gifts for NTRPG. Last year I kind of phoned it in and just gave some cools dice sets, but that was more about supporting my friends who commissioned the dice in the first place. The year before I made some (I think) nice dice trays, which I'd like to do again, but I don't have the necessary resources to do so. To be honest I also made those dice trays to try out a couple of new building techniques.

This year time was more of an issue than I'd like due to work & especially work trips. Shop tools don't travel well, for one, and I'm not paying extra to transport lumber....it's expensive enough as-is. So this year I'm going with some simple wooden coasters. This let me experiment with a particular wood-aging technique, as well as seeing if inking the "aged" wood works, and then what types of protecting works (I went with mineral oil followed by some wax polish/conditioner.)

I'm happy with the results and I have enough for my scheduled games and even a pick-up. One thing I also like to do is provide a card, and I've made up a GM Thank You Card and a DM Thank You Card. These two cards are PWYW over at DriveThruRPG, but if you're going to use them at a convention, please pick them up for free.....

Since there is a greater than 0% one or more of my NTRPG GMs will read this I'll not provide the maths for a set of coasters and a card. It'd be cheaper to pick up some Starbuck gift cards and simply say "thanks", and while that would be great and appreciated if I was GMing, that isn't my style.

I'm hoping that if you're going to a summer con that you'll think of doing something to express your appreciation to your table GM. How you do that is (obviously) up to you.....

Roll a d10 - Some of the Things I'm Thankful of This Year

There's a huge amount of people, events, things and a whole lot more I'm thankful for in 2016. In no particular order:

1 - Retirement - its opened doors I never even noticed I could walk through before

2 - This Community - the support and faith this community has shown in me is awesome. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

3 - Rach - I need to find her something like semi-retirement ;)

4 - Frog God Games - Swords & Wizardry Light - need I say more?

5 - +Zach Glazar , +James Spahn and +Jason Paul McCartan . They understand me better than I understand myself at times

6 - "The Kid" - I've screwed up many things in my 49 years - I'm so glad this turned out right - he makes me proud

7 - This Community - is this on the list twice? Well, that's okay because many things on this list and beyond this list would not have happened without each and every one of you

8 - My niece, "Pinky" - the nearly 6 year old that not only has an eye for building dungeons but so dearly wants to learn to read using Swords & Wizardry Light - so she can play Dungeons & Dragons with Uncle

9 - Life itself - I've stared down death in my 49 years. I'm still here and would like to see another 49 - because that would be getting real value from my pension ;)

10 - So many others who have directly or indirectly helped this year to be an amazing year. Tim, Doug, Peter, Dave, Brian, Tony, Greg, John, Ben, Joe, Mike, Bill, Keith, David, Matt, Barry, Marissa, Craig, Chris, all the weekly Tavern Chatters, The Taverners, Maria, Vince, Alex, Glenn, so many fucking others that if I don't stop I'll never get this posted - you know who you are

10a - Beer. Cause, you know...

Giving Thanks as One Year Ends and a New One Begins

I really what to thank everyone that has made my gaming, and by extension, my hobby as an OSR gamer and blogger, as awesome as it has been. I'm sure I'll miss some folks as my list is huge and my memory is often weak, but here it goes:

To my Saturday Night Hangout gaming group - some of us been doing this going on nearly 2 years and it feels like I've known them all damn near 20. Judging from the amount of bullshitting that goes on before, during and after sessions, we've become friends first and and gamers second. A finer group of friends would be hard to find +Greg Christopher , +Joe D , +Keith J Davies , +Craig Brasco , +David Przybyla , +Michael Garcia and all the others that have blessed us with their gaming presence (and who could forget the "B Team"? Once a month Friday Night gaming has arrived ;)

To my online support network of sorts - +Tim Shorts , +matt jackson , +Mark Hassman , +James Aulds , +Christian Walker , +Joseph Bloch , +Jason Paul McCartan and many others - you are my sounding boards and my friends. I'll think of you as I home brew 5 gallons of beer tomorrow :)

To some of the most generous publishers and creators in our hobby - +Purple Duck Games , +Pete Spahn , +Dak Ultimak , +Dyson Logos , +Rafael Chandler , +Zach Glazar , +Zzarchov Kowolski , +Mark Chance , +Paul Wolfe , +Jon Marr , +John Stater,  +Johua De Santo , +Stuart Keating and others I'm sure to have missed - the Tavern and it's patrons would be much poorer if not for your generosity and kindness.

Oh, and of course, my wife Rachel, who was instrumental in getting my ass back into the gaming hobby and will be assisting with the beer brewing tomorrow. I love ya lass :)

I'd buy everyone a beer if I could (based on location, that offer is limited to the NYC Metropolitan Area, immediate suburbs and the Pocono Mountains of N/E PA, depending on scheduling and the like and all other sorts of restrictions may apply ;)

In the meantime, we're still waiting on folks to claim all the wonderful gifts that were gifted on days 12 and 13 of the OSR Christmas. Check to see if you've won. There will be more gifts a gifting shortly, but I'm waiting on something to make it even more special ;)