February 13th, 2019
Conventions, GameWick News
It’s been a few years since I last visited Wittenberg University RPG Guild for their annual WITTCON gaming convention, but, when I got the call to attend as this year’s panel guest, I did not hesitate to commit! Now in its sixteenth year, this one-day con starts in the early morning and dice don’t stop rolling until midnite. In addition to the panel, I’m sneaking in a few playtests on Innsmouth 32 and topping it all off with an epic WEGS Old Skool RPG session.
Lots of great board, card, and rpg games are on the schedule, check it out: the full WittCon XVI info page. Below are the events I’m hosting.
Larry “El Willy” Wickman
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12 PM & 2 PM : INNSMOUTH 32 – SNEAK PEEK!
May’s Eve, 1932. On-the-lam bootleggers hijack a tour bus with Miskatonic Univ students and scholars on board. A fateful wrong turn brings them all to the shunned seaside village of Innsmouth… A night of mind-bending horror awaits!
4:30 PM : THE MARRIAGE OF THEME & MECHANICS (PANEL DISCUSSION)
Why do some games capture our attention, while others fall flat? How do some games manage to get a task like rolling dice or moving a pawn feel like so much more? Game designer and publisher Larry Wickman (WEGS Old Skool, Shuffling Horror) takes on just those questions in our panel, discussing how he manages to turn the roll of a die into an experience no player will ever forget.
8 PM – Midnite: THE CAVES OF UTTER CHAOS (WEGS BOSS)
You’ve heard of the Caves of Chaos, perhaps? Well, these are the caves below those caves that nobody dares enter. We start by rolling up characters and then enter a dungeon brimming with terrible foes, nasty traps, and treasure galore. Full-throttle dungeon fun awaits with the BOSS (Basic Old Skool System). Rules taught. No XP required. Don’t forget those iron spikes and stirge repellant!
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February 10th, 2019
Dice Hog Day
The results are in, but we’ve got a cocked dice situation on our hands (which is to be expected as we’re rolling on some pretty rough terrain)! We either rolled two 4s or two 5s, which gives us a result of either 8 or 10. As per the official Dice Hog Day Rules, the diced result is multiplied by two and that is the number of days left to winter. So, we have between 16 and 20 days of winter ahead of us here at the GameWick NJ HQ!
The Dice Hog is heading back into his nest for the remainder
of his winter nap. He’ll see you all in the spring!
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February 3rd, 2019
Dice Hog Day
With last week’s polar vortex in the rearview mirror, the Dice Hog stirred from his long winter’s nap and headed outside. In his paws he clutched a large pair of yellow dice (picked because they match his eyes (and also because these should be REALLY easy to find in the yard)). He even brought along his feline friend, Tuxapawme, to keep on the lookout for groundhogs. Those groundhogs will do anything to thwart International Dice Hog Day as it continues to build and overshadow their Feb 2 shenanigans!
RULES OF PLAY FOR INTERNATIONAL DICE HOG DAY
On Feb 3, the day after those other hogs get it wrong, the Dice Hog appears and rolls a pair of dice into the wild. He then immediately goes back into his hide-out. A week later, he re-emerges to find them and follows these rules:
1. Dice must stay where they land for seven days, untouched.
2. On the seventh day (Feb. 10), go out and find those dice. If there is no snow or ice touching them, multiply their result by two. That’s how many days of winter remain. This countdown only begins if the dice have no snow/ice on them (nobody likes cold dice)! More snow may fall, but that doesn’t stop the countdown once it starts.
3. Two special rules apply to the rolled result (it wouldn’t be very GameWicky if we didn’t have some “hot numbers”):
Snake Eyes (1,1) – Winter is officially over and you can put the snow shovels away immediately.
Boxcars (6, 6) – Uh Oh! There’s probably more snow coming. Bring dice back inside and wait for next storm. Then repeat process as if it is Feb 3 all over again.
Stay tuned for this year’s results!
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January 22nd, 2019
Conventions, Gary Con, The WEGS Fray
Where: Gary Con Gaming Convention
When: Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th
Time: 2 – 5 pm
System: WEGS Basic Old Skool System (WEGS BOSS)
A grizzled old Dwarf, his beard wet with ale, turns to your party. Long-ago adventure gleams in his eye as he lets you in on a little secret… “You’ve heard of the Caves of Chaos, perhaps? Well, there are caves below those caves… the Caves of Utter Chaos. Everyone knows the upper caves have long since be picked over by every first-level adventurer and his five hit-point brother. The caves beyond… ah… that’s where the fun is now! But those who enter better be prepared for anything, my friends. It is a mess of chaotic tunnels and forgotten chambers, impossible to map, and rife with terrible foes, nasty traps, and, if Lady Luck allows, treasure galore… If you’re looking for adventure, that’s the place to be…”
As many can guess, the Caves of Utter Chaos is inspired by the famous dungeon that accompanied Gary Gygax’s adventure module, The Keep On The Borderlands (B2). For many D&D players, this was the first dungeon they ever explored; it was packaged in the Basic Dungeons and Dragons introductory box set back in the early 80s. I remember the thrill of cracking open that module and seeing the gorgeous, baby blue and white grid, double spread dungeon map. Just one look and I knew epic fun was ahead.
These sessions seek to give folks those same retro thrills, when we played D&D for the first time. Players will be introduced to our Basic Old Skool System (WEGS BOSS) and get to create their first character (a pretty quick process). Here’s a preview of how easy character creation is.
All rules are taught. No XP required. Once characters are ready, it’s off to the dungeon for fun and adventure. Just don’t forget those iron spikes and stirge repellant!
Here’s a link to our full menu of Gary Con events!
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January 21st, 2019
The WEGS Fray
If your rpg doesn’t make your characters feel like they are epic enough to be on a rock album cover, they might need a little a WEGS Old Skool Fantasy in their life! Unfortunately, we’re out of print ’til we get the reboot rules done… Hang in there, Old Skool-ers, your rock-n-roll rpg dreams will come true later this year!
WEGS – it’s just a Wickedly Errant Game System!
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January 12th, 2019
Conventions, Gary Con, The WEGS Fray
Where: Gary Con!
When: Thursday, March 7th
Time: 7 – 10pm
System: WEGS Basic Old Skool System (WEGS BOSS)
I kick off my Gary Con 2019 events with something near and dear to my old school heart, an adventure inspired by a block of descriptive text from Gary Gygax’s epic adventure module, The Keep on the Borderlands. Back in the 80s, this was THE module that introduced many to basic Dungeons & Dragons. Within the module was the Caves of Chaos, a maze of dark tunnels to lure inexperienced heroes to their doom. In my very first game, my Elf quickly fell under a swarm of rats just shortly after character creation (Cave A, Room 2). I was hooked.
In another nearby cave complex dwelt the fierce Hobgoblins – it is there we find the “plump half-dead merchant”, his wife, and four other prisoners chained to the wall. The merchant and his wife’s time is running out as both are slated to be eaten that night! It is here that our adventure begins. Each player selects one of the six prisoners to play: the half-dead merchant (who begins with half HP!), the merchant’s wife; one of the two men-at-arms who serve as guards for the merchant; an orc (who will fight goblins and hobgoblins gladly) or, perhaps, a crazy gnoll.
Players also begin by picking a class for their character (Fighter, Magic User, Cleric, Thief, Ranger) – and then the game is afoot! In a prior session of this adventure, the merchant’s wife was a magic-user and became the group’s leader. In same game, the crazy gnoll thief just ran off, deserting the others to fight on their own. Twists and turns await!
Can the group band together and find a way out – or are they just doomed to hang around for dinner?
Find out with WEGS, the Wickedly Errant Game System. Rules taught!
Here’s a link to our full menu of Gary Con events!
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It’s been a few years since I last visited Wittenberg University RPG Guild for their annual WITTCON gaming convention, but, when I got the call to attend as this year’s panel guest, I did not hesitate to commit! Now in its sixteenth year, this one-day con starts in the early morning and dice don’t stop rolling until midnite. In addition to the panel, I’m sneaking in a few playtests on Innsmouth 32 and topping it all off with an epic WEGS Old Skool RPG session.
