Gauntlet Con 2017

Gauntlet Con 2017 Logo

Over the past weekend I had the joy to participate in Gauntlet Con, and online convention of gaming put together by folks over at The Gauntlet.

Let me start off by saying that my online tabletop gaming tends to come in bursts.  One month I’ll play a few games then I will not play for another month before diving back in again.  I would love to play more often, but I tend to procrastinate and miss out on games or avoid setting up games myself perhaps due to laziness.

However this weekend at Gauntlet Con I managed to play in three different games and GM a fourth.  For some at the convention, this is a light schedule.  But for me, that is a bevy of playing time over a three day span.

What Did I Play?

First I played in a game of Space Wurm vs. Moonicorn, in which my character was a robot of destruction.  My robot was originally designed to kill and wreck shit but was very quickly manipulated by Space Wurm, given sentience thanks to the planet’s messiah, and fell in love with the hard rockin’ Moonicorn.  Space Wurm vs. Moonicorn was a game of far out ideas, surrealism, and campy space drama.  It was so weird that I couldn’t help but be entralled by it.

Next I GM’ed a game of Swords with Master.  Swords, for short, is my fall back game.  It’s a game I feel very comfortable running and more times than not, the game produces a memorable story.  In this tale, the characters were imprisoned, battled an undead beast, befriended the beast, and then self sacrificed to become part of the apocalyptic darkness that was enveloping the world. Phew!  What a game that was!

The second game in which I participated as a player was Alas for the Awful Sea.  It was a real treat for me as one of the designers of the game was the GM and it is always wonderful to experience a game in the way the designer intended.  I played a sea-worn, salty veteran of the ocean dealing with the complexities of a small town mired in issues.  Not to mention having to put up with an over-zealous cook, a bookworm scholar, and a family member who happened to be a selkie.  Amazing game!

My final game of the weekend was Gears of Defiance, also run by the game designer himself.  I don’t want to give too much away as this was a play test of game still in development, but the game involves a family, an oppressive ruling regime, and steampunk elements.  I felt this game was little rough around the edges but it is still in development and has a lot to offer.  The 4-hour time slot made this game feel rushed and my impression is this a game made for long campaign style play.  I really enjoyed the collaborative world-building that is encouraged.  I will keep an eye on this game and await it’s release.

Gauntlet Con had some great panel discussions as well that were streamed through YouTube.  I wasn’t able to catch them all but I caught parts of How to be a Great Player and the GMing Masterclass.  In the short time I was able to view those live, I garnered a ton of information that I could put to use in my gaming future.  I plan to watch all of the panels in the future.  It’s way too much good information to pass up.

And the Best Part of it All…

The games were amazing and the panels were informative but the greatest part of Gauntlet Con 2017 was the connection I was able to make with players around the world.  I met players from South America.  I met players from Australia.  I met players new to tabletop RPG’s as well as seasoned veterans.  All of them were amazing and promoted an environment of acceptance, vivid imagination, and most importantly, fun.  We all fed off each other’s energy and passion for tabletop role playing.  We encouraged each other to build memorable stories filled with adventure and emotion.  We lost ourselves in our imaginary worlds and I loved every single minute of it.

This past weekend fueled the flames of my love for this hobby.  It encouraged me to start blogging again.  It pushed me to a point in which I want to game at least once a week.  It was extraordinary to connect with so many wonderful people and share a love, a story, a laugh, an emotion, a moment of time in an imaginary place.  I want this feeling to last for years to come and Gauntlet Con 2017 was the foundation for it all.

Thanks to all that participated and made it happen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

One Comment

  1. […] answer to that was the inaugural Gauntlet Con that was held just before I started the blog. That weekend of gaming online in 2017 made me realize […]

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