Conan IP and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues at GenCon 2022

This is one of a series of reports on GenCon 2022; other links coming soon from this Table of Contents, to be posted in random order:

·                 Rogues in the House Podcast 

·                 Conan IP Owner and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues [You Are Here]

·                 The Skull from Tales From the Magician's Skull roams the Exhibit Hall

·                 Dawn of Madness Gameplay with Byron Leavitt

·                 Writer's Symposium Overview

·                 Moderating Sorcery & Sorcery, Horror, Pulp, and Game Panels

Conan at GenCon 2022

Thanks to Matthew John (Rogue podcaster, author), I was able to guest my way into the Cabinet Entertainment mixer.  Here I continued great discussions with Sean CW Korsgaard (Baen Books), Steve Diamond (author), Jason Ray Carney (author/professor), Howard Andrew Jones (undead necromancer/author), and Gilles Plantin (COO Monolith Games) ...got introduced to Heroic Signature's "consigliere" (Steve Booth) and snag a selfie with Fredrik Malmberg (CEO Cabinet Entertainment, IP holders of Robert E. Howard material) and even Peter Adkison (GenCon owner).  Conan IP is always a hot topic.  We covered some of that in the Writer's Symposim:

Conan IP and Pastiche Coverage in the Writer's Symposium

• Gamifying Stories and Storifying Games (SEM22214106); Fri, 2:00 PM Aug 5th 2022: Translating from one media to the other. Jennifer Brozek, Byron Leavitt, Matt John, Lucien Soulban, S.E. Lindberg (M).
• Link to recording coming soon

• SWORD & SORCERY PASTICHE (SEM22214157) Saturday, 5:00 PM Aug 6th 2022;  
• How to adopt someone's writing style, and where to blur the line to original. 
• Howard Andrew Jones, Matthew John, Jason Ray Carney, S.E. Lindberg (M).
• Link to recording coming soon

• Link to S&S Rogue Podcast at GenCon Writer's Symposium

Conan the Board Game - Playing with Rogues

With all the hubbub going on in the Writer's Symposium at GenCon, I barely played any games. The primary battle I got to join was hosted by Deane Geiken and Matthew John (and Jimmy McGuire); Jason  Ray and Nicole Carney joined in too (Nicole was wicked at throwing dice.....to complement Deane's lack of luck).  Conan was slaughtered, but his sacrifice enabled us to win the scenario against overlord Matthew John! 

The Skull emerges from Goodman Games's Ziggurat to roam GenCon 2022's Exhibit Hall

This is one of a series of reports on GenCon 2022; other links coming soon from this Table of Contents, to be posted in random order:

·                 Rogues in the House Podcast 

·                 Conan IP Owner and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues

·                 The Skull from Tales From the Magician's Skull roams the Exhibit Hall [You Are Here]

·                 Dawn of Madness Gameplay with Byron Leavitt

·                 Writer's Symposium Overview

·                 Moderating Sorcery & Sorcery, Horror, Pulp, and Game Panels

Horror, S&S, and Gamyfing-Story Panels - GenCon Writers Symposium 2022 - SE Moderated Panels

This is one of a series of reports on GenCon 2022; other links coming soon from this Table of Contents, to be posted in random order:

·                 Rogues in the House Podcast 

·                 Conan IP Owner and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues

·                 The Skull from Tales From the Magician's Skull roams the Exhibit Hall

·                 Dawn of Madness Gameplay with Byron Leavitt

·                 Writer's Symposium Overview

·                 Moderating Sorcery & Sorcery, Horror, Pulp, and Game Panels [You Are Here]

______________________________________________________________________________

Here are the panels I moderated. The recording of each is below: 

1. Sword & Sorcery Pastiche
2. Rogues in the House - S&S Podcast Live GenCon Report
3. Sword & Sorcery Renaissance in Writing
4. Gamifying Stories and Storifying Games
5. Back to Pulp
6. Repulsive Appeal aka "the Horror Panel"

____________________________________________________________________________

1)  Sword & Sorcery Pastiche; How to adopt someone's writing style, and where to blur the line to the original.

Howard Andrew Jones; Matt John, Jason Ray Carney, S.E. Lindberg (M)

Saturday 5:00 PM Aug 6th 2022

2) Rogues in the House - S&S Podcast Live GenCon Report

 

3) Sword & Sorcery Renaissance in Writing; is the genre coming back? Did it ever go away? 

Jaym Gates, Howard Andrew Jones, Matt John; Jason Ray Carney, Paul Weimer, S.E. Lindberg (M)

Friday, 4:00 PM Aug 5th 2022

4) Gamifying Stories and Storifying Games; Translating from one media to the other.

 Jennifer Brozek, Byron Leavitt, Matt John, Lucien Soulban, S.E. Lindberg (M)

Friday, 2:00 PM Aug 5th 2022

5) BACK TO PULP: Pulp is back! Why? And how do you do it right? 

Jaym Gates, Richard Lee Byers: Howard Andrew Jones; Jason Ray Carney, S.E. Lindberg (M)

Friday, 10:00 AM Aug 5th 2022

6) Repulsive Appeal (aka "the Horror Panel"); How do we make horror appealing? 

Maurice Broaddus, Byron Leavitt, Jason Ray Carney, Steve Diamond, S.E. Lindberg (M)

Thursday, 11:00 AM EDT Aug 4th 2022

Dawn of Madness Gameplay and GenCon 2022 coverage

This is one of a series of reports on GenCon 2022; other links coming soon from this Table of Contents, to be posted in random order:

·                 Rogues in the House Podcast 

·                 Conan IP Owner and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues

·                 The Skull from Tales From the Magician's Skull roams the Exhibit Hall

·                 Dawn of Madness Gameplay with Byron Leavitt [You Are Here]

·                 Writer's Symposium Overview

·                 Moderating Sorcery & Sorcery, Horror, Pulp, and Game Panels

_______________________________________________________________________________

Dawn of Madness Gameplay and GenCon 2022 coverage

I'm a bit of Diemension Games nut, having (a) interviewed Byron Leavitt, (b) contributed stories with the "Sanguine Heretics" fan-group that made the Exhalted Blasphemies expansion, (c) created the Deep Madness Scenario Chronology (with Phil Blake), and (d) reviewed the Shattered Seas novel for Black Gate. 

God, Darkness, & Wonder: An Interview with Byron Leavitt

Exalted Blasphemies - Fan-Made Expansion for Deep Madness Boardgame 

Deep Madness Scenario Chronology

Shattered Seas Novel Review - Review by SE

As part of my Event Coordinator role at GenCon Writers Symposium I championed getting Byron on some panels and was able to hit the Exhibit Hall for some Dawn of Madness footage! 

Byron Leavitt on GenCon Writer's Symposium Panels (to be loaded soon)

1) Repulsive Appeal  (SEM22214058); Thursday, 11:00 AM EDT Aug 4th 2022

How do we make horror appealing? Maurice Broaddus, Richard Dansky, Byron Leavitt, Jason Ray Carney, Steve Diamond, S.E. Lindberg (M) - link to recording coming soon

 2) Gamifying Stories and Storifying Games (SEM22214106) ; Friday, 2:00PM Aug 5th 

2022 Translating from one media to the other. Jennifer Brozek, Byron Leavitt, Matt John, Lucien Soulban, S.E. Lindberg (M) - link to recording coming soon

DAWN of Madness - Gameplay of Emily Hawkins (The Nurse) Story: "Bonds of the Twins"

The King of Average's Diemension Games Coverage

Deep Madness reprint with expansion coming this October?! 

Giant new mini's of the epic monsters!

S.E Lindberg debuts on the Rogues in the House Podcast, wins award from the Skull at GenCon 2022, BTS Footage

This is one of a series of reports on GenCon 2022; other links coming soon from this Table of Contents, to be posted in random order:

·                 Rogues in the House Podcast  [You Are Here]

·                 Conan IP Owner and the Board Game - Playing with Rogues

·                 The Skull from Tales From the Magician's Skull roams the Exhibit Hall

·                 Dawn of Madness Gameplay with Byron Leavitt

·                 Writer's Symposium Overview

·                 Moderating Sorcery & Sorcery, Horror, Pulp, and Game Panels

S.E Lindberg debuts on the Rogues in the House Podcast, wins award from the Skull at GenCon 2022, BTS Footage

Early this year I reported on the Rogues in the House podcast for Black Gate. Check it out. As the Rogues move beyond podcasts to build the Sword & Sorcery community, they started publishing anthologies including the just released A Book of Blades which I proudly contributed a Dyscrasia Fiction story: "Embracing Ember." With my Event Coordinator role for the GenCon Writers Symposium, I did my best to gather the Rogues and other contributors to A Book of Blades on several panels. We gathered in Marriott Ballroom #4 to record this special session. I highlight two timepoints:

• 6:45 min:sec: The Skull crashes the party and award his only named intern an award
• 48 min: I namedrop two friends, fellow Aikidoka Sensei Dirk Domaschko and Master David Silver, attributing them for getting me into the GenCon culture years ago. 

The Rogues on Hallowed Ground (link to Aug 8-2022 podcast episode)

"Rogues, old and new, meet at the mecca called GenCon. In this very special episode, Deane and Matt are joined by Howard Andrew Jones, Seth Lindberg, Steve Diamond, Sean CW Korsgaard, Jason Ray Carney, and *shudders* The Magician's Skull himself. Topics include sword and sorcery (of course) as well as our "top picks" from GenCon."

Embedded Podcast - listen here!

 

Behind the Scenes Footage

• Matthew John - Conan the Board Game and Rogue in the House
• Steve Diamond - Horror Writer
• Sean CW Korsgaard - Baen Books
• Howard Andrew Jones - S&S Author and Editor of Tales from the Magician's Skull
• Jason Ray Carney - Whetstone and Professor of Dark Arts
• Deane Geiken - Rogue in the House Podcast
• S.E. Lindberg - S&S Enthusiast

Dyscrasia Fiction in Tales From the Magician's Skull sneak peak

The mighty Skull revealed the cover to issue #9 today over in Kickstarter:

 "Issue #9 is nearly complete and slated to begin layout soon."

The cover reveals a story of mine within its covers.  More Dyscrasia Fiction is coming!

Tales From the Magician's Skull Blog Round-Up: Jul 12 to 29th 2022

Skull Minion of the Thirteenth Order, Bill Ward, casts more spells upon us weary, mortal dogs (via the Tales From the Magician's Skull Blog, link).

JUL 29   In The Land of Dreams: Lord Dunsany’s At the Edge of the World by Fletcher Vredenburgh

I didn’t read any of Dunsany’s stories until long after I had encountered several of his direct literary descendants. I discovered H.P. Lovecraft on the Stapleton Library shelves, Clark Ashton Smith on the foxed pages of old anthologies, and Jack Vance in dad’s boxes of books in the attic. I didn’t know their style had been presaged by Dunsany’s stories of mysteriously abandoned cities, phantasmagorical river journeys, and strange, forgotten gods. I knew some of Lovecraft’s earlier stories, especially his short novel, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (1927), were called “Dunsanian,” but it is only in more recent times I’ve read Dunsany’s own words.

 

JUL 26   Ballantine Adult Fantasy: William Hope Hodgson

William Hope Hodgson, godfather to cosmic horror and ghost detectives alike, had two books reprinted in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy line, The Boats of the Glen Carrig and The Night Land. The Night Land was published in two volumes because of its length — more controversially it received heavy editing from series editor Lin Carter to render Hodgson’s deliberately difficult prose more accessible.

 

JUL 24   Adventures in Fiction: Lord Dunsany (also known as Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany) by Michael Curtis

Some Appendix N authors directly influenced the creation of fantasy role-playing. We see concrete inspiration in the trolls borrowed from Poul Anderson or the “Vancian” magic system of D&D. Other Appendix N writers exerted a less obvious influence, providing more a sense of tone and wonder than any specific element. It can be argued, however, that one Appendix N author wielded the greatest influence on fantasy role-playing not because his works were borrowed wholesale or served to color Gygax and Arneson’s campaigns, but because he inspired numerous other Appendix N writers, impelling them to create the stories from which RPGs derive their origins. Few would recognize the name Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, but many more know him by his title, Lord Dunsany (pronounced Dun-SAY-ny), whose birthday we honor today.

 

JUL 22  Ballantine Adult Fantasy: Lord Dunsany

Among the most reprinted authors in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy line was Lord Dunsany, the Anglo-Irish peer who was also a tremendously prolific short story writer and playwright. Dunsany’s sweeping elegies of imagined worlds were both reminiscent of classical myth and the dreaming aesthetic of the visionary fantasists and tellers of Weird Tales going back to Poe. Dunsany is cited as an influence by almost every major writer of the fantastic to emerge over the course of the twentieth century.

 

JUL 19  Fantasy in the Time of Lord Dunsany by Brian Murphy

https://goodman-games.com/tftms/2022/07/19/fantasy-in-the-time-of-lord-dunsany/

When Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (July 1878-October 1957) set pen to paper, he was wrestling tigers and dragons from the air and committing them to paper. None before or since have done it quite like the man known as Lord Dunsany. He was sui generis, writing in an age where there was no fantasy genre as we know it today. Dunsany was influenced by the bible and Greek mythology, old fairy tales, and to a lesser degree by a few peers including Rudyard Kipling and William Morris. But crucially, not a body of fantasy literature. Coupled with his one-of-a-kind elevated writing style, Dunsany’s early fantasy material feels ethereal and wondrous, as fresh as when it was written more than 100 years ago.

 

JUL 12   A Look at Savage Scrolls

New from Pulp Hero Press is Jason Ray Carney’s Savage Scrolls (2020), an anthology of contemporary sword-and-sorcery fiction. And make no mistake, this is actual sword-and-sorcery, not sword-and-sorcery used as a vague descriptor, a marketing buzz word, or a broad umbrella term for dark fantasy or fantastic darkness or pseudo-fabulist progwave interstitial slip-hop ironically-referencing-a-loincloth wannabe litfic masquerading as sword-and-sorcery. No, Savage Scrolls is refreshingly exactly what it purports to be, and it does what it says on the cover – providing a collection of contemporary sword-and-sorcery from some of the best modern practitioners in the game.