Go Ahead, Meet Your Creators...
I’ve been running games at conventions for a while now, and honestly, I love introducing people to gaming. Over the years, I’ve run everything from board games to social deduction to full-on role-playing games. Lately, though, my focus has been firmly on TTRPGs, especially Dungeon Crawl Classics.
I’ve dabbled in WHPA (shoutout to the Rev and my Fairhaven Weirdos), Shadowdark, and DarkSpace, but DCC is my main game. More specifically, Creep, Skrag, Creep from the DCC Horror line.
I genuinely think it’s the perfect convention game and one of the best entry points for new players. It’s a funnel, so players have a stack of characters and death is constant, which means they’re far more willing to take risks and try something stupid. It’s got action, exploration, puzzles and a heavy dose of horror. It’s also self-contained on a ship, The Star of the Nostro, and clearly inspired by xxxxxxxxx, one of my all-time favorite movies.
This year at GaryCon, I ran two DCC games: Creep, Skrag, Creep and Tomb of the Savage Kings, both written by Stephen Newton. I mentioned that in a few Discords, and out of nowhere, Stephen himself reached out to thank me for running his work—and even offered to send some swag.
How cool is that?
I was incredibly appreciative. We chatted briefly, I thanked him for his work, and yeah, fanboyed a little.
Fast forward to GaryCon. The games went great; full tables, tons of fun, and 22 deaths in Creep alone. On Saturday night, I’m at the Goodman Cultural Exchange when someone says, “Hey Bryan, this is Stephen.” And there he is, the Dude that wrote the stuff I love bringing to the table!
Now, I have spent 25 years working in TV, I’ve met and worked with plenty of famous people, and always kept my cool. But this? This felt different.
Stephen was generous with his time and insight, and after my initial excitement, we ended up having a fantastic conversation. We talked about the game I’ve now run seven times, what works, what doesn’t, how certain moments play out, and why no one ever checks out the Mermaid Rope Sculpture. :)
He shared some background on his other adventures and how they came about. Which classic horror movie inspired which adventure. I already own most of them, and understanding the stories behind them makes me want to run them more! We also talked about his future projects and how much my wallet is going to hurt afterward ;)
My friends joke that I love meeting creators, authors, designers, movers, and shakers, and they’re right. I’m fascinated by how they think, what inspires them, and how they build worlds that people can step into and live in, even if it’s just for a few hours. I am amazed by their creativity, but even more so by their thought processes! What makes a person watch a movie, read a book, or hear a song and then take that inspiration and say "OK, you wake up in the dark, you are bound to a post and a baby dragon is eating the face off the person next to you...roll for initiative." A-MA-ZING
Huge thanks to Stephen and all those creatives who take that shot, just put it out there, bringing joy and entertainment to others. You are awesome!