logo
g Text Version
Auto
Beauty & Self
Books & Music
Career
Computers
Education
Family
Food & Wine
Health & Fitness
Hobbies & Crafts
Home & Garden
Money
News & Politics
Relationships
Religion & Spirituality
Society & Culture
Sports
Travel & Leisure
TV & Movies

dailyclick
Bored? Games!
Postcards
Astrology
Take a Quiz
Rate My Photo

new
Spirituality
Home Improvement
Vegetarian
NASCAR
Southcentral USA


dailyclick
All times in EST

Autism Spectrum Disorders: 4:00 PM

Full Schedule
g
g Role Playing Games Site
Jay Shaffstall
BellaOnline's Role Playing Games Editor

g

Getting Your Game On At Role Playing Conventions

Maybe you're lucky enough to have a regular gaming group, but you'd like to try something different. Or maybe you don't have a local gaming group, and are eager to do any role playing at all. Or maybe you're new to the idea of role playing, and want a way to try out lots of different games.

A role playing convention is just the thing.

A convention is a gathering of enthusiasts, a way to immerse yourself in the hobby and try different games and systems. It's a place where some of the people will dress up as their favorite characters, while others will spend the entire weekend in the same clothes. It's a place where you can have patient GMs teach you how to play their favorite system. A place where you can try something absolutely new at no risk. A place to stretch yourself, because you won't see most of these people again (at least not until next year).

Finding a suitable convention is usually the hard part.

There are the big names, Origins and Gen Con. I really should list those in the opposite order, since Gen Con is bigger than Origins, but Origins is the one I go to every year without fail.

Both are conventions where over ten thousand gaming enthusiasts come to meet new people, renew old friendships, play new games, and generally have the time of their lives for a few days. If you can't find it happening at one of these conventions, then it probably isn't happening.

The big name conventions can be a bit intimidating at first, due to the sheer number of people involved. They're actually very newbie-friendly, though, and many games don't require any previous experience.

Local gaming conventions are another possibility. They're generally smaller, although you may not find as many newbie-friendly activities, depending on the convention. The benefit of a local gaming convention is that you'll run into more people who live in the same area as you, so it's easier to make local contacts.

Finding local role playing conventions is sometimes difficult, though.

The web is one resource. Jenga's convention list isn't updated very much, but it does show a lot of conventions that once existed. Knowing the name of a convention is often enough to help you track it down elsewhere. You can also go to the websites of popular gaming companies and find their convention schedule. Steve Jackson Games, for example, is often at local gaming conventions.

If you're willing to do some leg work, local comic shops and gaming shops are great places to ask for help. Find a store that sells role playing books, and the chances are good that someone there will know all about the local conventions.

Whether you go to a local convention or one of the big names, do yourself a favor and try something new. Sure, it's fun to go and play your favorite games, but you can usually do that with your own gaming group.

Gaming conventions are a great place to try something brand new, and have a lot of fun!

Jenga's Convention List
Steve Jackson Game's Convention List
RSS
Related Articles
Previous Features
Site Map


Content copyright © 2008 by Jay Shaffstall. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Jay Shaffstall. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Jay Shaffstall for details.

Digg! g delicious Save to Del.icio.us

g


For FREE email updates, subscribe to the Role Playing Games Newsletter


Past Issues


print
Printer Friendly
bookmark
Bookmark
tell friend
Tell a Friend
forum
Forum
email
Email Editor

g features
Creative Use Of RPG Treasure

Creating Unique Characters

Using Traps Effectively

Archives | Site Map

forum
Forum
email
Contact

Past Issues
memberscenter


vote
Driving Amount
Much more
Slightly more
Slightly less
Much less

g


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2008 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


BellaOnline Editor