I am sympathetic to the complaints of everyone that didn't get into games, and also to you who are shy about running it.
I am also sensitive to Continuum, and the
need for it to continue. And I mean as its own structure, an on-going informal game club, recruitment center and annual social event. The whole world is having financial difficulties, the need for real face to face networking is even more important than ever, and it is now time for the new generation of game masers to step forth.
I am not kidding. It is up to you, not the game committee, and not me who requires world-hopping to attend.
This game will die if you guys don't just nut up and take the plunge. Come on, after all, to paraphrase a famous gamer:
"You haven't played
Pendragon for five years without learning
something about courage," right? :-)
I would suggest that your gamemaster ambitions may be too extravagant for this. It's easier than you seem to make it. Be easy on yourself and on newbies.
You do NOT have to make up a new scenario for every convention. You ran one before and it didn't work well? Well, you won't make THAT mistake again, will you! It'll be a different screw up to challenge you!--so play it a third time.
Merlin has volunteered to make a scenario? I suggest you make one, then everyone of the gamemasters can play it. Experienced GMs first, pass on the serious pitfalls to those GMs who are on later. Discuss it over a beer at night or a greasy egg in the AM.
I will send to Merlin all of the (incomplete) files I have for my introductory game, playable by newbies. They roll a d20 to see who chooses first, and on the table are one-line descriptions of a character type: old veteran, great hunter, overachieving minority (Saxon :-D ), and they get a little paragraph of explanation of his strengths and weaknesses (Great fighter, but old and weak) and a filled-in character sheet. Joust with each other, then play.
Also, do not forget what fun character generation can be. It is worthy of a short session in itself, ending the process with a character who then does a little fight, resists/submits to a little temptation, and end of session
"Oh BTW, if you want to try out the system in a battle with a whole bunch of other knights, come to the battle on Sunday at 9AM." I will send Merlin three of my last copies of K&L to be used for that, and at the end yo guys decide on who of the players ought to get the book for being the best KAP player.
Do you have Book of the Manor?
A session could be to set up a manor, (or hand them out: differentiated by some specializations, sheep farm, orchards, etc.) then run it through history. It need not be a long session, just enough to illustrate it and show how easy it actually is. :-)
I want to encourage all of you who have been considering going to Continuum to pre-register. Imagine it is the last change you will have to see each other face to face, and success requires your signing up now. Seize the day friends! This is an honourable need--think of the future, of the game and of the pride you'll have to know you helped to do it.
