Leprecon shop now open

Hi all

The Leprecon shop is now open for business at http://leprecon.info/shop/

Currently entry tickets and wargames tickets can be purchased more items will go on sale once the timetable is finalized.

Welcome to our Secret Lair

Last year, we had the Leprecon Gamer Village at Jacob’s Inn, and this year, they’re more than happy to have us back in what (as mandated in the Evil Villain’s Guidebook) I must refer to as the “Secret Lair.”  Jacob’s is a wonderful hostel, really well kept and with fantastic deals and rooms to suit everyone from private single, double or twin rooms to spacious 12-bed dorms.  After last year, I personally was so happy with it, I’ll be booking in again myself.

The process is slightly different this year.  In order to book this year, you must contact Jenny Farrell at Jacobs directly by emailing groups@isaacs.ie and say you’re looking to book as part of the Leprecon group.  They’ll tell you the price (prices are from about €25pppn for a 12-bed, other rooms may vary) and how to secure the booking by credit card or other payment as appropriate. Below is a sample email for you to copy/paste and edit as appropriate.  Please remember to edit the emails as I don’t want a bunch of bookings in the name of “insert name here!”

Dear Ms Farrell,

My name is [insert name here] and I wish to book one place in a 12-bed dorm room as part of the Leprecon group for the nights of the 12th and 13th of March, 2010.  Please send me the details of cost and payment methods.

Best Regards

[insert name here]

Please ensure you book early to avoid disappointment as there will be a Rugby match on that weekend in Dublin, and while it is a pretty big hostel, it could fill up fast!

If this does happen, do not despair: there are other hostels you could try:

Isaacs Hostel – http://www.isaacs.ie/isaacs_hostel/home.aspx
Kinlay House – http://www.kinlaydublin.ie/
Ashfield House – http://www.ashfieldhouse.ie/

If you fancy splashing out a little more on a hotel or guesthouse, there are several very close to the con indeed, including one directly across the road:

The Lombard (Formerly Mahaffey’s) – http://www.thesmithgroup.ie/thelombard/index.html
The O’Callaghan hotels (The Davenport, Mont Clare among others) http://www.ocallaghanhotels.com/dublinmain.aspx
Holiday Inn – http://www.holidayinndublin.ie/
And many more (googlemap search of the area around Goldsmith!)

LARP blurbs for Leprecon 31

Hello again! I hope you liked the RPG blurbs, because we also have a few LARPs for you to participate in over the weekend, and they’re just as good!

Here are the blurbs for the anticipated games:

The Kingdom – Camarilla Ireland

“An object that struck the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks on Saturday, causing a mysterious illness among local residents, was a rare kind of meteorite, scientists announced today.

A team of Student researchers confirmed the origins of the object, which crashed near Kilorglin.

No statement about the illness which is affecting locals was given although a local GP has said it is probably just a coincidence.”

Something weird is going on in County Kerry.

Christmas in Valhalla – Sandra Duggan

Every year the gods from all walks of life from all around the world descend on Valhalla to enjoy the festivities. There’s music, dancing, wine, women and song just for starters.

But what happened to those lesser gods that don’t get invited? Those who aren’t welcome at the hippest party in these parts? What would aeons of bitterness and being the social outcast do to anyone? Want to find out?

The Demon-Zombie-Ghost Pirate Le Chuck is dead… – Aidan Marsh & Alex Tang

…Again.

With any luck though, this time he’ll stay down for good.

Unfortunately, this leaves the local in something of a predicament. Le Chuck was the most feared pirate around, and now that he’s gone there are rather a lot of pirates who wouldn’t mind the position. Swords will clash an insults will fly as the applicants gather in the Scumm Bar to determine who will hold the title of Most Dreaded Pirate of the Tri-Island Area.

Where There’s a Will – Shane O’hUid, Brian McNally and Liam O’Tailliuir

Old Granda Frank has passed away, rest him.  Sure it’s probably for the best that he’s up there with May again, forgive me for saying it but towards the end he had some notions in that head of his.  The funeral was grand, it’s a shame but it’s one of the few things that brings the family together, from all the various walks of life and corners of the world.  There was a bit of bother over who’s going to get the wine cellar and who’s getting the Jaguar, but sure we’ll find all that out this afternoon now, at the will reading.  I’m sure Granda Frank made the right decisions.

Cheers all,

Siskey & Fatz

RPGs & LARPs Team

Leprecon 31

RPG blurbs for Leprecon 31

Hello one and all.

Our submission deadline of the 12th of September has come and gone, and lo and behold we have our RPGs for Leprecon 31. A big thank you to all those who submitted ideas for games, and we look forward to seeing the finished product in March!

Without further ado, here they are:

The Crimson Eagles and the Invaders from Tomorrow! – Paul Anthony Shortt (Spirit of the Century)

Air raid sirens blare across the night sky. Battle Zepplins drop bombs on London. Nazi forces are advancing across Europe and the threat of a second Great War has never been greater. The year is 1935. A mysterious warlord has travelled from the future to wreak havoc on the past, tearing history asunder. Only the Crimson Eagles can possibly turn the tide and defeat this new menace and stop the Nazis from winning the war before it has even begun!

The Winter of 1854 – Padraic Barrett (Call of Cthulhu)

Citizens of Sevastopol pay HEED

Vice Admiral Nakhimov (Late of the Black Sea Fleet)

Will reward any Man, Woman or Child who identifies COLLABORATORS OF THE BRITISH AND FRENCH DOGS THAT BARK AT OUR GATES!!!

And wanted for the MURDER & MUTILATION of five seamen from the steam frigate Vladimir on November 3rd

Help the brave HEROES of the Black Sea Fleet

God save Tsar Nicholas!

The Deep Dark – Graham Tormey (Mouse Guard)

Mice struggle to live safely and prosper among all of the world’s harsh conditions and predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed, they are escorts, pathfinders, weather watchers, scouts and body guards for the mice who live among the territories.

They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live.

Recently reports have reached Lockhaven that tunnels have been uncovered near the town of Copperwood. The locals are worried and someone is going to be sent into the darkness to find out what is there.

Guess who that is going to be?

The deadliest prey – Graham Turner (Savage Worlds / Penny Arcade)

Mr. Bear’s Hell Circus is in town; and the good people of New Arcadia shudder at the very thought of the evil contained within its brightly painted tents. Doors are locked tightly, windows shut fast, and the streets deserted come nightfall…deserted that is, save for the Startling Developments Detective Agency, who, once again, find themselves treading without fear in the whispering dark…

A young girl genius- taken. A promise- broken. A sandwich- eaten. To bring down the infernal Mr. Bear, our heroes must recruit the help of the greatest hunter of all…but will even his aid be enough

WWS VI: Operation Olmec – Sean Geraghty (Savage Worlds)

The year is 1941. The armies of Soviet Russia have flooded through Europe and the Far East. The European powers, now united under the European Defence Force, struggle to contain the superhuman Icons and their lesser Super cousins. In America, the US remains technically neutral but gives tacit support to the beleaguered allies. But now an isolated incident in the remote jungles of Mexico is about to change the whole course of the war.

Welcome back to WWS.

Sight Unseen – Tadeusz Cantwell (Dark Heresy)

The Inquisitor activated your group just a few minutes ago. Each one of you grabbed your away bags and what guns were at hand. A flyer is taking you directly to the spaceport. Information is lacking, a report stripped of classified information is being prepared. Emperor bless you.

The Secret of Ronan Skerry – Michael Davis (Castles & Crusades)

The town of Port Vogey is in distress! For several weeks, no ships have come into port, and no-one knows why. Now the new moon has passed and the lighthouse keepers, the monks of the Sea Goddess, have missed their monthly trip into town for supplies. The town council are not sure whether this is due to mishap or foul play, but you have heard they are looking for some eager adventurers to investigate.

This game will be played using the Castles and Crusades RPG, an easy to learn, rules-lite game system based on earlier editions of Dungeons & Dragons.

The Quest for the Blue Rose – Noirín Curran (GURPS: Disney)

Once upon a time…

That’s how it ALWAYS begins – once upon a time. Well, the time is now, your princess is missing, and all the princes seem to have disappeared, and it’s up to you to show them all what you’re made of!

Surely you can prove yourself to be cuter than all those other talking animals, more useful than the other animated-inanimate objects, stronger than the rest of the himbo princes, more evil than the evilest of evil stepmothers, and shinier than a flock of fairy godmothers!

Be sure to get your princess home in time, lest she turn into a pumpkin!

The Ebon Express – Ger Norton and Barry Sheppard (D&D Eberron 4^th Edition)

The Tribunal of Thronehold has brought hundreds of war criminals to justice since the end of the last war, but never one as big as this.

Now the Ebon Archons, the elite team who captured him, are only one Lightning Rail ride away from bringing him to justice, if they can only keep him alive.

I hope you’ll all agree with me when I say that these games all sound like they are going to be excellent. Thanks again to everyone who submitted a blurb. We will be in touch with our writers to let them know about the Writer’s Prize and submission deadlines soon!

Siskey & Fatz

RPGs and LARPs Team

Leprecon 31

Online Bookings

As you may have seen on our flyers at Confess Leprecon will be offering the ability to pre-book your tickets for the con. We are hoping to have the web-shop open soon and will have a discount for those of you who pre-book your tickets before the 31^st of January 2010.

The pre-booked price will be €12 for a weekend pass and €8 for a day pass.

After the 31^st of January 2010 the price will be €15 for a weekend pass and €10 for a day pass.

New Convention Dates 12th to 14th March 2010

Due to a change in Trinity Colleges exams structure we have been forced to change the dates for Leprecon 31. Leprecon will now take place on the weekend of the 12^th to 14^th of March in Goldsmith hall Trinity College Dublin.

I would like to apologise on behalf of the committee for any inconvenience this has caused.

Best Regards

Dave Gorman

Guide to writing Con Scenarios for D&D 4th ed.

This article was written by Graham Turner, long-suffering Scenario Writer and erstwhile former RPG Co-Ordinator.

So, Con Scenario, eh? Dungeons and Dragons, Con Scenario, eh? 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Con Scenario, eh? (I’m getting there! I’m getting there!) There’s nothing wrong with 4th Ed as a system for a Con Scenario- however, there are a few aspects of the game that need to be considered carefully when constructing a 3 hour adventure.

Combat

4th Edition combat is long. You think it’s a long walk down to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts compared to 4th Ed combat. It is notably different to 3rd Edition, AD&D and D&D before it in this respect. Trouble is, by and large, we’re all used to the multiple short encounters that used to populate the dungeons we knew as a lad. The temptation to write a 4 encounter c on scenario is all very well and good, but if each encounter is a combat, and the combat does not include a decent proportion of mooks and minions, then you risk going over time.
A combat encounter in 4th Edition will generally take at least half an hour, and maybe up to an hour (or more) depending on the composition of the parties foes. And that’s not merely due to the proliferation of beefy adversaries. Standard action, Move Action, Minor Action, Free Action- each player can be doing up to 4 things a round, choosing from a fair range of abilities. Nor will shouting at them to make up their minds enhance the game experience in the manner you might desire. Two to three combat encounters should be plenty for a three hour game.
Check the defences of the foes you’re going to pit against your doughty stalwarts (that’s right, your PCs are made of bread) against their relative ‘to hit’s. Make sure the combat will not be an attrition based exercise in frustration. Add to that the fact that Con parties are often not the cohesive group you will be used to from your own weekly game, and the fact that they are likely to be largely unfamiliar with the abilities their characters possess, and you can imagine your party taking an aeon of the world to decide who should stable the horses.
That brings me on to another point; level. Keep the PCs level’s reasonably low. Bombarding your players with 5 dailies and 4 encounter powers each will just confuse and agitate. 4th Ed lowbies are not the anaemic, porcelain boned, whipping boys of previous Editions. Take advantage of their newfound prowess. Keep it simple.

Wait, I get to shift as a reaction…and hang on, isn’t he slowed anyway…

With all the shifting and status effects, playing aides are a must. Minis, a board of some description and an easy to understand, accessible powers list are essential. I like power cards personally, but a power sheet can work just as well depending on taste. Make sure you provide enough play aides not only for yourself, but also for your GMs. It may seem fun to be ‘Jonny-writers-table-get-the-cool-toys’ but as far as everyone else on those other tables is concerned, you’re ‘Jonny-bastard’. This is one of the main challenges in running 4th Ed D&D as a Con Scenario; you have to bring enough for everyone. Figure out how many tables worth of stuff you can provide. This is your hard limit on the number of tables that can be run. Trust me; this system is a whore without props. Inform your RPG co-ordinator of your hard limit.

Wait, it has how many hit points?!?

Playtest! Run through the game before the Con. Present it to willing victims (hereafter referred to as ‘friends’) just as you would your Con scenario players. If they can get a good handle on your character layout and powers summary, so too will others (unless your ‘friends’ are mighty spacemen of the future, endowed with mighty space brains. In this case, get new ‘friends’.)
This will also give you an idea of how long it actually takes to play the scenario. Time is ever the enemy of the Con Scenario- and time is something that 4th can take a lot of if you don’t watch it like a hawk! 4th Ed is a tricksy minx, who’ll steal your wallet and be away out your bedroom window while you’re in the shower unless you chain her firmly to the bed. (In this case, the wallet represents time, and the other stuff are metaphors too.)
So, combat’s been done to death (which, I suppose, is what one would expect from combat) what next? Surely, there’s more to this D&D lark than ‘the pointy bit of the at will, martial, melee, weapon’ power goes in the other guy?
Oh, yes, yes indeed!

Times are tough…*sigh*

It almost goes without saying, but roleplaying’s good. Both within the party (you stole my goat, you prick!) and PC to NPC (Hey! That NPC stole my goat! What a prick!) Writing the PCs so that they have reason’s to interact in an interesting way certainly promotes the former(they could be in love/adversaries/rivals for a maiden’s hand/inveterate goat thieves) although this depends on the degree to which your players feel like playing this up. After all, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it pretend to be an elf.
A few short scenes where the party can interact with one or more NPCs are good. They might need information, be trying to bluff their way into a castle, be haggling for an item that may be of use to them later, be sowing dis-information, or just talking about the sharp increase in recent goat thefts. Whatever. The chance to use their wits instead of their swords for a bit is a nice change of pace.

I got ‘da Skillz

I like puzzles as well. Puzzles, mind you, that people do not need to be paid up, card carrying members of Mensa to solve. Again, keeping in mind that we’re on the clock, and don’t want to stall or frustrate, a few puzzles of moderate difficulty (such as all locks being graphical puzzles or magical guardians scattered throughout the dungeon that demand the answers to riddle for safe passage) can be fun, as can a single, more involved puzzle. Puzzles aren’t everyone’s thing though, so you should avoid the trap of failing to solve the puzzle resulting in a dead end and frustration (sorry, the indestructible door can’t be opened without the answer, you dumb fuck).
Speaking of traps, dungeons have been filled with those babies for years. The DMG is good enough to detail some sample traps, all of which have various different ways to bypass them (including just fucking breaking them with a hammer in some cases, a plan which I can get behind). One of the ways is the extended skill challenge, basically, a series of skill rolls of varying difficulty that must be passed to complete a task.
Skill challenges can be used to overcome a number of obstacles, from a tricky safe, to a tricky negotiation. I’m not a huge fan of over reliance on them, as they can, if used imprudently, serve as a substitute for roleplaying and problem solving.
On the other hand, your players may very well ask, what the fuck is the point of being trained and focused in diplomacy, if they have to do all the tedious talking themselves. I advocate a balance. Use skill challenges, but add bonuses to the rolls for good roleplaying or smart ideas (as appropriate- safes are renowned for their resistance to diplomacy).

What is this on the map? Is this…is that actual blood? Cool!

I mentioned play aides earlier. These aren’t confined to minis and scenery. Print a headshot for each PC. Get some pictures for you key NPCs. Make up letters or notes that the party will find lying about. If they have a map, make a cool map. Players need to immerse themselves in Con scenarios quickly, and all this stuff helps.

Five adventurers walk into a bar…

4th Ed has some very definitive roles for the various classes. You want to cover your bases when it comes to the Defender/Leader/Striker/Controller roles. So, a few things to keep in mind when you’re creating PCs for your scenario…

Melee combatants are like Voltron; the more you hook up, the better it gets.

Largely, this is due to the short range of several of the healing and enhancement powers. If your cleric is right beside your fighter, happy days. Combat advantage is also everyone’s friend, and a rogue in a group with lots of other melee-ists is likely to be wearing a perpetual dumb grin of slack-jawed-joy. Fighters are happy chappies when their marked opponents have tempting targets to attack that aren’t them. In general, melee classes synergise well with, and support, other melee classes.

An average party is five people, and there are only four roles. On the fifth Beatle issue, a class with healing capabilities would be my favoured choice. Many a time we’ve all spent several rounds cursing our luck, as our daily power whistled past some jerk’s head, or fizzled with a comic *plop*, and our panalopy of encounter powers went farcically wrong in a manner that would embarrass Tommy Cooper.

Healing powers do not require to hit rolls, and as such will never ‘fail to hit’. The majority give your healing surge value, plus a bonus, plus a dice roll, so even if your middle name isn’t ‘lucky’, you’ll still get a decent result.

I would tend towards, as a 5 man mix…

• A Defender Class. Whichever, they’re all good.
• A Paladin (assuming your defender isn’t already one). Healing capability, defender abilities.
• A Melee Cleric.
• A Ranged Striker.
• Choice of ranged striker/controller OR melee Striker.

To be honest, the controller is finicky as all hell, and very easy to get very little out of, without careful attention on behalf of the player and the person setting up the encounters. A party can do without one. The wizard, for instance, although ostensibly a controller, often falls into the role of the striker. And wizards are awkward to people unfamiliar with them to play. You know what? Fuck ‘em. Fuck wizards.

The 4 man melee with 2 healers is a solid party that will forgive a lot of the mistakes a party unfamiliar with each other are likely to make. The 3 man melee with 2 ranged will prop each other up less well, but may allow for more character diversity.

In short

To recap; in a three hour slot that’s likely to lose ten to fifteen minutes in which people get settled, and in which unfamiliarity with both their characters and each other is going to slow play a little, a heady mix of 2-3 combats, 1-2 roleplaying encounters, a smattering of small puzzles, or one puzzle location, and 2-3 skill challenges/traps will most likely pack enough entertainment to fill the time amply.
Just in case, prepare one additional instance of each type of encounter. Now, you can tailor your scenario to a particular party. They like combat! Bam! Forget the tedious Old-Woman-talking-to-Encounter. Now she’s a Green Hag, bent on their destruction. Not fans of this tactical combat jazz? Kazam! (What is this, 60’s batman?) the iron golem no longer attacks them, but now must be repaired before it can open the door to the next part of the dungeon. You don’t have to write more adventure, just different ways the existing encounters can go.
We’ve all played Con Scenarios in which it has quickly become painfully obvious that the writer just threw the encounters and PCs together with very little care. 4th Ed D&D becomes a nightmare if this is the case (the one where you’re being chased by your old Irish teacher, and she beats you to death, slowly, over the course of a 30 round combat, and you need to roll a 21 on a d20 to hit her and someone forgot to give you any dailies). But, with ample preparation, it’s a system that’ll serve you well. It’s not a bad system- but it’s one which lends itself to a three hour slot only reluctantly, and is likely to charge interest at 16% or over.

Leprecon Date 5th-7th March

The Dates for Leprecon 31 have been set for the 5th to 7th of March 2010.

Opening

Hi! Dave Gorman here, Director of Leprecon 31.

We have already started the organization of what myself and the rest of the committee hope will be a very enjoyable con for all you who attend. We at Leprecon we are committed to bringing you the very best in RPGs, LARPs, Wargames, CCGs and Special Events, as well as providing great social events once the gaming finishes.

I have been involved with Leprecon since I first started college and have been privileged to work for many great directors. It is a great honour to be chosen to direct this convention and I am looking forward to this a lot.

Further details will appear here when they are confirmed. If you have any questions you can contact us at info@leprecon.info or myself directly at director@leprecon.info For now, I would like to open this the official site for Leprecon 31 and invite the rest of my committee to post here and introduce themselves.