NecronomiCon Dissection: Part 3, Friday

Friday morning started off (at the wondrously early hour of 9am) with the Chaosium panel on Pulp Vs Pure. This was set upas a debate, with Keeper Dan, and Cris Lackey on the side of Pulp, and Paul Fricker and Lynne Hardy taking the side of the Pure, To be honest, it wasn't much of a debate, as both sides were pretty much fans of both, but I was taken by the thought put forward by Chris Lackey, that all games of Call of Cthulhu are Pulp, if not in tone, then at least in execution, as that is the way that most players will end up gaming it.

A fun panel, selling me on the Pulp rules even more than I originally had been, enough so that I bought them later that day (more on that later)

Lunch time was the tie to go listen to H. P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast live. I have been listening to these guys pretty much as long as they have been on air, and it was both surreal and wonderful to be in the same room as them while they recorded. I look forward to hearing the podcast version!

Scritch Scratch

Straight after the podcast, it was up to the gaming room for the first of two games with Lynne Hardy. This one was the 7th ed CoC modern day adventure Scritch scratch. I think this one will see light as a published scenario some time. I played Manda, a London based TV producer, filming in back woods Yorkshire. I died in a flaming mushroom cloud of spectral rat carcasses. Tally, 1 death. I loved every minute of this game, this was the kind of game I came to the con to play in. A google search of the name of the adventure and the Keeper suggests that Lynne has actually written a story of the same name. I must look that one up.

After an hours break for food, it was time for my second game of the day. Weekend in the woods, 7th ed COC classic era game, run by Dan Comb.This had to be the worst game I have ever played in. Not the worst scenario, I must say, it seemed quite well written, after all, the GM pretty much sat and read it out to us anyway.

I could go on at great length as to why this was a badly run game, and indeed, in the bar afterwards I did. And the next day when I ran into two of the other players. the other players turned out to be Jeff Erwin of the Into the Darkness Podcast, who, as I talked to him after the Podcasting for Gaming panel the next day, invited me to get in touch to game with them. Another of the Players was Daupo, whom we met the next day in the vendors hall, and where we commiserated with each other over the horror that was the previous day's game. Anyway my character survived, so tally 1 survival.

What I will say about this game is as follows. Before the con, I did consider adding my name as a Keeper to the con list. I didn't do this, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I have never run a con game, nor any game with such a short duration, so was extremely hesitant as to my abilities to make the format work. Secondly, I was insecure in my keepering abilities, and how they would go over with such an expert crowd. Lastly, I wanted to game, not keeper, as I get to do that here.
After this debacle, I will never doubt my abilities again, though I will say I need to practice games of this length before volunteering to keeper at the next NecronomiCon.

The evening there was supposed to be the Yog-Sothoth forums meet up, Maybe it happened, I dunno, I was held hostage at the table for 5 hours, so Kris and I went to the bar, had a couple drinks anyway, then went back to the hotel.

Adventurer tally:
Death: 1
Survival: 1
Unsure: 1