NecronomiCon 2024. Part I: Games

 I have been back from the con for a few days, and I'm finally in a place to put up a couple of posts of my experiences. 

This was my third trip to NecronomiCon Providence, but I've not been for 5 years due to circumstances beyond my control. 

I had planned less gaming and more attending the other parts of the con. The panels, and other event surrounding the con. Well, that was the plan. We'll see in the other posts to come how much of the rest of the Con I managed to see.

For games played, I had signed up for 3 games in advance, with no game planned on Thursday evening. I had wanted to go along to the opening ceremony. However, our travel timings didn't allow for that, and in the end I had an evening free. 

Turns out, there was a space at the Delta Green table Mathieu had a game at, so I joined in there. We played through Music from a Darkened Room, with Handler Tim Deschene.

This was my first time playing Delta Green with the actual Delta Green rules (and a Handler who knew them). My first game was essentially a CoC game in Vietnam, with a very light DG skin. I must admit the main thing I wanted to know was the changes to the Sanity system, and I think it works rather smoothly now I've seen it in play. DG has now slipped up the charts to a place where it's likely to hit the table soon.

The scenario is essentially a haunted house, and a good one. I've since taken it down from my shelf at home and flicked through it. We really didn't give the Handler much to do. We did all the investigation part, without ever setting foot in the house. If we had, we may have had a lot more fun, but it would have been a very different scenario, with likely more Agent deaths (I was reduced to 1 HP as it was). In the end, we won through, banishing the forces of darkness. Quote of the game sincerely goes to the Handler (both in game and out). We had called in our plan, which included a human sacrifice, and asked for advice. We were told to 'Do what you need to do', and before hanging up, our Handler, without changing tone stated 'the sex offender register is publicly available.' then hung up. Chilling.

So a win, but not without personal cost.

My Saturday morning game was Lonely Point Lighthouse with Oscar Rios. A scenario for Classic Call of Cthulhu, from the Island of Ignorance 3rd Cthulhu Companion, currently being kickstarted for 7th edition Call of Cthulhu. This was a great investigative scenario, with an ending that did not require a big fight (though it could very well accommodate one). I played a nun clearly based on Oscar's experiences in Catholic High School. She was not a nice person. 

The dice were with us through the finale of the scenario, and our careful planning and investigation was rewarded with a lot of critical successes driving the story the way we wanted it to go. Much to the shock of players and keeper alike.

This is a really good scenario, and I would certainly use it as a good intro to CoC. It seems to be a slant on the haunted house scenario at the start, and it has good social parts, investigative scenes, and a chance of a big combat at the end, with, as we proved, a chance to bypass that for a non-fighty ending. Reccommend.

Long time readers will know that I have already taken part in a session of Gatsby and the Great Race. Yes I did it last time I was at NecronomiCon, but I wanted to do it again. I wanted to go in with a little knowledge of what was going to happen, and better role-play the situation, as I felt last time I didn't add much to the proceedings. I had indeed forgotten much of what went on in the scenario in terms of details, so I don't think I spoilered it for any one. 

I do think I had more fun with it the second time, and spoilers are over-rated.

I spent the bulk of the game at the same table this time. Almost the opposite of the last time when I was one of the first people to move. I had a lot of fun figuring things out with the shocked people who arrived in our midst. Again, the table was Keepered by Edwin Nagy.

The next challenge for me with this game will be to get it to the table as a Keeper/Group of Keepers (what's the group-noun for a collection of keepers? A murder?)

My final game of the Con was Sunday morning, when I set off back up to Oscar Rios's table for a game of Cthulhu Invictus. This time to play The Accursed Land. Oscar had explained at the previous game that players he games with at Cons get the option to play the same character, advancing them, and seeing them evolve. Once I heard this, i for sure jumped on the chance. The investigator i chose (randomly) for the past Invictus game I played with him was one I had fond memories of (they must have been fond, the game was 5 years before). He of course allowed my to select the same Arabian Priestess with a secret. Last time he let me keep the sheet, but since it was printed on cardstock, I didn't have it in my notebook at the con. He did of course have another copy, but he no longer allows players to take the sheets home. 

The game was a great romp, with investigation and fighting, as expected from an Invictus game, and again, the dice rolled in our favour at the right times, making the story work for us (I rolled 3 times under 05, once for Mythos, and twice on my final hits against the big bad). 

I now have an updated version of the character, and am looking for ways to get her back to the table. Maybe I'll just have to wait another 2 years.

I bought the GGP version of Cthulhu Invictus, and this has inspired me to go back to a scenario I was working on during Covid, so stay tuned for more Invictus content.

Finally, as a group, we signed up for an escape room that was set up in one of the rooms in the gaming space. The room was set up by Escape Rhode Island, and all 5 of the Montreal contingent signed up to do it at the same time. I think the others were much more into their Escape Rooms that I was. We completed it with time to spare, but I think the others were kind of miffed that the person (who was in the room with us) gave a few hints. So, I'm still on the m'eh side of the bench when it comes to Escape Rooms, as this one did nothing to change my thoughts.

In other gaming style things from the con, I didn't go to the Extra-Life event, it didn't seem to be that large spectator event it had been in previous years, taking place as it did in a closed off café in the lobby. I don't feel I missed out.

I also had tried to get into a game by Matt Sanderson. The game sold out literally 5 seconds after the gaming reservations opened. Indeed, a place did come up in that game, but I didn't see the email in time. So that leaves one keeper still on the hit list to play with at the con.

I had gone in to the Con feeling that I would do less gaming, and that I wanted to concentrate on the other events. I did manage this, however, the gaming was again a highlight of the Con for me, and I am glad I managed to get in the games I did.

Adventurer tally:

Death: 1

Survival: 3

Not a bad tally really. In all games, the players were savvy, and didn't do anything rash, and the Keepers rewarded thoughtful play. All in all a very respectable tally, and a rewarding set of games played.