Troll Lord Games

So I ran another game of C&C / Eberron at my favorite Local Gaming Store, and once again it was a hit! It looks like this is going to be a monthly thing from now on as the demand is high and I can't even fill the need!
This past weekend, they fought a purple worm, serpents, a T-rex couple, a black dragon made an appearance (eating one of the dinos - LOL! thereby saving their rear ends), escaped a crushing wall trap, survived the jungle, and more importantly they did a TON of role playing.

Each and every time I get behind my DM screens at these monthly events, my blood pressure rises to the point where I could swear my temple is visibly twitching nervously. I'm not anti social, but definitely not the most social in the crowd, and yet there I was CKing an adventure to some strangers. OK... 3 people are repeat players so I kinda know them by now, and a few others come and go, but there are many curious by standers watching with great curiosity (it is a store after all). The games I've run have all been a success not only due to my story telling, but because C&C is there to make it easy for me to do my job. In 4 hours, I accomplished more than I could ever have dreamed possible with an actual 3.5 Eberron game. I would think the battle with the T-Rex pair would have taken on 2 hours alone, but with C&C it was done in 20 minutes and involved lots of interesting moments that would probably have been completely missed in a 3.5 session. I didn't have to roll 100 different skill checks to see if they could hear, see or feel the approaching dinos and neither did I have to do the same for the dino who stupidly tried to cross a rope bridge and then got tangled in it! LOL!

Everyone that watches in on these games or plays, go away with such satisfaction on their faces and I too feel happy with the knowledge that I made people happy. There were a couple of sleepy heads, but I think the weather had something to do with that (and they weren't there from the start!). Afterwards when I arrived at home, I must have had a grin on my face longer than Jack Nicholas as the Joker, cause my wife looked at me funny and said "what's the matter with you?". I was really happy to have met some new people, and hopefully converted them to C&C (or at least to a simpler D&D game that emphasized ROLE PLAYING), so I told my wife all about it. Her first question / statement was "And you don't get paid for this?". Well... I don't get paid and I had to actually purchase the 30$ black Dragon I used... so she said "and why not?".

I was stumped. I simply ignored the question and chased the dog around.
However, I do know why I do it... I love Role playing, but C&C has brought me back to what I love the most... being behind the scenes and watching the expressions on everyone's faces as I pull out my big black and describe the scene to the terrified players. Then the relief when I save their asses from a couple of hungry dinos! All this with the simplicity of C&C.

C&C Rocks!

I think more CKs out there should spread the word and show their stuff at local stores. Get the word out there and see if you can get more converts. It doesn't have to be Eberron, I use it cause I love it and it's the 'in thing' these days around where I am. The point is to get people to play the game like it was meant to be. Show those youngsters the old/new way of doing things, and take the older folks who've been lost in a virtual see of feats and skills and bring em back to simplicity!

Now to prep for next month...

LATER! 8)

I've been trying to get the Trolls to start up a "rewards" program, where running demos and stuff gets you something... though the fact that you're doing it is much appreciated, and I'm glad to hear you're having a good time at it. I agree, too, in that the best way to advertise C&C is to play it. Its one thing to read a game book and another to use it.

I ran a game on Saturday night for about 8 players I think...many of them from Arkansas. ANd though they had played a little, they hadn't really gotten into it. I think the whole bunch were converted in mass with the ease of the system. Once you get into it, it really is that easy.

James ran a bunch of Judges Guild material as well and bumped our sales of the PH with each run through.

I'm doing up a con-report/blog entry today and should get it live late this afternoon.

Still recovering a bit from the whole show, mad-cap drive across country, unloading the truck at 3 a.m. and other various and sundries.

Steve
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The High Lord, Coburg the Undying

He who sits on the elephants back

Castle and Crusade Society
troll@trolllord.com

You're far braver than I am!

I don't think I'd have the nerve to do such a thing.

Jynx wrote:
Each and every time I get behind my DM screens at these monthly events, my blood pressure rises to the point where I could swear my temple is visibly twitching nervously.

Jyrdan Fairblade wrote:
You're far braver than I am!

I don't think I'd have the nerve to do such a thing.

Brave or Suicidal and stupid!

For the most part, it's a 3.5 crowd!

After my first attempt 3 months back, I think I went home with a headache and an incredibly sweaty t shirt! Luckily I doubled up on DEO that day!
Ahhhh.... once you get there and you see that they're all gamers, you begin to relax after about 30-45 minutes. If they hate you, and you're lucky, they just walk away and say nothing.

Jynx wrote:
Everyone that watches in on these games or plays, go away with such satisfaction on their faces and I too feel happy with the knowledge that I made people happy. There were a couple of sleepy heads, but I think the weather had something to do with that (and they weren't there from the start!). Afterwards when I arrived at home, I must have had a grin on my face longer than Jack Nicholas as the Joker, cause my wife looked at me funny and said "what's the matter with you?". I was really happy to have met some new people, and hopefully converted them to C&C (or at least to a simpler D&D game that emphasized ROLE PLAYING), so I told my wife all about it. Her first question / statement was "And you don't get paid for this?". Well... I don't get paid and I had to actually purchase the 30$ black Dragon I used... so she said "and why not?".

Davis and I have long wanted to create a Gamer Guilder where we encourage people to go to local shops and showcase C&C. The Society would be the perfect vehicle for this . . . no doubt. Things are beginning to get far more organized and streamlined around here and hopefully in the coming months we'll see more of this take shape with benefits, coupons and the like for CKs.

I have to say, like Jynx, I really love role playing this game.

Steve
_________________
The High Lord, Coburg the Undying

He who sits on the elephants back

Castle and Crusade Society
troll@trolllord.com

You mentioned Black Dragon, I assume that you're talking about the new D&D mini. Do you have any pics? I've been meaning to pick it up. But I would like your personal opinion if it is worthwhile?
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Troll Lord wrote:
Davis and I have long wanted to create a Gamer Guilder where we encourage people to go to local shops and showcase C&C. The Society would be the perfect vehicle for this . . . no doubt. Things are beginning to get far more organized and streamlined around here and hopefully in the coming months we'll see more of this take shape with benefits, coupons and the like for CKs.

I have to say, like Jynx, I really love role playing this game.

Steve

Steve,

I hear you have several, several, last pages to get done. I want my modules, and Aihrde, and CKG, and... So get to work. We need a whipping emoticon!!

Not to sound too non-altruistic but I was a judge for Wizkid's Heroclix, Mechwarrior line pretty much from the start and started it off in two seperate stores...it ran well until they pulled the plug on the rewards.

Ultimately, the time investment wasn't worth the fun anymore. So my point is that if there is a guild that is created, the rewards system has to be a good system that is most importantly "sustainable". Otherwise, it will not be sucessful.

Sustainable by that i mean, the rewards should be at least equivalent to min. wage and that TLG can continually afford to pay out the rewards and not cut back. It's a tough system. If this is in the works, I'm open if you'd like to bounce ideas off me.
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Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Not to disagree with angelius too much... I think a reward program is great but it can also be costly... Discounts however... built into the rewards program can work very well as well as maybe the ability to receive certain products just a bit earlier than retailers are good ways to do this as well as the occasional exclusive item... a great bonus.

Other... larger... fatcats can much more easily afford to absorb such costs, and will, up to a certain point. For them it can often become an issue of the bottom line.

If TLG... a smaller company who works hard to put out great material, is inclined to do something like this and can safely afford to, then great. If not, I'd still be willing to demo this game at one of my local hobby shops with pleasure... and maybe a small amount of pride.

Moriarty the Red
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"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com

I'd love to try and bring this to My Parents Basement in Manitowoc WI - I've mentioned it several times but like a lot of stores the RPG selection has gotten narrower.

Personallly I would love to see product rewards, either through discount or the occasional freebee module.

John 8)
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/
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John "Sir Seskis" Wright

Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/

High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org

A rewards program would be good, but not necesary for me. I do it cause I love it. I run my own local web site dedicated to getting people together to role play, but I understand that not everyone is like me so a rewards program would be great I'm sure. However, Instead of giving stuff out for free, perhaps just offering discounts and such would be more affordable for the Trolls.

And to answer the following question...

angelius wrote:
You mentioned Black Dragon, I assume that you're talking about the new D&D mini. Do you have any pics? I've been meaning to pick it up. But I would like your personal opinion if it is worthwhile?

Yes that's the one. It's nice but only worth it if you like collecting those minis. I'm sure a large pewter mini with a great pain job would look much nicer, but of course would be $$$$$$ and very breakable. So it's really up to you. Go look at it before you buy!

Just a CK T-shirt is all that's needed to show I'm official...
Front: CnC logo with Official Castle Keeper label

Back: Kewl saying, something like... Beware the Moat!

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I'd be happy with a T-shirt and maybe a "discount" if I order straight from the Trolls. Just don't mkae the T-shirt white. I HATE white T-shirts.

Actually that's an idea... not necessarily the notion of a free T-Shirt... but I'd consider getting (buying) some 'Troll-wear' if it were available. Black of course... But I'd could be persuaded in a Troll-like Green.

8)

Moriarty the Red
_________________
"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com

I would buy Troll gear, I vote for a T-Shirt with a picture of the Hellhound on it.
_________________
CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

I vote:

Personalized Troll gear, or rather.... a pick one from column A, two from column B, and serleran from column C.

HAS to be a black T-shirt...
_________________
Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

Troll Lord wrote:
I ran a game on Saturday night for about 8 players I think...many of them from Arkansas. ANd though they had played a little, they hadn't really gotten into it. I think the whole bunch were converted in mass with the ease of the system. Once you get into it, it really is that easy.

Confirmed. We loved playing under Steve! My favorite part? I didnt have to be the only GM in the group for one night.
C&C Rocks mightily, which we already knew. I just had a couple of stragglers left in my group who were unsure. They are now convinced as well. Now that we're back home, Steve is going to have to sack up and run us through the rest of the module we started.

How about this.....

Troll Lord Games has been discussing C&C handbags, shirts and odd looking hats with the fine folks of Uniforms of Antiquity. These will begin appearing NO LATER than Gencon 2007, but probably much sooner. We can give DMs this bag, a t-shirt and the hat (to wear or not to wear at your cowardly descretion bwhahaha) for running events.

Steve
_________________
The High Lord, Coburg the Undying

He who sits on the elephants back

Castle and Crusade Society
troll@trolllord.com

Troll Lord wrote:
How about this.....

Troll Lord Games has been discussing C&C handbags, shirts and odd looking hats with the fine folks of Uniforms of Antiquity. These will begin appearing NO LATER than Gencon 2007, but probably much sooner. We can give DMs this bag, a t-shirt and the hat (to wear or not to wear at your cowardly descretion bwhahaha) for running events.

Steve

Sounds pretty nice, everyone loves good shwag like this. I could be enticed to run a game of C&C for something like a bag or shirt. Hell I would probably run one anyhow regardless of whether or not I got some free stuff, but the free stuff is a bonus. Now all I have to do is get enough cash flow together to go to another Gen Con. I am very likely to be heading to Troll Con when it happens as well. I think my guys are convinced that we should skip Gen Con next year and hit Dragon Con in Atlanta instead, but it remains to be decided with any sort of finality.

Troll Lord wrote:
How about this.....

Troll Lord Games has been discussing C&C handbags, shirts and odd looking hats with the fine folks of Uniforms of Antiquity. These will begin appearing NO LATER than Gencon 2007, but probably much sooner. We can give DMs this bag, a t-shirt and the hat (to wear or not to wear at your cowardly descretion bwhahaha) for running events.

Steve

Hmmmm....

I didn't want to start this thread as a way to beg for merchandise, rather a hope to get people out there CKing to local groups. I find it very rewarding in itself. However... I'm not one to turn away from an official TLG T-shirt and hat. That would make my game somewhat more 'official', even if I am using WOTC material as well. Would that be a problem... that fact that I use Eberron as a setting? How about those who use their own settings?

I know when I attended one 'official WOTC sactioned Eberron game' at the very same store, that I HATED it. It was very restricive in what you could and couldn't do, and there really was little need for a DM. The only good thing was I got a 2$ miniature for free.

Anyhow, it's up to you guys at TLG!

later...

Jynx

Speaking of TLG handouts and game conventions...

We're having a local Montreal Based Gaming convention. It's the first time it will be held but I know the organizers and they are certain it will be a success. I was going to run some C&C games but had to pull out due to last minute vacation changes. However, I know a few people that may be interested, but are having a hard time deciding. If TLG would provide some sort of gift then perhaps they can be convinced into doing it. The link is www.royalcon.ca.

I'm very disappointed that my vacation plans interfere with this, because there were no less than a dozen people asking me if I was going to run a game at the con.

Troll Lord wrote:
How about this.....

Troll Lord Games has been discussing C&C handbags, shirts and odd looking hats with the fine folks of Uniforms of Antiquity. These will begin appearing NO LATER than Gencon 2007, but probably much sooner. We can give DMs this bag, a t-shirt and the hat (to wear or not to wear at your cowardly descretion bwhahaha) for running events.

Steve

This is awesome Steve, I would run more demo games at the LGS if I had a goofy hat.
_________________
CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

Hey the Toronto Expo is coming soon Sept 1-3 i think. Is the TLG going to be there this year?
_________________
Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

I wish there was a nearby shop around here, I'd love to do something like this. I am working on converting the handful of groups in our area though. Already infected one group with C&C fever.

I wouldn't need any free swap go promote C&C over here (which has only maybe swayed about 9 or 10 people so far), but that'd be a sweet bonus! I'd go for a hat or a t-shirt, for sure.

Of course, put 'em in your online store, and you'll get MORE of my money that way.

meepo wrote:
Of course, put 'em in your online store, and you'll get MORE of my money that way.

Yeah. I'd sure as hell buy 'em.

"I don't need no instructions on how to rock."

By that I mean I need no incentive to run my favorite RPG, anywhere. But free books, on the other hand...
..........................................Omote

FPQ
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> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Jynx wrote:
Speaking of TLG handouts and game conventions...

We're having a local Montreal Based Gaming convention. It's the first time it will be held but I know the organizers and they are certain it will be a success. I was going to run some C&C games but had to pull out due to last minute vacation changes. However, I know a few people that may be interested, but are having a hard time deciding. If TLG would provide some sort of gift then perhaps they can be convinced into doing it. The link is www.royalcon.ca.

I'm very disappointed that my vacation plans interfere with this, because there were no less than a dozen people asking me if I was going to run a game at the con.

Cool... something that's only an hour an a half away!

Promo merchandise is cool too!

Moriarty the Red.
_________________
"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com