Final hours to win Dark Journey by Kim Hartsfield!

[timburns]

Time is running out to win a free PDF of Dark Journey before it is released. Details here: http://bit.ly/eBILwr If we get at least 150 unique entrants, we'll give away two!

You can jump over to the blog and read about it, but basically you need to send me an email by midnight tonight (tuesday) answering the following question: what is the official state bird of arkansas? send answer to tim (@) trolllord.com and you will be entered with a chance to win, drawing will be after midnight tonight.

Thanks, Tim

[Treebore]

I hope that is midnight Pacific time. If your going by Eastern Time I was too late.

[timburns]

Tree, it was CST, you just made the cut because it was marked on my computer at 12:00. But unfortunately you didn't win. Kevin O'Brien won, so congrats to him and hopefully you will win next time. Also, I think you asked if we were goign to Origins this year. As of right now, that is our plan. You going?

[Treebore]

Also, I think you asked if we were goign to Origins this year. As of right now, that is our plan. You going?

Nothing firm, but if several things go right in the next month or two I should be able to make a lot of Conventions. Well, a lot in comparison to the three or four I have been able to make the last couple of years. So if things go well enough I hope to make Troll Con, Origins, Con on the Cob, and Neon Con. IF things go bad I might still make Neon Con.

[Omote]

If the Trolls manage to get to Columbus, that would be great. I could finally pick up a few items I need - bring your goodies Tim!

~O

[Joe]

How on earth do you folks afford to go to cons?

I was reading about Garycon last night and it sounds like a lot of fun and good vibes. I think I would prefer a small con compared to a monstosity like GenCon. (Crowds weird me out sometimes...especially when I'm trying to play an rpg.)

But we are talking what adds up to an entire vacation with hotels, food, travel, etc. When I get only one vacation a year its a toss up to visit family, or have quality time with my wife.
How do I convince her to screw family and romance and lets run off to marathon game at some con?

Do you guys have any strategy to keep the cons affordable?

[Omote]

I happen to live around a bunch of big cons, so that is pretty easy. For Origins in Columbus Ohio (I live in Cleveland) I used to live down there when I went to THE Ohio State University so that is pretty easy. The biggest con I attend is GenCon, and it is damn expensive with buying swag and staying in the overpriced downtown Indy hotels. The biggest expense is probably hotel and travel. For food, back in the day I used to conserve cash by bringing down my own food (grenola, cereal, etc). I used to catch rides with others going to the same convention and if you can stomach it, split room costs by 2, 3 or 4 and share hotel rooms.

There is no doubt that some conventions are just as expensive as a normal vacation. Since I'm not lucky enough to have a family beyond my lovely wife, going to cons and splurging on a fantastic time IS my vacation.

~O

[Treebore]

Round trip, rental car, etc... for just me, sharing a room, cost me about $800 plus food and a couple of purchases. So under $1,000.00. With a wife I would estimate an additional $600 in costs. I stayed Friday to Monday. This is Gary Con.

[Breakdaddy]

The first time I went to Gen Con I mitigated the costs by taking my entire gaming group of 6 and splitting the costs of travel and hotel with them. Of course, if you're taking the spouse then you're not going to find that a viable option in many cases, so you're going to be out of pocket a lot more. I think I spent a total of about 300 dollars on travel and hotel the first time I went to GC. That doesn't include food, which can be of the dollar menu variety or much more pricey fare. I also went kind of nuts in the dealer's hall that first time and spent about 400 bucks on random detritus. I won't be doing that again. If you go to GC have a targeted plan of attack on what you absolutely must have or you might end up regretting some of your impulse buys!

[AGNKim]

..and spent about 400 bucks on random detritus.

duh-TRI-tus

[Breakdaddy]

..and spent about 400 bucks on random detritus.

duh-TRI-tus

Word.

[Joe]

..and spent about 400 bucks

What did you do, buy two WHFRP products?

[Omote]

..and spent about 400 bucks

What did you do, buy two WHFRP products?

Probably just one.

~O