It Can't Possibly Be Time For Gencon 2012.

Happy to report that this has not happened to me in a dream... yet.

I know this must happen to hundreds of people every year, but it's finally happened to me, this year, this Gencon - how did time move so quickly for Gencon to only be a week away? Something evil is playing at the edges of reality. Don't trust the things that move (or don't move in a conspicuous manner!) at the corners of your vision. It's gremlins, gotta be gremlins. Of course it could be leprechauns. Not the nice kind that give you gold, but the evil kinds portrayed in a long run of perpetually-poorly made sequels and prequels. You get the idea, something wicked this way comes, etc.

Regardless (not Irregardless - that'd be evil gremlin talk), Gencon being a week away means it's time to get to business thinking about what this year's gonna mean for me. Usually I start Gencon preparation in two ways - what I want to play, and what I want to buy. I'm happy to say that the what I want to play greatly outnumbers the what I want to buy category for this year.


Outside of the random find after an awesome demo experience, I've limited myself to three things I really want and a couple of things I'm interested in more than a little.

White Wolf rarely disappoints in the art department.

First up is the newest New World of Darkness fat splat. I love Geist The Sin-Eaters, even if I know I'll never get a real chance to play it. The nWoD books are just quite engaging and a down-right good read. Mummy the Curse, by all the previews and the general pedigree of the line, looks to be another solid release from White Wolf. To be honest with you, I'm not really sure how playing as a group of Mummies is going to work out, but I do know the Egyptian theme is as close to Lovecraft as you can often get, and this is probably the item I'm most excited for this year.

Next up, I'm really anticipating Tales from the Wilderland from Cubicle 7 for The One Ring RPG. The original box set released last year was gorgeous, and while I'm less than excited to hear about the trouble Cubicle 7 is having with releasing their pdf's for the game, I'm still really excited to read through a physical copy of the game's first supplement.

I'm a huge Tolkien fan, more than Star Wars, more than Game of Thrones, more than anything really. I'm contented to sit down and read about the border control problems the bounders are having at the edge of Hobbiton for hours on end.

What's that? Cubicle 7 is releasing a book of adventures for the game? To the same amazing quality of the original One Ring boxset? Yes, I'm sold.

Second City - I want to be in you!

One of the stealthier releases planned for Gencon is actually one of the most expensive RPG's planned for release. Legend of the 5 Rings has what appears to be one of the most expensive RPG's at the show. I'm very much on record as an unabashed fan of L5R Fourth Edition. I believe AEG's production quality on this game is second to none. They release the prettiest products jam-packed with huge amounts of content.

Pictured to the right of here is the only image we have for a new type of product for 4th Edition - their first box set. Titled the Second City, I can't even link you to a product description page on AEG's website (because gremlins hid it, I swear! Prove me wrong internet and find me where it is!). Sadlly, the most description I can find for it is on FRP Games' product description page. I dearly hope they're wrong about the price at $80.00, since I'm not sure I can justify paying retail for it at the show. Still, I now if AEG prices it at that, it's going to be good. Also, the technique cards described to come with it sound fun and useful, so bonus!

Check in soon for a follow-up post on what I want to play!