WynterCon 2018

TLDR: Wierd, eclectic event on grass under a big top. Stunning cosplay. Lots of one hour RPG games - which suits me as a referee. Not recommended for dedicated RPG players.


I don't know what WynterCon IS!

Their own blurb describes it as:

"The South Coast's largest community, family friendly, multi-genre, fantasy, cosplay and Sci-Fi event, all held under an all weather big top."

I first went five years ago when it was fledgling SteamPunk convention as part of a hopeful group of RPG referees. We got very little trade, being hidden away at the back of a rather spawning city centre community venue. I didn't go back for the second year, only to find that they'd re-organised the RPG offerings and had been overwhelmed with demand.

So I've been back for the three most recent ones. And had a great time every time. After the third event it moved out of the town centre and up the road to a local park where the event now takes place under a massive candy striped big top.

What they've done is to offer short one hour demonstration type games on an on demand basis. And the local community seem to just lap it up.

The basics:

WynterCon is a 2 day convention in Eastbourne on the South Coast. It runs from 10-5 on Saturday and 10-4 on Sunday. With its large range of eclectic offerings there's loads for people to see and do. Especially children for which there are several targeted craft activities and stalls.

So I guess it makes sense to have games which can fit into a relatively short day which you can do in between other events.

As with all 2 day events now, I arrange to travel down Saturday morning - even if it means getting up at stupid o'clock - stay one night in a cheap hotel or B&B, and travel back Sunday evening. This cuts costs significantly.

I tried using Facebook live to document my journey. This was seen by an old friend who contacted me en route and offered me a lift from the station to the event, saving sme a taxi fare. Excellent!

The "RPG zone" is right in front of the main entrance. Half a dozen tables offering 5th Ed D&D, One Dice (multiple genres), Mouse Guard, Pugmire, Star Wars and at least one other that I've missed. As well as my own "Choose Your Adventure" set-up which fits right in here. Because it's under a big top, you're playing on grass, which feels really odd. (There were Daleks in attendance but they were unusually placid.)

It isn't particularly warm - which is why all my photos show me in a thick wooly jumper rather than my usual waistcoat. It was also pouring down with rain and the big top isn't 100% watertight so you have to be careful where you position your table to avoid the occasional drip. It's a unique experience.

Saturday I ran four games:

- the Great Airship Robbery. (Steampunk) The party managed to save about one half of one airship.
- One of our dinosaurs is missing. (Steampunk). Some great ideas and puns which really fleshed out this scenario for future run outs. But I can't mention them without giving spoilers.
- Fireball XL5 - carnage, complete carnage. When Professor Matt Matic's EM pulse device took out the Fireball crew's jet bikes rather than the planetomic missile aimed at Earth, Venus was forced to sacrifice herself and Fireball to physically intercept it.
- One of our Clerics is missing - my intro Scenario from the upcoming Role Playing Relief book. Played using The Black Hack rather than my d6 Hack. You get a lot of returning players at WynterCon and this group had played my usual TBH intro scenario in 2017. The party were very successful but pushed things a bit too far and their fighter got turned into a pin cushion in a goblin ambush.

In between all of this I had my photo taken with numerous great Cos Players - the main one being a REALLY impressive Thanos.

After a slow start the RPG zone was really busy.

When the convention shut down at 5:00pm, rather than return to my B&B for the night, or take part in unstructured socialising, I visited the local games cafe - Mana Gaming - to try and drum up an evening game. However, due to the poor weather there were very few people there and I hadn't had a big enough run up to promote a game and drum up players myself. It was an excellent venue and I ate there rather than elsewhere in town. And they try to invite me into a board game and card game. Now that I've found the place and made contact, I will be back next year and I will find players for a game.

Sunday seemed to be even busier than Saturday. Despite being an hour shorter, I ran five and a quarter games (see below).

- The Evolution of Species (Steampunk meets Harry Potter). The RPG organiser brought two Potter Heads to me. Early teen girls in robes with wands. I adapted my standard steampunk game, setting it in a Steampunk technology University. Just as they were being squelched in the climax we grabbed a passing family to join in and play the cavalry coming over the hill.
- One of our Dinosaurs is missing (Steampunk) - my friend's family. Great fun but I felt the dice forced me to needlessly torment his daughter.
- Superheroes vs. Dinosaurs (Superheroes) - a family with two hyperactive young sons who sat down, started playing and told me - 5 minutes in - that they only had 15 mins due to an appointment at the Light Sabre training. I mean I'm good and I think I handled it very well, wrapping things up satisfactorily - but it felt wierd. I felt sorry for a lady who was also playing the game whose session I thought had been needlessly disrupted. So.......
- I ambushed two young teenage girls and inveigled them to the table to give the woman a full game. A totally female table (except for me) running a completely female party. We did my standard TBH intro. They pursued a fleeing goblin straight through the dungeon to the last room. But the scenario delivered as always.
- Then the two Potter fans returned with a friend for more "Steamwarts" fun. I swear I might actually publish this setting! A version of "One of our Dinosaurs is missing" where one of the characters imploded. My second all female party of the day.
- The day finished with a final run through of my standard TBH dungeon with one of the players telling me 30 mins in that they only had 10mins left.

I love WynterCon. It's weird and eclectic and the only convention where EVERYONE does what I usually do alone. And it had an audience that craves these short form games.  So it's a good place for a refereeing addict to get a fix. If you're local and seeking a fun day out - especially for the kids - it's worth a visit. I wouldn't recommend it for dedicated RPG players.