Liverpool ComiCon

TLDR: Large, friendly ComicCon - moderately successful at introducing people to TTPRGs.

Any who's read my  TTRPG convention reports knows I've got a side project - visiting non-gaming Geek conventions to try to introduce fellow nerds to our wonderful hobby. Steampunk, Anime, Sci Fi etc. To date I'd never managed to get my foot under the table at a big ComiCon. But I kept writing emails.

Eventually, I got a reply from the organisers of Liverpool ComiCon saying they'd give me a try. So I decided to give it a go rather than going to the wonderful AireCon, a general gaming convention in Harrogate. (They seemed to have enough TTRPG referees anyway.)

It was too late to get on the website or in the programme. And getting a hotel in Liverpool that weekend turned out to be difficult and, potentially, expensive. But I found a cheap B&B on the edge of town.

I was working and so missed the first day of the event, on Friday. Even so, I found it easier to go up Friday night rather than "stupid o'clock" Saturday morning as I usually do. Luckily the B&B was amazing value. The owner apologised for not upgrading me (I didn't ask) explaining it was due to them being full owing to "the match". That explained why hotels were expensive and hard to come by. If you're visiting Liverpool, try not to do it on the weekend of a match.

Early morning, I got a taxi into town. The convention was in a massive hall in a new exhibition centre looking out over the Mersey. I was given two tables at the quieter end of the hall, away from main part of the convention. I was in between the stage - which was in the main hall rather than a side room - and the celebrity signing booths. My one request was to be placed away from the PA, so I had my misgivings at being so close to the stage. There was plenty of space at that end of the hall, however, and I was told I could set my tables up however I wanted. Unusual for such big event where space is usually at a premium. I was also given the six chairs I requested. Three of them were linked together, but this later turned out to be a godsend.

I set up and found I'd left my waistcoat - and essential part of my "gaming persona" - back at the B&B. Luckily I still had my trademark flat cap. (I'm pretty forgettable without these gimmicks.)

Apart from the stage the rest of the hall was filled with the usually ComiCon stands and displays. A full size X-Wing, Daleks, the A team van, KITT, the time travelling Delorian etc. etc. The local Gaming Cafe had a stand with their own "Iron GM" - a very impressive young lady - offering intros to 5th Ed D&D.

The signing tables behind me included:

Jayne Cobb and  Simon Tam - off of "Firefly"
Lois and Clarke - from "The New Adventures of Superman"
Paulie from the "Rocky" films
Eric Roberts
Boysie - "Only Fools and Horses"
Someone from the Twilight movies
And Sting (The Wrestler)

So a pretty fair crop of celebrities. There were also several "Power Rangers" actors elsewhere in the hall.

About an hour after I arrived, other stands began setting up around me - classic computer consoles, face painting, and rescue dogs. An eclectic collection. They asked if they could have my chairs and when I said "no" they begin taking chairs away from the area in front of the stage.

Doors opened at 9am. 15,000 tickets had been sold for Saturday. It took a while but I eventually inveigled some people into a game. Two wonderful young ladies - new the hobby. They wanted to try Steampunk. THEY introduced the "lady of the night" into the scenario. Quote of the game - "OMG we lost the prostitute but got a Giant Gorilla instead." They seemed to enjoy themselves.

It was then that I discovered that people had been taking my chairs when my back was turned. Luckily no one took the three that were linked together.

After that I ran two games of my standard D&D introduction - Matt Colville's "The Delian Tomb" using David Black's "The Black Hack" rules. A perfect combination that always delivers. Because of the lack of chairs, I often had to referee standing up.

As I'd feared, the noise from the PA could be a problem - not during the celebrity panels so much, but mainly when the host tried to whip up the audience in between. She was LOUD. Also, Steve Guttenberg - from "Police Academy" - wasn't at the convention but had sent a short message explaining his absence recorded on his iPhone - which they showed every five minutes between panels. That got a bit trying.

I also had to move my gaming table when the queue to see "Sting" got so long that it began to run right past us.

My fourth game was Steampunk again,  for a family of four. When I gave my standard intro - which included the bit about Darwin finding Dinosaurs in Australia - the daughter's eyes lit up, so I ran my "One of our dinosaurs is missing" scenario.

The fifth game was "The Delian Tomb" again. This was for a family of three but I grabbed a passerby to make up the numbers. It was the classic situation of the mother not wanting to play because she was "no good at games" and then having a great time.

My sixth and last game was Superheroes - "Superheroes vs. dinosaurs".

After 4pm things began to wind down a bit, but having run 6 one hour games in the 9 hour convention day (9am to 6pm) I count it a moderate success. Most of the players were complete newbies to the hobby. I also managed to sell a "Role Play Relief" book.

l went to see Captain Marvel in the evening. (When did cinemas get so expensive?)

I got up early for breakfast - "help yourself continental" at that hour. The 24hr reception guy asked what I was in Liverpool for. When I explained,  he asked “which genre”? !  It turns out he’s a Warhammer/Bloodbowl player - and a silversmith who makes figures and Dragons out of silver and semi-precious stones. The world is getting smaller!

I got to the hall early again and stole back the chairs from the stands that had raided me on Saturday, covering them with my table cover between use.

It was another successful day with six games:

1. Superheroes vs Dinosaurs. One player was a young lady who'd been introduced to 5th Ed D&D at the gaming cafe stand on Saturday. The freedom of TTRPGs was going to her head a bit. All she wanted was a Raptor as a pet to set it on people to eat. This lead to a Hero vs Hero fight with one of her more moral team-mates. Oh, and everything they tried to close the portal to the past just kept making it bigger - so we ended up with Dinosaurs overrunning Birmingham.
2. A Grandmother and her two primary school age grandsons. One had the 5th Ed starter set and wanted advice on how to get started. I ran my usual "The Delian Tomb" adventure and pointed them towards the Gaming Cafe.
3. Another run out for "One of our dinosaurs is missing". Quote of the game from Lady Melissa "Well done, Lucius. I shall save my pheromones for another day!"
4. "The Delian Tomb" again, this time I nearly had a "Total Party Kill". Sometimes the adventure is easy. Other times it's a killer.
5. "The Delian Tomb" AGAIN. We had a couple of players with more joining in later, so I steered them towards to hidden final room to allow the latecomers to play a bit more.
6. I rounded off my games with a Dr Who adventure. I had 6 players including the raptor-lover from earlier in the day. She wanted to play Hitler which I - foolishly - allowed.  Her companion chose to play The Queen . As you'd guess, things went a bit wacky, with characters being sucked out into space as one of the more mundane encounters. I only went with this as it was the last game of the convention and it was what the six players wanted.

Things petered out later in the day again so I was able to watch and enjoy the "Firefly" panel - and hear them moan about the constant showing of the Steve Guttenberg video.

One of my weaknesses is that I don’t yet have a “where to next” leaflet or business card to hand out. Of the dozens of people I introduced to the hobby this weekend. I don't know how many will be taking it up. I gave anyone who asked my email address, directed them to the local Gaming Cafe and to the online forum “The Tavern”.

That aside, 12 fun one hour games in 2 days is a success, so I may be back again next year.