Stu

Ed and I and some folks have noticed that there seems to be an increasing number of ronin roleplayers wandering through the shop. Back in the go-go 90s, Colorado Springs had a ton of roleplayers and one dominant game shop, Compleat downtown. All any roleplayer had to do to get his or her needs met was to post a card on the bulletin board there and with a few phone calls, a suitable group could be arranged.

Times have changed, as we know, and emerging technologies and growth in the gaming hobby have ironically made it next to impossible to find a suitable roleplaying group in this town. There's a ridiculous number of shops in town, and the disproportionately large population of gamers has become balkanized. An excessive concentration of players has formed for the most popular rpg, which sadly isn't very good. And, as it has always been, finding the ideal group of gamers with whom to play is more complicated than simply picking a game and a night to play. Time to play with folks to assess their play styles and personalities is critical to find a group you'll enjoy for a period of time.

The Scenariodrome is an on-going collection of one-shot roleplaying games or short scenario arcs, designed to get groups of people together to see how they play, before deciding if they want to form a permanent group. It's a showcase for the kinds of games and scenarios that available local gms want to run. It can be a demonstration venue for new or underplayed games. What it is not is yet another opportunity to sign up for Living D&D or Pathfinder, or to announce a game going on at someone's house. Another thing it isn't is just one or two guys doing it. A number of gms deciding to participate will be beneficial in order to broaden the range of games played, the variety of play styles, and the days and times games can be offered. It would be desirable to spread games across the week, both so folks without weekends off can find a table, and so tables aren't constantly stepping on each other for space and volume at the same time, as they do on games days or "mini-cons." After all, this is meant for folks to get to know each other, you know?

The advantage to swiping the Scenariodrome banner and posting proposed games in the Scenariodrome thread is is that a style of playing can be branded, as it were, and be easily understood by potential players scanning the forum for something fun to play. Gms don't have to explain the background or purpose of their one-shots, players know what to expect when they get to the table, old-school and underplayed games can find an audience, and groups can come together in a low-pressure, low-expectation environment where they are actually playing games, rather than eating ice cream or buffing their characters for the Denver cons.

The rules of Scenariodrome:
1. You may talk about Scenariodrome. Please feel free to discuss Scenariodrom in this blog. Specific Scenariodrome scenarios will be given their own threads, where gms will post their blurbs and the pregenerated characters for them. I'll do this by saving the sheets as .jpegs, uploading them to photobucket, and inserting them directly in the post for that scenario. If the game gets played, hopefully players will post their thoughts and advenures from their character's perspectives, though they will be under no obligation to do so. Hopefully, gms will post pictures of the scenario being played, so potential players can see some fun they want to join in, and names and faces can come together more easily for folks new to the city and the shop. Again, though, there would be no particular obligation.

2. Scenariodrome games are played at Gamers Haven. I'm all about de-balkanizing the various shops and bringing everyone in the community together, but I have no love for the other shops, and as far as I'm concerned, they can de-balkanize here. I don't care if groups meet up and start playing at their houses or somewhere else, but don't attach the Scenariodrome banner to those games. I don't suppose I'll sue you if you do, but you'll be a choad.

3. Scenariodrome games are open to pretty much anyone who wants to sign up. There are some caveats to this. There will only be so many pre-gen characters for each game, and there may not be any space for overflow. GMs will be expected to set the tone for their games, and as such, they have to be free to deny a seat to someone they feel might be a poor fit for the game. I hope this doesn't sound harsh; the point of the Scenariodrome is to get folks together to play. Nonetheless, it's a necessary guideline gms need to ensure the likelihood of folks having fun.

4. If you want to run in the Scenariodrome, post in this blog for the things you would like to run or play. To post for a Scenariodrome thread, begin the subject line with "[Scenariodrome] Scenario Title." Tell a bit about your scenario, post the pre-gens, and get some suggestions for who wants to play what. When a day and time are selected (or right away, if there's no flexibility) post that information. Leave the thread open for further comment by the players.

5. Swipe the following banners, or any other Scenariodrome banners you like, put them in your photobucket, and add them to the end of relevant posts. This will build the "brand" and add a little flavor to the threads. The +1D10HP banner is specifically for games where the gm and players agree to bring somewhat healthy snacks.