VENGER CON Success

 

Wow, that was something!

I didn't realize what an undertaking this would be, but I'm glad I did it.  According to me, and many of the attendees I talked to (including Lord Matteus), VENGER CON was a big success.  Hey, that's what it's all about, making people happy, giving them a great experience, and ensuring they didn't waste their money.

I reached a new personal record - on Friday I GMed for 10 hours (not continually, I also ate and went to the restroom).  Previously, my record was about 6 (hmm... maybe 7).  On Saturday I ran for about 6 hours, and 4 hours on Sunday.  The rest of the time, I was hanging out with gamers, taking pictures, preparing for my own sessions, running errands, and fine dining at Popeye's and Chili's.

It was such a small convention, about 27 [no one from my family, Kiwi Farms] that we really got to know each other better.  With bigger cons, you meet people, enjoy their company, and then don't see them again.  

Gamers hailed from San Francisco California, Rochester New York, Toledo Ohio, and somewhere in Canada.  Only a handful from WI... a prophet is seldom heeded in his own land.

Session report(s)...

I decided to run Cha'alt exclusively all weekend.  My familiarity and enjoyment of the eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting allowed me to run and keep running throughout VENGER CON.  Additionally, it was easy to accept drop-in players who were looking for action after their last game ended.

It's not easy starting with 2 or 3 players and then accommodating as many as 10 a couple hours in, but with Cha'alt, I knew I could do it.  It helped having hardcovers of the new Chartreuse Shadows book.  Two pallets of books arrived a couple days prior to the con.  Flip-through video here!

Both finer details and big-picture lore were created during those sessions.  From Dewba'ak-Raptors to gargantuan A'atuin sand-turtles to female dwarves who prefer beards made of glass beads, rather than hair.

The biggest question of all... was PSYCHOCOSM achieved?  That point where you can't tell where the game's reality begins and the real world ends?  Definitely.  Like REM sleep, you can't just snap your fingers and get right into it.  Such deep immersion must be earned.

For now, I'll just record some of my favorite words and phrases from my sessions.  Enjoy!

• "Don't fuck (with) anything that can kill you with one swing."
• "Wage-slaves for the Elder Gods."
• "Tentacle tuna taco."
• "You're ankle deep in gold!"
• "The director realized there needed to be more fuchsia in the shot... sudden hot-pink headband."
• "Like Sharon Stone crossing her legs in a golden thong."
• "Put that into your mind-bong and smoke it!"
• "The priest opens a small portal and chartreuse tentacles come out to lay on hands."
• "Zoth-lite... Elder God ichor you can safely drink."
• "The tentacled gloves are coming off, hoss!"
• "Next convention should be called VENGER CON II: Electric Boogaloo."

I'd like to thank VENGER CON's principle sponsor, Tom K. Wankum.  Check out his Crawlspace RPG and other titles over at Peryton Publishing.

Before going, I also want to thank everyone for their fantastic attitude, support, and kindness throughout the convention.  I really, really appreciated it!

Follow me on Twitter @VengerSatanis to see even more pics.

Sending out Kickstarter hardcovers starts tomorrow morning.  Your patience shall be rewarded!

VS

p.s. Will there be another VENGER CON next year?  Yes, I think so.  Give me a week or two before I make an official announcement.

Hardcovers Have Arrived

 

So, the big news is that two pallets of Cha'alt: Chartreuse Shadows hardcovers were delivered yesterday afternoon.

I checked out several boxes, and all the books look amazing!!!  Here's a video of me flipping through the book!

To those attending VENGER CON this weekend, yours will be there.  To everyone else who either backed or pre-bought the hardcover, I'll start sending them out on Monday.

If you want yours sooner than later, paypal me $75 (that includes the shipping/handling domestic - foreign shipping add $40) at Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Speaking of the convention, I thought it would be fun to have a d100 random table that everyone can use.  I'll be using it in my own Cha'alt marathon this weekend, and I hope others will, as well.  That way, we can all be kind of connected.

You can find that random table PDF (NOT behind the paywall, everyone has access) over on my SubscribeStar page.

Is there any danger regarding our occultism infecting this reality?  Possibly... 

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. Just this morning I uploaded the Cha'alt Criterion campaign / adventure checklist to SubscribeStar... however, that is behind the paywall. 

Meatgrinder Cha'alt Character Sheet

 

Here's a look at the third character sheet that I'll be using in my in-person Cha'alt games.  Specifically, this weekend at VENGER CON.

I've named the entities Myra'ak, Myka'aw, and Ryka'ard (friends call him Richard).

Obviously, if you print it out on white paper, you can color it yourself.  I included chartreuse and fuchsia paper versions to give you an idea of what it looks like on colored paper.

The PDF for Cha'alt character sheet #3 is for subscribers over at my SubscribeStar page!  Support content that's censor-proof... oh yeah, the really depraved stuff is coming!  You won't want to miss it.

Enjoy,

VS

Cha'alt Character Sheets

 

While Monstark is creating something for GMs running Cha'alt, I hand-drew some character sheets for Cha'alt players... 

At the moment, the only way to download both versions is a $5 a month subscription to my SubscribeStar account.  I'll have plenty of blank character sheets available at VENGER CON.

Make your Lovecraftian entity come to life!!!

Want to see more variations on that theme?  Just let me know!

For both VENGER CON attendees and those at home wanting some eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic action, I'm creating a d100 table for GMs running Cha'alt.  The more ideas from the list you include in your game, the more you win!  There's no prize, it's just for fun... unless you count making reality that much more awesome.

If you can think of other virtual, remote options for those who wanted to attend but couldn't, please let me know.  Also, if you can help facilitate whatever your suggestion is, such as running one or more Cha'alt sessions yourself on Roll20 or Discord or wherever, even better!

Book 3 of the Cha'alt trilogy, Chartreuse Shadows, is being printed now and will hopefully ship next week.  In the meantime, I'm still running a ridiculously insane 50% off sale on just the original Cha'alt hardcovers.  See details here.

Ok, I've got to get back to organizing the convention since it's next weekend.  I still want to have some playtest material for the new Encounter Critical, and that won't write itself.

Have a good one, hoss!

VS

p.s. The top (orange) entity's name is Zeefyma'ath.  The bottom (yellow-green) entity shall be called Queba'a.  

Cha'alt Hardcover Sale

 

This statement was posted on SJG's website, smearing conservatives, centrists, and just an unnecessarily wide swathe of Americans.  

To me, it sounds like Steve Jackson Games doesn't want your money if you're pro-life.  I believe in the sanctity and preservation of human life.  Additionally, I believe it's fitting that states, their representatives, and the people get to decide abortion laws for themselves.

Prior to VENGER CON (and at the convention), I'm offering a HUGE sale on hardcover Cha'alt books. Cha'alt is my eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign usable with any RPG that vaguely resembles Dungeons & Dragons.

They're limited edition, signed and numbered, deluxe production values you won't see from the big RPG companies.  Hardcovers always include the PDF (just let me know your DTRPG email address).

Want to read a review?  There's over a dozen right here!

Each hardcover will slither off the shelves for the utterly ridiculous price of $30 + $5 shipping/handling, assuming domestic shipping.  Outside the USA, it's $30 + $50 (sorry, shipping was incredibly expensive even before the pandemic).  You can paypal me at Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Support independent creators who share (or at the very least respect) your values!

VS

Nightwish Movie Review

 

I haven't reviewed a movie on this blog in a long time.  Well, I watched Nightwish (1989) yesterday, and now I want to talk about it.

The TL;DR version is that it's weird and recommended (especially if you love Cha'alt)... but don't go in thinking it's going to rock your world.  This is standard B-movie fare.

There's a little bit of From Beyond, Altered States, The Haunting, and probably a half-dozen other movies blended within.  Here's the gist - a team consisting of parapsychology students, their teacher, and his Igor stand-in go to some remote house to study ghosts or aliens or demonic forces.  Wackiness ensues.

There's something going on... something wrong with this area of the desolate location.  I believe I heard animal mutilation, people going crazy, maybe there was a line about bug infestations.  The exposition is kind of blasted at you like a shotgun.

The reasons I liked it are the following...

• One character is like the stereotypical Chad on steroids.  
• There's enough otherworldly color going on to give Dario Argento a run for his money.
• Some nice skin is shown - BOOBS!!!
• A woman orgasmically writhes around a cavern floor surrounded by magenta and chartreuse mist (it's like they recorded it straight from my Cremza'amirikza'am sessions).  
• Badass special effects that were both super cool and utterly gross.
• Cool ideas mashed together... is it ghosts, aliens, demonic forces, or something else?
• Unexpected, but not out of nowhere gonzo-twist ending.  

While Nightwish could have used another editing pass on the script, it did a fine job.  The acting was serviceable.  The girls were cute.  The FX were superb.  It just needed more to push it over the top, either unifying it or making it even more scattershot surreal.  Imagine if this had John Carpenter's flair, or at least one of his epic synthesizer scores!

I happened to buy the new blu-ray disc, but maybe you can watch it for free somewhere?  I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.

One more awesome thing came from watching Nightwish... while I was thinking of different scenes I could slip into my upcoming Cha'alt marathon session at VENGER CON in 3 weeks, it occurred to me that a checklist would help compile all my GMing notes together in one place.  That would work even better if it contained all the things that go into a Cha'alt adventure or campaign.

Check out the latest update on my SubscribeStar page to see the rough draft.  I'm having an artist work on the revision and when it's finished, it'll be awesome.  Expensive, but awesome...

Your support allows me freedom to work without the fear of losing everything if I'm canceled.  

Happy 4th of July, hoss!  Independence... it's a wonderful thing.

VS

Rainbow Bound

 

I have some good news, which may or may not surprise folks out there in RPG land.

Aside from just a few minor changes that need to be made, Rainbow Crystal Utopia passed with flying colors.  I've already sent over the necessary alterations to layout.

I'm pleased with the relatively light editing hand used by OneBookShelf, which means a positive step in the right direction.

Of course, DTRPG has to re-review the title before it's finally approved, "whitelisted", and made public, but it looks like we won't have to wait too long before it's back up on the virtual shelves.  

If you just can't wait, you can still get the PDF from me (details here).  

Thanks,

VS

p.s. Attend this month's VENGER CON, and support me on SubscribeStar!