Howdy!
what's new
It's been a packed few weeks for The Chaos TTRPG. The game continues to sell out, and I've now ordered its third print run, so I can't thank enough those who've picked it up.
On the Patreon I've laid out a quick isometric dungeon room battlemap to use, and three new secret roll generators for you:
- stress fracture, which picks up from the game's stress rolls, allowing you to select whichever stress result got rolled, and you'll get a situation that flows directly from it, something that's biting right now because of what the character's carrying, then three ways the player (or you if you're running this solo) might choose to play it;
- favour caller, which pulls from the past a favour owed or due, and gives the character(s) a real decision to be made, and consequences depending on how it's dealt with; and
- weave fray, which gives you more juice to pour whenever arcane magicks are let loose in The Realm, consequences that might follow the weaver and others in ways that'll make things...interesting.
That aside though, my main focus in the last few weeks had been on a local convention we set up in Glasgow, the first hopefully of many in the city in the years to come. We called it the Glasgow Tales & Tabletop Gathering, as there was a story element to it via the Critical Chance Collective charity. It was a total blast, with lots of games run across the weekend, some larping, traders, and late night games of Blood on the Clocktower & Vampire the Masquerade. We're already planning a bigger and better for March next year, so if you'll be in the city around that time, keep your eyes peeled!
What was amazing for me at the con was that, from my stall, I was able to see someone running a session of The Chaos. The GM decided to run the free two-page adventure Them Bleedin' Woods, and by all accounts the table had a lorra lorra fun - the creature creation tables led to some sort of venomous duck-type monster that generated total havoc. I know the game's been played by loads of folk through playtesting and since the game's been unleashed into the wild, but this was the first time I'd seen with my own eyes a bunch of strangers playing it, and that was pretty cool.
running games at a con
Watching the game unfold last weekend, it came across that it was basically a perfect case study in what makes a one-shot work at a convention, so let's talk a little about how to make the most of running games with strangers at an event like that.
Speed to the table matters more than anything
First thing to bear in mind is that a con slot is usually short. Nobody wants to spend forty minutes on character creation when they've only got a couple of hours total and a queue behind them. I designed the game to lean on quick generation on that front, precisely so a table of strangers can be playing within a few minutes, but if you're running a system that's a little more involved when it comes to generating characters, best thing to do is to have pre-generated character sheets ready to hand out to players. Basically, it's a case of quickly introducing what the players' next few hours is going to be about, and giving them their choice of the pre-gens that you've got ready that fit that vibe, so they can just pick their characters, ask whatever questions they need, and then launch into it.
Random tables are your greatest friends
The weird ass duck creatures happened because the tables were doing what they're supposed to do: throwing out combinations nobody would have written on purpose. At a con, where you've got one shot with a group who've never touched the system before, that kind of unplanned weirdness is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It gives the table a shared "did that actually just happen" moment early doors, which tends to carry the rest of the session. So whatever game you're running, make sure you've got a bunch of random tables covering names, quick encounters or NPCs, and anything else that you can roll quickly on to shake things up or get you through the next few moments, particularly where you're not sure yet if the players are immersed or interested enough.
The GM has to be willing to let it go sideways
None of that works if the person running the game tries to steer things back to a script. The best con one-shots I've played in or heard about are the ones where the GM treats a strange table result as a gift, not a problem to route around. Fiendish ducks show up, the ducks stay, the session gets better for it. One-shots at cons won't break the multiverse. They're just a great way to share an experience, to introduce one or two mechanics of a system the players might not have played before, and so it ain't the end of the world if they get slung in another direction when the players make decisions you hadn't envisaged. So yeah, stretch those arms out wide, close your eyes, and lean into the breeze of uncertainty on your face.
Strangers at a table need permission to be silly
There's often a moment early in a con game where the group's still feeling each other out. A daft, unexpected result, like a table full of hostile ducks, tends to break the ice fast. Once one person laughs at the absurdity, the whole table relaxes into it. If someone tries a voice for their character, make sure that this is encouraged, but don't force everyone else to adopt a voice or persona. It's just about helping everyone at the table feel safe enough to explore the boundaries of their imagination in their own way.
Pulling together the practical stuff for running a table at a con
There's more to it than this, of course, but talking to the GM afterward got me thinking more broadly about what actually helps a con one-shot go well, beyond just "let the tables do their thing." A few things worth having sorted before you sit down:
Know your time budget before you sit down. Con slots rarely run the full advertised length once you account for people finding the table, a quick rules rundown, and a bit of a buffer at the end for questions. It helps to mentally divide the slot into three rough chunks: setup, play, and a wind-down, and to know which chunk you're willing to shrink if things run long.
Have a hook that needs no backstory. Nobody at a con table has read your setting notes. A one-shot works best when the premise can be explained in a sentence or two and the characters can be dropped straight into a situation, rather than needing a briefing first.
Keep a mental list of "yes, and" moments to reach for. When something like the duck creatures shows up, having the instinct to say yes and build on it, rather than pausing to work out whether it makes sense, keeps the pace up. You can always tidy the logic later. At a con, momentum matters more than consistency.
Read the table, not just the sheet. Con players are often a mix of veterans and complete newcomers. Watching who's quiet and gently pulling them into a decision matters more than pushing through content. A shorter session where everyone got a moment beats a longer one where two people did all the talking.
Let a strange result become the throughline. Rather than treating an odd table result as a one-off joke, the strongest con sessions tend to pick it up again later. If the ducks show up in round one, brace for the ducks to matter by the end. That callback is often what people remember and talk about afterward. It's what the best comedians tend to do in their shows, anchoring something to come back to which gives a sense of things tying in, creating or marking a moment later on where players can jump on it as they'll remember it being introduced.
Don't over-explain the rules up front. A quick "here's how you roll, here's what stress does" is plenty. Most systems, The Chaos included, are easier to pick up by playing a round than by being talked through every mechanic before anyone's touched a card. So it's about focusing more on the unfolding narrative and handling mechanics only when they arise.
As I say, there's way more to it than this, but to me, if you focus on these things you'll stand a greater chance of running a memorable one-shot at your next con. I'd love to hear your own tips though, what got you through your last one, what you think con GMs should try or focus on, and also let me know if you fancy running The Chaos at your next event, as its self-contained approach makes it ideal for a one-shot with strangers.
thanks so much!
for your support & inspiration
Please share the game with all & sundry, spreading The Chaos into every dark corner its flickering torches haven't quite reached. My aim is for the game to grow like an invigorating fungus on the minds of the OSR community and beyond, and I can't thank you enough for being a part of this.
Meantime, if you've not yet joined The Realm discord, here's the link for that, and I look forward to seeing you there! Be sure to let me know any suggestions you have about what to include in the next issue, or about the game itself, and enjoy the rest of your day. :)
Best,
Scott
0 comments