The Local Scene

October is now a lot closer than you think, so again, here's fellow organiser Kevin Powe to tell you all about the big convention happening in that rapidly approaching month. Kevin?

Diary of a Con-Man

Well, a moon or two has passed since last I spoke, so it's time again to give the PTG,PTB readers the inside scoop on what's happening with that beast known as ConJure 98, the convention scheduled to run on October 10th and 11th.

It's now much easier to find out information about ConJure - our convention booklets have been in stores for a while, and our supply is only now beginning to meet the demand. For the first couple of weeks that we had them out, booklets were flying out of stores quicker than we could replace them.

We have now printed nearly one thousand booklets, and the reception they've received has been great. They're moving like hotcakes, and the feedback we've had on their quality has been very positive. Several people we've talked to, in fact, found it difficult to believe that they were in-house productions. If you haven't got your hands on a con-book yet, pick one up from your favourite local gaming store or club, and check it out!

Replacing our temporary website at "The Lair", we now have our official website up, at http://bear.tm/conjure. It's put together with the same eye to quality as was the con-book, and it's very comprehensive. The website is a "virtual booklet" if you will, containing all the information that you'll find in the conbook, plus the latest updates about what's happening with ConJure. Not only that, but the website is in colour!

With all this information circulating, interest in the convention from players is really starting to build as well. We've had quite a lot of enquiries about the convention and specific events, and our registrations are beginning to flow in as well. Considering that it is still a good two and a half months to the convention, that has really made our day! So if there's an event that you've got your eye on, and you don't want to miss out, register NOW! Not only are you more assured of a place if you register earlier, but it's also cheaper!

The support we've been getting from people has been great, too. Our list of sponsors is rapidly growing: we now have three internationally renowned gaming authors sponsoring events: Margaret Weis, the mother of all things Dragonlance; Jak Koke, the popular Shadowrun author; and Stephen Brown, who wrote the majority of White Wolf's Sabbat material for their Vampire: the Masquerade setting.

Amidst this esteemed company, I'm very proud to say, is also PTG, PTB, the fine E-Zine you are now reading! We've been talking to Steve and the guys for some time, and they've been very enthusiastic to support us. We're proud to be associated with such a fine publication, and a groovy bunch of people. (Aw, shucks. Ed)

Every store we've talked to locally has also been very enthusiastic to be represented through sponsorship. That's great to see, because, after all, local gaming is where their business is generated!

On a support note, too: we're currently very interested in hearing from noble souls who are willing to help out by running games. If you're willing to help out (the gods praise you!) please either contact the committee through conjure@bear.tm or call our president Tim Burke at 3899 0703. As part of our eternal gratitude, GMs will receive registration fee rebates dependant on how many sessions in which they run games. The policy is outlined in detail in both the convention booklet and our official website.

The "community" part of the convention is really beginning to flesh out as well. The Knights of the Order Lion Rampant are more than happy to run displays for us, and we're also negotiating with a secret source at present to run some seriously bizarre nostalgia demo games...

Bunnies and Burrows, anyone?

We've got a growing list of companies and clubs to come to the convention too, and canvas their wares. On this front, it's certainly looking like there'll be a variety of things to do and see outside of the games, which will keep people more than happy.

So, ConJure is forging ahead, and developing into something very interesting. As more details arise, we'll be keeping registrants and interested parties posted. Grab a con-book, fill out a registration form, and become part of the grand spell we're weaving in October.

PTG, PTB is proud to lend its backing to Conjure. As well as support through the magazine, we'll be sponsoring one of the events, and of course, the editors will be out there on the weekend. When we're not playing, we'll be hanging around the registration area, disseminating magazine propaganda. So if you want to talk to us about the mag, or anything else, just come on up and say hello.

Big Games on Campus

One of the more prominent and active role-playing clubs in Brisbane is the Queensland University Gaming Society, or QUGS for short. QUGS organise day-long (9-5) meetings on the first Saturday of every month, during which you can join in a whole variety of RPGs, card games and board games. The next meeting, which is on Saturday the 5th of September will host the AGM, so this will be a good time to find out more about the club, and meet the people who run it. Subsequent meetings will be on October 3, and November 7. Meetings are held in the Clubs and Socs room in the Union Complex. For strangers to UQ, this room is tucked under the main refectory, behind the Schonell theatre and just a few doors down from the Bike Shop and Commonwealth Bank.

As well as providing a great opportunity to play some great games and meet local gamers, QUGS also organises a wealth of other attractions. Members can borrow games from the "gaming cupboard", which though small contains some good quality stuff. QUGS publishes both an email newsletter (a good way to get news out to local gamers) and an in-house magazine, The Queensland Wargamer. The Wargamer is currently on hiatus after loss of long-time editor Gary Johnson, but when it does come out, it is a fairly comprehensive and impressive paper production, even if it does rave on about Diplomacy too much.

And speaking of Diplomacy, QUGS is once again organising its annual tournament of this legendary strategy game. If you're interested, you should contact Gary Johnson as soon as possible. Meanwhile, QUGS President Peter Fordyce is planning to set up some introductory LARP games so people can experience how these games work without committing to a long-term game. Definitely a good idea, so make sure you mail him if this sounds appealing.

Lastly, QUGS Custodian and gonzo gamer Travis Hall has been nominated by Rubicon Games as Australia's first and only "Everway Teller". That is, Rubicon have recruited him to demonstrate just how good Everway is, to the gaming communicy as a whole. For those who don't know, Everway is a highly inventive, almost systemless RPG that emphasises role-playing and character drama. Everway is very different from most other games, and anyone interested in game design should take a look at it. So grab Travis at a meeting, or by mail, or call him on (07) 3397 5118 and ask him for a game. You won't be disappointed.

This is QUGS twentieth year of existence, which makes them one of the oldest gaming clubs around, so they must be doing something right. So even if you're not a UQ student, get along out there and support them, and, at the same time, have a damn good time!

Written by Steve Darlington and Kevin Powe. If you have any Local News you feel we should know about, mail us: editors@ptgptb.org.