The con season is well and truly underway – I’ll be at North Star in Sheffield next weekend, and then it’s the Shirley Crabtree of UK games cons, UK Games Expo, at the end of the month. While I mention it, I’m running two sessions of 13th Age Glorantha at Expo, on the Friday and Saturday afternoons, and at the time of writing there are still spaces available in each game – so please sign up if you’re interested and watch me not follow my own guidance I talked about here and here.
But conventions can be hard to get through – particularly if, like me, you don’t have the option of a cheeky Monday off after to recover. “Con crud” is a real thing that seems to afflict everyone with illness upon return from a convention, but it can be avoided.
Don’t Eat Crap
Most conventions don’t often give you that much in terms of a healthy option, and it’s easy to eat everything that the con has on offer. While you are on holiday, I guess, you have got to perform as well, and you’re going to need a level of energy if you’re running multiple games across the convention. You might do well, then, to get some fruit down you as well – in order to do this, in my experience, you need to bring it with you or buy it from a nearby shop. Mid-game lulls it’s much easier to snack on a banana or some nuts than the piles of sweets that will probably be within easy reach.
While we’re trying to avoid con crud, you can always invest in hand gel to minimise the chance of catching anything – I know several teachers who swear by it for avoiding the conglomeration of illnesses you can be exposed to.
Don’t Drink Crap
Conventions are social occasions, and I certainly take the opportunity to have a few beers around the night before – but convention hangovers can be brutal, particularly if you’re running a game, so I try to pace myself a bit more carefully now. On an evening when I’m in a game, I tend towards grabbing a bottle of wine – easier to sip in moderation, no need to keep going back to the bar, and if you get a bottle you can share with other players. Ultimately, it’s worth getting enough sleep – you don’t want to be falling asleep in a game either, let alone combine that with a hangover. If you’re running a game, make sure it’s a game you want to be remembered for – one where you know the rules, are well-prepared, well-rested and competent.
Likewise, you probably know your own habits with energy drinks, feel free to use them – but they aren’t a zero-sum game, and it’s pretty easy to reach for one when the caffeine lull hits. I try to stay off the Red Bull until I have to drive home.
Run the Same Game Twice… or more
This is a recent habit I’ve got into and one I’d recommend to anyone who runs multiple games at conventions. Run the same system more than once – usually different games, even at different levels, but it gives me one less thing to worry about. Sometimes I can even use the same pregens more than once – or the same pregens at different levels – which saves significantly on prep time. Having to hold just one system in my head makes it much easier for me to focus on everything else going on at the con, and also at my table. I put quite a lot of pressure on myself to know the rules back to front in a con game, and this makes it a little bit more achievable.
Take a Slot Off
Optional, of course, but if you want to balance the social side of the convention with some non-stop gaming, you can always take a slot off. Last Continuum I took Saturday evening off and spent time having a non-rushed meal and a few (too many) beers with friends. I could have tried to squeeze this in as well, but see previous comments about energy levels – and the break from gaming made me appreciate the games even more.
Play Generously
Even if you run a few games, you’re going to find yourself playing in a few games. I’ll be posting more about this later, but while you’re appreciating the time at the table with another GM, it’s worth trying to be a helpful player as well. Try and drive the plot forward, encourage links to other PCs, and build on their ideas. Try and help to keep the other players on track and don’t leave managing the game enjoyment entirely to the GM. In particular, if one player is being difficult or intransigent, it’s often easier to have an intervention from another player rather than the GM to move the game forwards – and, as an experienced GM, that could be you.
Look After Yourself – and Each Other
First off, if the con you’re at doesn’t have a harassment and safety policy, ask them why not, and challenge them to produce one. Cons can be stressful places, and as an enlightened reader of this blog, try and be friendly and helpful to the organisers and attendees, as you would expect them to be for you.
Conversely, if you need to take some time out between slots, do so. After I’ve run a game, I often need twenty minutes or half an hour on my own – or with one or two people – in the quiet to recover my social-fu. It’s fine to go back to the hotel room to do this, or find a spot to eat on your own or with a trusted confidante.
If you’re at a con where it’s harder to do this, and you think you might need it, be prepared to make the space for yourself. For instance, if you’re going to Expo and the thought of 20,000 gamers being around you feels intimidating, you can get hotels in Birmingham city centre for a fraction (quite a significant fraction!) of the NEC prices, and there are regular trains you can use to get in and out. My Expo plans are to explore in the mornings, run games in the afternoons, and head back to recover in the evenings, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve got to go into work on the Monday morning, and with these plans I hopefully won’t be ill, exhausted, or both.
Of course, with all of this, your mileage may vary, but I think it bears repeating – running games at conventions is hard, and it’s worth remembering how to make it easier. Do you have any survival tips of your own? Any of mine you disagree with? Put them in the comments.
Burn After Running: RPG One-Shots 