This was my sixteenth AmberCon NorthWest (ACNW), and this one was again online only.
GM John Kim
Thursday - 7pm to midnight
This was the eighth year of this game - my only continuing campaign game thus far. It is a re-imagining of Zelazny's Amber around a Chinese theme, where all civilizations and universes are merely reflections of the great Jade Empire, and the Pattern is housed deep in the Forbidden City within the capital. There are many relatives since the first emperor long ago, and those in whom the imperial blood runs true are superhuman - able not only to walk the Pattern, but to leap to the tops of buildings and engage in fantastical swordplay. It merges Amber with the Chinese wuxia genre. My players and their characters were:
Important NPCs included:
GM Amy Wood
GMs Mark and Jesse
GM John Davies
GM John Kim
Saturday - 9am to 4:30pm
This was a diceless game set in the 1980s, where the player characters were all top scientists who come to a small town to deal with strange events. This year was a mystery by the beach, starting with an attack by a swarm of crabs.
- West Coast town with an underground site of a collapsed hotel (fictional) - Avila Beach north of Pismo Beach - Navy scientist was lost crashing into site; rescue attempt failed name "Benjamin Tanaka" , age 46 , working with U.S. Navy on (classified) and wife "Aiko" were taking trip along coast - sheriff found his car and called it in - Navy sent team of Seals to rescue him - large groups of crabs were seen dealing with the incident they disappeared - last one was swarmed by crabs seen by helicopter pilot -> monster is terrorist controlling crabs using secret Navy formula for placing mines on ships - name "Kelly Wilson" , former surfer and ex-Navy , discovered Tanaka's formula - his goal is to expose U.S. military for illegal pollution -> Sheriff Tom Marlo (angry, protective), brother Kelly Marlo surfer dude and conspiracy theorist wife Amanda (appeasing, rose glasses) , wife Misty (shrewd, supportive) schoolteacher Genevieve Romano - very pro-government, conformist, Reaganite Mr. Charles "Chuck" Tanner - works at Unocal, has government/military contract single father (mother Nicole left them) Background: - In 1992, a pipe on the tank farm broke and spilled nearly 600 barrels of oil into the ocean between Fossil Point and Pirate’s Cove. The above-ground oil storage tanks were removed by 1999. - Peacekeeper ICBM deployed in Vandenberg in 1983 - (fictional) hideout for Chumash in the 1824 revolt against the Mexican government, sacred ground - (fictional) hotel founded in 1880, collapsed in the 1899 earthquake KIDS: (wish list: slacker kid that is always in the high school smokers’ lounge; senior mafia) [F] Sierra Tanner - bossy little older girl who hates her father, convinced of spirits [M] Edgerton "Edge" Marlo - tough thrill-seeker, warrior for justice [M] Ocean "Butts" Marlo - smoker/slacker [F] Saffron Marlo - little hippy sister, idealistic
Sierra is boss and thinks there is an old native spirit in the old hotel, who is trying to save the land. -> Chumash Indians revolt of 1824 vs Mexican government, 1847 California annexed -> (fictional) hotel founded in 1880, collapsed in the 1899 earthquake -> kids follow legend it is spirits of the Chumash that destroyed the hotel, now curse is awakened by pollution -> they investigated hotel, went in - Wilson overheard them, and then had crabs draw Chumash symbols -> ... they talked to them - and were directed to stop and spy on Unocal, taking papers to the hotel LOCATION: Avila Beach, CA [Unocal Office] - Director Chuck Tanner - Secretary Emily Lopez (hates her boss and her boss's kid) [Sherriff's Station] - Sherriff Tom Marlo [Elementary School - K-8] - Mrs. Romano
GM Anne Veronica Jenkins
GM Mickey Schulz
I've mostly avoided online gaming, but I went ahead with ACNW because of the community.