MerpCon V / TolkienMoot 2009 Summary
MerpCon V / Tolkien Moot 2009
Guest Speaker: Michael Martinez
Theme: Dragons
Campaign: "Let Sleeping Dragons Lie", Third Age 2932-2933.
Video: Raw Hobbit by Michael Martinez | Youth Tolkien Panel | Middle-earth Talk Radio Show
Audio: Raw Hobbit by Michael Martinez | Youth Tolkien Panel | Middle-earth Talk Radio Show
Photos:MerpCon V Photos
Dates: July 24, 25, 26, & 27, 2009.
Media/Review/Report: Michael Martinez Regarding Raw Hobbit at MerpCon V |
Location: The Apple Tree Inn, 9508 N. Division, Spokane, WA, 99218, USA. http://www.appletreeinnmotel.com 1-800-323-5796
Details
Themes included Elves, Orcs, and Dragons.
This year we were able to provide 4 private gaming rooms, with overflow capacity for up to 8 tables. Thanks to the help of 6 Game Masters we were able to keep the table sizes to a more reasonable level to keep the game play action at a reasonable speed. Some adventures were provided by the game masters, while others used a convention-wide series of connected games.
We had one youth table with ages from 10 to 17, and 3 adult tables.
For take home "loot" this year we offered customized dice with the MerpCon logo (in Ringerbearer font), and some custom t-shirts.
The facilities were much nicer, they were air conditioned, had comfortable seating, a kitchen area, and with each room being separate, able to keep the noise level variable so GM's didn't have to lose their voices over the din. ;-)
In addition to the previous offerings, online participation will not only include chatroom, audio streaming, and video streaming, but also the event was accessible via Second Life interaction.
Other Minds Magazine issue 7 was released, and the latest versions of Ea d20 RPG Races & Cultures, and Magic in Middle-earth books.
Clips from the upcoming fan films "Born of Hope" and "The Hunt for Gollum" (among others) were also shown.
This was planned to be the last year that MerpCon will be a free event, and the last year the name MerpCon will be used, starting in 2010, it will be called TolkienMoot and participation fees will be charged in order to cover some of the costs (up to this point all expenses have been out of Hawke's pocket, ranging from $1,000 to over $6,000 USD each year!). A separate company entity will be formed as a non-profit organization, so that donations can also be accepted. Additionally the 2010 TolkienMoot will have a broader venue, Tabletop RPGing in Middle-earth will still the core attraction, as well as learned Tolkien scholars, but other Tolkien-related venues will be allowed, including computer-based, wargaming, artists, and much more.