Recap of Gary Con: A Weekend of Gaming Adventures

It’s going to take me about a week to unpack everything!

This year at Gary Con I had the chance to run two convention scenarios I’ve been developing for Natural Twenty Games, and I wanted to share a quick recap for everyone who played (and for those who are curious about what I’ve been working on).

Both events were designed as fast-moving convention experiences with strong pregenerated characters, clear objectives, and table-ready reference material so players could jump right in—even if they were brand new to the system.

Event 1: The Sorcerer of Old Geneva (Savage Worlds)

“WANTED: Brave souls to infiltrate the ruins of Old Geneva…”

This adventure is set in a post-apocalyptic sword-and-science future inspired by classic Saturday morning fantasy sci-fi. The players explored the shattered remains of Old Geneva, Wisconsin, investigating strange arcane activity tied to a ley line nexus beneath the lake.

Highlights from the sessions included:

  • mutant “Badgers” ambushes in ruined streets (a nod to Gamma World)
  • unstable arcane spires erupting from the ground mid-encounter
  • and, of course, the final confrontation with the so-called “sorcerer”

Players seemed to especially enjoy the mix of weird science and returning magic, along with the unique pregenerated characters built specifically for convention play.

You can download the pregenerated characters here.

Event 2: The Bloom Below (Castles & Crusades)

In this scenario, former residents of the halfling village of Elmshade returned home after reports of strange fungal corruption spreading across the countryside.

What began as a simple investigation quickly escalated into:

  • creeping vine-walls sealing off the village
  • spore-cloud skies blocking the sun
  • corrupted guardians emerging from the orchard outskirts
  • and a final confrontation with a powerful fungal queen beneath the Shrine of Yondalla

This adventure focused on atmosphere, mounting tension, and a steadily advancing corruption mechanic tied directly to the shrine at the center of the village.

Pregenerated characters for this session are available here.

Convention Design Goals

Both adventures were built around a few principles I try to follow when preparing convention events:

  • start in media res whenever possible
  • give each character a strong identity and role at the table
  • include escalating environmental changes
  • create visual terrain anchors for encounters
  • make sure the finale feels earned and cinematic

Convention time is limited, so every scene has to matter.

Thanks to the Players

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined the tables and helped bring these stories to life. Convention games are always collaborative experiences, and the energy players bring is what makes them memorable.

I’m collecting player photos from the sessions and will add them here as they come in.

What’s Next for Natural Twenty Games?

I’ll be continuing to refine both scenarios based on what I learned at Gary Con AND replacing art with stock or custom art. My goal is to prepare them for broader release as polished convention-ready modules with maps, reference sheets, and printable handouts.

If you played in either session and have feedback—or photos you’d like included—please send them along!

More soon.

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