MarsCon 2005
"Galactic Pirates & Mercenaries"
Airport Marriott Hotel
Bloomington, MN

March 4-6, 2005

MarsCon Gaming Schedule

...It's like this...

The games are afoot! Games of all sorts will be open all day and night throughout the convention weekend. Look in Salon B for your Main Games room. Other games will be happening in the Gaming Boardrooms (102, 103, 104, & 120) located close to Ops, as well as inside a couple party rooms. Huge thanks to The Source, Score Entertainment, AEG, the Minnesota Gamers Guild, SJ Games, Possum Willy, µTime Games, the Glewwe Brawl Factory and the many wonderful volunteers who have diligently toiled to bring us these incredible games!

Fri 4pm -- CCG: InuYasha, Feudal Grounds-Sealed

In Japan's feudal past, wars raged and demons vied for power. InuYasha, a powerful half-human, half-demon sought the Jewel of the Four Souls to make him the most powerful being in the land but was pinned to a tree with an enchanted arrow. Centuries later, a young girl, Kagome, is transported back in time and finds InuYasha. During a fight with a demon, Kagome frees InuYasha but the jewel is shattered and the shards spread across the land. Now the heroes must reclaim the pieces. For more info, see: www.inuyashatcg.com/.
Prizes: 1st place-2 displays; 2nd place-1 display; 3rd & 4th place-1/2 display
$15 entry fee, in addition to MarsCon registration.
[Max of 16 players]

Fri 4pm -- Card Game: Munchkin

Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run.You and your friends compete to kill monsters and grab magic items. And what magic items! Don the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking. Wield the Staff of Napalm . . . or maybe the Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. Start by slaughtering the Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your way up to the Plutonium Dragon . . . Fast-playing and silly, Munchkin can reduce any roleplaying group to hysteria. And, while they're laughing, you can steal their stuff. Munchkin won the Origins award for Best Traditional Card Game of 2001!
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 2 players, max of 10 players]

*Break for Opening Ceremonies at 7pm, then resume play; Does not affect games running in the Gaming Boardrooms.

Fri 7pm -- Gaming Boardroom 104 Warlord CCG demo

Heroic characters and Warlords represent the most commonly used cards, and it is their actions in battle that determine the course of the great war that wracks the kingdoms of the World of Accord. Game-play is fast and furious, but is also packed with a great deal of strategy.
All participants in demos get a free demo deck for playing.
[No limit on players]

Fri after Opening Ceremonies -- RPG: Lost City of Barakus

Plunge into the forgotten city of Barakus where only the bold survive! Explore cavernous dungeons, intrigue with wary soldiers and battle horrors from the edge of time. Players can attempt to stop the city beggars from being sold as slaves, face bandits in the wilderness, expose the corruption of a noble family, and destroy an ancient evil that caused the downfall of the lost civilization.
Open to everyone. Anyone who played last year is welcome to use the same character.

Fri 8pm -- Board Game: Dork Tower

Now you can play John Kovalic's Dork Tower characters . . . as they play their characters . . . in a magical quest for the ultimate prize where no strategy is too low, no player too Munchkiny, and no rule is safe! Adventure through the land of Aurora, smiting monsters and growing in power, until you are strong enough to challenge the evil wizard in his tower. Slay him and you win . . . fail, and be cast from the heights . . . This is a fast-moving game, from the same folks who brought you Munchkin.
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 3 players, max of 6 players ]

Fri 8pm -- Warlord CCG CE tournament

This tournament will be aimed at newer players but is open to anyone. Warlord CE edition decks only are allowed for this event (aka no open decks). This will be a swiss-style tournament. Prize support for this event will be supplied by AEG, no extra admission fee is required.

Fri 8pm-11pm/12am -- Fantasy Bar-room Brawl

In this modified-GURPS brawl, players control three characters in a no-holds-barred slugfest in an attempt to be the last man/woman/troll/dwarf/whatever standing at the Goblin's "Cozy Cavern" tavern. This is strictly hack'n'slash, though the GM is willing to hear out ideas for other actions -- experience has shown, however, that just placing your battle axe inside the other fellow's brains works about as well as anything clever you may come up with (especially since the troll behind you is planning to rearrange your internal organs on his turn...).
[Apx 3-4 hours, 6-10 players]

Fri 8pm-11pm/12am & all Saturday -- Beer & Pretzel Space Marines

This is a simple, fast-paced shoot-em-up based on "Aliens"-style marines. Players control a squad of grunts (or mercenaries) fighting nasties (or each other) in a variety of scenarios. Tables and miniatures for solo, team, or adversarial games lasting from 1/2 - 2 hours will be available all day: no schedule written in stone (or unobtainium) --just stop by when you feel the need for some relaxing bug-squishing. No experience or vast tactical knowledge is required, either -- like the Sarge says: Don't think, SHOOT!

Fri 9pm -- Character Generation

Tired of having cardboard-cut out fantasy characters? Create a rich adventure before your character sets foot out the door! Can be used in any fantasy setting. Will have a selection of D&D books on hand as well (3rd edition) as well as the eTools program.

Fri 10pm -- RPG: Toon

Toon is the cartoon game in which everybody Falls Down, and no one ever dies. Toon is a RPG based on the crazy world of cartoons, where anything can happen. Physical laws only work when you notice them. The characters are dogs, cats, mice, ducks, rabbits, little green men from Mars, coyotes, potatoes, onions, photocopiers and even humans (hyoomans). Toon is not like the habitual roleplaying games. You don't have to worry about surviving (after all, the characters can be riddled with bullets, crushed, blown to pieces, disolved, incinerated, poisoned, disintegrated, etc, and they will rise up again ready for more!). Besides, the cartoon characters aren't great thinkers habitualy (they aren't vulcanians, of course). The emphasis of the game is to act before you think. The action in this game is madly fast. When was the last time you saw a cartoon character doing something logical? An additional advantage: it doesn't matter how stupid, weak or inept your character is. To miss a roll isn't such a bad thing. Half of the fun in Toon is to miss... That's the reason why the "bad" characters are usually funnier than "good" characters.
[Apx. 4 hours, min of 4 players, max of 6 players]

Sat - All Day -- Skating Penguins

A playful spoof of all those aerial / space combat games that minimalize or ignore the third dimension ("He's intelligent, but not experienced...his pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."). Here there are no such illusions: players place their flightless combatants (Red Baron or Red Three -- you get to choose) upon the sheet of ice and battle for the title of Emperor Penguin! A basic understanding of Newton's Laws and vector math applied to a low-friction surface (and some lucky dice-rolls) will help, but are not required. Team battles or free-for-alls will be run all day as demand dictates. (Games last around 10-15 minutes times the number of players -- less if you're an early casualty.) This may be your only chance to be a Klingon Penguin -- why pass it up?

Sat 10am -- RPG: GURPS Traveller scenario (Delta 3 is Down)

The Zhodani view the Imperials as violent, expansionist, mentally disturbed, guilt ridden liars and thieves. The Imperials view the Zhodani as treacherous, mind-sucking scum. Delta 3 is down leaving a Zhodani admiral, carrying the latest plans for the Zhodani frontier fleet, stranded on an Imperial border world. The Zhodani crew must use their cunning and psionics to outwit the Imperials and return safely to their Consulate.
[Apx. 4 hours, min of 4 players, max of 6 players]

Sat 10am -- CCG: Dragon Ball Z Expanded Regional

Goku is the hero of Dragon Ball Z, the most powerful warrior on earth and the first to become Super Saiyan in over 1000 years. When the Saiyans arrive, Goku learns the mysterious secret of his own past: he is a Saiyan formerly named Kakarot. Goku was sent to Earth as a baby to grow up and destroy the planet, but a head injury as a child scrambled his programming. Instead of growing up to become a destructive super-warrior, he became innocent and pure of heart, fighting for good. For more info, see: www.dbzcardgame.com/.
Prizes: 1st place-$1000; 2nd place-$500; 3rd & 4th place-$250
$15 entry fee, in addition to MarsCon registration.
[No limit on players]

Sat 10am -- SpyCraft CCG Demo

Espionage is a grand shadow play in which every act is an ideological war and every actor carries the fate of nations in his armor-lined briefcase. The greatest among them are silent soldiers of private wars - wars fought behind the scenes for reasons we never truly understand. They lie, cheat, and steal to protect truth, integrity, and security. They kill to save lives. Spies specialize in treachery so no one else has to, and find honor in conviction alone. The Spycraft CCG brings these anti-heroes to life, in a world where they have outlived their utility as government pawns. What happens when spies strike out on their own to change the world they helped to destroy? How far will they go to save it? Welcome to the first step toward a very different future.
All participants in demos get a free demo deck for playing.
[No limit on players]

Sat 10am -- Warlord CCG Demo

Heroic characters and Warlords represent the most commonly used cards, and it is their actions in battle that determine the course of the great war that wracks the kingdoms of the World of Accord. Game-play is fast and furious, but is also packed with a great deal of strategy.
All participants in demos get a free demo deck for playing.
[No limit on players]

Sat 11am-3pm -- CCG: Hydra Sanction Tournament

This is a Spycraft CCG constructed deck tournament. Decks composed of cards from the base set and the 1st expansion (Extinction Agenda) will be legal for the tournament. AEG is providing very good prize support for this event, in fact there is no fee for participating in the event. From September 2004 through March 2005, AEG (the company that makes Warlord, Spycraft, Legend of the 5 Rings, and other games) will sponsor 121 Hydra Sanction events around the world. When you win one of those events, you get to provide AEG with a description of Paradox, or one of his many guises, at least. Our fantastic artists will render that description into art and we will print limited quantities as an alternate art card for the Paradox character. Finally, and most importantly, you will get the cards from that limited print run to do with as you wish. Now... You might want to learn how to play this exciting game and participate in the tournament, so what can you do? There will be a Spycraft demo session before the tournament to help teach you to play. Your best option is to go to Unicorn Games in Oakdale or The Source in Falcon Heights on a night when someone running the Spycraft CCG is available to teach new players. Feel free to drop me (James) a line at kaimaster "at" mil-net.net if you have any questions.
[No limit on players; See AEG on the web at: www.alderac.com/]

Sat Noon -- RPG: The Pirates of Ilmwatch

A 3.5 edition D&D adventure for 16th level characters; Round 2 of The Broken Character World Championship 2005; B.Y.O.B.C. (Bring Your Own Broken Character); Think your favorite D&D character has what it takes to go up against the best of the best? Does your Fire Giant Bear Warrior make a tarrasque look like a gibberling? Could your half-vampire True Necromancer make a Frenzied Berserker cry? Settle once and for all who is the most broken character in the world. Test your skills against a high level D&D adventure, created exclusively for MarsCon. Returning players can re-use the PC's they played at the Con of the North, or create a new PC. New players welcomed. If your DM fervently refuses to allow the character you've always wanted to play, this might be your one and only chance. Email ryan-anderson "at" mn.rr.com for character creation rules and list of approved source books. Prizes to the winners!
[Apx. 6-8 hours, 8-10 players]

Sat 1pm -- Miniatures: WARMACHINE

In a world of armored steam and magic driven combat, war is the rule not the exception. Warring factions are constantly searching the ruins of old civilizations for items of power to give them the edge. Lead your faction to the top of Golgoth Hill and hold it for as long as you can against the encroaching hordes of your enemies! 500pt bring and play battles with a few armies on hand for swabs who want to just show up and play.
[Apx. 4 hours, 4-6 players, more if you have your own WARMACHINE army]

Sat 1-4pm -- Boardroom 102 RPG: Dungeons and Dragons for Kids

A brand new Dungeons and Dragons adventure for girls and boys, ages 6-12. No experience necessary, advanced players welcome. Must be able to read some. Characters will be provided. A parent must be present to register the child into the game.

Sat 2-5/6pm -- Destroy All Monsters!

Here's your chance to set aside your vaunted intellect, put on a funny rubber suit (figuratively speaking), and go medieval on some nameless urban setting (hulk smash!). Players choose a monster (like Godzilla, but better: like a 100'-tall Woody doll or an irradiated Oreo cookie --all figures provided) and go on a rampage leaving a wake of destruction and mayhem, toppling buildings and squishing tanks while battling your brethren behemoths to become the King of all Monsters! Just the sort of light-hearted fun you need to relax between all that brain-hurting lecture/seminar stuff... (Note: not a Brawl Factory game, but a damn fine one I am proud to run.)
[Apx. 3-4 hours, 4-10 players]

Sat 3pm -- RPG: Lost City of Barakus

Plunge into the forgotten city of Barakus where only the bold survive! Explore cavernous dungeons, intrigue with wary soldiers and battle horrors from the edge of time. Players can attempt to stop the city beggars from being sold as slaves, face bandits in the wilderness, expose the corruption of a noble family, and destroy an ancient evil that caused the downfall of the lost civilization.
Open to everyone. Anyone who played last year is welcome to use the same character.

Sat 3-7pm -- Warlord CE Constructed DragonLord Tournament

Heroic characters and Warlords represent the most commonly used cards, and it is their actions in battle that determine the course of the great war that wracks the kingdoms of the World of Accord. Game-play is fast and furious, but is also packed with a great deal of strategy.
A regular tournament with AEG-provided prizes.
[No limit on players]

Sat 4pm -- RPG: GURPS Traveller scenarios (Space Dogs)

Imperial Vargr are uplifted doggies who do the dirty jobs. They are the underclass, doomed to live and die in the slums. Little Heaven is a small colony besieged by murderous pirates. They need help - and they don't care if you've got fur and fangs if you can fight!
[Apx. 4 hours, min of 4 players, max of 6 players]

Sat 7pm-? -- Gaming Boardroom 104 DragonLord Challenge Booth

Bring your unsigned overlords for a shot.

*Break for Masquerade at 7:30pm, then resume play; Does not affect games running in the Gaming Boardrooms.

Sat 9:30pm -- Caveroom Brawl

Set in a time when men were men (well...cavemen, to be exact) this political strategy game (ie: knockdown, drag-out brawl) has players vying to replace the old (just buried) chief. The colloquial tools of debate (rocks, clubs, jawbones...) prevail as each candidate attempts to convince fellow tribesmen (by knocking them unconscious) that they should be the new Chief, as the ever-watchful press (in the form of hungry sabretooth tigers) waits to pounce on the slow and unwary.
[Apx. 3-4 hours, 6-10 players]

Sat 10pm -- Card Game: Ninja Burger

No matter how secure your office, how deep your bunker, how dedicated your guards . . . we deliver your burger in 30 minutes or less. Now you can join the elite Ninja Burger delivery team! You will learn to deliver tasty burgers and fries anywhere. You will bring honor to your franchise. Failure is not an option. This hilarious card game, designed by Steve Jackson, pits you against your fellow trainees in a new Ninja Burger store. Hone your skills. Learn the secrets of stealth, swordsmanship, and customer service. Fight for honor, respect, big tips, and that coveted promotion . . .
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 2 players, max of 10 players]

Sun 9am -- Card Game: Munchkin-Round II

Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff.
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 2 players, max of 10 players]

Sun 10am -- CCG: InuYasha, Feudal Grounds-Constructed

In Japan's feudal past, wars raged and demons vied for power. InuYasha, a powerful half-human, half-demon sought the Jewel of the Four Souls to make him the most powerful being in the land but was pinned to a tree with an enchanted arrow. Centuries later, a young girl, Kagome, is transported back in time and finds InuYasha. During a fight with a demon, Kagome frees InuYasha but the jewel is shattered and the shards spread across the land. Now the heroes must reclaim the pieces. For more info, see: www.inuyashatcg.com/.
Prizes: 1st place-2 displays; 2nd place-1 display; 3rd & 4th place-1/2 display
$5 entry fee, in addition to MarsCon registration.
[Max of 64 players]

Sun 11am -- Card Game: Chez Geek

Beer. Nookie. Roommates. Just another Friday night at Chez Geek, the card game that lets you set up house with your friends -- for as long as you can stand them. Get a job at the beginning of the game, and spend money and time to accumulate Slack points. You can have a party, hang out with friends, dodge losers, and play with the cats. Borrow from your roomies so you can have snacks while you watch TV. What other game gives you points for sleeping? Just look out for the car alarm. Drink, party, and sleep late as you pursue Slack points to win the game. Just remember, when your roommate and his S.O. keep you up all night: You can't throw them out. They live here.
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 2 players, max of 10 players]

Sun 12pm -- Spar-room Brawl

Hoist yer jib and come to the Matinee! In this brawl, players take on the role of agents whose actor-clients are aboard a pirate ship in a 30's - 40's Hollywood Swashbuckler. Feed the press/gossip-mill with juicy stories and bribe a stunt/cameraman or two (sleeping with the director doesn't hurt, either) while your characters leap and dash their way to becoming the Captain/Star of the show! Note: while bloodshed is kept to a G-rating (even when the swivelguns turn out to be loaded with grapeshot), the connotations of a gay honorary policeman flashing some skin to win audience approval may make the game inappropriate for children (especially if the close-up focuses on a big zit...).
[Apx. 3-4 hours, 4-6 players]

Sun 1pm -- Miniatures: WARMACHINE

In a world of armored steam and magic driven combat, war is the rule not the exception. Warring factions are constantly searching the ruins of old civilizations for items of power to give them the edge. Lead your faction to the top of Golgoth Hill and hold it for as long as you can against the encroaching hordes of your enemies! 500pt bring and play battles with a few armies on hand for swabs who want to just show up and play.
[Apx. 4 hours, 4-6 players, more if you have your own WARMACHINE army]

Sun 2pm -- Board Game: Greed Quest

Greed is Good!. . . and there's treasure to be won, so what are you waiting for? Race to the bottom of the dungeon to grab The Hoard. Now all you have to do is get out with it . . . but everyone else is between you and the exit! Each player has his own deck of cards that control movement. Bluff, scheme, and strategize your way to the head of the pack . . . but some cards will change the rules when you least expect it! This is a fast, unpredictable game, easy to learn and fun for all ages.
[Apx. 2 hours, min of 3 players, max of 6 players]

Gaming Parties & Open Gaming:

The Source will be running open gaming throughout the weekend, and they will host parties with open gaming on Friday and Saturday. Their game library will be available for checkout and play--all night and all day.

The Minnesota Gamer's Guild will also be hosting parties on Friday and Saturday. Minnesota Gamer's Guild is a local resource and open community site for all gamers in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. The party theme is for open gaming of all types of tabletop gaming (including Board Games, Miniature gaming, card games (both collectible and non-collectible types) and more- many of which have Science Fiction or Fantasy themes. They will have a selection of games brought from Minnesota Gamer's Guild, but anyone wanting to bring in their own games is more than welcome.

The Glewwe Brawl Factory (infamous in the Siouxland area) will be at MarsCon offering a variety of miniatures-gaming diversions throughout the weekend. These homebrew games feature (or are at least intended to do so...) fast, fun play, and all have that special characteristic/flavor (fairness...what's that?) that signal them as creatures/creations of my twisted mind. Stop by for some mindless dice-rolling... it'll be fun!

Possum Willy Party and Tekken 5 Tournament
Anyone who wants to stop by can party, hang out with the band Possum Willy, and share the wonderful fun of the video game Tekken 5 for the Playstation2. As a very weird band, we can't even pick a theme other than ourselves since we are all encompassing in weirdness... well maybe just our own weirdness... HEHEHE

µTime Games "Dough Nuts! and Dancing!" Party
µTime Games is hosting a "Dough Nuts! and Dancing!" room to celebrate the launch of its existence and the launch of its first game, Dough Nuts!. To celebrate, we'll be running demos of Dough Nuts!, giving away prizes, and hauling in an actual DDR arcade machine! Come participate in a free (to con attendees) DDR tournament on Saturday to win µTime prizes, or just hang out for free play of both DDR and Dough Nuts!.

MarsCon 2005 home page

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© 2005 FenSF, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This page last revised January 12, 2006 at 01:49 PM