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Winter (Fantasy) 2018 is Coming!!!!!!

December 2, 2017The Baldman

With leaves falling off trees and everyone’s thinking of scary costumes, handing out candy (or keeping it), and a belly full of turkey in the near future, but you don’t need us to tell you that winter is just around the corner. All is not lost, however, as with winter comes Winter Fantasy! This year’s show runs from February 7th-11th, 2018 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Registration opens in early-December, so keep an eye on your inbox for your opportunity to be first in line to register!

We have given the website a fresh new count of paint (okay it is still Winter looking – we are what we are) but TONS of updates.

Hotel Block: Is now live and the Hotel Page has been updated with a link to book your room this very instant. As always please try and book in the block if you can as it really helps us out.

Show Hours: Winter Fantasy is now 14.2% more chilled then in past years. Games do not start until 9am (except Sunday – wake up ya bums) and we are done each night at 11pm. Giving you plenty of time to socialize each night and still shake off that head cold before you have to roll in the next morning for more gaming.

Event Grid â€“ What is that you say? Dave actually has a preliminary event grid for all our D&D goodness up for you to look at in October. The first half of October at that? Holy smokes. Somebody buy his wife some wine and scrapbooking paper.Â We cannot spoil everything that we have (though we are so itching to do so) but I will say we have even more awesome content then last year, unique never been seen before content, and specials out the ying-yang (a very technically gaming term).

Dungeons & Dragons at Winter Fantasy

Winter Fantasy continues to grow and offer more games, and we’re proud to be the best place to play Dungeons and Dragons Adventurers League content.

Additional Events added for Origins 2017

May 30, 2017The Baldman

The Baldman has survived the holiday weekend in that horrible state up north (Boooo Blue!!!!!!!). Now that it is over he has some exciting news for Origins. We have some additional Author Only and Sneak Preview Boardgame events that will be happening onsite using generics only (to late to get them into the registration system but “I’m Mary Poppins Y’all”).

We have Alan Patrick running his new AO – DDAO-11 Those That Came Before – at Tier 3 and 4 – 6 person tables – $20 (generics only)

Slot 1 – Tier 3 Only

Slot 3 – Tier 4 Only

Slot 6 – Tier 3 Only

Slot 8 – Tier 4 Only

We have the wonderful Shelly Mazzanoble from Wizards as well running the following: Dungeons & Dragons and Avalon Hill have joined forces to bring you an as-of-yet unannounced board game coming this fall. Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to experience this exciting new offering!! – 5 person tables – $6 (generics only)

Thur 10AM – Thur 3PM – Fri 10AM – Fri 3PM – Sat 10AM – Sat 2PM (this event is approx. 2 hours in length)

These events and will be first come first served. Check in with HQ to find out where to stand for the lines. You MUST personally be in line to participate in these events. You cannot have one person stand and claim extra tickets nor will one person be allowed to hold a spot for a person showing up later or who is “On the way”.

The History of Phlan

March 29, 2017March 23, 2017Chris Sniezak

Sorry it’s been so long since you’ve heard from us but if you’ve been following Baldman Games on Twitter then you’ve seen the #phlanhistory posts. Here’s the history compiled without our bit of commentary. I do have a conclusion about Phlan though, it’s a terrible place to live, much akin to New York City in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To all those poor souls living there and defending that city, I’m so sorry. Please do yourself a favor and move to Waterdeep.

An Abriged History of Phlan

367 – Established as a trading post between Myth Drannor and the Dwarves of the Dragonspine Mountains

400 – Phlan leveled by horde of humanoids

712 – Milsor the Valjevo rebuilds Phlan and has Valjevo castle built.

1303 – Ogres overrun Phlan

1306 – Phlan is once again reduced to ruins during the Dragon Run.

1340 to 1347 – Phlan is controlled by Tyranthraxus, a yugoloth controlling a bronze dragon.

1347 – Adventurers take back Phlan from Tyranhraxus (Pool of Radiance)

1357a – Phlan is teleported to a cavern under a red wizards tower to use as a soul battery.

1357b – Phlan is returned to it’s place in the Moonsea.

1375 – Phlan is conquered by Zentil Keep under the leadership of Cvaal Daoran.

1383 – Daoran saves Phlan from the Shadovar and splits Phlan from Zhentarim control.

1488 – Vorgansharax and the cult of the dragon take over Phlan.

1489 – A huge force of Adventurers retake Phlan from Vorgansharax.

I know we’re missing a few things from this time line and I’d love your help in filling in the gaps. Leave a comment below about where we’re missing things and we’ll fill them in as we go.

Update from the Baldman. Feb 16th 2017

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017Chris Sniezak

Hello gamers! Over at Baldman Games we’re just about wound down from Winter Fantasy. While those Ps and Qs are being put away we’re also ramping up for the summer convention season. Beyond all of that, we’re also getting the CCC adventures that ran at Winter Fantasy ready to go up on the DMs Guild–and this Friday we’re releasing Elmwood 1-3, The Battle of Elmwood. Let’s start there.

The Battle of Elmwood

This is the final part of the Elmwood series 1 trilogy. Here’s the blurb from the front of the adventure:

As the Greengrass Festival gets under way, one might have a sneaking suspicion that something is awry. Will the adventurers be able to save their new home in the Battle of Elmwood?

This adventure has the PCs doing battle with the forces of Moander in Elmwood proper. The choices they make during the scenario affect the later encounters. Plus, there’s an otyugh you can fight in a midden heap. What DM doesn’t love love throwing their PCs in a midden heap with an otyugh? You can pick up The Battle of Elmwood starting Friday February 17th.

DM David at Winter Fantasy

DM David played all 12 slots at Winter Fantasy and he wrote about it on his blog. The post has David writing a little about each scenario he played. My favorite quote is from his recap of DDAL05-18 Eye of Xxiphu Parts 1 & 2, which are Tier 4 scenarios.

This DM boasted a killer instinct. Someone in our group took a risk with something in the dungeon, and our DM said, “You’re dead. No save.” Fortunately, our party included two clerics, so death only slowed us a little. Welcome to tier 4.

Good stuff all around. This is also an excellent look inside what Winter Fantasy is for you gamers thinking about attending next year. For those of you who were there, it’s a nice way to remember your time in Fort Wayne.

Origins & Gen Con 2017

Very soon we’ll be having sign-ups for DMing at Origins & Gen Con 2017. We’re also aware of the Gen Con housing situation that just occurred. If you’d still like to attend Gen Con 50 and have a place to rest your head downtown, keep an eye on us. Run enough games and we can provide you with that place to sleep. We’d love to have you and would appreciate your support, since Baldman Games is getting a room that’s double the size of last year. More space equals more table and that means more games, but there are no games without more GMs. That’s where we could really use your help.

Alright gamers. We here at Baldman Games hope you have a wonderful week of gaming, and you’ll be hearing from us again in seven days. Play some great games this week, and let us know about them. We love hearing about your games.

Update from the Baldman. Feb 9th 2017

February 9, 2017February 9, 2017Chris Sniezak

Hello Gamers. Just wanted to let you in on a few things that are going on over at Baldman Games because we like transparency.

GenCon 2017

Our D&D games at Gen Con are moving to a new home. We’re heading over to the JW Marriott, which will give us twice as much space as we had last year. That means more games, more people, and we’ll also try to spread things out more. We’d love to keep the noise to a duller roar and give us all more space to move around so you can have the best possible experience.

We also wanted to let you know about our move to the JW Marriott to allow those of you who want to be close to all the D&D action can get rooms there, or as near to the JW Marriott as possible. We want to help make your Gen Con 50 as easy as possible. We also hear the Starbucks there is pretty solid.

DMs Guild Sales

Here’s a fun fact: Baldman Games has sold 3,455 copies of CCC AL legal adventures on the DM’s Guild to date. We’ve only been doing this for a little over 4 months and wanted to say thank you for supporting and believing in us. We’ll keep doing our best to improve the adventures as they come out, while fixing and updating the previous ones as we have time.

Elmwood 1-2 – The Lost Sanctum

The next adventure from Baldman Games is Elmwood 1-2 The Lost Sanctum. Here’s the introductory text on the adventure:

Terrible news indicates that some vestige of the long-dead god Moander might be active in the forests near Elmwood. The Town Council is seeking clever adventurers to brave the perils of the Cormanthor Forest to breach a lost wizard’s sanctum in search of a way to protect the town.
A four-hour adventure for 5th – 10th level characters

Winter Fantasy 2017 Pictures – set 2

February 6, 2017Chris Sniezak

Hey gamers. Winter Fantasy 2017 is over and thank you for making it such a great show. For those who were there I hope you all got home safe and sound. We’re looking forward to seeing you at Origins, GenCon, and the next Winter Fantasy. For those who couldn’t be there we also hope to see you at our upcoming shows.

This years Winter Fantasy was larger than any previous so thank you for that. We couldn’t do this without all the players, DMs, and staff doing what you all do so well. Now for some more pictures from Winter Fantasy 2017.

See you all soon and lets play some great games.

Winter Fantasy Pictures

February 3, 2017Chris Sniezak

Hey gamers. Here’s some of the fun visuals going on at Winter Fantasy. If you’re there hit us up with the #wf2017 on twitter.

You wouldn’t like me when my character is angry

I need me some Dark Sun but Giants will do

I just need to get through this and then I can game.

Election in Phlan Candidates

January 31, 2017Chris Sniezak

If you’re part of the Dungeons and Dragons Adventures League group on Facebook there’s a poll that will influence the Phlan Election at Winter fantasy. You must go there to vote. Here’s the text from the post

Three candidates have emerged as front-runners in Phlan’s upcoming election.

Jhessail Greycastle

Knight Commander Greycastle is a hero, but her loyalty to the Black Fists makes her vulnerable. She pledges to:

Establish a parliament of elected peers to govern Phlan, and serve as First Minister.
Reform the Black Fists and weed out corruption in its ranks.

Barrett Sokol

The youngest scion of House Sokol has gained popularity among the labor guilds. He pledges to:

Reinstate the mercantile Council of Ten and stand as High Councilor.
Create jobs reconstructing Phlan and raising the old city walls.

Colvin Doverson

Lord Doverson claims ancestry with the Royal House of Daoran. If legitimized, this would make him heir to the Cinnabar Throne. He pledges to:

Reinstate the monarchy and crown himself Lord Protector.
Renegotiate trade deals with other Moonsea ports for the benefit of Phlan’s merchants.

A vote will be held at Winter Fantasy 41 on Saturday Feb 4 at 6PM EST. The results of this poll will be weighted and added to the onsite vote to determine the winner. This poll will close at Noon EST that same day.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventurersleague/

Election in Phlan at Winter Fantasy

January 27, 2017Chris Sniezak

On Saturday at Winter Fantasy there will be an Election in Phlan (5:30 – 6:30). We want to hear your voice. What do you want to see in a leader? What promises would you like to see them make? What direction should Phlan be taken in the future?

One faction has stepped up to speak out. Gymbo Gyre Gearsmith is looking to throw the power of the Greater Faerun Locksmiths and Security Guild (GFLASG) behind a worth candidate to be the next Chancellor of Phlan. Here’s the GFLASG proclamation and intention.

So let us know what you think would make a great leader for Phlan and we’ll see you at Winter Fantasy.

Non-Gaming Special Events at Winter Fantasy 2017

January 23, 2017January 30, 2017Chris Sniezak

Hello gamers. Winter Fantasy starts in less than two weeks and for those who are going to be attending there are some interesting, educational, and fun events going on outside of the gaming you can do. Every one of these events will be held in the seminar area in the main hall.

Thursday

Maze Arcana Live Gamecast (5pm-9pm): Join the creators of Maze Arcana, Ruty Rutenberg & Satine Phoenix, and the launch of their new livestream alongside their “Peanut Gallery” cohorts — Bill Benham, Chris Lindsay, and Travis Woodall — as they set off on an epic adventure around Eberron en route to uncover the rampant reemergence of the aberrant Dragonmarks, its prophetic nature, and a new source of arcane magic that many would kill to learn and some want only to destroy. With the moniker of “Peanut Gallery” they might not even make it to the storyline…

Friday

Heralds Guild of DM’s Member Meeting (5pm-6pm): Come join us for what exciting plans the Heralds Guild has in store for 2017 and beyond. We will also be announcing our DM’s that have been voted into Level 4 status by their peers, our DM of the Year award, and more. Finish your afternoon game, grab some food, and bring it back for a fun hour of watching Dave can company squirm up on stage.

Saturday

Election in Phlan (5:30pm – 6:30pm): Come listen to those characters vying for election to the position of Chancellor of Phlan and cast your vote for the NPC you think will be the best new leader of Phlan. Those with the proper certificate from the Phlan Trilogy need to register their intentions to run for Chancellor of Phlan. You will need to do this at HQ no later than Noon on Saturday. The first 30 minutes of this event will be opening statements from candidates vying for election. After this anyone is free to speak for any of the three candidates for the leader of Phlan. An open vote will follow with all present. There are two ways to vote.

If you have played in the PHLAN 1-1 to 1-3 trilogy with any character you may cast a vote directly.
If you have not played but are physically present you may cast your vote via someone who has by standing with them when the vote is called.

Slot 6, 8 & 10

Charity Raffle (Slot 6, 8 & 10): We will also be holding a charity raffle onsite only for exclusive DDAO tickets in Slot 6, 8, and 10. Basically you buy a raffle ticket, and at the start of each slot we draw one and that person’s normal ticket magically becomes a ticket to one of the DDAO events.

All proceeds benefit The American Cancer Society in honor of Jamie Tachiyama.

If you’d like to stay in touch you can register for our mailing list & news letter here. We’ll see you in less that two weeks at Winter Fantasy for all kinds of great games, gatherings of old friends and new, and as much fun as we pack into a long weekend.