# Gaming in Phoenix, AZ



## tylermalan

I'll be moving down to Phoenix, AZ (specifically Avondale) in August of 2007, and I was wondering about the current state of gaming there!  So, does anyone know of any good gaming shops, gaming groups, or conventions of any kind in Phoenix and the surrounding area?  What is the state of gaming down there?


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## hafrogman

The only Con I've ever run across here is Hexacon
http://www.hexacon.org/

I've never been myself, so I can't speak for the quality one way or the other.  There seems to be a decent number of stores around, but you're going to be on the wrong side of the valley for any of the ones I know of to be of real use.  Hopefully someone from that side will be able to give you better advice in that area.


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## Gorok

I have been in the Phoenix since 1964 (other than attending college at USC in L.A.).  Gaming is quite active in the local area.  I know of 3 local gaming-only conventions spread through the year (DarkCon in January, Phoenix Con Games in July, and Hexacon in October).  In addition, several sci-fi conventions have gaming sessions scheduled along with their typical agenda items.
   Since I am an RPGA member, I participate with two very active groups of Living XXX gamers (mainly Living Greyhawk, although Living Arcanis and Living Spycraft has their devotees here as well) that have monthly/bi-weekly gaming sessions/meetings throughout the valley.
   I live in the west side of Phoenix, and can recommend a store called "Imperial Outpost", at 51st Ave & Thunderbird.  It's near where I live, so I'm partial, but the owner/staff there is quite enthusiatic and has quite a good setup.  Lots of large tables spread through the majority of the store, so lots of gaming sessions can go off in the store all the time.  There are also several other active, dynamic stores, but they are on the other side of town, so I tend to not go there as much.
   I assume you are mainly talking about roleplaying groups when you asked about local gaming groups.  If you want more historical, miniatures, boardgames, etc., I know of other groups which emphasize such things as well.
   Send me a PM if you want, and I can give more details (meeting locations, gaming contacts, addresses, times of meetings, etc.).
   And, welcome soon to the Phoenix area (although moving here in August could not be at a worst time...the weather WILL get better, honest    )!  I love living here, and cannot imagine living anywhere else!


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## tylermalan

I checked out the Hexacon website - pretty cool!  Any sites for the Phoenix Con or DarkCon?

Do you guys know what the names are of the other stores that were mentioned?  Where they might be at?  Also, any websites for any of the stores?

Yeah, I was talking MAINLY roleplaying games, but other games would be cool too!

Oh, and thanks for the welcome!  Yeah, I hear in the summer its pretty rough


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## Treebore

If you've lived in Alaska, or up "North" in general, most or all of your life your going to find out what it feels like to bake. 116 to 118 degrees is not easy to deal with. I've been in peoples homes up there where they had their AC on Max and were not able to get the house below 87.

Welcome to Arizona, though. I am happy where I live, and I have only been here a year and 17 days. I have no desire or intention of moving ever again.


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## Gorok

tylermalan said:
			
		

> I checked out the Hexacon website - pretty cool!  Any sites for the Phoenix Con or DarkCon?
> 
> Do you guys know what the names are of the other stores that were mentioned?  Where they might be at?  Also, any websites for any of the stores?
> 
> Yeah, I was talking MAINLY roleplaying games, but other games would be cool too!
> 
> Oh, and thanks for the welcome!  Yeah, I hear in the summer its pretty rough




Phoenix Con website:  http://www.conevents.com/page/phx/main.asp
DarkCon website:  http://www.darkcon.org/

Local gaming stores:
   Imperial Outpost  http://www.imperialoutpost.com/
Other stores located in the east side of the city:
   Gamer's Inn:   http://www.gamersinnaz.com/
   Game Depot:   (can't find a website, but this store is amazing!  I used to go here often, even with the long drive, until Imperial Outpost opened up MUCH closer to my house).
   Waterloo Games:  (can't find a website, the store farthest away from my house.  I would travel to it periodically.  Their specialty at the time was that they stocked all kinds of out of print titles, and worth the drive just to browse and see some old "favorites").

There are other game stores, but they are fairly smaller, with less gaming space/tables, etc.

I found the following list, which seems quite extensive:
http://www.casfs.org/ConNotations/PickUp_2006-08.html
("ConNotations" is a local newspaper, published every few months, detailing upcoming events).


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## tylermalan

Well, I'm here!  I've been in Phoenix for about 2 weeks now, and I'm living in Avondale, on the west side.

I checked out that website for Gamers Inn... wow!  That seems like a really great store!  So does the Imperial Outpost... I'll have to check them out tomorrow or next weekend!


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## Arkhandus

Hrm....  Avondale isn't too far from Glendale and our side of Phoenix.  I dunno how close you are from where you're situated in Avondale, but you might check out ManaWerx, which is in Phoenix but kinda close to the edge of Glendale.  ManaWerx is a clean place, and has lots of space with long tables for gaming.  The owner's apparently working on getting a small LAN space set up near the back, but nothin's there yet.  They have a TV with some video games/systems that can be played for a few dollars an hour, or somesuch (I've often seen folks playing the Wii or the X-Box there, but I don't have spare cash to spend on video games lately).

I and a few others play D&D and D20 Modern/Future at ManaWerx most weeks, currently on Saturdays.  The other players actually come from the opposite side of Phoenix and over in Chandler, so it's more of a drive for them then it is for me, but ManaWerx holds a lot of Magic tournaments and such.  They've stocked some D&D and other RPG books (and can order more on request) since folks have started playing RPGs there for a while, but it's mostly an M:TG and other CCG store.

Some other folks play on some Thursdays or Saturdays, so I know there's another group of roleplayers that hang out there too, but the third group hasn't been around in a while.  Still, you can find a few gamers there, and we'd welcome another player.



Besides ManaWerx, if you don't mind the further drive (from your side of town) to the Metrocenter Mall, you can check out Atomic Comics (actually just outside the mall, in one of the surrounding stores across the parking lot), and Game Nightz (inside the mall, down the stairs/escalators from the food court, across from the Waldenbooks).

Atomic Comics carries a ton of different stuff (aside from the obvious comic books, they have a sizeable RPG section and various anime/manga stuff, plus collectable card games and miscellany).  They also run Magic: The Gathering tournaments and such; I don't know if any gaming groups meet there regularly or not, as I don't have a car myself to make the trip over there very often (whereas ManaWerx is fairly close to my house).  It's a cluttered place and has the usual comic-book-store posters and whatnot strewn about, but not a sty.

Game Nightz carries various RPG, CCG, board game, miniatures wargame, and similar/related materials.  They're a bit smaller than Atomic Comics and Manawerx in terms of space, but not tiny.  Game Nightz runs some Warhammer tournaments or similar (I'm not sure exactly if it's Warhammer or just a similar game, since I've only been around when they were just setting up, or just putting the terrain pieces away), and I think they also run Magic tournaments but I'm not sure.  Game Nightz is cleaner and less cluttered (just a bit cramped since it's stuck in a smaller mall-space), and seems a bit friendlier I think (again, I don't go out that way very often myself, so I have less experience with the place).


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## jinnetics

*Gaming?*

Are you looking for a regular D&D 3.5 group?


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## RaZZer99

I am looking for a regular D&D group in the Phoenix area. I live in Chandler, but willing and able to drive


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## Arkhandus

Well, as mentioned, you can try swinging by ManaWerx on a Saturday, or a Thursday.  There's a group that meets on some (most?) Thursday evenings but I haven't gamed with them myself.

On Saturdays my small group meets for D&D and D20 Modern; today we made some characters for a D&D campaign, as I'm going to run a 3.0 D&D campaign on some Saturdays (maybe Thursdays later) with a few bits of 3.5 material mixed in (Erik made a druid with some levels in the Nature Warrior prestige class from Complete Warrior; Adam is trying out the Book of Nine Swords since I brought it along (and it's the reason I wanted to try another D&D campaign), so instead of just building a mage as usual, he worked with me and made a sorcerer/swordsage/jade phoenix mage, focused on swordsage levels).

I'll be running my D&D campaign with the Book of Nine Swords on some Saturdays, and my D20 Modern/Future campaign of Mecha Crusade on the other Saturdays.  Don't know if Adam will start up another D&D campaign of his own or not.

We may be able to run games on other days, if there's interest.


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## tylermalan

jinnetics said:
			
		

> Are you looking for a regular D&D 3.5 group?




YES!  OMG YES!

I'm dying for a game.  I live in Avondale (as previously stated) but would drive if necessary.  I'm interested in D&D and d20 Modern, but I would play anything right now.  I only have experience in those two games... though its a lot of experience.  You might say... I'M LEVEL 20 OR SOMESUCH!  Bwahaha...


...sorry.

I've been to a ton of shops around so far.  Gamer's Inn is AWESOME.  Chandler or Tempe I think.

Game Nightz is really nice too, and I went there to meet up with a group of L5R players who play on Tuesdays, and at least one of which plays D&D.

I just stopped by a new Samurai Comics on 107th and Indian School, and though they focus on comics they have a bunch of tables for gaming and empty time slots.

So what's up??????  Let's get a game together!!!!  DANG I wanna play!


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## Arkhandus

Hehe, I felt basically the same way when I moved here, since I had to leave my gaming buddies in Michigan.  Since it's so oppressively hot for half the year, tolerably hot for a few months, and reasonably warm the rest of the time, I ended up finding a D&D group online through OpenRPG before I ever managed to find a gamestore and fellow gamers reasonably nearby.

If you guys don't mind the drive or bus-ride, come by Manawerx on Thursday or Saturday evenings for D&D or d20 Modern/Future.  For now we're playing D&D on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and d20 Modern/Future on Saturdays at 6 pm (play usually starts around 6:30 or 7 though).


Heck, if multiple people besides myself could show up at any given time on Sundays or Tuesdays, we could get a separate game running on one of those days (at present, I don't think Erik or Adam could show up on those days, but I'm not sure; Adam _might_ be able to).

There's another guy (by the name of James) who moved to the area recently and may be joining our group at some point, and he seemed to be fairly familiar with various RPGs when I talked to him, but I don't know if/when he'll be showing up for any game sessions.  Seems that he's busy getting situated with an apartment and stuff for now, so it may be a few weeks give or take before I can get any definitive answer from him in that regard.

I'm fine with other folks DMing or me DMing, whichever (though I'd kind of prefer that any 3rd campaign at ManaWerx be DMed by someone else, if possible).  The current campaigns on Thursdays and Saturdays can be alternated or something (my original plan was to run them on alternating Saturdays anyhow) if folks want to play or run a different campaign.


I dunno about Erik, but me and Adam at least are familiar with more systems than just D&D and d20 Modern.  I just don't think we have the materials to GM any other systems ourselves, other than Shadowrun 3rd Edition (for which I only have 2 books at present, though).  I'm one book short (the GMG) of being able to run Everquest d20, and likewise for Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved (I only have the first book for that).

Don't know if Adam has any non-d20 books or not, but I certainly don't (aside from a few 2E AD&D materials and two SR3 books).  Erik's only gotten into RPGs with 3.5 D&D, so I don't think he has any non-3.5 D&D books himself.


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## JoeStock

While I'm not new to the area myself, I'm just begining to look for a group. I can most likely be there for Thursdays D&D and I could DM at some point also. Are you guys currently able to add a player for Thursday?


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## tylermalan

Well, I'm good for at least one D&D-game-length (6-8 hrs) time slot all weekend, every weekend (Friday night to Sunday evening).  I don't really have time at all during the week.

I'm more interested in playing D&D 3.5, mainly because that's my favorite system right now and when you haven't played in awhile, you always want to go back to what you really crave.  However, I would definitely play whatever.  I could also DM, but only 3.5.

As for books, I have all the core books for 3.5 plus a few others, but none of the splat books.  For d20 Modern, I only have the main first core rulebook.

Like I said, I'll play anything, and I can DM 3.5.  I actually own the d20 Modern book because I was reading every William Gibson book ever a few months ago, and badly wanted to run a cyberpunk game, which means I might be persuaded to do that, also.  Any time during the weekend is fine!

-Tyler


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## Arkhandus

At present it's just me (John), Adam, and Erik, since other folks' work schedules changed months ago and they couldn't show up anymore.  So there's certainly room.

Due to the time we start play (and when the store closes), the Thursday and Saturday game sessions are around 3 hours in length, occasionally 4 or 5 hours.  I don't know if we could start earlier on Saturdays (it's possible, at present we only start that late on Saturdays because the alternative for Erik would be to start at noon and play till 5 or so), but we can't start any earlier on Thursdays.


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## tylermalan

Ok!  Well, is anyone else on here willing to jump in games or start new ones?

I ran the first half of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for a few friends, but never got a chance to finish it.  If no one else wanted to DM and everyone wanted to start a new game, I would want to run that.


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## JoeStock

I'm certainly up for playing and in the next few weeks I should be able to DM once I get my other books out of storage. 

Are we talking this Thursday or down the road?


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## tylermalan

Well, I will only be able to play on the weekends, but I could do it this weekend.


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## jinnetics

*let's game*



			
				tylermalan said:
			
		

> Well, I will only be able to play on the weekends, but I could do it this weekend.



Looking for a 3.5 game here as well.


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## JoeStock

tylermalan said:
			
		

> Well, I will only be able to play on the weekends, but I could do it this weekend.




That would work for me. 3.5 here too.


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## Arkhandus

Well, figure out a time, day, and place to meet, then.  Saturday or Sunday, early or late afternoon or early evening, ManaWerx or somewhere else, it's up to you guys.

As mentioned, my D&D game is mostly 3.0, but others can run 3.5.  I don't have the books to DM 3.5 myself.


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## tylermalan

Ok, well, here is a quick list of various gaming stores that we could use.  I'm assuming that we're trying to stick to the western side of the Phoenix area, though there are a few good shops in and around the Tempe area.

ManaWerks - http://www.manawerx.com/ - Just barely west of I-17 on Bell Rd.
Samurai Comics – www.samuraicomics.com - On the corner of 107th and Indian School
Atomic Comics - http://www.manawerx.com/ - In the Phoenix Metrocenter Mall.  Don't know where exactly, as I've never been there myself.
Gamers Loot - Apparently on Avondale Blvd and Indian School.  Don't know for sure, maybe someone can verify?
Game Depot - Tempe, AZ... I think.
Imperial Outpost - http://www.imperialoutpost.com/ - Thunderbird Rd just east of 51st Ave.
Game Nightz - http://www.gamenightzweb.com/ - Located in the Phoenix Metro Center mall, on dunlap just off I-17
Gamers Inn - http://www.gamersinnaz.com/ - Tempe, AZ

I listed a couple of stores that aren't in our area because they're pretty good.  Game Depot was good from what I can remember, and Gamers Inn was awesome.  Lots of table space there, and they have convention-style gaming every Saturday at about noon (show up, pay 3 bucks, jump in a game, DMs get $4 per player in store credit).

However, I think our best bets are Mana Werks, Samurai Comics, and Imperial Outpost.  Gamers Loot would be good, too, but I've never been there and don't know about its location for sure.  Second best bets are the two stores around the Metrocenter Mall – Game Nightz and Atomic Comics.  Lastly, Game Depot and Gamers Inn are farther away, but are both good stores.

The closest places for me, in order, are the following:

1)  Gamers Loot
2)  Samurai Comics
3)  A.  Imperial Outpost
     B.  Game Nightz
     C.  Atomic Comics
4)  Mana Werks

It takes me probably twenty minutes to get to the metrocenter mall without traffic, so that's not too bad.

Here is a list of players that we have so far…

Myself
Arkhandus
jinnetics
JoeStock

And RaZZer99 posted awhile ago, but hasn’t been back in the past couple of days.  I’ve got a couple of people that I know that might want to join up as well, and I’m sure you guys do, too.  I would definitely prefer at least 4 or 5 players and 1 DM, and I guess no more than… 8 players?  I’m just throwing out ideas, though.

Oh yeah, and Saturday early afternoon is a no-go for me.  Any other time though!

Let me know what you guys think!


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## JoeStock

In terms of which store, I have no strong opinion, mainly because I haven't had much chance to check them out yet. In terms of distance, I am on the west side, near Surprise. So Samurai Comics, Imperial Outpost, and ManaWerks would be best. 

As for time, evenings are best for me. Saturday after 2 PM would be perfect, but any of the weekdays after 5 is okay too. Sunday are the only real issue, because of football. 

Give me two-three weeks and I could DM. If we have someone else to DM, we can go back and forth every other week.


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## Arkhandus

Samurai Comics is way too far for me to reach, since I have no car and would have to find some obtuse combination of overly-long bus rides to indirectly take me near it (likewise for the places in Tempe; I know from experience that it takes approximately 3-4 hours to get from my house to somewhere in Tempe by a combination of 2 or 3 different bus rides).

I know where Imperial Outpost is and I know I can reach it, but since I have to take two buses to get there, it takes me around 1-1/2 to 2 hours (the bus going down Thunderbird only goes by every 45 or 60 minutes, so it's a _long_ wait once I get to Thunderbird).  I've been to the IC only briefly a few times, and I can't remember the set-up there, other than some tables spread around for Warhammer.

Since I'm already kind of commited to running a Saturday game at ManaWerx, I can't head out there on Saturday evenings unless Erik and Adam can show up for an early-afternoon session (freeing up my evening).  I dunno if either can/would get to the Outpost for sessions there with you guys, but it's _possible_.


Erik's availability depends on his parents and whether or not either would have anything to do while at the gamestore with him (his father typically sits at a nearby table and plays Magic: The Gathering with other folks, or watches some DVDs on his laptop; when Erik's mother takes him to ManaWerx instead, she just sits and grades papers for a few hours).  And I can't remember if Imperial Outpost has any spare tables and chairs.....  I don't think Erik's available on Sundays.  Most likely he wouldn't be joining any other campaigns besides the ones on Thursday and Saturday.

Adam's just limited by work and night classes on some days, I think, so almost any day after 6 or 6:30 pm may be fine for him, and when we scheduled our Saturday campaign he said he was available any time on Saturdays, and I think Sundays too.  He might be able to join in, but I'm not sure yet.


I'm available most days and at most times of day (haven't found a new job yet), except for the Thursday night and Saturday campaigns that I'm running (the Saturday one might be moveable to afternoons though to free up evening time).  My preferred locations would be either ManaWerx, GameNightz, or Atomic Comics, though I can reach the Imperial Outpost as well.

(Edit: Oh, and for reference, ManaWerx is closed on Mondays and generally busy on Fridays with Magic tournaments.  I don't know what days the other stores are closed or too busy.)


As I mentioned earlier, GameNightz is inside the Metrocenter Mall (near the I-17 and a couple of other roads; it's just north of Dunlap/Olive, for instance).  GameNightz is just down the stairs/escalators from the food court, which is next to the Harkins Move Theater attached to the mall.

Atomic Comics is just outside the mall, across from the Sears, in a separate building with a few other businesses (Atomic Comics is at the end.....  It's kinda near the Borders but not quite as far from the mall).


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## tylermalan

Arkhandus, between which times does the Saturday game that you're running take place?

Oh, and for clarification, when I said that Saturday early afternoon is a no-go, I was only referring to this upcoming Saturday.


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## Arkhandus

The Saturday game currently runs from 6 pm to 9 or 10 pm, depending on when I decide to call it quits for the night.


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## tylermalan

Ok, gotcha.  Well, this Saturday I can only play in the evening.  After this Saturday, if we decide on a set, regular time, I can probably always make it, barring some weird happenstance.  So, right now, the schedules look like this:

Arkhandus - already gaming from 6 to 10 pm Saturday, but could possibly move it up to free up an evening slot.
JoeStock - Saturday after 2 pm is perfect.
Me - This Saturday only, I can't play until the evening.
jinnetics - open whenever?

So, at this point, I guess we should decide specifically on the game.  Are we looking to start up a new one?  Arkhandus, is your 3E game open for us new guys to join?  If we do start up a new one, is everyone willing to DM, or only a few people?

I would say that my personal preference is to play 3.5E over 3E, given a choice.  But, if everyone else wants to do something different, I'd be all about it.  As for my choice between 3E and d20 Modern, I'm 50/50, so it's whatever.

Thoughts?


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## Arkhandus

Well, two new guys showed up today before we got the session started, so I ended up forgetting to ask Adam and Erik anything before we left.  So, at least for the Thursday game, we have two more folks that might show up regularly or semi-regularly.  Not sure if they'll be around on Saturdays, and didn't get to ask much about anything.  Too busy and hectic today.  At least things are less so after character creation is done.

So, for Thursdays at least, we have a decent number of players now, rather than just 2.  Dunno how often those two will be showing up, but we'll see.  I'll try and remember to not get side-tracked on Saturday, and ask some questions of whoever shows up then.

Either campaign still has room for more players.  And of course if the group somehow balloons to an unmanageable size, we can just run two separate games at the same time, with different DMs.

I'm fine with someone starting up a new game.  And I'm fine with DMing or someone else DMing (preferably the latter if it's a new game, since I'm kind of busy at this point).


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## JoeStock

So we settled on ManaWerx as the location? Anything we need to know ahead of time for playing there? Like a fee or if we need to book a table?

It also sounds like we're talking Saturday afternoon/evenings for the game, just need to get closer on a time.

I think we can start one new game at least. I'd be up for DMing, but again, I would like to rotate weekly with someone else. Tylermalan suggested running the Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, I would love to play in that. As for myself, I have the World's Largest Dungeon, which I've been dying to DM, but haven't had the chance to.

On another subject, what about supplies (minis, battlemats, etc..)? While I have almost all my books, I gave away all of that stuff when I left California two years ago. At the very least we would need a battlemap I think, at least to run WLD.


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## tylermalan

Ok, well, cool!  Here is what I propose...

Let's start up a new game instead of joining a pre-existing one.  Let's play at Mana Werks, unless there IS a table fee that someone isn't comfortable paying, or we can't reserve a table, etc.  Let's play in the late afternoon/early evening (this will require Arkhandus to move his current game up to starting around noon).  Once we decide if all of this is ok, we can choose between me running EtCR, or JoeStock running WLD, or alternating between the two.

Does all of this sound ok with you guys?

As for supplies, I used to play Warhammer, so I have a ton of minis, but they aren't very varied.  They're usable though!  I do not have a battlemat, however, but have been meaning to get one... can anyone give me a link where I can purchase one?  Lastly, I've got the first 3 sets of Dungeon Tiles to use, and I want to get the fourth, so we have those.

How good is Mana Werks for supplies and books and the like?  Do they cater mainly to D&D and other RPGs, or are they more cards, or comics?


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## JoeStock

All of that sounds fine tylermalan, I of course vote for alternating. 

I believe rpg.net's shop sells the mats, they're called play mats. I'm happy to go ahead and buy one for the group, as long as someone else can provide minis. 

I did quickly stop in manawerx to just see where it was and what it looked like. They only seems to have dice, it's mainly a Magic store, I didn't see any RPG books.


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## tylermalan

You know, I might just go ahead and buy a battlemat for myself anyway... I've needed one for awhile.  I was recently using a dry-erase white board that I had drawn a square grid onto with permanent marker, and then just used dry erase markers to draw stuff on, but it was big and cumbersome.  Also, once I bought the dungeon tiles, I realized that I drew the squares on the grid WAY too big, and it wasn't compatible with the tiles.  So, in my recent move down to AZ I trashed that thing!

One thing that I've got that I don't know if you guys have ever used is the Combat Pad - that initiative tracker thing.  It's awesome!

I suppose that's alright that Mana Werks doesn't sell any books... we can always go elsewhere for our shopping needs, if necessary.  Maybe our increased presence will get some books in there!


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## Arkhandus

ManaWerx has no fees or whatnot for table use.  Fridays and the occasional other big-Magic-tournament days are the only times it's hard to find a spare table.

I have no minis, terrain pieces, or battlemaps in use so far, as I can't afford 'em.  On the occasions that exact position matters, we just place some counters on the table to show positions, or I sketch a rough map on normal paper.


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## Arkhandus

tylermalan said:
			
		

> Once we decide if all of this is ok, we can choose between me running EtCR, or JoeStock running WLD, or alternating between the two.
> 
> Does all of this sound ok with you guys?



Fine by me.



> I do not have a battlemat, however, but have been meaning to get one... can anyone give me a link where I can purchase one?  Lastly, I've got the first 3 sets of Dungeon Tiles to use, and I want to get the fourth, so we have those.
> 
> How good is Mana Werks for supplies and books and the like?  Do they cater mainly to D&D and other RPGs, or are they more cards, or comics?



I dunno where to buy battlemaps, sorry.

ManaWerx is like 70% focused on Magic: The Gathering stuff, 15% on other card games, and 15% on other stuff.  They have dice and counters and snacks and such, plus a few RPG books and board games, but not minis, maps, etc.

I think they do have one of the Dungeon Tiles sets though, on the shelves with the RPG books.


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## Arkhandus

JoeStock said:
			
		

> All of that sounds fine tylermalan, I of course vote for alternating.
> 
> I believe rpg.net's shop sells the mats, they're called play mats. I'm happy to go ahead and buy one for the group, as long as someone else can provide minis.
> 
> I did quickly stop in manawerx to just see where it was and what it looked like. They only seems to have dice, it's mainly a Magic store, I didn't see any RPG books.



I forgot for a moment, but I actually do have a small number of the cheap MageKnight plastic miniatures from several years ago.

ManaWerx does have RPG books; they're on the shelves next to the couple of board games they have in stock.  Just not a ton of RPG books.

They can also order more books on request, I just don't think they want to stock a lot of books if nobody's buying them.


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## tylermalan

Alright, well let's get this going!  I know it's kind of late notice, but is playing tomorrow a possibility?  Arkhandus, is this enough advance notice to still be able to shift the time of your current game up to noon or so?

So, I say we do the following:  I'm good to go for tomorrow at, say, 5 pm at Mana Werks.  If both of you guys (Arkhandus and JoeStock) reply to this post by noon tomorrow (Saturday) saying that you can make it and all is well, then we should all show up.  Jinnetics, hopefully you're reading this too, and you can also hopefully reply and make it out.  

Either way, if you guys both reply, try to bring as many players with you as you can, since there are only three of us really discussing things right now, and that will help fill out the group.  I'll try to bring at least one person as well.

If BOTH of you guys DON'T reply by noon tomorrow, or this is too short notice for Arkhandus to be able to reschedule his current game, then we should just shoot for next Saturday.

So, hopefully I see some replies by tomorrow and we can play!


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## Arkhandus

Well, this _is_ too short of a notice for my players, really.  I tried calling, but changing the schedule this weekend is no good for them.  If you guys want to show up on Saturday and try to get something arranged (there may be a few more people around then, after all, but I'm not sure), that's fine.

I just don't think I'll be canceling my regular Saturday evening session this week (unless the guys are willing to put it off until next week, and join the separate game, which I won't know until we get together for the game tomorrow).


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## JoeStock

Well I certainly wouldn't be ready to DM this Saturday, but we can at least get together I think and if Tylermalan is ready he could DM or at the very least we could start character creation for the campaigns. I will be there around 6, maybe a little later. 

Heck I'd be willing to join the d20 modern campaign, through I've never played that before.


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## tylermalan

Sounds good, I'll be there!  I need to make sure I know how to get there, anyway.  Now that I think about it, I'm not really ready to DM either!  I think Arkhandus said that his game starts around 6, so we can at least meet up, say hi, maybe discuss next week a little bit, and exchange email addresses to make meeting next week easier.  I should almost definitely be able to bring another player with me then, as well.

d20 Modern is a lot of fun!  It's only slightly different, and if you know the 3.5 system, it comes easily.  I think Arkhandus is running a 3E game Saturdays anyway.

See you guys then!


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## Arkhandus

My Saturday game generally starts play around 6:30 or 7 pm, sometimes closer to 6 (which is what we try for).  The Saturday game is d20 Modern/Future: the Mecha Crusade campaign model.

If the group agrees to it I can always switch the days so Saturday is D&D and Thursday is d20 Modern, but it really depends entirely on the players; I wouldn't change the schedule if it messes with anyone's ability to play.


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## tylermalan

No, of course not!  That's fine.  The only reason (I would think) that you would want to switch which days you play which games is so that some of your players can join in the game that we're starting, if they want to.

Today, just ask them if they would be alright playing in your game if you moved the time up to around noon or so (or whatever you decide upon).  That way, we can hopefully play this game that we're discussing at around 5 pm.  Also, ask them if any want to play in this one, as well!


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## Arkhandus

Hey guys, nice meeting some of ya today.  Sorry I didn't get to talk with ya much, but I was kinda busy and trying to remember where I left off with last week's session.  But after a while, we decided on a change of plans.

The Mecha Crusade campaign will be put on hold for a while, and we'll just show up around 5 on Saturdays for the D&D campaigns.  Erik felt like playing another D&D game, and Adam wasn't sure he'd want to come by ManaWerx at noon each Saturday and stick around all day, so we talked for a bit and decided what to do.

The 6:30 pm Thursday D&D campaign is still on, though.


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## tylermalan

Oh, ok!  Which one was Erik and which one was Adam, again?


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## Arkhandus

Erik's the kid, around 12 years old or so, and Adam's the other guy in glasses.


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## tylermalan

That's right, I forgot.

I also forgot one other thing:  My wife and I are going to Japan in October, so I won't be able to play on the 13th.  That being said, here's what we can do... we can meet up on this upcoming Saturday as planned to make characters and such.  Then, like we planned, we can skip the Saturday after that.  The following Saturday we can start playing the game that I'm running in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft.  The Saturday after that is the weekend that I will be gone, so you can go ahead and start WLD without me.  After I get back, everything should be normal.


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## tylermalan

Gah... so, another request for a change of plans...

Is it alright if we meet up earlier this Saturday than we planned?  Like anywhere between noon and 2 is good...


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## Arkhandus

...  :\   I guess I can try and call Adam and Erik later tonight to ask.


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## Arkhandus

Erik can't show up this Saturday at those times.....he's going to a friend's birthday party early Saturday afternoon, and won't even be home again until around 5 pm.

I'll ask Adam tomorrow at the Thursday evening session.  But Erik at least can't make it so early.


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## tylermalan

I know, I'm sorry.  A good friend of my wife and I is moving to Germany, and he's having a going-away party on Saturday night.  I _do_ want to go, but I also HAVE to go.

So, I guess I'll just go ahead and say it... that's not really a big deal to me, because I'm not particularly interested in playing with a 13 year old kid.  I really want a relatively serious game of D&D with mature, experienced adults.  I remember what my D&D games were like when I was 13...

So I'm not sure how it's going to work out with you, Arkhandus.  I know that he's already in your gaming group, and I'm sure you want him to keep playing.  I don't know... what are you guys thinking?


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## JoeStock

Well that early might be tough this week will be tough for me too. I could be there around 3 or so. Since we got such a screwy schedule this next few weeks, here's what I propose.

I'm looking to try something other than the WLD to start off. Basically to give me a chance to learn everyone's style and stuff. I do have sortof a one-shot adventure that could be run in about two sessions or less. So let's try this.

This Saturday: If Tyler can give us a hour or two, then starting at 3 we'll do character creation for Tyler's Ravenloft. At 5, we'll do character creation for my campaign. If we get done early enough, we'll also start the one shot. If you can trust me Tyler, I can do Erik's character for your campaign too. 

September 29: Store is closed.

October 6: We'll start Tyler's Ravenloft game. Also set Tyler's character for my campaign if we didn't do it on the 22nd.

October 15: We'll finish my one-shot. Tyler will be out of town.

October 22: Second session of Tyler's game.


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## Arkhandus

Well that's disheartening..... :\ 

I don't mind if you're going to be busy this Saturday evening.  It's understandable.

But I'm not going to exclude Erik from Saturday sessions altogether like some kind of jerk.  He's been in the group since Adam started his D&D campaign almost a year ago, and he'd really like to play more D&D.  If you'd prefer a 'more mature' campaign with all of 2 adults in the game, that's fine, but I'll be continuing my Saturday evening game sessions with Erik and Adam.

Adam didn't think he'd want to spend half the day at ManaWerx each Saturday, since his sister got him started some weeks ago on a fitness program that he goes to each Saturday around 4 pm.  And I think the evening sessions are more convenient for him as they are for Erik; so we'll probably just continue playing at 5 or 6 pm each Saturday.


If you want to run your game on Saturday afternoons around noon, 2, or 3 pm, I might join in.  But I don't think it's likely that Adam will change his mind later and feel more inclined to show up twice a day on Saturdays, so he probably won't be joining that early-afternoon campaign.

Either I'll keep running my Saturday evening campaign, whether it's D&D or D20 Modern, or Joe can run his campaign in that timeslot and the three of us (me, Adam, and Erik) will participate in that game.  But I absolutely _will not_ be telling Erik to just stop showing up on Saturdays.

I'll be letting Adam and Erik know tonight to try showing up around 5 or 6 on Saturday so we can run a game session or do character creation.  Adam can't show up at 3, it's too close to when he'd need to leave for his fitness-program-thing.

I'll show up around 2 or 3 if I can, and find out what you guys are going to do.


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## tylermalan

Well, I wrote this long post, but I'm at work, so I had a lot of time to think about it before I actually posted it.  So, here's the shorter, more direct version.

I'm willing to give Erik a chance.  When it comes down to it, if I had to make a decision without actually knowing him, I would choose to NOT play with a 13 year old kid, regardless of who he is.  However, since he's already in your game and you play with him, AND he's been playing for about a year, I'll give it a chance.

But I'll be honest, I don't have high hopes.  He didn't know what a d8 was, and I want to PLAY, not teach someone how to play.  That might seem selfish, but I spent 3 years in Alaska teaching people how to play who had never played before, and I'm just burned out.

Regarding the maturity level thing, I just want a good, solid D&D game.  I don't want my game to be filled to the brim with cuss words, sex, and gore... so I don't want you guys to think that that's what I mean.

So, I gotta go work on this thing for a bit, but I'll post more later specifically about times and dates and stuff.  I haven't had a chance to really read your post yet, Joe, but I will in a few!


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## tylermalan

Well, with all this planning, I feel bad about this, but it just seems like the best course of action.

I'll drop from the consideration of the games at ManaWerks.  I'll get with the guys that I mentioned before (that might want to come and play) and see if they want to get anything together.  If they do, I'll get the Ravenloft thing going around my area.  Both of you guys are welcome to come join in, and I'm still interested in trying out the WLD.  Arkhandus, I know you don't have transportation, but the offer is on the table none-the-less.  Joe, I know you can drive (and I think you're already driving to get to Mana Werks anyway), so you are also very welcome to come and play in Ravenloft, or run your WLD down here, which is really close to the I-10.

So, what do you guys think?  What do you want to do?  If you want, you can email me at tylermalan@gmail.com.


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## JoeStock

I think everyone needs to calm down for a moment. We all came here for the same reason. We want to play, specifically D&D. Whenever you're dealing with new people, things can be awkward. Let's at least give this a try first. My experience playing shows you can't judge who's going to be the best player by age or looks. 

Let's see how the chemistry is before we just blow all this off. I'll be there by 3 PM at the latest and I'll be there until closing. At least stop by Tyler and let's talk about this.


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## tylermalan

I'm not actually upset at all, and I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I was.  However, it isn't really all about this one thing... there are a few other things factoring in here, which I'm not afraid to tell you guys about.  So here they are! 

1)  I really don't like Mana Werks at all.  Of all the gaming shops I've visited since I've been here (of which there have been many, all over the Phoenix area), Mana Werks is easily the worst.  The entire interior isn't nice at all, their selection of gaming stuff is horrible, and it's a bit too, what I'll call "family friendly" for my tastes.  Babies, loud noises, and lots of kids running around there NOT playing games... it's just not very professional.  I don't know why, but I don't like that.

2)  Mana Werks is also a bit far.  I'm not sure how far you're driving to get there, Joe, but it's around half an hour for me.  In that amount of time, with good traffic conditions, I can get to Game Depot or Gamer's Inn, both of which are awesome stores and pretty far away by my standards.  There are also at least 3 or 4 stores that are way better and significantly closer to me.

3)  The atmosphere of Mana Werks reminds me of an atmosphere I've seen in many gaming stores in the many cities I've lived.  This atmosphere would make it almost impossible for me, as a DM, to tell someone that they can't play in my game, for whatever reason.  As D&D is as much a social thing for me as it is a fun game, I don't really like feeling like I have to play with everyone.  Add that to the fact that any kids that are there that might want to play are probably there with their parents, who may or may not have babies with them, who are probably screaming... LOL, I'm just kidding.  All jokes aside though, Explaining to Jim why he can't play in a professional environment is one thing... explaining to Little Jimmy's mom or dad why I won't let their kid play is another.

4)  My wife is just getting interested in D&D, and she wants to play with a group of guys that she works with.  While I could possibly make time for two sessions per week, it's really pushing it, and I don't know for sure if I could make every session with you guys, unless you were involved with the other game to which I am referring.

So, those are some reasons.  I do NOT want to come across as though I'm saying "It's my way or the highway!" because I am NOT!  I promise.  But while each of those things individually is not a deal-breaker, all of them together is.  If we could eliminate one or two, I would be more interested in continuing the planning.  I'm also all about compromise!  The thing is, I know that though you guys might also be interested in compromising, you might not be ABLE to (transportation, other game commitments, etc...).

I'm sorry that I didn't bring these things up earlier.  It took me awhile to really realize them, and I didn't want you guys to think that I didn't want to play with both of you!  I really do!

As for today, I won't be able to make it.  I could be out there around noon or shortly after, but 3 is too late.  This week, let's discuss what you guys think about all this, and if you can and would be willing to compromise.  I'm really sorry about this weekend.

-Tyler


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## JoeStock

Fair enough.

John, let's stick tot he usual time, then, I'll be there about 6.


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## tylermalan

So, what's up?  Did you guys play Saturday?


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## RaZZer99

Hey, I know I am a bit late in returning to this thread, but I am still interested in playing a regular game of DnD.

I have the typical 8-5 M-F job and so I can only play on the weekend (Friday night, Sat, Sun). I also live in the Chandler area, so I'm really only interested in a game that is within reasonable driving distance (what is reasonable, I'm not sure, but that's what google is there to tell me   ). I am 27 in case age is a concern.


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## tylermalan

Well, I guess we will have to wait for Arkhandus and Joe to post to figure out what's up, but here's a summary of the scoop:

Arkhandus has a regular Saturday game at Mana Werks, which is about half an hour north of I-10.  I live almost ON the 10, so somewhere closer is better for me.  We were working out a game at Mana Werks, but, well... you read the posts   Joe went up there to play last Saturday, as far as I know.

So right now, a game at a store closer to me would be pretty enticing...  The closest options in that regard are Gamers' Loot and Samurai Comics, both of which are on Indian School and almost right next to each other.  But, like I said before, I'm willing to compromise.

If you live out there, you might want to try Game Depot or Gamers' Inn - both of which are really awesome.  I think Game Depot caters more to RPGs than anything else, and Gamers' Inn has convention-style gaming every Saturday around noon (show up, pay $3, jump in a game) and I've been wanting to engage in some of that for quite awhile now.  The down side for me is that Gamers' Inn is at least half an hour away from where I live  so I don't think I could do it very regularly.

I recently got hooked up with a group of guys that I work with who play on Friday nights right now.  Two of the guys will be gone in two months, and the rest want to continue playing after that.  I'm still interested in running EtCR, and I'm still interested in playing in WLD.  What are your thoughts, Razzer?

Joe, where are you driving from again?


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## RaZZer99

Mana Werks sounds like it is a bit too far for me. I am coming from the bottom of the 101/202 junction 

I'm actually a bit wary of playing at an actual gaming store. Don't have many fond memories of the last time I tried that heh.

Ravenloft sounds cool. Never tried that setting before. Anything D&D or Shadowrun or Call of Cthuhlu is alright with me and would be most interested in playing.


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## tylermalan

Dang... so, down in Chandler?  If you're in that area, you should definitely check out a couple of the stores, except that groups you meet in stores only ever play in the stores.  And really, its not that bad.  If you find a store that's set up for it, it's not bad at all (IE, a store that focuses mainly on RPGs).  It's actually really good for a couple of things, namely keeping focused on the game.  I've found that it's easier for me to focus on the game if I'm not lounging on a couch, falling asleep or something 

Right now, the group that I mentioned is playing at one of the players' house, but its on Luke AFB.  They could be persuaded, I'm sure, to meet at a more central location.  It's too bad that there aren't really any stores that are dead inbetween West and East Phoenix... everything is either really west or really east or north.


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## Arkhandus

Don't know anyone out in Chandler, and I don't think anyone else in this thread lives around there, Razzer (though I could be wrong).  So you'll probably have to try looking for some game stores in your area and ask around or post a note asking for folks to get together for a D&D or RPG group.

Avondale, where Tyler is, is almost the opposite end of town from Chandler, so that's probably no good.  And yeah, ManaWerx and other stores in Phoenix or Glendale are probably rather far for you as well.

Actually, I think it's even farther than coming from Tempe, isn't it?  You're probably like a 1 or 2 hour drive away from any of us in Phoenix or Avondale, I'd guess.  So you'll need to find a gaming group in your own area.  If you post something in a local game store with your phone # or something, you might be able to get some people together for a gaming group.  Check the phonebook or whatever for the addresses of any game stores near you.

If you have trouble finding any game stores or gamers in your area (I certainly don't know anything about Chandler), you might do what I did when I moved here.  Look for a gaming group over the internet, downloading OpenRPG and joining groups over that virtual tabletop program.

Tyler, aren't you running games with your wife and her friends from work?  So what's any of it matter to you?

My group still meets each week at ManaWerx, and for now at least Joe's running an adventure there on Saturdays.  For reference, last Saturday was just a busy one because they had a Magic tournament or somesuch.  This past Saturday was fairly quiet and half-empty.


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## RaZZer99

Hmmm, I don't need something directly in Chandler. I'm happy to drive a reasonable distance for a good game. I just don't want to drive as far as Glendale. Anything in the Chandler/Mesa/Snottsdale/Gilbert/Tempe or possibly even Central Phoenix location would be peachy. I guess the I-17 is kind of where I'd draw the line.

Thanks for the advice though. I'll keep looking online. I'm patient  But if any of you have a game on the weekends in the above areas and need another player, please feel free to drop me a line and we'll give it a try.


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## tylermalan

I'm not sure, I guess...  I mean, I've only played with these guys once, and I'm not actually running the game in this group.  Two of the guys are leaving in two months, anyway, so we will need more players, or the remaining players will need a group.

For me, off of Dysart and the I-10, I'm a half-hour drive from Tempe (I work out in Tempe, around McClintock, so I make the drive 3 nights a week), but traffic can make it worse.  In that area, I highly suggest that you check out Game Depot and Gamers' Inn.  I may end up coming down to Gamers' Inn occasionally for their gaming.  Inn has a website, Depot does not.

Unfortunately, I don't think that there are any gaming shops in the Central Phoenix area at all.  If you're interested in coming out to my area for a game, which is around 107th, let me know.  My email is tylermalan@gmail.com

Or, if you get anything going in your area, or decide to put anything together, let me know!

So, Arkhandus, what did you guys end up doing Saturday?


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## Arkhandus

One-shot adventure or something.  A 1st-level lead-in to the Temple of Elemental Evil.  As Joe said earlier in the thread, he wanted to run something else briefly before starting the World's Largest Dungeon.  We entered town (Falcon's Ridge, or something else with Falcon in its name), found they were suffering a minor plague, and volunteered to fetch the herbs needed for the cure after we talked to the local healer.

Talked with another person or two, then went into the woods for the first ingredient.  Attacked by a hobgoblin and his hunting falcons.  Drawn-out fight between hobgoblin up in a tree and all of us except the Rogue being ridiculously terrible climbers.  Rogue managed to get up there and slightly wound the hobgoblin, so it jumped down to start a fighting retreat.  Rest of us charged and caught up after a bit, dropping the hobgoblin before he could finish escaping.  Investigated corpses hung up in another tree after traveling further, and fought a wierd lizard-thing, quick victory due to a couple of high rolls all-around.


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## JoeStock

Sorry I haven't responded eariler, I've been battling a cold. Good thing we have this week off.

Things went well on Saturday. Character Creation took us about 2 hours, which is pretty typical when you're sharing 2 PHBs among 4 people. We ended up with a Swordsage (Adam), Crusader (John), and a Rogue (Eric). For all the concern about Eric, he finished his character first, with very little help from anyone. I created a quickie Wizard to fill the arcane caster role for the group. 

Once we started, we got through about a quarter of the one-shot adventure, so we'll easily finish next week. The town was Falcon's Hollow and the group has already collected one of the three items they need. 

The store was totally changed for this game. There was no Magic tournament and so the store was pretty much empty. We had just about entire row of tables to ourselves. Very peaceful and I had no issues with DMing it.

Honestly no matter what, any place in Phoenix will be a drive. After two years, I'm used to the fact nothing is nearby around here. I'm currently driving about 30 minutes to ManaWerx, but I drive 40 minutes to work each day, so it's not a big deal.

I'd love to still play in a game. The stores in Tempe and Mesa would be too far away. I think the Saturday Game at ManaWerx is one I'm be DMing for awhile, but I would still be willing to play in a game elsewhere on another night.


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## Arkhandus

*Worldwide D&D Gameday '07*

Just figured I should mention, for everyone's reference.......

D&D Game Day, November 3rd


		Code:
	

Country	State	City		Store
United States	AZ	Chandler	Game Daze - Chandler
					(480) 899-7406
United States	AZ	Flagstaff	Hastings - 9816

United States	AZ	Glendale	Game Daze - Glendale
					(623) 979-5360
United States	AZ	Mesa		Gamer's Inn
					(480) 507-0509
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Game Daze - Pheonix
					(602) 494-4263
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Game Nightz
					(602) 870-8501
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Samurai Comics
					(602) 265-8886
United States	AZ	Phoenix		Samurai Comics - West
					(623) 872-8886
United States	AZ	Scottsdale	Game Daze - Scottsdale
					(480) 947-1101
United States	AZ	Sierra Vista	Hastings - 9802

United States	AZ	Tempe		Game Depot
					(480) 966-4727
United States	AZ	Tucson		Amazing Discoveries
					(520) 320-0338
United States	AZ	Tucson		Hat's Games
					(520) 514-2960
United States	AZ	Tuscon		Game Daze - Tucson
					(520) 745-0468
United States	AZ	Tuscon		Game Daze - Tucson
					(520) 293-7940
United States	AZ	Yuma		Hastings - 9810


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## tylermalan

Cool!  Hey, sorry I've been gone for awhile.  I was just vacationing in Tokyo for almost 2 weeks with my wife, but I'm back now.  I actually won't be able to make it to Game Day this year (much to my disappointment).  We're going to be in Las Vegas for my wife's dad's birthday.  How's the game going?


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## Arkhandus

Haven't played much so far, Joe's been kind of busy and we've only done some character creation, aside from the two-session side game that we started with before Joe decided whether to continue on to the RttToEE or start on the World's Largest Dungeon.  We'll be moving on to the latter I think, this week probably.  My Thursday game has continued separately as normal.


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## m_kerensky

I am looking to join 3.5 game.  I am in the east valley, but can travel to at least the phoenix area.  It would be great if I was allowed to play a half-dragon character cuz I have wanted to for a long time.


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## Arkhandus

You're on almost the opposite side of the greater Phoenix area from where tylermalan is, and he's involved in some other games now in the Avondale area as far as I know.  My group meets at the ManaWerx game store, which is in Phoenix, kind of close to 35th and Bell Road.  I don't know if that's within your range, either, but the only 3.5 game we have right now is on Saturdays, which joestock is running.  And that one's 2nd-level, so half-dragons would be a no-go.  The game I run on Thursdays is 3.0 and higher level, but again, 3.0 rules, and on a weekday night.


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