A Homecoming 5 Hours Away From Home: Musings on Chaosium Con III: Ypsilanti Drift
by
Matt "Doc" Tracey
Blog acknowledgement: I want to thank Adam “Bucho” Rodenberger for allowing me to publish this on his blog, as I lack one myself. This marks two years in a row that he’s let me use his blog for publishing this recap.
Author’s note: Full disclosure, I’m writing this nearly a week later… so some of the details may be fuzzy or maybe I peeked at others’ recaps to help flesh out everything and even then, it’s not an exhaustive list of everything. But… the sentiment and vibes are there. If I missed anyone or anything, please forgive me. I still love you all, I just have the memory of a goldfish and wrote a grant proposal once I got home as well as finish semester grades done…
“Do you want this taco?” Words that defined my experience last year in Ypsilanti, Michigan. When I got there, it was my first gaming convention (Back in college, I’d snag day passes to New York Comic Con before it was a “Verified Fan” badge required to get into a virtual queue to consider getting tickets. Yes, I’ll pick up my horn-rimmed glasses and PBR on the way out).
I walked into a hotel in a state I’d never been to, for a convention that I was excited to meet people that I knew from the Internet, and to play games that I’d only learned of a few years prior. And then one Bucho Rodenberger (to whom I owe thanks for letting me use his blog to publish this musing), saw me, greeted me with a big bear hug, and offered me a taco. We sat, we laughed, we chatted, he told me to “Get off your ass and say hi” when I saw acclaimed author Paul Fricker standing in the lobby and I was too afraid to walk over and say hello. Chaosium Con 2023 was an experience in meeting people, gaming, and it felt like a whirlwind of experiences.
Chaosium Con 2024 (aka Chaosium Con III) was different. But not in the ominous way that my phrasing there likely brings to mind. A good different. A special different. Chaosium Con 2024 was less of a gaming convention and more of a family reunion. Last year, I was scrambling to meet everyone, put faces to Discord names, and to get the courage to talk to the higher ups at Chaosium (I’m still getting razzed for unintentionally not knowing what Mike Mason looked like when I was casually noodling an idea to the kind gentleman who had an encyclopedic knowledge of things it would seem). It was high energy, chaotic, and an experience that I’ll never forget. I walked into the Ann Arbor Mariott at Eagle Crest Resort a nervous wreck, I left counting down the days until I could go back.
This year, when I walked in, it didn’t feel like a confusing place. It felt welcoming. I immediately scanned the lobby for anyone I knew. It wasn’t “Oh is this person here for the con or just a golfer?”
Instead, it was “Okay, I know people congregated here last year—hmm no one here yet.” No nervous energy about meeting people, but instead actively seeking them out. It was a completely different feeling. Hell, I turned off my GPS as soon as I got off 94 because I knew where I was going.
First person I got to see was Bucho, whom I greeted at his hotel door with a casual “If your dick is out, keep it out” before he opened the door. I like to think that someone from the professional conference with whom we shared space heard that and had a lot of questions. I dropped my bag (since I was crashing with him for the night), caught up, and even untangled some dog tag gifts for my players. On to the lobby after Bridgett Jeffries, the hurricane of happy, the sunbeam of smiling, the landslide of laughter, finally got out of a professional meeting and nearly tackled me as I walked over to say hello. I’m a big fella. My feet left the ground with the force of that hug. We went shopping with Al “Diesel” Smith (a staple at these conventions and one hell of a friend); if you go to Chaosium Con and don’t meet Al? You’ve missed out on an excellent interaction. He’s everywhere at once, he’s sort of like a miasma of TTRPG information. Need a game run in a pinch? He can pull out five systems without hesitation.
While shopping at the local Kroger, we all learned that Bucho shops EXACTLY as you think he would. And that if you’re taking a picture outside of a restaurant, Bridgett will go full Kool-Aid Man and plow through a door to make sure she’s in the picture. Those pedestrians shouldn’t have been standing there. We’ll send flowers to their children. Also, shout out to Ma Lou’s Fried Chicken. Food was excellent, though playing the Casey Anthony documentary was an interesting choice… Getting back, I got to meet some fellow early arrivals to the con. It was like seeing family again. Family that I haven’t seen in a year, but somehow talk to nearly every day. Ypsilanti was no longer a strange land to a stranger. It was a place of comfort (aside from that tiny little parking voucher nub they gave us…).
The sequence of events leading up to this can only be described as pure chaos…
Now on to the convention itself!
After crashing for the night, Thursday morning was a repeat of last year, going to Luca’s Coney Island with some amazing people. Sam and Nathan Pidde, Bucho, and Bridgett being repeat breakfast company, adding in the incomparable Skip Morton was a pleasant addition as well. Be it having the same waitress as last year (complete with unrivaled sass!), the overwhelming portions of food, or just the sheet presence of people that I deeply love, this breakfast was special. Maybe there’s some magic in that greasy spoon.
Thursday afternoon provided a unique opportunity to play in a game with a man with whom I share a nickname, Doc (Dave, MD). At Chaosium Con II and Origins last year, I found myself introducing myself as “Doc, but not the one you’re thinking of”. He’s a fantastic individual, and his death of Houdini scenario was nothing short of amazing, with Heather and Bucho joining the chaos. There’s something to be said that I never let my character’s funnel hat (dressed as the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz) fall. We were out there snapping necks (even if they were just sleeping) and writing checks. It felt like a sort of initiation, since so many people who arrived had already enjoyed the pleasure of playing in that game. I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it becomes available.
Thursday night, there was a 1920s speakeasy mixer, complete with a balloon arch for photos, food, and a ton of people (I wish I had taken more pictures; one that I cherish is Bridgett and I on a polaroid. We looked DAMN fancy!). I met some new friends who were enjoying their first con and even had the same apprehensions I had last year at my first time (I told them to not be afraid and to just say hi, the Chaosium team are really nice). We got the annual Symphony family photo (in proper 1920s dress no less!), which now happily hangs framed in my office, alongside last year’s. Just mulling about and chatting with people, it really shows how much this con is less of a “convention” and more of an open conversation. And no, I didn’t pitch a scenario to an unidentified Mike Mason this year at the mixer. Maybe next year! But I also got to meet a man who truly embodies the “It’s a small world” paradigm. The Keeper for the Ain’t Slayed Nobody podcast, one Cuppycup, was in attendance. Now, I’m sure you’re reading that going “So? Lots of people know Cup.” Except… he once mentioned a prior employment which led to a series of DMs realizing that he not only lived at one point in the town I currently reside, but also that he worked with people with whom I regularly play D&D with. It’s a small, small world. What a trip!
This woman right here? To know her is to know what joy is like in human form.
A current and a former Johnstowner meet up in Ypsilanti…
(Yes, I took this photo later, but whatever, it fit here in the narrative)
Though the mixer was good (including trying a mixed shot of banana and peanut butter whiskies- don’t knock it til you try it!), the Symphony LARP was the star of the Thursday evening. If you don’t know Bridgett Jeffries, firstly you should. And then you’ll see why this event was so special. She put it together from crowdsourcing ideas, working with various other storytellers (Heinrich Moore, Rina Haenze, and Nate Hughes served as storytellers/NPCs), and she put her entire soul into this thing. I was awed. Nate, as the butler even led us in an improv game of “Big Booty,” which we totally nailed perfectly and made absolutely zero mistakes in playing and I think Second City is going to call us to take notes on how good we did.
The LARP itself had a simple pitch: a murder mystery turned Mythos horror. We all had objectives to complete, it started off with an overt murder (and the butler mispronouncing everyone’s names/occupations). I spent the entire time utilizing the accent I had to master for a performance of Lost in Yonkers (“I work in mergers and acquisitions, I help you merge with something you want to acquire, if you get my drift.”) I would be remiss if I didn’t also point out that I failed to recognize a Chaosium person, Nick Brooke, whose French accent threw me for a loop to the point that I was convinced he was French. I bet he doesn’t drop character until after the DVD commentary is filmed. And then the TWIST?! Heinrich’s Cheshire cat grin as he led me to the “secret room” after “completing my objective” was magical. He knows what he did. I crashed on Thursday with a massive smile on my face and my heart full. The con had started, and the party was nonstop.
Look at the intensity on this man’s face.
This is what happens when you don’t respect the Big Booty.
And then the games started first thing Friday. Right out the gate. 9:00am game, first “scheduled” game of the con.
Gaming wise- this con was packed. Unlike last year, where I was sprinting between games and seminars and mixers and the like, the new scheduling blocked out game times to avoid overlap, etc. I ran my new scenario “Lights in the Trees” (which you can buy HERE) that had just hit the Miskatonic Repository a few days prior (in spite of a technology snafu that culminated in me calling my wife from the hotel room saying “Okay, get my flash drive and my computer. I need you to upload this file.”)
The players quickly realized that things weren’t as they seemed and set out in a united front and getting to run a game for a Symphony friend, Andy Kailhofer, was magical. The table buy-in was fantastic. I was able to send them all home with a small token (those dog tags with their character names on them) that hopefully reminds them of their time at the con. I appreciate that I can find ways to twist a scenario to subvert expectations (I’m really proud of that tunnel moment).
A nice little token for my players… mainly because I wasn’t sure if this scenario would be out yet.
It has their character names, the scenario name, and Chaosium Con 2024 on them!
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| My intrepid group of haunted soldiers (and Mr. President, John Tyler, hiding in the background). Yes, Andy’s beard is as majestic in person as you’d think. |
“Dockside Dogs” (which you can buy HERE) that afternoon was a true treat, because I had gamed with and knew just about everyone at that table (knowing Mary, Skip, JR, and Bucho from various Discords, James from last year’s Chaosium Con, and meeting a new friend Kurt). I don’t want to spoil the scenario, but when a certain new PC came in and said to me, the Keeper, “I’ll take it from here”, I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Only to then flip it back on them at the end. Never let your table know what you’re thinking… I’ve run this scenario dozens of times and I think this run is by far my favorite of them all. It had everything.
I should add that before this game, I ran into the incomparable Lynne Hardy in the lobby and we chatted a bit (she’s a delight) and she went full “mom mode” to make sure I ate and was hydrating before my game. I went to a fun lunch with a fellow Doc (Dave), of which apparently there were four in total at the con?! (Seriously, I knew of three Docs, but if there are more of us, next year we need a Doc family photo- we got me, Dave, Andrew, Lynn has a Ph.D as well…) We chatted about content creation and honestly, it’s so refreshing to discuss these things with a fairly well-known author and getting honest advice, feedback, and support. And damn that shawarma was good. Damn good. And hot!
A group of well-dressed mischievous thieves walk into a warehouse…
and inadvertently, one tries to take control of the game.
Dinner was a return to a beloved Korean BBQ place (Macheko Grill) and with me driving Al and renowned artist, Edwin Mulvaney (seriously, check out their work HERE), no one died en route. It was a three-point turn at worst and I’ll stand by that. Bucho got to enjoy his first proper Korean BBQ while Sam, Nathan, and I reminisced about the number of televisions and their playing a siren song of Kpop.
The rest of the evening was spent with the Old Ways group. If you’re looking for a killer good podcast about a variety of systems, this is where you need to look. Michael Diamond, who after last year entered a sort of lore as my father, is an amazingly generous individual and I’m glad I got to spend time with him. Every time I hang out with the Old Ways family, it has a special air to it as we can talk about anything from gaming to podcasting to writing to whether or not we live in a simulation. What made this time extra special was Evan Perlman coming down to share some homemade challah bread and a special Baltimore rye whiskey, both things that we will celebrate at BaHoCoCo with (if you know you know).
The next day, I ran “UNLAND,” the Scott Dorward-authored horror in an abandoned amusement park scenario found in the Stygian Fox anthology Fear’s Sharp Little Needles (which you can buy HERE) This game went from mildly silly, trying to predict what’s going on in character (including Tim shouting “Parkour!” at every turn and trying to run a rusted roller coaster) to a full on emotional ending, with Sam crying and saying “I’m not okay” at the climax. In my defense, she had told me she can cry on command… and I forgot. If you ever get a chance to play a game with Sam Pidde, take it. She will go HARD in the paint. I was told at the end of the game that it was “top caliber Keeper-ing” and I need that put on my tombstone once I’ve shuffled off this mortal coil. Easily one of my top games of all time.
Following that, I was able to attend the Ain’t Slayed Nobody live show, with Josephine, Nic, Bridgett, Rina, and Cuppycup as the Keeper. Unlike other Ain’t Slayed releases, Rina was unable to kill Cuppycup (though I managed to do so during the LARP…) and the entire game was hand and foot special. If you know, you know. If that’s not a phrase, it is now. The chaos of a live show (especially when not recorded) is infectiously delightful. Maybe your hobby is knitting, maybe it’s tax evasion! When your Keeper doesn’t fail rolls throughout the game, you know shit’s gonna hit the fan.
I still think Nic and Cuppycup should have switched costumes at the break.
The final game I played in was a magical prop game with Sean Branney of the HP Lovecraft Historical Society. I was told that his games were those of legend and the rumors did not disappoint. The Spark Devil was an investigation-heavy prop-laden game that included us running down red herrings hidden in newspaper articles, playing with a miniature radio, and bringing down holy vengeance in an interrogation. Be it Evan telling me to chase someone running (as I’m playing a 61-year old asthmatic pastor with a reduced move rate) or slapping the shit out of someone on a whim… This game was special. Evan and I even got some time with Sean to poke about a not-so-secret idea we’ve got coming for Chaosium Con next year. And that doesn’t even mention the props of this game. The attention to detail from the HPLHS is second to none. I think I was vibrating at the end of the game.
I had no idea that I accidentally cut off Sean until well after we had left the room…
I didn’t manage much time in the vendor hall this year, but I did get to sneak a peek at the newly releasing Horror on the Orient Express: The Board Game setup hidden in plain sight. That was really cool. I even got to chat with fellow New York native Matt Ryan (who showed off his cartographical skills) in the hall. After Origins last year, I have to be careful around him, since he’s the reason I left Columbus last year with a bag full of new books.
Is it next August yet? Cause I waaaaant it.
Sunday morning, I was scheduled to play in a game with Al, but made the incredibly hard decision to back out. I was staring down 5+ hours of travel and though ambitious to tack on a 4 hour game, I opted for an earlier departure. While some went off to their morning games, others to their Ubers, I hung out in the lobby and said goodbye to my chosen family. We discussed when we’d all see each other again, be it Origins, Necronomicon, or Chaosium Con 2025… But we all knew we’d be back.
On the way out, I managed to grab breakfast with Leslie (XPLovecat), Will, and Lauren with the good hair and it really felt like a nice capstone to the week. I hadn’t seen much of the Horns and I’m glad we got some time to chat, hang out, and just exist in the Ypsi area. It was weird though, I didn’t go back to the hotel. I was checked out, bags loaded, ready to go. Saying the final goodbyes of the weekend in a diner parking lot was probably easier than finally ripping off the band aid to finally go. On a personal note, I was able to stop off and see some family in Eastlake, Ohio on the way home before finally arriving back in Pennsylvania around dinnertime. My heart was full, my face hurt from smiling, and though the post-con sadness hadn’t set in yet, I knew that it would.
Do I wish I had taken more pictures? Definitely. But the memories of that weekend will be carried in my heart forever. The laughs, the tears, the fears, the joys, the toys, everything. It leaves a handprint on my heart that I never want to lose.
The next morning, when I woke up, I saw that Al “Diesel” Smith posted a picture of the lobby of the hotel with the caption “Empty chairs at empty tables”. I can’t wait to see them filled again. Chaosium Con IV is going to be another reunion of a family that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Until next time, everyone.
-Doc
Now my friends…have all gone home….
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