This was the fifth of the Nerdly Beach Party gatherings, which I again attended with my son Milo. This was at a new spot, Plaskett Creek Campground a few miles north of the old spot on Highway 1. Incidentally, the picturesque drive down Highway 1, while long, is intensely beautiful and an impressive part of the experience for us. The campsite was a little more crowded with people than the old spot, but the view when you walked down to the beach is amazing. There was still a little wind, but game conditions were good in general. There weren't any other kids this time except an infant, though. My games were:
This was a run of Houses of the Blooded game-mastered by Josh, with Justin, Vernon, and myself as players.
We got in a few runs of the storytelling card game Once Upon A Time in the morning, which introduced several people -- including Milo. A good time in general.
I game-mastered Mouse Guard for two players on Saturday afternoon: Joel and my son Milo. They played Kyle and Nathaniel in the "Trouble in Grasslake" sample scenario. I avoided the sample twists, and instead threw in a dose of corruption and pollution. The snapping turtle was being drawn by the scent of run-off from the brewery that was being dumped instead of properly disposed of. There was a lot of tense action, and references to Gojira thrown about. I made colorful character sheets scanned with pictures from the book -- which helped draw in Milo, where the busy original sheets filled with text would have been a little offputting. Still, next time I might want a little more rules info on the sheets.
This was a run of Zombie Cinema where we agreed on Russia at the dawn of the communist revolution as the setting. I played a corrupt general who was selling out the royal family to the communists. The other players -- including David, Meg, Nina, and Will -- played other members of the palace, including the Czar and the princess Anastasia as well as others.
More OUAT on Sunday morning before heading back.
A good time in general. There were also many good camping takes: cooking over an open fire, loads of bacon, smores making, and so forth.