Ghost Stories & Games

We're still working up a Calendar to put on the site that will provide a nifty interface for seeing upcoming events but I didn't want to wait too late to mention this one.

Ghost Stories & Games will be our first role playing game event. Its Tuesday, October the 25th, 1 - 3 pm, in the Dalton Room of the Main Library. Let me quote the text from our RPG events flyer:

Just in time for Halloween learn about horror RPGs and resources for planning a scary game around the Queen City. The workshop will cover ghost tales from Charlotte's past and high light resources as well as introduce the Call of Cthulhu and World of Darkness games.

I feel obliged to add a bit more detail than I could fit on the flyer with its easy to read large font. First, the World of Darkness book I will be using is the new World of Darkness published by White Wolf. Released over the course of the last year they recast their entire product line, sort of rebooting the universe (to borrow a term from graphic literature in turn borrowed from computers). I recently purchased the e-book version of their Ghost Stories book and will see if I can use content from it as well as the main rule book.

Given that H.P. Lovecraft has been so influential in having writers share his universe of imagination, with film makers, writers and musicians drawing on his mythos for inspiration, its no surprise that an RPG is based on the Cthulhu Mythos. Call of Cthulhu will be the Chaosium, not the Wizards of the Coast d20 version. I'll be staying in the best known time period of the 1920s and 1930s rather than the Victorian, Medieval or modern setting versions (Golden Dawn, Dark Ages and Delta Green books respectively). I'll also be bringing in items from our collection that people can use for additional inspiration or just enjoyment from our film collection, popular fiction, and other circulating collections.

Now, you don't need to understand a single thing I've just said to come and enjoy the program where I'll explain all that and talk about more still. In fact I hope we get folks who have never done this but interested in learning about role playing games or how to host one as a sort of social experience for friends and Halloween is the perfect time for it.

I'm reading Ghost Stories of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County right now in getting ready and will discuss some of this local folklore during the program and how to use it in games. In addition I will talk about a variety of items available in both our circulating collection and unique items only available as reference in our Carolina Room.

I look forward to seeing everyone there.