[EDIT: whoops I got the week wrong...]
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are ready for some great gaming! Here's a powerful bumper newsletter to start off your term right. In fact, it is so powerful that most of it was actually written for the start of last term's newsletter but was rejected for being too good (okay maybe not for that reason but still). Just don't tell the Newsletter Police I'm doing this otherwise they'll be at my door saying stuff like "you can't unleash such power!" and "it's too long, nobody will read it!". They'll never know. Heh.
Announcements
RPG Introductory One Shots: Ultimate (Saturday 12pm, Social Sciences Café)
It's the return of RPG introductory one-shots! After the great success of last term's one-shots we're running it again, so whether you've never played before or could recite the entire D&D Player's Handbook from memory join us from midday in the Social Sciences Café. There will be many sessions being run for beginners and experts alike, so just come on down, pick a session and have some fun! If you're interested there's a Facebook event here and signups on our website here. If you want to run a session, have a gander at this forum thread where you can see what's being run and post your intentions. Also, afterwards we'll be going to Varsity at 7pm for a pub social - join us even if you were unable to make the sessions themselves!
Hoodies
It's cold outside, and you have to leave the house. Would you rather leave in a boring, drab coat with no dice on it and look boring and normal, or would you rather leave in an amazing personalised portable hug also known as a hoodie? Feel warm and cool at the same time by showing off your love of the society and three twenty character lines of whatever reasonable text you like (terms and conditions apply). You can immortalise what happened in that one D&D session, show off your sweet internet handle so everyone can check out your cool art, or even put your credit card number and mother's maiden name on there! You've got until January 14th to place your order here so don't delay.
What happened over the holidays?
People still played games! We ran Wargames, Boardgames and CCGs over the holidays (except during Christmas week when you're supposed to see family or something), but most importantly ran another great session of Postgrad Boardgames at the Dirty Duck. Despite the lack of food, much fun was had and an intense game of Explorers of Ixalan was played with some sneaky vampires piloted by the Overlord of Spooky themselves (Ares) winning overall. Sneaky.
What's happening this week?
We've got our usual set of weekly events with extra RPG goodness, but because it's the bumper newsletter I get to talk through and make jokes about each event in turn. Let's get started with... oh my goodness there's been a terrible murder.
[Police sirens blare, cop show music plays. We pan to the image of two figures in the police station, files in hand.]
Detective Bar: What we got, Captain?
Captain Finn: There's been a terrible murder.
Bar: Yeah, I got that from the title, Finnbar's free time's been murdered. Who are our suspects?
Finn: Well, there's a society at the university the victim goes to that runs a lot of events, maybe something happened there.
Bar: Could they perhaps have lots of weekly events that could have caused this to happen?
Finn: Maybe we should walk through all of the events that are happening to advertise things work out what happened.
Wargames (Monday 5pm, B2.01 Science Concourse)
Bar: Ah, wargames. They're likely pretty big on murder, given the whole fighting battles thing. So a good motive.
Finn: I see, but they seem like a pretty friendly bunch. They've got many society armies so new players can get involved, will try basically any wargame, and are particularly big on Warhammer, X-wing and Warmachine.
Bar: You can see what games are being run by looking at the replies to James' (our Wargames rep) weekly Facebook post in the Wargames Facebook group, and reply with whatever games you're interested in playing.
Finn: We should look at the post for the time of the murder to work out who had an alibi. Okay, who's next?
Magic: The Gathering Draft (Tuesday 6pm, B2.02 Science Concourse)
Bar: How much is murdered free time worth? Magic can get quite expensive.
Finn: Probably couldn't sell it for much at the pawnshop, but that's okay because the draft is cheap! Wait a minute, it's not cheap this week.
Bar: What, but it's normally £8 reduced by £2 per pack you bring, which is very cheap. But this week it's [squints at notes]... £30?
Finn: I see, they're drafting the Ultimate Masters set.
Bar: how did you work that out? I only told you the price...
Finn: It's the set with some of the most powerful cards from Magic history brought back for you to draft! With that extra price comes extra quality.
Bar: It's also important to note that this and next week's drafts have signups and limited capacity, so you should go to the Events page to sign up. Currently this week's one is full, and a regular draft is not being run so don't turn up unless you've signed up. Next week's Ultimate Masters draft still has spaces though.
Finn: £30, though, that's a lot. I guess the cards are powerful. Anyway, it's not all about the money, it's about the friends you made along the way.
Bar: The friends... hmm.
Boardgames (Wednesday 2pm, B2.02 Science Concourse)
Bar: The boardgames people are particularly lovely, it can't have been them.
Finn: But what if that's what they want you to think? Have you ever played Avalon? Have you ever sat there as Merlin trying to get your stupid team to realise that the bad guys are sitting right there in the corner of the table openly talking about being bad but nobody is taking them seriously because they're all too busy saying that you know too much despite the fact you've said basically nothing and they just won't see that it's so obvious I mean look at them they may as well have a neon sign above their heads saying "BAD GUYS OVER HERE" seriously wh-
Bar: are you okay
Finn: i'm bad at social deduction games
Bar: We know, Finn, it's okay.
Finn: Anyway, they boast a huge collection, ranging from simple, fun party games to session-long epics, and are big on welcoming new people! There'll be members of the society exec there to teach and suggest games too. The session runs from 2pm until 10pm and you can drop in and stay as long as you like.
Bar: I guess that's another alibi then - eight hours is a long time, and leaves too little time for committing a murder.
Casual Card Games (Thursday 4pm, R0.12 Ramphal Building)
Bar: This is where all the card game players meet. There's always some cards being drawn, attacks being declared, topdecks being topdecked. This is where the King of Games is decided. That being said, it's a very casual environment open to proxies and whatever decks you bring, as long as you talk to your opponent about it beforehand.
Finn: It's the place to go if you're looking for games of Commander (Magic: The Gathering's multiplayer format), Netrunner or Yu-Gi-Oh. If you want to learn one of the aforementioned games there are many demo decks available to borrow and many players who are happy to teach the games they love, so don't feel you have to be an expert to join.
Bar: That's all good and friendly, but could they be the murderer?
Finn: Given how much time you can sink into those games? Nah.
Introductory Roleplaying Games (Saturday 12pm, Social Sciences Café)
Finn: It's the return of the RPG introductory one-shots! Hang on I've got an immense feeling of déjà vu.
Bar: Yeah, it's almost as if this has been talked about already very recently and this section is just a friendly reminder that it's gonna be really good, so you should sign up to go to it.
Finn: I guess all that's left to say is that for your non introductory one-shot needs you should turn your attention to the Events page on the website where campaigns and other one-shots looking for people will be advertised.
Bar: Did they commit the murder though?
Finn: Probably not, those sessions last almost as long as the board games session, so likely lack time for such a murder.
Live Action Roleplaying (Sunday 12pm, B2.02 Science Concourse)
Bar: So, LARP. You get to fight! In armour! And you can join whether you're new and wanna try it out or could beat Jakub (our LARP rep) in an actual sword fight. Just turn up to B2.02 at midday ready to don some society kit and head out for good roleplaying times. Not sure they would commit a murder though.
Finn: BAR THEY HAVE LITERAL FOAM WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
Finn: HOW IS IT NOT THEM
Bar: I feel like I'd be pretty exhausted after a LARP session, let alone have the energy for a murder afterwards.
Finn: Then who did it, Detective? You've determined that basically every part of the society couldn't have done it, they're too busy.
Bar: But what if it wasn't just one part of the society?
Finn: ...what do you mean?
Bar: Elementary, my dear Bar. It wasn't just part of the society - it was the friends we made along the way!
Finn: what
Finn: ...how are we going to arrest all those friends though
Much love <3
Finnbar Keating (Communications Officer)
f.keating@warwick.ac.uk
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