For a rpg tournament designer, hereafter referred to as "Ratoudes", the frenzy at registration night event can feel like being slathered in fish guts and thrown into a shark tank. Not a very nice experience if you're sensitive (which Ratoudes usually are), or anxious (which anyone facing a weekend of gm'ing should be)...but conventions are supposed to be like that. Well, Necronomicon organisers planned on getting that scary part out of the way early so that their precious Ratoudes could simply behave like celebs when the convention happens. "We want them to be seen, you know, like posing on the red carpet, smiling for fans and photogs as if running a game at Necronomicon is the best damn thing in the world. For our soon to be famous Ratoudes, that's all part of their job" said one organiser of the con. It seems the aim of the freeform day this July was to relax the designers in a crowd so they could get used to the star treatment. This reporter doubts it worked.

"Arghh! I'm not ready to deal with fans and fame! " said one designer. Well, this reporter has some advice. Always have handfuls of cash handy. This is handy for a lot of things--a cup of coffee, bribing an organiser or offering remuneration to um, a dissatisfied player who has had a nervouse breakdown because of your game. Here's the other thing about money: everyone needs it--a lot! So, the next time you're walking through a the crowd at registration and a player who you don't want to see approaches, just reach into your pockets and start throwing wads of cash into the air. The resulting pandemonium will make it easy for you to escape notice.

A photo report on the Halloween freeform: Designers of games for Necronomicon were invited to attend a special event this 6th of July: a Halloween freeform game! Game designers came, ate, drank, and roleplayed for a brief time at an organisers house. Here are some of the photos.