Since I was a child, I’ve been interested in storytelling. Professionally, this has taken me in a number of different directions. I’ve designed MMORPGs, written novels, worked on RPGs and had the good fortune to see my own world released, and explored storytelling in the card game Gloom. On the side, I’ve run interactive literature games and written a single issue of a comic. Each has its own unique aspects.

What draws me to roleplaying games is the chance to create a truly interactive story – to build something with the players and see where it leads. In traveling around the world, I’ve run my primary adventure over forty times so far, and no two games have been exactly the same. I love this. Movies, television, novels – they’re all passive forms of entertainment. When I write a novel, I’m telling you MY story. When I run a game for you, I may lay the foundation – but I don’t know what you’ll do with those tools.

Have Dice, Will Travel serves many different purposes for me. As a writer, it has been a source of boundless inspiration. Meeting people, hearing their stories, seeing the things that inspire them – this has been a wonderful experience for me. I can’t wait to see more of the world and hear more stories. I’m especially fascinated to find out what draws different groups to gaming. I want to play with people in as many different states and nations as I can. I want to play with people from as many different walks of life as possible – from the college student to the marketing executive to the professional athlete. I do intend to write about this – whether just on this blog or in another form – because I’d like to show people just how diverse gamers are, and what brings them together.I love talking about my own experiences with Gloom, Eberron, and the MMORPGs I’ve worked on – but I also want to hear your stories.

Again, to those who have sent me invitations in the past: I’m not done yet. I still want to make my way to South America and South Africa and Japan, to run a game in every state in the US. It’s become a longer-term project for me, but I hope we’ll have the chance to roll dice and share stories in days to come, and I thank you for your offers of hospitality.

Overall, the trip has been a mixed experience. My goal in traveling is to meet interesting people and see inspiring places, and I certainly accomplished the first part of that. My hosts in both Sydney and Brisbane were wonderful, and I met other interesting people at GenCon Oz. But due to my novel deadlines, I really didn’t get out to see much of the surrounding area. It’s my fault; it’s simply been harder to write while traveling than I’d hoped, and I’d expected to be done with the novel long before this. In any case, I’ve seen enough to know that I’d like to come back when I have enough time to really experience it properly (and get out to New Zealand as well). 

As an added bonus, my hard drive suffered a fatal error in the middle of the trip. I only lost a little bit of the novel work, but losing any of it and losing the computer itself for a period of time was a aggravating thing when I’m pushing to be done. It’s back now, but without any of my proper software… so pictures from the trip will have to wait until I’m back in the US and can reinstall my photo software.

Once upon a time, I used to go to these conventions to play games and have fun. I can still remember my very first GenCon, when Gary Gygax signed my copy of The Temple of Elemental Evil. These days I don’t have much time to play games. Instead I’m the one signing books. As a freelancer, GenCon also provides an important opportunity to network – both discussing challenges and ideas with other designers and artists, and shaking publishing trees to look for future work. Beyond that, the exhibitors’ hall is filled with all sorts of geek treasures – the latest game releases, enough dice to meet the needs of all Bulgaria, wacky t-shirts, costumes, books, foam weaponry, and much more.

Of course, things were a little different this time around. Given that I’m going to be homeless for the foreseeable future, I couldn’t indulge myself in the exhibitor’s hall; there’s not much point in buying a new game when you don’t have a table to play it on. Beyond that, it’s become clear that there’s a limit to how much work I can get done while traveling. I’m exploring a few interesting projects, but I can’t take on too much. All the more so because I’m still wrapping up my third Thorn of Breland novel, The Fading Dream.

Nonetheless, GenCon is always a wonderful experience. I was able to catch up with lots of old friends and made a few new ones. A few noteworthy moments:

This is Glenda Rogers, who showed up at one of my signings. If you don’t know Eberron, her costume might not mean anything to you. But if you’re on top of your faiths of Eberron, you’ll recognize her as a paladin of the Silver Flame. The fact that someone was inspired to create an Eberron costume is enough to make me smile, but Glenda took things a step farther; she has made pendants of the Silver Flame arrow-and-flame symbol, and she gave me one of these. Of course, the best part of the story is that this isn’t her only Eberron costume. She’s also made an Emerald Claw soldier’s outfit – the Emerald Claw being the archenemies of the Silver Flame. So she’s playing a dangerous game! (She’s also playing Dungeon & Dragons Online, but I don’t THINK that’s dangerous.)

I spent a lot of time behind a table waiting to sign books or talk to people. There were a few sessions when I was actually quite busy, but a lot of time it was fairly quiet. Luckily for me, I wasn’t alone. Over the course of the convention, I shared a table with artist Wayne Reynolds and fellow writers Michael Stackpole and Ed Greenwood. Ed is the creator of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and as such we are mortal enemies. The moment we met, we opened with a vicious debate on the role deities should play in a campaign setting and the pros and cons of mirroring historical settings in a fantasy world… and from there it was only a matter of time until a bottle was broken and the brawl began. Luckily, Bossy intervened; here you can see her and Ed working things out.

Beyond that, while I’m not scheduled for any seminars beyond the one official one, I’m in place for a LOT of signings. Nothing is more boring to me than a signing where no one shows up, so if you’d like to find me and chat – or Sovereigns forbid, have me sign a book – please come by. The Sagamore Ballroom is on the second floor of the convention center and is where the RPGA events take place. Here’s my schedule:

THURSDAY

11:30 – 12:30       SAGAMORE BALLROOM, all on my own.

12:30 – 1:30        AUTHOR’S ALLEY. In the exhibitor’s hall.

2:00 – 4:00       THE WORLD OF EBERRON. The official WotC Eberron panel, with me, James Wyatt, and others.

4:00 – ???         My informal hangin’ out evening. If you’d like to be appraised of Thursday plans, comment below or send me an email to onesmallkeith@gmail.com

FRIDAY

10:00 – 11:00    SAGAMORE BALLROOM. With Ed Greenwood! You KNOW he’s going to have a line, so I need some support here.

1:00 – 2:00       AUTHOR’S ALLEY. I don’t know who else will be there.

SATURDAY

10:00 – 11:00      AUTHOR’S ALLEY

12:30 – 1:30        SAGAMORE BALLROOM. Now with more Greenwood!

6:00 – 7:30         SAGAMORE BALLROOM. With artist Wayne Reynolds, master of Eberron covers!

If you have any questions, let me know!

I’ve resolved to spend a year traveling around the world, meeting my fellow gamers and telling stories in exchange for hospitality. I’m trying to visit as many different countries as I can. As a writer, I’m interested in meeting interesting people and seeing or doing things that may provide inspiration for future stories. As a gamer, I want to see how the hobby has spread around the world and to hear your stories. I want to share one of my games with you and see how it turns out with your players.

So if you’re interested in having an unusual guest for a few nights, I just might find my way to your home. I’m interested in two types of stops: the layover and the extended visit.

The layover is a one-night visit, and only something that work work if I’m driving through your region (which is only likely to happen in North America). When I’m only staying for one night, I’m simply not going to have time or energy to run a full roleplaying game. But I’d certainly enjoy swapping stories and playing a hand of Gloom or one of the other games I’m working on.

The extended visit is what this trip is all about – a chance for me to get to know you and your area. A typical extended visit would be four nights and three days. The first night is simply about recovering from traveling, as I have to get to you from wherever my previous stop is; if I’m already nearby, this might not require a full extra night. In the three following days and nights, I want to accomplish three things; the order is up to you.

One day/night I’ll entertain you. I can run an Eberron game for up to six people, using either 4E or Over The Edge rules. I can run something else; if you’re interested we can discuss options. I’ve got board and card games I’m developing. And I’m always happy to talk about gaming, Eberron, or anything else.

One day/night I’d like you to entertain me. Show me around your area. What I’m most interested is seeing it through your eyes, and seeing anything that you think I should see. I don’t particularly care about sites I could easily find in a guidebook. I want to know what you think I should see, either as a possible source of inspiration or because it’s something I’d never find on my own. It could be an interesting park, your favorite pub, the world’s largest 20-sided die, or something else. I’ve had people take me to LARPs, to fencing lessons, to archaeological dig sites, to places significant in the history of the local gaming community, and more. And I’ve had people just take me downtown and tell me stories. The main thing is that I want you to think about what YOU want to show me.

On the final day I’ll mind my own business. If I have work deadlines, I’ll focus on them. If not, I’ll poke around the area – with you if you feel like coming along, but I don’t expect you to entertain both days.

I don’t expect people to take vacation whenever I show up, so don’t worry about it if I show up during your work week; I can always keep myself entertained.

In any case, if this sounds interesting to you, send an email to Onesmallkeith@gmail.com. Tell me who you are and where you live, and why I need to see it! Tell me something about yourself. What do you do? When did you get into gaming? What are some of your favorite activities? What’s the most unusual thing about you (that you’re willing to share with a stranger)? How long can you put me up? The trick here is that while I want to see as many places and people as possible, in a case where I’ve got multiple invitations in a single region, I’m going to have to make a choice; I don’t want to spend a full month just bouncing around one city. I’m planning to write about this in some form… and I’m curious as to what sort of character you’ll make in my cast. I’m sure that all of you are fascinating people, because in my experience, everyone is fascinating in their own way. But hey, if there’s something ESPECIALLY unusual about you or your home, let me know!

Thanks for reading this, and I hope to see some of you in days to come. If you have any questions, ask below!

FUTURE STOPS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin

CANADA

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Ottawa, Quebec

EUROPE

Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland

SOUTH AMERICA

Brazil, Peru, Venezuala

AFRICA

South Africa

ASIA

The Philipines, Israel, Japan, Singapore

AUSTRALIA

Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

New Zealand: Auckland, Wellington

PREVIOUS STOPS

UNITED STATES

Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, Wyoming

EUROPE

Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden

My goal is to visit every state in the US and as many other countries as possible, so if you’re from a place not listed here, I’d love to hear from you!

And just for a mini-update… I’ve been dropping by cemeteries along my travels to get some Gloomy inspiration. This is perhaps my favorite grave – located in Vienna, it’s the marker of a piano maker who supplied instruments to the royal family. Have a gloomy day!

I arrived in Stockholm, Sweden on the morning of July 27th. Between work and packing, I’d only managed to get four hours of sleep the previous night. As such, I went through the day in a haze of exhaustion, encountering things that OBVIOUSLY had to be hallucinations. I saw lions prowling the streets, and shared sake with fox spirits begging for coins on street corners. Pirate ships set sail inside buildings. When I finally retired for the night, I wondered what I’d ACTUALLY seen that day. Luckily I’d taken a few pictures and had the chance to make sense of it in the morning.

I’ve been to a lot of pedestrian malls. Most have some sort of concrete posts to keep cars from driving on the pedestrian lanes. In Stockholm, this is a job for lions. There’s at least a dozen of these lions spread along the length of the street. If I was to write a story, they’d certainly come to life at night, hunting automobiles under the light of the moon. And hey, maybe they do. How else do you explain those toothmarks on your bumper?

Next comes my friend the fox spirit:

After some research, I discovered that this is actually a piece from the traveling exhibit of a Welsh artist named Laura Ford. More information can be found here:

http://www.artrabbit.com/all/events/event/3985/laura_ford_rag_and_bone

This homeless fox lives outside the government offices, not far from the palace. According to my hosts Rolf and Mattias, there was a vote as to where she should go; the thought was that sitting here, she reminds politicians of the ongoing issue of homelessness in Sweden.

And finally we have the pirate ship. Well, it turns out that it’s not a pirate ship at all, but it IS in a building.

Sadly, I’m not the photographer I’d need to be to convey just how impressive this is. The ship is Vasa, a warship built in the 17th century. It’s 230 feet long, and carried 64 cannons and a total compliment of 445 sailors and soldiers… and sank within the first few minutes of its maiden voyage, due to being top-heavy with insufficient ballast. In 1961 she was salvaged, with the hull remarkably intact considering how much time had passed; apparently the conditions of the local waters are perfect for preserving wood. Vasa really is a remarkable sight; aside from the sheer size of the ship, she’s covered with carvings and engravings. One of the funny things about the museum is that it talked about what a mighty warship Vasa was, and what a powerhouse she was, to which I can’t help but think “Yeah, for a few minutes…” Still, if you make it to Stockholm, check it out!

We saw quite a few other things during the day… the Riddarholmen church, the royal armory, a Swedish game store with an entire section of Swedish RPGs, the local Google offices, and much more. Oh, the tales I could tell, if only I had the time! But now, I need to get me some sleep.

Current Location: Upplands Vasbuy

Music of the Moment: “Glass”, Bat For Lashes