Some Thoughts on Playing Games at Conventions

About 15 years ago (or thereabouts) I went to Gen Con for the first time. I'd never been to a convention of any sort before, and the group I attended with sort of tossed me into the deep end. While I had some positive moments that year, by the time I got home I felt more confused than I was elated. Given that so many people treated the con like something akin to a pilgrimage, I figured that I may have just missed something my first year. So I went back. Then I went back again. Still, that spark kept eluding me.

I figured maybe it was because Gen Con was too big, so I tried smaller gaming events. I've tried playing, I've tried running, and I've tried half a dozen different systems in my pursuit of finding good convention experiences. And now, a decade and change later, I figured I'd share some of my thoughts and the lessons I've learned as part of this search.

And no, I will not be at Gen Con this year for those who are curious. But for folks who are gearing up, or who might not be sure what to expect, consider learning from my experiences.

After all, I wish someone had talked me through this process.

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Thought #1: Prepare For Premade Games

All righty, I've got a cleric, a fighter, a wizard, and a rogue. Who wants what?

This seems obvious to a lot of folks, but it took me a good 2-3 cons for this to really sink in. Due to the "come one, come all" nature of games hosted at conventions, a majority of games are going to be premade. And this is not just in the sense that the GMs are going to be running modules (though that's typically the case), but it's down to which characters are available, all their stats and abilities, etc. While there are living games like Pathfinder Society or Adventure League where players get to make and bring their own characters, outside of those arenas it's usually just picking which PC you want out of the 3-4 available. Making your own character and telling your own story isn't something that usually happens at a con game.

There are reasons for this, ranging from ensuring a catered experience, to making things easy for volunteer GMs who are running a dozen tables or more over the weekend. But if you're hoping to sit down and make your own character, or play a unique, homebrewed experience, you aren't going to find a lot of that at these events.

Thought #2: You Get More From New Experiences

Well, I can't say I've ever heard THAT one before!

You know how when you go on vacation you get more out of trying the local restaurants and chains that don't exist back where you live? Well, gaming conventions are a lot like that.

Gaming conventions provide the unique opportunity to get a sample platter of a lot of different systems, settings, and worlds. While big conventions might make you buy a ticket to join a table (looking at you, Gen Con), smaller conventions often let you just turn up and play for free if you show up at the starting time. The reason for this is that the people running these games are often trying to give players a free (or at least cheap) sample of their rules and style in the hopes of selling more copies of their books (especially if they're independent game writers trying to drum up popularity for their products).

Even if you consider yourself a single-system player, or you don't think you're in the market for new games right now, you get a lot more out of doing something at a con that you aren't doing at your weekly dice tumbling sessions already.

Thought #3: Know Who You Want To Play With

This is often a make or break for a lot of us.

Who you share a table with can often define experience, which is why it's important to know what you need when it comes to convention tables. For example, if you're an easy going sort of gamer who has a lot of extra spoons, then you might be able to just join new tables and make new friends. On the other hand, if you're the sort of gamer who gets easily stressed out being in unfamiliar places and unfamiliar spaces, then you're better off bringing your own table to try something out... or even just making sure that you've got a friend sitting alongside you to help keep you on an even keel once the game starts.

I speak from experience on this one, as I'm the sort of person who organized my own table of players to try out new games and scenarios when I gamed in public or at events. To my way of thinking, whether I had a good or bad experience was easier to deal with if I knew I had friends there to share it with me. So reflect on this one, and consider it before you push off into the sea of fellow gamers.

Thought #4: Manage Your Expectations

There's a lot of chaff to the wheat you find.

One of the things I've run into time and time again regarding gaming at a convention (gaming specific or otherwise) is that folks often don't know what to expect. Perhaps one of the biggest issues I've seen is that a lot of folks assume that if they're paying to play a game that it's going to be the sort of thing they see on big-budget livestreams, with lots of props, impressive minis, terrain, rehearsed speeches, etc.

I'm not saying you won't find good Game Masters running tables at conventions, or that there aren't going to be carefully crafted setups with scenery, music, etc. What I am saying is that most folks who do this are here as volunteers, and we don't have a budget to work with. Most of us are maybe getting our badges for free, but that's it. We aren't making money doing this, except for those of us who are running demo sessions of our own games in order to make sales. Even then, most folks you see running games at a convention are going to run between 4 and 8 games by the time it's over, if they're actually getting any kind of compensation for their efforts.

Can you find those kinds of elaborate games running at cons? Absolutely! However, they're usually by invite only. So temper your expectations, and be kind to the folks who are running your table. Chances are good you might be the 6th or 7th group of players they've run a particular scenario for since the doors opened, and that takes it out of you.

Something Else To Keep in Mind

For those who haven't seen it yet.

Whether you're running games this convention season, or merely playing them, let me recommend two entries from my meta supplements that have been making the rounds of late. For the Game Masters out there, consider 100 Tips and Tricks For Bring a Better Game Master! This book compiles everything that's showed up on this blog for the past near decade, and picks out all the wheat to help you run a better game. And if you're going to be a player, consider grabbing the sister book, 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better RPG Player! Whether you're brand new, or an old hand, there's something in there for everyone.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

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Starfinder is My Biggest Gaming Disappointment of 2017

Ever since the book flew off the shelves, everyone and their mother has been asking me what I think of Starfinder, Paizo's stab at sci-fi after becoming one of the top names in fantasy RPGs. The core book sold out at Gen Con this year at a rapid pace, and it seems like the only thing people can talk about in most of the gaming groups I follow and post in.

Well, I finally got my hands on a copy of the core book. I settled into my chair, opened it up, and went cover to cover. I am, by no means, an expert on the system. However, after giving it a read, I can describe my opinion thusly.

Pretty much this. For days.

Before I cracked the cover, I was hopeful, and excited. I was eager to see how wide the possibilities before me spread. After my read I was bored, frustrated, and genuinely angered as a gamer in a way I have not been in a very long time.

What I Was Told, Versus What I Got

When I first heard the spiel for Starfinder, I was stoked for everything I was hearing. Paizo was going to stride boldly into the sci-fi genre (or maybe just finish the sidestep it had been taking, given that we already had androids, crashed starships, and Old Ones), and it was going to do so with the same flair we'd come to expect.

Furthermore, we were going to get a continuation of the core world! Golarion, and its solar system were still the setting, and there would be a timeline from where we were, to where we are now. So anything your group did in adventure paths like Curse of The Crimson Throne, Rise of The Runelords, Mummy's Mask, etc. would all still be universe canon at your table. It would even be possible to play descendants of those old PCs, especially if they came from long-lived races that kept careful track of their bloodlines. This filled my head with images of deep space sorcerers, alien druids, phase rifle wielding void troopers, and tech-head ghosts that infiltrated the worst places in the cosmos, and vanished without a trace.

That is, of course, not what I got.

Now, if you have not read the core book for Starfinder, let me tell you that what I saw is not what I had hoped for.

Before we go forward, I will say that I felt many of the rule alterations and additions were quite sensible. For example, of course a sci-fi setting uses credits as currency. I like that classes get more skill points, because if there's more knowledge and education, folks are going to have more skills. And there needed to be some new skills added, like Computers to account for the setting's futuristic nature. Reducing armor to only light and heavy makes sense, since we're dealing with futuristic and tactical armors, not the more traditional fantasy armor. I like that it was made clear that you don't need a partner to strap you into a suit of heavy armor anymore. The gravity and environmental rules were, of course, going to come up for things like zero g combat, and going to alien planets.

Here's what I don't agree with, though. I don't agree with making two dozen subtle changes to the core mechanics of the game so that it reduces player options for customization. I don't agree with going from a rich world of options where we had dozens of races, and hundreds of classes, archetypes, and prestige classes (not to mention feats, spells, and unique traits), to only a half dozen races and classes, as well as a few pages of feats and spells, to play with. I disagree that in a world with space-age alloys and super-advanced technology that there aren't shields, whether they be adamantine or entirely energy-based. I also disagree on decisions that made the game feel more like an attempt to ape Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition style and flow. Lastly, and most strongly, I disagree with the dismissive tone, and token attitude, that infuses the "legacy conversion" section in the rear of the book. A section that I feel was one of the game's major selling points, but was littered with comments like, "at DM discretion," and, "isn't really meant to work in Starfinder," or, "is going to be difficult."

Why Angry, Though?

I mentioned that I was not just disappointed by this game, but that I was genuinely angered by it. Allow me to explain that statement.

If Paizo had set out to just make a sci-fi RPG, then I would say that Starfinder is definitely a success in terms of that goal. It's perfectly functional, do not misunderstand me on that score, and if I was in the mood for a sci-fi game I wouldn't kick it out of bed. In fact, I'd play Starfinder over most other sci-fi games (particularly the Star Wars RPG) hands-down if we're just talking about the mechanics.

So why you mad, bro?

What makes me mad about the game is that it's claiming continuity with one hand, and slamming the door in Pathfinder's face with the other. It's going to continue the story of the same world, but it doesn't want you to use any of the other books you already bought to open up the horizons, and populate the world. It wants you to ignore archetypes like the Tech Slinger, or the Cyber Solder, who would have been perfectly at home in a setting where their power sets matched the tone of the game. It wants to slap your knuckles, and chastise you for trying to use your old bestiaries, even though they're jam-packed with monsters from outer space and other planes who would be right at home in ghost ships, or on hellish, alien worlds.

Aside from making world continuity a selling point, there's another reason this setup displeases me so much. Because there was no reason for most of these changes to be made in the first place.

If you dig through the Pathfinder books, there are already rules for running a futuristic game peppered through the material. The game's rules for modern firearms are to simply take the guns we're used to, and make them simple weapons instead of exotic ones. Cost adjustments were also listed for worlds where firearms were common, rather than rare. There were already feats for technological weapon proficiencies, so everything from monofilament whips to chainswords could already be wielded by any class who took the right feats, or had the right proficiencies. There were already rules for creating, and using, high-tech items in the Technology Guide, and we already had rules for piloting and building ships both normal and magical.

With all the rules that had already been established, there was no need to re-invent the wheel. The Starfinder core book could have collected all these rules, put them in one place, and then added a few, simple tweaks to embrace the futuristic setting fully. Things like giving armor or shields the ballistic quality, meaning they count against firearm attacks, though not against rays, lasers, or other force effects, for instance.

The only reason to make all of the re-designs that I can see was to make it so players would have to either sweat bullets to put square pegs into round holes trying to convert the dozens of Pathfinder books they already have, or just buy the new material for Starfinder as it comes out. And honestly, with so many technological rules already in the books, and available online, you could just take the minor changes from Starfinder, and play the game with all your favorite classes from the barbarian to the kineticist fully intact.

Because sure, I think the Vesk are cool. I like some of the fun stuff the Soldier and the Operative offer. But when a game purports to be set in the same world, but limits my options for play from thousands of unique combinations to a paltry handful of puzzle pieces, that is not a game I'm down with. I expected better, and was severely disappointed both by the content itself, and by the tone of a game which boasted a rich history, but then locked it behind glass where we're not allowed to touch it.

Edit: Also, I'm Bored

After some time to think about it, and answering comments on this piece, I realized something else about Starfinder that I have a complaint about; it's boring.

I don't mean it's boring in that the writing is bad, the setting is uninteresting, or that you can't play fun games in it. I mean that it's sci-fi by the numbers. When you heard there was a class-based sci-fi RPG, this is exactly what you'd expect. There's the tech guy, the stealth operative, the soldier, the techno wizard, the weird spiritualist, etc. Even the races are just paint-by-numbers.

I didn't get my version of the game, but just as Pathfinder blended sci-fi into fantasy to create a unique combination you couldn't get in other games, so too I was hoping Starfinder would blend some fantasy into sci-fi to make something equally unique. So you could have a cyborg druid, or a wizard with a ray gun, or a medium that would channel the alien spirits of long-lost battlefields. Stuff that would upend genre expectations, and be unexpected.

Instead of giving us exactly what the genre ordered.

That's all for this Moon Pope Monday update. I'm sorry it wasn't more positive, but it's something I really needed to get off my chest. If you're looking for more content than I have on here, check out my Gamers archive. It's still growing, and I'm not stopping anytime soon. If you want to stay on top of all my releases, then follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you'd like to support my work here, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today. All I ask is $1 a month, and in exchange I'll keep doing what I do in addition to giving you some sweet swag as a thank you!

Carolina Game Tables Offers Tabletop Gamers Affordable Luxury

We've all seen the impossible luxury of dedicated gaming tables. Whether we saw them in-person at a place like Gen Con, or pictures were shared to one of our online forums, we've all had a good drool session over them. They tend to be one part high-roller, and one part hardwood, and we're tempted to reach for our wallets to shell out whatever they're asking. Until, that is, we see the actual price of some of these furnishings.

If you've found yourself in that predicament, I'd like to direct you to Carolina Game Tables. They've got the luxury you've been dreaming about, but at a price that won't make you sell off all your quest rewards at once.

Yeah, I want one, too.

So how does it work? Well, it's pretty simple. You pick the size of the table you want (though if you're going to pick Tablezilla, you'd better have a gaming room of appropriately epic proportions to match), the finish you want the table to have, and the fabric that covers the play surface. Your table will be produced by some of the finest cohorts in the land in 16 weeks, and if you live in the continental U.S., it can even be delivered straight to your door.

When your normal friends and family are around, it's just a high-quality, mahogany table. When it's time to play, though, the tabletop comes off, revealing the epic arena below!

Names (And Histories) You Can Trust

Carolina Game Tables is run by Clint Black and Jodi Black, who've been involved in other parts of the tabletop gaming industry for some time. They know the ups and downs, and the pain that comes when you want to have somewhere really nice to indulge in your heroic hobby. Fortunately for all of us, they also had the idea to design high-quality gaming tables, and the business savvy (along with the business contacts) to pull it off.

If you can make it at Gen Con, you can make it anywhere.

With four sizes, six fabrics, and four finishes, that's a lot of combinations for your gaming table. While Carolina Game Tables doesn't do custom orders, they are planning on expanding the options they have available based on the interest from their customers. Bypassing gimmicks, it's a company that doesn't cut corners. You're not just buying a gaming table. You're buying a high-quality adventure accessory that can do double duty when Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other gatherings all rear their heads as well.

Seriously, go take a look at Carolina Game Tables. I have to go cajole my wallet out from under the bed.

If you feel for my wallet, and would like to help me get it out of hiding, why not go to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron? As little as $1 a month keeps the content coming hard and fast, and gets you some free swag while you're at it! I hope you enjoyed this week's Moon Pope Monday update, and if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter yet, well, what's the hold up?

OffWorld Designs Has The Geek and Gaming Gear You Need

So, as you all know, I attend a fair number of cons every year. I'm a panelist, I often work a stint doing signings and book sales, and I network with all the other creative professionals who show up to engage the public the same way I do. Which means I meet a lot of other creative types, and companies, who are putting out some really cool stuff.

You know, stuff like this!

You know you want this shirt.

That design, in case you somehow got to this post without reading the title, is from OffWorld Designs. And, if you're pretty sure it looks familiar, that's probably because you've been to a geek or gaming convention somewhere in America at some point. They have a huge library of shirts, hats, bags, caps, and other gear bearing your favorite characters, clever designs, and in-your-face declarations. They even have an entire section dedicated expressly to Cthulhu and Lovecraft references!

You thought I was exaggerating, didn't you?

In addition to being the bearers of cool stuff, though, OffWorld Designs was kind enough to give me a few secrets to share with you, my weekly readers. The first, which will soon be no more, is the promo code 16SpringClean. Just enter it while you check out, and it will get you 50% off on any clearance shirt you buy (at a minimum of $10), until March 27th. The other bargain, which doesn't have an expiration date on it, is the code 15conpc. This code gets you 20% off your next Internet order, assuming you haven't used it before. Be warned, though, it has no power over convention souvenir items. Everything else, though, is fair game.

As always, thanks for tuning in to see what news is afoot this Monday! If you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, why not drop by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a patron today? As little as $1 a month can be a big help, and it will keep the content coming straight to your screen. Also, if you haven't yet, why not follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter?

A Story About Understanding the Culture Shock of Gen Con

Geek culture is currently the in-thing. Whether it's superhero movies, anime, video games; all the flavors of geek are being eaten up by mass culture. A generation ago being a fan of Doctor Who would have gotten you beaten up, but these days it might just help you make friends with everyone in your class.

I was part of the previous generation. The one where people made fun of you for reading sci-fi, or who snorted up their sleeves if you were a fan of comics and over the age of twelve or thirteen. While I was never really a victim of the kinds of hazing my fellow geeks have talked about (being the big kid in your grade comes with decided advantages), I never really found compatriots who shared my interests. Being a geek was in a very real way about isolation for me, and I just assumed that was how things were supposed to be.

Then I went to Gen Con.

It's like this, but with black tee shirts and more D20s.

A Brush With Culture Shock

I had never been to a convention of any sort before being invited to Gen Con by two veterans from my gaming group. I'd heard stories of the great things that could happen around every corner, and I was jazzed. Even being tossed in the deep end as my two guides went off to game without me didn't deter my enthusiasm. I wandered the dealer hall, played demos, took some pictures of displays, browsed booths full of old novels and new gaming books, and stared around like a tourist trying to look worldly.

I noticed a problem though... I wasn't actually having fun.

The convention engaged me and I saw all kinds of shiny things I wanted to own, but it was more like walking through a physical representation of the Internet than it was stepping over the border of a magical kingdom. I was surrounded by cosplayers and gaming tables, but I didn't feel like I was really a part of it. The harder I looked for the magic I'd been told about the harder it was for me to find.

Bloggers don't get Perception as a skill.

By mid day I was a little footsore, but mainly I was hungry. So I went with another virgin member of my party (neither of us knew that the hell we were doing), and we set out to find something to eat. We passed a dozen restaurants with lines around the block, and when we turned a corner into a street that had no vehicular traffic we found a Hooters. It was tucked away out of sight less than a block from the convention center, and the little side street seemed immune to the convention devouring the downtown blocks all around.

Then It Hit Me

Outside the restaurant was a patio with a half dozen tables. This being August one of the tables had four men sitting at it. They were exactly the sort of men you'd expect to see at a Hooters for lunch; big, burly, middle aged, all wearing sports jerseys. I held the door for my friend, and I caught the spirited conversation the table of sportsball enthusiasts were having.

They were arguing about a dungeon crawl.

The fellow in the blue jersey was laying out the deeds and accomplishments of his paladin, and another man in red was smirking as he countered with his rogue's tactics. The other two nodded, wearing that slightly amused expression gamers always have when these kinds of discussions come up between party members. I couldn't have stood there for more than a few seconds, but in those few seconds the full weight of Gen Con finally hit home. I was standing in a place where you could go to a sports bar in the middle of the day and even the armchair quarterbacks were talking about Dungeons and Dragons in broad daylight for anyone walking by to hear.

That was a powerful moment. It wasn't enough to make me turn towards Indy and pray three times per day, but it was enough that the next day I set aside the reservations I had and threw myself back in with renewed verve.

In the end I'm very glad that I did.

If you have a gaming story of your own that you'd like to share then please contact me and I'll see about getting you a moment in the sun on Improved Initiative. If you'd like to support this blog then drop by the Literary Mercenary's Patreon page and consider becoming a patron today! If you want to make sure you get all of my updates then make sure you follow me on Facebook and Tumblr as well.

JBM Press- Gaming Tee Shirts You Really Want!

Most of you reading this have never heard of JBM Press. You might actually be wearing one of their tee shirts right now (particularly if you went to Gen Con), and not even know it. If you need a quick check though just look down at your shirt and ask two questions: Is it geeky? Is it awesome?

Are you wearing this? If not, then go here!

This is just one design created for JBM's Player Character series, featuring designs by the very talented Tony Steele (check out his galleries at his website SteeleWorks). In addition to PC tee shirts though JBM also offers Peaks ("I climbed" shirts that make references to everywhere from the Wall in Game of Thrones to Mount Doom), Saabs (like the car), Gamer, Seattle, North Bend, and Other.

No matter what your preferred area of geekdom, JBM has something that will make you click Buy fast enough to dent your left mouse button.

Original Geeks Creating Awesome Art

JBM Press can be found working a huge variety of conventions and events, and their website offers a slew of insights into how they came to be who and what they are today. Not only that but it lists the rates they offer for custom printing, deals on bulk orders, and you can check out the brief history of how JBM Press came to be.

Also their CEO's middle name is Adventure. It's on the Internet, so it must be true.

For all those who want to help support Improved Initiative drop by my Patreon page and become a patron today! If you want to keep up-to-the-minute with your updates then just plug your email address into the box on the right to become a follower, or follow me on Facebook and Tumblr.

Crit Confirm: The Place to Go To Find Gamers Just Like You

The Internet (at least the parts of it that aren't dedicated to erotica and cat videos) seems to be populated by geeks and gamers. That sounds great, but to anyone who's tried to navigate the cramped back rooms and sticky hallways of the information superhighway the struggle to find a community where people are supportive, the discussions are interesting, and you want to keep coming back for more without paying a fee are few and far between.

You're looking for something like this. Soft, warm, and perfectly adapted for its environment.

That is why you need to know about Crit Confirm.

What Is Crit Confirm?

The true-but-unhelpful answer is that it's a website (which you can go look at for yourself right here).

For those who want more information before clicking the link though, Crit Confirm is one part gamer forum, one part review and advice page, and one part podcast. Growing in popularity the group that runs it is headquartered in the heartland of the Midwest (around Indianapolis, well within the radiation zone of Gen Con), and it's quickly reaching levels of influence that will make it the next bandwagon to jump onto. There's no membership fee, there's an ever-larger sphere of articles for tabletop lovers, video game players, and even those who have planted their geek flag into movies and anime.

They also have swag, and all the proceeds go right back into keeping the site producing great content for you and users just like you.

It's like finding hundreds of these in one place, and then having them all hug you at once.

So if you're looking for another great place to get your daily dose of great gaming, why aren't you clicking Crit Confirm's link? Get a user name, say hi on the forums, and check out all the new content they've put up since the biggest event in gaming packed up the big top and blew out of Indianapolis.

As always for those who'd like to help keep Improved Initiative going stop by my Patreon page and become a patron today! Seriously, $1 a month makes a lot more difference than you think. If you want to keep up to date on all my content then plug your email into the box on your upper right hand side, or just follow me on Facebook and Tumblr.

Meet Brent Chumley... No Seriously, You Really Should

Given that it's Monday I'd normally have something clever or witty to post here. Maybe I'd offer a bit of obscure history, or just post a funny picture that made an obtuse gaming reference. However, I just spent the past several days as a booth assistant in Artist's Alley at Gen Con 2014. As such I'm too exhausted to offer anything insightful, funny, or even droll for your guys.

Check this guy out instead.

Yes, this guy.

For those of you who don't know who this is, well you're in the same boat I was on the morning of the 14th. This fellow's name is Brent Chumley, an he's an accomplished artist as well as a surprisingly well-rounded gamer. He was also my neighbor at Artist's Alley, and he's a very driven, talented artist. He's done a great deal of work for Legend of the Five Rings (as well as other companies and game systems), and his art is as diverse as his gaming tastes. From a traditional Asian spearman at rest after a battle to a biplane being chased through a clear blue sky by a dragon, he's got a little bit of everything.

Seriously, go check out his webpage right here. You'll thank me later.

I should be back on my game (so to speak) quite soon. Until then you know the drill; follow me by filling in your email address in the box on the right, or following me on Facebook and Tumblr. If you want to keep me going then buy a book, stop by my tee shirt shop, leave a tip by clicking the "Bribe The DM" button on the right, or stop by my Patreon page and become a patron today!

Natural 20 Soaps: A Confirmed Critical Against Con Funk

The words "Gaming" and "Hygiene" are not often associated in the collective, pop culture consciousness. While gaming has come out of the basement, so to speak, and is experiencing a lot of popularity now that being geeky is considered sexy, there are still some folks who didn't get the memo. Fortunately there is Natural 20 Soaps, a company dedicated to fighting con funk wherever it raises its revolting, protuberant head.

Yes that is soap. Yes you can buy it right now.

Seriously though, take a look at their Etsy store right here and see some of this. We could wipe out the smelly gamer prejudice overnight if word got out a little quicker.

How It All Began

Natural 20 Soap, which is run by Emily Hawk and her business partner Douglas Menke, was inspired by two, separate conversations. The first conversation detailed a sneaky idea of putting a d20 inside a bar of soap, using it as bait to trick those possessed by con funk to wash in order to get the prize inside. The idea might have died there, except that a customer at Emily's knitting store asked if there was a kind of soap that would wash wool without harming it. Finding no affordable options on the market, Emily decided to produce her own in the shape of an adorable sheep. Along the way she and Doug also decided to take up the standard for hygienic geeks everywhere by bringing us Natural 20 Soaps, which sold its first soap in December of 2013.

And are we ever glad they did.

What Makes This Soap So Special?

Well, aside from the fact that it comes in a huge variety of patterns, shapes, and colors, from sheep-shaped soap and D20s to the stripes of Jayne Cobb's hat (seriously, check out the store!), these soaps are made using natural ingredients. They're nourishing for the skin, they get you cleaned up quickly, and best of all they can be made to one's specifications. Whether someone's looking for a vegan soap, a soap in the shape of a Templar shield, or just a soap that's so geeky only the gifter and the receiver will get the reference, Natural 20 Soaps can make that happen.

This cake is a lye.

With sleek, plastic cases that keep soap protected before it's used, and with new designs always coming out, Natural 20 Soaps has great presents for those who just don't know what to give the gamer in their lives. As of right now they're planning a superhero line up, and there's been talk of making soap with secret messages inside them using water soluble paper. For updates on what's going on with the company, and more importantly what conventions you'll be able to find them at, check out the Natural 20 Soap blog right here!

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