There’s a special gleam in the eye that comes from one of only two sources: a surfeit of mercury vapor in the hat-making process and the feverish dreams of a Carnage role-playing GM. Such visions cannot be contained within a single skull for long, of course. They must be freed to propagate through all the psyches of the gentle, unsuspecting populace.

Get a sneak preview on what’s in the 2011 program book by seeing what the GMs themselves have to say about the games they’re running at Carnage in Wonderland:

• Tom Loney and Robin Lea of Peryton Publishing shared some details on their Carnage role-playing plans over on Peryton’s forum.
• Dr. Nik floated the notion of the LARP “Watership Down the Rabbit Hole” on the Carnage Facebook group — no guarantee it’ll happen, of course, but it’s insight into the thought processes of a standout GM.
• Brad Younie of Carnivore Games, publisher of The Unexplained, posted details on three adventures they’ll run at Carnage: “On the Brink of Invasion,” “End Times,” “The Walking Dead” and “A Haunting in Vermont.”
• James Carpio, proprietor Chapter 13 Press, tells us about his trio of offerings: Death Race Z, “The Land of Nod” OSR adventure and Stargate: 1889.

Do you have information to share about what you’re running at Carnage? Let us know in the comments section below.

June is that magic time when a Carnage GM’s fancy lightly turns to “What the heck am I going to run this year?”

As always, a GM should runs the thing that inspires them the most. We’ve all been at the table when the GM’s heart just wasn’t into the game of the moment. And that’s no fun at all. So first ask yourself what games have your attention — and probably still will in November.

For those of you looking for more firm inspiration, check out this wish list we’ve put together of games, old and new, we’d like to see at this year’s convention, behind the jump. To be clear, the games our stalwart GMs run year in and year out — your specialties, which are far too numerous to mention even in passing — are always wanted. Those games are your signature events, the ones for which you’re known, and we’re always happy to have them.

That said, if you’re a GM waffling over system or setting, knowing just that you want to run “something,” you might find a nudge in one direction or the other here. If there’s a game you’re hoping to play, mention it in the comments. Maybe someone will be inspired, knowing there’s a kindred soul out there.

Once you know what you want to run, hop on over to the GM sign-up page and put it to good use. Continue reading →