A Living Legend

Hi gang,

My name is Mondo. And I've been a Dungeons and Dragons player for 29 years. Since then, it has always been my favorite game to play.

My favorite game was taught to me by my best friend Peter Dorman who taught me how to roll up my first character (Hobbit Thief - Armando) in the dorms at UC Berkeley way back when. Our first gaming convention experiences were at Pacificon in the Bay Area at the old Dunfee hotel.

I have spent countless hours playing my favorite game by creating stories and playing characters throughout the years. Like many others, I have my own homegrown campaign (The Eurekan Campaign) with its own group of heroes (The Knights of Eureka) which has seen dozens and dozens of players over the years. The friends I have made over the years through the game have been legion in number, and a true blessing.

The love of my favorite game led me to winning a seat on a secret playtest for a 'new' version of Dungeons and Dragons being run by none other than Peter Adkison, the founder of Wizards of the Coast. That playtest was held at Manafest, which I attended with long time DnD pal Michael Z (Marco Dragonwind of the Knights of Eureka), and is where I met and became friends with Japji K, Anthony G, Kevin O, Jodi S, Peter Adkison, Rhonda H, Jay Tummelson, and many others. This would be the 'seed' that would eventually grow into the ownership of the ConQuest conventions.

My favorite game includes playing in multi-player "Monster Mashes" with dozens of players playing on the huge models built by Bob Ferguson in the LA area. I even got to run some of the sessions, which required teams of DM to orchestrate. (I'll never forget the poor idiot who was trying to get to the castle by swimming through the moat. At some point he decided to attempt to summon his god, and fortune favoring the foolish, Thor appeared. Thor took one look at himself, then looked at the summoner before crying out in self-righteous anger, "I'm wet!" and obliterating the unfortunate follower with one swipe of his hammer.)

Dragon magazine published an article about my favorite game about a group of stalwart lads who had set the DnD play record at 100 hours. I set out to put a group together to break that record. And break it we did, playing 101 hours and 15 minutes straight through. Six of us started the game, and dozens of others jumped in and out of the game through the four days plus of my favorite game. We took a five minute break every hour. By the end, only two of us were left. Me and the aforementioned Michael Z. The local papers followed us everyday as we played in a long-gone local comic and game shop in Simi Valley, CA. "Dynamic Duo Breaks Gaming Record" pronounced the headlines the day following our triumphic shattering of the record.

My favorite game led to the creation of dozens of characters in other role playing games too. Dynamite Pete from Boothill. Champions would see me create my favorite Archvillian of all time, Nytron, as well as silly ones like The Baker, Gumdrop, and Mr. V ('Ah pity the fool who mess with me!') Traveller gave birth to Captain Armando Equis Blake. One hero has endured all these years, and that would be Fredrick, would who be retired and placed in my DnD campaign as Lord Fredrick of Eureka.

So, why has Mondo gone nostalgic about role playing? Well, I'll tell you.

It's because one of the co-creators of Dungeons and Dragons, the father of roleplaying and creator of Blackmoor, a true living legend has agreed to be our Legendary Guest at ConQuest SF this year.

Dave Arenson. Dave Arneson!

After almost 30 years, I will get to meet this man face to face, shake his hand, and thank him for wonderful memories the game he co-created have given me. I will get to sit with him at dinner, and watch as hundreds of our attendees also get to meet this man. Gamers born after he created D&D, and who play 3.5 or 3E will see the guy who started it all.

So, go and find your original white box sets. Bring 'em to the show this Labor Day weekend. Or better yet, bring something he's published recently, and maybe you'll get a chance to meet him and ask him to sign it. (We also want to thank Black Diamond Games, the RPG sponsor of ConQuest SF, who are helping to bring Dave Arneson to us.)

I feel like I found the Golden Ticket today in my Wonka Bar. Today is a very good day.

Take care all,
Mondo


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