It is that time of the year again. The time when the weather begins to get warmer, the days have gotten just about as long as they’re going to get, and gamers come out to Stonecrest Community Church – 11 Technology Dr North in Warren, New Jersey to play tabletop games and raise money to help InnRoads run gaming events at no cost, travel to local gaming conventions, host our various podcasts/websites, and more. Tavern Con is upon us!
Open Gaming
We at InnRoads Ministries believe that something truly amazing happens when you gather people together at the table to play together. This is why the heart and soul of Tavern Con has been, and always will be, focused on open gaming. We want to share that feeling with everyone who wants to experience it, so we work hard to remove any barriers that might be keeping folks from the table. While we encourage all in attendance to bring their favorite games with them, we bring out the entirety of the InnRoads Ministries Traveling Game Library so that its over one hundred titles are available to anyone that wants to try them. We have volunteer game leaders on hand that will be able to help recommend titles folks might want to play and even help them walk through the rules if they’ve never played before. So whether a player is trying out a new game or has never even heard of anything on the table, you can find a game that you can have fun with. Finally, even though Tavern Con is a fundraising event, we don’t like the idea that anyone would feel they couldn’t be a part of it for a lack of funds. Therefore there is no charge up front for open gaming.
A new feature to this year’s open gaming will be a demo set of Gaslands cars lead by InnRoads own Shawn Brooks. This Mad Max style miniatures war-gaming demolition derby will be demoed throughout the event. If you’ve ever wanted to experience war-gaming, but were intimidated by complicated rule sets and the cost of purchasing elaborate miniatures – our custom matchbox cars will have you literally rolling into a new experience you will not forget.
Food
In the same vein of bringing people to the same table – few things bring people together more than food. There will be some light fare at no cost – such as chips, but there will also be two meals available throughout the course of the day. Attendees will be able to purchase meal tickets that allow them to have access to all of the meal options for $10. Anyone who has presented a meal ticket will be able to come back for more after all ticket holders have gone through once.
While the meals will be more substantial and nutritious – sandwiches, salads/veggies, hearty soups, etc – anyone who has been to a game night knows that you aren’t really gaming unless there are some delicious junk food options. In addition to the food that folks will have access to as part of the meal tickets – there will be a selection of baked goods that will be available for individual purchase. These will include items like cupcakes, cookies, brownies, etc. The prices will vary depending on the size/quantity of the items purchased, but roughly average $1 per item.
Special Events
There will be certain special events throughout the course of the day that will require an entry fee. The entry fee for all of these events is $5 per participant.
The Pretense Meta-Tournament
We’re bringing back the Pretense Meta-Tournament! Pretense is a game designed by Jason Tagmire and is designed to be played as you are playing other games. Players are assigned different role cards, where the goal is to get other players to perform a certain action based on that role. For instance- the Glutton is trying to convince other players to hand them food, while the Bookworm is trying to get people to give them the rulebook for the game they are playing. If they successfully get the player to do whatever the action is, they reveal who they are and claim the other player’s card (keeping their original card as a trophy).
The tournament begins at 11AM and will continue until only one active role card is available or 6PM (whichever comes first). If there are still multiple players in the tournament at the cutoff time, whichever player has collected the most ‘trophies’ will win the prize. More details and rules will be posted and available at the event.
It costs $5 to enter and receive your initial role card, with the option for an additional $5 to re-enter the tournament should you lose your role (while cards are available. Special rules apply for reentry). The prize for winning the tournament will be a collection of pocket games from Button Shy Games.
Miniatures Paint-And-Take
Miniatures from the game Blood Rage painted by Brett
Whether you are fielding an army of space marines or just want to make your favorite board game look more impressive when it’s out on the table, painting miniatures can be a fun aspect of the gaming hobby. However, it’s not easy to know how to start, let alone pick up on tricks and techniques to help your paint job really pop on a miniature. Your $5 entry to this event (happening in one morning and one afternoon session) gets you one miniature from a selection of styles available, access to the paints you’ll need, and instructional guidance from our resident mini-painting expert Brett Anderson. You paint additional minis for an additional $5 as supplies last.
Games Raffle
It’s not enough that we want people who come to Tavern Con to enjoy the games we have available. We want them to go home with games as well. That’s why we reach out to publishers, designers, and even our own online community of folks from around the globe to help gather donations for a games raffle. Raffle tickets can be purchased at $3 each or four for $10. Simply place those tickets in the box or boxes for any of the prize collections. If your ticket is pulled at the end of the event (6pm), you win all those games.
Note: You don’t need to be present to win the prizes. If you do not plan on being at the event when tickets are pulled, be sure that your name, address, and either phone or email are clearly visible on the ticket. You may be required to cover shipping costs.
Publishers who have donated prizes to this year’s raffle include:
Chara Games
Portal Games
Restoration Games
Whimsy Works
As well as games donated by members of our community!
We hope to see you at Tavern Con this year. Keep watching our site as we get closer to the event for updates on companies supporting the prize pool and guests to this year’s event. If you have any questions, please contact us via our facebook page or at contact@innroadsministries.com.