Extra Life

[Bluetongue]

Which one are you?

[Scott308]

I'm the one in the University of Michigan hat.

[Bluetongue]

How much did you raise in the end and how was the adventure overall?

[Scott308]

The team raised just over $2400, $750 of that was what I raised, and around $500 from participants who didn't join the team or paid cash onsite for their entry fee. My fundraising was down from last year, but I'm happy that I was still able to raise as much as I did.

The game was a lot of fun for a while, but we ran out of steam. The last adventure the DM blew through in an hour because he realized he was losing us. I was definitely struggling (and not really succeeding) to stay awake. We pulled the plug around 6am.

I was at the streaming table the two years we've been at this location, and while still fun, it is missing something. Since we are in a private room, we don't get the energy from being in a big group. When people at another table start laughing or cheering/ groaning for a Nat 20 or Nat 1, you pick up on the energy at the other tables. We didn't have that being in the other room. I spoke with the organizer (who was also my DM) and we talked about changing things up for next year- either not streaming or streaming from a table in the main gaming area with everyone else.

One of the employees had a better suggestion. There are a number of taller tables at the end of the room that are typically used for miniature gaming. We were using them as HQ/ a place to put the auction items. It was suggested we swap those spots. The auction stuff could be in the private room and we could use the tables and cordon it off so the general public doesn't wander into the stream. That way, we'd still be around everyone else and I think it would bring more energy. Plus, people could donate while watching the stream to do things like give us a wandering monster to fight or make us eat one of the Bean Boozleds- is it cotton candy or soap flavor? Maybe we'd get people donating from other tables if they can see the results of their donations. I liked playing at the streaming table, but I did miss being around the other tables.

As far as the actual game- everything was Adventurers League compliant, but the adventures were written for our event. The first one had us tasked with helping a priest choose a place to turn into an orphanage. We had three properties to look at, all with pros and cons and varying prices. Basically, we were on an episode of House Hunters. At one point in his description of the large abandoned manor, the DM mentioned the parties in the basement. We immediately assumed they were wild sex parties and got completely derailed. Turns out, they were summoning demons. We're assuming for sex purposes. We were also trying to determine if we would get paid more if we "found" more orphans. It was a lot of fun (until I started struggling to stay awake) and I'm looking forward to next year.

Oh, and someone at work donated to pick my character's class, then asked me what I wanted to play. I told her that wasn't how it worked. I told her what classes people had already said they were playing so we could avoid those, but it was up to her. She did ask questions about the classes and I gave her plenty of info on which to base her decision. She eventually went with Fighter. I was pretty happy, nobody had ever picked my class before!

[Scott308]

I am hoping to play in the charity event this summer, we are still working on when it will be so I don't know if I will be on call that weekend. Having said that, even if I am not able to play, any funds raised still go to a worthy cause. Why am I mentioning this now, you ask? Because if I can raise $100 from now until the end of April, I will unlock a sweet, exclusive glass d20 with the Extra Life logo on it!

[Bluetongue]

Hope you were able to gain the glass trophy dice. Sorry I couldn't donate this side of Spring. I did enjoy the livestream of the 24hr D&D that I watched you in last August.

I appreciate the Children's Hospitals being a well worthy cause and I shall endeavour to help you in reaching some specific level target. Perhaps enough to get you that Potion of Healing or a skill to foil a nasty GM plot.

[Scott308]

I did earn enough to get the die! The organizers just set the date for this year- June 29 and 30. We are actually doing something a bit different this year. We're still playing for 24 hours, but instead of going Saturday morning to Sunday morning, we'll do 12 hours on Saturday and 12 hours on Sunday. The last few years we have had a number of tables that could not go the full 24 hours- including my table the last two years. The streaming game was in a separate room, and I think that really hurt our energy, not being in the big room with everyone else, hearing tables cheer or laugh during the games, oohing and aahing when a DM breaks out a huge dragon mini (yes, I said huge mini!)... That brings us to another change- no streaming table this year. I'm glad you enjoyed watching, but the organizers decided not to stream this year. I assume it's because all the tables will be in one big room so it'd be hard to hear over the general din.

I don't know what people are going to run yet so I have no idea if I'll be making a new character or using an extant one so those incentives may or may not be active, but I will allow someone to pick my shirt(s) again! I have a concert tomorrow where I hope to get a shirt and Milwaukee Metal Fest in two weeks so I'll definitely pick up some new shirts there!