Tentacles Convention
Encyclopedia
The Tentacles Convention was an international role-playing game
convention
held annually at Stahleck Castle
in Germany on Pentecost
. Tentacles was dedicated to games set in Glorantha
such as HeroQuest
and RuneQuest
, as well as Call of Cthulhu
, Stormbringer
and Hawkmoon.
Tentacles Convention was hosted by the RuneQuest Gesellschaft e.V. (better known outside of Germany as The Chaos Society) every year from 1996 to 2009. During that time, Tentacles, and Convulsiion followed by Continuum were the only periodically held Glorantha
conventions in Europe. Most of the about 180 guests were fans and authors of the supported game systems. The publishers Chaosium
, Issaries, Inc.
and MoonDesign used Tentacles as a forum for presenting and discussing the future plans of their games.
Due to the international audience English was the main language. Tentacles offered the only opportunity in Germany to get in touch with two founders of role-playing Greg Stafford
and Sandy Petersen
. Sandy Petersen and other invited authors regularly wrote game modules and articles especially for Tentacles Convention. These works were published in the Ye Booke of Tentacles (YboT)-almanacs which are treasured by Glorantha and English-speaking Cthulhu fans.
A notable type of games on Tentacles was the freeform role-playing game
.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
convention
Gaming convention
A gaming convention is a gathering that centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three days long, and often held at either a university or in a convention center hotel...
held annually at Stahleck Castle
Stahleck Castle
Stahleck Castle is a 12th-century fortified castle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley at Bacharach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It stands on a crag approximately above sea level on the left bank of the river at the mouth of the Steeg valley, approximately south of Koblenz, and offers a...
in Germany on Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
. Tentacles was dedicated to games set in Glorantha
Glorantha
Glorantha is the Fantasy world created by Greg Stafford and since used as the background for several role-playing games, including RuneQuest , Hero Wars and HeroQuest , as well as several works of fiction and the computer strategy game King of Dragon Pass...
such as HeroQuest
HeroQuest (role-playing game)
HeroQuest is a narrativist role-playing game written by Robin D. Laws and published by Moon Design Publications under license from Issaries, Inc....
and RuneQuest
RuneQuest
RuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
, as well as Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
, Stormbringer
Stormbringer
Stormbringer is the name of the infamous black sword featured in a number of fantasy stories by the author Michael Moorcock. Created by the forces of Chaos, it is described as a huge, black sword covered with strange runes carved deep into its blade...
and Hawkmoon.
Tentacles Convention was hosted by the RuneQuest Gesellschaft e.V. (better known outside of Germany as The Chaos Society) every year from 1996 to 2009. During that time, Tentacles, and Convulsiion followed by Continuum were the only periodically held Glorantha
Glorantha
Glorantha is the Fantasy world created by Greg Stafford and since used as the background for several role-playing games, including RuneQuest , Hero Wars and HeroQuest , as well as several works of fiction and the computer strategy game King of Dragon Pass...
conventions in Europe. Most of the about 180 guests were fans and authors of the supported game systems. The publishers Chaosium
Chaosium
Chaosium is one of the longer lived publishers of role-playing games still in existence. Founded by Greg Stafford, its first game was actually a wargame, White Bear and Red Moon, which later mutated into Dragon Pass and its sequel, Nomad Gods...
, Issaries, Inc.
Issaries, Inc.
Greg Stafford's Issaries, Inc. is a publishing house for mythic material. Its flagship game is HeroQuest ....
and MoonDesign used Tentacles as a forum for presenting and discussing the future plans of their games.
Due to the international audience English was the main language. Tentacles offered the only opportunity in Germany to get in touch with two founders of role-playing Greg Stafford
Greg Stafford
Francis Gregory Stafford , usually known as Greg Stafford, is an American game designer, publisher and shaman.-Glorantha and gaming:...
and Sandy Petersen
Sandy Petersen
Carl Sanford Joslyn Petersen is a game designer.Petersen was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended University of California, Berkeley, majoring in zoology....
. Sandy Petersen and other invited authors regularly wrote game modules and articles especially for Tentacles Convention. These works were published in the Ye Booke of Tentacles (YboT)-almanacs which are treasured by Glorantha and English-speaking Cthulhu fans.
A notable type of games on Tentacles was the freeform role-playing game
Freeform role-playing game
Freeform role-playing games, also called freeforms, are a type of role-playing game which employ minimal or no rules. Instead, actions are adjudicated on the spot by the referee. There are also several variations, some of which lack a referee....
.
External links
- Official Homepage of the Tentacles Convention
- Report on the convention by Greg Stafford
- Report on the convention by Charlie Krank
Literature
- Fabian Küchler et al.: Tentacles Festschrift. In: Ye Booke of Tentacles Nr. 6, RuneQuest-Gesellschaft e.V., Bremen June 2006, p.5-17