MartyCon 2025 Wrap Up

Last April saw a group of friends made their way to rural WA for MartyCon 2025, a weekend of gaming shenanigans. Getting away from everything and focusing on games and laughing with your mates is such a great thing to do. It didn’t take much to organize and let us all take turns running games and exploring systems that we hadn’t tried before.

Much like last time we had some incredibly creative sessions including:

  • New Zealand game inspired by the Peter Jackson film Bad Taste. Kiwi accents were mandatory.
  • Wild West Horror game involving pioneers finding that an evil cult has taken their refuge. Betrayal and sacrifices, holy guardians and gun fights. Very cinematic!
  • The Raid miniatures skirmish for 8 people. The Gangers thrashed the Enforcers. for a description of the game check out my post on the game design.
  • Harrowing submarine horror game based on the zine Crush Depth Apparition. Incredibly creepy and unsettling.
  • Paranoia, a game of dystopian future frustration and clone death…
Some of the crew getting ready for the first game of the weekend.

As you can see we had a broad variety of games. We also played board and card games throughout the weekend, went for walks and generally chilled out. The perfect mini break based on mates and gaming!

The Raid Synopsis

I was planning on running two miniature skirmish games, but unfortunately we only had time for one. So we ended up playing the Raid. This asymmetric wargame saw five underhive gangs take on three well disciplined Arbites (law) fire teams.

The game ended up being a real nail biter. The Arbites teams were dominating during the first half, basically trapping any over eager gangers. However, the gangs started working together pretty quickly and ended up swamping the Arbites patrol and winning by a huge margin.

The game was great fun and everyone stayed involved and engaged. However, having 8 players at the table was only just manageable and I think stretched the ruleset a little too much. If I have that many players next year I would split the battles over three separate boards with the outcomes all adding to the story of an overall conflict. I’m already thinking about a desperate siege. Battles could include, destroy the bridge to prevent reinforcement, silence the battery and break the line. Perhaps we need another MartyCon sooner rather than later.

An Arbites Enforcer keeps an eye out for the encroaching gangers.
The battleground
Gangers getting ready to rush the Law

Run Your Own Con

Why am I writing this you might ask? If you are part of a group of friends who enjoy playing games together why not run a mini con together. Grab an AirBnB, get everyone to chip in for food and you’re sorted.

Everyone has games that they want to play but have never had the chance to run. Well now’s your chance. Have a friend who’s always wanted to DM, give them a shot. As you can see above our games are very varied and all run by different people. It’s the perfect time to experiment.

Start small. The first MartyCon only had 5 attendees. But it was a great weekend that spawned a great tradition amongst our gaming groups. So grab some friends, plan some games and create a Con. I can almost guarantee you’ll have a great time!!

MartyCon 2025

All in all a fantastic weekend. So jam packed with games and laughter that I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home on the Sunday afternoon.

Let me know if you are running your own mini Con. I’d love to hear what works for your group.

Planning a Kick-Ass D&D Campaign with Minimal Effort

Planning a Dungeons & Dragons campaign can feel overwhelming, especially for Dungeon Masters who want to keep their preparation time manageable. However, by borrowing concepts from Dungeon World Fronts and embracing minimalist planning, you can create a dynamic, player-driven experience that feels rich and engaging without requiring hours of prep work. I use this methodology in many of my own campaigns and I can say from experience that it works a treat.

What Are Dungeon World Fronts?

Dungeon World, a narrative-driven RPG, uses Fronts as a way to organize campaign threats and storylines without rigid scripting. Instead of planning each session in detail, you create major factions, events, and dangers that will evolve naturally based on player actions. These Fronts act as living forces in the world, ensuring the story unfolds dynamically.

Step 1: Define Your Fronts

A Front is a significant force or conflict that drives the game’s narrative. Examples include:

  • A Rising Cult – A mysterious order gathers followers to summon an ancient deity.
  • A Warlord’s Ambition – A power-hungry warlord seeks to conquer the region.
  • A Failing Empire – The once-great kingdom crumbles due to internal corruption.
  • A Forgotten Curse – An ancient evil begins to stir beneath the land.

Each Front has:

  1. A Core Threat – The central danger or goal of the Front.
  2. Grim Portents – Steps showing how the Front advances if unchecked.
  3. Impending Doom – The final, catastrophic outcome if players fail to intervene.

It is best to have 2-3 Fronts in play. This creates interesting moral dilemmas for the players. Do we find the rising cults source of power, or stop the Warlords ambition in the border lands? Combatting one will leave the other unchecked for a time and closer to reaching it’s impending doom.

Example of Dungeon World fronts used for a Castle Ravenloft campaign

Step 2: Keep Session Prep Minimal

Instead of spending hours scripting intricate encounters, use situation-based preparation:

  • What’s Happening Right Now? – Consider what the antagonists are currently doing.
  • What Might Happen Next? – Think about the logical consequences of past events.
  • What Questions Need Answers? – Let player curiosity drive exploration.

This method of play does require getting comfortable with improvisation. For some tips on upping your improve game you can check out my previous article on the subject.

Step 3: Build NPCs and Factions, Not Plots

Rather than rigid story arcs, create motivated NPCs with clear goals. If you establish what each faction or villain wants, they will naturally push the world forward, reacting to the players’ choices.

This keeps the game very fluid and flexible. It will actually create intricate and compelling stories without the rigidity and time spent on creating these beforehand.

Step 4: Use Player Backstories for Hooks

Weave your players’ backgrounds into the campaign. A character’s lost sibling, old rival, or mysterious prophecy can become central elements of the story, creating organic engagement without extra planning.

Step 5: Let the World React

One of the best ways to keep a campaign like this engaging is to make the world feel alive. To do that use the following:

  • Actions Have Consequences – If players ignore a threat, it advances.
  • Factions and NPCs Adapt – Enemies respond to failures and successes.
  • The Story Evolves – The campaign unfolds based on player choices, not a fixed script.

Final Thoughts

By using Dungeon World Fronts, embracing minimal prep, and letting players drive the story, you can create a rich, immersive D&D campaign without hours of meticulous planning. While this type of campaign can seem too freewheeling, it does in fact take less effort while creating adventures that the players get fully engaged with. By focusing on dynamic factions, evolving conflicts, and player-driven narratives, and you’ll have an unforgettable game that practically runs itself.