Day 2 of the con got off to what I would characterize as a rather groggy start.  Many of the con-goers went to see a midnight showing of  Watchmen at the conclusion of Day 1’s activities.  You’ve never seen so many sleep deprived gamers!

As much as I wanted to, I chose not to go see the movie with the gang.  The film’s almost three hours long.  After having been out late Thursday and all day gaming Friday and more gaming Saturday?  I really didn’t want to feel like the walking dead while I was playing the walking dead.  So, I was lights out and covers over my head by one AM Saturday morning while the preponderence of my fellows were at the show. The affect was felt both at the beginning of Day 2 and at the day’s end.

Most notably, players were late to games for which they had registered.

The first game of the day I was in, Savage Ghostbusters, started a half hour late due to tardy, sleepy players.Savage Ghostbusters (the Ghostbusters setting run with the Savage Worlds system) was game mastered by Josh Thomson, who’s also in my local gaming group.  Set 20+ years after the end of the Ghostbusters movies, a career in Ghostbusting ain’t what it used to be.   Our characters were all recently out of high school working for a franchisee with questionable taste.

Our pink jumpsuits evidence thereof.

Our Ecto-mobile?  An ice cream van.  Imagine the Ghostbusters theme played in annoying ice cream truck music box style.

My character was Johnson McCoy, a redneck fellow complete with mullet, stained wife-beater, and annoying habit of smacking his enormous wad of gum.  He recently gave up his snuff, y’see.

“I ain’t skeered a’no ghosts!”

The remainder of our crew was comprised of The Jock, The Geek, and the Goth.

Without a doubt, Josh provided the coolest game props ever for the exto-goggles (see right).  Including the prop into the game’s mechanics, the player had to be wearing the glasses to see certain spectral manifestations.  Of course with them on, the character could not see certain other features.  Such as the curb.

It was our first day on the job.  My character immediately requested next Sunday off.  Monster truck rally, you see.

After our characters watched a brief training video, we were ready for field work (reminds me of some the “extensive” training I’ve been provided in business life).  Our first encounter was at the local hardware store where we tore up the scenery in typical Ghostbuster style.

Once we captured the spook, my character informed the store manager:  “It is usual and customary to tip your Ghostbuster.”

This would be prove to be a running theme in the game for my character.

Our next stop was at the local mall, which was straight out of the eighties.  The haunting in this instance occurred at the Wicks ‘n’ Sticks, which was right around the corner from Chess King and Bag ‘n’ Baggage.  I was cracking up.  The humor may have been lost though on the younger players around the table.

It was hysterical for the Goth character, who’s supposed to be too dark and mysterious for such things as malls and pink jumpsuits, to run into fellow goths in the mall.

I won’t divulge more about the game as I know Josh plans on running this for the home crew as well.  Suffice it to say that he spun out a zaney romp through haunted suburbia with a terrific twist and use of props.  We had a ridiculous amount of fun.