The Gnomes are getting ready to descend upon Indianapolis for GenCon. We will be various games, seminars, and walking the dealer’s floor. Sometimes we Gnomes are tricky to spot, so in today’s article, we are going to provide you a little guide on how to spot a Gnome.

Martin Ralya

I spend so much time in the dealers room (Exhibit Hall) that my friends wonder if something’s wrong with me, so that’s where you’re most likely to run into me. I’ll be the dashingly handsome one with the Adonis-like ab. I’ll be rocking a Gnome Stew shirt on one day, and assless chaps and a sparkling smile for the rest of the con. Seriously, though, if you recognize me and actually come up and say hi, I’d love to chat with you.

I might also pee a little, because being Internet Famous for Running a Niche Blog Within a Niche Blogging Community (IFRNBWNBC for short) is Step 1 on the road to people selling photos of me with one moob hanging out to tabloids.

Phil “DNAphil” Vecchione

You will find me every morning near one of the hotel Starbucks nursing the largest Iced Coffee they will make. I will be wearing my custom made Green and Black bowling shirt, along with the other guys in my group, The Green Shirts. When gathered, there is a good chance a game of Lunch Money will be going down. The Green Shirts are a rowdy bunch in the morning, (really anytime), often displaying their vast knowledge of the Urban Dictionary, so please keep all children 20 feet from any gathering of Green Shirts.

When I am not swilling coffee and laying the Hail Mary down on my fellow Green Shirts, I will playing in a few events: The Mountain Witch, Savage Worlds, Shadowrun 4th ed, and Lunch Money. I’m walking the dealers room Thursday morning, Friday Afternoon, and Sunday morning. For sure, I will be checking out (blowing my cash on) the Mongoose Booth, Burning Wheel, and Kenzer & Company.

I will also be tweeting from time to time, feel free to follow me @DNAphil.

All Grown Up And Still Gaming (SEM0900278): Saturday at 9am. Join me, Kurt, and Patrick, and friend of the Gnomes, Vicki Potter for a seminar about how to adapt your game as you take on the responsibilities of career, spouse, and family.  I will be happy to show you all my scars.

John Arcadian

I’ll be coming in for Gencon on Thursday and then heading out to play in the one True Dungeon game my group and I got into. I’ll be wearing my Kilt and goggles for most of the convention and my Gnome Stew shirt on Friday, at least. Friday and Saturday day I’ll be wandering around, hitting the exhibitor hall and running pickup games for anyone who approaches me and asks. I’ll also be hitting the Gencon dance on Saturday night. If you see me, say hi. I love meeting new people and hearing gaming stories.

Walt Ciechanowski

I got stuck at the Hilton this time, so I’ll probably be soaked (without access to the airway, I’m sure it’ll rain every day). I may try to squeeze into my Gnome Stew tee shirt on Friday, but it was tight last year and I think I’ve grown a “gamer size” since then.

I overbooked games on Thursday and Saturday, so the best time to find me is during dealer hours on Friday. I’ll most likely be hanging around the Cubicle 7, Green Ronin, and Paizo booths for various reasons. I’m actually flying in early Wednesday afternoon, so if anyone needs an RPG seat filled on Wednesday or Friday please let me know!

Kurt ‘Telas’ Schneider

I’m going to be the only heavyset bald guy with a goatee at Gen Con. And if you believe that, then let me tell you about my character…

I probably over-scheduled myself this year, with games from Serenity to Savage Worlds to Castles & Crusades and plenty of seminars in between. So I’ll probably be the guy doing a mass bull rush through the main hall, trying to get to the next event. Or I’ll be the guy in the Dealer Hall, looking at his watch and deciding to play another demo instead of making the next event. Or I might be the guy at the Claddagh, saying “Fuck it, I’m getting drunk.”

The two seminars I can’t miss (drunk or sober) will be Saturday’s All Grown Up And Still Gaming (SEM0900278, with Phil and Patrick) and The Game Charter – Creating Common Ground For Your Gaming Group (SEM0900230, with Patrick). I have no idea how I managed to wind up on seminars about ‘being grown up’ and ‘creating common ground’, but it’ll do until Gen Con accepts my proposal for a seminar about drinking, throwing dice, and hitting on booth babes.

There are also rumors (vicious, completely unsubstantiated rumors) that I will be in tights, doublet, boots, and mask at the Masquerade Ball on Saturday night. If you do find me, feel free to call me Kurt; it’s apparently very difficult to correctly pronounce Telas.

Patrick Benson

This year I’m involved in 4 seminars, and I am running 4 games as well. You can get all of the details here. The rest of the time I’m either playing in an event, browsing the Exhibit Hall, or hanging out with friends (and if you are cool with shooting the breeze with me, well then you are my friend).

If you recognize me (I’m 6’3″, about 215lbs, and I look like this dweeb) and want to chat feel free to stop me and to introduce yourself. As long as I’m not running off to one of my events I’d love to chat with our readers and get firsthand feedback (both good and bad) on what you like and what you don’t like about my articles. I learn a lot from those of you that I have had the privilege to meet in person, and I look forward to meeting more of you this year at Gen Con!

Now Come And Find Us

So, if you are walking the halls and see a Gnome, come up and say hello. We would love to meet you in person and put a face to all those comments you have made here. For those of you attending GenCon, have a safe trip to Indy and enjoy The Best Four Days In Gaming.