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The Mini-OSR-Con Manifesto
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.PP
In September 2024 we organized the Pink Pony of Death Mini-OSR-Convention which
hosted around 25 players and 14 tabletop roleplaying sessions as well as some
wargames. In this manifesto, we seek to define what a Mini-OSR-Con is, why we
can benefit from Mini-OSR-Cons, why you should consider organizing one yourself
and how to organize one.
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1. What is a Mini-OSR-Con
.PP
Besides the games that ought to be played, the crucial characteristic of a
Mini-OSR-Con is the relatively small workload, expenditure and stress that is
necessary in order to hold such a convention. The most important lever to
control these parameters is the number of attendees. A small number of
participants decreases logistical overhead. It eases the process of
registration and keeping an overview of planned games is simplified. It allows
for a small and inexpensive venue (often run by non-profits like community
centers), minimizing financial risk. If food and/or drinks are supposed to be
provided, it can be done by just a few people (and a car). 
.PP
The number of participants should allow for everyone to get to know each other
during the first day or the first few hours of the con. This facilitates ad-hoc
communications during the event and prevents the need for some kind of
permanent information desk. Thus, allowing everybody – including the
organizers! – to play. And that is what a Mini-OSR-Con should be all about,
having a good time playing good games. Although not a fixed number, we would
consider anything up to 30 maybe 35 participants (organizers included) a
Mini-OSR-Con. 
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2. Why Mini-OSR-Cons
.PP
Within the larger community of people engaging with tabletop role-playing
games, the OSR can be seen as a distinct subculture. Subcultures form around
communicative infrastructure (online spaces, zines) and events where people
actually come together as communities of practice, and in our case play games
and share their experiences. Hence conventions are a vital part of sustaining
the OSR. They constitute places where we can shape the OSR as a subculture and
community of practice, promote its style of gaming, and maybe most
importantly create spaces that are welcoming to new gamers.
.PP
Evangelizing the OSR by broadening and diversifying the player base we believe
it is particularly important to create gaming environments where new players
and demographics beyond the stereotypical middle-aged white man — two of us
clearly fitting this description — feel genuinely welcome. However, old-school
gaming carries certain historical and cultural baggage that we must actively
address.
.PP
Firstly, many OSR enthusiasts like (two of) us have nostalgia for classic games
that rose to prominence in an era when female players were significantly
underrepresented. This historical context may partially explain why the OSR
community still skews heavily male in terms of players, bloggers, and creators,
especially compared to more diverse gaming communities, for example those
rooted in Powered by the Apocalypse-style storygames.
.PP
Secondly, a small but vocal subset of the OSR scene has contributed to its
reputation as a space that harbors ultra-conservatives, fashy actors and
"edgelords"—individuals with whom we would not choose to socialize or game.
While the stereotype of the "problematic OSR" may be overblown and the
influence of whom we would describe as bad actors appears to be diminishing in
many online spaces (at least from our limited perspective), we must acknowledge
the need to foster an open and inclusive community. Players should feel safe
and welcome to gather at real tables, connect, and immerse themselves in
discussions. 
.PP
We strongly believe in strengthening our conventions and gaming groups — our
cherished "third places" — against attitudes and behaviors that alienate others
and erode the joy of the experience. Clearly communicating a stance against
racism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, and misogyny should be the bare
minimum. Globally, hate speech and anti-democratic rhetoric are on the rise.
Too often, the hollow cry to "keep politics out of the hobby" has been a
gateway for harmful individuals to thrive at the expense of those we would much
rather welcome into our communities. We want conventions to be places where we
can experience variants of old school games, enter dialogues about the game,
and shape our vision of the OSR as a distinct, yet inviting sub-culture. We aim
at attracting new people into the hobby by providing opportunities to play
games at real tables and get to know each other.
.PP
Distinction! 
.PP
One could argue that there are already a lot of role-playing game conventions.
This holds certainly true for the German language area. However, most cons host
a very broad spectrum of games. While there is nothing wrong with a broad
scope, it is not what we as OSR afficionados want. Recalling the image of the
OSR as a subculture, there is one thing we need: distinction. We are not taking
anything from anyone. We just want to celebrate our preferred style of play. 
.PP
First and foremost, it’s just a lot of fun! 
.PP
Conventions are an exciting experience. There is magic in meeting face-to-face,
hug each other (if everybody is okay with that), connecting with new OSR
players, playing at physical tables, and exchanging gaming hot takes. Thanks to
the relatively low organizational and logistical demands of mini conventions,
the organizers can fully enjoy the fun – playing games, throwing dice and
mingling with the smallish crowd. We think that this aspect perfectly aligns
with the DIY ethos of the OSR. 
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3. How to Organize a Mini-OSR-Con
.PP
What do you need to organize a Mini-Con?
.IP 1. 
Assemble a group of adventurers: Start with a small group of like-minded OSR
enthusiasts you feel comfortable working with. As a rule of thumb, aim for at
least three people. "More than two" is a good baseline in case something gets
in the way – and organizing a Mini-Con alone can be overwhelming.  In our case,
four people living scattered across Germany took on the task. To build a crew,
it’s best to reach out to friends and fellow gamers, local gaming clubs, or
your favorite discord server. A crew of 3 to 5 will be sufficient.
.IP 2. 
Define the framework and specifics of your Mini-Con: 
.RS
.BU 
Determine the number of participants and sessions: How many people and sessions
do you want to host? Both parameters might be limited by your available venue
or, conversely, influence your choice of venue. Stay flexible, and keep in mind
that the number of simultaneous gaming sessions can be constrained not just by
the venue’s size, but also by its acoustics.
.BU 
Discuss the financials: Should there be a fixed participation fee? If your need
monetary resources to realize the Mini-con, decide on an appropriate amount
that will cover the anticipated expenses. Be clear about the composition of
costs. Communicate to the participants who register for the event that you
might not be able to refund them in case they have to cancel at short notice.
Additionally, think about offering special arrangements to fellow gamers who
otherwise might not have the financial means to participate. Determine, how you
will collect the funds (whose bank-account?). 
.BU 
Venue: Decide on the type of venue that best suits your need. Consider factors
such as accessibility, and atmosphere. It’s best to start searching for a venue
early in the planning process.
.BU 
Define the game focus: Decide on the type of games you want to showcase. What
is your vision for YOUR OSR-Mini-Con.  Will you focus on TSR-era games and
retroclones, or include modern OSR games, wargames and OSR-adjacent games as we
did at the Pink Pony of Death Con? 
.BU 
Rations: Determine whether you will provide food and beverages or stick with a
simpler approach, like a bring-your-own-snacks-and-order-a-damn-pizza-model?
Offering meals fosters commensality, but requires effort and will keep members
of your crew from participating in games. 
.BU 
Set the event duration: Decide whether it will be a single-day event, a
day-and-a-half gathering, or even a whole weekend of OSR goodness. 
.BU 
Registration: Plan how you will manage participant and session registration.
Will you use an online platform like easy-con, or keep it even simpler and work
with emails and a spread sheet.
.RE
.IP 3. 
Settle on a date. To minimize stress, you should pick a date at least 3-4
months in advance. Depending on the venue you may need to book even earlier.
.IP 4. 
Book the venue.
.IP 5. 
Recruit a core group of referees: Before promoting your con, focus on
assembling a core group of referees to run games. This step can be more
challenging than it seems (we learned this the hard way), as even veteran
referees may feel uneasy about running games for strangers (which will become
friends during the event!). Calculate with some leeway, since short notice
cancellations can thwart your plans. 
.IP 6. 
Promote your Mini-Con: Prepare an announcement with all the essential details
on the event, including your mission statement (focus on the type of games,
nazi punks fuck off! etc.) and share the announcement where you see fit. We
started sharing the news within our immediate network of friends, and only
later expanded our outreach to discord servers and social media. Be sure to
keep slots open for newcomers. We aim to grow and diversify as a subculture,
rather than fossilize in nostalgia. Spread the word! 
.IP 7. 
Some weeks before the con you should make sure every gaming slot will be filled
and every player will find a game – although the player registration for
specific sessions should take place on site. 
.IP 8. 
Enjoy your con! During the event you should communicate clearly who
participants can approach if they need assistance. At the same time, emphasize
that your Mini-Con is a small, non-profit, DIY gathering – not an event
organized by a service provider. Everyone should share responsibility and
engage with the nitty gritty of the on-site workload: Shields shall be
splintered, chairs and tables must be set up, and floors must be swept. 
.IP 9. 
Repeat step 1.-8.
.Au "Bodo, Momo, Tobias"
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