CAPRICON VI

Welcome to Capricon VI

This year, Capricon is proud to present 10 roleplaying tournaments as well as one freeform and one Magic the Gathering tournament. This booklet provides information about Capricon VI, and contains all that you need to register for the convention.

Capricon VI is to be held at Monash University, Clayton, from Friday September 27th to Sunday the 29th. Players can pre-register at any time prior to the convention or register at the convention itself (Registrations postmarked after the 6th of September or made at the Con are deemed to be late and the $3 late fee is payable).

Tournaments are run in 2.5 to 3 hour sessions, which are scheduled to start at least 3 hours apart. Sessions start at 3:30pm and 7pm on the Friday, 9am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, and 7pm on the Saturday and 9am, 12:30pm and 3:30pm on the Sunday. The convention doors open just before 12pm on the Friday and 9am on the Saturday and Sunday. There will be a prize-giving ceremony starting at 7pm on Sunday.

Capricon is run by the Monash University Roleplayers. Food and drinks will be available from a canteen, and a barbeque lunch may be available on the Saturday and Sunday.

Entry and Registration

All pre-convention entries should be posted to:

Monash University Roleplayers c/o Monash University Union Wellington Road Clayton 3168 Pre-convention entries should contain bank or personal cheques, or postal notes, made out to CAPRICON. Please do not send cash through the post. Although entry to tournaments is filled on a "first in, best dressed" basis, every effort will be made both before and during the convention to help you play what you'd like to play when you'd like to play it. While team entry into events will be given slight preference (depending on the individual tournaments), individuals who enter team events will be grouped together into teams to the best ability of the tournament and convention organisers.

Where and When

Capricon VI will be held at Monash University's Clayton Campus from Friday September 27th to Sunday the 29th. The campus appears on map 70 of the Melways, reference G10; there is also an expanded map of the Clayton Campus on Melways page 84a. The convention desk and canteen will be in the foyer of the Eastern Science Lecture Theatres Building (building 25 upon the expanded Melways map). The roleplaying sessions will be in the same building. Card tournaments will be held in the Hargrave Caf. The location of the freeform is to be advised.

There will be numerous signs guiding players to the correct location on the weekend of the convention.

Transport

If give sufficient notice, many of the convention staff will be willing to give lifts after the last sessions to local train stations for those without their own transport. Don't be shy in asking.

Parking

There is parking available on the university grounds. Attendees are advised to park only in the Blue Permit areas during the convention - all other areas will be patrolled and fines are still in force.

The convention staff would recommend parking in the Engineering 1 car park (marked on the map included with 'Park Here'), as this allows for easy access to the convention area.

Accommodation

Accommodation is available at the Halls of Residence on the Clayton Campus. The cost is $17 per night for those with a valid student ID or $30 per night otherwise. This accommodation is dependant on room availability, so those interested should book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. All enquiries should be directed to the Halls of Residence main desk on 9905 6200.

Convention Rules

We ask that you adhere to the following rules for the duration of the convention:

• No weapons, real or imitation, are to be brought to, worn or carried during the convention. We mean it. If you do, we are in deep shit if anyone from the University notices.

• No Smoking inside any of the buildings.

• No alcohol or other recreational drugs on the site.

• Respect the premises, other players, GM's and organisers.

Enquiries

For general enquiries, registration problems and other enquiries pertaining to Capricon VI, please phone Damien Moore before 10pm on (03) 9888 1722; if he's not home please leave a message and he'll get back to you. For enquiries regarding any other aspects of the Monash University Roleplayers please phone Colin Jacobs on (03)9545 5075, or email MURP directly.

Tournaments

The following 10 roleplaying tournaments appear in alphabetical order by scenario name. They are followed by the freeform and then by the card game tournament. All but one of the roleplaying tournaments are one session in length.

To assist the prospective player in the the selection of tournaments the author of each tournament has provided a rating for the tournament in each of the five categories, namely Seriousness, Characterisation, Rules Knowledge, Background Knowledge and Adult Content.

Seriousness

1. Light Hearted and Silly
2. Occasional patches of seriousness
3. Some elements of humour
4. Mostly humourless
5. Complete serious, and unrelieved by humour.

Characterisation

1. Characterisation is appreciated but does not drive the scenario
2. Characterisation is a significant part of the scenario.
3. You will miss a significant part of the scenario with characterisation
4. The Scenario will suffer without strong characterisation.
5. Scenario revolves wholly around characterisation

To an extent, characterisation also indicates when degree of complexity and subtlety of characterisation is expected of the players.

Rules Knowledge

1. Systemless.
2. If you know the system, good, else the GM will be able to deal with it. (You've flicked through it)
3. At least a basic grasp of the system is required. (Played it once or twice)
4. Solid knowledge of the system is required. (Play regularly).
5. You regularly GM the system.
6. You write Con Scenarios for the system.

Background Knowledge

1. You know the basic idea behind the game. ( We're vampires, right?)
2. You've read through some background material. We're in Innsmouth? eeek!)
3. You've played it some. (Runequest minimum.).
4. You play regularly.
5. You GM regularly.

Adult Content.

G. Beauty and the Beast.
PG. Goonies.
M. Ghostbusters or Highlander
M+. Alien
MA. 12 Monkeys or Pulp Fiction.
R. Seven.

Players under the age of 16 are warned that games rated MA and over are probably better left alone. Con and tournament organisers reserve the right to refuse entry to tournaments rated MA and over on the grounds of maturity.

Enquiries regarding specific tournaments should be directed towards the tournament organiser or (as a last resort) Damien Moore ((03)98881722).

Life seemed as it always did. The everyday day-in day-out routine of study, work, shopping, and roleplaying. You wondered if this life would ever get better, when suddenly, it gets a whole lot worse!

That blinding flash through the window a second ago tells you that things have changed. The fact that the radio is playing only static is further evidence that something abnormal has happened. The milling crowd outside seems like confirmation. So what has happened to Melbourne anyway? It's been thrown into a state of anarchy and you are buggered if you know how? But then chances are you are stuffed anyway.

I hate the train. I always attract those people who just can't sit without talking to somebody.

"Look at this," the fellow said, showing me his paper. "Those UFO nuts are at it again. Check this out -"

                PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED FOR THURSDAY,
                MARCH 21, 1996 AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB:
		Former NASA Scientists and Engineers to
		Announce in Washington Analysis of
		30-Year-Old Suppressed Evidence Revealing
		Ancient Artificial Structures on Moon

		Photos Show Astronauts Walking Amid
		Apparent Lunar Ruins, on "Leaked" 
		NASA and Soviet Space Photographs

"What kind of idiots do they take us for? They just love conspiracy crap."

I smiled and nodded, as if I agreed with him. Without a word, I got off at the next station. I grabbed a newspaper as I grimly made my way through the peak-hour crowd towards the phone.

Perkins, the head waiter of The Explorer's Club in Syrtus Major - Mars, scanned the smoke-filled lounge for Lord Postlethwaite's distinctive thatch of bushy red hair. Finally spying the young lord, he set off through the expanse of red leather smoking-chairs and patrons. Some occupied in polite quiet conversation, others holding animated discussions on some facet of Mars, newly discovered. Perkins arrived at Postlethwaite's chair, only to find the feisty red haired scourge of the High Martian Pirates deep in conversation. Proffering a silver tray bearing a single letter, Perkins politely interrupted.

"Excuse me your lordship, a communique from Lord Ffotherington."

"Ah, Perkins, just the fellow - would you fetch me another pink gin", said Lord Postlethwaite looking up from his conversation. Never one to wait when there was something new to discover, Postlethwaite tore open the letter, even as Perkins turned away.

"I say what's old "Mad Hatter" Ffotherington have to say for himself, Tibbsie?" asked Lord Postlethwaite's conversation partner, as Postlethwaite read through the letter.

"It's an invitation to a "buffet dinner and ball". Really Pinky, I wonder if Ffotherington has lost his marbles? First he builds his damned mansion on a Flap temple - then he holds a ball to celebrate it's completion", replied Postlethwaite "Doesn't he own a copy of Brent's? It should be full dress dinner for the opening of a manor house."

Pinky shaking his head whispered surreptitiously "Have you heard..?" he paused to glance around "...apparently "Mad Hatter"'s eldest lad is a little put out with the whole shebang. The lad's a wastrel and a bounder. He was looking forward to assuming the Ffotherington fortune. Unfortunately old "Mad Hatter" has sunk a large portion of the family wealth into that bloody mansion. The boy was livid and he's come all the way to Mars to see if his dearest papa has taken leave of his senses."

"Or have a red hot go at proving he has!" guffawed Postlethwaite "What ever happens there should be fireworks aplenty. I can't imagine those Martians letting this go by without a stoush. And if what you say about the lad is true he's sure to try something."

The year is 2214 and you and your fellow scouts are engaged in charting the Near-Sol systems in order that efficient space travel to these areas can be conducted. EarthGov wishes to terraform or find M-class planets suitable for colonisation, as the population of Earth and its colonies will soon approach the stage where there is insufficient living space.

			"And he dreamed; and behold a 
			ladder set up on the earth, and 
			the top of it reached to heaven:
			and behold the angels of God 
			ascending and descending on it.

			"And Jacob awaked out of his sleep,
			and he said, 'Surely the Lord is 
			in this place; and I knew it not.'

			And he was afraid, and said, 'How
			dreadful is this place! This is 
			none other but the house of God, 
			and this is the gate of heaven.'"

MESSAGE BEGIN

Message-Classification: Restricted/A03-WH87

Date: 1996/04/17 18:52:02

From: Lt. Col. Will T. Bradley

Priority: Critical.

Particularly sensitive documents are missing after the vehicle transporting the military couriers was rendered non-functional. Followup attempt to destroy documents - suspect hostile activity. Recent reports of unknown intelligence operatives in area.

ORDERS:

Recover documents or verify destruction of same.

Determine source of attacks on couriers.

Investigate presence of unknown operatives.

MESSAGE END

You have the uniforms, the mirror shades, and the black van, what more do you need?

I walk along the streets of Blood,
Everyone is my friend
They smile at me
A rictus grin
That they had at the end

The end it came
Swift and sure
Man fell like so much corn
My family dissolved in front of me
Their laughter rings no more

No more is what I wish to be
but that is not my fate
I walk along the streets of blood
Waiting for the end
But the end it came
And missed me

I wish to be no more
I wish to be no more
I wish to be no more

Father McCaffery groaned deeply and stretched his tired, worn limbs. With the back of his hand he groggily rubbed his sleep-laden eyes. The candle slowly spluttered and died, plunging the room into darkness. He leaned heavily against his desk, his irises dilating in the unaccustomed gloom. Pale, diffuse moonlight filtered in through stained glass windows, illuminating the benevolent saints in milky white incandescence. Deep, yawning shadows slunk across the pews and doors. Dark indeed were the realms the saints could not light.

From the back of the church wafted a smell, a rank and fetid stench. From the pale light one could barely see the dead sparrows which littered the floor or the silent, black bugs which scuttled across the white, marble features of the Virgin Mary. In the shadows something began to stir.

The good father peered around - his deepset grey-green eyes desperately trying to pierce the unfathomable darkness. There was a flash of movement and a snarling, twisting, rending thing launched itself. Impassively the saints looked on until, finally, the screaming and rending had stopped. Again the church was silent, except for the slow drip of blood on stone. The only light, a blood red glow from the saints' crimson robes.

One evening after dinner, the master of the tower, a sorceror of stupendous might and wisdom, flew over the sea to combat a great evil and save the world. This sort of thing happened all the time and usually occasioned but slight disquiet amongst his apprentices. Yet this time the disarray in which the tower pantry was found forced them to conclude that the master had packed a sizeable snack and might not be back until after dawn. It was true that they relished to make the tower their playground for the night, to read the forbidden books and to toy with the master's collection of legendary artifacts; and it was true that they wore a confidence born both of childhood and of the mastery of forces arcane; but they were afraid. For come midnight, if the tower sensed that the master was gone, would not its mischevious spirits arise? Would not imps and goblins emerge to terrorise the apprentices and disorder the library? And what if the master's dragon needed feeding? Or if a party of questing knights should show up seeking guidance or a holy relic? Could they just make up some prophecy and slap together a sort of shlock relic to keep them happy? Maybe, maybe not, but it was definately worth a shot.

In the independent City of Carmond, the time has come again for the Mayor to be chosen. Each spring, the twelve newly elected councillors of the twelve boroughs meet, to appoint one of their number as Mayor. Tradition holds that councillors discuss the issue for two hours, then at Noon it is put to a vote, and the new Mayor comes out on to the balcony to address the city.

Spring is also the rumour season, and this spring is no different. Wherever people gather, gossip of election rigging, scandal and who is backing who is rife. There are even professional rumour mongers who are paid by clients to spread dirt about their enemies. This year it seems that all the 100,000 citizens of the great trading city are gossipping.

It's on again, the 2nd Capricon Magic tournament.

Just one this year. The tournament type is a Type Two, modified Swiss. No ante, Standard restricted list, 15 card Sideboard. All players must present a card list to the tournament organiser before play begins.

The tournament is a two session event - the cost will therefore be $4 plus $5 registration.

For further information, please call Daniel on (03) 9888 1437

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Monash University Roleplayers

would like to thank

Games World Chadstone

Mind Games City

Napoleon's Military Bookshop

Alternate Worlds

Jedko

and

Military Simulations

for their support of the club this year.

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Capricon VI Scenario Books

As we did last year, we shall be again offering Capricon Scenario books. These booklets contain as many of the scenarios offered at the Con as we possibly can as well as some bonus Infernal Torments. Hopefully these books will be ready by Capricon itself, but if not, we will have order forms handy. The scenario books will cost approximately $20.

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