An Association of Gamers
Central Coast Game Community
In this issue we focus on introducing Central Coast D&D and laying out all the various community projects we are working on. We introduce the emerging Association of Gaming Communities (working title) that is fast growing along the Central Coast. We also talk about the progress of event planning around the upcoming MiniCon in Santa Maria, CA and highlight different ways our readers can find groups to play TTRPGs with. I hope you enjoy, and I encourage your feedback; I really do read and consider every single comment. But first, a message from Austin (U:Nory) our beloved game master in Paso Robles.
A Letter To Paso Robles
Hark, travelers!
It is I, your Patron Game Master of Paso Robles. I hope my message finds you warm and well during this chilly fall. To start today, I’ve got a brief introduction to who I am and why I’m writing this article.
I’m Austin Simmons, a lifelong nerd, lover of Dungeons and Dragons (and all tabletop gaming), and moderator for Central Coast DnD! I’ve played tabletop role-playing games for around 7 years now and have within the last couple of years stepped up to the role of Game Master. My aspirations haven’t stopped there, though. One day I’d even like to own a game store here in Paso. But first I’m going to do my part expanding our community of 200 members (and growing) into North County!
To those who might be asking, why are you so passionate about silly elf games? Well, DnD is more than an elf game; it’s an expression of oneself! Much like acting or other forms of artistry, DnD is about pulling out what creativity you have within and sharing it with those around you. There is storytelling, passion, drama, and even… rolling shiny dice! This is to say that before DnD I never considered myself a creative person, but through DnD I have found that creative part of myself.
In the new year, I hope to start a campaign for a group of players in North County, with the goal of expanding more and more so that we have a network of Game Masters and players alike. We have a thriving LGBT+ community here in Paso as well, and I hope to work with them to expand our community of nerds even further. I know there are others like me here pining to play; it’s just a matter of finding them.
If you stuck around, thanks for reading! I’m shooting for the stars with my goals in North County and hope to have more exciting news soon. If you know anyone interested in Dungeons and Dragons, join our Discord! We don’t bite, but the dragons sure do.
—Austin Simmons, Central Coast DnD
Association of Gaming Communities & Affiliated Communities
Central Coast D&D started as a community development project in Santa Maria, CA only a few months ago, in August of 2022, and it’s amazing what it has grown into so far. What started as a post pandemic interest for in-person D&D among a small group of people has evolved into a thriving and quickly expanding community up and down the coast of California, from Camarillo to Paso Robles. And, in our growth and community outreach we have uncovered dozens of small and large gaming communities that were right under our noses the whole time, some of them we could have been a part of had we known about them sooner.
So we pivoted some of our efforts towards creating an associated network of all the gaming communities, and the small businesses that serve them, into an official association. This association is currently still emerging, and is still in it’s infancy as we convince more and more of these clubs to join our ranks, but our goal is clear.
First and foremost, we want to increase the visibility of our collective communities and create a beacon for nerds and geeks to flock to, no gamer left behind! But second, and almost as equally as important, we want every new member of any one of our communities, to be able to discover every other community in our association, and that’s just what we’ve done on our website — to highlight how and where to find a gaming group wherever you may be along the Central Coast.
In this way, everyone who finds their way into any of our participating clubs will have the chance to not only settle into the club that best fits their geographical location, but also be able to network outside of their club to organize game events and pool resources. In fact, we’re in the middle of organizing a MiniCon in Santa Maria using this model, and we couldn’t have been able to do that without it.
What’s the catch? None really, no fees, no management requirements. Our only ask is that if your club has an online community or presence anywhere, we’d like you to share details about the association there, and allow us to update it monthly — that’s it.
Here’s a list of gaming communities on the Central Coast:
If you know of any more gaming clubs that you think we missed drop us a line, I’d love to reach out to them and include them here. If you’d like to know more about our association please reach out to me personally, my name is Chay Comas and you can reach me at nicholaschaycomas@gmail.com
Central Coast D&D Discord
Our Discord server is easily the most successful and flourishing project we have taken on so far. We have a robust system to help members find groups to play D&D and other RPGs with, and a diverse group of moderators and admins to answer questions and help members find what they’re looking for. We are constantly improving it to be inviting and intuitive to use, and put a high priority on it’s function as a place to find a group to game with in-person.
Separated by city, it’s easier to find people who meet your criteria for availability and distance. The server also hosts a Simplified View for those who just want to see what’s necessary to find a gaming group, an Expanded View for those who want to see more types of conversations, as well as many opt-in channels for off-topic discussions and committees.
Other Socials
Website, Facebook, Subreddit, Instagram
MiniCon
That’s right, we’re planning a MiniCon with a tentative date of April 1st 2023 pending the release of the D&D movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. It’s hard to say anything for certain right now, we are not sending out a Save-the-Date as of yet, because nothing is nailed down. We are still waiting on the venue (Santa Maria Town Center Mall) to give us an affirmation, but we do have a plan-b just in case (Space VR Solvang). Ken at Leisure Time Games was generous enough to offer to sponsor the event pending its approval with mall management, so we’re waiting anxiously to hear back from them.
We have however gained some attention from influencers, gaming podcasters, and community leaders up and down the Central Coast and are putting together a diverse planning committee. Join the Discord to contact our planning committee.
Rumors from the Barkeep
This month’s rumors are gaming locations & gatherings from all around the Central Coast, enjoy!
Paso Robles
We’re currently working on a community outreach project to bring more games to the Paso Robles area, more to come!
Atascadero
Dungeons & Dragons Adventurer’s League at Gordon’s Good Games
Thursdays 6:00pm - 8:00pm
(we start at 6:00 so come early if you need to prep). This is an Adventurer's League game, and we are still early on in the Dungeon of the Mad Mage. We've got a large group (10+) of mixed ages, with no table cap, so it's chaotic but a good place to make connections. Contact humanadverb#7958 on discord for more info, or if you're interested in joining other games at GGG as openings become available.
San Luis Obispo
Game Theory Night by PolyCon
Friday 5:00pm - 10:00pm
This is a game night put on by the student club at Cal Poly, and meets in BRAE (building 8) every Friday. You don’t have to be a student or alumni, just show up. Parking is accessible from N. Perimeter Rd.
Arroyo Grande
Dungeons & Dragons at Games Exchange
Every Tuesday evening
This is an event organized by Central Coast D&D. It’s a homebrewed campaign. For more information Join the Discord and contact MatTheOctopus#5598
Santa Maria
Dungeons & Dragons at Leisure Time Games
Every Tuesday Morning 10:00am - 2:00pm
This is an event organized by Central Coast D&D. Forgotten Realms, heavy RP through the politics and intrigue of Waterdeep. For more information Discord and contact Chay#5949
More weekly events at Leisure Time Games
Yu-Gi-Oh! Sunday
Pokémon League Monday (coming soon)
MtG Commander Tuesday nights
Friday Night Magic on Friday night (not surprisingly)
Lompoc
Dungeons & Dragons at South Side Coffee Co.
Still planning & scheduling
This is an event organized by Central Coast D&D. Curse of Strahd with a first time DM, go get ‘em Brittany! For more information Discord and contact Zara#8153
Santa Ynez
There are no games in Santa Ynez at this time that we are aware of (Please correct us if we’re wrong, we love being wrong about bad news) but I am happy to share that Space VR in Solvang has already reached out to us and offered their space for tabletop gamers from our community to come and play free of charge! Space VR is a VR arcade located in the Solvang Village Square, and is clearly an ally for in-person gaming on the Central Coast, we hope to organize an event here soon. Check them out on Facebook
Santa Barbara
Unfortunately either Santa Barbara is either a blind spot for us currently, or there is not a lot going on. We will be planning a community outreach program here in the future if that is the case.
Camarillo
weekly events at Zander’s Game House
Star Wars X-Wing Training on Wednesday evenings
Friday Night Magic on Friday night (not surprisingly)
Board Games Saturdays throughout the day
Westlake Village
Dungeons & Dragons Adventurer’s League at Game Ogre
Every Saturday Night
We run AL every Saturday night at the game ogre in westlake village. Currently we are running Ravenloft: mist Hunter. Our next adventure will be rmh-03 the abet dirge.
This is an event organized by Conejo Valley Adventurer’s League, for more information join their Discord and contact Mr Nukster#1078
More weekly events at Game Ogre
Board Games on Monday night
Magic Commander on Tuesday evenings
Pathfinder/Starfinder meetup Tuesday afternoons
Song of Ice & Fire TMG: Meetup Tuesday evenings
Friday Night Magic on Friday nights (I didn’t say it this time)
Magic Regional Championship Qualifier - Standard all day Saturday
Warhammer all day Sunday
Thank You
Thank you all for joining us on this quest to unite our community, discover comradery, and create adventures.
Chay Comas,
Dungeon Master At-Large