Summer Gaming Events & Clubs
Summer Gaming Events & Clubs
Central Coast Game Community
Welcome to the
Newsletter, a publication by Nerdvana. Also, congratulations to us! We’re now officially a non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity under Nerdvana G&C Events, doing business on the Central Coast as Nerdvana. It’s been a long journey, beginning at the start of this newsletter in August of 2022.Nerdvana is dedicated to cultivating and enhancing the gaming and cosplay communities of the Central Coast of California by organizing and hosting tabletop and social events, promoting clubs and organizations that benefit these communities, engaging with local charities to foster community involvement, and offering educational opportunities that teach valuable social skills through gaming.
If you enjoy these newsletters please consider subscribing for $6 a year with this special 80% off link. These newsletters will always be free to everyone, however we put a lot of work into them. And, these contributions now go towards the community, help organize events, promote clubs, and introduce the public to the joy of tabletop gaming.
For those who are already subscribing, thank you so much! I’ve been writing these newsletters for a long time now, and it’s genuinely encouraging when someone subscribes; you’re keeping the fire stoked!
Table of Contents
PolyCon
Blood Drive
Painting Contest
ConQuest Ventura
Central Coast Renaissance Faire
Nine Realms Fantasy Faire
Central Coast Clubs
Santa Maria Valley Adventurers League
Central Coast Board Gamers
Conejo Valley Adventurers League
San Luis Obispo Board Gamers
Atascadero Board Gamers
Professional Dungeon Masters
Community Portals
Game Stores & Schedules
Sponsored by Black Rose Designs LLC
Moss Cloak (Free One Player RPG)
Thank You For Your Support
PolyCon June 21st - 23rd
The 41st annual 3-Day 24-hour PolyCon Tabletop Game Convention in San Luis Obispo CA is just around the corner. This year PolyCon is featuring:
Wolfnet Battletech Tournament
Board Games Protospiel
Adventurers League D&D (Ravenloft Season)
Malifaux Tournament
Painting Competition
Roleplaying Game Section with games like RIFTS, 7th Sea, D&D, and More
Miniature Wargaming Section with games like Kriegspiel, Warhammer 40k, WWII, Frostgrave
Live Action Roleplaying
Open Play Board Gaming Tables (all games welcome)
Paint-N-Take
Scavenger Hunt
Free BBQ (Saturday)
and Tons more
PolyCon Blood Drive for Gamers!
Show up Friday for our Blood Drive and help replenish the local blood bank. Local donations are currently very low! Also, free dice, Insomnia Cookies, and Black Rose Designs discounts for every donor. And stick around for a free ice cream social afterward. Students of all ages get in free. Blood donations are easy to make and only take a few minutes. Most people who believe they’re ineligible to donate are eligible due to changes in processes and technological innovations. If you’re an eligible donor, or you’re not sure, or even if you don’t believe you are, please swing by the blood drive on June 21st and check for yourself. Blood drives like this help replenish the local blood bank, a life-saving service that likely has touched all of our lives in one way or another.
PolyCon Painting Competition
The PolyCon Miniature Painting Contest for Novice and Adept Hobby Painters. Entries must be submitted in person before the start of the event and fully painted before the time of their submission. See the rubric for rules and categories.
Reserve your tickets before discounted sales end and help support our local gaming community.
PolyCon is a non-profit tabletop game convention benefitting the Cal Poly SLO student organization, PolyCon.
ConQuest Ventura July 12-14
Join us for ConQuest Ventura 2 the weekend of July 12-14, 2024 for three days of exciting tabletop gaming adventures! We will have the D&D Adventurers League here in full force, as well as the legendary War Game Boot Camp where you can learn how to play historical board games!
All of this happens at the Channel Islands Masonic Lodge which is a lovely venue in picturesque downtown Ventura, CA. You are literally surrounded by dozens of food options appealing to all manner of pallet!
Central Coast Renaissance Faire
July 20 - 21
“This year marks the 38th edition of the Central Coast Renaissance Festival, and we are thrilled to welcome enthusiasts back to Laguna Lake Park,” stated festival organizer Rick Smith. “Our festival is a celebration of the art, music, culture, and history of the Renaissance, and we can’t wait to share this extraordinary experience with everyone who attends.”
Of course, I’ll be making the annual pilgrimage to the Central Coast Renaissance Faire in San Luis Obispo this year, and I hope to see all of you there. Time to break out my overused generic wizard costume that may or may not just be a simple gray robe. The various guild organizers and volunteers for this event are all so incredibly welcoming and inviting; some of the kindest people I know in fact. And, interestingly enough, my trip this year is going to include a lot of note-taking for an upcoming event in Santa Maria next Fall. Learn more about Central Coast Renaissance Faire here.
Nine Realms Fantasy Faire
Nov 9 & 10
Nerdvana Presents to the Santa Maria Valley, The Nine Realms Fantasy Faire a fun, educational, and interactive experience that is unplugged from today’s high-stress. As you step through the gates and into the faire, the 21st Century life vanishes into a cool wooded landscape, and the transition to fantasy begins. You’ll enter a world of discovery and adventure, a place of pleasure, creativity, laughter, and enchantment to meet Historically recreated characters, along with Fairies, Privateers, Knights, and more.
Central Coast Clubs
Santa Maria Valley Adventurers League
The Santa Maria Valley Adventurers League meets twice monthly at the Santa Maria Public Library. We also welcome board gamers and miniature gamers to join us and share our space. We hope to unite gamers across the valley. Sign up for reminders and reserve your seat here.
Central Coast Board Gamers
The Central Coast Board Gamers meet monthly at Fire & Vice in Santa Maria to play board games, eat food, and meet like-minded gamers. Sign up for reminders and reserve your seat here.
Conejo Valley Adventurers League
The Conejo Valley Adventurer’s League meets weekly, either at Games Ogre in Westlake Village or Zanders Game House in Camarillo. This is one of the best Dungeons & Dragons clubs on the West Coast, is very well organized, and is a great way to get introduced to the hobby or reintroduced.
San Luis Obispo Board Games
For people who want the opportunity to play a variety of tabletop games -- German/Euro style, card games, party games, tile games, trivia games, and hybrid games. Some of the games in the collection include titles like Agricola, Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Word on the Street, Race for the Galaxy, Maori, Carcassonne, and Small World. It does not matter if you have never played a game or do not recall the rules, come to learn or come to refresh your memory.
San Luis Obispo Meetup
Sign up for reminders and reserve your seat here.
Atascadero Meetup
Sign up for reminders and reserve your seat here.
Professional Dungeon Masters
Dungeons Masters can sometimes be difficult to find, especially for special events like birthdays, reunions, or team-building exercises. Maybe your friends or family just want to learn how to play and desire a professional to walk you through it, or your forever DM needs a break. Whatever the case may be, these DMs are professionals, hireable, and I can personally recommend them.
Timothy Morgan a.k.a. The Whiskered Warlock
The Whiskered Warlock runs a D&D Supper Club called Fiends, Feasts, & Fables at the Clean Slate Wine Bar in Santa Ynez CA. An elegant event that mixes food drink and fantasy.
Are you ready to step into a world of imagination and excitement? Look no further!
I am thrilled to offer my expert Game Master (GM) services for a wide range of special events and gatherings. Whether you're planning a memorable birthday celebration, a unique family bonding experience, or a thrilling game night with friends, I'm here to bring your tabletop role-playing games to life!
Ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime? Contact me via Facebook, Instagram, or email to inquire about rates and availability. Let's turn your next gathering into an unforgettable journey filled with excitement, laughter, and endless possibilities!
You can connect with The Whiskered Warlock through email, Facebook, or Instagram
Goof
Goof is one of the DMs at our local Adventurer’s League and is always a highly requested DM at our events.
I am Goof, a GM and artist! I've been playing and running D&D 5e games for 7 years now, and art-wise, I've been drawing for many many years.
I specialize in voices and role-playing. I create maps and artwork for my games, both homebrew and modules. I usually focus on doing one-shots, but I am willing to do campaigns if the time works out. For art, I am a pixel artist and a 2D artist with a more anime art style. If you're looking for a pixel art animation of your favorite character or a portrait of your TTRPG character, feel free to commission me! If you're interested in either of my services, please check out the links.
You can connect with Goof through Start Playing or contact them for art commissions through ko-fi
Gabe
Gabe is another of the DMs at our local Adventurers League, always well-prepared and adaptable to changing plans.
You can connect with Gabe through email
Chay Comas
This is me, hi! I organize several Dungeons & Dragons clubs, and events both small and large, and have extensive experience teaching D&D to all ages. My strengths aren’t character voices like Goof, or Homebrew Storytelling like The Whiskered Warlock, but lie with event planning, club organizing, and event promoting. If you’d like to organize a D&D event for your team or community or learn how to start a club in your community, I’d be happy to help, along with running a D&D at the event.
You can connect with me through email, Facebook, or Phone at (805) 286-6707
Community Portals
Central Coast Game Community Discord Server
Monterey County Communities
Monterey D&D Discord
Monterey Area Gamers Discord (Board Games)
Heart of Arcana Discord (D&D)
Kern County Communities
Paladin's Game Castle Discord (Game Store)
D&D Adventurers League Bakersfield Facebook
Bakersfield CA Dungeons & Dragons Facebook
RPG Bakersfield Facebook
San Luis Obispo County Communities
SLO-Gaming Discord (Everything Game Related)
SLO Gaming Facebook (Everything Game Related)
PolyCon Discord (Everything Game Related)
PolyCon Facebook (Everything Game Related)
Cal Poly Magic Players Discord
SLO Smash Discord
Seven Sleeping Dragon’s Facebook (Live Action Roleplay)
Prism CCG Discord (Game Store)
Central Coast Tabletop Gaming Discord (TTRPGs)
Cal Poly SLO Chess Club Discord
Santa Barbara County Communities
Santa Maria Valley Adventurer's League Discord (D&D)
Santa Barbara Warhammer Discord (Wargaming)
Leisure Time Games Discord (Game Store)
Central Coast Collectibles Discord (Game Store)
Central Coast Cosplay Event Group Discord
UCSB Magic The Gathering Discord
Duelists of Santa Maria Facebook (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Black Rose Designs LLC Discord (D&D, Maker)
UCSB Smash Bros Discord
UCSB Anime Club Discord
Ventura County Communities
Conejo Valley Adventurers League Discord (D&D)
Conejo Valley Adventurers League Facebook (D&D)
Zander's Game House Discord (Game Store)
Game Ogre Discord (Game Store)
Ventura County Star Wars Group Discord (Wargaming)
Dream Catcher Gaming Discord (Smash)
D&D and RPG Gamers of Ventura County Facebook
Game Stores & Schedules
Please check with the shop if you have questions about the schedule.
Prism CCG
Paso Robles, 631 Creston Rd, (805) 284-2086
Tuesday - Open Gaming
Wednesday - Open Gaming
Thursday - Open Gaming
Friday - Open Gaming
Saturday - Yu-Gi-Oh! 1 pm
Sunday - Pokémon League 1 pm
Gordon’s Good Games
Atascadero, 5830 Traffic Way, (805) 538-5007
Monday - Battletech
Tuesday - Open Gaming
Wednesday - Open Gaming
Thursday - D&D 6pm
Friday - Friday Night Magic
Saturday - Warhammer
Sunday - Infinity
Captain Nemo’s
San Luis Obispo, 563 Higuera St, (805) 544-6366
Monday - Magic Commander
Tuesday - Open Board Gaming
Wednesday - Open RPG Gaming
Thursday - Open Miniature Gaming
Friday - Friday Night Magic
Saturday - Open Gaming
Sunday - Open Gaming
Leisure Time Games
Santa Maria, 159 Town Center, (805) 614-4263
Monday - Pokémon League 5 pm - 8 pm
Tuesday - Magic Commander 5 pm - 8 pm
Wednesday - One Piece 5 pm - 8 pm
Thursday - Games Workshop 1 pm - 8 pm
Friday - Friday Night Magic 5:30 - 10 pm
Saturday - Special Events
Sunday - Yu-Gi-Oh 1:30 - 6 pm
On The Play Gaming
Santa Maria, 208 W Main Suite B, (805) 478-9574
Monday - Yu-Gi-Oh! 6:30 - end, One Piece 6:30 - end
Tuesday - Magic Commander 5:30 - close
Wednesday - Magic Draft 6:30 - end, Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 pm - end
Thursday - Open Gaming, Battletech 6 pm start
Friday - Friday Night Magic 7 pm - end, Pokémon League 6:30 - end
Saturday - Open Gaming
Central Coast Collectibles
Lompoc, 1321 N H Suite A, (805) 743-4211
Wednesday - Open Play
Monday - Yu-Gi-Oh! 6:30
Tuesday - Open Play
Thursday - One Piece / Shadowverse 5 pm
Friday - FREE Magic Draft 6 pm - end
Saturday - Pokémon 4 pm - 9p m
Sunday - Magic Commander 5 pm Lorcana League 4 pm
Metro Entertainment
Santa Barbara, 6 W Anapamu St, (805) 963-2168
Monday - Magic Commander 6 pm - 9 pm
Friday - Friday Night Magic (Commander) 6 pm - end
Saturday - Magic Lessons 12 pm - 12:30, Pokémon Lessons 12:30 - 1 pm
Saturday - Pokémon League 1 pm - end, Dungeons & Dragons 5 pm - end
Sunday - Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament 11:30 - end
Sunday - Magic Draft (3 pack) 3 pm - end
Zander’s Game House
Camarillo, 2270 Ventura Blvd, (805) 383-9983
Open Gaming Every Tuesday - Sunday
Monday -
Tuesday - MTG 6 pm
Wednesday - X-Wing 6 pm / Lorcana 6 pm / Go! 6:30
Thursday - Super Smash Bros 7 pm - 10 pm
Friday - Friday Night Magic 6 pm 6 pm - 9 pm
Saturday - Yu-Gi-Oh! 11 am / Open Board Gaming 2 pm - 6 pm / Pokémon (Adults) 3 pm
Sunday - Mini Painting 11 am / Infinity / Battletech / Lorcana 12p m & MTG 3 pm
Game Ogre
Westlake Village, 1145 Lindero Canyon Rd Unit D4, (818) 852-7270
Monday - Board Game Night 4 pm - 7 pm
Tuesday - Magic Commander 12 pm - 7 pm, Pokémon League 4 pm - 7 pm
Wednesday - Lorcana 3 pm
Thursday - Magic Commander 12 pm - 7 pm, Marvel Crisis Protocol 5 pm - 8 pm
Friday - Pathfinder/Starfinder 2 pm - 7 pm, Friday Night Magic 7:30 - 11:30
Saturday - Warhammer 40k All Day
Sunday - Warhammer Age of Sigmar All Day
A Word From Our Sponsor
Hello everyone. Black Rose Designs is a local dice and tabletop gaming accessory company born and operated in Santa Maria, CA (headquartered at Dargarrd Keep, Nightlund). The
cultcompany was born from a small community of players and is happy to support the growth of the community as a whole. Check out our Instagram and follow so you can keep up to date with everything Black Rose is unleashing! Also, mycaptive’semployers said that for every new follower, I would get an extra minute of outside time. Thanks and hope to see you soon. I am told interns find "new opportunities" fairly often around here!
Sincerely,
The Intern
note, the Intern is a paid employee of Black Rose Designs and a sworn vassal of Lord Soth, CEO. Don't concern yourself with his well-being.
Moss Cloak (One Player RPG)
Game developer Brandon Butler is offering his one-player TTRPG game, Moss Cloak, to the community for free. Brandon thanks his wife for her support while developing the game. And, I thank Brandon for his contribution to the gaming community by providing Moss Cloak to so many gamers for free.
Moss Cloak is a sandbox adventure RPG for solo or co-op GM-less play.
Take the role of a member of the Moss Cloaks, a guild of skilled individuals who dedicate themselves to maintaining order and safety along the dangerous highways that connect the kingdoms of Astra.
Thank you for your support
If you enjoy these newsletter updates please consider subscribing for $6 a year with this special offer link. These newsletters will always be free to everyone, however I put a lot of work into them. It would be very encouraging if you could contribute a few bucks towards my caffeine addiction. Thank you for your consideration.
For those who are already subscribing, thank you so much! I’ve been writing these newsletters for a long time now, and it’s genuinely encouraging when someone subscribes; you keep the fires stoked.
For sponsorship opportunities contact
Chay Comas
(805) 286-6707
nicholaschaycomas@gmail.com
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Here are some great insights on creating a TTRPG: https://app.t2.world/article/clvfnfzg795263820mctit2f869, and they just started the Gamified Collective Storytelling, their own summer event! Hope you'll enjoy!