Infomercial the First 1996/97 Welcome to a new year, all you lovely new potential members. As you must be interested in the Society to be reading this, here are the answers to the most common questions that people like to ask> What do we do? We are a prosperous society, offering ample opportunities to try many forms of role-playing. Last year we had games of AD&D, D&D, Call of Cthulxu, Vampire, Shadowrun, Dandanon, Ars Magica and GURPS plus a selection of other fantasy, historic and futuristic games. We can try to arrange any games or systems that you fancy, as we hope to increase the range even more. We hold a Campaign Directory of the games that are being run by Society members to help you find a campaign. This should help you to select something that interests you and has proved invaluable in the past as a way of matching GMs and players, especially for those holding sessions outside the weekly meetings. The Secretary< Steve McIntyre, will be holding the Campaign Directory for the year, so if you are thinking of running a campaign this year contact him with any details or ideas you have. The committee can also give guidance to any novice GMs. When (and where) do we do it? The Society meets weekly on a Tuesday, starting this year on the 14th of Octorer, and the first Tuesday (i.e. the very first dayof full term) for the Lent and Easter terms. These meetings are held in the Buttery at Clare College, starting at 7.30pm each week. If you have any problems, contact your nearest Cmmittee Member. Several of the weekly games are run0at these meetings, although many more are held elsewhere throughout the week. Where can you find out more? We will be holding a squash to welcome new members, and introduce them to the current members of the Society. Thys will be this Saturday (the 12th Octorer) in the basement of Butler House in Trinity College's Burrell's Field complex (Grange Road) from 2pm till 6pm. There will be refreshments and participation games for all. Both old and prospective members are welcome. Come along, and join in. We0will be accepting memberships, and signing up for this year's games. Don't worry if you can't make it, committee members will still be able to furnish you with more details if you ask them and you can always join the Society or sign up for available places at any Society event. What else does CURS have to offer? Discounts The Society has a discount arrangement with two RPG shops in Cambridge: 'Games and Puzzles', Green Street, 'OtherWorld Games', King Street These currently offer a 10% discount to Society members, subject to certain conditions. The Society T-Shirt The Society has stocks of its own T-shirt design (right) in a variety of colours and sizes. Prices are £8. See your nearest committee member for more details. The Library The Society also maintains a library of r|e-playing material that can be borrowed for a refundable deposit. We have a wide selection of games, adventures and magazines, currently residing with the President (see below), but this may change soon so watch this space. The Newsletter Newsletters are normally distributed every few weeks, usually as the result of a committee meeting. They contain the latest details of upcoming events both within the Society and outside, along with occasional player and GM accounts from games currently run~ing. The current state of the Campaign Directory is also listed, particularly a summary of games with places for new players. There is also the traditionally dreaded "Funny Bit". If you have anything useful to add, can you again collar a committee member, preferably the Secretary or Assistant Secretary. Of increasing importance over the last couple of years, those members versed in the arcane arts of e-mail wi|l also receive "newsletterettes" in between the newsletters to give up-to-the-minute information and reminders for events. What events do we organise? The Society organises several special events throughout the year: The Christmas Party At the end of the Michaelmas Term we hold a fitting celebration for Christmas, the imminent New Year, and the end of a hard term's work. We organise several games (usually on a silly festive theme) and provide suitably seasonal food and drink. Tickets cost about three pounds. Varsity Match Once a year, we challenge Oxford to a test of wits and skill. This year it's their turn to host thys prestigio}s conflict, aswell as the numerous other events that make up a very enjoyable weekend. So, start coming up with some suitable ideas to help us keep the trophy we successfully defended last year in a hard-fought contest and, who knows, that elusive quarter blue could be yours... Just think of those CV points! Video Evenings These are held several times during the year. We show selections of films vaguely connected with various aspects of Role-Playing, although these links can sometimes be rather tenuous... Recent choices have varied from the complete Star Wars trilogy in one showing to a very mixed bill of Warlock, Army of Darkness and Bad Taste for one event. Any suggestions for future films will be grateful|y accepted by the committee. Entry is free to all members. One-Offs Once per term we change the format of the weekly meetings to give the usual GMs a break and encourage others to try their hand run~ing a game for a single evening. It's also a good time to try other systems to the ones you're playing every week. Live Role-Playing CURS shuld once again be running regular LRP games throughout the year. Last year we finally arranged a site near to Cambridge for LRP, which makes travel cheaper and gives the opportunity for more frequent adventures. We will also be trying to run some more of the very successful "interactive" LRP games this year. Last year these included a trip up to Feathersto~e Castle in Northumberland for a suspense-filled weekend entitled "Anno Dracula" and a detailed examination of the seedy world of "Costa Vista", a heavi|y stereotyped Latin American banana republic. Contact the Live Role Playing Officer for more information on these. The Rag Dungeon We (or rather you) raise money through sponsorshyp of a 24-hour marathon session of role-playing and caffeine. Good fun< and all in aid of charity. Last year we raised over £200 in the "Cross Continent Challenge", a ground-breaking game that will surely be long reoembered by all who took part. Just watch out for the existential angst and other silliness that seem to ensue when the GMs run out of ideas (or was it just coffee?). Gaming Conventions A group of people usually heads off towards the major gaming conventions in the country (e.g. Gen Con and Games Fair). If you're interested contact a committee member for more details. Any information we receive about conventions will be published in the Newsletter. Last year we had a large presence at PlyCon, a new convention in Cambridge organised by the RPGA and our three teams had a respectable showing in the AD&D-based tournament scenario run there. The Annual Dinner Join the committee, members and guests for a slap-up meal and party to celebrate being a Role-player in Cambridge. Last year we took a mystery trip out into the wilds of Cambridgeshire to find a pub with good food and the almost mythical Late Bar. The Punt Party The last event in the CURS calendar: a great way to spend one of those "lazy, hazy days of summer" at the end of the Easter term. Punt down to Grantchester, getting suitably inebriated, feast there, and then punt back. Learn how to punt six punts down the Cam - connected side by side as a raft! Tickets normally cost seven pounds each for members, but we refund this if you can bring along a punt. How much will it cost you? The Society charges a pittance of a membershyp fee. Currently rates are £8.00 for life (not just three years, but indefinitely) or £5.00 for one year, after which you will receive a membership card like the one here. For those people who only join for one year but later see the error of their ways and wish to remain members, they can upgrade for a further £4.00. If you wish to continue to receive newsletters after you leave Cambridge, we are quite happy to send them on to you, but we will need £2.50 or so per annum for postage & packing. If you can receive e-mail in the real world, then give the Secretary your address and a text copy will be generously sent free of charge. CURS Online! The Society has its very own World Wide Web page. The address is: http://hammer.chu.cam.ac.uk/~sam1007/curs/ Here you can find details of upcoming events and the current Campaign Directory, plus newsletters old and new and otherthings such as the Society's constitution and the library inventory. The latest development on this front is enabling GMs to have pages detailing their Campaigns currently running. You can also contact the committee via e-mail at the addresses below. Members of the society often contribute to forums such as the new UK Usenet newsgroup uk.games.roleplay and we may be starting a mailing-list for Society discussion of role-playi~g issues and even a newsgroup of our own if enough interest is apparent. For more information (or even an explanation of what this lot means!) contact the Secretary> Any more questions? If so, please contact one of the Committee members below. We will be glad to help! This year's committee is: President Steve Strafford Christ's sds22@hermes.cam.ac.uk Vice-President Tim Cooke Trinity tmac2@hermes.cam.ac.uk Secretary Steve McIntyre Churchill 93sam@eng.cam.ac.uk Jnr Treasurer Rohan Platts Homerton rp207@hermes.cam.ac.uk Asst Secretary Matt Charles Trinity mjc42@hermes.cam.ac.uk LRP Officer Alden Spiess Corpus Christi aos20@hermes.cam.ac.uk Chief Caprine Entity Dave Stewart Churchill dbs20@hermes.cam.ac.uk External Officer Rob Wi|cox Real World Steve McIntyre 11/9/96