Yo ho yo ho! A gamer's life for me!

Welcome you scallywags to another swashbuckling edition of Khannections. Yes, the excitement and fun of KublaCon is just brimming to overflowing as each day gets us that much closer to it. We have lots of good news to fill you in on, so we’ll get right to it because KublaCon 2007 is almost here!

Ahoy me hearties!

Now that KublaCon is only a few weeks away (and arrrr ya matey! it’s going to be good this year!), have you made your plans to attend? Here is a breakdown of the almost 600 gaming events to be found at this years show:

Role Playing Games – 205 events
Table Top Board Games - 107 events
Fantasy/Sci Fi Miniatures – 73 events
Historical Miniatures – 53 events
Collectable Card Games - 46 events
Young Players Games – 43 Events
Historical Board Games - 22 events
Collectible Miniature Games - 16 events
Live Action Role Playing – 15 events
And many other Special Events and Demos!

So if there is a game you want to play (regardless of what type of game it is) you will find it at KublaCon somewhere this year. If you are looking for more details on the games that are available this year, you can check them out at our KublaCon Game Search!

Or you can also download the complete Onsite Program Book here!

That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then is it???

OK while it is not really cheating, once again you will have the ability to sign up for our RPG events (and a few select other games) before KublaCon starts. Doing it now instead of on site will mean you will have more time to play games at the Con as you don’t have to wait in line to select your choices at the Kiosks. You will have to create a KublaCon.com account (if you don’t have one) to access the shuffler system. The deadline for selecting your choices will be Midnight on May the 22nd.

You may STILL SUBMIT REQUESTS ON-SITE... using one of our kiosks. And the Shuffler will NOT run until the designated time at KublaCon. Go to and learn about the Online Shuffler System here!

First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, so I must do nothin'

And the Burlingame Hyatt may say exactly that if you don’t make your room reservations right now! Our friends at the Hyatt have extended a KublaCon special rate for another few days... but the rate has gone up since our original block of rooms has sold out. Currently the rate to reserve a room at the Hyatt is $129 per night. It will possibly go higher between now and KublaCon so make sure you get this rate locked in by calling 1-800-233-1234. Or by going here to get your reservations in today!

And secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply, and you're not.

And that’s OK, but this is your VERY last chance to pre-register for KublaCon.  Up until May 15^th, you can still get a $5 discount on the full 4 day weekend price at $45. Up until the 18^th, you can pre-register for the full price of $50. While that may not save you any money, it still will save you time in the regular registration lines. After May 18^th you will have to get your badges on site. Visit our secure online shopping cart and sign up now!

And thirdly, the Code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl!

Not prepared to come to KublaCon you say? Then ye be walking the plank I say. To avoid a long stay in Davy Jones locker you better take a look at our “guidelines” on our Getting ready for KublaCon page where you can find good tidbits of info to help you along (including a survival guide for Attendees).

You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.

But you can be the very BEST KublaCon Volunteer! It does take a very large amount of time and work to put together our convention so we are still looking for some seaworthy lads and lasses to help out this year. We also have a new webpage where you can sign up for your volunteer time online. You can visit it here. If you don't already have an online account, you'll need to make one. Then just log into your account, search for various volunteer tasks, and check the ones that you're interested in doing. Angel, our Volunteer Coordinator, will monitor your requests... and assign people to tasks between now and KublaCon. You'll be able to search and view your task requests... and your task assignments. Check it out!

If you were waiting for the opportune moment... that was it.

So you better rush as you are almost out of time to get in on our 7th Annual Game Design Contest! Our first six years were an incredible success for the design contest. Some of our winners have even gotten their games published. Zack and Amanda Greenvoss' winning entry from 2001, Phoenix, is still available, and one of our contest winners Jodi Soares is a published game designer as well with Russian Rails from Mayfair Games. If you want to submit a game... read ALL of the instructions here.

Me holds are burstin' with swag and that bit of shine matters to us?

But of course it does! You have to have this years KublaCon pin! We are now in our seventh year in the tradition of annual KublaCon pins. Brandon L. McKinney creates another whimsical Kubla Mascot in a style so secret.. so... sneaky.. so lurking in the dark.. that we can't even say what it is! All we can say is Pirates beware of these secretive warriors from the Far East! You can check out this year’s collectible pin set here!

You don't know what this is, do ye? This is Aztec gold.

For many of the games events at KublaCon, if you win that event, not only will you be given one of our yellow Prize Pins, but you could also win a stash of KublaBucks. You can then bring your KublaBucks to Kubla's Vault to claim your reward.  Of course some prizes will be worth more then others so with this system you can preview the prizes, decide which one you want, and keep collecting KublaBucks until you get it.

Shiver me timbers!

Looking at Japji’s legs in a kilt is downright scary, but don’t let him be the only one to get all the attention from all the attendees (even if it may be just strange looks)! Show up on Saturday and come show your true colors (and those white legs and knobby knees) by wearing those kilts. But even better this year the TableStar Games will be featuring “KISSES for Kilts!!!” Everyone who comes to their booth on Saturday morning wearing a kilt will receive a KISS from the lovely ladies of TableStar Games.  Participants will have their choice of either white chocolate or dark chocolate kisses!

And I'll buy you the hat. A really BIG one... Commodore.

And you JUST might find one in our giant Dealers Room. Once again we have a Dealers Room with more Vendors then you can shake a sword at. Asmodee Editions, Days of Wonder and Mongoose Publishing are just a few of the great Dealers you will find at the show. You can check them all of them out here.

We will find you, Poppet. You've got something of ours, and it calls to us. The gold calls to us.

One special note about our dealer’s room. Troll and Toad Games will be one of our attending Dealers and they want to send out a special request to all of our attendees to bring their CCG collections and old games as they want to buy them from you with cold hard cash!

Impersonating an officer of the Royal Navy; impersonating a clergy of the Church of England...

Oops, getting caught up with all these Pirates quotes. Well of course this month’s victim is not impersonating anyone. Well at least we don’t THINK she goes around impersonating anyone! She is the brand new Beginner’s Track Coordinator. So with no further adieu, we shall set sail and introduce to you Erica Gifford…  

It's not your blood they needed. It was my father's blood. My blood... the blood of a pirate.

Or rather they want your BLOOD! KublaCon is once again sponsoring a blood drive by Stanford Blood Center. Please help us help others and participate. Each donor will receive a cloisonné pin designed by Robert Heinlein for the first Science Fiction blood drive 30 years ago and some KublaBucks to use in our Prize Vault! The blood drive is Sunday... so check it out.

Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.

Join us for KublaCon's first live Charity Auction! This event will be held to benefit the National Kidney Foundation and its Northern California Chapter with 100% of the proceeds going to them. Come and bid on items donated by major game manufacturers as well as local merchants. Just one of the big ticket items will be an all expenses paid visit to KublaCon 2008 which will include a hotel room at the Hyatt for the duration of the Con, a full weekend pass, and a COMPLETE set of 2008 KublaCon pins (which will get you the UBER ULTRA RARE purple and blue pins!!!).

The Flea Market is will once again run on Friday night and Monday morning. Last year's amazing turn out both with sellers and with buyers created a great event! The flea market takes place in the Grand Ballroom... right near the dealer's room. These spacious digs will ensure plenty of buyers, many sellers, and tons of games to choose from! We encourage you to make your weekend plans such that you can enjoy this new format.

Well, that’s it for this season’s last issue of Khannections! Our next issue won’t come out until some time after the show so thanks again for taking the time to read our newsletters and we’ll see you at the Con real soon!

Thanks! :o)

David Gabriel and Japji Khalsa

The Fine Print:

OK Japji, let’s sing it like Pirates of Catan! Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Gamer’s life for me! We roll all the dice and we gather our loot, more victory points, yo ho! I’ll monopoly all wheat and won't give a hoot, I’ve beat you this game, yo ho! Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Gamer’s life for me!

Go Kubla! :o)