Winter Fantasy
Winter Fantasy is an annual gaming convention that takes place in the USA every January or February.
History
The convention was held as early as 1977 under the name Winter Fantasy. In 2007 the convention was renamed to D&D Experience. In 2012 Wizards of the Coast announced it would now use the title D&D Experience for the events it held at the Gen Con convention. Baldman Games, the company currently operating this and other conventions for Wizards of the Coast, decided to continue the tradition and brought back the name Winter Fantasy for the 2013 convention.The convention has been closely tied to the RPGA, and was sponsored by the RPGA from 1989 until TSR went bankrupt. The entire design team of Marc Miller's Traveller met only
once before they began writing – at Winter Fantasy, held February 9-11, 1996 in Milwaukee.
Winter Fantasy has played host to a wide variety of tournament and organized play games. These include popular living campaign programs such as Living City, Living Greyhawk, and Living Forgotten Realms. The 2013 convention included Pathfinder Society games run by Paizo Publishing in addition to Wizards of the Coast organized play events.
Winter Fantasy has often featured special events either not available elsewhere or with a limited release. 2013 included a special Pathfinder scenario and multi-table battle interactive events for the Living Forgotten Realms and Ashes of Athas campaigns. Ashes of Athas is a Dark Sun campaign, which started at Winter Fantasy 2011 and concluded at Winter Fantasy 2013.
The location of the convention has moved over the years. It is currently held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a site it has held since 2009 and also several times in the past. The first Winter Fantasy was organized by Rob Kuntz and held January 8 to 9, 1977, at American Legion Hall in Lake Geneva, WI. Other locations have included Milwaukee, Chicago, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.
Timeline
| Event | Date | Location | Notes |
| "Winter Fantasy 1" | January 8–9, 1977 | American Legion Hall Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | Organized and chaired by Rob Kuntz |
| "Winter Fantasy 3" | January 6–7, 1979 | Lake Geneva, WI | First Official Invitations AD&D Masters Tournament held. J. Eric Holmes was one of 45 invited to the event. 18 actual tournament participants. |
| "Winter Fantasy 4" | January 5–6, 1980 | Lake Geneva, WI | Held at American Legion Hall. |
| "Winter Fantasy 6" | 1982 | ? | TSR either sponsoring or co-sponsoring Winter Fantasy at this time |
| "Winter Fantasy 16" | January 3–5, 1992 | Milwaukee, WI | Events included Living City, Paranoia, Marvel Super Heroes, Torg, and Star Wars. Registration through the RPGA. First two-round Living City tournament, "Eye of the Leviathan". RPGA's first interactive event, "Terrors of Terre Haute". |
| "Winter Fantasy 17" | January 8–10, 1993 | Milwaukee, WI | First year in MECCA site. Preregistration is $16, $10 for RPGA members. Events included electing a player as Lord Mayor in the Living City campaign, Living City, D&D, Gamma World, Star Wars, Shadowrun, Call of Cthulhu, and Dawn Patrol. |
| "Winter Fantasy 18" | January 7–9, 1994 | Milwaukee, WI | Guests of honor Bruce Nesmith, Bill Slavicsek, James Lowder. |
| "Winter Fantasy 19" | February 10-12, 1995 | Milwaukee, WI | Guests of honor Wolfgang Baur, Chuck Crain. Events included Living City tournaments, Ravens Bluff interactive, Axis & Allies tourney, writer's workshops, seminars, premiere of Living Jungle. |
| "Winter Fantasy 21" | 1997 | Convention was canceled the year TSR went out of business. | |
| "Winter Fantasy 22" | February 26-March 1, 1998 | Chicago, IL | Introduced Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game |
| "Winter Fantasy 23" | February 25-28, 1999 | Chicago, IL | |
| "Winter Fantasy 24" | January 13–16, 2000 | Fort Wayne, IN | TSR staff and some of future Triads and Circle members on hand to speak about upcoming Living Greyhawk campaign. |
| "Winter Fantasy 25" | January 25–28, 2001 | Fort Wayne, IN | Preregistration exceeds 2000 attendance. Living Force campaign launched. Celebrated 20th year of RPGA on Saturday. First 3rd edition Living City scenarios. Guests of honor Monte Cook and Andy Collins run Moathouse portion of Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil for Living Greyhawk. |
| "Winter Fantasy 27" | 2003 | Fort Wayne, IN | Included Assault on the Vault special for Living Greyhawk. |
| "Winter Fantasy 28" | 2004 | East Rutherford, New Jersey | Only year in New Jersey. |
| "Winter Fantasy 29" | 2005 | Crystal City, VA | First year in DC area. |
| "Winter Fantasy 31" | 2007 | Crystal City, VA | Last year of the Living Death organized play campaign. |
| "Winter Fantasy 32" | 2008 | Crystal City, VA | Last year in DC area and last year for Living Greyhawk events. Two adventures previewed upcoming 4th Edition. |
| "Winter Fantasy 33" | Jan 29 - Feb 1, 2009 | Fort Wayne, IN | Returned to Fort Wayne, first year of Living Forgotten Realms 4E campaign. |
| "Winter Fantasy 33" | Jan 28-31, 2010 | Fort Wayne, IN | Featured 4E "Death in the Arena" Dark Sun setting preview. |
| "Winter Fantasy 35" | 2011 | Fort Wayne, IN | Premiere of Ashes of Athas campaign. |
| "Winter Fantasy 36" | January 26–29, 2012 | Fort Wayne, IN | First ever public playtest of D&D Next. Last year event used DDXP name. |
| "Winter Fantasy 37" | Jan 23-27, 2013 | Fort Wayne, IN | Return of name Winter Fantasy. First year with Paizo events. Conclusion of Ashes of Athas campaign. |
| "Winter Fantasy 38" | Feb 5-9, 2014 | Fort Wayne, IN | Final adventures for the Living Forgotten Realms campaign and conclusion of Epic series. Paradigm joins the show with Witch Hunter and Living Arcanis adventures. Classic Living Greyhawk special adventures Isle of Woe and Castle Greyhawk run, converted to D&D Next. Paizo does not return to the show. |
| "Winter Fantasy 39" | Feb 4-8, 2015 | Fort Wayne, IN | First year providing adventures for the D&D Adventurers League program as part of the Tyranny of Dragons storyline. Previewed the Shadow of the Demon Lord and Red Aegis RPGs. Living Arcanis, Witch Hunter, and NeoExodus Legacies were also present at the show. |
| "Winter Fantasy 40" | Feb 3-7, 2016 | Fort Wayne, IN | Adventurers League concludes the Rage of Demons storyline and offers an All-Access premium pass of adventures written and run by WotC or campaign admins. Paizo returns after a 2-year absence. Paradigm returns with Living Arcanis. Schwalb Entertainment offers linked adventures for Shadow of the Demon Lord. |
| "Winter Fantasy 41" | Feb 1-5, 2017 | Fort Wayne, IN | Adventurers League concludes the Storm King's Thunder storyline, offers Baldman Games convention content adventures, and featured several Author-Only adventures written by administrators. Epics included The Iron Baron and The Ark of the Mountains. Paradigm returns with Living Arcanis. Schwalb Entertainment offers linked adventures for Shadow of the Demon Lord. |
| "Winter Fantasy 42" | Feb 7-11, 2018 | Fort Wayne, IN | Adventurers League continued the Tomb of Annihilation storyline, offered Author-Only adventures, and featured Baldman Games convention content adventures. Paradigm offered Living Arcanis, Schwalb Entertainment returned with Shadow of the Demon Lord, and Pelgrane Press adventures for Nights Black Agents and Timewatch were run in several slots. Living Divine returned after being away several years. The convention also featured a workshop on writing adventures. |