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Welcome to ArneCon 4 gaming convention!
“...After all, the keynote is, that ‘Anything is Possible’, just that some [things] are more likely than others.”
- David Arneson
ArneCon is made great by people like you running games.
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games.
Host two events and get an ArneCon 4 Official Game Master T-shirt.
Officially sanctioned by the Estate of Dave Arneson
Set in an intimate locale, Arnecon is a gathering honoring the creative genius of Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, and his game group, The Blackmoor Bunch. It is a panoply of game experiences - featuring miniatures war-games, board games, and role playing games.
Come game with the people who were there when Role Playing was invented. This is shaping up to be the biggest meeting of the original "Blackmoor Bunch" in many years!
A celebration of the friendships formed through gaming - where everyone is welcome and "anything is possible".
Come, try a new game, make new friends, and explore the unlimited possibilities of gaming. Most of all - have fun!
October 9-11, 2026
Minneapolis, Minnesota
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Minneapolis - Park Place
1500 Park Pl Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55416, USA
ArneCon is made great by people like you running games.
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games.
Host two events and get an ArneCon 4 Official Game Master T-shirt.
Important Info, Dates & Times:
Registration & Help Desk
The location of Registration has been changed from last year. It is now in the lower atrium.
Registration opens at:
12PM on Friday
8AM on Saturday and Sunday
Food!
Breakfast: 7AM-11AM (Dover Restaurant)
Lunch: 11AM-2PM (Lower Atrium)
Dinner: 3:30PM-10PM (Dover Restaurant)
Bar in Dover open ‘til 11PM or later (Fri/Sat)
There are also many restaurants within walking distance!
Blackmoor Market Hours (Vendor Room):
Friday: 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday :10:00 am to 6:00pm
Special Guests
Jeffrey Talanian
Jeffrey Talanian is the publisher at North Wind Adventures and the creator of HYPERBOREA, a tabletop adventure game of swords, sorcery, and weird science-fantasy. HYPERBOREA is inspired by the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith, with mechanics inspired by the works of E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Previously, Jeffrey coauthored Castle Zagyg, working closely with the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, E. Gary Gygax, until his passing in 2008. These days, Jeffrey lives in New Hampshire with his wife, children, and other creatures, and he’s always at work on the next HYPERBOREA project.
Richard Whitters
Richard Whitters is a concept artist, art director, and world builder that has worked on D&D, Magic the Gathering, and with Larian Studios. He’s currently working on his own TTRPG project called Ruttigers with three of his oldest friends. Winston is our puppy mascot!
David R. Megarry
The very first game that five-year-old David learned was the card game War, taught to him by his Grandpa Weberg. His father then taught him how to play chess. Once he learned to read, Scrabble was added to his list of games. In grade school, he enjoyed playing the Parker Brothers games Monopoly and Sorry. During high school, he discovered Avalon Hill games, and in college, he explored miniature figure gaming. Gaming has been a significant interest for him throughout his life.
In November 1972, he invented the fantasy game Dungeon!, which was published in June 1975. Remarkably, the game has gone through six editions and, after 50 years, is still in print today.
Alexander Macris
Alexander Macris is a tabletop role-playing game designer, writer, and blogger. He has been lead designer on four complete game systems (Adventurer Conqueror King, Adventurer Conqueror King II, Ascendant, and Modern Spearhead) and has written dozens of tabletop sourcebooks, accessories, and modules. He has written a primer for GMs, Arbiter of Worlds, much of which has also been presented on the Arbiter of Worlds substack and Arbiter of Worlds YT channel. Prior to going full-time as an RPG designer, he was the co-founder of The Escapist, which he ran from 2005 to 2017
Ronin Wong
Ronin has been playing and running tabletop roleplaying games since discovering the Holmes Basic D&D set in 1980. Known for a GM style that blends vivid character portrayal with tight control of complex systems, he runs fast-moving, cinematic tables where roleplay and tactical play flow seamlessly.
In the 1990s, he worked professionally on Shadowrun 2nd Edition, co-writing Paradise Lost and contributing to the Denver Boxed Set. He is currently working on the revision of Mutant, an early 1970s science-fiction RPG that developed from the original Twin Cities gaming circle that spawned Braunstein and Blackmoor.
A working actor with numerous film and television credits including Man in the High Castle, and Kung Fu, Ronin brings that performance background to the gaming table.
Matthew Tapp
Matthew Tapp is a Proto-D&D 3rd wave OSR tabletop rpg game designer, writer, and YouTuber. He produced the Weird Science Fantasy TTRPG Barrows & Borderlands, and has been writing/playing tabletop games for well over a decade. He also runs a Massive Multiplayer Tabletop Roleplaying Game using his B&B-Game of Games mixed system that is connected to the same campaign he started in 2014. It currently has over 200+ players, and 10+ Referees that all run 5-30 Characters in a shared 1:1 open sandbox world. It boasts a multiversal setting that spans 10+ universes at this moment. Each player may bring in classes/races from almost any Classic Fantasy ttrpg and mix it in.
YoDanno
Yo Danno (Dan Collington) is a devoted old school Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast and historian, passionate about preserving the spirit of the game’s earliest days. Through his social media, he shares rare art, deep cut history, and personal stories that bring classic D&D to life for a new generation. Returning as ArneCon’s “Gamer At Large,” he’s excited to once again celebrate Dave Arneson’s legacy and connect with fellow fans who still believe the magic lives at the table.
Malia Arneson
Dave Arneson's daughter will be in attendance. Bring your Dave Arneson books and get them signed with an official faux Arneson autograph (there's a story behind this)!
David Wesely
A half-elf in Blackmoor. Known for Strategos - An adaptation of Totten’s Strategos; The American game of war, The Braunstien RPG, Valley Forge, and Co-author of Source of the Nile.
Ross Maker
Ross has been active on the hobby side and business side of gaming for decades, and is co-author (with David Wesely) of the award-winning board game, Source of the Nile
Paul Stormberg
Owner, The Collector's Trove, and Creator of the Legends of Wargaming & Legends of Roleplaying.
MORE TO COME!
ArneCon is made great by people like you running games.
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games.
Host two events and get an ArneCon 4 Official Game Master T-shirt.
Gaming Events/Special Events
1. Events with Jeffrey Talanian (Creator of Hyperborea)
HYPERBOREA: The Oblation Slab of the Hepatomancer An Ixian necromancer and a Keltic witch occupy an ancient stronghold carved into an oceanfront cliff between the Gal Hills and New Vinland. From this hidden base—aided by a squad of berserkers—they have been abducting and enslaving young victims from villages near and far. Refereed by Jeffrey Talanian.
2. Events with Richard Whitters (Creator of Ruttigers)
Ruttigers TTRPG – Foray into the Stonewaste Foray into the accursed necropolis of the Stonewaste and attempt to free a chained Demon! Refereed by Richard Whitters.
Ruttigers TTRPG – Foray into the Stonewaste (additional session) Foray into the accursed necropolis of the Stonewaste and attempt to free a chained Demon! Refereed by Richard Whitters.
3. Events with Alexander Macris (Creator of ACKS – Adventurer Conqueror King System™, ACKS II, & Ascendant)
ACKS II: Before All Others Before All Others is the new elven sourcebook for Adventurer Conqueror King System II. Play one of the new elven character classes and embark on a sylvan adventure that explores the marvelous new mechanics found in BAO. Refereed by Alexander Macris.
Domains at War: Battles Domains at War: Battles is the tabletop battle system for mass combat in the world of Adventurer Conqueror King System (ACKS). Lead designer Alexander Macris will referee a 6-player pitched battle.
4. Events with Matthew Tapp (Creator of Barrows & Borderlands)
Barrows & Borderlands – Dungeon of the Fel Lord A Weird Science Fantasy Old-School Style Role Playing Game set in a Dark Radioactive Wasteland of Magic, Black-powder, and Dragons. Enter the Dungeon of the Fel Lord, a massive mega-dungeon filled with the most horrifying creations of Matthew Tapp. Refereed by Matthew Tapp.
5. Panel: Creating Arc Story for an RPG Campaign
Have you ever wondered how to make your campaign into an epic arc story like your favorite novel? A Panel Session with ArneCon Special Guests Jeffrey Talanian (Creator of HYPERBOREA), Richard Whitters (Ruttigers), and Alexander Macris (Adventurer Conqueror King System / ACKS II, Ascendant). A hosted discussion on building long-term campaign arcs, story structure, and world-spanning narratives in RPGs. This seminar is just for you as we explore ways to expand RPG settings by adding arc stories to them.” Hosted by Griffith Morgan (Secrets of Blackmoor, The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg).
6. Events with Ronin Wong (Co-author of “Paradise Lost” for Shadowrun 2nd Edition, and actor “The Man in the High Castle”)
Mutant: Awakening! You wake up from a cryogenic sleep, unaware of who you are and what you are. Gradually, you realize you’ve awakened in the world, where most realities, including your own body, may be very different from the life you led before. Now, you have to survive a hostile terrain which has left you behind. Written and Refereed by Ronin Wong. Once Upon a Spacetime (Cypher 2) It’s here! The day we unveil the STM (Spacetime Modulator) which promises FTL (faster than light) travel within our lifetimes. What could go wrong? We have a rock solid security team with a spotless record, and top marks from all safety tests. The protestors are posers! Onward and Upward! Refereed by Ronin Wong.
7. Events with David Megarry (Creator of Dungeon! Fantasy Boardgame)
Join us for some sessions of “Dungeon!” with David. This event is part seminar, part play session. David will share the story of how he invented the game, including his first demonstration of the game to the Blackmoor Bunch in Arneson’s basement. Learn about the challenges he faced, such as being rejected by major game companies, and how he ultimately secured an agreement with Gary Gygax to publish the game – and more!
8. Events with David Wesely (Inventor of Braunstein: the First RPG)
Braunstein and Banania: Play the very first RPG and its variant with the inventor of the RPG, David Wesely.
9. Meet & Greet + Autograph Session with all the special guests Saturday Afternoon
Meet and Greet with all the special guests: Richard Whitters, Jeffrey Talanian , Alexander Macris, Matthew Tapp, David Megarry, David Wesely, Ronin Wong, Ross Maker, Malia Arneson & others Saturday at 5pm! Bring your books and games and get them signed! Malia will sign your Dave Arneson books with an "official faux Arneson autograph" (there's a story behind this- ask her)!
10. Minicon: A Convention within a Convention
We’ve teamed up with Minicon to bring Dawn Patrol WWI aerial combat game sessions to ArneCon. There are many sessions of this game being offered.
Special Events Schedule
To Be Announced! Please check back Mid-August!
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