Welcome to ArneCon 3 gaming convention!
®
“...After all, the keynote is, that ‘Anything is Possible’, just that some [things] are more likely than others.”
- David Arneson
Game Masters: Host an Event at ArneCon 3!
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games. Host two events and get an ArneCon 3 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 10-12, 2025
Minneapolis, Minnesota
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Minneapolis - Park Place
1500 Park Pl Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55416, USA
Game Masters: Host an Event at ArneCon 3!
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games. Host two events and get an ArneCon 3 Official
Game Master T-shirt.
Special Guests
SANDY PETERSON
Sandy got his start in the game industry in 1980, on paper roleplaying games. His best-known work from that time is the cult game Call of Cthulhu, which has been translated into many languages and is still played world-wide.
In 1988, he left paper games for the computer game world. He has worked for Microprose, id Software, and Ensemble Studios, where he was involved with Civilization, Doom, Quake, and the Age of Empires series, among others. He has taught courses in game design at the college level.
His games have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, and he has dozens of awards from the game industry. The award he is most proud of is his 1990 Gaming Hall of Fame plaque, which is given to only one person a year, and chosen by vote by the fan community.
He still loves and plays games. He has five adult children, eighteen grandchildren as of today, and various pet creatures.
KEN ST. ANDRE
Ken began designing games at age 8. His early creations being Monopoly Racing and Battle Chess. First encountering Dungeons & Dragons in 1975, he found the rules "dull", and decided to create his own role-playing game, leading to Tunnels & Trolls (published in 1975 by Flying Buffalo). In 1999, Pyramid Magazine called Tunnels & Trolls one of "The Millennium's Most Underrated Games" and "everybody knows this was the second ever fantasy roleplaying game ... But to dismiss it as just an opportunistic ripoff would be grossly unfair. ...T&T had its own zany feel – it was much less serious than D&D – and a less-complicated game system." His second game, Starfaring, was the first science fiction RPG published worldwide.
Fifty years later, he remains active in game design, exploring innovations like AI. His third game, Monsters! Monsters!, was groundbreaking as the first to allow players to assume the roles of the “bad guys”.
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 started playing RPGs in 1980 when he found the Holmes Basic D&D set. Initially playing solo due to the lack of other gamers, he later became a DM for a group of AD&D players, despite having never seen a group play before. His unique DMing style, which involved fully portraying NPCs with voices and mannerisms, was initially surprising to the players but they ended up enjoying it. In the 90s, Ronin co-wrote the adventure "Paradise Lost" for Shadowrun 2nd edition with Nigel Findley and contributed to the Denver Boxed Set for Shadowrun. Instead of pursuing RPG writing full-time, Ronin pursued a career in music, film, and television, working as an actor, musician, composer, writer, and director. His acting career includes appearances in "Kung Fu," "Man in the High Castle," "Outer Limits," and "DC’s Legends of Tomorrow." He is best known for his role in season 4 of "The Sinner," now available on Netflix.
YoDanno is a dedicated Dungeons and Dragons historian and enthusiast, renowned for his deep knowledge of the game’s original editions and iconic art. Through his active social media presence, he shares rare illustrations, historical facts, and personal stories that bring the early days of D&D to life. As a special guest at ArneCon, YoDanno is excited to honor Dave Arneson’s legacy and connect with fellow gamers who share their love for the classic aspects of this iconic game.
Yo Danno (aka Dan Collington)
Gamer at Large
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
The worlds first Dwarf character in Blackmoor. Co-author of Source of the Nile.
Paul Stormberg
Owner, The Collector's Trove, and Creator of the Legends of Wargaming & Legends of Roleplaying.
More to Come!
Gaming Events/Special Events
1. Panel: How to Create Your Own Campaign World
A Panel Session with ArneCon Special Guests Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu, Civilization, Doom, Quake), Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls, Monsters! Monsters!), Alexander Macris (Adventurer Conqueror King, Adventurer Conqueror King II, Ascendant, and Modern Spearhead)
Hosted by Griffith Morgan (Secrets of Blackmoor, The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg, The Informal Game)
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2. Events with Ken St Andre (Creator of Tunnels & Trolls, Monsters! Monsters!)
Celebrating 50 years of Tunnels & Trolls!
Tunnels & Trolls Pits of Despair session 1, Refereed by Ken
Tunnels & Trolls Pits of Despair session 2, using the Monsters! Monsters! rules (where you play the monsters) Refereed by Ken
Catan (Scottsdale Variant Rules) with Ken St Andre using his own special variant rules
Several "mini teaching events" with Ken St Andre
Secrets of Blackmoor Live: Ken St. Andre:
Ken St. Andre, author of the second published role-playing game, Tunnels & Trolls, talks about his career in gaming. This interview will be recorded live before an audience by the Secrets of Blackmoor film crew. A Q&A session with the attendees follows the interview session.
How to Create Your Own Campaign World: panel with guests Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu), Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls), and Alexander Macris (ACKS) (see #1)
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3. Events with Sandy Petersen (Creator of Call of Cthulhu)
Crybaby Bridge (a Call of Cthulhu adventure) Refereed by Sandy
Seminar: Setting Up a Call of Cthulhu Campaign
Seminar: How to Create a Call of Cthulhu Adventure the Sandy Petersen Way
Death Dealer - Play Sandy's new multiplayer strategy game with him. Not yet published!
How to Create Your Own Campaign World: panel with guests Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu), Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls), and Alexander Macris (ACKS) (see #1)
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4. Events with David Megarry (Creator of Dungeon! Fantasy Boardgame)
Celebrating 50 years of Dungeon! Fantasy Board Game!
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!
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5. Events with Alexander Macris (Creator of ACKS - Adventurer Conqueror King System™, & Ascendant)
Ascendant: Alexander Macris will referee a session of his "superpowered role-playing game of infinite possibilities."
ACKS (Adventurer Conqueror King System™): "Will you survive the perils of war and dark magic to claim a throne? Or will you meet your fate in a forgotten ruin beyond the ken of men?" - Refereed by game author Alexander Macris.
How to Create Your Own Campaign World: panel with guests Sandy Petersen (Call of Cthulhu), Ken St. Andre (Tunnels & Trolls), and Alexander Macris (ACKS) (see #1)
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6. Events with Ronin Wong (Co-author of "Paradise Lost" for Shadowrun 2nd Edition, and actor "The Man in the High Castle")
Mutant, The Last Hope: Written and Refereed by Ronin
Mutant, created in 1972, is the first science fiction tabletop RPG ever played. Created by Richard Snider (co-author of Adventures in Fantasy with Dave Arneson, & author of Avalon Hill's Powers & Perils). Mutant itself was never published, but ideas from it would find their way into TSR's Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World. Now, Mutant is rising from its ashes, and the game will soon be published along with a special introductory adventure. You have a chance to play a preview of that adventure: The Last Hope. If you love old-school sci-fi, this is the OG of all sci-fi RPGs.
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7. 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
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8. Events with Greg Gillespie (Author of Barrowmaze, Archaia, HighFell, and Dwarrowdeep and two-time winner of the Three Castles Award for Game Design)
Crypt of the Barrow-Dweller - Join Dr. Greg Gillespie as you explore a new Barrowmaze crypt!
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9. Meet & Greet + Autograph Session with all the special guests Saturday Afternoon
Meet and Greet with all the special guests: Sandy Petersen, Ken St. Andre, Alexander Macris, David Megarry, David Wesely, Ronin Wong, Greg Gillespie, 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)!
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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.
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More To Come!
Game Masters: Host an Event at ArneCon 3!
We welcome all RPG's, Wargames, Board Games. Host two events and get an ArneCon 3 Official
Game Master T-shirt.
Arnecon® is a registered trademark of The Fellowship of the Thing, Ltd.. All Rights Reserved.