About us
We're gamer-types interested in playing games, being social, making friends, and meeting new people. We love all types of games, especially role-playing, but also board, card, miniature, or whatever. We also love all gaming adjacent stuff too, such as anime, cosplay, game design, world building, video games, and more.
- We believe in getting games off your shelf and onto the table.
- Mission statement: Play everything at least once.
- Our unofficial motto: "Yeah, we'll play that!"
- We exist to help players find games and GMs find players.
- We welcome new players and new GMs to the greater Cincinnati area.
- We liaison with other organizations, podcasts, cons, game stores, and more.
- We encourage all everyone to game, especially underrepresented demographics such as women, LGBTQIA+ people, and BIPOC (biracial, indigenous, people of color).
Facebook Instagram Discord Bluesky YouTube Twitch Founded in 2013.
Upcoming events
44
- $50.00
AcadeCon 2026
Dayton Convention Center, 22 E 5th St, Dayton, OH, USAbout: AcadeCon is specifically designed to be a smaller, non-traditional convention. At this convention, you're going to get access to some of the most amazing GMs and players from all over, a better chance to play in the games you want, the opportunity to spend time and game with special guests, and time to hang out with some of the best gamers in the world--the fans of The RPG Academy podcast! They hope you'll consider grabbing a badge and sitting down to play games with friends, old and new.
### Welcome to AcadeCon 1 4 all, and all for one.
Acadecon 2026 will celebrate our 14th year with a homage the three Musketeers and Swashbuckling adventure in any form.
Our dates this year are November 13th to 15th, 2026 at the Dayton Convention Center in Dayton, OH. 22 E 5th St. Dayton, OH 45402.### What is AcadeCon?
AcadeCon is the terribly named but tremendously fun tabletop gaming convention that grew out of The Rpg Academy Podcast (AcadeCon is a portmanteau of Academy + Convention). Our show was a passion project about bringing folks together at a gaming table. Thus our motto: Gaming with friends, old and new!
At our event you can expect a large variety of Role playing game events. While we certainly host games of D&D and Pathfinder, the majority of our Rpg events are of other games: Savage Worlds, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Dread, Numenera, Old Gods of Applachia, Dread, Forbidden lands, Star Wars, Star Trek and so very many more. If you're looking for a new game or play in an old favorite, AcadeCon is for you.
We also offer a special discounted badge for folks willing to run 2 events or more, so IF your favorite game isn't on our schedule - you can change that!!
In addition to our RPG offerings we also have a variety of tabletop board/card games - many as a 'learn to play' event as well as game demos. We also have our open play game library with over 600 titles (and growing) with a mix of old classics and hot new games for you to check out and play all weekend long.
This year we are also partnering with Rolling For Hope to host a Boardgame tournament as part of the Tri-State Trail Tournament. More info TBA.
Each year we partner with Double Exposure for a Play-to-win program. We are provided with nearly 40 brand-new games that you can try out during AcadeCon. Every time you play a demo, you are entered into a drawing to win that game! You can play the same game multiple times to get a better chance at winning something you really enjoy or play them all and see if Lady Luck is smiling on you.
Each year we also have a selection of special events. These range from games held in private rooms, a Murder Mystery LARP, panels/workshops, interactive gameshow events, and our legendary KAREOKE events.
The vast majority of our events are free once you have a badge. A few special events may require an additional cost but those are clearly listed.Charity Raffle
For 2026 we will once again be partnering with Sanctuary at Homestead who will be hosting their Hobby Haven painting events and running our charity raffle. We will hold four drawings over the weekend (one on Friday, two on Saturday and a final one on Sunday). Drop your tickets only for the items you're hoping to win. Support a wonderful charity with donations for additional tickets.If that sounds like something you’d like to attend, we'd love to have you with us.
You can follow our FACEBOOK PAGE to keep up to date with all our announcements for sponsors, special guests and more.IMPORTANT DATES AND INFO:
Event Dates: November 13th - 15th, 2026
Location: The Dayton Convention Center
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites: Dayton SW - University Area
2nd Hotel: Fairfield Inn & Suites Dayton Downtown Use this link to book a room at that hotel in our room block. [ LINK TO BOOK ]
``` [USE THIS LINK FOR THE ROOM BLOCK] LINK IS NOW LIVE
Make sure you check the dates are correct and that it's the correct hotel (for some reason it may move you depending on what type of room you're interested in)
Room block expires on 10/16/2026. Limited space.
Important Dates:- June 13th: Vendor Applications, Demo Table badges, GM Badges, Sponsorship applications and VIP Badge Sales go live on Saturday June 13th at Noon Eastern.
EVENT SUBMISSIONS OPEN June 13th as well.
- August 15th: All other Badges go on sale.
- **Take advantage of special 'early bird' pricing on Full weekend badges will be available for the first 30 days.
- October 10th: VIP Registration for events goes live.
- October 17th: General Registration for events goes live.
- November 1: Event submission deadline.
To see a short video on how to submit events, click HERE:
### Code of Conduct & Terms of Service.
AcadeCon is an inclusive gaming event open to gamers of all types. Every attendee will be subject to our Code of Conduct and Terms of Service.
### THINGS TO KNOW:
Who or What are 'Faculty' Since our event grew out of the Rpg Academy Podcast we have carried over the term "Faculty" to represent any of our staff or volunteers who help organize and run our event. Michael Ross is our Lead organizer with various team lead positions under him (Registration, Special Guest, Karaoke, Vendor relations, Technology and more). But anyone wearing one of our Faculty shirts can be contacted for assistance at any time. There will always be a Faculty member at our registration desk and Open game library desk.
We have an open submission policy meaning that anyone who has a badge is able to submit an event they would like to run. However we do partner with Paizo for their organized play events meaning that most of our Pathfinder and Starfinder events are Organized play sanctioned. For more information on the benefits go HERE
3 attendees - $40.00
D&D 5.5: The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale Multi-Shot
Hero's Hearth, 8315 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH, USBook Rack/Hero's Hearth is staying open late for these events. For the $40 admission, you get a guaranteed spot for all nights of one multi-session adventure and one soft drink every week.*
Four adventures will be offered at levels 10, 11, 12, and 13. You may use the same character in each successive adventure. Please have at least intermediate experience with D&D 5\5.5e.
It always begins the same way, "You find a book..."
The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale is bound in green leather, with leaves and vines carefully burned into the corners of the front and back covers. The title is embossed in gold on the front, but no author is credited on the outside or inside of the book. The book is six inches wide, nine inches tall, and an inch thick. The thick, cream-colored pages emit a faint scent of flowers and grass. The writing is neat and steady, each line inscribed in practiced calligraphy.
Although the design of the book is simple, the crafting and materials are of the highest quality. In fact, the book is a magic object that transforms into a portal when the activation phrase is spoken. The Curious Tale of Wisteria Vale is the script of a play written in Common. It is split up into three acts, telling the story of a heroic bard before he becomes corrupted by evil...This game will use the most current D&D 5.5 edition ruleset published in 2024. Please completely generate your own character beforehand. Contact event organizer for help.
Character Creation:
- Only the following sources can be used: 2024 PHB, XGtE, TCoE, MotM.
- Level 11
- Standard array or point buy.
- Average HP per level.
- Starting equipment + 5000 GP (you may not buy additional magic items).
- 1 rare, 3 uncommon, and 2 common magic items from the 2024 DMG (subject to approval).
Things To Bring
• Pencils
• Paper
• Dice (polyhedrals)
• Feedback (https://bit.ly/2ElXyiw)
• Imagination*The fee is not pro-rated if you join after the first session.
4 attendees 
D&D 5e-Tyranny of the Cosmos Act 4 Welcome to Avernus!
Hero's Hearth, 8315 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, OH, USStarting at level 11.
The party has made it through the gate town of Ribcage with little trouble, even from the Wizards of Thay and the Cult of the Dragon. Their glitch is starting to wreak havoc on the outer planes. They can't currently cast higher than 4th level spells without the use of a special arcane keys for each of the schools of magic. They have purchased some temporary keys, but who knows how long those might last.
With their Gith guide, Herfik the Silent, and a right of passage letter from Dermont to set up a market in Dis, the adventurers have just passed through the gate into Avernus. They are starting their quest to retrieve the Holy Avenger of Daneel the Smiter of Fiends and to find leads on the next steps of stopping Tiamat from being released from her prison.
As they are preparing to make their trek into the wastelands of Avernus, they are confronted by the guardian of the gate.
If you haven't played in Act I, II, or III, use the following rules for character creation:
Character Creation guideline:
The following campaign link can be use for character creation:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/campaigns/join/79153054058139240Create 3 10th level characters from any 2014/2024 edition
On creation of your 3 character variants you need to ask these questions:1. The Turning Point: What was the greatest decision or turning point in your character's life?
2. The Alternate Path: If your character had made a different choice at that turning point, how might their life—and by extension, their class or abilities—be different now?
3. External Expectations: How would they be different if they had made choices based strictly on what others expected of them?
4. The Idealized Self: What is something your character wishes they could change about themselves, and how would the "best version" of them be different?
5. What is your character's signature possession or physical trait? This is an immutable icon—like a distinct scar, a specific pessimistic personality, or a beloved token—that remains constant across every single version of you.
Glitch Mechanics:
• The Trinity Rule: Each player creates three different versions of their character at the start. While they share the same level and core soul, each incarnation can have a completely different appearance, race, class, or gender.• Death and Resurgence: When an active incarnation dies, a new variant reappears nearby shortly after. This newly incarnated character typically has no memory of what happened to the previous version or why they are in their current situation.
• Unified Progression: All incarnations share the same level and advance together. Narrative-wise, while one version adventures with the party, the others are assumed to be adventuring on different planes of existence, gaining equal experience.
• Inventory and Items: Items typically do not duplicate. If a character dies, their equipment remains on the corpse; if the new incarnation is a different class, their starting uncommon magic item might shift to something more suitable (e.g., a +1 Sword becoming a Staff of the Warmage).
*Standard array, point buy, or 4d6--drop low method
- Max HP for: roll or take the average HP (whichever is better) for level.
- Rare Items: 1 permanent piece (such as a +2 weapon, Cloak of Protection, or Amulet of Health).
- Uncommon Items: 2 to 3 permanent pieces (such as a +1 weapon, Winged Boots, or Pearl of Power).
- Common Items: 1 to 2 flavorful or utility items (such as a Cloak of Many Fashions or Potions of Healing).
- Consumables: 2 to 4 temporary items (spell scrolls, higher-level potions).
Things To Bring
• Pencils
• Paper
• Dice
• Feedback
• Imagination
As with all our games, No Experience Necessary!5 attendees
Past events
2030
