Gencon 2026 Events

Gencon 2026 is coming!

And I'm excited to nerd out with you all. Here is a list of the games and seminars I will be running this year.

Board Games

Eschaton

Lead your cult to earn the Dark One's favor before Armageddon arrives in this deck building and map control game. You are a cult leader in a dark fantasy world that stands on the brink of Armageddon, and you must rise above all others to earn the Dark One's favor. Conquer territories, collect relics, summon fiends, and build the greatest cult the realm has ever seen!

BGM26ND304333 - Thursday, 7pm 

BGM26ND304334 - Friday, 7pm

Hacker

Come experience the internet the way is was. Can you break into the world's toughest computer systems? In Hacker, players sail through the Net, competing to invade the most systems. The more systems you crack, the more you learn, and the easier your next target is. You can find back doors and secret phone lines, and even crash the systems your rivals are using. But be careful. There's a Secret Service Raid waiting for you! Hacker requires guile and diplomacy. To win, you must trade favors with your fellow hackers – and get more than you give away. But jealous rivals will try to bust you. Three busts and you're out of the game! 

BGM26ND304335 - Saturday, 7pm

BGM26ND305436 - Sunday, 9am

Seminars

GM 101: Introduction to Gamemastering:

    Keeper, Dungeon Master, Game Master…there are many names for the job. Thinking about taking the reins at your game table? This seminar focuses on concerns common among new GMs.

    The primary goal of this seminar is to address the anxieties and concerns that are most common for new and novice gamemasters, but all are welcome regardless of experience level. We will talk about fears, improvisation, safety tools, "session zero", preparation, and many other topics. This is a game agnostic session, and will not focus on the mechanics of any particular system. It is about all the other parts of GMing, which might not be as obvious, but are really at the core of what it means to be a good GM. Bring your questions, bring a friend, but most importantly bring your imagination, an open mind, a sense of adventure, and a sense of humor.

SEM26ND304326 - Thursday, 8-10am

SEM26ND304327 - Friday, 8-10am

SEM26ND304328 - Saturday, 8-10am

GM 201: The Art of Conversational GMing 

    Do your RPG sessions feel stale? Are you trying to take things to a higher level, but feel like you're playing a board game? Come learn about conversational GMing and inject some life into your RPGs.

    A conversational approach is more natural than you might think, and draws in more creativity from players at the table. The more invested everyone is, the better the game. The system you're playing is irrelevant. You can make Conversational GMing a part of anything from D&D to FATE and everything in between. The event is open to all regardless of experience level. Players are welcome too!

SEM26ND304329 - Thursday, 10am-12pm

SEM26ND304330 - Friday, 10am-12pm

SEM26ND304331 - Saturday, 10am-12pm

About me:

Hi! I'm Bob, though a lot of people call me "Linus" (an old Army nickname that stuck). I'm your average middle-aged RPG guy who really likes talking about games. I love sharing what I've learned about GMing and helping other GMs make their games even better.

I played my first RPG back in the dark ages of the Satanic Panic™ in the early 1980s. Yes, that apparently makes me ancient. Feel free to say "OK, Boomer" if the occasion calls for it. I've been obsessed with roleplaying games ever since.

I'm definitely not the authority on GMing — I'm not really an authority on anything. Take every bit of advice I give with as many grains of salt as it takes. Everything I share is simply what I've found works (and doesn't work) for me and the tables I've run over the years. I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, and a fair number of successes, and had many "aha!" moments. And I'm still making mistakes and having "aha!"s and Eureka moments. Improving our craft is a never-ending process, and we never stop learning.

I usually walk away from these seminars having picked up a few new nuggets myself, thanks to the questions and conversations that happen during the sessions. Just as I hope to help you become a better GM, I can honestly say that the folks who attend these sessions make me a better GM as well.

That's why I started doing these seminars. I've picked up some ideas worth sharing, so why not pass them along? If I can help someone improve their game, I've helped everyone at that table — and maybe someone there goes on to GM as well, and the cycle continues. (Cue swelling Circle of Life music. Ahhhhhhhh Sidenyaaaaaaaa!)

I'm always humbled that anyone shows up to listen to me talk about any of this, so thank you for taking the time to be here and share the experience.