We aren’t just TTRPGs here at AthVentureCon! Every year we have a full schedule of exciting panels and workshops run by some of the best in the business. This year’s schedule will include topics such as:
- Cosplay
- World building
- Live play D&D
- Voice acting
- Game creation
- TTRPGs for kids & families
Head over to our YouTube channel to check out most of our previous panels to get you excited for AthCon3!
See more on the Cosplay and Extra Fun Stuff pages, since sometimes it’s hard to say where things belong.
Saturday Morning: DM Worshop: GMing 101 w/Ellen
This hobby, and every friend group, is constantly in need of more Game Masters. We get it, it can be a little daunting, but that’s where DM Ellen comes in!
A workshop for new and experienced dungeon masters! I’ll be going over NPC creation, adapting to the stories that your players want to tell, world creation and more! There’s also spot prizes, and free
resources, such as NPC character templates, tables for quick names etc.!
When: Saturday 11:00 – 12:00
Where: Workshop 5, 4th Floor
Saturday Morning: Cosplaying With Neurodivergencies and Disabilities
It can be really hard to share your cosplay with others if you feel like you’re not part of the perceived “norm”, but there’s no wrong way to cosplay!
But it can be really hard to take those first steps when you’re dealing with neurodivergencies like anxiety or autism, or physical disabilities that don’t match the characters, and I’m here to tell you to do it anyway if you really want to — and share tips for how to step out of your own way. It’s important to adapt our cosplays for our own needs, instead of adapting ourselves to our cosplays, because cosplay is a labour of love that is not worth hurting ourselves.
When: Saturday 11:00 – 11:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Saturday Morning: Playing with Virtual Tabletops with FoundryVTT
Do you play online? What VTT do you use? Many of us love FoundryVTT, but really wish we understood better. Do you feel the same?
Well thankfully, help is on the way!!
Please welcome Aisling from @galway.it.meetup
to the panel room!
This session provides a practical overview of using FoundryVTT to run both remote and in-person tabletop games for a massive range of rule systems. It covers the essential technical setup, core features, useful modules for GMs and players, and lessons learned from managing groups with varying technical skills and scheduling constraints. The talk also includes a couple of useful tools and resources for running remote games, pros and cons vs other virtual tabletops, and a live demo if the technical and dice gods are in our favour.
So come along and get ready to take your game to the next level!!
When: Saturday 12:00 – 12:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Saturday Afternoon: Wyrmwoven Demo w/Douglas Kaufman
Are you looking for something a bit different? Interested in what goes into developing and testing a new game system? Well, this is the perfect chance to learn more!
Douglas Kaufman, longtime game developer with the likes of the TTRPG Paranoia under his belt, is working on an exciting new game and you can help!
Help playtest Wyrmwoven: a unique card-based TTRPG system set in a world woven by the dreams of dragon-like gods. Wyrmwoven uses standard decks of playing-cards for conflict resolution, and encourages dynamic gameplay and strategy—including unique swashbuckling feats if you play your cards right! (Wyrmwoven is in an Alpha stage and is suitable for lightly to highly experienced TTRPG players)
When: Saturday 14:00 – 14:45
Where: Workshop 3, 4th Floor
Saturday afternoon: Paint to Play
Looking to level up your mini painting skills? Intimidated by highlights and shadows…and the dreaded eyes? Well, you’re in luck!! Alan has been painting for…more than a couple of years 😉 and will be sharing some of his favourite tips and tricks upstairs on Saturday!
Painting methods, tips and tricks on painting your monsters for the table and the display cabinet.
Learn about colour matching, placement, light sources and the all important fixing mistakes. With the aim of making the job of painting easier by using simple techniques to give you a model that looks the part both on the table and in a display cabinet.
When: Saturday 14:00 – 15:00
Where: Workshop 5, 4th Floor
Saturday afternoon: Kickstart Your Game with Crowdfunding
So you have an idea for a great game that you think could be the next big hit?
What’s next?
Is Kickstarter a viable option to fund it?
How much work could it be?
Emmet, Steve and Neil all have a wealth of experience in successfully launching and delivering games through the platform. Come learn from the pros!
When: Saturday 14:00 – 14:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Saturday afternoon: Do You Want to Build a Novel? (It doesn’t have to be a novel)
Upstairs on the 4th floor in our more intimate Workshop 5 space.
aka “How to write the novel you think you don’t have time to”
You’re starting with a blank page, a lot of excitement, and probably also a lot of dread. It can be overwhelming! But we’re going to break it down into bite-sized pieces and see how much you can get done in a short amount of time, because I promise you, those little bits add up and you can get more done than you think. We’ll cover an outlining process but it’s okay if you’re more of a pantser, because this process is complete at every stage and it’s just a question of whether you want to go more in depth on the outline or not. You have a story inside you — now let’s tell it!
When: Saturday 15:00 – 16:00
Where: Workshop 5, 4th Floor
Sunday Morning: Origami Workshop w/Evie
Evie, a member of @athenryadventurers, is a wiz with Origami and we were delighted that she wanted to host her own workshop at @athventurecon this year! So if you fancy learning about this ancient art of folding paper, head on up to the 4th floor on Sunday!
It is open to all 8+, but parents please accompany your adventurers in case they need help.
When: Sunday 10:00 – 11:00
Where: Workshop 5, 4th Floor
Sunday Morning: How to Make Your Prop w/Fenek
Come learn how to make some new cosy cosplay crafts with @fenek_workshop!
Who doesn’t love shiny armors and big swords?
Making one may be overwhelming, but I promise, it’s not that scary! Come to find out more about the prop making materials and techniques, how to build, where to get your stuff and how to follow the health and safety rules.
Both beginners and advanced cosplayers welcome!
When: Sunday 11:00 – 11:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Saturday afternoon: Game Design Development
This is an EXPERT panel!
Interested in developing your own gaming system? Learn from the experts as they discuss the choices they made during development and how it affected the experience for GMs and players!
Between Doug, Emmet @oldoakgames
And Neil @brambleheartgames they have developed more systems and games than most people have ever played! Definitely not one to miss!
When: Saturday 17:00 – 17:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Sunday afternoon: Live Play: A Beginners Guide to Broadcasting Your Game Online
Does everyone leave your table with sore ribs from all the chuckling? Do you often find yourselves gripped by an emotional turn of events? Do you think your game could entertain the masses?
Come join Dylan from @hearthfiremedia and Neil from @brambleheartgames as they talk you through the setup, the tech required and how to manage your players as you go live with your game!
*Takes notes on how to manage your players* 😅
When: Sunday 12:00 – 12:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Sunday afternoon: With All Due Respect: Tackling Difficult Topics When Writing
The world is full of difficult topics, and so is writing. But how far is too far? Are you treating things with the respect and weight that they deserve? How do you make sure that you’re writing these characters and events thoughtfully and respectfully, without overriding the voices of people who’ve been through these things themselves? And sometimes, we write these as a form of self-healing, to give the characters the supports that we needed and didn’t get ourselves. But nobody should have to out themselves to justify why they’re writing characters who’ve been through trauma, are neurodivergent, disabled, or queer. In this talk, we explore the ways to make sure you’re anchoring these topics with reality, and above all, respect.
When: Sunday 13:00 – 14:00
Where: Workshop 5, 4th Floor
Sunday afternoon: Hardcore vs Casual Gaming: Who’s Playing it Right?
Do you battle bosses until the bitter end — or call it a night when the snacks run out?
Is a game only worth playing if you 100% it, or is gaming supposed to be easy-going fun with friends?
Whether you’re a min-maxing spreadsheet wizard or someone who still hasn’t finished that RPG from two years ago (and that’s okay!), we want to know:
When: Sunday 14:00 – 14:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor
Sunday afternoon: D&D for Youths: A panel discussion for educators, volunteers and youth
D&D and TTRPG clubs are popping up all over the place and it’s AMAZING to see! Some of our very own @athenryadventurers members have started clubs in their own school.
Do you want to start your own?
Just what are the benefits of D&D for youths?
Well!
Join our panel of teachers and youth club volunteers as they outline the reasons they run games for youths (age 9 to 18).
If you are just starting out in TTRPGs and want to learn more or have an interest in founding your own club, this could be the perfect starting point!
When: Sunday 15:00 – 15:45
Where: Panel Room, 4th Floor