GrellCon 2026 - The UK's only old-school D&D Con!

GrellCon is our inaugural one day not-for-profit tabletop gaming convention in London for fans of and newcomers to Dungeons & Dragons from 1974 to the mid 1980s.

We offer a full day of fantasy roleplay gaming for around 75 gamers in Stanley Arts in South East London. Meet like-minded adventurers as a player, become the doom of heroes as a Dungeon Master - or ideally, do both across our morning, afternoon and evening timetable slots.

The first and best form of fantasy roleplaying games focusses on adventure, exploration, danger, and engaged and skilful play. The systems - namely Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974 and onwards) and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1977 and onwards) facilitate a world-building approach rooted in classic works of pulp fantasy.

This means that the primary mode of play will probably be perilous exploration and treasure-hunting in strange fantasy worlds, fighting terrifying monsters deep underground and exploring vast wildernesses.

Thousands of players still enjoy this play style worldwide but the community is scattered and riven. We aim to draw it together for a powerful meeting of imaginary adventures - and we need your help!

Firstly, thank you for offering to run a game! All you need to do is select the correct ticket at checkout and you'll be registered with us as someone willing to run a game, and we'll be in touch ASAP.

We prefer traditional fantasy roleplaying games geared towards seeking treasure, with an advancement system of 1gp = 1xp which allows characters to grow in power. This focus helps everyone play toward a shared aim. If you are running a game at GrellCon it will usually be Original Dungeons & Dragons or Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, or Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons or one of the compatible modern 'retroclone' rulesets.

If you aren't sure if your idea for a game would fit, email us at [email protected] and we'll let you know!

Pre-Meet: On the preceding Friday afternoon/night, we plan to arrange a relaxed social meetup for ticketholders to meet, mingle and play RPGs somewhere in the South East London area.

For the Saturday itself:

Three timetable slots (one three hour and two four hour sessions) will each have many DMs running games alongside each other. Interspersed with these will be two breaks of 60 and 90 minutes. Gaming will have come to a close by 11pm.

For a comprehensive itinerary, check the Agenda section below. We hope to keep these set but they may be subject to change.

If we can make enough funds, we will also be able to keep the bar open until late for trading tales of high adventure. So, if you'd like to give us that little extra bit of socialising time you can buy a poster!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, London, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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