What Is Gen Con?
For those who’ve never experienced it, Gen Con is more than just a gaming convention—it’s the premier tabletop gaming event in North America, often dubbed “The Best Four Days in Gaming.” Held annually in Indianapolis, Gen Con draws over 70,000 attendees, ranging from roleplaying fanatics and board game devs to cosplay artists, indie publishers, and old-school wargamers. It’s a living, breathing monument to what makes the tabletop hobby so enduring: community, creativity, and a willingness to roll the dice—literally.
At Gen Con, there’s something for everyone. Want to try a new TTRPG? There are hundreds of sessions hosted by both indie creators and major publishers. Looking to play a prototype board game? Dozens of designers are playtesting their future hits. The vendor hall is a sprawling labyrinth of books, dice, minis, terrain, art, and more, where your wallet goes to die and your library goes to grow.
But what truly sets Gen Con apart is the people. There’s an electric energy in the air as game masters greet strangers who quickly become party members, creators unveil their latest obsessions, and fans of every stripe celebrate their shared passion. For GMs like me, it’s a chance to showcase storytelling chops, test wild ideas, and give players unforgettable memories.
In short, Gen Con is where gaming lives large—and this year, I’m proud to be running one of the most iconic dungeon crawls of all time in 5E format: Dark Tower.
Enter the Dark Tower
Originally published in 1980 by Judge’s Guild and designed by the late Jennell Jaquays, Dark Tower is a legendary module in the annals of classic D&D. In 2023, Goodman Games gave this epic the treatment it deserved with a fully updated 5E conversion as part of their Original Adventures Reincarnated line—reviving the original’s brutal puzzles, open-ended factions, and multi-level sandbox style for modern audiences.
Set in the desert wastes of a ruined kingdom, Dark Tower tells the story of a long-dead struggle between two gods: Set, the vile serpent deity, and Mitra, his radiant adversary. The players arrive in the shattered remains of the Tower and its subterranean complexes, caught in the middle of a simmering religious war between surviving cultists, undead monstrosities, and opportunistic dungeon dwellers. It’s old-school design at its finest—hard choices, rival factions, no hand-holding, and deadly traps.
What makes Dark Tower so special isn’t just its history—it’s the way it forces player agency. It’s not just about kicking down doors and slaying monsters. It’s about who you choose to
ally with, what truths you uncover, and how your actions tip the scales in a battle that echoes through myth and memory. You can cleanse the Tower, embrace its corruption, or burn everything to the ground.
Goodman Games’ 5E version preserves the original’s brilliance while adding new character options, expanded lore, and elegant formatting. If you’re into thoughtful dungeon delving with a high chance of death and a dash of cosmic stakes, Dark Tower is the module to run.
What I’m Bringing to the Table
At Gen Con 2025, I’ll be running Dark Tower using Goodman Games’ 5E ruleset—but with a twist.
Rather than simply follow the script, I plan to make this session something truly memorable. I’m throwing them into a high-level encounter cluster. Think planar bleed-throughs, serpent-god avatars, cursed relics, and demonic ambushes. It’ll be fast, brutal, and unforgettable. Characters might jump from level 6 challenges to level 14 threats in a flash, and the world around them may twist to reflect their decisions (or their failures). I’ll be modifying faction behaviors, layering on planar instability, and giving players the chance to push their luck in a dungeon that doesn’t wait.
If you’re playing at my table this year—bring your best dice. You’re going to need them.
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Explore more modules at Goodman Games
See you at Gen Con.
