Welcome, adventurers and storytellers, to the grand gathering of Founders & Legends, the ultimate celebration of old school and new school tabletop and roleplaying, wargaming, and board gaming! Founders & Legends is a sanctuary for those who yearn for the nostalgia and magic of the classic era of tabletop RPGs. Here, we pay homage to the pioneers who forged the path, and we honor the legends who inspired generations of gamers.
Tower of Gygax
The Tower of Gygax is a unique series of events, each of which offers the chance to sit for a two-hour adventure session, run by an industry notable and/or community guest DM. They will keep things rolling with challenging encounters, using the 1st edition AD&D ruleset. In the 2024 trial run, players sat at the table with legends like Ed Greenwood, Erol Otus, and Skip Williams, as well as guest DMs like actor Todd Stashwick. The year 2025 looks to be even bigger with additional game times, more DMs, and new encounters!
All you need is a spot at the table, a pencil, some dice, and your wits—everything else should be provided. Custom pre-generated character sheets are printed and provided—free to keep by the players, with either a stamp of “survival” or “early demise” depending on how they fair while navigating the adventure. Players may even have a chance to gain a cool keepsake at the conclusion of their game session, too!
The three main rules of the Tower of Gygax are:
1. have fun,
2. survive, and
3. have more fun.
Through the eyes of those who have beheld it, the Tower of Gygax is a multi-dimensional planar nexus of excitement, adventure, and danger to challenge even the most daring and experienced players. Each adventure can lead to any type of encounter—whether may appear as a castle floor, a dark jungle, an arid desert, a watery landscape, and/or anything in between. The level of danger is high and the pressure to survive keeps you on your toes, but there is always a way out…—if you can find it.
Check out the Tower of Gygax at Gary Con XVII in March and see if you can survive what awaits. And remember: You never know what’ll be behind that door until you open it!