MCM Comic Con 2023 London: An Absolute Treasure Trove for TTRPG Fans

Read on to find out all about MCM London's Tabletop offering as well as when and where everything is. MCM Comic Con London opens its doors to the public from October 27th - 29th. When it does, fans and players of Tabletop Roleplaying Games are going to be treated to a huge spread of options from live shows to dedicated gaming areas.

MCM Comic Con 2023 London: An Absolute Treasure Trove for TTRPG Fans!Once again, MCM Comic Con is just around the corner, with the ExCeL Centre in London getting ready to open their doors from Friday October 27th to Sunday 29th. What is notable about this year’s line up is just how much of a presence Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) have. From TTRPG Actual Play shows and gaming spaces to dice and miniatures, MCM London has you covered! These are certainly not new additions to the classic Comic Con roster, but there does seem to be more and more space for TTRPGs every year. And quite right too!

So, if you’re a TTRPG gamer, fan and or curious bystander heading to MCM London this October, here is a rundown of what you’ve got to look forward to at the end of the month. Also, if you download the MCM London app for your smart phone, you can access the schedule at any time and mark the events you want to attend to make sure you don’t miss them!

Actual Play Live Shows

The Actual Play scene in the UK is absolutely blossoming right now with many talented individuals and groups creating TTRPG shows for our enjoyment. Just have a look at these 5 notable examples from a previous article on the subject. At this MCM London, we are going to be treated with a huge lineup of live TTRPG shows, featuring established groups and a medley of some of the biggest names on the UK Actual Play scene. Have a look at what’s on offer below as well as when they’re on and where to find them.

Just a few of the big names on the UK Actual Play scene!

Just a few of the big names on the UK Actual Play scene!

Dicebreaker: The Biggest Names in UK TTRPG Live Show

Friday 27th October, 4pm – 5:30pm

Centre Stage

The weekend’s Actual Play action kicks off as Dicebreaker presents a live Dungeons & Dragons show featuring a cast of hugely talented Actual Play performers.

In the Dungeon Master’s chair is Mark ‘Sherlock’ Hulmes, founding member of the High Rollers D&D web series. As the channel’s main DM, Mark has a huge amount of experience running spectacular campaigns filled to the brim with a whole host of weird and wonderful characters.

Mark is joined by a host of players from across the Actual Play scene. From Dicebreaker, we have Liv Kennedy, joined by Jasper William Cartwright, Jess Jewell, Johnny Chiodini and Shamini Bundell. If you have watched, or listened to, any UK Actual Plays in the past year or so you have probably heard at least some of these names before! 

Mark can also be found in the Meet and Greet Zone on Friday from 2 – 3pm, so if you want to catch him before the show, that’s your chance!

Dragons Duel: A LIVE TTRPG Game Show With Audience Participation!

Friday October 27th, 6:40pm – 8pm

Haunted House

This is a very exciting premise for a show! 2 teams compete against each other through challenges that will put their improvisation and trivia skills to the test. This is been a long running tradition on Dragons Duel: The D&D Gameshow‘s YouTube channel, where TTRPG personalities face off against each other.

As you might have gathered from the title, the twist in this show is that audience members can be recruited as team members! Hamilton (who also DMs games on the channel) will be running things. Meanwhile, Fiona KT Howat and Taylor van Biljon will be the team captains calling upon audience members to help them out!

A Mörk Borg Demon Slayer Tale LIVE!

Saturday October 28th, 12:15pm – 1:45 pm

Haunted House

Mörk Borg is one of the darker TTRPG’s out there, set in a miserable, blighted world on the edge of obliteration. Developed by Ockult Örtmästare Games & Stockholm Kartell, it is set up for bleak horror and has been used by many an Actual Play to produce many a macabre adventure.

Taking part in this live show will be Hamilton Ross-Bottomley, Fiona KT Howat and Taylor van Biljon.

Ready for another Oxventure? I sure am!

Ready for another Oxventure? I sure am!

Oxventure Live D&D

Saturday October 28th, 4:30pm – 6:15pm

Centre Stage

Oxventure‘s Live D&D shows are always an absolute delight! The cast have been performing together as their beloved characters for so long now, that being in the room with them feels like being back with old friends. Their infectious enthusiasm, character play and attempts to undo their Dungeon Masters plans are always a joy to see for fans old and new.

Johnny Chiodini will be returning at the team’s long suffering DM as well as core cast members; Luke Westaway, Andy Farrant, Jane Douglas, Mike Channell and Ellen Rose.

Dicebreaker: UK TTRPG’s Rising Stars

Saturday October 28th, 6:15pm – 7pm

Live Stage

Dicebreaker is back for another ensemble show! As the name suggests, the emphasis this time is on TTRPG performers who are just starting to get noticed by audiences at large. The game for this show is the one-page RPG, Sexy Battle Wizards by Grant Howitt

Liv Kennedy returns, but this time as the Games Master. She is joined by rising stars: Drakoniques, Edward Spence, Zack Fortais-Gomm and Fiona KT Howat.

Roll Britannia LIVE

Sunday 29th October, 12:55pm – 2:25pm

Haunted House

Roll Britannia are a British D&D comedy podcast who specialize in High sea hijinks. This live show appears to be the latest escapade in their adventure. By the looks of it, the stakes are high this time as a cruel monarchy seeks to destroy magic and those who use it.

You’ll also be able to find them after their show in the Meet And Greet Zone on Sunday from 3 – 5pm.

Panel Shows

As well as performances, there are also a lot of TTRPG panel shows at MCM London. These are events where TTRPG personalities talk about themselves, their projects and offer tips for fellow players and DMs. Here are 3 panels I recommend you checking out if you can.

The Legendary band of Actual Player performers: Critical Role!

The Legendary band of Actual Player performers: Critical Role!

The Cast of Critical Role

Sunday 29th October, 11am – 12pm

Main Stage (Streamed to Live Stage and Centre Stage)

Critical Role is a group that shouldn’t really need any kind of introduction. They are absolute giants in the world of TTRPGs and Actual Plays with a huge roster of incredible campaigns and one-shots to their name.

Core cast members; Matt Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe and Travis Willingham will all be there. They will be talking about their history together from humble beginnings to the shining beacon of nerdiness they are today!

Due to the expected popularity of this panel, it’ll be hosted on the Main Stage, but streamed to the Live and Centre Stages as well. There will also be a stream available to everyone at Popverse, for anyone unable to make it.

CAUTION! Character Development ahead: Setting up a TTRPG Character with Backwater Bastards

Saturday October 28th, 3:35pm – 4:30pm

Platinum Suite Room 2

Hamilton, Fiona and Taylor are back again, this time in a cozier setting, to talk about character creation in TTRPGs. If you’re after ideas for your next campaign character, looking to make your character more interesting or just want to share character stories, this could be just the event for you! 

Finding the Path: Isometric TTRPG Map Making With the Pros

Sunday October 29th, 3pm – 3:45pm

Artist Alley Stage

Maps can be a very important part of running or participating in a TTRPG campaign. They can help players immerse themselves in the spaces and interact with the world around them, as well as helping DMs plan their sessions. Here, you can learn about different styles and methods of map making with Daniel Matthews and Ollie of Moonlight Maps. During the talk, they’ll be showing off some of their favorite maps and showing you a variety of ways to customize your tabletop world.

Lots of Tabletop Merch!

Comic Con is always great places to find lots of quality merchandise from your favorite franchises. Quite often the choice can be overwhelming, so let me help you out by pointing you towards some TTRPG booths that have already caught my eye!

Game Booths

Grant Howitt’s Honey Heist –  Booth: S1618. The creator of Sexy Battle Wizards himself will be there with another of his bizarre creations; Honey Heist. To put it simply, it’s a game where you play as bears in hats trying to steal a bunch of honey. Going to his stall will allow you to check out the game’ Special Edition, complete with twists on the original game, incredibly detailed world building literature as well as pre-generated bears and nametags!

Parable Games – Booths: 2M19 and 2M20. The creators of award winning scary movie Roleplaying Game, SHIVER. Visit Parable Games to learn more about how to create your own spooky adventures with their game. 

Soul Muppet – Booth: S1616. Speaking of spooky adventures, Soul Muppet has lots of them! They publish a wide range of games, with a focus on representing queer creators and others to struggle to access the market.

Mythopoeia – Booth: 2H9. These folks are seasoned fantasy storytellers with a range of original stories set in unique worlds. Visit their booth to check out their latest Roleplaying adventures, including a sea-faring adventure across the ocean of the Wildsea!

Other TTRPG Booths

Lazy Dragon Gaming – Booths: 2E5, 2E6 and 2E7. This Blackpool based store sells a variety of TTRPG merch. They also host various tournaments, including card games and miniature games.

LoreKeeper Ltd. – Booth: S1604. This indie development team have developed a tool designed to support games masters create great games quickly! This is their debut and it sounds like it’d very much be worth stopping by and trying it out!

Modular Realms Ltd. – Booth S1606. Looking for a novel way of creating terrain with quality pieces? Modular Realms design top quality magnetic dungeon tiles that stick together to create your own 3D environments. I’m definitely keen to check that out myself!

Tabletop Dominion – Booth S1610. These folks offer a massive selection of dice and other gaming accessories. They are especially worth checking out as they seem to have exquisitely designed spooky season themed dice on sale for the rest of the month!

Yokaiihime – Booth S886. A great place to head to if you’re after some gorgeous TTRPG apparel and accessories. Yokaiihime’s got it all from keychains, pins and stickers to wooly hats, t-shirts and dice bags!

The Tabletop Realm run by Side Quest

At any time during the event, you can go to the Side Quest area in the South Hall to find a dedicated Tabletop gaming area to get hands on with old classics and new potential favorites. Here is all the Tabletop Realm has to offer.

Beginner? Novice? Veteran? Either way, you'll find a game for you in the Tabletop Realm!

Beginner? Novice? Veteran? Either way, you’ll find a game for you in the Tabletop Realm!

Join a Game With Strangers or Friends

People of all ages and stages are welcome to take part in a variety of games. Some of the highlighted ones include Invasion of the Cow Snatchers, City of Zombies, Katamino and Tumble Tree.

There is also a dedicated area for Dungeons & Dragons. If you or someone with you is interested in giving D&D a try, this could be the perfect way to do so as experienced players and GMs will be on hand. Beginner level games will be running all weekend to help you get started in your first adventure. This year also features, for the first time, a 100 square meter sized D&D Battle map to really help you get into the adventure!

Interested in trying out the latest games from Indie developers? The Tabletop Demo Zone has stands for new developers eager to have people try out their new games. If you yourself are a games creator, it might be worth checking out to see if you’d like to have a stand here in the future!

Roleplay Haven will also be at the RPG Zone to run quality TTRPG sessions for seasoned players. Schedules and sign ups will be shared closer to the time.

Merch and DM tools from Backwater Bastards

Look out for the bright yellow tablecloth with the giant bear and robot jellyfish standee and you’ll find Taylor and Dan of the Backwater Bastards accompanied by Hamilton and Fiona of the DM’s Book Club. MCM London just can’t get enough of them this year!

If you visit them, you’ll be treated to free goody bags complete with stickers, dice and all things nerdy for your campaigns! As well as that, they have other goodies on offer such as Hamilton’s Demon Slayer hack for Mörk Borg, that they’ll be using in their live show, and useful tools for DMs. They are also open to just chatting all things TTRPG and potentially giving you a sneak peak to the Dragons Duel setup if you ask nicely!

Tabletop Tournaments

If you’re feeling competitive, Dice and Destiny will be running a series of tournaments that you can see in the table below:

Feel like you’ve got what it takes? Sign up to a tournament and find out!

There will be a sign up system in the Platinum Suite on the day and a small participation fee may apply.

Miniature Paint and Take Sessions

If you enjoy painting miniatures or are looking for a new artistic hobby, Everstromn Hobbies will be running beginner friendly paint-and-take sessions over the weekend. As well as getting to leave with the mini you’ve painted, there will also be paint, craft supplies and pre-painted figures on sale too.

The Reset Room

Whilst this last section isn’t strictly TTRPG related, I think it’s important that everybody know about it. Conventions can get a little overwhelming at times, especially large ones like MCM Comic Con. There’s no shame in admitting you need a break from all the wonderful geekiness going on around you.

That’s exactly what The Reset Room is for. It’s a safe and quiet space where you can relax and recharge before getting back to the main convention whenever you’re ready.

This year, the room is staffed by mental health charity, Gaming The Mind. They are a group run by mental health experts who have a passion for games and all things nerdy. They will be around to help you recover whether you want to chat, play something low-intensity or seek advice on managing your mental health.

You can find The Reset Room on the first floor of the Platinum Suite, up the escalators in the glass box off the main boulevard. It’ll be available from 1 hour after priority entry until 1 hour before the show closes each day.

Remember that it is a safe space for other people as well, so make sure to be respectful of other users if you make use of this space yourself.

The staff of Gaming The Mind are here for you if things are a bit much and you need to take a break.

The staff of Gaming The Mind are here for you if things are a bit much and you need to take a break.

And that should just about do it! As you can see, there is so much to see and do as a TTRPG fan at MCM London this year. For more on MCM and the wonderful world of TTRPGs, keep an eye out for future articles from KeenGamer!

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