Appalachian Region Weekly Update
Week of June 21–27, 2026
📋 This Week at a Glance
Greetings, Pathfinders and Starfinders. Big week ahead: Free RPG Day is this Saturday, June 27, and lodges across the region have turned out in force — 43 scheduled sessions this week across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, with 19 of those on Saturday alone. Grab a friend who’s never played before and get to a table.
On the Paizo front: no new public information since last week’s restructuring coverage — see the updated note from your RVC below. We’re also flagging some intermittent Paizo.com trouble that’s unrelated to all of that.
DragonCon recruiting remains open and urgent — we need volunteers now, not in August. Chattanooga has real, encouraging news brewing. And Gen Con is coming up at the end of July, which matters more than you might think — more on that below.
🚨 Paizo Restructuring — Continued Coverage
📣 No New Public Information This Week
Last week we shared Paizo CEO Jim Butler’s full June 8 statement on the company’s financial situation, the Diamond Comics bankruptcy fallout, layoffs, and changes coming to Organized Play. If you missed it, that full statement and our notes on it are in last week’s edition.
📌 An Updated Note from Your RVC
There is nothing new to report this week. We have not received any additional public information from Paizo beyond what was shared on June 8, and as Venture-Officers we are not in a position to speculate or share anything beyond what’s already public — nor would that help anyone. The moment Paizo makes something new public, we will share it with this region as fast as we can put it together. That’s a promise.
We know the waiting is hard, especially with so much uncertainty hanging over the program. Thank you for your patience, and thank you for continuing to show up at the table while we all wait this out together.
— Joel H, Regional Venture-Coordinator, Appalachian Region
⚠️ Heads Up: Paizo.com Acting Flaky Right Now
Several of you have reported intermittent errors on Paizo.com this week — specifically 502 Bad Gateway and 504 Gateway Time-out errors. To be clear: this appears unrelated to the restructuring news. The most likely explanation is increased site traffic from Origins Game Fair, happening now through this Sunday, June 21, in Columbus, OH. If you hit an error, give it a few minutes and try again.
🎲 Free RPG Day Is This Saturday!
🎲 Free RPG Day 2026 — Saturday, June 27
This is the single biggest day on our regional calendar this week — and one of the best on the whole year’s calendar. Free RPG Day is the lowest-barrier entry point into Pathfinder and Starfinder Society anywhere: free adventures, free swag while supplies last, and the perfect excuse to bring a friend who’s never picked up a d20.
Lodges across the region have stepped up in a big way — 19 sessions are running this Saturday alone, including dedicated Free RPG Day tables at NC Triad PFS (Winston-Salem) and AtlantaPFS (Dawsonville), plus a full slate of regular Society play everywhere else. The full list is in this week’s schedule below.
Don’t see your lodge running Free RPG Day content specifically? Sanctioned content can only be run for credit on June 27 itself at a participating venue — find the nearest one right here:
🎲 Find Where to Play Free RPG Day — Store Locator 🎲Bringing someone new? Tell them pregenerated characters are provided at every table — no prep required, just show up.
🎲 Why Gen Con Matters More Than You’d Think
🎲 Gen Con 2026 — July 30 – August 2, Indianapolis, IN
Gen Con is a month out, and it’s worth getting excited about even if you’re nowhere near Indianapolis. Paizo traditionally saves its biggest organized play announcements for Gen Con — and historically, this is exactly where Paizo kicks off new seasons of both the Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society campaigns. Combine that with the rules changes already announced for July 30 (see last week’s coverage) and a major restructuring year for the company, and Gen Con weekend could be one of the most consequential moments for Organized Play in 2026.
You don’t have to attend to care about this one. Watch paizo.com/blog and your regional channels around July 30 — we’ll be covering whatever comes out of it as soon as it’s public.
📢 Regional Announcements & Opportunities
📅 Quick Reminders from Paizo’s June Update
Two dates worth keeping on your radar, both covered in more depth in earlier editions: July 1 brings four new Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society scenarios, and July 16 is when Paizo publishes its annual rules-change blog for both campaigns — a significant update this year, with all changes taking effect July 30 at Gen Con. We’ll cover both in full when they land.
🎉 Morgantown, WV – CharCon Is Less Than Three Weeks Away
The Morgantown lodge continues its restart at Wyvern’s Wargames and is preparing for its first convention appearance at CharCon — July 10–12 at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston, WV. That’s under three weeks out. If you’re in or near the Charleston area that weekend and can help staff organized play, reach out to Joel H or email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com.
🔥 Stirring in Chattanooga
Here’s some genuinely encouraging news: after a quiet stretch, we’re hearing real, recurring interest from players in the Chattanooga area about restarting organized play there. Nothing is officially relaunched yet — but the conversations are happening, and if Chattanooga is going to come back, the people who step up now are the ones who’ll shape what it looks like.
If you’re in or near Chattanooga and have ever thought about running a table, helping rebuild a lodge from the ground up, or just want to see organized play come back to your city, this is genuinely the moment. Email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com — we’d love to talk with you.
🚨 Venture-Officer Opening: Charleston, WV — Ground Floor Opportunity
We are working to establish a new lodge in Charleston, WV. The Morgantown lodge is bringing organized play to CharCon this July — but a lodge with roots in Charleston itself is what makes sustained convention support and regular game days possible going forward. If you’re willing to be the person who builds organized play in West Virginia’s capital city, reach out now.
What being a Venture-Officer actually involves: scheduling games at a local venue, welcoming new players, keeping the lodge’s Warhorn page current, and being a point of contact for the region. You don’t need to be an expert — you need to show up and care. The VO Handbook covers everything else.
Contact us at rvcapparegionop@gmail.com or through the Appalachian Region Hub.
🎯 Lodges That Need You at the Table
The single most important thing you can do for organized play in this region is show up regularly and occasionally run a game. These lodges need that from you right now:
- Mebane, NC — Tables are running but attendance is inconsistent and GM support is thin. If you are in the Triangle or Triad area, this lodge needs warm bodies in chairs.
- Charlotte, NC — Real momentum this week (five sessions!) — keep it going by showing up regularly, not just for the big weeks.
- Memphis, TN — Western Tennessee needs both players and GMs to keep Society play alive in the area.
- Nashville, TN — Strong existing interest, real potential. The schedule could be bigger with more GMs willing to step behind the screen.
If you are near any of these cities, reach out through the Lodge Directory or email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com to get connected.
🐉 DragonCon 2026 — Under 90 Days — GM and HQ Volunteers: Sign Up Now
September 3–7, 2026 — AmericasMart Building 3, Atlanta, GA
We’re going to be direct: volunteer sign-ups have stalled out over the past several weeks. That needs to change starting today. DragonCon is the Premier Paizo Organized Play event in the Appalachian Region — five days, thousands of attendees, one of the biggest stages in the country to showcase what Pathfinder and Starfinder Society can be.
Here’s why timing matters, concretely: the volunteer roster needs to be finalized and submitted to DragonCon leadership by July 31 so they have the lead time to build the schedule grid and open ticket presales a month out. That’s about five weeks away. Every week that passes without new sign-ups makes it more likely that tables simply don’t happen this year.
- Early sign-ups get first pick of time slots — run what you want, when you want.
- Every table you run may be a player’s very first Society game. Make it count.
- HQ and operations volunteers are the backbone of the whole event: check-in, GM support, slot coordination. Unglamorous work that makes everything else possible.
- You will be part of a well-run regional team with experienced convention leadership behind you.
The DragonCon 2026 Volunteer Form is open right now. Fill it out today. Even a few slots makes a difference. Questions? Email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com.
🎪 Upcoming Conventions – Next 90 Days
The Regional & National Calendar tracks conventions and game days across the six-state region. If you are interested in volunteering at any of these events, contact the hosting lodge or email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com.
🎮 Origins Game Fair – Happening Now, Through Sunday
Dates: June 17–21, 2026
Where: Greater Columbus Convention Center — Columbus, OH
Website: originsgamefair.com
Wrapping up this weekend. If you’ve noticed Paizo.com acting flaky, this is the likely culprit (see note above).
📚 Free RPG Day – June 27, 2026
Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
Where: Participating local game stores nationwide
Website: freerpgday.com/gamers
This Saturday. Stores must order kits in advance — if your FLGS doesn’t appear on the locator, they’re not participating this year. Sanctioned content may only be run on June 27 at a participating venue, or after July 27 for general use. Find a participating store near you →
🏰 CharCon – Charleston, WV
Dates: July 10–12, 2026
Venue: The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences — Charleston, WV
Website: charcon.org
The Morgantown lodge will be representing the Appalachian Region at CharCon this year — their first convention appearance. If you’re in or near the Charleston, WV area that weekend and want to help staff organized play tables, please reach out. Email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com or connect through the GeorgiaPFS Discord.
🎲 Gen Con – Indianapolis, IN
Dates: July 30 – August 2, 2026
Venue: Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
Website: gencon.com
One of the largest tabletop gaming conventions in the world — and traditionally where Paizo makes its biggest Organized Play announcements and kicks off new campaign seasons. Watch Paizo and organized play channels closely this year.
🎰 Southern-Fried Gaming Expo – Atlanta, GA
Dates: July 31 – August 2, 2026
Venue: The Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center — Atlanta, GA
Lodge: AtlantaPFS (coordinated by Steve H)
Website: gameatl.com
Steve H is coordinating AtlantaPFS’s presence at Southern-Fried again this year. Volunteer planning is underway in the AtlantaPFS Discord — watch that channel for details.
🐉 DragonCon – Atlanta, GA
Dates: September 3–7, 2026
Venue: AmericasMart Building 3 — Atlanta, GA
Website: dragoncon.org
The Premier Paizo Organized Play event in the Appalachian Region. GM and HQ volunteer recruiting is open now at the DragonCon 2026 Volunteer Form. Roster needs to be finalized by July 31. Early volunteers get first pick of time slots. Do not wait.
🎲 This Week’s Scheduled Games – June 21–27, 2026
The region has 43 scheduled sessions this week across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee — physical and virtual, with a huge Free RPG Day turnout driving Saturday’s numbers. Check your lodge’s Warhorn page directly for the most current information and sign up early — some sessions are filling quickly.
Note: a small number of previously-listed sessions for this week were pulled from this edition after we confirmed they were no longer current on Warhorn (most were superseded by Free RPG Day programming). If a game you were expecting isn’t listed here, check your lodge’s Warhorn page directly.
Sunday, June 21 – Friday, June 26
| Date | Time (EDT) | Scenario | System | Lodge / Venue | Sign Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jun 21 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Mischief in the Maze (PFS2 5-12) | PFS2 | Appalachian PFS (Asheville) – The Deck Box (Asheville, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Equal Exchanges – Tapestry of the Mind (PFS2 5-18) | PFS2 | Piedmont RPS (Charlotte) – The Mighty Meeple (Concord, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Flooded King’s Court (PFS2 1-07) | PFS2 | East TN PFS (Knoxville) – Old Black Mountain Games and Toys (Knoxville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Freedom on the Sea (PFS2 7-18) | PFS2 | Cookeville PFS/SFS – Knighthood Games (Cookeville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Sun, Jun 21 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | The Great Absalom Relay (SFS2 1-04) | SFS2 | Appalachian PFS (Asheville) – Venue TBA (check Warhorn) | Warhorn |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Rescue in the Wreck (SFS2 1-22) | SFS2 | Raleigh PFS – Game Theory – Duraleigh (Raleigh, NC) | Warhorn |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | The Lost Legend (PFS2 1-20) | PFS2 | East TN PFS (Knoxville) – Old Black Mountain Games and Toys (Knoxville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Mon, Jun 22 | 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM | Breaching the Wreck (SFS2 1-21) | SFS2 | Hampton Roads – Tap N Roll – Newport News (Newport News, VA) | Warhorn |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 6:00 PM – Open | The Strings of Hell (7-20) | PFS2 | Garden River (Augusta) – Venue TBA (check Warhorn) | Warhorn |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Negotiations for the Star Gun (PFS2 4-12) | PFS2 | East TN PFS (Knoxville) – The Game Piece (Knoxville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 6:00 PM – Open | DA-1 The Beast of Birchfrost | PFS2 | Garden River (Augusta) – Venue TBA (check Warhorn) | Warhorn |
| Tue, Jun 23 | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM | The Chitterwood Walks, Part 1: Scrambling the Tribes (PFS2 7-09) | PFS2 | Richmond & Central VA – Online (Richmond, VA Discord) | Warhorn |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM | The Great Absalom Relay (SFS2 1-04) | SFS2 | Richmond & Central VA – Online (Richmond, VA Discord) | Warhorn |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM | Dacilane Academy’s Delightful Disaster (PFS2 3-18) | PFS2 | Palmetto Lodge (Columbia SC) – Firefly (Columbia, SC) | Warhorn |
| Wed, Jun 24 | 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM | Magic Unleashed (SFS2 1-20) | SFS2 | Palmetto Lodge (Columbia SC) – Firefly (Columbia, SC) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration (PFS2 5-01) | PFS2 | East TN PFS (Knoxville) – Paragon Gaming (Knoxville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Psychic Echoes (SFS2 1-23) | SFS2 | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Rusthenge | PFS2 | Hampton Roads – Atomic Comics Emporium (Hampton Roads, VA) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM | The Strings of Hell (PFS2 7-20) | PFS2 | Durham PFS – Atomic Empire (Durham, NC) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM | Equal Exchanges – The Hidden Current (PFS2 5-11) | PFS2 | Durham PFS – Atomic Empire (Durham, NC) | Warhorn |
| Thu, Jun 25 | 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM | The Devil-Wrought Disappearance (PFS2 3-04) | PFS2 | Durham PFS – Atomic Empire (Durham, NC) | Warhorn |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | A Star’s Journey (PFS2 7-16) | PFS2 | East TN PFS (Knoxville) – Old Black Mountain Games and Toys (Knoxville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | The Strings of Hell (PFS2 7-20) | PFS2 | Nashville OP – The Game Keep (Nashville, TN) | Warhorn |
| Fri, Jun 26 | 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM | Take the Bait (SFS2 1-12) | SFS2 | AtlantaPFS – Online | Warhorn |
🎲 Free RPG Day – Saturday, June 27
| Date | Time (EDT) | Scenario | System | Lodge / Venue | Sign Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jun 27 | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM | PF2 Adventure: Things Go to Hell (Free RPG Day 2026) | PFS2 | AtlantaPFS – Level Up Games (Dawsonville, GA) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM | SF2 Adventure: Rescue on Raxil (Free RPG Day 2026) | SFS2 | AtlantaPFS – Level Up Games (Dawsonville, GA) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM | The Fanciful March of Urwal (PFS2 2-18) | PFS2 | Raleigh PFS – Game Theory – Wake Forest (Wake Forest, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM | The Haunted Corridor (PFS2 7-08) | PFS2 | Murfreesboro PFS – The Dragons Hoard (Murfreesboro, TN) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | PF2 Adventure: Things Go to Hell (Free RPG Day 2026) | PFS2 | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Choose you Own Free RPG Day Pathfinder 2E Adventure | — | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | SF2 Adventure: Rescue on Raxil (Free RPG Day 2026) | SFS2 | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Psychic Echoes (SFS2 1-23) | SFS2 | Richmond & Central VA – Battlegrounds RVA (Richmond, VA) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | The Dacilane Academy’s Show Must Go On (PFS2 Quest S2-20) | PFS2 | Piedmont RPS (Charlotte) – The Mighty Meeple (Concord, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | PF2 Adventure: Things Go to Hell (Free RPG Day 2026) | PFS2 | AtlantaPFS – Level Up Games (Dawsonville, GA) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | SF2 Adventure: Rescue on Raxil (Free RPG Day 2026) | SFS2 | AtlantaPFS – Level Up Games (Dawsonville, GA) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | The Crocodile’s Smile (PFS2 5-10) | PFS2 | Mid-South (Memphis) – The Cellar (Memphis, TN) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Brastlewark at War, Part 2: The Gnome Liberation (PFS2 7-14) | PFS2 | Mid-South (Memphis) – The Cellar (Memphis, TN) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Age of Ashes, Part 4: Fires of the Haunted City | PFS2 | Piedmont RPS (Charlotte) – Carolina Tabletop Games (Charlotte, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Final Gambit: Part One (SFS2 1-24) | SFS2 | Richmond & Central VA – Venue TBA (check Warhorn) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Friends in Need (PFS2 Quest S2-22) | PFS2 | Piedmont RPS (Charlotte) – The Mighty Meeple (Concord, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | PF2 Adventure: Things Go to Hell (Free RPG Day 2026) | PFS2 | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | SF2 Adventure: Rescue on Raxil (Free RPG Day 2026) | SFS2 | NC Triad PFS – House of Cards (Winston-Salem, NC) | Warhorn |
| Sat, Jun 27 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Lacking Respect (PFS2 Quest S2-23) | PFS2 | Piedmont RPS (Charlotte) – The Mighty Meeple (Concord, NC) | Warhorn |
All times Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Virtual games hosted on each lodge’s platform — check the Warhorn listing for access details. Game listings reflect the regional calendar as of publication; always verify with your lodge’s page for the latest. The schedule is subject to change and new sessions can be added at any time — check the Regional Calendar regularly.
💬 Connect With the Region
- Regional Hub Website: appaopregion.org
- Regional & National Calendar: Regional and National Calendar
- Lodge Directory: Find Your Lodge
- Facebook: Appalachian Region Organized Play
- X (Twitter): @AppaRegionOP
- BlueSky: @apparegionop.bsky.social
- Mastodon: @apparvc@dice.camp
- Regional Venture-Coordinator: rvcapparegionop@gmail.com
For individual lodge social media, Discord servers, and Warhorn event pages, visit the Lodge Directory.
🎯 Looking Ahead
Free RPG Day is this Saturday, June 27 — find a participating store and bring a friend. Origins Game Fair wraps up this Sunday. CharCon is July 10–12 and the Morgantown lodge will be there. Gen Con and Southern-Fried Gaming Expo land at the end of July — and Gen Con in particular is worth watching closely this year. DragonCon is under 90 days out, and the volunteer roster needs to be finalized by July 31.
Chattanooga’s possible resurgence and the Charleston, WV opening remain the region’s most exciting structural opportunities right now. If that someone is you, reach out today.
Lodge leadership and VOs: If your lodge has news, milestones, or events to share in a future regional update, email rvcapparegionop@gmail.com. The more you share, the better we can spotlight what is happening across the region.
Roll well, Pathfinders and Starfinders. See you at the tables. ⚔️🌟