Gamers rejoice! It is time for PAX Unplugged to kick off a weekend of tabletop gaming. Below we’ve tried to capture a quick overview of can’t-miss events happening throughout the weekend.
As always, if you have questions you can consult the full schedule on the PAX Unplugged website.
FRIDAY
Tournaments on Demand
10:00 AM – 11:30 PM @ Tabletop Tourney
Magic the Gathering, D&D Adventurer’s League, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and more are available on demand on Friday (and all weekend!). Just show up to the Tabletop Tourney area, find a table, and start gaming. This is a great way to test your skill against your fellow gaming enthusiasts all weekend at PAX. It is also a good way to fill gaps in your schedule.
Storytime with Jeremy Crawford
10:30 AM @ Main Theatre
If you’re not gaming, come to the opening event of the weekend! D&D master Jeremy Crawford will be settling in with attendees to share the story of his career. Come hear behind the man driving the world of D&D forward.
Art & Arcana: The Visual History of Dungeons & Dragons
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM @ Crab God Theatre
Art & Arcana: The Visual History of Dungeons & Dragons is a beautiful way to honor a timeless game. From first edition to fifth, the curators of this volume took care to represent the wonderful, imaginative world of Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you’ve been a fan since inception or new, there’s something for everyone. Come hear about what makes this book so special.
An Afternoon with Pat Rothfuss
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM @ Mothman Theatre
Whether you love him for his books or his mad D&D skills, Pat Rothfuss is a cherished member of the geek community. Come hang out with him Friday afternoon as he shares stories, reads some of his work, and answers YOUR burning questions. Don’t ask him when the third book is out though. Leave the man alone!
Roll for Healing: Therapeutic Game Master Roundtable
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM @ Leviathan Theatre
I’ve always said that D&D is just play therapy for adults. Come join a bunch of professionals who agree as they discuss how role-playing games can be used in the therapeutic setting. I’m definitely kicking myself for missing this one.
The Past, Present and Future of Story-telling Games
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM@ Mothman Theatre
What is it about collective storytelling that is so enthralling? Why does there seem to be a resurgence now, after years of dormancy? Listen as panelists discuss the significance of stories in gaming and what the future may hold.
Dice, Camera, Action: Live!
8:30 PM – 11:00 PM @ Main Theatre
The Wafflecrew takes Philly for a “fireside” episode meant to dig deeper into the characters you love. Who doesn’t want to end their day with some live D&D?
Saturday
Tournaments on Demand
10:00 AM – 11:30 PM @ Tabletop Tourney
Magic the Gathering, D&D Adventurer’s League, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and more are available on demand all weekend. Just show up to the Tabletop Tourney area, find a table, and start gaming. This is a great way to test your skill against your fellow gaming enthusiasts all weekend at PAX. It is also a good way to fill gaps in your schedule.
WWII Miniatures (Hail of Fire)
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ Miniatures
There’s a maximum of 8 players for this event, but it might be worth the hustle. Players get to engage in a unique WWII battle with custom painted miniatures and a huge battle map. If you aren’t able to play, it will likely be worth it to go watch. Check the PAX Unplugged app for more details.
Latinx in Tabletop: Our Seat at the Table
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM @ Crab God Theatre
Games are for everyone. Come join this panel of Latinx gamers as they share stories and talk about the importance of diversity and inclusion.
D&D Beyond Presents: Roleplay Roulette
1:30PM – 2:30PM @ Main Theatre
Want to know what happens when a group of D&D luminaries come together to play completely random characters? So do we! Come join the fun as players create characters at the table during the event using D&D Beyond’s ‘Randomize’ feature and improvise their way through a classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
Hand Her a Sword: Instilling Confidence in Girls with RPGs
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM @ Crab God Theatre
RPGs, in particular D&D, can provide a uniquely empowering experience for girls. With benefits such as interpersonal skills practice and identity exploration, role playing games can contribute to the development of confidence, resilience, assertiveness, and voice in young women and girls. Panelists will talk about how to run successful girls D&D school clubs, classes, home games, and therapy groups with these goals in mind.
Ask the Wafflecrew Anything
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM @ Mothman Theatre
Celebrated dungeon master Chris Perkins (Wizards of the Coast, Acquisitions Inc.) streams weekly with the Wafflecrew (Anna Prosser Robinson, Holly “CommanderHolly” Conrad, Jared “ProJared” Knaubenbauer, and Nathan “NateWantsToBattle” Sharp) in Dungeons & Dragons’ official live stream show: Dice, Camera, Action! Need tips from professional D&D players? Have questions about streaming RPGs? Wanna know if your fave ship really sails? Ask the cast of DCA at this anything-goes Q&A!
Historical & Visual Transgender Representation in RPGs
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM @ Leviathan Theatre
Since the advent of RPGs, players have expressed their own personal stories and experiences with the roll of a dice. This panel explores how transgender representation in roleplaying games has evolved up to today. We will examine trans-representation in the tabletop industry, as well as discuss inclusion and implementation of transgender narratives from both a player and GM perspective.
Acquisitions Incorporated: LIVE!
8:30 PM – 11:30 PM @ Main Theatre
Acquisitions, Inc. travels into uncharted territory in an episode guaranteed to SHOCK and AMAZE! Join Omin Dran (Jerry Holkins), Jim Darkmagic (Mike Krahulik), and their band of brigands and braggarts as they embark on their weirdest adventure yet.
SUNDAY
Tournaments on Demand
10:00 AM – 11:30 PM @ Tabletop Tourney
Magic the Gathering, D&D Adventurer’s League, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and more are available on demand all weekend. Just show up to the Tabletop Tourney area, find a table, and start gaming. This is a great way to test your skill against your fellow gaming enthusiasts all weekend at PAX. It is also a good way to fill gaps in your schedule.
More Than Set Dressing: Handling Marginalization In Games
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM @ Leviathan Theatre
The year is 2018. Your tabletop group has become incredibly diverse and so too have their characters. Levels of privilege vary wildly among the party, sometimes creating tension. As the GM, you are charged with making this campaign feel real, to bring lived experiences to bear, and to make sure that it all stays fun, interesting, and safe. This panel will guide you and help light the path to making worlds as varied and wonder-filled as the one we live in. You just have to listen.
Acquisitions Incorporated: The “C” Team
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM @ Main Theatre
As we all know, time is the enemy. So why not spend a little of yours with our favorite National Parks Druid, Not-Your-Grandma’s-Grandma*, Fullmetal Narcissist, and Mist-Shrouded Drow?
Join Amy Falcone (Walnut Dankgrass), Ryan Hartman (Donaar Blit’zen), Kate Welch (Rosie Beestinger), and Kris Straub (K’Thriss Drowb) for a three-hour tour of the mind of D(rea)M Daddy Jerry Holkins as he prepares yet another adventure for everyone’s favorite Acq. Inc. franchisees?
Release the Minions! Introducing RPGs to Youth
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM @ Leviathan Theatre
We love RPGs and we love sharing our passion with others, but what do we do when we want to share RPGs with the next generation? Join our panelists who specialize in playing RPGs with youth and learn how they introduce the game, modify it, and make it an experience that will welcome young people into a hobby they’ll have for a lifetime.
Space at the Table: Education, Enjoyment, or Both?
1:30 PM –2:30 PM @ Leviathan Theatre
Whether battling aliens, flying spaceships or visiting other worlds, game designers love to use SPACE as a theme. At this event, scientists, engineers, and educators working in the space industry discuss using games as a tool to both inspire and teach about space science, astronomy, and technology. How much can a game teach? Does adding realism and science make a game more/less fun? We’re all gamers and we’re over the moon about space. So bring those far-out ideas, and let’s chat!
Queer as a Three-Sided Die
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM @ Leviathan Theatre
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are a part of the gamer community. Although the community is known for its tolerance, LGBTQIA+ people still often struggle to find places for themselves in the fantasy worlds we create. Tabletop Gaymers presents a panel including industry veterans leading a discussion of gender and sexuality issues in gaming from design and publishing to game-play and community.
Like it has been mentioned, this list is hardly exhaustive. There’s a lot that’s happening throughout the weekend at PAX Unplugged. Whether you end up in one of the panels, a tournament, or just stake out a table to play games, we hope you have a great time. We’ll be bringing you news straight from the convention floor all weekend so you don’t miss a thing.
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