Have you ever gotten up for a full day's work in a haunted coal mine and thought, "Boy, I really hope that bird in a cage doesn't stop singing and doom us all"? No? Then you clearly weren't with the RPGBOT crew in Part 2 of our Old Gods of Appalachia charity stream—where coal dust has claws, headlamps are your best friend, and it turns out you can get shot-in-the-foot vibes without ever firing a gun. Buckle up, y'all. Things are getting deep, dark, and very dusty.

Support MD Anderson Cancer Research

Before we go further, remember: this campaign was part of a live charity event supporting MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the top cancer hospitals in the world. Their mission is simple but critical: end cancer for patients everywhere through advanced research, treatment, and compassionate care.

You can still make a difference.

Donate today at https://mdanderson.donordrive.com/participants/9351 — every dollar helps bring hope, healing, and lifesaving treatment to real people in the fight for their lives.

Previously, on the RPGBOT charity stream: Jessie and Isaiah arrived in Williams Holler—an Appalachian company town where coal mine doom meets fire-eyed-almost-deer and fatal sermons about salvation through suffering. After a run-in with a not-deer and a meet-and-greet with Mister T and his questionable Applejack theology, our heroes found themselves deep in the mines for mandatory community service, hammering rocks for redemption.

Episode 2 picks up right where we left off: with moonshiner chaos, clumsy pickaxe injuries, Tommyknocker rituals, and a collapsing mine shaft that proves this town is as deadly belowground as it is above.

In this episode of the RPGBOT Podcast, the gang digs deeper into Old Gods of Appalachia—both narratively and literally—as they're sent into the bowels of the Williams Holler coal mine to "earn their keep" under the watchful eye of foreman Josh CC.

Join Jessie and Isaiah as they:

• Learn about Tommyknockers—ghostly Appalachian mine spirits who love pennies and hate eye contact.
• Perform citation-needed rituals involving canaries, fish bits, and whispered thanks.
• Fail basic pickaxe maneuvers (looking at you, Isaiah) and experience the dark gift of GM intrusions, brought to you by generous donors.
• Discover strange, ancient artifacts deep underground—hint: they might belong to the town's ominous apple orchard daughter.
• Encounter a creature that definitely isn't a dog made of coal and bad vibes.
• Try desperately to outrun physics, collapse, and tiny angry men with stone axes through lightless tunnels.

All while raising money for MD Anderson Cancer Research, whose work helps real people—unlike some podcast characters we could name.

Key Takeaways

• Horror is better underground: Claustrophobic tunnels, unstable lanterns, and monster-dust dogs? That's premium Appalachian fear.
• Cypher System shines in survival tension: Speed and might rolls build both narrative and actual sweat.
• Tommyknockers are the coal miner's cryptid: They warn you with knocks—if you leave them snacks and don't embarrass them.
• GM intrusions are extra spicy during charity games: The more you donate, the more you make the players quietly panic.
• Jessie can shoot, quip, and pull people out of holes: The perfect outlaw protagonist energy.
• This mine is getting worse by the minute: Strange artifacts, broken elevators, dead canaries? It's all very "maybe we leave now."
• Basket of weird fruit: The orchard, Mr. T, and a thing calling itself "the green" are part of a cosmic tug-of-war that's barely begun.

Thank You to the Old Gods and Monte Cook

A huge thank-you to Steve Shell, Cam Collins, and the DeepNerd Media team for creating the masterwork that is Old Gods of Appalachia. Their audio drama is the gold standard of Appalachian horror storytelling—and the Old Gods of Appalachia Roleplaying Game, built on Monte Cook Games' Cypher System, brings that dread to your table with terrifying finesse.

Want to experience this world for yourself?

• Listen to Old Gods of Appalachia wherever you get your podcasts
• Buy the RPG at montecookgames.com/old-gods-of-appalachia-rpg
• Bring some "not a deer" terror into your next campaign

Let the Old Gods whisper you home.

Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you.

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Meet the Hosts

• Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix.

• Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme.

• Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy.

Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos.

How to Find Us:

In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net

Tyler Kamstra

• BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
• TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET

Ash Ely

• Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
• BlueSky: @GravenAshes
• YouTube: @ashravenmedia

Randall James

• BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
• Amateurjack.com
• Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)

Producer Dan

• @Lzr_illuminati