Well, it’s been a full year since the last update. I thought for sure we’d be back at the table by now, but the Delta variant kept the Organizers cautious. RTR is thankful for all of you that have stuck around for the virtual tabletop experience. But what does 2022 hold in store?
Slowly Returning to In-Person Events
Perhaps the biggest change is that we intend to start returning to in-person events in 2022, along with virtual events. We will always have an eye on changes and developments regarding hospitalization and ICU utilization in our area. With the success of virtual events, I don’t think we’ll ever fully move away from them going forward, but we hope to reintroduce in-person options. Ultimately, we will return to in-person for the majority of our events, but the timeline for this will depend on local conditions and volunteer availability. Raleigh Tabletop RPGs is still dedicated to our mission as a community for gamers to meet each other, make new connections, and find good matches for their home games.
Requirements
Returning to in-person events is not without risk. Every member should weigh these risks and make the best decision for themselves. We will work to reduce that risk as much as possible through the following requirements.
- Proof of Vaccination: You will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID at your arrival at any in-person event. Anyone without this proof will not be admitted to the event. This is a firm rule with no exceptions.
- Private Spaces: For now, we will only hold in-person events at locations that can offer private space for our members away from other patrons of the business.
- No Sharing: To reduce contact between members, we ask that you not share dice, pencils, notes, etc. with other members. If a GM has a physical prop for the event, they’ll bring an individual copy for each participant.
- Masks are Encouraged or Required: This will fluctuate depending on the current state of Wake County at the time of any event. We will make sure the event page clearly notes if masks are required.
- If You Feel Unwell, Stay Home: We’ve been stuck in our homes for almost 2 years now, we understand the desire to meet back in person. However, if you feel sick or unwell please do not attend an event and put other members at risk.
- Agreement to Notify Organizers: If you test positive for COVID within a week of an event or find you had a COVID exposure within a week before the event, you agree to contact an organizer immediately. Failure to do this will result in a ban from all future in-person events.
A New Home
Sadly, RTR’s long-time partnership with Event Horizon ended when Event Horizon closed during the pandemic. We are saddened by the loss of welcoming hosts for years of RTR events. Going forward, this means we will be experimenting with new locations throughout the Raleigh region to see what fits our needs the best.
Old Favorites
We still intend to hold casual events at Deja Brew (dependent on weather and store hours) and some of our Special Events at The Gamer’s Armory.
Game Theory Downtown
Assuming conditions still allow, this will be our first venture out into in-person events in 2022 starting with our Call of Cthulhu SOP. Their private rooms at reasonable rates were a significant reason we picked Game Theory Downtown. Also, this location is within a block of Transfer Food Hall, there is a bottle shop next door, and often a food truck in front of the bottle shop. Parking is available at the store, along the street, and numerous public lots/decks are within walking distance.
Gamers Geekery & Tavern
In the future, we hope to host some events at Gamers Geekery & Tavern located at MacGregor Village. They have an in-house kitchen and bar, and coffee shops and other restaurants in the area. Parking is plentiful. Unfortunately, they aren’t able to provide private gaming space at the scale we need for SOPs, but we may hold other single-table events there in their private gaming room.
Relish Cafe & Bar
Once Relish reopens The Kitchen Table at Relish, we will try out their gaming area and see how well it suits our needs. Relish has a full menu and drink selection and plenty of parking at Creedmoor Crossings.
And Many Others!
We are looking at other sites in the area as they open or we find out about them. We’re looking at other gaming cafes, breweries, and even outdoor events in better weather. If you have a favorite spot that you think we should check out, let us know!
Costs and RTR’s Finances
Currently, RTR’s Finances are still solid from many years of responsible spending and fundraising on the part of Eric and Allie. We’ve intentionally held off asking for donations during the pandemic, but will return to fundraising once in-person events start. We can usually negotiate discounts for our event space, but the current playing space environment is more expensive than before the pandemic. As we get more solid numbers on costs, we will share those amounts to maintain full transparency. And, as has always been the case, as long as we have volunteers and financial support, we’ll continue to organize and promote tabletop gaming in the Triangle.
