“The 3 types of terror: The Gross-out: the sight of a severed head tumbling down a flight of stairs, it’s when the lights go out and something green and slimy splatters against your arm. The Horror: the unnatural, spiders the size of bears, the dead waking up and walking around, it’s when the lights go out and something with claws grabs you by the arm. And the last and worse one: Terror, when you come home and notice everything you own had been taken away and replaced by an exact substitute. It’s when the lights go out and you feel something behind you, you hear it, you feel its breath against your ear, but when you turn around, there’s nothing there…”

― Stephen King

Raleigh Tabletop RPGs is excited to bring you back to the infamous Dark Carnival, our very own horror-themed Special Event. The one-shot TTRPG sessions presented here by our incredible volunteer GMs run the gamut from Saturday Morning Cartoon Spookems to Psychological Dungeon Horror, from Otherwordly Sci-Fi Frights to Extraordinary Fantastical Fears.

Dark Carnival 2024 will comprise two Sessions of games — the “morning” Session from 12noon – 4PM, and then the “afternoon” Session from 5PM-9PM. Players are welcome to sign up for a game in each Session, if they’d like. These Sessions will take place IRL at The Gamer’s Armory, but everything will be organized centrally via RTR’s Discord Server (check the Dark Carnival 2024 topic under the Campaigns and One Shots Forum list in the Tabletop section).

See below for a list of the games on offer

Morning Session (12noon – 4pm)

• Table 1: “Dark Caribbean Gold!” (Pirate Borg), from GM Vince P for up to 6 Players
• Table 2: “Bleak Revel” (Our Brilliant Ruin), from GM Justin A for up to 4 Players
• Table 3: “Temple of the Worm Queen” (Old-School Essentials), from GM Tom K for 6 Players
• Table 4: “Throne of The Forest Queen” (Trophy Dark) from GM Jonn P for 3 Players
• Table 5: “A Strange Light Breaks” (Dungeons & Dragons 5E) from GM Matt J for 5 Players

Afternoon Session (5pm – 9pm)

• Table 1: “Carnival Gone Wrong” (Dungeons & Dragons 5E) from GM Dal for up to 6 Players
• Table 2: “Old Gods of Appalachia: Her Whispers Are Many” (Cypher System Revised) from GM Spencer D for up to 5
• Players Table 3: “What Lies Beneath the Remains of Cities Past” (Shadowlight & Personae) from GM Craig H for up to 5
• Players Table 4: “Sci-fi Double Feature” (Lasers & Feelings) from GM Erik G for up to 6
• Players Table 5: “Fear! Fear! For the Pumpkin-Man Nears!” (Heart: The City Beneath) from GM Randy P for up to 4 Players