Dark Carnival 2025: Mr. Phenomenal’s Diabolical Carnival (Dungeons & Dragons 5E)
Details
Welcome back to The Dark Carnival!
Raleigh Tabletop RPGs' annual horror TTRPG event day is back for 2025 and better than ever! 8 fantastic GMs are here to run 8 sessions of spooky, scary, suspenseful, and even silly chills and thrills at RUMAH in downtown Raleigh.
This event is a sign-up for "Mr. Phenomenal’s Diabolical Carnival," a game run using Dungeons & Dragons 5E by RTR member Zak Keith that will run during the second block of sessions from 4pm-8pm. Please see below for all the important details.
Session Title: Mr. Phenomenal’s Diabolical Carnival
System: Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Players: 4-6
Materials: The GM will bring dice, minis, a map, and pre-generated character sheets: everything needed to play the adventure. Players are welcome to bring their own dice/materials if they would like!
Description: Mr. Phenomenal's circus traded away its smiles and joy for a diabolical patron known as The Silent Partner. The cursed circus now pulls its audience into Hell, where their souls are devoured. Will the party be able to break Mr. Phenomenal's infernal bargain, or will they too have their souls reaped by the Silent Partner? Step right up, the show must go on.
A one-shot for four to six Level 5 characters. Players having some experience with 5E helps, but newcomers are welcome and will be guided through the adventure as needed!
Theme/Tone: This is a dark fantasy one-shot and the tone mixes eerie carnival horror with moments of humor and wonder. Play focuses on exploration, roleplay, light puzzle solving and a few combats ending with a final battle. The setting is a corrupted carnival with unsettling performances and strange illusions. The Tone is more “spooky funhouse” than grim horror. Generally creepy, but suitable for most ages!
Content Warnings: Supernatural Horror Themes, Infernal Bargains and Possession, References To Souls Being Trapped or Consumed (No Graphic Descriptions), A Child NPC May Be In Danger (Harm Is Avoidable And Not Depicted In Detail)