The Witching Hour | A Folk Horror Mystery
Something evil has come to town. The Witching Hour approaches, and the pyre is waiting.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LEVELS
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Tuesday - 11:30 PM UTC
Oct 27
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
THE WITCHING HOUR You came to Harrowick for your own reasons. Perhaps you were looking for work, passing through before winter, following a rumor, or simply needed somewhere warm to sleep. You arrived at a town on a razor's edge. The Church has sent an inquisitor to Harrowick, and she believes he knows the cause. Witchcraft. Accusations are spreading. Old grudges are becoming evidence. Neighbors are beginning to watch one another. Something evil has taken hold of this sleepy town, and maybe you can find the truth before an innocent is burned. Expect a survival folk-horror mystery built around investigation, difficult choices, paranoia, supernatural danger, and characters caught between a frightened town and the people it has decided to fear.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(37)
3 years on StartPlaying
131 games hosted
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Creativity, Inclusive
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi, I’m Rob. I’ve been running tabletop RPGs for more than 17 years and have hosted over 120 games on StartPlaying. What I Run Daggerheart is my current system of choice. I also run Legend in the Mist, OSR games, Tales of the Valiant, and D&D 5e. My games cover a range of fantasy genres, including cozy fantasy, dark fantasy, nobledark, and grimdark. Most of my games take place in Taeval, my system-agnostic fantasy world. A Player’s Guide is available for anyone who wants to explore the setting before joining a game. What to Expect My games are character-driven and roleplay-forward, but they aren’t short on danger. I enjoy complicated relationships, difficult choices, dangerous fights, questionable bargains, and letting player decisions change the direction of the story. New players are welcome. I teach systems through play and provide guidance without turning the session into a lecture. I use Foundry VTT, Zoom, and Discord. My tables are inclusive and collaborative. Everyone is expected to share the spotlight, communicate openly, and treat one another with respect. Adventures by Request Private one-shots and campaigns are available for groups, duos, and individual players. All prices are per player, per session. * One-shots: $20 * Campaigns: $25 * Duos—two players: $25 for one-shots | $30 for campaigns * Duets—one player: $30 for one-shots | $35 for campaigns Custom Adventure Request Form: https://forms.gle/quHRe6qDiGqi2eQc9
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
I will have pregens available. Character creation is also available.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Before the game: • Join our Discord server • Create a free Forge account • Have access to Zoom • Choose your character All necessary links will be provided after you join the game.
What Rob Duke brings to the table
I provide character voices, curated music, atmospheric scenes, and visual aids. My games emphasize player-forward storytelling and roleplay, with difficult choices designed to challenge your character and encourage meaningful growth. Creative solutions and the Rule of Cool are welcome, but choices still carry consequences.
Homebrew rules
None
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Rob Duke creates a safe table
This is intentionally dark folk horror dealing with witch hunts, religious persecution, paranoia, false accusations, mob mentality, supernatural horror, execution by burning, death, violence, and threats against young women. We’ll use Lines & Veils, the X-Card, Open Door, and breaks. Anyone may pause, redirect, veil, or remove content without having to justify why. StartPlaying requires safety tools and content warnings for listed games, and specifically recommends tools such as Lines & Veils and the X-Card for horror games.
Content warnings
Safety tools used