The Witching Hour | A Folk Horror Mystery
A witch hunt grips Harrowick. Investigate frightened townsfolk, untangle accusations, and uncover the truth before an innocent burns.
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SYSTEM
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LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
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$15.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Tuesday - 11:30 PM UTC
Oct 27
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
The pyre is already being built. Someone will burn unless you uncover the truth. You arrive in Harrowick looking for work, shelter, or somewhere to disappear. Instead, you find a town turning against itself. An inquisitor has declared witchcraft at work, and old grudges are becoming evidence. Something evil has taken hold here. Finding it means deciding whom to believe—and whom you’re willing to stand beside when the accusations begin. In this standalone folk-horror mystery, you’ll: * Question townsfolk and follow clues to separate genuine supernatural danger from fear, rumor, and personal vendettas. * Navigate a witch hunt. Challenge accusations, confront suspicious stories, and decide what to reveal—and to whom. * Face danger with more than weapons. Investigation, negotiation, and clever plans can matter as much as surviving a fight. Expect tense conversations, unsettling discoveries, and difficult choices about who deserves your trust. New to Black Powder and Brimstone? Pregenerated characters are available, and I’ll teach the rules as we play. You can also create your own character with help before the session. Choose your character, join the investigation, and find the truth before Harrowick chooses its next victim.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(38)
3 years on StartPlaying
136 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