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Dark Carnival

Environments Designed by Railery

At a glance

Tier
2
Type
Event
Difficulty
15
Impulses
Delight in the macabre, unsettle the masses, feast on fears.

Environment overview

A carnival that has lost its soul to darkness, its performers cursed to collect the souls of the living to feed their dark master.

Potential adversaries

Cursed spirits, freakshows, clowns.

Features

Passives

passive
  • Unsettling Sights

    Cultists dedicated this place to a demon lord, and their foul influence seeps into it. The carnival's attractions are deeply unsettling and unnerving, it is difficult to shake. While in this environment, rolls with Hope still give the GM a Fear. The desecration can be removed with a Progress Countdown (6).

    Questions
    • How do the PCs fist notice that something is wrong about this place?
  • Demonic Influence

    Countdown (6). When the adversaries become hostile, activate the countdown. The countdown ticks down when a PC rolls with Fear. If the Unsettling Sights feature is still active, a roll with Hope also counts as a roll with Fear. When it triggers, summon 1d6 Skeleton Dredge adversaries around one of the already existing adversaries. These are minor demonic spirits of the carnival.

  • The Show Must Go On

    The Ringmaster will not allow the fun to end. As long as the leader of the carnival has at least 1 Hit Point, slain adversaries will revive within 1d4 days of their deaths.

Actions

action
—

Reactions

reaction
  • Hall of Mirrors

    When a PC moves in this environment while the adversaries are hostile, they must make a Knowledge or Instinct roll. On a success, the PC breaks the illusion of the mirror maze and may move normally until the GM spends a fear to place them back in the mirror maze. On a failure, the PC can only move within melee range of their current position.

    Questions
    • What unsettling scenes do the PC's see in the mirrors besides their own reflections?

About this environment

Dark Carnival

Tier 2 Event

A carnival that has lost its soul to darkness, its performers cursed to collect the souls of the living to feed their dark master.

Impulses: Delight in the macabre, unsettle the masses, feast on fears.

Difficulty: 15

Potential Adversaries: Cursed spirits, freakshows, clowns.

Features

Unsettling Sights - Passive: Cultists dedicated this place to a demon lord, and their foul influence seeps into it. The carnival's attractions are deeply unsettling and unnerving, it is difficult to shake. While in this environment, rolls with Hope still give the GM a Fear. The desecration can be removed with a Progress Countdown (6).
  1. How do the PCs fist notice that something is wrong about this place?
Demonic Influence - Passive: Countdown (6). When the adversaries become hostile, activate the countdown. The countdown ticks down when a PC rolls with Fear. If the Unsettling Sights feature is still active, a roll with Hope also counts as a roll with Fear. When it triggers, summon 1d6 Skeleton Dredge adversaries around one of the already existing adversaries. These are minor demonic spirits of the carnival.
The Show Must Go On - Passive: The Ringmaster will not allow the fun to end. As long as the leader of the carnival has at least 1 Hit Point, slain adversaries will revive within 1d4 days of their deaths.
Hall of Mirrors - Reaction: When a PC moves in this environment while the adversaries are hostile, they must make a Knowledge or Instinct roll. On a success, the PC breaks the illusion of the mirror maze and may move normally until the GM spends a fear to place them back in the mirror maze. On a failure, the PC can only move within melee range of their current position.
  1. What unsettling scenes do the PC's see in the mirrors besides their own reflections?

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