All activities are available from 6:30pm–10pm unless otherwise noted.
Magic & Monsters Event Map (PNG)
The Ranger’s Companions, Piedmont Wildlife Center
Meet some of North Carolina’s birds of prey and other wildlife with educators from Piedmont Wildlife Center.
Cursed Relics From the Plane of Thought, Kat and Dan’s Artifacts of Intrigue
Traveling merchants use the talent of replication (3D printing) to sell “relics of the multiverse” to unsuspecting visitors. The merchants explain how they’re able to attain these relics by harnessing 3D printing technology from “the Plane of Thought,” starting with a 3D model and ending with a finished relic.
DIY Fantasy Map Making, NC State University Libraries
Embark on a creative journey to craft your very own fantastical world at our Fantasy Map Drawing event! Design sprawling landscapes, mystical terrains, intricate cities, and legendary landmarks for your unique realm. Unleash your imagination and join us for an immersive experience in map-making magic.
Live Music from Barrowburn
Stomp your feet with Barrowburn, a Raleigh-based band presenting traditional Celtic music on acoustic instruments throughout North Carolina for over 20 years.
Weapons of the Martial Classes, Triangle Sword Guild
A demonstration of the martial weapons and classes of D&D in the real world. Triangle Sword Guild will demonstrate how the real versions of our favorite fantasy weapons work in combat with D&D flair.
Triangle Treasury
Triangle Treasury will showcase a collection of handcrafted dice trays, laser-etched items and other gaming-related goods for sale, designed to engage and delight.
Paper Artificer
Unleash your artificer creativity through various patterns of origami swords, shields, and mystical armaments. Fold your way into your next campaign by crafting your own paper arsenal!
Legendary Trivia — 8:15 pm
Think you know everything about your favorite TTRPG and science? Bring your party to the Acro Cafe for the chance to test your knowledge and win prizes. Begins at 8:30pm.
Microbe Mansion
Answer the calls from within the Microbe Mansion, enter if you dare, and find out if you have the skills to survive. Your fate is in your own hands.
OwlBears
Discover the wild world of Owlbears at this table, where we dive into the lore behind these fierce creatures and explore fun facts about real-life owls and real-life bears.
The Short Rest Inn (Quiet Space)
Need a break from the hustle and noise? Take a rest in our quiet space.
Troll-playing with Troglodytes, Triangle Troglodytes
Cave exploration in our world has its share of hazards and challenges. Can you role-play your way through our scenario?
Ritual of the Aquamancer: Death’s Journey Through Water, Endswell: A Modern Funeral Home
An immersive exhibit exploring the eco-friendly process of aquamation through a fantasy-inspired lens. Visitors will witness a symbolic water ritual, learn the science behind aquamation, and reflect on the natural cycle of life and death.
The 3D Printed Forge: How are Printed Minis Made?, NCMNS VizLab
Technology experts from the VizLab will show you how 3D printing and digital modeling can make your home game customized to you!
Tiffanie’s Treasure Chest
Tiffanie’s Treasure Chest makes and sells custom dice for tabletop games as well as dice-related items and other nerdy things.
Merry Bards of Raleigh, Living Poetry
Roll a persuasion check to score a custom poem from our elite guild of science-loving bards. Will you receive a wan haiku, a saucy limerick or a sonnet-length ode? Try your luck, perchance to leave with a hand-lettered scroll!
Mimics
Can you spot the Mimic? Dive into the world of nature’s tricksters as we explore the art of mimicry. In the wild world of trapdoor spiders and mimic octopuses, looks can be deceiving!
Animal Handling
Meet Museum staff with Animal Handling proficiencies and the creatures of the Museum who they work with.
Lockpick Village, Oak City Locksport
If you’ve “picked” a lock in a campaign before and wonder how it works in the real world, the lockpick village is for you! Oak City Locksport will show you the basics of picking pin tumbler locks and have a limited supply of lockpick kits for sale.
Build-a-Human, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Survival of the fittest but make it do what humans do best — create and evolve a human (character) who would survive in a variety of extreme environments.
Plants, Potions, & Poisons, NCSU Ethnobotany Lab
Plants can save or take lives, come learn how to integrate them into your campaign with us! The difference between medicine & poison is the dose.
Science of Gelatin(ous Cubes)
D&D(Duels and Dinosaurs), SECU DinoLab
Our Dinolab team of paleontologists has put together updated D&D 5e stat blocks for the museum’s Dueling Dinosaurs. Come learn how we know what we know about dinosaur biomechanics, touch fossils, roll dice, and answer every child at heart’s favorite dinosaur question: Who would win in a fight?
A Rogue, a Bard, and a Paladin Walk into a Magic Math Circle, Natural Math
A math circle (in our world) is an informal learning space where math friends solve or make puzzles, create art, ask questions, read and write stories, and embark on other mathematical adventures together. How would that look like in a world of swords and sorcery?
Choose Your Guild
Step inside and choose your guild! Pick one to join and try your luck with special guild games of skill.
Partial Polymorph: Weird Animal Adaptations, NCMNS Genomics & Microbiology Research Lab
Explore the genetics of weird animal traits and cast a potion to give your character an interesting adaptation.
The Fae Realm
Step inside the Fae Realm, the Museum’s Living Conservatory, featuring tropical butterflies and a two-toed sloth.
It’s a Trap! Arthropod Tricks, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, NC State University
Encounter and try to avoid falling prey to, or suffering from, arthropod traps of various kinds. Each trap is different and will require different ways to avoid them. Good luck not being mangled, drained of blood or simply devitalized!
Meet a Dragon
Meet real-life ‘dragons’ at this table, where bearded dragons take the spotlight! Learn about these fascinating creatures and their dragon-like characteristics.