by Ed Wetterman
Man, I love a good adventure. I’ve played in some great games over the years, and a few things definitely stick out that make these games so memorable. These tips and tricks can be used in any campaign setting, but I’m going to focus on the d20 Horror genre. So, here’s my take on it.
How is horror different from other games?
Well, obviously the answer is how the game is played, though honestly any campaign may be bettered with a little infusion of horror. I see horror as having two main types: The X-Filish –Creepy- Scary- Never- Really- Know- What’s- Coming type, and the Scream version. In a X-Filish style game, the GM bases the campaign on real world happenings, events and history, and then adds flavor that is paranormal in nature, such as Global Conspiracies, Alien Abductions, Witchcraft, Demons, Devils, Angels, etc. While the climax of such games are usually brutal and in your face, the path to the climax is usually a winding one, full of interesting encounters and happenings designed to keep the players guessing. These games usually involve solving a mystery of some sort, and are great for inspiring role-play from the participants.
A Scream game is also great fun, but this is the in-your-face, here-comes- your-doom type game. Zombies everywhere. No real mystery here. It’s adventure from the word go, and is a great one-night game, though I believe it is not really suited for a prolonged campaign.
So, Where’s the Tips and Tricks?
I’m getting there. Once you’ve decided the type of Horror game you want to run and have a basic premise, here are a few quick and dirty rules to help flesh it out:
- Don’t be cheesy. It distracts from game play, makes players roll their eyes, and destroys any mood you may have worked hard to create. This rule may be broken if you are intentionally creating a Cheesy One-Time game, which can be fun, such as the film “Scary Movie.â€
- When you write descriptions, be descriptive, but leave enough room for the player’s imaginations. Nourish their imaginations; this will help make it scary, spooky and creepy.
- Handouts and props are always good. The best games I’ve played in included photos, aged paper, illustrations and diagrams.
- Think of mood music. You don’t want to choose music that is overpowering the scene, but music that complements it. Try movie soundtracks, such as Sixth Sense, From Dusk till Dawn, and I really liked the Abyss. You also can’t go wrong with Lorena McKinnett (hope that’s spelled right). Man talk about a haunting voice that stays with you. Excellent for any Vampire game! Games that take place in a bar scene require music to match, and can really help the imaginations of the players.
- Be surprising. Have events happen when they are least expected or in places where they are not expected.
- Never tell all the backstory. Make the PCs figure it out. Even if they are wrong, it makes for a more interesting game.
- Another trick I’ve found works great is to have a paranormal event that is only witnessed by one or two of the PCs, and then they have to try to convince the others of what happened. Again, to me role-play and story is what’s important.
- Always have interesting NPCs. Everyone has a story. If you introduce an NPC have some sort of motivation for him/her. Hmmm….could be a nice GM aid here…, I’ll think on it and get back with ya’ll.
- I always try to have an energetic, ever-changing world. Games that are totally driven only by PCs get stale and don’t seem real. In other words, know what’s happening, when it’s happening, and why it’s happening regardless of PC actions or inaction. This will create a dynamic campaign game that the PCs will generally find much more enjoyable.
- Delve into the horror genre. I enjoy reading classic horror stories from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and many movies are great for ideas. I recommend Ghost Story, Amityville Horror, Poltergeist, The Ring, and Sixth Sense. Of course you can’t go wrong reading Clive Barker, Stephen King and the other masters of modern horror.
- I personally find the Vile Darkness games to be lacking. Gross and gory is not good horror. I find most adult gamers don’t really “dig†it, but the young teens do. It’s funny to me that they put a graphic warning on it, but obviously it is intended for the younger crowd of gamers. Just my opinion, you are entitled to your own, so please don’t flood me with emails. You like it, go for it. I don’t.
Some Modern Horror Gaming Ideas
- The world is coming to an end. Angels and Demons walk the earth and modern prophets speak of the final battle to come.
Ancient rituals are being used by modern cultists. Look at Ancient Sumeria, Babylon, Yellow River civilization, Egypt, Indus (Harrappa), or early American civilizations such as Aztecs, Incas, Mayans and Toltecs. Lots of gods, demons and devils can be found in the myths of these ancient civilizations. - The Internet. Check out the links of 12 to Midnight. Some great links there. Base your games on real beliefs, then stretch it, turn it into game terms, and you have a nice adventure.
Parting Thoughts…
It is my hope that with the release of Mongoose’s d20 Horror setting this December, the popularity of Call of Cthulhu, and others will bring more gamers into the horror gaming fold. I think the hardest part of having a horror campaign, is the scarcity of quality game aids, adventures and publishers. We at 12 to Midnight want to be in the forefront of providing quality assistance to Horror GMs and I believe that by producing more products we will bring about more sales for every company producing horror games. The end result will hopefully be better gaming for every group of Horror players.
