Non Conventional Ways to Get your Players into the Mood...

[dmccoy1693]

I once ran an exalted campaign many moons ago. My players accidently triggered a device that would obliterate the whole city they were in (one of the largest cities in the setting). To put pressure on the players, I got out my egg time, set it for 15 minutes and told them that when it goes off so does the device and if their characters are in range, they go boom along with the rest of the city. It worked wonders to make the players behave panicked and irrationally, which their characters would have done.

Anyone else try anything less then conventional to get your players into the feeling of what their characters would feel like. I mean music is a little obvious. I mean anything like, gaming in an area of the house with a low ceiling when they are underground or turn up the temperature when they're near a volcano or etc? How did it work?

[weem]

I have one I will be using this weekend.

I wanted to create a sense of urgency in the dungeon (actually deep in a lost fortress). I wanted them to feel an anticipation that something was coming that they should be running from.

I thought of the usual... an echoing sound... booming footsteps, etc, but I wasn't really into that.

So, I got this idea and created a new monster (he's still being fleshed out though he must be done by this Saturday).

The way it works is this... there are a few indicators that the creature is getting close... these indicators increase in intensity as it gets closer.

Indicator 1 - The first thing they will notice is that water begins flowing into the room they are in. It's very shallow - just an inch or two. At this point, they will need to consider leaving soon.

Indicator 2 - After a few rounds of water running into a room, they will begin to hear the padding of many footsteps and scratching of claws. At this point, they should be ready to go soon!

Indicator 3 - The room then fills with low level minion creatures... lots of them... they are easy to cut down, but there are a lot of them... those that hit PC's latch on to hinder movement. They are relatively slow because they are a bit heavy, but each one that latches on reduces movement by 1. Getting them off is as simple as killing them but again, there's many. Their purpose is to latch onto prey for their master (who is coming soon!)

Finally, the creature arrives... It is a large creature with a giant gaping mouth. It's long (30') and pulls itself through the halls with it's 6 small arms near it's mouth. It's wide enough (and flabby enough) that it's body blocks the passages it travels down (at a slow 3 speed). As it goes, it spews water (saliva) from it's mouth which it's body tends to push in front of it as it moves (hence the 'water' moving into rooms before it gets there).


So, that's how I intend to build some tension during my next game.

Again, he's being fleshed out, but you get the idea

[Obryn]

I've found that roses, cologne, and romantic music do the trick.

-O

[Oni]

Originally Posted by weem

I have one I will be using this weekend.

I wanted to create a sense of urgency in the dungeon (actually deep in a lost fortress). I wanted them to feel an anticipation that something was coming that they should be running from.

I thought of the usual... an echoing sound... booming footsteps, etc, but I wasn't really into that.

So, I got this idea and created a new monster (he's still being fleshed out though he must be done by this Saturday).

The way it works is this... there are a few indicators that the creature is getting close... these indicators increase in intensity as it gets closer.

Indicator 1 - The first thing they will notice is that water begins flowing into the room they are in. It's very shallow - just an inch or two. At this point, they will need to consider leaving soon.

Indicator 2 - After a few rounds of water running into a room, they will begin to hear the padding of many footsteps and scratching of claws. At this point, they should be ready to go soon!

Indicator 3 - The room then fills with low level minion creatures... lots of them... they are easy to cut down, but there are a lot of them... those that hit PC's latch on to hinder movement. They are relatively slow because they are a bit heavy, but each one that latches on reduces movement by 1. Getting them off is as simple as killing them but again, there's many. Their purpose is to latch onto prey for their master (who is coming soon!)

Finally, the creature arrives... It is a large creature with a giant gaping mouth. It's long (30') and pulls itself through the halls with it's 6 small arms near it's mouth. It's wide enough (and flabby enough) that it's body blocks the passages it travels down (at a slow 3 speed). As it goes, it spews water (saliva) from it's mouth which it's body tends to push in front of it as it moves (hence the 'water' moving into rooms before it gets there).


So, that's how I intend to build some tension during my next game.

Again, he's being fleshed out, but you get the idea

That's really cool, especially the minions.

[joethelawyer]

What usually works for me is this:

"You're all in the Inn relaxing. Everyone roll a save vs. Death Magic."

That tends to spark their interest real fast.

[weem]

@Oni

That's really cool, especially the minions.

Thanks It should be interesting.

@joethelawyer

What usually works for me is this:

"You're all in the Inn relaxing. Everyone roll a save vs. Death Magic."

That tends to spark their interest real fast.

I think the only interest this would spark in my group is an interest in finding a new GM, hehe

[Kinneus]

Try music, maybe?
I just got done DMing my first dungeon. It was a group of old friends from high school, so the whole thing was rather light-hearted. When it was time for the final big fight with the young black dragon, I decided to try some ironic fight music.
I had my laptop with me, full of character sheets and notes for the dungeon. So I just hopped online and went to youtube and pulled up an old favorite:

YouTube - Shlomo Mintz, Sibelius 3rd movement...

=
Shlomo Mintz's crazy frantic playing really helped players get in the mood. Also, the song gave me a good pretty indicator as to how long the fight was lasting, and gave me an idea of when to wrap it out. Worked out pretty well.

[joethelawyer]

that dude's name is shlomo? seriously?

his parents should be shot for doing that to him.

[Wootz]

Originally Posted by Obryn

I've found that roses, cologne, and romantic music do the trick.

-O

Wrong mood there, bud :/

I think incessant shouting might do at least SOMETHING ://

[darjr]

The players were fighting a few shadow creatures and a shadow 'trap' that emanated from a statue. The creatures were put there by worshipers of an evil got named Shar.

Every couple of rounds I would tell the players that the shadows, in unison, would say the name, Shar. At first it was a barely audible whisper, then it would get louder and louder. I would add that the shadows fought almost as if they were dancing... or casting a ritual...

The players were in a near panic by the end.

[the Jester]

When the pcs went into a kaorti cyst, I looped the sounds that scientists managed to get from Saturn's magnetic fields. Very alien, very creepy, and they replaced our normal music for a couple of sessions.

[dmccoy1693]

Originally Posted by darjr

The players were fighting a few shadow creatures and a shadow 'trap' that emanated from a statue. The creatures were put there by worshipers of an evil got named Shar.

Every couple of rounds I would tell the players that the shadows, in unison, would say the name, Shar. At first it was a barely audible whisper, then it would get louder and louder. I would add that the shadows fought almost as if they were dancing... or casting a ritual...

The players were in a near panic by the end.

Ohhhhh, I like!!!

[Switchblade]

Originally Posted by Wootz

Wrong mood there, bud :/

I dunno, it might help bring on the fear and/or paranoia

[jensun]

For the last session of our heroic tier game I had the music from the Conan films and Krull playing in the background.

In one session the players were on the clock, they had ten minutes to do what they needed to do. Unusually for me I decided to track it round by round. I had a stack of 100 different coloured poker chips in front of me to represent the time passing.

The players knew that things would get progressively worse for them as they hit different colours of chips.

I gave the session a sense of urgency and desperation which was rather satisfying.

[wedgeski]

That is the sound of an awesome thread being given birth.

Some great ideas here:in particular, giant, all-but-invulnerable worms will be featuring later in my campaign (hopefully), and weem's methods of presaging their arrival with consistent cues will no doubt be yoinked.