Do you think I got the translation wrong or do you think it was the intent of the original RLCS to only force a Fear check when it's really, really obvious that a Fear check is necessary? Perhaps merely the possibility of Fear checks is supposed to haunt the players and keep them on their toes, even if they don't come up that often? I think this may actually be the likely explanation, as "Fear" is not a power of any particular monster but a possible reaction to every single monster or encounter; it should be sort of hard to trigger, otherwise every fight will end with someone running away or crapping their pants. That might get old after a little while, while a the 'rare but memorable' Fears will really just drive home how overwhelmed they were.
When I think of horror based games I think of Call of Cthulhu, so that is what I use as a base model for how fear and horror can be used as an integral part of a game. Obviously a D&D game cannot use the same system or be as extreme as that in CoC as the premise of the world is very different.
I think it would probably useful to separate three different but related states for use in D&D. Those being Fear, Terror and Madness.
1: Fear - triggered by the unknown, unusual, sinister or surprising.
This would be the most common state a PC would find themselves in, and would generally confer a minor or temporary effect.
e.g.
As you pass through the ancient doorway and step into the darkness beyond your torch flickers and the shadows seem to dance along the cracked and dusty walls around you, the floorboards creak and .......
<insert fear attack vs. Will>
fail: ......you get the sense that you are not alone, something waits for you in the darkness...you can feel it. (take a -1 penalty to all actions until the end of the next encounter)
pass: ......you steel yourself against the darkness, this is no different than every other dark room you have been in before.
or (standard fear effect)
The Wraith rears up with an almighty scream, rattling everything in the room. All round you small items fall from shelves breaking on the floor, the windows rattle and you can feel death itself reaching for your soul.....
<insert standard fear burst attack vs. Will>
fail: ......the blood drains from your face, as white as the wraith before you, you freeze in absolute fear (stunned (save ends) after effect -2 penalty to all actions (save ends))
pass: .....but this foul spirit will haunt the old storeroom no longer, you grit your teeth and stand your ground.
2. Terror - triggered by the monsterous, ungodly, alien or malicious.
This would be a much less common state the PCs would find themselves in, reserved for special use in important encounters or situations.
e.g.
As you lay strapped to the table with rusting iron bands cutting at your arms and legs the man with the impossibly yellow eyes and bloodstained mask walks slowly toward you. In his hand he holds a wicked looking curved and jagged blade. Leaning in he whisperes:
"I don't want you to tell me where you hid the amulet......I want you to be strong, I want you to be brave......it's so much more fun that way....for me"
<insert Terror attack vs. Fortitude>
fail: terrified you find yourself pleading for your life, you are prepared to tell this beast everything and anything....you just don't want to become part of his experiments.....you want to live.
pass: suddenly you realise that this could be a golden opportunity to throw your nemesis off the track. (you may make a bluff or diplomacy check to give out false information....but if you fail things could go from bad to worse)
or
You bring important information to the deputy mayor, explaining how the string of recent murders has something to do with the watch captains wife. Standing by the fireside the mayor listens then replies:
"this is grave news indeed.....I had high hopes that you would prove more useful to me than this, I told you to center your enquiries at the docks.... the cult of Toris there should have been your primary target. If you can't even do that right I have no choice other than to KILL YOU MYSELF....." the mayor swings round to face the PCs, to their horror the skin slides from his face revealing purple flesh beneath and a mass of tentacles writhing where his mouth should be....the deputy mayor is a mindflayer!!!
<insert Terror attack vs. Will>
fail: the deputy mayor is a mindflayer and he's going to eat you brain if you don't get away from him right now! (you are dazed and must move away from the monster as fast as possible screaming about brain eaters (save ends) after effect you are dazed (save ends)
pass: of course, it all makes sense now..... you have been duped, but this can all end right here, right now if you can kill this insideous foul creature.
3. Madness - triggered by prolonged periods of fear or terror or by the truely horrific or alien
This would be the rarest state a PC would find themselves in, and would be reserved for appropriate situations.
e.g.
The haunted mansion the PCs have been investigating has been unnerving them for a while. The PCs have endured banging doors, distant screams, bleeding walls and sudden black outs. Anyone who has failed three enviromental fear attacks starts to crack under the weight of the unknown.
<insert attack vs. Will>
fail: Its the spirits, the spirits!! You shouldn't be interfering with the dead, if they want this place let them have it.
You gain "undead phobic", and apply the initial results from the madness track.
after every encounter you may make an endurance or wisdom check ,
or an ally can make a heal check.
improve: DC <insert appropriate value>
maintain: DC <insert appropriate value>
worsen: DC <insert appropriate value>
Madness track:
-1: back to sanity - cured
initial: in the presence of undead you take a -1 penalty to all actions
+1: in the presence of undead you take a -2 penalty to all actions
+2: in the presence of undead and are dazed and you are take a -2 penalty to all actions
+3: in the presence of undead you fall prone and are stunned
pass: you are slightly unnerved but hold yourself together, telling yourself it will all be over soon if you just keep calm.
These examples show the kind of approach I would take. I think it would be far better to design this sort of thing into a campaign rather than come up with an arbitory list of triggers based off extreme situations.
With a horror game each element should be carefully worked into the exact context of the situation. Just relying on triggers like "killing half the party" or "taking ongoing damage more than your healing surge value" seems like a heavy handed and not very useful approach.
what do you think?
