On Running a Horror Game

[Committed Hero]

Confronting the antagonist is an expectation of adventure fiction.

I didn't say confront the antagonist, but the horror. Even a survival game needs a credible threat of meeting the zombies. In a game where the PCs need to investigate the horror, this is a greater imperative. Perhaps I should've said "interact" with the horror.

 

[Umbran]

This is plausibly a distinction between horror as a genre of authored fiction and horror as a genre of TRPG

I have seen and played a couple horror games that start with the proposition - "Your character will not survive this game." But, those are uncommon, off in the indie spaces.

 

[Umbran]

I didn't say confront the antagonist, but the horror. Even a survival game needs a credible threat of meeting the zombies. In a game where the PCs need to investigate the horror, this is a greater imperative. Perhaps I should've said "interact" with the horror.

That, yes, I can totally understand. If the horror is never seen, you can't tell how horrible it really is, now can you?

 

[Lanefan]

Hard disagree. If the players are just surviving the horror of the scenario, they're not doing anything to fix it, stop it, or in some way resolve it. They might as well just run away as fast and far as they can, not read any books, do any research, or, really, anything. But confrontation doesn't have to be head-on and physical like a brawl or direct fight.
The horror genre of RPG pretty much depends on the PCs having the guts to try to do the right thing by ending the threat to themselves and others to the best of their ability.

I can't agree with this. Survival is always job one, even if it means getting the hell out of Dodge at the first opportunity.

 

[Lanefan]

I didn't say confront the antagonist, but the horror. Even a survival game needs a credible threat of meeting the zombies. In a game where the PCs need to investigate the horror, this is a greater imperative. Perhaps I should've said "interact" with the horror.

Agreed. "Confront", however, usually means "physically fight against" when used in an RPG context. "Interact with" is a much better way to put it.

 

[bloodtide]

*Lack of information. Don't tell the players anything. From game rules to anything else. Not telling a player the game rules is very scary to a lot of players. When a player does not know the rules, they can't "play the game rules". And don't ever tell the players offical game effects: leave things open and vague. Tell a player a foe teleports away using the spell on page 11 and the player is happy and content. Tell a player the foe just fades away...and they have no idea how....and the player is not so happy and content.

*Non standard effects-Anything not in a game rule book....so, lots of homebrew. As above.

*Turn the Creep up to 11- most games are rated G with "CGI Spam" like a Marvel Movie. So when a foe teleports, it's just a bunch of light....like a Star Trek transporter effect. Well, don't do that. Go more Horror Movie route. The foe melts into a blob of wax and splatters all over the area...and "teleports" away.

*Go beyond that safe G rating most games have. Go at least R or TV MA.....or worse.

*A BIG one...that is hard to do....is you need a LOT of build up. A lot of non horror "normal" gaming. A LOT of "Sandbox random play". Let the players endless randomly wander around and do whatever so they get the feel and get to like their characters. You want them to REALLY care about their characters more then just a "piece of paper".

* And for a sneaky addition to the above...give each player an amazing character made for them to love. And easy way is to give each character a "special item"...even an over powered one. Something that will have them dancing around the table in pure glee.

 

[prabe]

*Lack of information. Don't tell the players anything. From game rules to anything else. Not telling a player the game rules is very scary to a lot of players. When a player does not know the rules, they can't "play the game rules". And don't ever tell the players offical game effects: leave things open and vague. Tell a player a foe teleports away using the spell on page 11 and the player is happy and content. Tell a player the foe just fades away...and they have no idea how....and the player is not so happy and content.

*Non standard effects-Anything not in a game rule book....so, lots of homebrew. As above.

*Turn the Creep up to 11- most games are rated G with "CGI Spam" like a Marvel Movie. So when a foe teleports, it's just a bunch of light....like a Star Trek transporter effect. Well, don't do that. Go more Horror Movie route. The foe melts into a blob of wax and splatters all over the area...and "teleports" away.

*Go beyond that safe G rating most games have. Go at least R or TV MA.....or worse.

*A BIG one...that is hard to do....is you need a LOT of build up. A lot of non horror "normal" gaming. A LOT of "Sandbox random play". Let the players endless randomly wander around and do whatever so they get the feel and get to like their characters. You want them to REALLY care about their characters more then just a "piece of paper".

* And for a sneaky addition to the above...give each player an amazing character made for them to love. And easy way is to give each character a "special item"...even an over powered one. Something that will have them dancing around the table in pure glee.

Clearly you missed that the OP is looking to run a horror game the players will enjoy.

 

[aramis erak]

I can't agree with this. Survival is always job one, even if it means getting the hell out of Dodge at the first opportunity.

Not always.
I've had players who entered games knowing their goal was likely to kill the PCs, but that the game was mission oriented. I've done this with Prime Directive (Variant Trek), a couple of Supers scenarios, Traveller, and in L5R. And, most especially, in Aliens AG and the ALIEN RPG.
Some times, it's not how long your character lives, but how they live while they do, and if they accomplish the mission, dead or alive.

In organization driven horror, one can elicit more "heroic sacrifice" by keeping track of how much experience or skill gain has happened, and giving the same amount to replacement PCs for PCs who died heroically &/or on mission.

 

[overgeeked]

Horror is hard to do. A controversial take, but your job is not to scare the players. Evoke feelings of unease, disgust, tension, thrills, a bit of dread, yes. Actual fear or horror, no. Scared player do dumb things in real life. You don’t want that at a table.

Search for Call of Cthulhu Keeper tips on Reddit. The Call of Cthulhu community there is pretty good.

Seth Skorkowsky has some great videos as does Professor DM on DungeonCraft.

 

[overgeeked]

Check out GURPS Horror, Fate Horror Toolkit, Keeper Tips from Chaosium, and Stay Alive! from Monte Cook. These are four of the best GM advice books on horror.