Help a Newb DM on setting the mood

[Asmor]

Okay, I'm wondering how you all go about setting the mood in your games and keep it from being a simple string of encounters. For example, in one session the players were walking through a dark swamp that hasn't seen the light of the sun for generations, where the only light source is patches of phophorescent green moss, knowing full well that a red dragon was looking for them, and all I could think to say (beyond basic description of surrounding) is "Ok, you walk through the swamp for a little while and hear a loud roar behind you... You trudge through the swamp some more. Make spot checks. [Fighter], you feel something wrap around your ankle and pull you under the muck." Quick fight with an assassin vine, followed by... "You hear another roar behind you. You're walking through the swamp some more... make spot checks. Everyone make reflex saves. You see three blue lizards with lightning arcing across them combine their currents and form a huge electrical blast."

Now considering the atmosphere; they'd just gotten out of a dungeon they'd fallen into and were in pretty bad shape. In fact, one of the characters had died (but that was his fault... A wizard they'd defeated had 3 Abyssal Eviscerators chained up in the dungeon and the player, not heeding the other players' warnings, thought it would be a smart idea to trust the Eviscerator's promise of rewards if he freed them. The other players made sure to emphasize that their characters were out of that dungeon before he even approached the fiends). They're stranded in a dark, dank, fetid swamp lit in an eerie green, and they know that a red dragon is after them, and all I can think of is "And you're walking... And you're walking... And make a spot check!"

So my question is, how would you all have described this situation, and what ideas can you give me for the future for setting the mood? I know music is always good, but I can't bloody well just sit there and let some eerie music play for a 5 minutes and then spring spot checks on them. That's not much of a step forward, maybe even a step back!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Of course I don’t have all the details but here is my take from the little bit you gave:

The smell of sulfur and rot permeate the humid air making it difficult to breathe. Sweat runs into all the binding spots in your clothes and armor, chafing as you walk. Sickly patches of moss emitting a green glow dimly light the entire place. Mosquitoes the size of dragonflies buzz around your head looking for a place to draw a meal. Other than the high pitched whine of the mosquitoes and the squelch of your boots on the rotting mass that is the ground, the place is eerily silent [At this point I would ask for Listen checks, or make the rolls myself – ominously rolling lots of dice]. Suddenly, despite the warmth, chills run through you as you hear from behind you a roar that shakes the ground, sending ripples through the stagnant pools of water about you [Things at this point get a little shaky as to how I would handle it as I would likely be responding to actions from my players].

[I would make Spot checks for the party – assuming the party is surprised…] [Fighter] you feel something wrap about your ankle, pulling at you with surprising strength. The slippery footing makes it difficult to hold your ground, make a Strength check (or whatever is appropriate). Quick fight ensues.

As [Fighter] gets up and starts to clear the mud and filth from his armor, you look about you (roll some more dice) Are other vines about you moving on their own, or is it just your imagination? Whenever you look directly at them, nothing is moving, but you keep thinking you see something from the corner of your eye. Another ground shaking roar sets all the vines to swinging, this time it is seemingly much closer.

The mosquitoes seem to be getting thicker, and the trackless swamp seems to be unending. Your companions look sallow and ill in the green glow. [Spot checks made – again they are surprised – boy, these guys aren’t very alert] Everyone make a Reflex save. You see three blue lizards with lightning arcing across them combine their currents and form a huge electrical blast…Another fight ensues.

 

[Gregor]

I have found that describing the sounds, textures, tastes, scents, weather et al can fully immerse you into the mood. While doing this all the time can bog down the game, (according to the DMG but not me ) when it is used in the proper areas it can really set the mood for encounters and areas.

For example, lets use your swamp. We want the players to actually feel like they are trudging through an icky, dark swamp. What would they be feeling, what would they see all around them, how warm is it, are insects biting at their skin etc.

"The thick knee-high mud tugs at your boots and makes each step a labour in itself. Dark murky water sloshes around with the muck, washing twigs, strips of bark and waterlogged leaves up against your legs. As you look around you notice that it is extremely and unnaturally dark. The once thick tree canopy above you dissapears behind a veil of shadow and a few crooked branches protrude from the darkness as you move along. Periodically, you notice small strange patches of phophorescent green moss that hang from the trunks of long dead trees. Their pale light bathes the water in a dull emerald shine that causes the surrounding shadows to play with your vision as you bob and weave through the hanging dead foliage and tepid waters. Small insects constantly buzz around your ears, biting at your sweat-covered necks and brows and annoying you to no end. The air feels thick and heavy, warm and damp texture brushing against you like some invisible wet length of fabric. Your nostrils burn and twitch from the pungent stench of decaying plant matter, mold and rotting flesh. Strange animalistic cries ring out across the swamp, causing you to stop in your tracks and grip the hilts of your weapons in concern - your eyes panning the bleak surroudings for any sign of movement."

Just a quick write-up of something I might write regarding your swamp.

Cheers,

 

[Asmor]

Thanks for the suggestions. How do you guys actually go about giving these descriptions in game? Do you read them from a card, try to memorize them, or just organize your thoughts before hand and adlib it?

 

[Targeteron]

Personally i just visuallise the scene in my head and while it plays out i adlib and describe what i "see" to the players. Of course in context to their characters. Reading a description from a card or trying to memorize a description just makes your descriptions very stale and unorganic in my experience.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I normally write myself a short list of things to mention in my description and then make the 'filler text' up...

So the swamp might be be:

Mud, Smell, Rot, Tree shadows, lights, Insects, Animal noises.

I tried writing things out fully before, but I'm not good as it makes me all 'stilted'. Also easier to make the description shorter/longer depending on how the players are looking... And I'm lazy.

 

[iwatt]

Thanks for the suggestions. How do you guys actually go about giving these descriptions in game? Do you read them from a card, try to memorize them, or just organize your thoughts before hand and adlib it?

I add my pleas to Asmor as well. I try to adlib (which I Think I'm pretty good at) but with the added difficulty of having to translate monster descriptions and boxed texts from english to spanish on the fly. Which most of the time I can handle effortlesly but not when I'm keeping monster positions, Spot DCs, Listen DCs in my mind as well. SO what's the solution (besides amping my brains processing power ). The idea I think is to keep the game fluid.

 

[Mystery Man]

I normally write myself a short list of things to mention in my description and then make the 'filler text' up...

So the swamp might be be:

Mud, Smell, Rot, Tree shadows, lights, Insects, Animal noises.

I tried writing things out fully before, but I'm not good as it makes me all 'stilted'. Also easier to make the description shorter/longer depending on how the players are looking... And I'm lazy.

Plus I eliminate all of the spot checks, listen checks and anything else rules wise that gets in the way of setting a mood. Unless they actually have to make a save against something get rid of all that extraneous garbage and just tell them what happens to/on/around them.

 

[The_Gneech]

Thanks for the suggestions. How do you guys actually go about giving these descriptions in game? Do you read them from a card, try to memorize them, or just organize your thoughts before hand and adlib it?

I put some thought into it ahead of time, but try to keep most of my actual descriptions pretty extemporaneous. For example, when deciding to have the characters slog through a swamp, I picture it in my mind first ... dark, sticky, smells unwholesome, makes your clothes unaccountably itchy and heavy. Then when the time comes to play, I'll apply those details to a character's actions ... "All right, Regdar, you're squooshing along in the mud, pausing to fiddle with your cloak from time to time because it's getting waterlogged and the clasp is right on your Adam's apple, making it hard to breathe. Not that you particularly want to breathe, the way the smell of spent matches keeps assaulting your nostrils..."

-The Gneech

 

[Nightchilde-2]

A good rule of thumb that I don't currently use but plan on starting is..

"For each important scene, try to describe what at least three senses are feeling." Better if you can hit all five, but I'd say three at the minimum.