Horror or Hell? Dracula or Lucifer? Ravenloft or Dante's Inferno?

[Nightfall]

*waves to Umbran*

I still like the idea of using a type of classic horror that involves Hell but sometimes undead too. But then again I'm flexible that way.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Classic horror - you can be tragic, a hero by day, the mad wolf at the full moon, you still have a chance of saving a soul. Hell, you can be too but you kind of know, it all is evil.

 

[Gilladian]

Actually, I'd prefer something new. "Classic Horror" has been done extensively, and is almost hackneyed by now. "Hell", on the other hand, tends to be taken as an excuse just to try to shock - the same way "adult themes" seems to just mean "boobs and blood".

If I have to choose between those two, I'll go for "Classic Horror".

Yeah, I have to agree with these statements. Of the two, horror is the only one I'd even bother to look at. But I probably wouldn't...

 

[MJS]

Vampires are cool, though grossly overdone before the current Zombie fascination. But Hell is far more interesting to me. Hell and the Abyss has an enormous mythological depth and breadth to pull from, as well as entering into extraplanar travel. It is effectively many hundreds of worlds PCs could find themselves in. Nine Hells, 666 layers of the Abyss, many cultures to pull from -
No campaign is complete without undead, but after all, Orcus is their Prince, and Hell Rules...

 

[Argyle King]

I think I agree with what some others have said. "Classic Horror" would interest me the most, but I like the idea of a hell theme or something demonic more than another vampire story.

If it helps any, one of my favorite scenarios from Betrayal At House On The Hill involves the house falling into hell a few rooms at a time. If there was some way to turn that into a series of encounters or part of an adventure path, I think it would be pretty cool. Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that you could use classic horror to build up to something like that. I think the trick to maintaining the classic horror vibe is to keep a lot of things subtle enough to keep a sense of foreboding.

http://www.terracottageekarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/bahothReview.jpg

 

[Dwimmerlied]

Tough choice, but on intriguing alone, I'd have to pick Hell.

 

[the Jester]

For an AP? I think a Dante's Inferno style game would get old in far fewer levels than a horror themed game.

 

[gamerprinter]

Our group has ventured to Hell on numerous occasions over 30 years of gaming, but agree with Umbran, we were at least 18th level before going there in most cases. I far prefer horror fantasy to ventures in Hell, however. Of course that's only natural with my Kaidan setting of Japanese horror as my own published setting. For any level of play, especially lower levels, horror is more intriguing.

 

[Jhaelen]

Classic Horror - just replace the vampire with something that features tentacles, i.e. Lovecraftian style! Or at least base it around a creature that is similar to a vampire but isn't so overused, e.g. a Penanggallan.