Holy Bovine
First Post
Giggling. Lots and lots of giggling.
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How do I make tiny animated dolls super creepy?
- Thread starter Stumblewyk
- Start date
Consider having an Attic Whisperer in there somewhere. I find them very creepy.
Stumblewyk
Adventurer
Lots of baiting the PCs into bad situations, with readied actions. I like this, but I don't expect they'll fall for it more than once. But still a solid tactic. Thanks.
Got that covered. I have a scene set up in Softrope that does nothing but cycle a creepy organ strain and randomly play an assortment of giggles and cackles.
Crispy Critter
Explorer
In case anyone was interested, Patfhinder does have Soulbound Dolls. They first showed up in the Council of Thieves AP and are in the Bestiary 2. Or you can look at them right here: Soulbound Doll
SteelDraco
First Post
If they're smart enough, a few lieutenants with 2 rogue levels and the Cunning Trigger rogue talent for traps might be entertaining. Luring the PCs into snare traps at critical points seems like it might fit.
SkredlitheOgre
Explorer
When they first encounter even one of the dolls, do a Perception check. Maybe they notice the doll is weird, maybe they don't. After that, multiple perception checks vs. the dolls' Stealth. Assuming they fail (or even if they don't, since you want to be creepy), they don't see the dolls actually move, but the party 'gets the feeling that the dolls are in different places than they were before.'
Since they hide well, let some hide while the party faces off with others. Soon, the party is surrounded by creepy, giggling dolls, using multiple paralysis attacks.
You could also add a template or use the Monster Modifier for added creepiness.
Since they hide well, let some hide while the party faces off with others. Soon, the party is surrounded by creepy, giggling dolls, using multiple paralysis attacks.
You could also add a template or use the Monster Modifier for added creepiness.
Tovec
Explorer
Okay, just some random suggestions.
As for the dolls, to make them a little more menacing, don't use Animate Object, instead take fey and reskin them into dolls. Add immunities to level drain or whatever you feel is appropriate. Fey used correctly, even alone, can be scary for a second level party. Fey also come with grab-bags filled with fun extra effects like charms and illusions. The trick with the dolls is to give the party the feeling they're not a threat when they truly are. They also should never know if the dolls are truly dead. The dolls can stop moving/attacking but bid their time until they see a better opportunity - if they're getting pegged off.
Imagine this sight - the party thinks they defeated the last of the tiny buggers and starts breaking them in half, now there are twice as many SMALLER buggers chasing them slowly around the house (see below).
Almost forgot, a happy, creepy high-pitched childlike voice also creeps people out, use that if the dolls have to talk. Have them be interested in eating the characters if they need dialogue.
Next add a haunted house, for everything to take place in. Enough rooms that they can get lose or separated and so they have to fight off unseen forces (see below) the big bad (see below) or the dolls all by themselves.
Okay, scary low levelers, haunted house... time to add add unseen forces. Make doors slam shut on their own accord and be unable to easily open. Make walls move or rooms start to shift without any obvious cause. Twisting with the expectations goes a long way to messing with players. Add in subtle magical effects, rolling willsaves or alike, to have the players feel like they're losing their minds.
The big bad can be a monstrous horror or it can be a lunatic with magical powers. The best baddies in this case lie somewhere in the middle or BOTH. A giant lurking evil to avoid or face need only be something to distract the players from the mastermind which seeks to separate and corrupt them.
Side note: for extra fun, give any enemy level drain or ability drain. They may not hit hard or often but when they do the party will feel it. For a second level party, I recommend CON or STR drain but with a higher level group it is fun to through full level drain on them.
As for the dolls, to make them a little more menacing, don't use Animate Object, instead take fey and reskin them into dolls. Add immunities to level drain or whatever you feel is appropriate. Fey used correctly, even alone, can be scary for a second level party. Fey also come with grab-bags filled with fun extra effects like charms and illusions. The trick with the dolls is to give the party the feeling they're not a threat when they truly are. They also should never know if the dolls are truly dead. The dolls can stop moving/attacking but bid their time until they see a better opportunity - if they're getting pegged off.
Imagine this sight - the party thinks they defeated the last of the tiny buggers and starts breaking them in half, now there are twice as many SMALLER buggers chasing them slowly around the house (see below).
Almost forgot, a happy, creepy high-pitched childlike voice also creeps people out, use that if the dolls have to talk. Have them be interested in eating the characters if they need dialogue.
Next add a haunted house, for everything to take place in. Enough rooms that they can get lose or separated and so they have to fight off unseen forces (see below) the big bad (see below) or the dolls all by themselves.
Okay, scary low levelers, haunted house... time to add add unseen forces. Make doors slam shut on their own accord and be unable to easily open. Make walls move or rooms start to shift without any obvious cause. Twisting with the expectations goes a long way to messing with players. Add in subtle magical effects, rolling willsaves or alike, to have the players feel like they're losing their minds.
The big bad can be a monstrous horror or it can be a lunatic with magical powers. The best baddies in this case lie somewhere in the middle or BOTH. A giant lurking evil to avoid or face need only be something to distract the players from the mastermind which seeks to separate and corrupt them.
Side note: for extra fun, give any enemy level drain or ability drain. They may not hit hard or often but when they do the party will feel it. For a second level party, I recommend CON or STR drain but with a higher level group it is fun to through full level drain on them.
Psychotic Jim
First Post
Hmmm, the thing with living dolls that I always makes them the creepiest is playing up the Uncanny Valley - Television Tropes & Idioms aspects of it, playing them as disturbingly humanlike but also disturbingly not. Like describing the dolls as having the big, child-like soulful eyes looking at you, but then then describing how the glassy hollowness that seems to be gazing into your very soul sorta thing. Victorian era type porcelain dolls seem to work particularly well with this style.
Following this logic, if you can find music that are creepy take offs on children's rhymes, nursery songs, etc, that might help build atmosphere.
Also, remember with dolls that can switch bodies you can go into the whole "invasion of the body snatchers" sorta thing. IIRC, all the people of that domain are children, so you can have some of the carrionettes take over some of the children and use them to manipulate the PCs into vulnerable positions. Then watch as your players get paranoid. Of course, use tact and discretion with this, as usual.
Finally, don't forget about false alarms. You can always mix in normal dolls and toys to fake out your players and make trigger happy pcs waste their resources (by calling for initiative prematurely, etc).
Following this logic, if you can find music that are creepy take offs on children's rhymes, nursery songs, etc, that might help build atmosphere.
Also, remember with dolls that can switch bodies you can go into the whole "invasion of the body snatchers" sorta thing. IIRC, all the people of that domain are children, so you can have some of the carrionettes take over some of the children and use them to manipulate the PCs into vulnerable positions. Then watch as your players get paranoid. Of course, use tact and discretion with this, as usual.
Finally, don't forget about false alarms. You can always mix in normal dolls and toys to fake out your players and make trigger happy pcs waste their resources (by calling for initiative prematurely, etc).
Scott DeWar
Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure
I do not know if this has been suggested, but what if they were all to chase after the characters shouting 'mommy daddy, come have tea with me!"
-*or*-
In pathfinder there is a variant skeleton that starts really huge and when brought to 0 hp it crashes, and reforms to several smaller and when they each get brought to 0 then in turn break up into several smaller and on down to the small size.
What if there was a construct (doll) that did that as well?
-*or*-
maybe a few do the linda blair thing from the exorcist?
Peerhaps watch a few of the "chucky" sieries movies?
-*or*-
In pathfinder there is a variant skeleton that starts really huge and when brought to 0 hp it crashes, and reforms to several smaller and when they each get brought to 0 then in turn break up into several smaller and on down to the small size.
What if there was a construct (doll) that did that as well?
-*or*-
maybe a few do the linda blair thing from the exorcist?
Peerhaps watch a few of the "chucky" sieries movies?
