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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 6297302" data-attributes="member: 8835">this is an interesting question.&nbsp; In general, everybody agrees that raw stats and powers aren't what makes something scary.General consensus is that what is unseen/unknown tends to be more scary.&nbsp; Having something harmless/innocent like a child is more scary/creepy.I thought the demon in Fallen was pretty scary.&nbsp; It has no body, but it can posess you.&nbsp; Initially, it's hard to identify where it is.&nbsp; This scores it unseen/unknown points during the revelation of its initial actions.&nbsp; It also enables using NPCs that were thought to be harmless/innocent, scoring points on that factor.So I'm inclined to think that a body-less demon is potentially more scary than a big monster.I think cues from Dread and other horror cames come into play.&nbsp; The early encounters for PCs need to be with the aftermath of the demon's actions, not with the demon.&nbsp; The party comes across a crime scene that is gruesome or inexplicable (ex. how did the killer get into the locked room and out?).&nbsp; Later, the PCs&nbsp; get glimpses of the demon or demon's aspect.&nbsp; Perhaps an NPC behaving oddly (a clue), or a hint of a shadow or movement in the water that can't be explained, but also doesn't appear to be anything when they stop and go look at it.Then, the demon starts whittling down the PCs side, taking out NPCs off-camera, or even taking out a PC (isolate the PC from the party (but not the player), hand them a note of who they meet and tell them NOT to say their name or identify them, so the dialog the party hears is vague but indicative that the PC knows his assailant).One of the last strategies, which I think is highly risky as it enters railroad territory, is that a Demon is very powerful.&nbsp; As such, at some point, the PC should be/feel powerless.&nbsp; Either by means of manipulation, or direct control (like Hold person), the PC should experience being in the presence of something that can do anything it wants with them.&nbsp; This needs to be used cautiously, but like the Fallen example, the PC may get controlled by the demon who commits a crime to frame the PC.&nbsp; This should enrage the player if it happens, but also terrify the player that it COULD happen to his PC.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Janx, post: 6297302, member: 8835"] this is an interesting question. In general, everybody agrees that raw stats and powers aren't what makes something scary. General consensus is that what is unseen/unknown tends to be more scary. Having something harmless/innocent like a child is more scary/creepy. I thought the demon in Fallen was pretty scary. It has no body, but it can posess you. Initially, it's hard to identify where it is. This scores it unseen/unknown points during the revelation of its initial actions. It also enables using NPCs that were thought to be harmless/innocent, scoring points on that factor. So I'm inclined to think that a body-less demon is potentially more scary than a big monster. I think cues from Dread and other horror cames come into play. The early encounters for PCs need to be with the aftermath of the demon's actions, not with the demon. The party comes across a crime scene that is gruesome or inexplicable (ex. how did the killer get into the locked room and out?). Later, the PCs get glimpses of the demon or demon's aspect. Perhaps an NPC behaving oddly (a clue), or a hint of a shadow or movement in the water that can't be explained, but also doesn't appear to be anything when they stop and go look at it. Then, the demon starts whittling down the PCs side, taking out NPCs off-camera, or even taking out a PC (isolate the PC from the party (but not the player), hand them a note of who they meet and tell them NOT to say their name or identify them, so the dialog the party hears is vague but indicative that the PC knows his assailant). One of the last strategies, which I think is highly risky as it enters railroad territory, is that a Demon is very powerful. As such, at some point, the PC should be/feel powerless. Either by means of manipulation, or direct control (like Hold person), the PC should experience being in the presence of something that can do anything it wants with them. This needs to be used cautiously, but like the Fallen example, the PC may get controlled by the demon who commits a crime to frame the PC. This should enrage the player if it happens, but also terrify the player that it COULD happen to his PC. [/QUOTE]

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