How to I scare my group?

[The Furious Puffin]

You metioned system shock

one of things that got me going about that game was the increadably freaky voice clips that the insane computer Xerses was coming out with - submit to the many etc.

The single time I was most freaked by this was when a submit to the many clip played was played an a hybrid barrel around a corner and right into my face.

It may be worth it, if you have a laptop, to get a text-to-speech engine, or - better yet - do a shadow/ghost voice for the computer (if they have one maybe a soulmech-esque ship?) as the shadow takes over the computer.

If you add doors shutting to trap them in as the shadow uses the computer to trap them they will have a sense of paranoia, as well as the ship becoming *warped* they will feel under-pressure and more likely to fall for whatever else you do. Security cameras are another favourite.

 

[UD]

I have actually run this adventure now, I keep meaning to write it up because ther were some quality moments. One of the best though had to be when the Gnome mechanist went mad and painted yellow triangle son the cieling of the cargobay on the PC's ship then emptyed a spare fuel cartoon onto the floor psuhed all teh equipment in the ship into a small pile against a wall and climbed in a crate of energy ammo packs they had found.

When the wizard entered the room he made a knowledge arcana role to see if it was somekind of magical ritual. He now believes that it was some kind of goat ritual to increase the speed of homing pigeons (the first random thing I could come up with in my head under six seconds). The PC's are now trying to get the Ship turned into a pigeon. *Shakes head*

On a second note the look on the face of the mad gnome as one of the players puts a stun grenade into the ammo crate he was in to subdue him was grea. Especially when the huge explosion that happeed due to all the ammo carbonised him (think The Empire Strikes back and Han). THey are now trying to sell the statue to an art gallery. *Shakes head some more*

Just so I can brag that scenario won Scenario of the Year at our RP Society in Uni. (Out of the 14 or so games played everyweek, I thought that was pretty cool...) I also won best GM! Yeah! And got voted Chair-Person - First official act was to eat the newly elected president (a lemon fairy cake - dont ask, its in our constitution... the president must be a inanimate object that has been on campus at least once...)

 

[Piratecat]

Just for reference: System Shock and System Shock 2 (along with Thief: The Dark Project and Thief 2) were designed by Sagiro (as in "Sagiro's story hour") and Dr. Rictus, here on the boards. Blackjack and KidCthulhu also worked for Looking Glass.) Those guys know from scary.

The woman who does the creepy voice for you-know-who comes to our parties. It's rather odd.

Cool thread!

 

[Dougal DeKree]

Scary!

Well, you could bring your DM Stuff inside a Pokemon-RPG-Box...
THAT should really SCARE them!

 

[Wolfspider]

If you're looking for horror sci-fi inspiration, I would recommend that you buy a copy of the computer game System Shock 2 and play it--with the lights low. Then, once you've enjoyed what must be one of the greatest computer games ever made that no one played, steal all the ideas you want to from the game. Trust me--the set up makes a wonderful sci-fi campaign. I've used elements from it in a cyberpunk game I ran. I don't see why it wouldn't work for Dragonstar.

EDIT: I obviously didn't read the posts that came before and just responded with the first thing that jumped into my mind after I read the title of the thread. But I'm glad other people have suggested System Shock and System Shock 2--two of the best games ever.

People involved in the production of SS2 are on this board? My god! I just want to congratulate them on a job very well done. I'm just sorry System Shock 2 didn't become the Next Big Thing as it obviously should have, taking its place beside Half-Life as one of the best computer games ever!

 

[Kestrel]

Fiendish Dire Weasels...nothing scares my party more.

2d6 con pts lost on the second rd due to blood drain. Never seen an 8th level character freak out more.

"Get it off me!"
"GET IT OFF!"


For a special treat: Half-Dragon Fiendish Dire Weasels!

(Of course, the mental image of a fiendish weasel and a dragon mating is scary enough)

 

[Wolfspider]

(Of course, the mental image of a fiendish weasel and a dragon mating is scary enough)

B.A.D.D. is considering selling a videotape of such mating behavior in order to raise funds....

 

[UD]

SS2 is responsible for me wanting to run a Horor DS game like a did. To be fair, well done the guys who designed it. I played with the lights off with my surround sound on, very late at night. I have never been so frightened... My god! Im 20 years old!!! You scared me so much I was creeping around my house like a terrified 8 year old! Fan-bloody-tastic!

 

[Shades of Green]

System Shock 2 was so scary when it first came out (Summer of 1999, IIRC), that after playing it once, the Return to the Cathedral in Thief 1 (the most scary mission in either of the Thief games) did not scare me when I've first played it (about a month or so after I played System Shock 2, I got Thief a bit late...) since I got used to the sacriness of SS2.

Anyway, this adventure of yours seems great; Running a good horror is difficult, and it seems that you've managed to run it well. I'm looking forward to the descriptions of your next gaming sessions. I like this kind of gaming experience.

One of the things that I've liked in SS2 (And Thief 2, in one creepy library) were apparitions - harmless, non-hostile "ghosts" of revent events on the ship - talking, making creepy sounds, then disappearing with no trace. Especially the scene of Dr. Miller and Bloome in Hydroponics ("Don't cry, don't cry, soon you'll be the mother of them all."). Such apparitions could add to the atmosphere and gives some plot clues... but don't over-use them, or the scariness factor will be lost.