Looking for Ideas to Creep Out My Players

[malcolypse]

One thing you can do to freak players out is to work behind the scenes with other players.

Choose one player in the group you can trust, and send him/her an email in private. Write down a list of things for that character to say or do. Inform the player that the character is not actually doing these things... so there will be no repercussions for the behavior... it is just that the other player SEE and HEAR the character doing these things.

For instance... the player says "I'm slitting my wrists and writing something in blood on the wall"

DM: What are you writing?"

PLayer: "You will all die"

Other players... WTF??? To player: "What the hell are you doing?"

PLayer: "What are you talking about?

Other players: "You why did you write that?"

Player: Write what? I didnt' write anything

Other players: "That on the wall right there"

DM: "There is nothing written on the wall"

Other players: "But he cuts his wrists"

DM: "His wrists are fine"

Couldn't xp you for this, but yes. Nothing will freak out players like not being able to trust their own senses.

 

[malcolypse]

On the topic of players not being able to trust their own senses:

You can mess with the players by intentionally changing details that they know. Describe how they walk down a hallway with beige wallpaper and enter a room about halfway down on the left. When they leave the room, tell them that the walls are cinder block and painted an unpleasant institutional green, and the the hallway extends out from the room, which is at it's dead end.

Describe someone they have met recently enough to remember how you described them, but change the character's appearance this time. If they say "I thought so and so was clean shaven" you tell them that they clearly remember meeting him two hours ago, and they're right. Now he has a beard.

Have them save a young woman from some terrible fate. Actually go around the room hugging your players as the young woman thanks them individually. As you hug one, whisper in their ear, "your eyes will taste best of all." Never stop smiling and continue on to the others without pause to continue the thanks.

Pass out notes to all the players at the beginning of the game. The notes should say: You've been replaced by a demonic doppelganger. You know that one of the other PCs was replaced as well, but not which one, as you were busy consuming the body of the PC to complete the ritual. When I say the phrase "and that's why we always get two rooms" during the game, you should identify yourself so as to not be attacked by your comrade, transform into your true demonic form, and proceed to murder the party with your talons and fiery breath.

Of course, the "command phrase" should be different for each player, and they should be something that you have no intention of saying during the game, since the note is just to spread doubt. And if you need a distraction, you can have one of the PCs go insane and start attacking the party by saying the phrase. This is dangerous, though, because since there are two demons everyone else may assume that they missed the command phrase and should be killing the party. Hilarity ensues when all the PCs declare that they transform into a terrible monster and begin slapping at the other party members and breathing heavily on them. You can just deny that their characters see any transformation and see how long it takes them to realize that none of them are actually possessed.

Alternately, you could give the players that are actually good at keeping secrets notes that say their characters had a dream that an unknown other players character was replaced in the night, and they feel they should watch out for unusual behavior. Watch the fun as the players that think they're demons nervously give themselves away.

 

[Zelda Themelin]

Very neat ideas. However, some players might not so much react to this kinda events, or react very negativly (horrible place, let's beat it, I look for my treasures elsewhere). With horror/creepy elements you have to stick to that golden middle-road that keeps it interesting, somewhat shocking, but doesn't sicken people playing the game.

Some people I've played with would be offended by "horror" in their heroic fantasy games. To keep that feeling away, don't do plots that victimize the players, some creepy trap (haunt) might be ok, or too far in some of them. Less story, more damage is good way to go for these people what comes to haunts. Some players don't like when they loose control of their character. They still might like to play some demonic double as it's not really their character, who got separed from party and is still checking things on that last area.

Things I use often to set up creepy scenario:

- unsual noices
- strange lights
- weirdly acting animals
- no animals on area, and very silent
- creepy kids (or monster resembling one)
- creepy house pets (or monster resembling one)
- unusual variation (dungeon is all dusty, and then this one room is like new)
- animated objects (sometimes harmless, sometimes not)
- darkness
- unknown portal
- weird pools, and other water related built things
- mirrors (fun-house versions and cursed one to add to effect)
- alien looking objects/technology
- beautiful looking person inside ice/crystal (very fairytalish, but rather creepy)
- temples for unknown gods
- psychic monsters (for non-psychic group)
- random notes ("stay on path, don't step off the path, whatever happens, don't")
- room filled with dead people (not undead, especially if death seems sudden but rather serene makes players nervous)
- Carnival-related things (Scarred lands and ravenloft actually have creepy carnivals, but I you don't need the whole thing, and some people are really afraid of clowns, I blame it to reading Stephen King's "It" too young)
- masks
- collection of similarities (room full off different bird-cages, beds, etc, if you want to make it seem mystical make some of them float around)
- Thing that seem to move inside-the-walls
- reflection surfaces (not mirrors), that don't reflect what actually is there
- (un)living darkness-type monsters
- statues, altars, gravestones (especially when set on location they don't seem to fit, and make them partially broken, feel free to add gravestones texts like "no-one remembers us", "we still scream" and the like)
- sacrifice room setup (where some evil thing was worshipped)
- biology room (you know one where you have eyes and brains in jars, add with some shelf broken down, marks on floor and blood, like fight would have ensued and victim then dragged through the room tracks stopping at wall)

Thing like that, added with little examples they can be used.