Looking to Scare the $#!+ Out of My Players
- Thread starter Warden
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For one game I put a steel ball bearing on the table in front of my screen and covered it with a paper cup labeled "don't touch". Then I taped a strong magnet to my knee. When the players arrived I was already sitting behind the screen and warned them them not to touch the cup as it was a prop for later.
All evening the magnet on my knee would make the bearing move whenever I pressed my knee against the table. All the players could see was the cup periodically moving, to which I would tell them to ignore it, the prop was for "later".
For the entire game they were distracted by the cup, wondering what was under it, especially after the spider incident of the preceding year. Its that kind of uncertainty that keeps them on edge, and its that, not fear, that you usually want.
All evening the magnet on my knee would make the bearing move whenever I pressed my knee against the table. All the players could see was the cup periodically moving, to which I would tell them to ignore it, the prop was for "later".
For the entire game they were distracted by the cup, wondering what was under it, especially after the spider incident of the preceding year. Its that kind of uncertainty that keeps them on edge, and its that, not fear, that you usually want.
Ayrk
First Post
Crothian said:
I was going to mention this but Crothian beat me to it.
Seriously this book is amazing when it comes to setting tone. After reading it, I ran a modern game where the players played themselves and mysterious stuff started to happen. You could actually feel the tension in the air.
And of course after the session, all the players begged me to run another one.
yangnome
First Post
You just need to set up the right ambiance for the game. part of this is making sure your players are in the mood for a horror game. it's ok to joke around a bit, but it shouldnt get so out of control that it is distracting.
A few things you can do to help get them paranoid:
Turn the lights out and use candles. In the past, I've set up a bunch of tea candles in the center of the table. these were great because, they were cheap and they only last about as long as the session. As we got further into the night, they started burning out one by one with a little hiss. of course hte room also kept getting a little darker each time.
Also, don't sit behind your screen, or in a chair all night. Get up and walk around behind the players. Move around behind them and don't let htem track you. An occasional hand on a shoulder or a thud on teh table or wall next to them might help stir them up.
Fluxuate your voice through the night. I generally let my voice get very soft so they have to pay close attention to what I am saying. I'll speak in calm tones, which helps ease their nerves. Of course, this sets up places where you can begin talking in anxious or nervous tones, or yelling and screaming. after lulling them into that security, this will help jerk their emotions around a bit.
If possible, sit them with their backs to a window or doorway or something. When talking to them, use eye contact, but occassionally look up beyond htem to that opening as if something is going on behind hte group. Doing this at various times will make them a bit paranoid as well.
Use props. give them things they can hold in their hands and get into the atmoshpere of the game. the more you can pull them away from the game stats and tabletalk and into their characters and the game, the better reactions you will get.
Spread paranoia amongst the group. pass notes out to players. Perhaps one character makes another nervous. Perhaps the note says smile and don't tell anyone what this says. Stirring the unknown into the group will help isolate them and spread a bit more paranoia.
A few things you can do to help get them paranoid:
Turn the lights out and use candles. In the past, I've set up a bunch of tea candles in the center of the table. these were great because, they were cheap and they only last about as long as the session. As we got further into the night, they started burning out one by one with a little hiss. of course hte room also kept getting a little darker each time.
Also, don't sit behind your screen, or in a chair all night. Get up and walk around behind the players. Move around behind them and don't let htem track you. An occasional hand on a shoulder or a thud on teh table or wall next to them might help stir them up.
Fluxuate your voice through the night. I generally let my voice get very soft so they have to pay close attention to what I am saying. I'll speak in calm tones, which helps ease their nerves. Of course, this sets up places where you can begin talking in anxious or nervous tones, or yelling and screaming. after lulling them into that security, this will help jerk their emotions around a bit.
If possible, sit them with their backs to a window or doorway or something. When talking to them, use eye contact, but occassionally look up beyond htem to that opening as if something is going on behind hte group. Doing this at various times will make them a bit paranoid as well.
Use props. give them things they can hold in their hands and get into the atmoshpere of the game. the more you can pull them away from the game stats and tabletalk and into their characters and the game, the better reactions you will get.
Spread paranoia amongst the group. pass notes out to players. Perhaps one character makes another nervous. Perhaps the note says smile and don't tell anyone what this says. Stirring the unknown into the group will help isolate them and spread a bit more paranoia.
yangnome
First Post
Nightmares of Mine @ RPGShop
http://www.rpgshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=30624&
http://www.rpgshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=30624&
StupidSmurf
First Post
"The greatest fear of mankind is fear of the unknown"
HP Lovecraft (albeit paraphrased I think)
I guess this is kind of echoing what others have said already, but what the hey.
I second the notion of denying the players the chance to look things up. To this I add:
1. Keep track of the damage that their PCs suffer. I picked that tactic up in some old Ravenloft material. It's one thing for players to say, "Oh, my fighter's down to 2 hp...I'm retreating." It's another to have the DM say "Your fighter feels that he can still stay in battle, but those wounds are looking really nasty." Uncertainty rocks.
2. Speaking of which, never underestimate the value of the word "appears". As in, the door appears clear of traps, the dragon appears willing to talk, etc.
Runners up, "apparently" and "seem".
3. Be cryptic. In the first season of Twin Peaks, someone said "The owls are not what they seem." Not sure what it meant but it creeped the hell out of me.
Hope these help. As you can see, all of them still trace their roots back to "Leave the PCs in the dark. Take away their flashlight. Enjoy."
HP Lovecraft (albeit paraphrased I think)
I guess this is kind of echoing what others have said already, but what the hey.
I second the notion of denying the players the chance to look things up. To this I add:
1. Keep track of the damage that their PCs suffer. I picked that tactic up in some old Ravenloft material. It's one thing for players to say, "Oh, my fighter's down to 2 hp...I'm retreating." It's another to have the DM say "Your fighter feels that he can still stay in battle, but those wounds are looking really nasty." Uncertainty rocks.
2. Speaking of which, never underestimate the value of the word "appears". As in, the door appears clear of traps, the dragon appears willing to talk, etc.
Runners up, "apparently" and "seem".3. Be cryptic. In the first season of Twin Peaks, someone said "The owls are not what they seem." Not sure what it meant but it creeped the hell out of me.
Hope these help. As you can see, all of them still trace their roots back to "Leave the PCs in the dark. Take away their flashlight. Enjoy."
I actually had a guy very scared, or at least scared for his character. Which if I remember correctly he stated " I"m getting out of here right now. I run out the door I don't care what everyone else is doing." I asked if he wanted to snag up his backpack with his road gear in it that he left upstairs, and he said " no I can buy new gear, this place is creepy as hell and my life is worth more than a pack full of crap."
hehehe
It was rather humerous as the rest of the group didn't understand his paranoia. See he decided to steal this bottle of "wine" from this guy he saw drunk stumbling down the street, and took a big swig. At this point the PC's had made it to an inn looking for a place to settle down for the night. As he was in the common room the "wine" took effect and he began to hallucinate and so I had him seeing people with fangs and claws, but when he looked again they weren't there, they were just normal people. Then some people had scaly lizard like skin and eyes with elongated pupils like a snake, but then upon closer examination, maybe they didn't. Needless to say I had slipped him about 3 or 4 notes with similar happenings about strange looking people and moving shadows and the rest of the group began to question him about what was wrong, not to mention it was a stormy night in a strange town. I guess it had a better effect on him that I had really planned, but it was a good laugh.
hehehe
It was rather humerous as the rest of the group didn't understand his paranoia. See he decided to steal this bottle of "wine" from this guy he saw drunk stumbling down the street, and took a big swig. At this point the PC's had made it to an inn looking for a place to settle down for the night. As he was in the common room the "wine" took effect and he began to hallucinate and so I had him seeing people with fangs and claws, but when he looked again they weren't there, they were just normal people. Then some people had scaly lizard like skin and eyes with elongated pupils like a snake, but then upon closer examination, maybe they didn't. Needless to say I had slipped him about 3 or 4 notes with similar happenings about strange looking people and moving shadows and the rest of the group began to question him about what was wrong, not to mention it was a stormy night in a strange town. I guess it had a better effect on him that I had really planned, but it was a good laugh.
StupidSmurf
First Post
Diremede said:
Ohhh VERY nice. Very nice indeed!
I DID think of one other tactic, and was actually reminded about it when I read the above post. If the campaign that you're trying to scare people in is a modern-day one, nothing is more effective than setting it in a location that as many players as possible are familiar with/have visited.
I set a 1920's Call of Cthulhu adventure down on Cape Cod and seriously freaked out this couple who enjoy vacationing down there (and the wife in the couple was born down there). In fact, she stopped playing the game soon after, because it creeped her out.
One must make the Players fear for their PC's lives.
The passing notes bit mentioned above by several works well - however I suggest a few more things:
1. Illusions: have illusions frequently such as:
You watch in horror as Valdo the Rouge who was scouting ahead is torn limb from limb…"
Then, a few seconds later "You look again…Valdo is looking at you wondering why our just standing there staring"
2. Stats:
Ask your players for stats fairly frequently:
DM: "Fred - what's your will save again on your PC?"
Fred: "err…+12...?"
DM: "Ok…" (roll the dice, add in a microsecond of a disappointed look and move on)
Fred: "What…"
DM: "What?"
Fred: "…"
Another example:
DM: "Everyone roll a d20"
Players: "Why"
DM: "That's for me to know for the moment"
[Players roll - DM collects the numbers - rolls a dice for no reason himself - add in a microsecond of a disappointed look and move on; repeat as necessary and complain in a hushed tone of "terrible rolls tonight"]
And finally:
DM: "Fred…"
Fred: "Ya…"
DM: [thumbing through the PHB then switch to the DMG] "Hold on one sec…OK make a balance check"
[Fred rolls d20]
DM: (no matter what he rolls (as long as it is say under 35) "You slipped and fell"
Fred: "What is it? What made me fall?"
DM: "You tell me…"
Fred: "I look around…"
[Fred rolls d20 or whatever and finds nothing]
[Repeat every 2-3 rounds for each PC (one per round)]
The slipping could also just be "something" flashing behind the party - anything you can think of that does no actual damage (and you don't allow noise and such to travel around to the real badguys) that the players cannot identify - as if they are being "haunted".
Also place those little creepy low EL baddies around; the spooky ones.
You could also have secret doors that lead nowhere, traps that cause no damage with very high DC's to find and disable (set between those that do). Anything that makes the players no know when there is danger and when there is not…
You could even have a pit fiend show up that has 10 HP's left (say he is diseased; though the players don't know that) and they wax him easily; then a real one with full HP's…stuff like that; keep them off balance constantly.
But if you do to much they'll catch on; do it a bit then stop for a while; then start again.
The passing notes bit mentioned above by several works well - however I suggest a few more things:
1. Illusions: have illusions frequently such as:
You watch in horror as Valdo the Rouge who was scouting ahead is torn limb from limb…"
Then, a few seconds later "You look again…Valdo is looking at you wondering why our just standing there staring"
2. Stats:
Ask your players for stats fairly frequently:
DM: "Fred - what's your will save again on your PC?"
Fred: "err…+12...?"
DM: "Ok…" (roll the dice, add in a microsecond of a disappointed look and move on)
Fred: "What…"
DM: "What?"
Fred: "…"
Another example:
DM: "Everyone roll a d20"
Players: "Why"
DM: "That's for me to know for the moment"
[Players roll - DM collects the numbers - rolls a dice for no reason himself - add in a microsecond of a disappointed look and move on; repeat as necessary and complain in a hushed tone of "terrible rolls tonight"]
And finally:
DM: "Fred…"
Fred: "Ya…"
DM: [thumbing through the PHB then switch to the DMG] "Hold on one sec…OK make a balance check"
[Fred rolls d20]
DM: (no matter what he rolls (as long as it is say under 35) "You slipped and fell"
Fred: "What is it? What made me fall?"
DM: "You tell me…"
Fred: "I look around…"
[Fred rolls d20 or whatever and finds nothing]
[Repeat every 2-3 rounds for each PC (one per round)]
The slipping could also just be "something" flashing behind the party - anything you can think of that does no actual damage (and you don't allow noise and such to travel around to the real badguys) that the players cannot identify - as if they are being "haunted".
Also place those little creepy low EL baddies around; the spooky ones.
You could also have secret doors that lead nowhere, traps that cause no damage with very high DC's to find and disable (set between those that do). Anything that makes the players no know when there is danger and when there is not…
You could even have a pit fiend show up that has 10 HP's left (say he is diseased; though the players don't know that) and they wax him easily; then a real one with full HP's…stuff like that; keep them off balance constantly.
But if you do to much they'll catch on; do it a bit then stop for a while; then start again.
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