Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="s/LaSH" data-source="post: 599869" data-attributes="member: 6929">There's always the good old chestnut of a message painted on a wall in blood. Typically some thing like BEWARE THE D------* (huge streak of blood spattered down the wall; nobody ever finishes those messages). Bonus points for someone leaning against a wall and everyone else seeing this huge bloodsplat behind them in a burst of lightning.Then there's the fact that you can play up the dichotomy between the mechanical and the supernatural. Perhaps the presence of this creature is continually perverting the natural order of things. About halfway through the adventure, start describing how things are turning weird. Perhaps all the lights start flickering, not because of power loss, but like you're underwater (you know the cool patterns water forms, right?); or the PA speakers all over the ship start whispering to each other. Build up to demonic chanting. Towards the end, blood (or something less tired, like pus or bony growths) starts coming out of the walls, and some pieces of equipment start coming to life - but only for one round, so when someone else asks why you're beating the crap out of that microwave oven you've got no good answer.A little detail: wildlife. It's going to sense this beast, and it's going to run away. No seagulls. Pets in cabins either escape their cages or run overboard when 'rescued'. If you have an opportunity to do so, describe barnacles abandoning the ship. You could probably do something interesting with spiders too... a half-finished spiderweb hanging in a doorway is always an interesting puzzle.Do the players even know what's on the ship? If not, then they shouldn't. Not at first, and possibly not even by the end; let them put their own conclusions together. Nothing's more fun than watching players debate what that thing was. "It was a demon!" "It was a mutant!" "It was something worse!" If you don't label it, they will, and if you've done your job properly, they're guaranteed to come up with something to massage your DM ego.Finally, there's something essential to all horror: pacing. The players know they're going to see something hideous, but they don't know when, so keep 90% of the adventure low-key and quiet, just decribing things like the tap-tap of dripping water or the pools of light like islands on a sea of darkness extending down a corridor. Then when something nasty happens, emphasise it somehow. (If you're sitting next to the light switch, you have a great opportunity to earn bonus points.) I cannot emphasise this one enough; buildup is key to effective horror.</blockquote>

Verification