D&D General Unpopular Opinion?: D&D is a terrible venue for horror

[Ralif Redhammer]

Bloodborne is such a good game, and gorgeous. During the pandemic, I've been replaying the Soulsborne series. Just beat DS3, so Bloodborne is likely next, after The Last of Us 2. I do need to get to Sekiro again, but I had a very hard time with that game. Parrying has always been my weak spot in the Soulsborne games, and Sekiro pretty much requires it.

It is grimness itself - the afterbirth of a fledgeling god slooped together from all the corpses Yahar’gul!

There is no other game that gives me the same sense of joy and achievement at defeating a boss than Bloodborne!

Very true. In past decades, players and DMs could end up being stuck with each other, but now, we are happily no longer beholden to that. Run a crappy game or be a crappy player? It's easier than ever to find a new game or player.

Nothing is sustainable in the long term if the player isn’t willing.

Catharsis can be a big part of role-playing. But definitely, you can't sustain horror, or any mood, permanently. The game's tone, its peaks and valleys, all need to be modulated. That's true of any style campaign. One of the reasons Ghostbusters works so well is because it hits that balance act perfectly. You move from comedy to horror, from light-hearted moments to discussions about the end of the world.

The thing is, horror isn't an enjoyable experience, at least not in the traditional sense of being fun or rewarding. It can sometimes be exhilarating, but generally in a way that you’re relieved when it’s over rather than a way that makes you want to do it again. You don’t generally walk out of a horror moving feeling uplifted. It’s supposed to be cathartic. It’s supposed to be an exploration of negative emotions. And yes, that can be draining. There’s a reason horror games are often run as one-shots. Even games that are meant to be horror games end up swinging more towards drama, pulp, or schlocky hammer-horror type fare when it comes to long-term campaigns.

The creature and character designs of Bloodborne are so good. Heck, one of the first weapons you come across, the saw cleaver, is just so wicked-looking.

It’s so gross, I love it!

 

[Imaculata]

I remember watching the recent remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and being appalled at how relentless it was. It never let up. But that didn't make it more horrifying, just uncomfortable and tedious. I didn't want to see what happened next, I wanted it to be over.

In contrast, the original film barely contains any gore at all. Horror movies that just throw gore at the screen are indeed very boring. The number of horror films that are pure trash of course outnumber the ones that aren't. But I don't think that means these gore-fests define the genre.

 

[Reynard]

In contrast, the original film barely contains any gore at all. Horror movies that just throw gore at the screen are indeed very boring. The number of horror films that are pure trash of course outnumber the ones that aren't. But I don't think that means these gore-fests define the genre.

In that case it wasn't the gore level. It was the failure to release tension, which is important in any kind of storytelling but is a key component in successful horror.

 

[Voadam]

I felt the gothic horror advice in the original Realm of Terror 2e Ravenloft Campaign Setting was fantastic for D&D. Immersive description and uncertainty was a big part of it. I felt the fear and horror mechanics were unnecessary and actually would draw the players out of the perspective of the characters by forcing a focus on mechanics and roleplaying a feeling that was not emotionally felt. A DM should not tell the player their characters are scared, the players should feel the tension viscerally from the DM's descriptions and the situations their characters are in.

 

[Reynard]

I felt the gothic horror advice in the original Realm of Terror 2e Ravenloft Campaign Setting was fantastic for D&D. Immersive description and uncertainty was a big part of it. I felt the fear and horror mechanics were unnecessary and actually would draw the players out of the perspective of the characters by forcing a focus on mechanics and roleplaying a feeling that was not emotionally felt. A DM should not tell the player their characters are scared, the players should feel the tension viscerally from the DM's descriptions and the situations their characters are in.

Tough when you have a +2 flametongue and 100 hit points.

 

[jayoungr]

Tough when you have a +2 flametongue and 100 hit points.

I feel like you're way too focused on the idea of player fear for the safety of the character as necessary for horror.

 

[Oofta]

I feel like you're way too focused on the idea of player fear for the safety of the character as necessary for horror.

That and there's a simple solution. Don't hand out much, if any, magic, don't let people recover resources (HP in this case) on a regular basis. It's not the baseline assumption, but it's also easy to achieve without a single house rule.

 

[TheSword]

I feel like you're way too focused on the idea of player fear for the safety of the character as necessary for horror.

Absolutely agree with this.

Instant and surprising death may be a part of a specific type of shock horror - as in final destination etc but the slow whittling away and feeling of vulnerability is far more satisfying.

I’m definitely one of those people who count Alien as horror, along with Predator and the protagonists are definitely not 10 hp characters lol.

 

[MwaO]

I feel like you're way too focused on the idea of player fear for the safety of the character as necessary for horror.

Yeah, I set up a horror scenario in a Living Forgotten Realms adventure I co-wrote. There's no chance of PC death at all and maybe even kind of obvious about it, but I used it to set up a choice.

 

[Reynard]

I feel like you're way too focused on the idea of player fear for the safety of the character as necessary for horror.

I am saying that the baseline assumptions of D&D make it a bad fit for horror because those baseline assumptions counter almost every aspect of horror. Not just the character abilities. The fact that there are concrete rules at all is anti-horror. Horror emerges from uncertainty and a lack of control. D&D's rules provide both to the players by design and intent.

You can certainly create tension but that isn't the same thing. You can even create certain kinds of fear -- of failure, of PC death, of potential consequences -- but these aren't horror either.