D&D General Unpopular Opinion?: D&D is a terrible venue for horror
I think the base assumptions of 5e make it difficult. But it's not impossible, or even that difficult. First, make resting both difficult and an actual decision. Like, is it even safe to rest? Second, adding a few conditions that linger like exhaustion are solid. We did a zombie horde adventure that worked as a horror adventure, so I think it's doable.
Bawylie
A very OK person
An adventure designer might write a horror adventure more successfully by avoiding powerlessness.
Go ahead and assume competence and agency, and take stock of the capabilities your party has. Once that’s done, think about what your competent party might fear, loathe, resent, or be disgusted/revolted by.
Throughout the adventure, increase either the frequency that horrible thing is encountered, or the opportunity to observe its behaviors or effects. Do not explain anything. It should be consistent, but not symmetric or regular. (Very brief/stripped example: 1 distant howl, 1 closer howl, a call howl and a response howl, 14 howls from all around. It’s consistently howling, but there are either more of them or they are closer and it isn’t a pattern).
During play, when describing what the players see and hear, reverse cause and effect - where possible, put off / equivocate description. “Angry red slashes rake your chest open and blood pours onto your boots. You’ve been clawed for 23 damage, and whatever did it is shifting its weight for a follow-up.” “You feel sharp teeth and hot breath on your throat before sticky wetness cascades down your shirt. You’ve been bit for 18 damage!” Doesn’t have to be combat, either. “As you come down the hall, you feel a tug at your clothes like they’re caught and a tickle on your flesh. Another step and your progress is arrested completely. Thick, sticky, invisible bands hold you fast. You’re webbed.”
Let players conjecture as to the motivations (if any) of your horrible antagonist. Yeah, mostly they’ll be eat-monsters. But they don’t have to be. Just ensure their actions (or the aftermath thereof) are sufficiently repulsive or disgusting.
Now, on competence. It’s actually necessary for players to feel like they have some power or agency. Helplessness is actually counter-productive for horror in a game. (In a story too, but never mind for now). The fear is going to come from uncertainty and the uncertainty is the idea that the power and competence they have Might Not Be Enough. If they are sure they can win, or sure they cannot win, then we lose the uncertainty and we lose the fear. Try “breaking off the attack” by the horrible antagonist earlier in the adventure. Maybe it turns away when an ally shows up, or someone sheds some light somewhere, or speaks elvish - doesn’t matter. Try limited engagements that are cut short. Endanger things that should feel safe or that are taken for granted.
None of this stuff is very difficult. It’s actually easy (except to remember to reverse cause and effect) to write this stuff up. And basically none of it has anything to do with the game system, so long as you write for the expected power level. Meaning, goblins won’t be terrifying past like 3rd level, and certainly not at 10th. Likewise, something that’s obviously overkill on a low level party (like a Death Slaad versus 2nd level players) also doesn’t work. It’s about as scary as “rocks fall and you die.” Some agency/power is necessary to get the uncertainty. But past that, the game system doesn’t matter a lick.
Go ahead and assume competence and agency, and take stock of the capabilities your party has. Once that’s done, think about what your competent party might fear, loathe, resent, or be disgusted/revolted by.
Throughout the adventure, increase either the frequency that horrible thing is encountered, or the opportunity to observe its behaviors or effects. Do not explain anything. It should be consistent, but not symmetric or regular. (Very brief/stripped example: 1 distant howl, 1 closer howl, a call howl and a response howl, 14 howls from all around. It’s consistently howling, but there are either more of them or they are closer and it isn’t a pattern).
During play, when describing what the players see and hear, reverse cause and effect - where possible, put off / equivocate description. “Angry red slashes rake your chest open and blood pours onto your boots. You’ve been clawed for 23 damage, and whatever did it is shifting its weight for a follow-up.” “You feel sharp teeth and hot breath on your throat before sticky wetness cascades down your shirt. You’ve been bit for 18 damage!” Doesn’t have to be combat, either. “As you come down the hall, you feel a tug at your clothes like they’re caught and a tickle on your flesh. Another step and your progress is arrested completely. Thick, sticky, invisible bands hold you fast. You’re webbed.”
Let players conjecture as to the motivations (if any) of your horrible antagonist. Yeah, mostly they’ll be eat-monsters. But they don’t have to be. Just ensure their actions (or the aftermath thereof) are sufficiently repulsive or disgusting.
Now, on competence. It’s actually necessary for players to feel like they have some power or agency. Helplessness is actually counter-productive for horror in a game. (In a story too, but never mind for now). The fear is going to come from uncertainty and the uncertainty is the idea that the power and competence they have Might Not Be Enough. If they are sure they can win, or sure they cannot win, then we lose the uncertainty and we lose the fear. Try “breaking off the attack” by the horrible antagonist earlier in the adventure. Maybe it turns away when an ally shows up, or someone sheds some light somewhere, or speaks elvish - doesn’t matter. Try limited engagements that are cut short. Endanger things that should feel safe or that are taken for granted.
None of this stuff is very difficult. It’s actually easy (except to remember to reverse cause and effect) to write this stuff up. And basically none of it has anything to do with the game system, so long as you write for the expected power level. Meaning, goblins won’t be terrifying past like 3rd level, and certainly not at 10th. Likewise, something that’s obviously overkill on a low level party (like a Death Slaad versus 2nd level players) also doesn’t work. It’s about as scary as “rocks fall and you die.” Some agency/power is necessary to get the uncertainty. But past that, the game system doesn’t matter a lick.
dave2008
Legend
You can do it in 5e too. For instance we have death at 0 and no cleric or any access to resurrection magic in our game. Death is a real threat even into high tiers (lvl 15 now). If you use things like lingering wounds (DMG variant) or liberal use of exhaustion, you can dial up the horror mechanics pretty quick. In fact, we had to stop using lingering wounds because combat became to horrifying for my players!
dave2008
Legend
You appear to be confusing "Alien" with "Aliens." Aliens had the soldiers and was not a horror movie. There are no soldier's in Alien and it is a horror movie.
dave2008
Legend
3) Their are variants for recovery and lingering wounds in the DMG, and using a houserule (like we do, 0 hp = death) doesn't mean your not playing D&D.
4) I can't speak to the adventure, but there is no requirement or their to be clerics to purchase healing / resurrection services (my game doesn't have any). Not to mention that exhaustion is not so easy to remove.
I am guessing you are aware of both of these options. My point is that if you want to do horror, you should plan do things a bit outside the box, and D&D accommodates that very well. So these are not issues for D&D, but issues for certain style of D&D.
Oofta
Legend
Well that was the question - if Alien is considered a horror movie is Aliens also considered horror movie? Personally I'm not sure I'd qualify either one as a horror movie, because not all monster movies are horror movies. But if you classify it as a creature feature then I think both fit the bill.
But, we're talking games here not movies. I think D&D absolutely can have most of the features of many of the horror genres, whether it can be a horror game is open to interpretation. Kind of like how "who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman" the real answer is "depends on who you ask".
Ovinomancer
No flips for you!
Why would they both need to be horror movies? But, no, Aliens is not a horror movie. Alien (no s) is definitely a horror movie.
Oofta
Legend
So according to you it is. Thanks for sharing.
Bawylie
A very OK person
Aliens IS a horror movie. It’s also an action movie. But everything from Ripley’s nightmares, to Weyland-Yutani’s nefarious plan(s), to Newt’s capture and rescue are squarely horror.
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