WayOfTheFourElements
Hero
Personally,I don't defined genre by tropes, but by effect. I define horror as, "someone that horrifies the reader, viewer, or player." If the reader is horrified*, it's a horror novel. If not, it wasn't. Certain films, stories, and games can be set inside different genres depending on the reader, viewer, or player. I'm OK with that.
*a sensation which can be chemically tested and identified in a neuroscience lab.
With that said, the answer becomes: can D&D horrify the DM/players? I think the answer to that question is, yes, though only several times have I seen the stars align in such a way that players had genuinely horrified, as opposed to making stupid (or brilliant) jokes.
*a sensation which can be chemically tested and identified in a neuroscience lab.
With that said, the answer becomes: can D&D horrify the DM/players? I think the answer to that question is, yes, though only several times have I seen the stars align in such a way that players had genuinely horrified, as opposed to making stupid (or brilliant) jokes.