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GMing Horror - a thread
In the last 2 years Ive run more horror or horror-tinged games than I ran in the decade before, and thought it might be fun to talk about some of the things Ive learned. Whether pure horror or just a creepy session, these are some tips that can help.
In the last 2 years Ive run more horror or horror-tinged games than I ran in the decade before, and thought it might be fun to talk about some of the things Ive learned. Whether pure horror or just a creepy session, these are some tips that can help.
1) Multiple Senses
Credit where credits due. I got this from an interview with @kennethhite . Most of the time in fantasy games we describe things visually. Its useful for quick reference on what we can interact with. Its utilitarian. But horror isnt utilitarian.
Credit where credits due. I got this from an interview with @kennethhite . Most of the time in fantasy games we describe things visually. Its useful for quick reference on what we can interact with. Its utilitarian. But horror isnt utilitarian.
Whats the environment like? You feel the whisper of a breeze on the back of your neck. You smell rotting meat. Theres a slow drip. Dont belabor it. But add in other senses when describing a new location and it will feel far more visceral. Works great in other genres too.
2) Dread
Shock horror is tough in rpgs, but the slow build? Perfect. Start with the result. A dead body. A bloodstain. Maybe just an empty space where there shouldnt be. Then add in details over time. Maybe the pcs hear a scream but see nothing once theyre there.
Shock horror is tough in rpgs, but the slow build? Perfect. Start with the result. A dead body. A bloodstain. Maybe just an empty space where there shouldnt be. Then add in details over time. Maybe the pcs hear a scream but see nothing once theyre there.
A couple scenes later a tail curling into the woods. An arm. And finally the reveal, but only when its finally engaged with the players and theres a real threat of death. The movie Alien is perfect for this. You dont see the Alien clearly or fully until the very last.
The fear of the unknown does so much work for you. Uncertainty and the expectation of the other shoe dropping will just build and build. The GMs job is to just stoke the fire until its time for the finale.
3) Stakes/Consequences
The pcs wont care if theres nothing to gain or lose. Random npcs dying is bad, and they will be interested, but they wont be invested. Give the pcs a reason to care, but also time to care. Let them meet npcs they like. Let them get comfortable.
The pcs wont care if theres nothing to gain or lose. Random npcs dying is bad, and they will be interested, but they wont be invested. Give the pcs a reason to care, but also time to care. Let them meet npcs they like. Let them get comfortable.
The calm before the storm. Then slowly add in a threat. This combines well with dread. In both cases you want a slow burn. You build up. You unsettle first and then let that turn into fear and dread. The barkeep theyve become friends with is worried about a missing regular.
Then theres another missing regular. Then the bar isnt open the next time they show up and the innkeeper says someone came round asking for them by name…
4) Hope
There has to be an out, a chance to “win”, or at least escape alive. It can be incredibly low, but it must be there because without it the stakes dont feel real, and the fight doesnt feel desperate. Futility tends to lead to farce.
There has to be an out, a chance to “win”, or at least escape alive. It can be incredibly low, but it must be there because without it the stakes dont feel real, and the fight doesnt feel desperate. Futility tends to lead to farce.
Humor is fine as an outlet but if theres no real hope a game tends to descend entirely into tragicomedy. Which can be great, but a very different sort of game. There cant be rising dread without tension and theres no tension without stakes and hope. Each part builds on the last.
5) A Choice
Ive found that the best payoffs come when the players could have turned back at(almost) any point, but didnt. Until that final door it was dangerous and it was awful but the off ramp was there. The pcs could leave. They chose not to. They walked into the dark.
Ive found that the best payoffs come when the players could have turned back at(almost) any point, but didnt. Until that final door it was dangerous and it was awful but the off ramp was there. The pcs could leave. They chose not to. They walked into the dark.
All of these things I think have made me a better gm in other genres too. Sci fi games can benefit from adding smells and stakes as much as horror. They get player buy in and add real depth. But for horror these arent nice, theyre necessary.
The secret to horror is the feeling at the back of your neck and the look in your eyes and those need to be earned over time. This helped me in my games and I hope it help you in yours. Happy gaming everyone!
