Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 highpriestmikhal Sep 29, 2007 18:03:16	There's nothing quite like a chill running up your spine, your stomach turning in knots, and your hands trembling with unmitigated fear. Everyone likes a good scare now and then. The number of "haunted houses" that open up all over the United States during late-Sept. and all of October are testament to the fact that humans just like being scared at times. If you play Ravenloft, you know this better than most. But too often we mix up horror with gore. These are some tricks to get away from gore while still maintaining a sense of looming dread and suspense. The Thing Under the Bed Despite the name, this refers to many other places besides underneath a bed. Instead it refers to the unseen, anticipated horror to come upon checking on something suspicious. Footsteps outside the door, scratching on the window, even an odd lump or shape underneath sheets. These are all examples of the "Things Under the Bed." When someone looks underneath the bed, often our logical mind is telling us that there won't be anything under there. At the same time our emotions are telling us there will be. This sort of conflict is what makes such moments so tense; we think we won't see something, but we fear we will. And sometimes...there is something there! Imagine hearing a strange moaning akin to wood creaking inside a wall. Also a strange scratching like rats moving inside. If there's a hole or vent in the wall a PC could look in just to make sure. They probably aren't expecting anything and will have convinced themselves there isn't. So imagine their surprise when there is something! A body shoved between the plaster and framing, an old doll that looks strangely human, a ghostly face, the illusion or hallucination of gnashing teeth or glowing eyes, it could be anything. Malevolent Furniture Sometimes what's out to get you isn't something human or humanoid. Perhaps it's a house (a phantasmagorum?) that seeks you for some ghastly purpose. In one example I pull straight from a post on another part of these boards. During a jaunt through the House of Lament, my players encountered the usual storm brewing outside. They were investigating one of the bedrooms when a rat caused a dressmaker's dummy to tip over inside a closet. Hearing the thump, they prepared for a fight--only to skewer an inanimate object. Shaken by this, one of the characters sat on the bed. That's when she felt something wet underneath the covers. She stood back up and the others pulled the sheets off, revealing a giant pool of blood. A stained skeletal hand came out and grabbed the closest character, trying to pull her in. Then, with a flash of lightning outside, the hand and pool just disappeared. "Something's Wrong With This Food..." Finding a sumptuous feat, only to watch it decay after having a bit or seeing it turn from finery to filth, is a classic trope of horror. But sometimes it's nice to have the food be a little more malevolent than that. Imagine a delicious cake that causes anyone that eats it to become sick and vomit up body parts, fruit that burns the hands when touched and decays when it hits the floor--only to have a giant black fly crawl out of it, or even the wine that turns to blood. Sometimes the simplest tricks work best. A suckling pig that squeals and moves as you slice into it, a piece of meat that twitches when prodded, or the ever-popular "mystery stew" where those noodles look a lot like human hair inside the pot. A gingerbread (or other confectionary) man that bleeds when bitten into, the worms that crawl out of a piece of food when its inside a character's mouth, or maybe a small candy house that's an exact replica of the one the characters are in--including the candy figurine of a body that's hanging outside the windows appearing only after they find the body first. These are just some examples of tricks I've used in the past. And I'm eager to hear from others about things they've done to scare their players. After all, a good scare is worth sharing.
#2 kwdblade Sep 29, 2007 19:14:11	During some of my first games, I made heavy use of mimics. My group has never really gotten over that, and everytime I even mention something looks out of place... *WHACK THUD BANG BOOM TWANG TWANG RRRRRIIIPPPP* "Is it dead?" "It was just a chair." "Oh..." Dripping water is a favorite of mine. I found a .mp3 online of slow, dripping water and play it when they enter caves or when they are in an old house and its raining outside. I notice that they often talk in hushed voice and carefully examine things when its playing. I usually request that no food or drinks remain on the table when we play Ravenloft. When I read descriptions, I often talk in a low voice, and when things make large noises, such as a door slamming or an object falling, BAM! hit the table. More than once one of my players has fallen out of their chair. Not really a technique, but I also noticed that when they are in an empty place, they tend to get really nervous. They move slowly, check double and triple times through rooms, and always have bright light sources at all times. I suppose its because they expect something to be around the corner "any minute now..." Some of my most fear-inspiring sessions didn't involve anything but an old, empty mansion, with glimpses of things outside or to the side that simply aren't really there.
#3 ecgrix Sep 30, 2007 9:26:31	You might be interested by H.P. Lovecraft's "Commonplace Book", too bad it can't be found on the internet as far as I know. It contains a list of thousand tricks and hooks. What I find to be the most powerful fear is the fear of unknown; a malevolent presence that you cannot see but get to know through its effects. A glowing eye or a ghastly face are surely not frightening, especially in a fantasy setting. If you don't know what's watching you, we are on a new level of fear. Some random examples from the book, followed by my comments: - A thing sits on the chest of a sleeper. It's gone in the morning, but it left something. (It has obviously to be inhuman and unnatural. What is it exactly? What's happening to me? How do I cure it?) - An old lamp is found in a tomb. When you fill and use it, its light reveals an unknown world. (The goal is to give a vague description; ethereal shapes, sounds, unknown threat...and give your players horrible visions based on their own imagination. If the lamp merely shows the spirits of the dead, we are not in an unknown world. It's best if they don't like what they see but are forced to use it later e.g. to open a door or to escape a greater danger.)