"How much Horror is is your horror gaming?" Topic

So, how much Horror is is your horror gaming? This isn't a world ending question, but I frequently consider the metagaming and so it fits in with, "why we game what we game."

I ask because I added a horror element to a pulp game the other evening (basically a Cthulu Spawn). The monster did a bit of killing and made other figures run away or go insane (act randomly), but from a playing point of view there was more mirth than horror.

Is this other people's experience? I'm not complaining, as it was a fun game, but I not sure that the action was "Horror."

Thanks,

Synjin

I find it hard to generate the level of suspense and horror one gets from reading Cthulhu in a game. One group I game with is good about keeping focus but my main group is not.

Last game, they came within one turn of blowing the whole thing and ending the world as 2 of 3 pc's where not 100% committed to the fight. Too much of a dungeon mindset for regrouping and returning later. One pc and 2 npcs held the line (and died) luckily for the world. If not the campaign would have ended. I don't mind letting well played characters scrap buy to save a storyline but if you charge the demi god alone with a pistol – you die.

Scariest horror game I ever played was one of the introductory scenarios in the 1e COC rules, "The Brockford House." Probably the only time I felt mildly spooked in an adventure, perhaps because it was the first time we ever played. Lots of fun.

The manner of a monster's introduction can matter in suspense. For example, one can just place a spawn on the table or one can leave the model off the table for a turn and instead describe an unrecognizable claw reaching out of the darkness and striking suddenly. A placed model generates a finite threat range if players know the movement range in a meta gaming way. No placement leads to anxiety of where it will be placed and when. Also don't let on that a monster is alone…describe distracting noises and shadows moving, and have them make spotting checks at random times.

I'm also a fan of random and capricious events in zombie games.

What Goldwyrm said about introduction of monsters. I would add some descriptive scenes that border on role playing.

(i.e. Your dog keeps staring at the wall and growling. No you don't see anything wrong with the wall. Your dog has backed into a corner and started barking furiously at the wall. Your dog has a maniacal look of terror in it's eyes and begins to howl.)

I can't imagine how playing toy soldiers could arouse a state of horror in me like hearing,telling or reading a horror story.
I may imagine a rotting horde of corpses…
slowly shuffling towards me…
feeling the devil crawling up my spine…
knowing they're coming to eat me…
make me one of them…

But come on, a fistfull of badly painted toy soldiers and a bucket of dice ?
No way.

Never did Call of Cthulu or other horror role playing games with figures. Better to just leave it to the players imagination. In fact when we did Call of Cthulu, the first thing that went was the lights. After all we are in the 1920s, no bright room lights there. Since I lived in Florida at the time, I would use the lantern from my hurricane kit turned down low and a few candles around the room.

The horror is in the telling of the tale, descriping the scene, the sounds, and the unkown. Never knew a player that didnt get into using their own imagination. After a couple hours of horror, everyone was really happy when the lights came back on.

Well we play with zombies that cannot be killed so the fear is illustrated on the table top with having to really think out of the box when chased by a running horde of undead. Also, throwing a horror factor into a otherwise normal straightforward game. I've hosted Battle of the Bulge games where all of a sudden the winning SS tank platoon is attacked with a pack of werewolves. Slaughter commences, it es off the German player and gives the American a sense of relief, that is until the pack turns to them.

I think the closest to horror you will get out of an actual gamer is frustration with having to game in a non-traditional manner. Many will get ed and say it was stupid and others will rise to the challenge and truly get into the game trying to defeat the unexpected.

I enjoy being surprised while gaming and am better as the underdog, because it makes the win that much sweeter.

Brian

I had good luck with an "Aliens" type game. I had built a space freighter (Worldworks model) and covered all of the rooms so the players couldn't see what was in them until they entered the room.

I acted as the GM and the goal was to account for the crew and get off the ship before the orbit decayed and the ship burned up, so they had a tight schedule. Then the creatures and events were randomly generated…mostly, sometimes I would adjust the roll for a particular effect. One of the most memorable moments was when the players entered the engine room, found some creatures, opened fire and promptly set off the fire suppression system that filled the room with foam (cotton balls) then they couldn't see the creatures, scared the daylights out of them. Another event that bothered them was when they left a wounded man in the corridor while they cleared a room, when they returned the man was gone and just a blood puddle remained.

What made it really effective was that the players didn't know what to expect and we had never really played a role-playing type game before so they really got into it.

It feels like there almost has to be a GM pulling tricks and surprises from their sleeves to create this effect. There have, however, been zombie games I played where I've been stricken by that feeling of being closed in on, which to me is perfect. I agree with most that you're probably never going to look at one of your players and see real fear in their eyes. I think if your doing it right you will see quite the opposite, delight at seeing elements of a good horror story re-created in game form. The first time I played All things Zombie solo to test it out I actually caught myself giggling like a little girl when one of my characters got surrounded and eaten by a pack of zombies. It was the greatest thing ever. Still one of my favorite gaming moments. I got problems.

Mongo
Mongoswafflehouse.blogspot.com

Once, as a GM, in an encounter that happened at night,I "concealed" the monster with a cloud of fog that hid its exact position.

I did this by using a "bamf" cloud of purple gas, represented by a big translucent purple cloud made of plastic. It came with a toy Nightcrawler X-Men figure.

Drove the players crazy wondering what it was. No one wanted to get into line of sight of the thing. It was great.

Thanks all for the comments. It's good to get other view points.

I was actually playing To Be Continued by GASLIGHT (pulp rules), which are cinematic in nature. The Cthuhlu Spawn was a Monsterpocalypse figure that one of the players brought. As he had both the painted and clear figures the invisible part worked out well, though I have to say it would have been better if I had thought to use Goldwyrm's approach or a cloud of fog.

The only figure with a weapon that might have harmed the Spawn (though it would have regenerated all its hit points on a successful save) went insane upon seeing the creature materialize and began firing in random directions. All in all, I think that only two heroes and a dog made it off the board alive. Thus the monster had a solid win.

I'm working my way through Lovecraft's works, and have yet to read the Mountains of Madness. But really, the Dunwich Horror was the inspiration for this game…invisible horrendous monster killing everyone. Like I said it was fun.

Thanks again.

Synjin