I am relatively new to DM'ing and wanted to run by an idea. So I am running a Horror Oneshot and I want to keep my players on edge. I was thinking asking for perception checks on the regular. Would this just be annoying?
Yes. Random perception checks are fun. Even when there’s nothing to actually perceive just to keep them honest. Though in this edition you can get by without even rolling, just periodically ask them to remind you of their passive perception scores, and then nods and say “hmmm” after they tell you.
I do perception checks every in-game hour (half hour in high danger areas). That way my players don't know that there's something there every time I say "roll perception".
For a horror themed campaign, I would say something like "You feel like you are being watched" or "You feel a tingling sensation in your spine, like any moment a monster could jump out of the bushes and attack" or "You think you hear footsteps and a faint moaning noise behind you"
If done too often though, you take the edge from the roll. It is best used rarely and when dramatically appropriate. The best times I have done it were when the players were low on resources and trying to avoid things. I ran the Forest Oracle many years ago and the players ran into problems in the mountains. They then went into the forest and got chased by worg-riding goblins. They had lost them almost at once, but I had their ranger and thief keep rolling stealth checks.That caused them to get really worried.
I did not go overboard with it though. Was mainly when they felt a little more comfortable and I remember once it was to avoid another encounter. The very last one was to see how close they could get to the bad guys before being seen. That way they thought they were avoiding the worgs, but they were really sneaking around other things.
Working on a horror night myself. I suggest lots of horror “pieces of flair” that have no / minimal impact like the horror card flavour text from mansions of madness. Then, if/when they say “I check out the ...” you hit them with the check. Of course, some of them can be something real.
The horror effects might also be interesting to let the players run with things a bit. Not all at the same time, but maybe someone always has an insanity in play at any point in time or regular saves or something: player x, you have an uncontrollable urge to light as many things on fire as you can. Player y, you need to try isolating yourself with another player so you can plunge your dagger into them.
There's another way to do this (and could be part of what Transmorph is alluding to) ...
Have hidden perception checks.
What does this mean? Ask your players to roll 5-10 perception rolls, then you record the results in some random order. The players will then have a sense of if their character is "perceptive" that day or not, but you can then use those rolls during the course of the session when needed. Yes, this is more bookeeping for your, but it also adds to tension while keeping rolls and preserving character agency.
For your scenario it adds a "real life" suspense element in addition to whatever is happening in the game.
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I am relatively new to DM'ing and wanted to run by an idea. So I am running a Horror Oneshot and I want to keep my players on edge. I was thinking asking for perception checks on the regular. Would this just be annoying?
Yes. Random perception checks are fun. Even when there’s nothing to actually perceive just to keep them honest. Though in this edition you can get by without even rolling, just periodically ask them to remind you of their passive perception scores, and then nods and say “hmmm” after they tell you.
Nothing gets players on edge more than rolling a d20, asking everyone their passive, then writing something down and continuing like nothing happened.
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I do perception checks every in-game hour (half hour in high danger areas). That way my players don't know that there's something there every time I say "roll perception".
For a horror themed campaign, I would say something like "You feel like you are being watched" or "You feel a tingling sensation in your spine, like any moment a monster could jump out of the bushes and attack" or "You think you hear footsteps and a faint moaning noise behind you"
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If done too often though, you take the edge from the roll. It is best used rarely and when dramatically appropriate. The best times I have done it were when the players were low on resources and trying to avoid things. I ran the Forest Oracle many years ago and the players ran into problems in the mountains. They then went into the forest and got chased by worg-riding goblins. They had lost them almost at once, but I had their ranger and thief keep rolling stealth checks.That caused them to get really worried.
I did not go overboard with it though. Was mainly when they felt a little more comfortable and I remember once it was to avoid another encounter. The very last one was to see how close they could get to the bad guys before being seen. That way they thought they were avoiding the worgs, but they were really sneaking around other things.
Working on a horror night myself. I suggest lots of horror “pieces of flair” that have no / minimal impact like the horror card flavour text from mansions of madness. Then, if/when they say “I check out the ...” you hit them with the check. Of course, some of them can be something real.
I don’t think these can be used directly, but here are some examples: https://www.lindhardgaming.dk/2017/05/14/mansion-of-madness-2nd-edition-list/#horror cards
The horror effects might also be interesting to let the players run with things a bit. Not all at the same time, but maybe someone always has an insanity in play at any point in time or regular saves or something: player x, you have an uncontrollable urge to light as many things on fire as you can. Player y, you need to try isolating yourself with another player so you can plunge your dagger into them.
There's another way to do this (and could be part of what Transmorph is alluding to) ...
Have hidden perception checks.
What does this mean? Ask your players to roll 5-10 perception rolls, then you record the results in some random order. The players will then have a sense of if their character is "perceptive" that day or not, but you can then use those rolls during the course of the session when needed. Yes, this is more bookeeping for your, but it also adds to tension while keeping rolls and preserving character agency.
For your scenario it adds a "real life" suspense element in addition to whatever is happening in the game.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"