Also should I use creatures or anything else that my players are scared/have phobias of?
Players? No. That would be mean, especially without their consent.
Characters? Yes! Check out the "Seeds of Fear" idea in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. The idea is that the characters have fears, and the players are rewarded for reacting appropriately to those fears.
Horror is my favorite D&D genre. I've found that the best way to go about it is to establish clear baselines with your players before you run the game.
Send out a questionnaire to your players well before the one-shot. Tell them you are planning a horror one-shot and want to check their comfort levels with content they might encounter. Then list the different horror elements you're thinking of putting in the game and ask whether it's a green light (go for it, no problems), yellow light (handle with care, depends on situation), or red light (don't include, uncomfortable) issue for them. You don't have to give away the plot, just ask about the general topics - memory loss, blood and gore, body horror/mutations, sentient toys, etc.
When running the game, I find that horror really thrives on the way a DM describes the atmosphere. Get sensory. Tell them they feel a chill breath against their neck, or hear a faint giggling, or see a swing moving when there is no breeze. You don't need to deluge them with details, just give them enough to imagine the rest for themselves. Players are excellent at creating and fostering their own paranoia. It's perfect for horror, and it's all you need to convey the vibe without getting too dark with the content or plot. When all else fails, ask for a perception check, say "Okay. Carry on," and keep going.
Seconding the "don't use player's phobias" part. Big no-no.
Description really is everything, but I want to add more specific ways to get inspired (I myself have difficulty describing things): Look at movies/ games that either give you that horror tension, or scenes that are generally known to be scary. Analyze what is making the scene scary, and share that in your description. For me, it's most often sound. Creaking of wood beneath your feet, breaking of bone echoing through halls, unending crying that doesn't stop no matter which way you turn. Smell of copper is often used to hint that blood is in the area. Generally give at least one sense other than visual to the scene.
Goblins, orcs, etc. My idea is to twist them and mutated to the point that they terrify (not IRL) my players. Also wanted to include darker and more macabre variants of classic horror monsters that have been romanticized like werebeasts and vampires.
Remember that -most- horror thrives not on what IS seen, but what is NOT seen. What I mean is, especially if you're doing something classic like a werewolf, don't make it appear too soon. Make the characters see the aftermath of an encounter, build the atmosphere, make it tense, make them squirm at every rustling branch, every scratch on stone. Then give it to them. See notes about the Oni. Scare the characters with everything but the monster so when it finally makes an appearance they're already running on adrenaline and fear.
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I want to do a horror one shot with my players and they're fine with it. But all of us are under 18 so I have parents to worry about.
Also should I use creatures or anything else that my players are scared/have phobias of?
Players? No. That would be mean, especially without their consent.
Characters? Yes! Check out the "Seeds of Fear" idea in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. The idea is that the characters have fears, and the players are rewarded for reacting appropriately to those fears.
Do you have a plot in mind?
Psychological horror involving macabre versions of classic monsters
Horror is my favorite D&D genre. I've found that the best way to go about it is to establish clear baselines with your players before you run the game.
Send out a questionnaire to your players well before the one-shot. Tell them you are planning a horror one-shot and want to check their comfort levels with content they might encounter. Then list the different horror elements you're thinking of putting in the game and ask whether it's a green light (go for it, no problems), yellow light (handle with care, depends on situation), or red light (don't include, uncomfortable) issue for them. You don't have to give away the plot, just ask about the general topics - memory loss, blood and gore, body horror/mutations, sentient toys, etc.
When running the game, I find that horror really thrives on the way a DM describes the atmosphere. Get sensory. Tell them they feel a chill breath against their neck, or hear a faint giggling, or see a swing moving when there is no breeze. You don't need to deluge them with details, just give them enough to imagine the rest for themselves. Players are excellent at creating and fostering their own paranoia. It's perfect for horror, and it's all you need to convey the vibe without getting too dark with the content or plot. When all else fails, ask for a perception check, say "Okay. Carry on," and keep going.
Seconding the "don't use player's phobias" part. Big no-no.
Description really is everything, but I want to add more specific ways to get inspired (I myself have difficulty describing things):
Look at movies/ games that either give you that horror tension, or scenes that are generally known to be scary. Analyze what is making the scene scary, and share that in your description.
For me, it's most often sound. Creaking of wood beneath your feet, breaking of bone echoing through halls, unending crying that doesn't stop no matter which way you turn.
Smell of copper is often used to hint that blood is in the area.
Generally give at least one sense other than visual to the scene.
what kind of classic monsters?
dragon? should be pretty easy
beholder? already an abberation. hard to make it more macabre
mind flayer? again, already an abberation
goblin?
skeleton?
shadow?
Race: Not Human
Class: Villain
Alignment: Lawful Evil
fun fact: i gain more power the more you post on my forum threads. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Goblins, orcs, etc. My idea is to twist them and mutated to the point that they terrify (not IRL) my players. Also wanted to include darker and more macabre variants of classic horror monsters that have been romanticized like werebeasts and vampires.
Remember that -most- horror thrives not on what IS seen, but what is NOT seen. What I mean is, especially if you're doing something classic like a werewolf, don't make it appear too soon. Make the characters see the aftermath of an encounter, build the atmosphere, make it tense, make them squirm at every rustling branch, every scratch on stone. Then give it to them. See notes about the Oni. Scare the characters with everything but the monster so when it finally makes an appearance they're already running on adrenaline and fear.