I’m converting a Swedish RPG module to D&D called Wildheart. It’s a large and densely packed forest full of trolls, dragons, and mysterious undead creatures. The encounters in the module are great and the module says that describing the oppressive feelings and personifying the forest is imperative to the game, but there are very few descriptions to actually read to the players. So, I need to collect a bunch of descriptive passages to sprinkle in throughout the game to convey the spooky, scary woods that the players will be trapped in for the duration of the game. Are there any older D&D modules that could provide this? Or should I continue looking to other sources and writing my own? (lengthy process) Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
oh, the module is heavily influenced by Norse and Celtic culture, so I would imagine the forest will be full of mostly evergreen trees, pines and the like.
My advice would be to not worry too much about the descriptions - players know what scary woods look like, they can imagine the feelings (and that is their job, not yours) their characters are experiencing.
Lengthy descriptions are more likely to clash with the player's own imaginations than enhance them. As a player, I hate long descriptions as they generally fail to conjure images - my brain and imagination doesn't work like that; I can more easily 'visualise' my character's feelings and reactions than what they see.
Having said that....there are 2.7 gazillion pictures of spooky forest scenes available to your favourite search engine. Either show them to your players at an appropriate moment, or use them to inspire that writing muscle of yours.
Spooky background music, turning down the lights, holding a torch under your chin - all these tricks are cheesy but effective methods of changing the mood around the table. Tell your players in advance that moments of levity are fine, but the underlying theme of your game tonight is brooding horror not slapstick.
Exhaustion levels might come quicker in the forest, swords may feel heavier, spells may require a touch more effort from casters. Maybe characters have to declare their first combat action even before an encounter or suffer a penalty to initiative when the time for battle comes to simulate the draining effect of being constantly on edge.
In Legend by David Gemmell, the 'hero' is riding through a snowy forest. I think that was about the full description Gemmell gave the reader. It was enough.
Thank you for posting your question; my players will shortly be heading into Lurkwood in the Forgotten Realms. Answering your question has been very helpful to me.
I'll let some one else exercise their writing muscle by talking about the others senses available to writers and DMs alike...
Evocative descriptions don't have to be on par with Tolkein, Steven King, or Piers Anthony. You can provide the perfect mental image using the simplest of language so long as you cover the 3/5 senses in a few lines. The reason it's perfect is because your players will piece those words together and fill in the blanks with their imaginations.
Creepy Forest: The light fades as you enter the forest, turning into a strange dark and quiet place, the sounds have all but vanished. The smell of animal or beast hangs in a still air, no flowers seem to help the uneasy odor. In the dim light you see shadows dart about, you barely hear the sound of things moving, and you feel as if everything is watching you.
Scary Forest: The black and brown thorns wrap around the forest, almost like teeth waiting to tear at you. The trees seem to close in, choking out the light and letting the fog roll around like a breath. Sharp shadows, darker than the deepest forest slink about just out of sight, while unseen creatures move branches and, you swear, even a tree...
Just enough information to give them a feel for the area and just enough left out to let them imagine it. Good scary descriptions make people think about what they don't want to see/hear. You will touch on those things rather than describe them: "dark shadows move about", it's nothing, it's the light on the branches, it's a monster waiting to eat me...
OK, I'll stick to description (not including pictures, music etc.)
Smells: rotten, foul, decaying, smoke etc. Sounds: creaking, cracking, dead silent etc. Temperature: cold, freezing, chilling, etc. Visuals: tortured, burned, twisted, splintered etc. Light conditions: wrapped in shadows, streaks of light, creeping darkness etc.
I’m converting a Swedish RPG module to D&D called Wildheart. It’s a large and densely packed forest full of trolls, dragons, and mysterious undead creatures. The encounters in the module are great and the module says that describing the oppressive feelings and personifying the forest is imperative to the game, but there are very few descriptions to actually read to the players. So, I need to collect a bunch of descriptive passages to sprinkle in throughout the game to convey the spooky, scary woods that the players will be trapped in for the duration of the game. Are there any older D&D modules that could provide this? Or should I continue looking to other sources and writing my own? (lengthy process) Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
oh, the module is heavily influenced by Norse and Celtic culture, so I would imagine the forest will be full of mostly evergreen trees, pines and the like.
Are you converting it into English? I'm interested in learning more about this project.
Thanks for your help everyone. I feel like what I have so far in my DM notes will be sufficient then and I really liked the take on exhaustion points and the effect it could provide. This discussion made me think of classic horror movies where the monster is never shown on screen, but all the methods mentioned above are used to provide and instill fear.
@TexasDevin no, it’s already converted to English, but it uses a D100-ish system. So, by converted I just meant the monsters and world. I haven’t made the monsters public on DND Beyond homebrew though, because of copyright issues. I’m using the images and descriptions from the games bestiary.
Hi there! do you mind sharing the module or at least some of the encounters? Kinda curious about it since i am planning to bring my players through haunted pines.
Hi there! do you mind sharing the module or at least some of the encounters? Kinda curious about it since i am planning to bring my players through haunted pines.
I’m converting a Swedish RPG module to D&D called Wildheart. It’s a large and densely packed forest full of trolls, dragons, and mysterious undead creatures. The encounters in the module are great and the module says that describing the oppressive feelings and personifying the forest is imperative to the game, but there are very few descriptions to actually read to the players. So, I need to collect a bunch of descriptive passages to sprinkle in throughout the game to convey the spooky, scary woods that the players will be trapped in for the duration of the game. Are there any older D&D modules that could provide this? Or should I continue looking to other sources and writing my own? (lengthy process) Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
oh, the module is heavily influenced by Norse and Celtic culture, so I would imagine the forest will be full of mostly evergreen trees, pines and the like.
My advice would be to not worry too much about the descriptions - players know what scary woods look like, they can imagine the feelings (and that is their job, not yours) their characters are experiencing.
Lengthy descriptions are more likely to clash with the player's own imaginations than enhance them. As a player, I hate long descriptions as they generally fail to conjure images - my brain and imagination doesn't work like that; I can more easily 'visualise' my character's feelings and reactions than what they see.
Having said that....there are 2.7 gazillion pictures of spooky forest scenes available to your favourite search engine. Either show them to your players at an appropriate moment, or use them to inspire that writing muscle of yours.
Spooky background music, turning down the lights, holding a torch under your chin - all these tricks are cheesy but effective methods of changing the mood around the table. Tell your players in advance that moments of levity are fine, but the underlying theme of your game tonight is brooding horror not slapstick.
Exhaustion levels might come quicker in the forest, swords may feel heavier, spells may require a touch more effort from casters. Maybe characters have to declare their first combat action even before an encounter or suffer a penalty to initiative when the time for battle comes to simulate the draining effect of being constantly on edge.
In Legend by David Gemmell, the 'hero' is riding through a snowy forest. I think that was about the full description Gemmell gave the reader. It was enough.
Thank you for posting your question; my players will shortly be heading into Lurkwood in the Forgotten Realms. Answering your question has been very helpful to me.
I'll let some one else exercise their writing muscle by talking about the others senses available to writers and DMs alike...
Roleplaying since Runequest.
Evocative descriptions don't have to be on par with Tolkein, Steven King, or Piers Anthony. You can provide the perfect mental image using the simplest of language so long as you cover the 3/5 senses in a few lines. The reason it's perfect is because your players will piece those words together and fill in the blanks with their imaginations.
Creepy Forest: The light fades as you enter the forest, turning into a strange dark and quiet place, the sounds have all but vanished. The smell of animal or beast hangs in a still air, no flowers seem to help the uneasy odor. In the dim light you see shadows dart about, you barely hear the sound of things moving, and you feel as if everything is watching you.
Scary Forest: The black and brown thorns wrap around the forest, almost like teeth waiting to tear at you. The trees seem to close in, choking out the light and letting the fog roll around like a breath. Sharp shadows, darker than the deepest forest slink about just out of sight, while unseen creatures move branches and, you swear, even a tree...
Just enough information to give them a feel for the area and just enough left out to let them imagine it. Good scary descriptions make people think about what they don't want to see/hear. You will touch on those things rather than describe them: "dark shadows move about", it's nothing, it's the light on the branches, it's a monster waiting to eat me...
OK, I'll stick to description (not including pictures, music etc.)
Smells: rotten, foul, decaying, smoke etc.
Sounds: creaking, cracking, dead silent etc.
Temperature: cold, freezing, chilling, etc.
Visuals: tortured, burned, twisted, splintered etc.
Light conditions: wrapped in shadows, streaks of light, creeping darkness etc.
Are you converting it into English? I'm interested in learning more about this project.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Thanks for your help everyone. I feel like what I have so far in my DM notes will be sufficient then and I really liked the take on exhaustion points and the effect it could provide. This discussion made me think of classic horror movies where the monster is never shown on screen, but all the methods mentioned above are used to provide and instill fear.
@TexasDevin no, it’s already converted to English, but it uses a D100-ish system. So, by converted I just meant the monsters and world. I haven’t made the monsters public on DND Beyond homebrew though, because of copyright issues. I’m using the images and descriptions from the games bestiary.
Hi there! do you mind sharing the module or at least some of the encounters? Kinda curious about it since i am planning to bring my players through haunted pines.
Sure thing, I finished up that campaign, but the thread is archived here https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/play-by-post/28190-trudvang-wildheart-for-5e
Riot minds has actually launched a Kickstarter and have converted some of their stuff to 5e: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/riotminds/trudvang-adventures-for-5e
I recommend supporting them, I recommend skimming through my campaign.. new scenes and locations are generally indicated at the top of the post