You could have your players roll up undead characters using The Mourned: A Playable Undead Race, which includes 5 distinct subraces. It's currently being steeply discounted at DMsGuild for Halloween. Also includes some creepy new backgrounds available to any characters--e.g. the Guild Artisan: Undertakers and Embalmers variant. Plus a new macabre magic item: manual of mummies. 🎃
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Author of Fellozial's Ultimate Guide to Poison, The Primal Gith, and other forthcoming titles at DMs Guild
Idea for a horror/mystery campaign. Pretty much the players are stuck in a village(think raven loft) or boat. There are some NPCs, each with their own motivations. One night, the players hear a scream and find an npc dead. There is blood everywhere, and it is obviously done by a large animal. (Actually a werewolf) Each night, an NPC or PC dies. You see where I’m going with this...
Note: I’m also going to have them make a perception check to notice a Chubby British actor.
I personally am writing one based on silent hill and character backstories. Each dungeon is based on their backstory because the world shapes around their regrets, fears, tragedies, sins etc.
One player is a war refugee so her dungeon is a war camp
one player is a soldier that was wrongfully imprisoned so his dungeon is a war setting
one player is a human raised by the under dark after being kidnapped so his dungeon is based around an under dark cult
the last player accidentally got his village killed after selling the names of all his village companions to the great old one for knowledge. The great old one killed everyone with this knowledge. His dungeon is mind flayer based.
i wrote a rough draft of a Dms guide to horror back in the day if you are still interested. I see this post is a few years old but if you like i could post it here
its a bit wordy it was intended as a primer for an RPGA seminar. here it is
An early Draft I did around the beginning of 2nd edition D&D intended for Dragon Magazine un edited and uncorrected for sp or grammar here it is in its RAW form hope you enjoy i was young lol
Horror and Mood through Story and Immersion in Roleplaying
By . D Ledbetter
Powerful warriors and magic wielding wizards and sorcerors with ready access to healing potions and magical weapons and armor galore. What scares a party of Capable self fashioned heroes? Surely not the threat of Mortality? After all death is only an inconvienance in D&D. And the cast of PCs fight Orcs and dragons and undead galore. Surely not the fear of infection? After all a werebeast template or even Undeath can lead to great in game synergistic meta combos that make characters much stronger. The Ravenloft setting has proven time and again that even when a mechanic is introduced that manipulates alignment based on debased or contemptuous acts and evil intents, that the PCs, often in pursuit of better treasure and maybe renown or ability bonuses will stay along for the ride, even if a little murder is required or some ghosts are necessarily banished. so how do you sell the Horror in a enviornment that contains every horror imaginable and PCs whom seek them for material or character improving rewards?
Well story is the first element and story is key A good story writes itself sometimes. Followed by giving one self permission to be frightened without being cowardly. The same permission you give to a classic horror book or movie. But if the story is lame it really doesnt matter how invested the PCs are in being scared by events that they find laughable. And if their self view of the character doesnt entertain the idea of fear then it can be difficult.
A few practical props that help are that of soundtrack and lighting. Both can provide ambiance and mood for the senses but what about online within the context of shared screens. It then becomes a bit more difficult to control surroundings and sense reaction. Much as syntax is often lacking in text, thus leading to confused or seemingly un emotional conversation so too can online play drain a bit of the tension or mood from the experience no matter how well narrated. A few rules that help are stay in character(no outside comments or peanut gallery remarks that can open into tangents) this focuses the theater of the mind on the story. Keep rolls (DM) private and never describe all the details allowing for discovery and giving the PCs an opportunity to explore the dark. (Feel free as the DM to not explain mechanics that befoul certain PC enhancements such as darkvision or keen hearing so as to limit automatic understanding of a event. ) Much like the rational explanation is usually the thing that disproves a hoax or that at least dampens fear let the unknown thrive and stimulate the PCs imagination.
Often attempts to scare informed or experienced PCs falls flat due to player Knowledge. rather than demand that they play against their own knowledge invent encounters they do not recognize immediately, add new abilities or effects to monsters to keep the experienced pcs guessing.
Use descriptive backdrops that do not easily reveal their threat and make such threats sudden or bombastic. Reward players for RPing fear or abject terror as easily as you reward heroically rushing in at risk of life and limb. Or worse Levels. ( i recall ghosts and the like were terrifying only because they could steal whole levels of exp that could not simply be healed back rather than because they were ghosts)
Spooky is Spooky
What works and what doesnt when comparing Horror Cinema to Horror RPing.
Slasher s only really work in a city campaign but can in a rural one of they have a particularly Grizzly calling Card and no Motive at all no higher plan. Sometimes a ritual can be part f a religious or deranged dichotomy but usually slashers thrive in det style citybased campaigns. The guy/or girl next door slashers wrk best especially if they are a close npc and are completely unexpected. A good cover identity or magical disguise is also very useful and can povide a truly sinister reveal at some point in the game.
Undead Monsters and Humanoid types barring cursed humanoids and experienced group of PCs has probably already faced any number of lesser Undead as cannon fodder or Dungeoncrawl fodder. This tends to desensitize them to the plight of the once living. Only Vampire lords Liches and powerful Undead seem to engender any real fear in exp players. But it doesnt have to be that way. Everyone with sense fears a Dracolich but what about a simple vampire or ghost? Both possess unique (and quite deadly) abilities. High functioning predatory undead can be quite terrifying. Especially if they begin hunting the party and picking them off one by one. Ramping up the Tension as first an NPC or a companion animal goes missing then a body is found emaciated or exsanguinated. Then random things become misplaced or a PC begins having strange dreams of being accosted or seduced in the night. Generally being accused of having their imagination or fear get the better of them by an NPC or even a PC helps to create isolation and Urgency. Draw away the PC on watch and have them attacked at random wounded but not killed by an unknown assailant. (these steps also work with slashers if narrated and implemented correctly) It all comes down to how the party works as a team against a common foe, not like a woodland encounter or a rush in and fight scenario. more a when do the hunted become the hunters and truly investigate the cause of their problems.
Body Horror The malformation ,possession, or amorphous beast shifter, that can take on many forms(the thing a polymorphing protagonist a doppleganger etc) is the catch all for planting an imposter or replacement(clone) within the party. The enemy within can also be quite terrifying if no one knows who or what it is, Certain machanocs like misdirection or psionic control and domination spells can make this even more layered and befuddling to the PCs. A arasite that takes a humanoid host and invades their will like a brain mole or one of your own contrivance can keep the party mistrustful of one another and on edge at all times. Just waiting to see if a lycanthropic bite turns a PC into a slavering visious beast on the first full moon and the tells that lead up to that change can ramp up uncertainty for a good few sessions if implemented well.
Ultimately horror is made up of a few central components across all genre s and types and the best horror writers and screen adaptions follow these principles to ramp up tension set mood and ultimately shock the unexpecting viewer,reader, and hopefully player.
1. Build Tension through Imaginative narrative and misdirection and limit detailed information until the threat is fully revealed.( dont show the monster, sounds of events happening out of view, gory leavings and clues, seemingly cunning adversary, things that defy rational explanation, allow the PCs imaginations to run wild with speculation as the unknown remains unexplained.)
2. Setting and sountrack. Be it gothic or rural urban or a wasteland their should be a claustrophobic sense of isolation and no where to run.(dungeons, a mansion or castle, a small town or settlement, a barren countryside or arctic waste. No easy escape route where even magical means will not allow them to escape was the very premise of the borders in Ravenloft that closed the domains off from one anotherl ife threatening weather confining the pcs to a single locale for shelter but the antagonist is trapped there as well) Music is also a great way to invoke a tense and visceral response from the PCs especially if the background music is understated but has moments of off putting sounds, jangling nerve shattering zingers,etc. Like John Carpenters brilliant soundtrack for Halloween. Soundtracks from Horror films and dark instrumentals like Gothic or Celtic ones will usually include these along with saddening themes and dour themes. Just remember when the scene isnt particularly horrific switch to livelier tracks or a different playlist like a tavern mix or adventuring theme.
3. Unknown Antagonist. something about this protagonist is unique to its type and the party has no idea what that type is. Perhaps it just wont die like Jason or Michael, perhaps its Invisible, perhaps its a new species or an alien one, perhaps it is in a habitat that is unusual for its type. In any or all of these cases this should remain a secret from the PCs allowing their minds to invision the worst. They will often do half the work for you in their attempts to explain the unexplainable. Create a new template and design a brand new monster or class or race so that all of the unexplained things become a investigation and discovery mechanic. Like Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, wasnt it really an Escaped circus Ape? or maybe thats a different one any how...way to ramp up the suspense without revealing the Villian till the last chapter and keep even Londons greatest Detective on his toes for most of the story. Add alocal Legend that mythologizes the vilian or monster. Or perhaps its a group of monsters or an organization foementing a panic and seeding a Myth. So many good ways to keep a party guessing.
add on #4 ; In your Face gore and Terror as a mechanic gore and the like doesnt go far beyond good narration but a proper description of a truly heinous act can still be terrifying if done correct. Use a NPC or a witness account, or a message with a detailed description of the gory leavings or a crime scene investigation by the local militia dont be afraid to use your words" he was butchered, maimed beyond recognition", "the head was missing" "the brain was missing", "his hands were tied and stuffed in hi...s", "parts were removed , this killer had a clear knowledge of vivasectomy and anatomy the cuts were precise and clean not careless", "they were everywhere... body parts... arms, legs, and the children" "dismembered and partially consumed while it appears ...still alive eaten alive but the prints were that of a man not a beast". "What kind of creature could do such a thing!" " the eyes where are they and whats that in their place"...."the Infants head was sewn to a horses body and the horse was hobbled but limped through the center of town the babys face lolling like a gleeful child". whew spooky. go crazy but remember to ask permission to guage the level of tolerance your party can stand and be mindfull of touchy subjects like abortion,****,molestation,sodomy etc ... "less is more" sometimes and some people may have vivid personal recollections and equally vivid imaginations or psychological scars that the wrong words or an unsympathetic DM may unearth by pushing the wrong buttons. So depth of narrative should have a warning label and consent level like PG ,NC-17 ,R ,an XXX, for example before thrusting these things upon the party.
add on...the best practices at least in this concept imho to retain player agency requires a level of trust implied between Players and DM........ from the players the agreement to not use player knowledge in game and discussion.... and from the DM to reveal all at some point and always be forthcoming with details that are obvious or within the characters range of senses and detection. This usually only becomes a problem when that trust is breached, much the same as an unwritten agreement is implied in a horror flick or novel that you are giving permission for the writer/director to terrify you and make you feel uneasy. Sometimes your only safety belt is the ratings system and willpower (stop movie or put book down)strategically leaving out details and expecting the characters to prompt further details through in game investigation ramps up tension and also improves the immersion. It also honors the expectations of the players by taking the steps to actually frighten them in unconventional ways that arent boring. For instance you have likely seen many horror flicks that werent scary at all and fell flat because they were cliche or predictable .....you want to as the DM eliminate that predictability which can be hard when powerful capable characters are the leads rather than a helpless family or final girl etc..But if you can get under their skin or situate them in a context where they dont have all the answers or feel as though they are in peril then you have met their expectations ( if you bog a DM down in "but i have this how did that happen" rhetoric or meta explanations for effects etc... the story or scene can quickly lose its ambiance or mood as the magic is now revealed and that requires a special contract between characters and DM that all neednt be explained immediately to serve the story and all mechanics are not necessarily revealed..
apologies if grammar was off it as i said was just a draft.
You could have your players roll up undead characters using The Mourned: A Playable Undead Race, which includes 5 distinct subraces. It's currently being steeply discounted at DMsGuild for Halloween. Also includes some creepy new backgrounds available to any characters--e.g. the Guild Artisan: Undertakers and Embalmers variant. Plus a new macabre magic item: manual of mummies. 🎃
Im currently using the Cthulhu mythos in my game. It has all sorts of nasty, fear inducing stuff in it.
sup nerds
A well run false hydra would be really good.
“You’ve all eaten too much saturated fat. You’ll be taken when you least expect it and there’s nothing you can do. Muwahahaha!”
This is a really cool sounding campaign. Not only does it express a time limit, but it challenges the players and the characters. Good job!
Idea for a horror/mystery campaign. Pretty much the players are stuck in a village(think raven loft) or boat. There are some NPCs, each with their own motivations. One night, the players hear a scream and find an npc dead. There is blood everywhere, and it is obviously done by a large animal. (Actually a werewolf) Each night, an NPC or PC dies. You see where I’m going with this...
Note: I’m also going to have them make a perception check to notice a Chubby British actor.
I personally am writing one based on silent hill and character backstories. Each dungeon is based on their backstory because the world shapes around their regrets, fears, tragedies, sins etc.
One player is a war refugee so her dungeon is a war camp
one player is a soldier that was wrongfully imprisoned so his dungeon is a war setting
one player is a human raised by the under dark after being kidnapped so his dungeon is based around an under dark cult
the last player accidentally got his village killed after selling the names of all his village companions to the great old one for knowledge. The great old one killed everyone with this knowledge. His dungeon is mind flayer based.
i wrote a rough draft of a Dms guide to horror back in the day if you are still interested. I see this post is a few years old but if you like i could post it here
its a bit wordy it was intended as a primer for an RPGA seminar. here it is
An early Draft I did around the beginning of 2nd edition D&D intended for Dragon Magazine un edited and uncorrected for sp or grammar here it is in its RAW form hope you enjoy i was young lol
Horror and Mood through Story and Immersion in Roleplaying
By . D Ledbetter
Powerful warriors and magic wielding wizards and sorcerors with ready access to healing potions and magical weapons and armor galore. What scares a party of Capable self fashioned heroes? Surely not the threat of Mortality? After all death is only an inconvienance in D&D. And the cast of PCs fight Orcs and dragons and undead galore. Surely not the fear of infection? After all a werebeast template or even Undeath can lead to great in game synergistic meta combos that make characters much stronger. The Ravenloft setting has proven time and again that even when a mechanic is introduced that manipulates alignment based on debased or contemptuous acts and evil intents, that the PCs, often in pursuit of better treasure and maybe renown or ability bonuses will stay along for the ride, even if a little murder is required or some ghosts are necessarily banished. so how do you sell the Horror in a enviornment that contains every horror imaginable and PCs whom seek them for material or character improving rewards?
Well story is the first element and story is key A good story writes itself sometimes. Followed by giving one self permission to be frightened without being cowardly. The same permission you give to a classic horror book or movie. But if the story is lame it really doesnt matter how invested the PCs are in being scared by events that they find laughable. And if their self view of the character doesnt entertain the idea of fear then it can be difficult.
A few practical props that help are that of soundtrack and lighting. Both can provide ambiance and mood for the senses but what about online within the context of shared screens. It then becomes a bit more difficult to control surroundings and sense reaction. Much as syntax is often lacking in text, thus leading to confused or seemingly un emotional conversation so too can online play drain a bit of the tension or mood from the experience no matter how well narrated. A few rules that help are stay in character(no outside comments or peanut gallery remarks that can open into tangents) this focuses the theater of the mind on the story. Keep rolls (DM) private and never describe all the details allowing for discovery and giving the PCs an opportunity to explore the dark. (Feel free as the DM to not explain mechanics that befoul certain PC enhancements such as darkvision or keen hearing so as to limit automatic understanding of a event. ) Much like the rational explanation is usually the thing that disproves a hoax or that at least dampens fear let the unknown thrive and stimulate the PCs imagination.
Often attempts to scare informed or experienced PCs falls flat due to player Knowledge. rather than demand that they play against their own knowledge invent encounters they do not recognize immediately, add new abilities or effects to monsters to keep the experienced pcs guessing.
Use descriptive backdrops that do not easily reveal their threat and make such threats sudden or bombastic. Reward players for RPing fear or abject terror as easily as you reward heroically rushing in at risk of life and limb. Or worse Levels. ( i recall ghosts and the like were terrifying only because they could steal whole levels of exp that could not simply be healed back rather than because they were ghosts)
Spooky is Spooky
What works and what doesnt when comparing Horror Cinema to Horror RPing.
Slasher s only really work in a city campaign but can in a rural one of they have a particularly Grizzly calling Card and no Motive at all no higher plan. Sometimes a ritual can be part f a religious or deranged dichotomy but usually slashers thrive in det style citybased campaigns. The guy/or girl next door slashers wrk best especially if they are a close npc and are completely unexpected. A good cover identity or magical disguise is also very useful and can povide a truly sinister reveal at some point in the game.
Undead Monsters and Humanoid types barring cursed humanoids and experienced group of PCs has probably already faced any number of lesser Undead as cannon fodder or Dungeoncrawl fodder. This tends to desensitize them to the plight of the once living. Only Vampire lords Liches and powerful Undead seem to engender any real fear in exp players. But it doesnt have to be that way. Everyone with sense fears a Dracolich but what about a simple vampire or ghost? Both possess unique (and quite deadly) abilities. High functioning predatory undead can be quite terrifying. Especially if they begin hunting the party and picking them off one by one. Ramping up the Tension as first an NPC or a companion animal goes missing then a body is found emaciated or exsanguinated. Then random things become misplaced or a PC begins having strange dreams of being accosted or seduced in the night. Generally being accused of having their imagination or fear get the better of them by an NPC or even a PC helps to create isolation and Urgency. Draw away the PC on watch and have them attacked at random wounded but not killed by an unknown assailant. (these steps also work with slashers if narrated and implemented correctly) It all comes down to how the party works as a team against a common foe, not like a woodland encounter or a rush in and fight scenario. more a when do the hunted become the hunters and truly investigate the cause of their problems.
Body Horror The malformation ,possession, or amorphous beast shifter, that can take on many forms(the thing a polymorphing protagonist a doppleganger etc) is the catch all for planting an imposter or replacement(clone) within the party. The enemy within can also be quite terrifying if no one knows who or what it is, Certain machanocs like misdirection or psionic control and domination spells can make this even more layered and befuddling to the PCs. A arasite that takes a humanoid host and invades their will like a brain mole or one of your own contrivance can keep the party mistrustful of one another and on edge at all times. Just waiting to see if a lycanthropic bite turns a PC into a slavering visious beast on the first full moon and the tells that lead up to that change can ramp up uncertainty for a good few sessions if implemented well.
Ultimately horror is made up of a few central components across all genre s and types and the best horror writers and screen adaptions follow these principles to ramp up tension set mood and ultimately shock the unexpecting viewer,reader, and hopefully player.
1. Build Tension through Imaginative narrative and misdirection and limit detailed information until the threat is fully revealed.( dont show the monster, sounds of events happening out of view, gory leavings and clues, seemingly cunning adversary, things that defy rational explanation, allow the PCs imaginations to run wild with speculation as the unknown remains unexplained.)
2. Setting and sountrack. Be it gothic or rural urban or a wasteland their should be a claustrophobic sense of isolation and no where to run.(dungeons, a mansion or castle, a small town or settlement, a barren countryside or arctic waste. No easy escape route where even magical means will not allow them to escape was the very premise of the borders in Ravenloft that closed the domains off from one anotherl ife threatening weather confining the pcs to a single locale for shelter but the antagonist is trapped there as well) Music is also a great way to invoke a tense and visceral response from the PCs especially if the background music is understated but has moments of off putting sounds, jangling nerve shattering zingers,etc. Like John Carpenters brilliant soundtrack for Halloween. Soundtracks from Horror films and dark instrumentals like Gothic or Celtic ones will usually include these along with saddening themes and dour themes. Just remember when the scene isnt particularly horrific switch to livelier tracks or a different playlist like a tavern mix or adventuring theme.
3. Unknown Antagonist. something about this protagonist is unique to its type and the party has no idea what that type is. Perhaps it just wont die like Jason or Michael, perhaps its Invisible, perhaps its a new species or an alien one, perhaps it is in a habitat that is unusual for its type. In any or all of these cases this should remain a secret from the PCs allowing their minds to invision the worst. They will often do half the work for you in their attempts to explain the unexplainable. Create a new template and design a brand new monster or class or race so that all of the unexplained things become a investigation and discovery mechanic. Like Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, wasnt it really an Escaped circus Ape? or maybe thats a different one any how...way to ramp up the suspense without revealing the Villian till the last chapter and keep even Londons greatest Detective on his toes for most of the story. Add alocal Legend that mythologizes the vilian or monster. Or perhaps its a group of monsters or an organization foementing a panic and seeding a Myth. So many good ways to keep a party guessing.
add on #4 ; In your Face gore and Terror as a mechanic gore and the like doesnt go far beyond good narration but a proper description of a truly heinous act can still be terrifying if done correct. Use a NPC or a witness account, or a message with a detailed description of the gory leavings or a crime scene investigation by the local militia dont be afraid to use your words" he was butchered, maimed beyond recognition", "the head was missing" "the brain was missing", "his hands were tied and stuffed in hi...s", "parts were removed , this killer had a clear knowledge of vivasectomy and anatomy the cuts were precise and clean not careless", "they were everywhere... body parts... arms, legs, and the children" "dismembered and partially consumed while it appears ...still alive eaten alive but the prints were that of a man not a beast". "What kind of creature could do such a thing!" " the eyes where are they and whats that in their place"...."the Infants head was sewn to a horses body and the horse was hobbled but limped through the center of town the babys face lolling like a gleeful child". whew spooky. go crazy but remember to ask permission to guage the level of tolerance your party can stand and be mindfull of touchy subjects like abortion,****,molestation,sodomy etc ... "less is more" sometimes and some people may have vivid personal recollections and equally vivid imaginations or psychological scars that the wrong words or an unsympathetic DM may unearth by pushing the wrong buttons. So depth of narrative should have a warning label and consent level like PG ,NC-17 ,R ,an XXX, for example before thrusting these things upon the party.
add on...the best practices at least in this concept imho to retain player agency requires a level of trust implied between Players and DM........ from the players the agreement to not use player knowledge in game and discussion.... and from the DM to reveal all at some point and always be forthcoming with details that are obvious or within the characters range of senses and detection. This usually only becomes a problem when that trust is breached, much the same as an unwritten agreement is implied in a horror flick or novel that you are giving permission for the writer/director to terrify you and make you feel uneasy. Sometimes your only safety belt is the ratings system and willpower (stop movie or put book down)strategically leaving out details and expecting the characters to prompt further details through in game investigation ramps up tension and also improves the immersion. It also honors the expectations of the players by taking the steps to actually frighten them in unconventional ways that arent boring. For instance you have likely seen many horror flicks that werent scary at all and fell flat because they were cliche or predictable .....you want to as the DM eliminate that predictability which can be hard when powerful capable characters are the leads rather than a helpless family or final girl etc..But if you can get under their skin or situate them in a context where they dont have all the answers or feel as though they are in peril then you have met their expectations ( if you bog a DM down in "but i have this how did that happen" rhetoric or meta explanations for effects etc... the story or scene can quickly lose its ambiance or mood as the magic is now revealed and that requires a special contract between characters and DM that all neednt be explained immediately to serve the story and all mechanics are not necessarily revealed..
apologies if grammar was off it as i said was just a draft.
I’m working on one now about a house that’s kinda like The House on neibolt street. Except more fantastical.