Horror one shot game

libranchylde
libranchylde
edited November 2010 in Campaign Portal Building
Suggestions? I am planning a one shot game with my group. it will be a horror/zombie apocalypse type game with some tower defense. basically I will just have the PCs holed up in a three or four level tower with a massive hoard of zombies just outside the gates. that's the gist of it. any suggestions for flavor/ambiance?

Comments

  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    If you can find/buy/download the score for The Shining, use it for background music. It's crazy-sounding, eerie stuff that is perfect for a horror-themed one-off.
  • libranchylde
    libranchylde
    Posts: 113
    thanks, I might just do that. anything else?
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    I've got to agree with Frank, music _really_ sets the mood. The Shining is a classic soundtrack that would be perfect for your adventure by the sounds of the description. I also really like the soundtracks to Hellraiser, the Fountain, Sleepy Hollow, the Village, Dracula, Session 9 (SOOOOOO GOOD!), and Saw 3. Saw 3 has some great heavy tracks that could be really good for battle once the spooky atmosphere finally cracks and they are engaged with the undead.

    Lighting is another factor that I consider fundamental, especially for a horror atmosphere. If you can light the room in just candle light it would make a huge difference compared to 100 watt light bulbs. If you dont have candle light try very low light or even color light bulbs- red would be a good choice.

    Another thing to keep in mind about creating a an atmophere is your own speech. Talk slowly and softly while building the tension and when the dice start rolling and the undead are biting for their flesh talk very loud and fast and try to give the players less time to answer questions about their responses, it really builds the feeling of pace.

    Good luck and have fun!

    DarkMagus
    "My Music Reviews Page":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/the-ilumnos-series/wikis/music-reviews
  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    Just read Dark Magus' post and agree 100% - lighting is _key_. Definitely go with candles if you have the means/budget.
  • Curufea
    Curufea
    Posts: 161
    In order for something to be horror - you need to take power away from the heroes.

    You have to have a feeling of powerlessness. This can be something as simple as a hostage situation, where the hero is still physically capable of doing everything, but they just shouldn't. But it's better if they are outside of their realms of comfort. Require strong characters to think - require thinking character to fight - require healing characters to harm.

    If they always feel in control, they'll never feel horror.

    Ideally you'd want them all to feel that anyone can die, permanently - especially themselves. So don't just bump off NPCs.
  • Poutine_Paladin
    Poutine_Paladin
    Posts: 285
    I'm with Curufea, powerlessness and death are important...especially with zombies. If one character dies early, and then joins the attack for the other side, it will make the rest realize that the situation is, indeed, serious. Lighting and Sound are also important for atmosphere. Dammit, why do I always seem to catch these things late and end up just agreeing with everybody else. Quick, someone start a thread that I can get first crack at!
  • libranchylde
    libranchylde
    Posts: 113
    wow. awesome comments and advice guys thank you. my group still hasn't been able to get together, so I am trying to come up with some really memorable encounters. u have one with skeletal hands reaching up through metal grates in the floor to trip the pcs during a fight or chase and a couple more. you guys have some memorable encounters you would like to share?
  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    My Pathfinder group is playing through Rise of the Runelords currently, and there is a really effective horror element early on in the game. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it effectively utilizes hallucinations for players that fail a will save.

    Perhaps you could create some hazardous locations (a rooftop, an old staircase with no railing, etc.) and tie in a hallucination effect that could cause the players to act irrationally.

    Just a thought.
  • FemmeLegion
    FemmeLegion
    Posts: 521
    Frank's idea is especially fun if you can trust one of the players to keep a secret and to really ham it up.

    In a superhero campaign, a lot of us got mind-trapped into a shared hallucination. We had to wrap up that session before too much time elapsed, but I quietly got with the DM afterward and told her that I wanted to play it as if my character truly believed she'd been sent into an alternate universe...especially because she fit in better there!

    The character was eventually brought out of the mind trap, but her compatriots are *still* leery of her sanity. Tee-hee!
  • igornappovich
    igornappovich
    Posts: 76 edited December 2010
    If you want a touch of humor, reference the familiar during the one shot-- old enemies they defeated long ago come back to haunt them in zombie form, a running joke for the adventure (for example, an NPC who keeps periodically muttering "I shouldnt have drank all the holy water" ), or a familiar setting that suddenly becomes scary--works best when a safe place for them becomes deadly all of a sudden. This concept is illustrated by every shower/ bedroom/ hospital scene from ten million horror flicks. A place where a character is vulnerable or normally feels safe is a good setting for horror.

    most of all, have some fun with it. Horror and comedy are a fine line, and nervous laughter is a good way to break the tension during a tough moment. Gallows humor I believe they used to call it.

    For sheer terror though, insanity cant be beat (temporary or permanent). see : call of cthulu. But you dont have to go that far, just a touch is often enough. And a character driven insane is still a lot more playable than a dead one under most circumstances.
    Post edited by igornappovich on
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    I like to try to instill a little paranoia. It can be very fun. Try to hint to things to get the players and/or the characters thinking or expecting something bad. I have on occasion had a player very paranoid and worried about something but argued with them that their character would have no way of feeling the same (for any number of reasons). This leads to the player having to do something in character that they as a player know better than to do. This goes back to the feeling of powerlessness that Curufea spoke of.

    A good way to use this split between player and character knowledge to set up some player paranoia would be to use thematic elements that a character may not know of. FOR EXAMPLE: Maybe there are no vampires in your world, but a familiar NPC is exhibiting traits we associate with vampires -doesn't come out at night, no reflection, stays away from garlic.. any number of things. Then you set up a situation where the players are very afraid, but if they are good roleplayers they won't let their characters act on this knowledge. Then you set up a trap for them, or make them think you are setting up a trap. Watch them squirm!! It can be great.
  • Curufea
    Curufea
    Posts: 161
    That's so mean - I love it!
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