Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WCH 07-13-06, 04:07 PM	Working on a horrific adventure. Game starts after He has destroyed any entire town of bugbears, who until then were living far more peacefully than most of their species, not too far from a major human trading centre. The only warning was a growing darkness over the land; the shadows reached town long before He did, darkness so vile even the keenest eye cannot penetrate it. As the darkness overtook, all in its path were slain. "He" is a lvl 12 Orcish Warlock with an unusually powerful Darkskull that casts shadows far beyond the reach of the Deeper Darkness enchantment it carries. He has discovered that a Kython invasion is about to begin, and has set out to prevent it by creating an army of unusually powerful zombies. Being evil himself, the best way he could think to do this was to wipe out a town of Bugbears and use them. The PCs are informed about the massacre. The local populace is not concerned about the death of bugbears, but is creeped right the hell out and wants to know what's going to happen, so the PCs are sent to find out what caused this and whether it poses a threat to the city. Once these are known, they figure the ruling council will decide how best to counter attack. The PCs now must enter a ghost town, stained with the blood of bugbears, but containing no corpses or any blood of any other species. So what I'm working on right now is how to best set the scene; what should I describe them seeing as they walk through the town to maximize the creepy atmosphere?
Twisted Puppy 07-13-06, 04:15 PM	Check out the Fantasy Writer's Companion, paying special attention to the chapter on horror by Tony Ruggiero. Or go to the library and see if you can find one of his books: Team of Darkness, where vampires are being used by Special Forces as commandoes; or Aliens and Satanic Creatures Wanted: Humans Need Not Apply, an anthology of short stories. My favorite is "Lucky Lucifer's Used Car Emporium."
WCH 07-13-06, 04:42 PM	Nice. I ask for what works in the context of a game, and you suggest a book about something completely unrelated. Thanks for trying to be helpful, anyway...
Latro 07-13-06, 05:01 PM	When trying to create a fitting mood for horror-settings, I tend to be kinda brief in my descriptions ... key-details are mentioned, but only in an almost casual manner. That way I let them knows there's something there and leave it to their imagination (or courage) to find out what it actually is. You won't find me giving three-page descriptions of spooky sound ... it's the "not-knowing" that makes for a good horror mood. ... hint ... suggest ... a glimpse ... and let them find out for themselves. :cool:
mike_beavers 07-13-06, 06:39 PM	in my opinion, less is more in description for a horror game. A over description of bloody remains gets boring. You want to make it subtle and allow the players imaginations run away with them. Talk in a low voice forcing your players to lean closer. Do things at your gaming spot (assuming its your place). turn on fans at slow speed behind the players, drop the light level, use appropiate mood music etc.
FloppyLlama 07-13-06, 06:57 PM	Nice. I ask for what works in the context of a game, and you suggest a book about something completely unrelated. Thanks for trying to be helpful, anyway... Oh, I guess you need to be spoon fed to get any useful information? :rolleyes: That was perfectly good advice he gave you, and something I might actually use myself in the near future. Thanks, Twisted Puppy. I'll make sure it goes to some use ;)
FeceMan 07-13-06, 07:05 PM	Nice. I ask for what works in the context of a game, and you suggest a book about something completely unrelated. Thanks for trying to be helpful, anyway... With that attitude, I'm surprised anyone would help you.
WCH 07-13-06, 07:53 PM	I'm sorry, but when the question is "how best to describe a ghost town," the answer should never be "read this book about vampire commandos."
FloppyLlama 07-13-06, 08:13 PM	I'm sorry, but when the question is "how best to describe a ghost town," the answer should never be "read this book about vampire commandos." Heheheh. That was funny. But seriously, despite the apparent silliness of the response, the reason he recommended it was almost definately so that you could pick up some tips on atmospheric and descriptive writing that would help you describe the ghost town effectively.
WCH 07-13-06, 08:23 PM	And I appreciate that. My thanks in my post was entirely heartfelt. I was, however, looking for something a little more constructive. I'm sorry if anybody here took that the wrong way, I'm not trying to scare you off, I'd just rather stay on topic, not make this a "let's list our favourite horror books to draw inspiration from" thread. And anyway, I've got several collections of Lovecraft sitting around, so I'm quite well supplied on that front. :P Now, if he'd said "Read this book about vampire commandos, because on page 87 the main characters have to walk through a ghost town and don't know what to expect, and the tension is drawn out beautifully," I would've said "Thanks, maybe I'll pick it up."
Piggyfreak6 07-13-06, 10:47 PM	"As you walk into the town, you see a faint black fog near your feet. It wisps up and swearls around your legs, as you feel the chilling touch of darkness surround you. You see the buildins are quickly disappearing ahead, and now you can't even see your weapons at your side. As the darkness consumes you, one player can feel the a furry hand grasp his leg. You hear a faint, raspy voice say, "TURN BACK!" then the grasp lossens, and you can feel death swearl around you.
Dowjin 07-13-06, 11:12 PM	~Rubs hands together.~ Oh goodie, my favorite topic. --- I'd highly reccomend a townsman or two actually survived, and fled to tell the tale, (but is much too frightened to go back). That involves the PCs a bit more directly than them stumbling upon this. Of course, you might have alraedy done this, the backstory is a bit vague... --- First of all, expanse of time. You want to make sure the PCs enter the town at dusk or night. You can do this by delaying them with adventure and encounter, or if their travel was peaceful, have the road they walked take /much/ longer to head up than expected. A: Ghoulie in the (insert setting) cries out in a woman's voice, perhaps even a scream. Give them a wild goose chase, that ends with some scraps of clothes, a locket hanging from a branch, or some clue to the adventure. B: Dread itself has permeated the Prime Material in this spot. A plane that travels faster on the continuom than the prime has lasped over the area up to the town (Perhaps nearby villages/towns call the surrounding area "haunted" as forays end up taking a day or two instead of a few hours). Resulting in creepy mist, cold that goes through most layers of cold, etc... They arrive at dusk. --- Battle is what this place looks like. But not a contested battle, more like a "flee were all going to get killed!" sort of battle, with only a few brave-looking corpses looking like they were doing anything near heroic. A quarter of the windows should be shattered in, a quarter of the doorways should be barricaded, another quarter of the doorways should look as if they /tried/ to be barricaded, but failed. Torn bodies, pools of blood, streaks of gore and. corpses that trail underneath the porches of houses and ETC. Hang a couple people slumped over broken windows, populate the area with the weapons of choice of the assailants (most of them should be planted in the dead). At the Inn, have some axes or sword dug in to tables, like people were fighting back with them, and a few got stuck. Trash the place, but only insofar as it suggests a quick, easy, slaughter. If they arrived within a day or two, then the Inn's main hearth, or other dependable and long-lasting sources of illumination would still be active. Sort of a hollow flickering glow. Everything else, posted torches, oil lamps, etc, would all have burnt out. If they arrived three days or more later, not a single thing is lighting the town. (If this is the case, they might find some merchants camped outside town, warning the PCs that the town has been beset by demons. Of course this is just their guess, but it might be a lucky one. This will also give the PCs some shopkeepers, if the adventure mainly takes place in the town and below it. I wouldn't think they'd stick around for more than a week, though, unless the PCs were very good customers, and said merchants didn't mind trading in the dead's possessions.) --- Twisted Puppy gave you excellent resources for mood setting, and adjectives to use, all you have left to do is plant them into your own setting. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
EldonG 07-14-06, 12:33 AM	Man, when you said Lovecraft, that was the magic word. Or Poe. I used to run C of C all the time...I may be able to offer a few pointers... :cool: As they walk into the town, emphasize the silence. Mention the sound of a door creaking in the breeze. Faraway, a crow caws on the wind...but no sounds of the town's inhabitants. Classically, you would run such a thing at night, but I think it could be even creepier during the day. Don't make the blood obvious, at first. Let them hear a drip...drip...drip...and then find a slow stream of blood...no body, of course, as the body was taken. Put the blood somewhere very wrong...maybe dripping off a hanging sign. This is a great opportunity for ghosts...not evil ones, just confused and frustrated ghosts. They should never quite be seen, just...for example, a momentary spectral face in a window. Whispers are heard on the breeze, but they are unintelligible...moans of grief, very, very soft, so that only one or two of the party members can hear...make sure that each member of the party hears or sees something different...even something contrary. Then they discover the watering trough, filled with blood to the rim, and slowly spilling over...where a dark ritual was performed. Dark, mysterious runes disturb the peace of the nearby wall...written in blood. Let them examine the scene for a while. Dwell on the lingering sense of evil...or magical energies...the dread of the utter silence...the area grows disturbingly cold...then SLAM! A door swings shut in the distance. When they investigate, there are bloody footsteps leading into a building...oil lamps flicker out as they start to examine them, leaving the party in surprising darkness...when they get the light going again...one party member is gone...and in the table before them is a huge (bugbear sized) carving knife, stuck in the wood. Blood stains both the blade and the handle. The other PC is found in a back room, shaken, but unhurt, with no memory of what happened. Actually, before he is found, talk to him in private, just long enough to let him know that as far as he knows, nothing happened...and he blacked out...and was coming to as the party finds him. This will make them suspicious...but do nothing, just let it simmer. In this room is a good place to drop a clue - anything you find appropriate - likely, something the necromancer or one of his allies dropped inadvertently...make it creepy. Over the whole time, let them take their time...rush nothing...if they start to seem antsy, give them some little creepy nothing, like a whisper in the breeze...or a bloody handprint in a crazy place. You'll need to know your players, and watch carefully. If they're on edge, sitting in close, rapt...you can drag it out a little more...and more...but if they back off, it's time to hit them with the surprises! I hope this helps. I gave one friend of mine actual nightmares for a week after an encounter with a Dark Young... ;)
WCH 07-14-06, 01:18 AM	Man, Eldon, you rule. Remind me only to play in one of your games if I'm sleeping with my girlfriend that night. :D Good stuff from Dowjin, too. Any advice on handling survivors? I've done 'em before but it always ends up cheesey, because my PCs tend to ask way too many questions, and I don't want to give too much away. It's annoying to have to rely on "she doesn't seem disposed to talk about it" or "he says he can't remember" all the time. Also... a scared bugbear? How would a bugbear express fear, or mourn the death of his family? I really don't know how to handle that, so I'm almost inclined to avoid it by just not having any survivors.
EldonG 07-14-06, 04:37 AM	I'd go with no survivors...or...maybe a young child or two...virtually catatonic...maybe mumbling hints, softly, but nothing too clear... And...thank you... :)
Cantankerous 07-14-06, 04:42 AM	Subtly, subtly, subtly. Hint at the attrocious, don't just hand it to them. Make them use their own immaginations against themselves. That means, don't describe it as "a pool of blood", but as "some substance, blackening and sticky, thick, smelling already of putrification". Unless the pcs are slow, they'll get it that it's a pool of blood, but reminding them of the basic distastefulness of it makes it all the more vivid. It also makes it all the more vivd when later you remind them that the jet of blood that covered them earlier when they killed that cultist (or whatever) is beginning to get tacky and the smell of it is becoming cloying. Make it PERSONAL, make it vague, don't spoon feed the Players, but make them think, as this will help make their imaginations will work over time. Isshia
boredgremlin 07-14-06, 05:02 AM	Survivors are best done as people who were asleep or absent when the attack happened. Make it so the killing started at night. The survivor woke up or returned home from the road or the forest late and came into a killing zone, death and screaming all over, or a profound silence. Survivors should rarely be combatants, they are people who saw something scary and ran like hell, thats why they survived. This is a good opportunity to give the party some hint, but remember its dark, the survivor was confused and scared, and most importantly he has no ranks any skill that lets him identify the monster. Give a vague physical description, use voices and look around frantic and scared while acting out the survivor. He doesnt meet peoples eyes, he is nervous and jumps at every sound, etc. Survivors are great for hints, and for the "please find my little daughter who I havent seen since the attack" type quests. Whether the innocent is still alive or not depends on how nice a DM you are, but either way its a good motivator. Bugbears are no harder then humans. They care for thier young right? Thier mates? Certainly if this is a peaceful village they have freinds and co-workers who are now gone. As an evil critter they will be more focused on finding blame and wanting revenge, but evil can still love, just in thier own twisted way. Use it to make bugbears more human seeming. Then the next time the party meets them in some other way they seem more real and less like a walking XP bag.
EldonG 07-14-06, 07:42 AM	Subtly, subtly, subtly. Hint at the attrocious, don't just hand it to them. Make them use their own immaginations against themselves. That means, don't describe it as "a pool of blood", but as "some substance, blackening and sticky, thick, smelling already of putrification". Unless the pcs are slow, they'll get it that it's a pool of blood, but reminding them of the basic distastefulness of it makes it all the more vivid. It also makes it all the more vivd when later you remind them that the jet of blood that covered them earlier when they killed that cultist (or whatever) is beginning to get tacky and the smell of it is becoming cloying. Make it PERSONAL, make it vague, don't spoon feed the Players, but make them think, as this will help make their imaginations will work over time. Isshia Excellent advice...I find it's always good to describe every sense's input available...the quiet, slow dripping sound...the putrid, vaguely sweet metallic smell...the thick, clumpy yet viscous feel...the wild spatters that visibly arc in insane patterns...and if they taste anything...more fool they. ;)
Twisted Puppy 07-14-06, 08:14 AM	And I appreciate that. My thanks in my post was entirely heartfelt. I was, however, looking for something a little more constructive. I'm sorry if anybody here took that the wrong way, I'm not trying to scare you off, I'd just rather stay on topic, not make this a "let's list our favourite horror books to draw inspiration from" thread. And anyway, I've got several collections of Lovecraft sitting around, so I'm quite well supplied on that front. :P Now, if he'd said "Read this book about vampire commandos, because on page 87 the main characters have to walk through a ghost town and don't know what to expect, and the tension is drawn out beautifully," I would've said "Thanks, maybe I'll pick it up." You asked for a good horror writer and help setting the scene. I told you a good horror writer who does that in his books and stories. Figured maybe you could read up on how to accomplish what you want using his example. The Companion chapter tells you how to do EXACTLY what you are asking about.
Latro 07-14-06, 09:18 AM	... Any advice on handling survivors? I've done 'em before but it always ends up cheesey, because my PCs tend to ask way too many questions, and I don't want to give too much away. It's annoying to have to rely on "she doesn't seem disposed to talk about it" or "he says he can't remember" all the time. Also... a scared bugbear? How would a bugbear express fear, or mourn the death of his family? I really don't know how to handle that, so I'm almost inclined to avoid it by just not having any survivors. People/Bugbears clawing their eyes out is a classic ... or still going on with their usual routine and caring for their children and loved-ones, except for the fact that it's now corpses they are talking to and caring for (mutilated corpses of course). :cool:
Tormsskull 07-14-06, 09:40 AM	Good horror scenes requires casualties. I'd have it where just before the PCs enter the ghost town they stumble upon a group of humans. Perhaps 4 humans that were sent from another area to discover what had happened here, and then report back. The humans offer to group up with the PCs to do their rounds, and one of them seems very spooked already. Make sure to describe him shaking slightly and acting very nervous. Describe a few minor things, like odds and ends being strewn about the ground, a broken axe here, an abandoned broom there. Then one of the humans will walk towards an open set of shutters (window) and peer through. Have the PCs make spot check, and if they hit DC 20 have them notice an axe on the ground rotate so its blade sticks upwards. One of the other humans notices it as well (and unless one of the PCs chooses to) he shouts "Mark, watch out!" Mark (the human looking through the window) turns around, trips over a stump in the ground, and lands face first on the axe. Bye bye Mark. The PCs can rush over there, they find Mark dead, and nothing seems to be wrong with the axe. It doesn't radiate any kind of magical aura, for all game purposes it is a simple (broken) handaxe. As the PCs continue on, one of the other humans vanishes. As the group looks around for the missing person, they hear the sound of chewing. It is difficult to determine where the sound is coming from, and then describe blood dripping on someone standing close to a house. Now there are 2 humans remaining. After this most recent incident occurs, the human who was all shaky and nervous say "I'm getting out of here!" and runs off into the fog of the city. Not a moment later the PCs hear "AHHHHH!!!" And, to top it all off, due to my nature of being sadistic and loving deceit, have the last human in the group be evil and somehow linked to these strange events happening in this city. He might start behaving erratically, or attack the PCs, or anything else to make him seem crazy. If the PCs kill him, have him hit the ground and appear dead. Then, his eyes blink open, a smile crosses his face, and he scurries backwords using his hands and feet (kinda like that chick in the updated version of the Exorcist). The fog that surround the city will be very important, because it will create mystery.
Kradlo 07-14-06, 11:28 AM	Some things to keep in mind. For horror, you'll want the PCs to have some way to identify with the victims. That may be hard to do with bugbears, being "usually chaotic evil." I'd recommend having the PCs encounter a bugbear that befriends them, one that's more neutral in alignment. Perhaps a bouncer at a bar that helps them out of a scrape, or catches the sneak thief that made off with their money pouch. Whatever you choose, have your NPC bugbear be memorable and likeable. That can be a lead-in to the rest of the adventure. Karrabus the Bugbear, tavern bouncer, can mention that he's returning to his village. He might warn the PCs that the rest of his kind are pretty rough in their ways, but that they respect strength and aren't that bad when you get to know them. Karrabus might be returning for a special holiday, perhaps bringing a present to his favorite niece. When the PCs arrive, Karrabus might notice that a guard outpost is untenanted. One of the PCs might notice the circling of vultures overhead. Clouds of black flies are thick in the air (you can have them require Concentration checks for spellcasting if you like). A Listen check made by a PC tells them, "You hear only the buzzing of the flies, and beyond it only silence." The town is deserted. The doors to their huts (or whatever) swing in the wind. And there are shadows that do not seem to retreat from the light of the torches. EldonG's advice works well. More clues that add up to nothing are good. Keep the suspense building, and the paranoia level high. Karrabus (or a PC) might Spot a small bugbear child shuffling through the alleys. Karrabus could recognize the child as his niece. Running up to her, he could discover that she is a shambling corpse, a zombie, and then have her tear out his throat with her teeth. Or, pick your particular death scene. Zombie arms emerging from the earth to drag poor Karrabus down makes a good visual as well. I hope this helps.
EldonG 07-14-06, 06:01 PM	Seriously, if you want scared players...leave combat out. Anything like combat, and they deserve the chance to fight back. If there's no combat...they have no way to feel like they can 'beat' anything...
WCH 07-14-06, 06:17 PM	Seriously, if you want scared players...leave combat out. Anything like combat, and they deserve the chance to fight back. If there's no combat...they have no way to feel like they can 'beat' anything... You're quite right, hence the ghost town. Basically here's the step by step of the adventure: 1) PCs are informed that there was an attack on a nearby bugbear town and are sent to find out what happened, and what threat it poses to the human city. 2) PCs travel to the town, and find nobody alive, not even any bodies -- plenty of blood, but no bodies. 3) PCs eventually find the BBEG's hideout in the town, at which they're set upon by a couple enhanced (fast+bloodthirsty+unkillable from Libris, and a couple bonus HD) bugbear zombies, just a couple to give them a taste of what's to come. At this point it depends how they proceed... the BBEG is inside but will keep to himself and won't fight at the same time as his zombies, wanting to test out their power, so if they enter they'll have to fight 6 super zombies in total magical darkness in a small room. If pressed, he will talk, and he also has some measure of explanation in his journal, but either way it'll be a little hard to understand, and they'll most likely end up killing him (although they don't strictly have to). The problem is how to make 1 & 2 last as long as possible without getting boring. It's the non combat part that builds the tension, but it's such a temptation to just skip to the next combat.
EldonG 07-14-06, 06:41 PM	You're definitely on the right track, there...one thing, though...if they even look like they're going to get close...make him escape. He has bigger plans than them, after all!
Dowjin 07-14-06, 10:37 PM	EldonG - Teach me your ways. o.o WCH - Actually, stalling it out in a very interesting way seems rather simple. Do all of what everyone's told you thus far (I really liked the idea of the 4 humans) and then have a little kid. A little bugbear kid. After all the macabre, and /right/ before the PCs get fed up and bored, have this silent scared child run across tyhe street and into a house. The child won't trust them, (The party could be demons, ghosts, possessed, etc for all the kid knows) and is probably a bit incoherant after all he/she saw. Anyway, add in another wild goose chase, that tours them through the cooler or creepier scenes of the town, and have it end in a dramatic way. Either they fail to save the kid from some spectre, the kid gets possessed (Think RE 4), or some truley creepy demon/ghost/zombie scurries out of or from under something to give them a taste of violence. Take hints from the Silent Hill series. Better if they start fleeing /with/ the kid (with said child steps ahead of them) while being pursued by said monster. If you think your PCs are particularly balsy, have them running from manifested sounds and events, in case they turn and fight. In which case, all is suddenly silent. I.E. things always happen around the corners of their eyes, and in the background. I disagree that combat should be gotten rid of. I think that just a few fights, that are really hard, or memorably macabre, keep them on the edge of their seats a lot better than the 101st disturbing scene they find in a room.
Comus 07-15-06, 12:22 AM	I suggest having someone with a few spells follow the PCs around covertly. Maybe it's the guy's apprentace, just doing a second sweep of the town himself to make sure they didn't miss anyone. Trust me when I say Silent Image and Ghost Sound are the best low-level spells for the purpose of scaring PCs. They open a door, and they find an impenetrable wall of darkness, maybe with a silently screaming face that presses out of it for a moment before it all melts away into blood and vanishes into the ground. Sounds of footsteps, or a distant scream. A house that blinks its windows when only one PC is looking. A corpse being dragged into an alleyway, only to be absent when they go to look. Tell them they feel like they're being watched. The important thing is, don't do the same thing twice.
SPEAR9 07-20-06, 10:09 PM	What if the town has sentience.It is alive.The party passes a hut,the door to which is closed.Next time around,it's open.Windows look like eyes,doorways resembles gaping maws. Doors creak,almost mockingly.The droning of the insect swarms sounds eerily like hushed speech.Claw marks scar the ground near almost every dwelling.Give the town a personality. Build on that.Horror is the growing unease that you are already in too deep.
Sereno 07-21-06, 09:20 AM	You might want to check out our 1001 Mournland Horrors thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=407341) over on the Eberron boards. The Mournlands are a nation-sized "ghost town," full of disturbing and horrific things. Some of the submissions there are very chilling. Some are gory, some are atmospheric, some are just insane. You're bound to find a few things you like, there.... I'd also like to second what EldonG posted above. The longer you can keep their interest without resorting to a "jump!" combat, the greater the horror effect will be. Once the swords are out, the PCs stop being afraid and go into tactics-mode. And the whole tone goes from "Ohhh, what the F*** is going on here!?!" to "If it bleeds, we can kill it!" You can make PCs run for their lives with a tough or nearly unbeatable monster, but you can't terrify them with it. Like Stephen King says, "First, try to terrify them. If you can't terrify, horrify. If you can't horrify, go for the gross out." :)
Jokerboxer 07-21-06, 05:58 PM	I had a problem when it came to this horror thing. Whenever I tried some horror on a player, that player would just stop showing-up for the champain. I really don't understand why? Can you guys help me?
EldonG 08-07-06, 03:15 PM	I had a problem when it came to this horror thing. Whenever I tried some horror on a player, that player would just stop showing-up for the champain. I really don't understand why? Can you guys help me? Sorry, I haven't been on the boards much, for a while now. Let me try to help a bit...if a player isn't expecting horror, and you don't know what he might be interested in, horror aspects can be a turn-off. I'd reccomend knowing your players well, and letting them know well in advance if you plan on including horror elements in a game...and getting their reaction, then, BEFORE making absolute plans. Even then, some horror elements might be sticky for some players...I had one player that was fine with all the spine-tingling I could throw at her, but make one mention of anybody under 14 involved and it made her very uncomfortable, and I had to pull her aside and talk about it. She'd been around just too much child abuse, and it simply struck too close to home.
Zombie Carl 08-07-06, 07:29 PM	Don't allow the players as much cooperation as they would normally have. "Okay everyone, make listen checks." *everyone rolls* "Okay, everyone but Frank the Paladin can hear the sound of dripping from the next room." or "Jim the Rogue, make a listen check." "What? Why just me?" "Make the check, please." *jim rolls* "Okay, Jim, you can hear a faint dripping coming from the next room. The door is slightly ajar, but you can only see darkness within." See my point? In example one, the players are pulled together as a group. They can rest easy knowing whatever they face, they are going to face it as a team. In example two, Jim is suddenly caught off-guard. Why am i the only one making listen checks? (as a DM, you can justify this as Jim being the only one close enough to possibly hear the drip). Suddenly, Jim is paranoid. It isn't the group acting as a whole, it's just him who has this information. Darkness and dripping? Not good. So Jim decides to share with the group. They become paranoid because Jim is paranoid. For best effect, pass Jim a piece of paper with this information on. Extra time and effort, I know, but I'm sure it'd help establish the mood a lot more convincingly.
CryoSilver 08-07-06, 07:37 PM	If you're trying for a horrific environment, I suggest you NOT read Lovecraft for an example; Lovecraft is from a past writing era, when more was more. If anyone used as many words as good ol' HP did in a D&D game, I'd get up and snag another soda/beer/bag of chips and get back just as he finished up. Modern descriptive style emphasizes CAREFUL WORD CHOICE and CONCISION. For horror, you also want MYSTERY and SUSPENSE. What you IMPLY is as importantas what you say. Lovecraftian description of a zombe: "The hideous rotting corpse slowly shuffles toward you, putrid arms outstretched, as though this mindless being possessed just the necessary glimmer of sapience to desire that you be damned as it, to an eternity of blah blah..." Scared? Me neither. I would have lost interest at "rotting corpse," screamed "ZOMBIE; KILL IT!" and whipped out my trusty sword o' death. Modern description: "In the flickering torchlight, you catch a glimpse of something... Human? Perhaps, but the stench, the sticky sweet stench of death..." See the difference? There ya go, my 2 coppers.
artman 08-07-06, 11:05 PM	I must support the "no combat" idea. This does not mean that all parts of a normal combat encounter need be eliminated. If the players figure out that they won't have to fight it will make them complacent. If you can make the characters prepare for combat and get all ready, only to find that there is nothing to fight, it will build the suspense.
EldonG 08-08-06, 12:37 PM	If you're trying for a horrific environment, I suggest you NOT read Lovecraft for an example; Lovecraft is from a past writing era, when more was more. If anyone used as many words as good ol' HP did in a D&D game, I'd get up and snag another soda/beer/bag of chips and get back just as he finished up. Modern descriptive style emphasizes CAREFUL WORD CHOICE and CONCISION. For horror, you also want MYSTERY and SUSPENSE. What you IMPLY is as importantas what you say. Lovecraftian description of a zombe: "The hideous rotting corpse slowly shuffles toward you, putrid arms outstretched, as though this mindless being possessed just the necessary glimmer of sapience to desire that you be damned as it, to an eternity of blah blah..." Scared? Me neither. I would have lost interest at "rotting corpse," screamed "ZOMBIE; KILL IT!" and whipped out my trusty sword o' death. Modern description: "In the flickering torchlight, you catch a glimpse of something... Human? Perhaps, but the stench, the sticky sweet stench of death..." See the difference? There ya go, my 2 coppers. Actually, if you read a lot of Lovecraft, most of those wordy, adjective-laden descriptions are VAGUE...exactly what I reccomend to create a sense of horror. I defy you to find many descriptions as vague as most of his in common modern horror. The 'Lovecraftian description' you gave was never written by Lovecraft.
artman 08-08-06, 12:47 PM	"I cannot even hint what it was like, for it was a compound of all that is unclean, uncanny, unwelcome, abnormal, and detestable. It was the ghoulish shade of decay, antiquity, and dissolution; the putrid, dripping eidolon of unwholesome revelation, the awful baring of that which the merciful earth should always hide. God knows it was not of this world - or no longer of this world - yet to my horror I saw in its eaten-away and bone-revealing outlines a leering, abhorrent travesty on the human shape; and in its mouldy, disintegrating apparel an unspeakable quality that chilled me even more." That is a direct quote from "The Outsider," by Lovecraft. Wordy, yes. But notice the structure. He tells you about the creature without telling you what it is. He waits tot hte end to tell you that it is human shaped and dressed in shabby clothing. Much more effective than your average zombie description.
Zombayz1 08-08-06, 02:59 PM	I worship this thread. :clap: :bow: :bow: Now, if Oakspar would get in on this, then we'd have a: AAHHH!! WHAT THE **** IS GOING ON HERE!! fest.
CryoSilver 08-08-06, 08:23 PM	Actually, if you read a lot of Lovecraft, most of those wordy, adjective-laden descriptions are VAGUE...exactly what I reccomend to create a sense of horror. I defy you to find many descriptions as vague as most of his in common modern horror. The 'Lovecraftian description' you gave was never written by Lovecraft. There are still too many words; it drags. I've read plenty of Lovecraft, and if it's vague, it's even more annoying because he spends so many words not really conveying anything. Maybe it's just the influence of TV, but if something has lots of words, it had better be conveying lots of information. Otherwise, for vague descriptions, the absolute fewest number of words possible should be used that can still convey the meaning in need of conveying. Vague = yes Vague and wordy = no Really, though, the way things are written is very little like the way they are spoken: no one speaks the way books are written, unless they're weird. Spoken word has fewer words, both in voume and breadth: you might write with 20,000 words, but you don't actually speak more than 6,000 or so on a regular basis. Therefore, in order to evoke horror, it might be a good idea to use words that your players might not hear very often. Lovecraft was fond of the word "blasphemous." My personal favorite is "visceral" I like the word "visceral" because, one, it evokes the word "viscera," or internal organs/offal/guts/etc. Second, it just sounds nasty, especially with the right inflection. One thing that you should focus on in conveying horror in spoken form is presentation. Don't sit back, and don't fidget. Lean forward. It helps if you can loom a little. Consider gettig a chair about 5 inches higher than your players'; just enough to allow you to loom. While you shouldn't move your arms much, don't be afraid to do so to emphasize a point. Speak slowly and clearly, just slightly quieter than you normally would as a DM; it forces your players to pay attention, and contributes to a sense of "vagueness." I get a lot of compliments on my "stage voice;" for clarity and for volume control, but also for my ability to convey a mood by my inflections and timbre. While public speaking is a terror for many people, try to cultivate such a voice: you shouldn't need as many words if you can imply them with your tone. Words like "creepy," "quiet," "slowly" and the like can be tossed right out.
EldonG 08-09-06, 11:02 AM	Admittedly, Lovecraft is a matter of taste...the rest of your advice I find rather spot on. Still, draw from the classics if you want true, gut-wrenching horror. Poe, Lovecraft, Bierce and the like blow King and Rice to itty-bitty pieces. Lumley, while not bad, tends to be a bit more sensational and just plain gruesome, than horrifying. If you want a truly great, suspenseful horror story that'll make your spine grow hair, read 'Who Goes There'...