Atmosphere [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Atmosphere [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Articous
07-25-04, 10:31 PM Hi , im going to run a ravenloft campaign soon with my party.

Id like advice on how i can create an atmosphere faithful to the way the ravenloft campaign was designed.

Im finding it very hard to establish a gothic feel to the adventure , and ive no idea how to give the players have an omnious feeling of dread lingering over them , growing stronger the longer they have to spend in the realm of dread.

I need them to feel like they are trapped and vulnerable in ravenloft , and an urgent need to find a way back to their own world.

How do i do all this though ? To them , all they are is in a new place , somewhere they havent explored yet , they are adventurers , so they are used to travelling to new places. And none of them really have any attachment to the world of toril ( our current campaign setting ) that would make them despair if they were never able to return , many of them dont even have any kin or people who are important to them in Toril

Also , the hook in my adventure is the players quest to escape from the dread realm , so if they dont feel particularly uncomfortable , they will have no motivation to attempt escape at all. And im left with a bunch of players with no idea what to do next , in a place that might as well be the same setting we were in before.

Help ? Thanks
Cymraegmorgan
07-26-04, 12:02 AM You seem to be in a tough place. I have never done a Ravenloft campaign, but here are some ideas about dread and motivation.

Try reading Castle Otranto for some good gothic flavor in your descriptions.

As time passes have the palpable anxiety begin to effect the PCs. After the first 48 hours in the dread realm, everyone makes a Fortitude Save or takes a initiative penalty. Make this happen every day or couple of days.

Maybe after a week the PCs have to make Willpoer Saves or take temporary deductions in STR, CON, CHA. The fear can be physically and emotionally draining. They have to make this Save every week. Once they are back home, it takes only 24 hours to recover.

It might be cheesy, but it would motivate them to find a way home quickly.
Kilsek of Sheverash
07-26-04, 12:20 AM A Ravenloft game is heavy on flavor and roleplaying. Your descriptions of people, places, and things have to have a certain dark or macabre touch.

There should be more people, places, and things that are sad, tragic, paranoid, mad, or scared.

The unknown, specifically what is hidden in darkness or even invisible or supernatural, should play a large part. The PCs shouldn't be able to understand everything or know everything - at least not without a lot of effort.

Since these characters don't seem vested in their home campaign setting, get them vested in Ravenloft. That is, encourage them to develop ties and relationships that matter in Ravenloft. And bc Ravenloft is what it is, they likely end in tragedy, curses and death - unless again, the PCs go to great lengths to help prevent that.

You could have Ravenloft native monsters or a recurring villain or villains "shadow" the PCs, watching their every move, or giving them trouble, from a distance, wherever they go. Maybe he or she just finds them interesting, or maybe it's something more, a cog in a dark plot where the PCs know something or someone, or having something that this villain wants.

But getting back to my earlier point, it's all in the delivery to create the feel of the Ravenloft setting. Then, like I said, get these characters caring about someone or someones or something in Ravenloft. And then the dark claws of the Demiplane of Dread can start messing with them, making their lives steadily and increasingly miserable.

Dropping hints over time, session to session, where a few people mention a common theme like this wouldn't hurt: "You're not from around here, are you? No, you're one of them... none of you last long here. Probably the last time I'll see you. Something will get you. Something always does here..."

Try watching a few good gothic horror style movies - Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Sleepy Hollow. That'll give you ideas on how to create the atmosphere you're looking for. Soundtracks to those movies are a good idea for background music, if that's something you and your gaming group like having during the session.

Good luck :)
Sildatorak
07-26-04, 01:24 AM #1 rule of horror - The most primal fear is the fear of the unknown.

The are several ramifications of this.

Don't give monster names. A zombie in a pond is a stat block with a CR, BAB, and slam attack; a "shambling, rotting corpse that drips foul water" is something from a bad dream.

Describe environmental things that have no impact on game mechanics. Shadows flitting at the edge of vision. A door blowing closed from a sudden breeze. A low creaking moan from an indistinct direction. A sudden whiff of animal scent. The tingle on the back of your neck that feels like the pressure of a soul-piercing gaze. Use all of the senses and include creepy details.
Fixxxer
07-26-04, 01:56 AM Originally posted by Sildatorak
Describe environmental things that have no impact on game mechanics. Shadows flitting at the edge of vision. A door blowing closed from a sudden breeze. A low creaking moan from an indistinct direction. A sudden whiff of animal scent. The tingle on the back of your neck that feels like the pressure of a soul-piercing gaze. Use all of the senses and include creepy details.

And never, ever, ever, EVER forget to play on the players unintentional metagame thoughts with descriptions. If the wind is blowing through the next corrodor and making a low sound as it does so, describe it as though a wraith or ghost is moaning behind the door, just waiting for some fool adventurer to come and let it out.

Of course, the REAL fun begins after the players have been so duped a couple of times and start making the assumption that anything described in a scary way is really just some natural occurance played up by the DM. That's when you actually do place that wraith behind the door. :smirk:
Articous
07-26-04, 02:03 AM Thanks for all the good advice , didnt realise how difficult running this module would be.

Would anyone know of any other sources which i can get inspiration for the descriptions ? A website perhps ?

My group will probably have our session this weekend ( its monday where i am). So i dont really have time to read any books.

Im guessing the hardest and most important descriptions will be of the city , its inhabitants , the architecture of the buildings , etc.

When i think gothic , i think of dark castles with gloomy skies overhead , and gargoyles at the top of a tower , shark roofs.

I have no idea how a commers house should look though , or any of the other more mundane structures , like shops and inns.
Fixxxer
07-26-04, 02:11 AM Originally posted by Articous
Would anyone know of any other sources which i can get inspiration for the descriptions ? A website perhps ?

To state the obvious, the Ravenloft Campaign Setting book. :)

I have no idea how a commers house should look though , or any of the other more mundane structures , like shops and inns.

The impression that I get is that most of them will be wooden structures with thatch or straw roofs. Many might have mud, clay, adobe or stucco outsides. A commoner's house would probably be a signle room, perhaps with a loft for sleeping and would almost certainly have either a fireplace or a firepit with a hole in the roof for smoke to come out. An inn would probably be a wooden structure with several windows (with or without glass). A kitchen, one sleeping room (for the innkeeper) and common room would make up the ground floor, while sleeping rooms were upstairs, accessable only through a single flight of wooden stairs in the common room. There may be a basement as well, where wine and ale is kept, since it's danker and colder.

Of course, these are just suggestions.
Dryder
07-26-04, 03:27 AM Hi!

I never DMed Ravenloft but I played it as a player two times. What I think my DM has done really good is that we never, and I mean NEVER saw or met any happy people. He never described a smile on a persons face and all buildings, persons and creatures had an old, mad, ruined, sad or depressive touch to it. He used music such as Tangerine Dream (the album "Phaedra") which put us down every single session...

Well, we were so happy to get back to Toril which made me realize that my DM had made a real good job in letting us feel Ravenloft.

Of course, it would be easier if the players had strong ties to their homeworld, but don't worry about it if they haven't! Just remember: (for me) in Ravenloft everything is old, ruined, rusty, sad, depressive and so on...

If you will find laughter in Ravenloft, it sure is an illusion!!!
Kilsek of Sheverash
07-26-04, 10:04 AM For what a city might look like, think Dark Ages, when the Black Plague was around. Beggars and disease, destitute and broken families, miserable, dirty, smokey, horrible smelling. Rotted wood, creaky hinges, very small tables to eat rotten, old, and tiny portions of food on. People are dirty and grimy, clothes torn and stained and of poor quality and dark, drab colors and simple styles.

I'd say use elements from the what the homes of people looked like in the movies I mentioned above, plus I'll add a few more which I can't believe I forgot:

Good Gothic Horror Movies for Inspiration
*From Hell (the Jack the Ripper story)
*Frankenstein
*Dracula
*Interview with the Vampire
*Sleepy Hollow

Good Gothic Horror Reading for Inspiration
*Anything by Edgar Allan Poe - Cask of Amontillado is still one of my favorite short stories from grade school. In fact, I really recommend him bc he wrote a lot of *short stories* which is something that's much more practical to make time for than a whole novel.

There's plenty others, I'm just very familiar with the ones above. I'm sure there's plenty other movies and books or short stories other ppl will suggest. Again, good luck! :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Articous 07-25-04, 10:31 PM	Hi , im going to run a ravenloft campaign soon with my party. Id like advice on how i can create an atmosphere faithful to the way the ravenloft campaign was designed. Im finding it very hard to establish a gothic feel to the adventure , and ive no idea how to give the players have an omnious feeling of dread lingering over them , growing stronger the longer they have to spend in the realm of dread. I need them to feel like they are trapped and vulnerable in ravenloft , and an urgent need to find a way back to their own world. How do i do all this though ? To them , all they are is in a new place , somewhere they havent explored yet , they are adventurers , so they are used to travelling to new places. And none of them really have any attachment to the world of toril ( our current campaign setting ) that would make them despair if they were never able to return , many of them dont even have any kin or people who are important to them in Toril Also , the hook in my adventure is the players quest to escape from the dread realm , so if they dont feel particularly uncomfortable , they will have no motivation to attempt escape at all. And im left with a bunch of players with no idea what to do next , in a place that might as well be the same setting we were in before. Help ? Thanks
Cymraegmorgan 07-26-04, 12:02 AM	You seem to be in a tough place. I have never done a Ravenloft campaign, but here are some ideas about dread and motivation. Try reading Castle Otranto for some good gothic flavor in your descriptions. As time passes have the palpable anxiety begin to effect the PCs. After the first 48 hours in the dread realm, everyone makes a Fortitude Save or takes a initiative penalty. Make this happen every day or couple of days. Maybe after a week the PCs have to make Willpoer Saves or take temporary deductions in STR, CON, CHA. The fear can be physically and emotionally draining. They have to make this Save every week. Once they are back home, it takes only 24 hours to recover. It might be cheesy, but it would motivate them to find a way home quickly.
Kilsek of Sheverash 07-26-04, 12:20 AM	A Ravenloft game is heavy on flavor and roleplaying. Your descriptions of people, places, and things have to have a certain dark or macabre touch. There should be more people, places, and things that are sad, tragic, paranoid, mad, or scared. The unknown, specifically what is hidden in darkness or even invisible or supernatural, should play a large part. The PCs shouldn't be able to understand everything or know everything - at least not without a lot of effort. Since these characters don't seem vested in their home campaign setting, get them vested in Ravenloft. That is, encourage them to develop ties and relationships that matter in Ravenloft. And bc Ravenloft is what it is, they likely end in tragedy, curses and death - unless again, the PCs go to great lengths to help prevent that. You could have Ravenloft native monsters or a recurring villain or villains "shadow" the PCs, watching their every move, or giving them trouble, from a distance, wherever they go. Maybe he or she just finds them interesting, or maybe it's something more, a cog in a dark plot where the PCs know something or someone, or having something that this villain wants. But getting back to my earlier point, it's all in the delivery to create the feel of the Ravenloft setting. Then, like I said, get these characters caring about someone or someones or something in Ravenloft. And then the dark claws of the Demiplane of Dread can start messing with them, making their lives steadily and increasingly miserable. Dropping hints over time, session to session, where a few people mention a common theme like this wouldn't hurt: "You're not from around here, are you? No, you're one of them... none of you last long here. Probably the last time I'll see you. Something will get you. Something always does here..." Try watching a few good gothic horror style movies - Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Sleepy Hollow. That'll give you ideas on how to create the atmosphere you're looking for. Soundtracks to those movies are a good idea for background music, if that's something you and your gaming group like having during the session. Good luck :)
Sildatorak 07-26-04, 01:24 AM	#1 rule of horror - The most primal fear is the fear of the unknown. The are several ramifications of this. Don't give monster names. A zombie in a pond is a stat block with a CR, BAB, and slam attack; a "shambling, rotting corpse that drips foul water" is something from a bad dream. Describe environmental things that have no impact on game mechanics. Shadows flitting at the edge of vision. A door blowing closed from a sudden breeze. A low creaking moan from an indistinct direction. A sudden whiff of animal scent. The tingle on the back of your neck that feels like the pressure of a soul-piercing gaze. Use all of the senses and include creepy details.
Fixxxer 07-26-04, 01:56 AM	Originally posted by Sildatorak Describe environmental things that have no impact on game mechanics. Shadows flitting at the edge of vision. A door blowing closed from a sudden breeze. A low creaking moan from an indistinct direction. A sudden whiff of animal scent. The tingle on the back of your neck that feels like the pressure of a soul-piercing gaze. Use all of the senses and include creepy details. And never, ever, ever, EVER forget to play on the players unintentional metagame thoughts with descriptions. If the wind is blowing through the next corrodor and making a low sound as it does so, describe it as though a wraith or ghost is moaning behind the door, just waiting for some fool adventurer to come and let it out. Of course, the REAL fun begins after the players have been so duped a couple of times and start making the assumption that anything described in a scary way is really just some natural occurance played up by the DM. That's when you actually do place that wraith behind the door. :smirk:
Articous 07-26-04, 02:03 AM	Thanks for all the good advice , didnt realise how difficult running this module would be. Would anyone know of any other sources which i can get inspiration for the descriptions ? A website perhps ? My group will probably have our session this weekend ( its monday where i am). So i dont really have time to read any books. Im guessing the hardest and most important descriptions will be of the city , its inhabitants , the architecture of the buildings , etc. When i think gothic , i think of dark castles with gloomy skies overhead , and gargoyles at the top of a tower , shark roofs. I have no idea how a commers house should look though , or any of the other more mundane structures , like shops and inns.
Fixxxer 07-26-04, 02:11 AM	Originally posted by Articous Would anyone know of any other sources which i can get inspiration for the descriptions ? A website perhps ? To state the obvious, the Ravenloft Campaign Setting book. :) I have no idea how a commers house should look though , or any of the other more mundane structures , like shops and inns. The impression that I get is that most of them will be wooden structures with thatch or straw roofs. Many might have mud, clay, adobe or stucco outsides. A commoner's house would probably be a signle room, perhaps with a loft for sleeping and would almost certainly have either a fireplace or a firepit with a hole in the roof for smoke to come out. An inn would probably be a wooden structure with several windows (with or without glass). A kitchen, one sleeping room (for the innkeeper) and common room would make up the ground floor, while sleeping rooms were upstairs, accessable only through a single flight of wooden stairs in the common room. There may be a basement as well, where wine and ale is kept, since it's danker and colder. Of course, these are just suggestions.
Dryder 07-26-04, 03:27 AM	Hi! I never DMed Ravenloft but I played it as a player two times. What I think my DM has done really good is that we never, and I mean NEVER saw or met any happy people. He never described a smile on a persons face and all buildings, persons and creatures had an old, mad, ruined, sad or depressive touch to it. He used music such as Tangerine Dream (the album "Phaedra") which put us down every single session... Well, we were so happy to get back to Toril which made me realize that my DM had made a real good job in letting us feel Ravenloft. Of course, it would be easier if the players had strong ties to their homeworld, but don't worry about it if they haven't! Just remember: (for me) in Ravenloft everything is old, ruined, rusty, sad, depressive and so on... If you will find laughter in Ravenloft, it sure is an illusion!!!
Kilsek of Sheverash 07-26-04, 10:04 AM	For what a city might look like, think Dark Ages, when the Black Plague was around. Beggars and disease, destitute and broken families, miserable, dirty, smokey, horrible smelling. Rotted wood, creaky hinges, very small tables to eat rotten, old, and tiny portions of food on. People are dirty and grimy, clothes torn and stained and of poor quality and dark, drab colors and simple styles. I'd say use elements from the what the homes of people looked like in the movies I mentioned above, plus I'll add a few more which I can't believe I forgot: Good Gothic Horror Movies for Inspiration From Hell (the Jack the Ripper story) Frankenstein Dracula Interview with the Vampire Sleepy Hollow Good Gothic Horror Reading for Inspiration Anything by Edgar Allan Poe - Cask of Amontillado is still one of my favorite short stories from grade school. In fact, I really recommend him bc he wrote a lot of short stories which is something that's much more practical to make time for than a whole novel. There's plenty others, I'm just very familiar with the ones above. I'm sure there's plenty other movies and books or short stories other ppl will suggest. Again, good luck! :)