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Questions tagged [horror]

For questions regarding the horror genre, and horror themed games, campaigns, adventures and so on.

11 votes
4 answers
2k views

How do you keep the horror spooky when your players are a bunch of goofballs?

I've been out of the Call of Cthulhu game for a while, because when I run games, my players are just constantly cracking jokes and derailing the game with references and wisecracks. We have fun, of ...
order's user avatar
  • 4,311
1 vote
0 answers
95 views

Looking for a system: Epidemic Outbreak [closed]

What system could suit a short-term survival-horror campaign focused on a "realistic" epidemic outbreak scenario? (Realistic as in crunchy or gritty-ish, I know it's pretty vague, sorry) I'm thinking ...
Lumine's user avatar
  • 19
8 votes
2 answers
757 views

Do consent forms genuinely contribute to safer playing environments in practice?

The new hype this year seems to be consent forms for RPG Sessions, especially in the contexts of horror games. There are many kinds of consent forms, but their function is in letting people provide a ...
Luiz Borges's user avatar
  • 1,392
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

What is this 1990s horror game of otherworldly PCs dealing with monsters on modern Earth?

In the 1990s I once played a horror RPG. I'd like to track it down again but I'm unable to figure out what it was. As best I can remember: The PCs are powerful, almost alien beings. Players had a ...
Alan De Smet's user avatar
  • 2,097
6 votes
2 answers
728 views

How can I simulate paranoia in a Call of Cthulhu One-Shot?

I'm a new GM to Call of Cthulhu. I want to play a One-Shot where paranoia and hallucinations play a big role (English isn’t my first language, so sorry if some phrases are weird). My idea is ...
ImStupidAndIKnowIt's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
273 views

Could the Banishment spell be used to separate an NPC from an aberration growing inside it? [duplicate]

Backdrop: A horror-themed campaign that heavily draws upon the Lovecraft mythos, using the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset. Situation: The party has encountered a story arc inspired by the ...
Mimics Everywhere's user avatar
13 votes
5 answers
1k views

How can I convey and sustain a level of realism in a given horror campaign? [closed]

TL;DR: How to convey to the players, beyond explicit statements (which sometimes doesn't work), a level of realism that you as GM expect for a given horror campaign? How could this level of realism be ...
user289661's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
127 views

What is a thematic way for a Horror Antagonist to wager with a PC? [closed]

The PC's need to get some information from an information broker in a Horror game. (Think of it as an information demon.) The stakes are dire but not deadly. I want some way for them to compete/wager/...
Kieran Mullen's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
18k views

Are there any mechanics for tracking sanity or performing sanity checks?

I am playing DnD since 3e and recently my fellas and I bought the 5e books. I already DM them in some eldritch-horror style campaigns. Back in the days of 3 and 3.5, characters used to have sanity ...
Drunken Commoner's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
15k views

Creating Horror Atmosphere [closed]

I'm relatively new to DMing/GMing. All the people that I play with have DMed at least a few times. The only thing I've run is a prefab from Tales of the Yawning Portal. My problem I want to make a ...
Twiggy's user avatar
  • 1,274
1 vote
0 answers
287 views

What mechanics from other rpgs could I introduce into my Call of Cthulhu game to make it scarier? [closed]

I will use an example to illustrate my question. If I wanted to make my player`s characters more complex and support/motivate my players to actually role-play, then I would take the char belief ...
ghost's user avatar
  • 53
38 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the Five Layer Model of horror scenario design?

I'm designing a horror part of my campaign. I've heard of the Five Layer Model for horror scenario design but I'm not sure what it is. Has anyone heard of it and if so can you either explain it or ...
Skathix's user avatar
  • 2,359
17 votes
4 answers
545 views

Isolation and the unknown in modern horror/investigative scenarios

I am currently planning my next long term game and intend to run a Cthulhu based campaign set in the modern era. I have experience of writing scenarios for the 1920's, but am having issues with some ...
Wibbs's user avatar
  • 17.8k
4 votes
0 answers
190 views

Looking for a specific horror gaming podcast

This is a bit of a shot in the dark, but I'm trying to find a specific horror gaming podcast I listened to a few episodes of way, way back. Things I know about it: It had one, male, speaker. It ...
Canageek's user avatar
  • 3,870
27 votes
7 answers
11k views

How to make combat encounters terrifying?

I'm running a 5e, self-written, horror/psychological themed adventure for a group of experienced players this weekend. Noting that many players have the mindset of "meh, if this character dies I'll ...
Kyte Aryus's user avatar

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