What's scary?

[Eleroach13]

I'm currently running a Rippers campaign, based off the Savage Worlds system.  Rippers is a Victorian era horror game.  The basic premise is this: you fight monsters in an age when people don't believe in them.  To aid your fights, you can extract/remove parts of monster's bodies and embed them in yours, enhancing your abilities.

I'm afraid, however, that I don't really know what's frightening.  The things I think of are always very abstract: being locked in a room and not being able to hear anything.  A lot of what I think would be scary has to do with concepts that may not translate well from character to player (and no, I wouldn't mind scaring the players a bit, too!).  I'd like to have more options than that, though, and I'd also like to know how you guys have worked horror into situations.
I'd also prefer not to get too outlandish, as I want to maintain a sense of reality - the only things unusual about this world are the monsters. 

I suppose I'm not looking for anything too specific, but what in particular does/would frighten you in a campaign?  (or creep you out, or make you jump, etcetcetc.)  How did your players react? 

[Martin Ralya]

I'd also prefer not to get too outlandish, as I want to maintain a sense of reality - the only things unusual about this world are the monsters. 

Based on the premise, it sounds like the characters are pretty unusual, as well: They're the only (?) ones who believe in monsters, and they have monster body parts fused to them!

How is that presented in the setting? Is the potential horror of loss of self or transformation into a monster part of the whole "embedding" thing? Do the PCs tear bits off of the monsters reluctantly, or eagerly? Is the process gross?

Those are the first questions that jump out at me, and if you can answer them that would be a good baseline for providing advice.

[momus]

Well, this is a hard question to answer, but I can tell you how I creep out my players. I think one of the most important thing is to set the right mood. If you have a game where everybody is joking around, nobody will be scared, ever. To set the mood I prep the game room; dim the lights, create a playlist on my iPod with scary music (Horror soundracks are great) have some creepy handouts ready, etc... What works best with my group is to keep things "slightly" obscure, don't be too graphic in the beginning, and turn the "normal" things upside down... I run a nWOD Mage chronicle right now and my players had to battle an evil cult who would sacrifice children from an orphanage to the evil tree spirits in order to keep the town prosperous. The Brotherhood of the Bark creep-ed them out to no end! Also, the ghost of the murdered child with down syndrome, who ask the players for help, was very unsettleling for my players. You can check out my handouts over at www.2d10.org I hope that helps.

[Merten]

I suppose I'm not looking for anything too specific, but what in particular does/would frighten you in a campaign?  (or creep you out, or make you jump, etcetcetc.)  How did your players react?

I don't know how it works for a long campaign, but for shorter ones; I tend to create a status quo and then break it. Creating a status quo means creating a situtation where the players feel like they're on level in the imaginary world; they understand how it works, they are able to identify with it or are otherwise feeling comfortable with it (which doesen't necessarily mean that their characters are comforable, thought that's usually the case as well). Then I'd break status quo by introducing something that shatters the characters trust into the imagined reality and startles the players (and these are two very different things) and then pace things in very accelerated way for a while to keep the effect strong.

For example: creating a status quo might mean that characters do stuff they do in their ordinary lives (if they don't happen to be professional monster hunters or other such... Uncommon folks); socialize, go to work, eat something, maybe have a get-together, or perform their line of duty. Breaking the status quo might mean introducing something that should not exist right into middle of that ordinary life.

I get the idea that you're already well underway with the campaign, so I don't know if this applies. Re-inventing status quo is a very hard thing to do.

[drow]

things that have creeped me out...

i used to play in a dark conspiracy campaign.  the creepiest thing was coming out of a building to find a cockroach methodically chewing all the tyres off my HMMWV.  it took an entire clip of .45 rounds, too.

a call of cthulhu party got split up.  by the time we rejoined, we'd learned that we were up against shapeshifters.  the GM passed us each a folded note, "have you been replaced by one?  circle Y / N"

my gaming group is usually pretty freaked when the major villain lays out his vast plan in motion, the party declares their intent to stop him, and then the villain not only says that they have a good idea, but offers them advice and assistance.

a couple of them creeped out when they learned that their superior in the military, whom they became certain was an important figure in the secret organization behind the throne and keeper of all the secrets of the campaign, also wrote trashy harlequin novels.

its usually nothing awesome; just the mundane things, coming from totally unexpected sources.  such things in the right context and mood become scary, especially if they hint at something else darker and more menacing.

[Eleroach13]

How is that presented in the setting? Is the potential horror of loss of self or transformation into a monster part of the whole "embedding" thing? Do the PCs tear bits off of the monsters reluctantly, or eagerly? Is the process gross?

It's pretty much however the characters react to it.  The only part that's really laid out is that the more of it you take, the closer you become to the monsters that you hunt, and therefore, the more likely you are to have a psychotic episode.
Some of my players have characters that are absolutely against the procedure, some have ones whose lives are devoted toward learning more about it and implementing it. 
The process is as gross as I make it, which I'm quite fond of. 
And yes, the characters and their related orginizations are the only ones who know monsters actually exist.

Momus: was the ghost scary because it was a ghost, or because the kid had down's syndrome?  And I love the graphics on your site - they're so interesting!

Merten: Status Quo of the campaign is Victorian age london, at the moment, though they'll probably be travelling abroad soon.  So as it stands, a very polite society, manners and status are very important - so perhaps breaking the thin veneer of society?  Or am I missing the point?

Drow: Oh my goodness, I love the shapeshifter concept! 
Small details...unexpected loops...

Thank you all!

[Barcoded]

The two things I've seen GMs do over and over again to create paranoia are asking for rolls to detect/spot something, or asking the kind of details needed to start combat (who has weapons drawn, who is closest to the cellar door now, etc). Even when the game is hack and slash, these never fail to get players on edge IF they are used sparingly.

In horror-themed games I played in, the GM sometimes did what Merten suggested: had our characters run through normal daily chores and when we were all comfortable BAM something a little weird happens (the birds stop chirping, or the wind stops blowing and it is realllly quiet) and then things go back to normal but now everyone is nervous. This seems to work especially well with the right kind of music playing.

Once we were investigating, the GM wouldl sometimes give a player a note telling them they have a bad feeling or deja vu, sometimes it would be a longer pre-written hallucination (like being locked in a room with no sound) and the GM would tell the rest of us "Joe's character has stopped and is staring blankly in front of him". By this point in the game, the players are all so nervous even the most cliched things work like trails of blood, a door heard creaking in the distance, dark hallways, lights on in empty rooms, and so on.

Hope this helps!

[momus]

Momus: was the ghost scary because it was a ghost, or because the kid had down's syndrome?? And I love the graphics on your site - they're so interesting!

Thanks! The players and their characters were scared of the ghost. It took them a while until they figured out that she was friendly...

[Merten]

Merten: Status Quo of the campaign is Victorian age london, at the moment, though they'll probably be travelling abroad soon.  So as it stands, a very polite society, manners and status are very important - so perhaps breaking the thin veneer of society?  Or am I missing the point?

I'd suggest paying attention to the things character do or have to do before travelling; making arrangements, perhaps staying an evening at the local gentleman's club (if they'll be gone for long), making sure that their houses and other stuff will be properly taken care of. Or perhaps concentrating on the travel itself, playing the strenghts of whatever form of travel they choose. Getting to know other travellers, perhaps meeting exotic people (who break the rules of society - and thus let the players to explore the rules of society better) and so on.

And then break the lull by introducing something very out of the ordinary; it doesen't have to be a monser (though it can), but perhaps someone who wishes to do a lot of harm to a group of previously unknown people without an apparent motivation. The players being a one's in the group of unknown people. Perhaps someone wants to sink the boat they travel in as an offering to the slumbering monsters sleeping in the sea? That they succeed and wake the monsters - but the players survive, perhaps by being selfish and saving their own skin - that would be horror.

Travelling, BTW, makes an excellent setting for horror stories, since it's usually done in restricted space (a boat or train, I suppose, in Victorian Age) - you're right there with The Horror and probably can't escape.

[mcv]

I think the most important thing about scariness is the unknown. You're scared when you're not really sure what's going on (but something clearly is), when you don't know what you're up against, when you're not sure if the monster you're fighting can even be hurt.

Once the players get answers, the fear goes away. Even if the monster really is invulnerable, that already suggests what won't work, and therefore what other solutions they should be looking for.

Consider the difference between Alien and Aliens. Even though there was only one monster in Alien, is was much more scary because you didn't know what it was, and you didn't get to see it a lot. In Aliens, you knew what they were, and although there were a lot, you knew they could die. Just apply enough firepower.

Stuff that's scary in the real world (being locked up and unable to do anything), may just be boring in a game. Once it's clear you really can't do anything, the solution is clear: wait until you can. On the other hand, when there may be something the player can do, but he's not sure what, it may be more scarier.

As with the grafting of monster bodyparts, that's much more scary when they don't really know for sure what it'll do to them than when they know they'll slowly become more monstrous.

Basically, the unknown is the key. Like with the shapeshifters: it's scary because they're not sure if the others are human or shapeshifters. Although atmosphere is also still very important.

Here's an idea for a high-fantasy/horror dungeon crawl I'm planning: Big heroes, familiar with evil wizards and lairs and orcs and such, enter yet another lair to kill all the bad guys and take their loot. But there's nobody there! Rooms are empty, guard posts abandoned, all the monsters that should be there, aren't. Why? Did something kill them? Did they flee for something more terrible? That's the uncertainty that I hope will scare the crap out of my players.


mcv.

[Martin Ralya]

It's pretty much however the characters react to it.  The only part that's really laid out is that the more of it you take, the closer you become to the monsters that you hunt, and therefore, the more likely you are to have a psychotic episode.

This is what I'd use as the wedge to create a creepy atmosphere, along with what mcv said about not being sure what embedding body parts will actually do to you. Themes that come to mind:

- Loss of control, along the lines of the classic werewolf setup: "You wake up naked in the middle of a field, covered in blood. The lobster claw you grafted onto your shoulder is holding a baby's shoe. You have no memory of what happened after you went to be last night." You could even go so far as to have another player (in private) play out what that PC did during the night.

- Otherness: How do normal people reacted to PCs with grafts? Having your friends become former friends -- perhaps without even being sure why they're pulling away -- can be unsettling.

- The alien inside: Can these grafted body parts rebel against the PCs? I'm thinking of an old Clive Barker story, which I think was called The Body Politic, in which one of the protagonist's hands did just that.

- Who can we trust?: Have you seen John Carpenter's The Thing? It revolves around an alien than can take over peoples' bodies, and the characters never know who it might have taken over. Could the embedded body parts work this way, too?

[DMN]

- Who can we trust?: Have you seen John Carpenter's The Thing? It revolves around an alien than can take over peoples' bodies, and the characters never know who it might have taken over. Could the embedded body parts work this way, too?

Yikes!? When The Thing comes alive while the the scientists are strapped to the bench.? Total willies.? Great reference, though!

[Ant]

Two scary gaming moments that really stand out in my mind.

A long time ago we played a short-lived Chill campaign.? The only event I remember from the entire campaign is when my player was in a parked car.? It was a quiet night (and may have been raining) and the other PCs had gone to investigate something.? Suddenly my PC catches something moving out of the corner of his eye - something childlike, pale and quick is outside the car.? I look around desperately but there's nothing.? A minute later there's another pale figure flitting past but this time I catch a glimpse of a childish grin and rows of razor sharp teeth..? Again I turned and ... nothing but the echoes of a young boy's giggling in my ears ...

Let's just say I was quite freaked out.

The second scary moment was in a recent d20 Modern/Horror/X-Files game.? We were trapped in an elevator in a large shopping complex.? There was no power and the emergency lights had failed.? We were busy feeling around in the darkness when the emergency phone rings.? We look at each other.? My character hesitantly lifts it off the receiver and cautiously presses the phone to her hear.

Over a sea of static I here a curious insect-like clicking and as I concentrate on the distant sound an alien voice screeches out over the phone, "Not here!" and then the phone goes dead ...

In the darkness we hear only our own ragged breathing.? And then we hear scraping somewhere outside.? Scraping far off but, oh, we know it's inching closer ... closer ...

[Scott M]

A long time ago we played a short-lived Chill campaign.  The only event I remember from the entire campaign is when my player was in a parked car.  It was a quiet night (and may have been raining) and the other PCs had gone to investigate something.  Suddenly my PC catches something moving out of the corner of his eye - something childlike, pale and quick is outside the car.  I look around desperately but there's nothing.  A minute later there's another pale figure flitting past but this time I catch a glimpse of a childish grin and rows of razor sharp teeth..  Again I turned and ... nothing but the echoes of a young boy's giggling in my ears ...

Let's just say I was quite freaked out.

Can you remember what/how the GM presented the information?  Did he spit out the glimpse just like describing an alley, or did he use any tricks?

It sounds like a good, scary, scene.

[Eleroach13]

Oh my goodness, so many great ideas!  Thank you all so much.

One of the things I'm wondering: were these things scary in-game, or would these things scare you out of game as well?  Are you more likely to be scared because it is in game?

[Ant]

Can you remember what/how the GM presented the information?? Did he spit out the glimpse just like describing an alley, or did he use any tricks?

I think it worked so well because the GM relayed the information to me in a very matter-of-fact, almost casual way.  There were no sudden "Boo!" moments, just an off-hand description of some very creepy stuff in an otherwise normal situation.  People who read lots of books would probably call it juxtaposition. 

[cedrictheblack]

I don't know this game, or the setting, but a good way to make players uneasy/frightened is to take away their feeling of safety.  Sure, they fight big nasty monsters, but they feel safe in their base, townhouse, whatever.  Preparing to travel is a perfect time to introduce this as they'll be moving things they don't normally.
-Entering the attic to retrieve a steamer trunk the PC notices a track in the attic's dust. Further investigation reveals a slimy trail leading up to and over the trunk.  And what is this pulsing mass in the trunk?
-How did something get into the house?  DId they leave anything else?  DId they take anything?
-Have they been spying?
-ARE THEY STILL HERE?
-Why is the cat acting so weird?  OH MY GOD, what's bursting out of the cat?!?
-IS THAT STUFF IN ME?

A few other things: shapechangers don't have to be human.  Stray dogs, birds, even inanimate objects can become sinister and other.

Check out Tri-Tac games Fringeworthy for the fantastic shapechanging aliens the Mellor. Low level versions are dangerous but dumb.  As they get bigger/older they get smarter until they can be genius level masterminds, controlling hoards of their lesser bretheren.  Low level versions can only change into things they eat, but higher level foes only need a touch.  And best of all?  When defeated they dissolve, leaving no shapechanging parts for the PCs to plunder!

I have to echo the posters talking about making the grafting of body parts horrific.  I'd make it dangerous, too.  The parts need to be fresh, and if they're fresh, they're still kicking.  That new hand may try to take you out as it gets grafted on.
I'd play up the sensation of inhuman nerves grafting to their system.  Say they get a hand, tell them they can feel new nerves wiggling into place all the way to their elbow.  New parts give the recipient new perceptions. "now that your new arm has settled in you begin noticing that you can taste any object that you pick up.  This creates a strange sensation and you perception of the world has changed subtly."

Frankly horror is ruined by meeting the monsters.  Horror is the build up to the monsters.  Don't set them up as ultrapowerful.  Set them up as completely alien, unknown and completely inhuman. Give out few facts, but many clues.  Unreliable eyewitnesses who only glimpsed the creature.  Dying victims saying things like: "the eyes, why won't it blink its eyes?!?"  Slime trails, mishapen foot prints.  Missing friends, creepy suspects, people who are entirely TOO normal.  Normal can be very creepy in a horror game.

Think about backgroundatmosphere.  In the World of Darkness games almost everything is the worst it can be.  Family tensions are hgih.  Youth rebellions are high, drug addition is the truth of the youth and every company is dumping toxic waste.  In that environment the squeaky clean, enviro friendly company with perfectly happy employees looks like a front for demons or some such.

Good luck, horror is the single hardest genre to GM, hands down.  Mostly because it is very hard to generate and sustain that creepy ambiance.

[Stillfoxx]

Frankly horror is ruined by meeting the monsters.? Horror is the build up to the monsters.? Don't set them up as ultrapowerful.? Set them up as completely alien, unknown and completely inhuman. Give out few facts, but many clues.? Unreliable eyewitnesses who only glimpsed the creature.? Dying victims saying things like: "the eyes, why won't it blink its eyes?!?"? Slime trails, mishapen foot prints.? Missing friends, creepy suspects, people who are entirely TOO normal.? Normal can be very creepy in a horror game.

Excellent point...fear of the unknown creates more horror, shock, etc.