Another Horror Question

[sambouchah]

Okay, I've asked before(quite probably more than once), and have read many websites/forum posts on this. Yet I'm still drawing a blank.

I need ideas for a horror campaign! Despite having run some short horror adventures, I cannot seem to think of much.

So far:

A werewolf is ravaging the town. It turns out it is one of the players.


EDIT: Thanks for any ideas you lovely playgrounders can give!

[Skysaber]

You want horror? Have them face lawyers and bureaucracy.

[Hurnn]

Okay, I've asked before(quite probably more than once), and have read many websites/forum posts on this. Yet I'm still drawing a blank.

I need ideas for a horror campaign! Despite having run some short horror adventures, I cannot seem to think of much.

So far:

A werewolf is ravaging the town. It turns out it is one of the players.


EDIT: Thanks for any ideas you lovely playgrounders can give!

They only way that really works is if you talk it over with the pc in question otherwise you are taking a lot of control out of their hand, I would make it someone then know, trust and or love instead.

[Crake]

They only way that really works is if you talk it over with the pc in question otherwise you are taking a lot of control out of their hand, I would make it someone then know, trust and or love instead.

Actually, a lycanthrope who isn't aware of their affliction becomes an NPC controlled by the DM, so there's nothing wrong with that, as long as the attacks happen offscreen, so the player doesn't lose play-time.


Personally though, I prefer going down the lovecraftian path when it comes to horror. Play on the character's fears, have things happen that cant possibly be, incorporate the player's past in some way, and only rarely ever have them face monsters, but when they do have the monsters be overwhelmingly frightening and powerful. You gotta get inside their heads.

[Hurnn]

Actually, a lycanthrope who isn't aware of their affliction becomes an NPC controlled by the DM, so there's nothing wrong with that, as long as the attacks happen offscreen, so the player doesn't lose play-time.


Personally though, I prefer going down the lovecraftian path when it comes to horror. Play on the character's fears, have things happen that cant possibly be, incorporate the player's past in some way, and only rarely ever have them face monsters, but when they do have the monsters be overwhelmingly frightening and powerful. You gotta get inside their heads.

Except for the possibility of in first 5 mins of the adventure, "Oh lets stay up all night the oh frank turned into the werewolf? Lets kill him." adventure ends 10 mins in Frank gets to reroll.

[sambouchah]

Except for the possibility of in first 5 mins of the adventure, "Oh lets stay up all night the oh frank turned into the werewolf? Lets kill him." adventure ends 10 mins in Frank gets to reroll.

Well the group won't necessarily kill "Frank". I already have a player who said he'll play the werewolf. I feel like it'll be a good test of "How do we end a harmful encounter without having to kill a friend?"

EDIT: More Ideas

Succubus killing local men and women
A player's grandfather sold their grandchild's soul and now the "Retriever" is coming
A boy accidentally brings his big sister back from the dead
A deadly snowstorm traps you in a cave with terrible creatures
Aberrations begin abducting people for unknown reasons

[Mordokai]

Heroes of Horror is a very good supplement for any 3.5 campaign which dabbles in horror. I recommend it very highly.

In Pathfinder, you have a Carrion Crown, a six part adventure path that includes vampires, werewolves, nature of man and all things Lovecraftian and then some. The end may be somewhat of a lackluster(and that's opened to the debate), but everything until then is pretty golden.

[Alroy_Kamenwati]

Horror is all about mood, lighting, and suspense built both in character and out of character. I usually require extensive backstories. The bad thing is though you take away some horror when they can effectively fight back. But with some skill you can slowly build suspense. Have the adventurers stay in a town that is afflicted by the pc werewolf, and have likable npcs die. Maybe have the pc get injured while wolfed out, and subtly hint that they are being hunted.