Good systems for a Halloween one-shot?

[Wonton]

Hi all,

What are some good systems to play for a horror-themed Halloween one-shot? We will be playing over Skype so things like Dread are not an option, unfortunately.

I know about Call of Cthulhu, but that's pretty much where my knowledge ends.

Bonus points if you also recommend a good one-shot that can be completed in 3-4 hours.

Cheers

[Zejety]

I've heard only the best things about Dread.
It's a system where checks are resolved by taking moves on a Jenga tower. Toppling it is a death sentence (though the DM doesn't necessarily have to kill the character right away).
As the story progresses the tower naturally becomes less stable, making the tension rise as everyone knows something bad will happen soon.

[Aneurin]

Dark Heresy? There're a bunch of pre-made scenarios, both fan made and officially published many of which should be playable in your window. It's quite horror-ish, like Call of Cthulhu set in the Warhammer 40k universe and with a slightly higher expectation of survival. Either 1e or 2e, but most of the scenarios are for 1e I would expect. The adventure in the back of the 1e rulebook should be completable in 3-4 hours, though I've never attempted it myself.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e? Again, lots of pre-mades. Lots of horror. Quite lethal, but pretty simple mechanics.

Can link you to some of the fan-made adventures for both, if you'd like.


There's also things like World of Darkness for horror, but I'm not familiar enough with it to recommend any pre-made scenarios I'm afraid.

Other suggestions:

All Flesh Must Be Eaten (never run, played or read - merely heard of it)
Unhallowed Metropolis (Neo-Victorian zombies)

[gkathellar]

Having recently discovered Blades In The Dark, I'll give it a plug. In it, you pull off heists in a haunted Victorian city surrounded by lightning walls powered by demon blood. Rather than planning your heists and gear in advance, you can call flashbacks to have done plan stuff already. While geared for campaign play, maybe 1/2 of the character choices fit naturally for a one-shot.

It is a very light, very narrative-driven system - most of its rules work more as categories to help make judgment calls. You only need d6s.

[CharonsHelper]

I'll second Dread. It's great for a quick one-shot in a new system because there isn't really a system to learn (a bit for the GM) so you don't have to spend time explaining and/or looking up the rules.

Others are good if you're planning to use them semi-consistently, but I wouldn't want to have to learn Dark Heresy for a single session.

[DrMartin]

Fleshscape is a game set in a world where everything is made of flesh, sinews, and organic fluids. Everything is alive. It's brilliant, and weird, and gross, and brilliant. And the whole of the system (rules and setting) fits on the inside of a GM screen.

Fate / Fate Accelerated are great systems for a one shot.

[Zendy]

Call of cthulhu?

[Grod_The_Giant]

The "Jailbreak" one-shot for Unknown Armies was one of the single best, most tense/creepy gaming experiences I've ever been involved in. Take one batch of escaped convicts, one group of nervous hostages from the prison, and one pair of homeowners they've burst in on to take shelter from a storm. Only the crooks aren't all friends, and the house and its inhabitants aren't remotely what they seem to be. Add in a healthy mix of conflicting player goals, sanity rules, and paranoia; shake well, and apply directly to your group.

[RFLS]

Fate / Fate Accelerated are great systems for a one shot.

While I absolutely agree that Fate/FAE are good one-shot systems, I'm going to have to point out that they're not great for most horror games. Their systems start with the assumption that the heroes will prevail, which just doesn't fit a lot of horror.

[Airk]

Yeah, Dread.

Blades is a great system and all, but it's not super one-shot focused, nor is it particularly Halloween-y in my book.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I've heard only the best things about Dread.

I'll second Dread.

Yeah, Dread.

Uh, guys...

We will be playing over Skype so things like Dread are not an option, unfortunately.

[gkathellar]

Yeah, Dread.

Blades is a great system and all, but it's not super one-shot focused, nor is it particularly Halloween-y in my book.

But it has ghosts! And drug dealers! And drug dealing ghosts

[Pilo]

A list of games not already named which can fit:

Monsterhearts : To play monster teenagers, Apocalypse world system (Simple, good for one shot)
Monster of the week : To hunt monsters, Apocalypse world system (Simple, good for one shot)
Hunter : The Vigil : To hunt monsters, New World of Darkness (Not so simple system)
Wraith : The Oblivion : To play ghosts, Old World of Darkness (Not so simple system)
Changeling : The Dreaming : To play fearies, Old World of Darkness (Not so simple system)
Kult : A lot like Cthulhu, but different
Little Fears : To play young kids facing their fears and fighting really bad monsters, very horrific (simple system with one d6)
Ravenloft : D&D/Pathfinder in a demiplan of Death
Numenera : Futurist horror game in advanced civilisations ruins.
My Life with Master : To play the minion of an horrible master (like Dracula or Frankenstein), good for one shot
Don't Rest Your Head : (d6 system)

[Airk]

Uh, guys...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...on.jenga&hl=en

=)

That said, Monster Hearts and Monster of the Week are both good too.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

The Final Girl is designed exactly for this: it's one-shot, no prep required, and emulates high-casualty slasher films. You use a pool of characters, none of whom are strongly tied to a player, which makes them all somewhat disposable--a clever conceit that works with the genre.

[Fri]

Check Cthulhu Dark, a rules light system specifically for short horror game. There aren't really combat mechanic, the mechanic for when you're caught by a monster is simple: you die.

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/98137/Cthulhu-Dark

[weckar]

Ravenloft : D&D/Pathfinder in a demiplane of Dread

FTFY. Ravenloft also tends to require some 'build'.

[Zejety]

Uh, guys...

Oops, sorry! I won't lie and admit I didn't read carefully enough.