Author Topic: Running a horror game  (Read 6624 times)

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RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #20 on: January 21, 2009, 09:46:21 AM »
Oh and messing with their heads.  Forgot that.  You can do it remarkably simply.  Just have the local critters do nothing but give them the thousand yard stare (or their dwelling if they're inside).  After a week of bunnies and squirrels clustered around their apartment giving them the evil eye some of the players have got to be a little nervous about when the anvil is gonna fall. 
Yeah, sometimes something subtle can do wonders.  Sometimes all you need to do is set the mood for something else.


Have them hallucinate perhaps.  Their food can talk to them.  The corpse of the Gorgon they just killed can raise it's head and ask how they feel about "interspecies erotica".  Doesnt have to be amusing like my examples, just enough to make them go "wtf?". 
Hallucinations... interesting.  It could be tough to pull off, but blurring the line between reality and false preceptions could be unnerving.  The players might be left heistant to act, espescially if the PC knows they've been seeing things.  When some monster springs up out of nowhere in town, they might not want to fight, on the off chance that it's not really there.


For example in my silly campaign a young girl had a pet rabbit named Mr. Bun.  Whenever the PC's woke up it was on one of their chests staring them in the face, and had obviously been doing so for some time.  It was apparently unhittable, and was able to swill lead paint and arsenic with no obvious side effects.  It also like to chew on them, and purred/meowed like a cat.  And it personally put down a Green Hag.   By the end of the campaign the PC's were more scared of Mr. Bun than the bad guys.
Nice.  Wierd, but nice.


Plunking down a monster, no matter how big, doesn't really spook players. 
This is 100% true.  The normal state of the game is to fight big monsters.  This puts the players back into familiar territory and gets them comfortable.


Plunking down an obviously powerful monster who is masturbating furiously while staring at them makes players go "Do I really wanna lose this fight?  Can I afford buggery?  I am a Paladin after all...".  You just need to make it do something that squicks the players.  A Bugbear charging at players won't make them nervous.  Finding a Bugbear in the process of skinning children and making them into backpacks (and realizing you are currently wearing one) is a different thing entirely.
Well, that might go from horror to just grossness, but you're right. ;) If you raise the stakes from simple HP damage, the fight becomes more scary.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

veekie

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #21 on: January 21, 2009, 10:41:18 AM »
Zombie food. They are having dinner in town and then all the meat rises from the plate. The locals appear not to notice, and continue eating despite the weeping food.
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."

RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #22 on: January 21, 2009, 11:35:41 AM »
Sadly, that one would just make my old group laugh.

(I laughed out loud :p)
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #23 on: January 21, 2009, 12:20:48 PM »
Also here's a link to the Creepy Events thread over at Gleemax for anyone interested.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

Straw_Man

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #24 on: January 21, 2009, 05:52:36 PM »

  This needs to be a handbook. I haven't posted because I've never done horror, but this stuff makes me want to. Frigging brilliant ideas Bhu and M_V.  :clap

 

 
"No, no, don't think, Maya." Ritsuko chided. "We will not gattai the Evas or their pilots.

Such thoughts lead inevitably to transformation sequences."

emissary666

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #25 on: January 22, 2009, 12:41:05 AM »
I have frequent panic attacks. I had one while describing a innocent child and scared the fuck out of my players.
I make little kids cry
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Warning: You may have already been set on fire

Bread does not need a reason

bhu

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #26 on: January 22, 2009, 07:24:08 AM »
Oh and here's a classic:  My players were sent ot a forest from a flying city to get supplies (i.e. wipe out a ton of animals for food).  They trapped and hunted and brought back critters to camp, and when they had enough they and the other hunters were supposed to ring for a skyship to come down to get the cargo.  But the forest had a curse: Anything killed in it rose a few hours or so later as a zombie.

Cue several hours later when everyone has a big pile of dead critters at camp, and they all wake up and have to be killed again, and they outnumber the camp by 3 to 1 or more.

Cue players who suddenly go "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCK!!!!!!!!!!!"


RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #27 on: January 22, 2009, 09:13:52 AM »
This needs to be a handbook.
There's an interesting thought.

I've never thought about putting something like this in handbook form.  Maybe we should get more material.  I'm not sure how I'd organize it.

Of course, if someone else has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

woodenbandman

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #28 on: January 22, 2009, 10:18:32 AM »
Someone tell halloween to get his ass in here. Anyone remember his gem of a post in this subforum? look that up.

Midnight_v

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #29 on: January 22, 2009, 10:40:24 AM »
Someone tell halloween to get his ass in here. Anyone remember his gem of a post in this subforum? look that up.
Dudes name was Halloween?  ???
\\\"Disentegrate.\\\" \\\"Gust of wind.\\\" \\\"Now Can we PLEASE resume saving the world?\\\"

woodenbandman

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #30 on: January 22, 2009, 10:51:04 AM »
Yeah, he was boss at the horror thing, go figure. He was referenced in episode 25 quite extensively.

RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #31 on: January 22, 2009, 11:29:22 AM »
Is this the post you're looking for?

I'll put the whole post in a spoiler too.  Good stuff.
[spoiler=Halloween's post]
It's contrast that's the key.

It always is, but with scaring the hell out of people it's the contrast that gets people.

I'm a sucker for horror, I love it, but I really am a sucker for horror. I can't let it go. It creeps inside my spine and it stays there. I have to limit my dosages for this genre because even poorly done horror freaks me the hell out.

One of the more interesting things I've learned about this recently was from Bioshock. Originally, the enemies in Bioshock were going to be these sort of alien lizard things. I've seen the concept art, and they're definitely monstrous.

They're not scary in the least.

In contrast, the enemies that they actually did implement were decidedly unsettling. The "splicers" are normal people who are suffering from what amounts to horrific and artificial cancer; cancer that turns you into a monster while giving you super powers.

But they're not weird bug creatures, or lizards, they're sick people. They don't attack you with a mindless growl, they attack you while shouting "I just want someone to talk to!"

And they're motivations are believable. How many of us (and I'm talking specifically about the dorkosphere here) could resist telekinesis? How many of us could not take that offer, even if it came with a huge price-tag?

That's scary. The monster is us.

Stephen King wrote a good book on this subject called Danse Macabre, where he correctly identifies that horror is the intrusion of the abnormal into the normal. Weird things, in weird places, doing unusual things... are incomprehensible. They're not scary, they're just bizarre.

Change one or two of those things: place, people, or action into something grotesque and you get horror.

Normal Place, Normal People, Abnormal Action:

This option is arguably the scariest. The 'horror' is entirely hidden. This is the invasion of the body snatchers. You look outside and you see people who are just doing something -wrong-.

Zombies and other 'madness' things could be considered to fall into this category... at least at the beginning.

Normal Place, Abnormal People, Normal Action:

This is very subtle and not normally explored, but it does show up typically as a -break- from other forms of horror. The scene that pops into my head is the scene in the new version of the war of the worlds where a hidden Tom Cruise and company watch as a trio of aliens fiddle around with some garage junk in their bombed out basement refuge.

The aliens are just sort of playing around, but they're so strange looking, and they represent such a great threat, that their normal actions, and normal scenery make them chilling.

Abnormal Place, Normal People, Normal Action:

This type of horror is all atmospheric, and is typically used to build tension. This is where your heroes descend into the monsters lair and it just keeps going. They keep climbing through the strange and bizarre environment, but they keep not finding the monster. The bizarre nature of the environment keeps building.

The best use of this is when you throw the monster at them JUST when they finally decide that they're safe. This is easy to do in film, hard to do in print, and punishingly difficult to pull off at a table. If you've pulled this one off tell me about it. I want to hear how.

It can also work like this:

If you've successfully had your character infiltrate the fortress built within the corpse of the necromantically animated dead god, fought your way through a thousand putrescent horrors... and then, suddenly, the smell of roses.

You turn the corner and you find yourself facing a tiny elegantly carved door, through which is a small, perfect, room, the room of a child, decorated in bright pastels.

The child's name is Sally. She's not a monster. She's a normal kid. She's six. She -likes- it here.

Ta da... horror.

Normal Place, Abnormal People, Abnormal Action:

This is the 'monster invades suburbia' scenario. A monster is scary when it's in its lair. It's way MORE scary when it's standing in your living room.

Abnormal Place, Abnormal People, Normal Action:

You sneak into the secret den of the devouring rat people and you shimmy through their fithils and finally you find yourself gazing in horror into the pit where they're.... doing laundry.

This one can easily devolve into comedy (even faster then other forms of horror), but it can be useful to inject some humanity into a previously completely incomprehensible foe.

This makes it all the worse when the washer-lady see's you and tries to eat your face.

Abnormal Place, Normal People, Abnormal Action
[/spoiler]
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

Midnight_v

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #32 on: January 22, 2009, 07:00:15 PM »
... I ve seen that breakdown somewhere before... in a book I think... Hmm..

Ah well. Good stuff.
\\\"Disentegrate.\\\" \\\"Gust of wind.\\\" \\\"Now Can we PLEASE resume saving the world?\\\"

Straw_Man

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #33 on: January 22, 2009, 07:02:43 PM »

  So a Handbook of Horror.  Anyone want the honour/responsibility? Otherwise I volunteer  :blush :D
  Is Halloween still kicking around the 339 boards? Some of his stuff has to be included.
"No, no, don't think, Maya." Ritsuko chided. "We will not gattai the Evas or their pilots.

Such thoughts lead inevitably to transformation sequences."

Midnight_v

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #34 on: January 22, 2009, 07:10:14 PM »

  So a Handbook of Horror.  Anyone want the honour/responsibility? Otherwise I volunteer  :blush :D
  Is Halloween still kicking around the 339 boards? Some of his stuff has to be included.
You volunteer. I'd like to tag along with. Sounds like fun.
I've been reading "on writing by" steven king and severl works of horror fiction.
Maybe I can contribute something...

Edit: It do think that a handbook would be cool there are very few handbooks by "US" that aid DM's, IMHO.
Though I thnk this dialougue is really useful and I think there's a lot more to be said here, if any of us have the time...
« Last Edit: January 22, 2009, 08:00:45 PM by Midnight_v »
\\\"Disentegrate.\\\" \\\"Gust of wind.\\\" \\\"Now Can we PLEASE resume saving the world?\\\"

RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #35 on: January 22, 2009, 08:54:53 PM »
I'll help out where I can, but I don't have the time to take on creating it myself.

I think we can link some good things from Gleemax and other places too.  I'd have to go back there and look for any of the horror stuff I found a year or two ago.  I did post a link to the Creepy Events thread (at the top of the second page?), but I know there's more.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

bhu

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #36 on: January 23, 2009, 10:49:14 PM »
Lemme knoiw when you start it.  I can always do something for it.  I'll have to start putting up my horror campaign critters someday too...

RiotInferno

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #37 on: January 26, 2009, 12:19:12 PM »
... I agree...
but a lot of times, horror and comedy are like seconds away from each other anyway. It's weird.
Here's what I got Robby.
I can't make people run.
No one runs. In D&D everybody fights. Lots of times will fight no matter what the odds, I guess expecting some duex ex machina or something.

As much as I hate to say it, and as much as it might defeat the spirit of D&D, then your players deserve to die.

I ran into the same problem with my group. The monster didn't matter, they would fight it, because D&D is a heroic game where you overcome the monsters. They also trusted that I, as the DM, wouldn't put them in over their heads. I broke their trust, a PC or two died, the rest ran.

This comes down to the basic point of your character would know better, and to stick around when the monster is probably out of your league is suicidal. As long as the DM gives some hints or clues in the description or introduction (some type of intimidation), and the PCs still decide to go for it, then it's their own fault.

Horror is a cruel mistress, and for that, the gloves have to come off.

RobbyPants

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #38 on: January 26, 2009, 12:56:30 PM »
As much as I hate to say it, and as much as it might defeat the spirit of D&D, then your players deserve to die.
Maybe just start with the PCs.  You can kill the players next if they still don't learn. :p

In all seriousness, I know how you feel.  To help combat this, I made a point to tell them I was going to let the rolls be what they were, and started rolling in front of them.

I still had a couple of odd times when players didn't want to run.
My balancing 3.5 compendium
Elemental mage test game

Quotes
[spoiler]
Quote from: Cafiend
It is a shame stupidity isn't painful.
Quote from: StormKnight
Totally true.  Historians believe that most past civilizations would have endured for centuries longer if they had successfully determined Batman's alignment.
Quote from: Grand Theft Otto
Why are so many posts on the board the equivalent of " Dear Dr. Crotch, I keep punching myself in the crotch, and my groin hurts... what should I do? How can I make my groin stop hurting?"
Quote from: CryoSilver
I suggest carving "Don't be a dick" into him with a knife.  A dull, rusty knife.  A dull, rusty, bent, flaming knife.
Quote from: Seerow
Fluffy: It's over Steve! I've got the high ground!
Steve: You underestimate my power!
Fluffy: Don't try it, Steve!
Steve: *charges*
Fluffy: *three critical strikes*
Steve: ****
Quote from: claypigeons
I don't even stat out commoners. Commoner = corpse that just isn't a zombie. Yet.
Quote from: CryoSilver
When I think "Old Testament Boots of Peace" I think of a paladin curb-stomping an orc and screaming "Your death brings peace to this land!"
Quote from: Orville_Oaksong
Buy a small country. Or Pelor. Both are good investments.
[/spoiler]

veekie

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Re: Running a horror game
« Reply #39 on: January 26, 2009, 02:57:03 PM »
One way to 'push' PCs in a horror game is to use moving environmental features, a slowly advancing flood of hungry blood, with creatures in it's depths lashing out, works better than most monsters. Once they see it's a creature, that means the players know it has hit points, and it can die, so they duke it out anyway.

Larger than colossal creatures also can work, if the PCs are exposed to parts of them at a time. A monster the size of a dungeon complex can be treated as per Dungeonscape traps, where they basically can beatdown this local chunk of it, but another will be coming round in a minute, and the walls are ALSO part of it, and shift to attempt to trap and digest them.
The mind transcends the body.
It's also a little cold because of that.
Please get it a blanket.

I wish I could read your mind,
I can barely read mine.

"Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."

[spoiler]
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill

To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
[/spoiler]

There is no higher price than 'free'.

"I won't die. I've been ordered not to die."