Author Topic: Help with Horror campaign using modules  (Read 2828 times)

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kevin_video

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Help with Horror campaign using modules
« on: June 17, 2010, 05:24:50 AM »
So my party wants to do a horror based campaign. Preferably vampires. I've always wanted to do one with Taurus's Banquet, but that's pretty high level. I'd like to start a little lower, if at all possible. Strahd Von Zarovich has his own adventure, and even has two versions of himself. I saw a couple of one-shot modules that have a vampire and vampire spawn in it that would work. Are there full modules that run from 1-12, or even higher?

I still haven't said yes to this campaign yet, but they do want me to try one out. They're quite fine with it being from a module.

They won't be vampire hunters or anything. At least not at the beginning anyways. They basically want to stumble in on a horror, just like how you see in movies or horror based shows where the main characters are the villains, not so much the heroes.

It's an interesting idea.
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Sjappo

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2010, 05:37:47 AM »
If you don't mind reworking 2E stuff, there's a lot of Ravenloft stuff floating around on the internet.

kevin_video

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2010, 05:46:30 AM »
If you don't mind reworking 2E stuff, there's a lot of Ravenloft stuff floating around on the internet.
Yeah we did a lot of that in my old group. All we did for AD&D was Ravenloft or Dark Sun.
I reject your reality, and substitute my own.

When God gives you lemons... it's time to find a new God.

Like D&D Freakouts? Check out this 4th Ed one.

RobbyPants

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2010, 09:13:45 AM »
Have you read Heroes of Horror?  They don't have much in the way of adventures there (there is one encounter, one adventure, and one campaign, each as a sample), but there is a lot of advice and ideas.  You might be able to use some ideas in there to either come up with your own campaign or to adapt an existing campaign.
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: ****
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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]

Sjappo

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2010, 09:16:20 AM »
If you don't mind reworking 2E stuff, there's a lot of Ravenloft stuff floating around on the internet.
Yeah we did a lot of that in my old group. All we did for AD&D was Ravenloft or Dark Sun.
Soooo, not what you're looking for? If this is a new group you should be able to recycle some adventures. I know of a published module which is in fact a bunch of mini-adventures revolving around van Helsing. Each adventure for an other level. I don't know the name by heart. But since I own it I can look it up. Domains of Dread has some good advice as well.

kevin_video

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2010, 01:45:51 PM »
Have you read Heroes of Horror?  They don't have much in the way of adventures there (there is one encounter, one adventure, and one campaign, each as a sample), but there is a lot of advice and ideas.  You might be able to use some ideas in there to either come up with your own campaign or to adapt an existing campaign.
I keep forgetting about that book. Looked over what you mentioned, and they're all 5th+ for encounters. They're definitely good for the later levels. I'll just have to fudge through the lower level stuff.

@ Sjappo  -- Yes and no. It's been a while since I've used that system so it'd probably take a bit for me to do the conversions. Not everything transfers well over to 3.5 unfortunately. That doesn't mean to say that if I'm hard up I won't look into it.
I reject your reality, and substitute my own.

When God gives you lemons... it's time to find a new God.

Like D&D Freakouts? Check out this 4th Ed one.

RobbyPants

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2010, 03:28:02 PM »
I'm not recommending the book for the sample encounter/adventure, but for the rest of the content.  There's some good advice in there about setting the mood in general.  There can actually be a fairly fine line between a normal and a horror adventure, so you can always try to take an existing adventure and "convert" it.
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]

kevin_video

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2010, 03:52:02 PM »
I'm not recommending the book for the sample encounter/adventure, but for the rest of the content.  There's some good advice in there about setting the mood in general.  There can actually be a fairly fine line between a normal and a horror adventure, so you can always try to take an existing adventure and "convert" it.
Well the Forgotten Forge through The Vampire's Blade is what I'm thinking of starting with. Dark night, dead body, strange creature, vampires, creatures that seem like they're from Resident Evil or Silent Hill with their dragging picks along the ground while they walk slowly towards you, etc. It could be extremely interesting for them.

The content of the book is definitely solid. I'm not really one for the horror genre so I might make it an adventure campaign with horror elements to it.
I reject your reality, and substitute my own.

When God gives you lemons... it's time to find a new God.

Like D&D Freakouts? Check out this 4th Ed one.

RobbyPants

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2010, 04:15:23 PM »
The content of the book is definitely solid. I'm not really one for the horror genre so I might make it an adventure campaign with horror elements to it.
That's not a bad idea either.  The book also notes that horror campaigns can be fatiguing, and suggest mixing it up with other types of adventures as well.  They also mention how you can spice up normal adventures with horror encounters.  So it might be a good test just to see how adding in a bit here and there works for you and your group.

Oh, if you do go forward with this, a diary could be interesting.  I've wanted to run a horror campaign for some time now, and I haven't been able to pull it off.
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: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #9 on: June 17, 2010, 10:26:44 PM »
Oh yeah, special note for horror.
If you want something to be scary, do not ever let the PCs engage it in a stand up fight.
Or even see it straight, for the matter.
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]

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archangel.arcanis

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2010, 10:53:49 AM »
There is a fine line between scary and making your players wet themselves. That line often involves the unknown and letting them imagine how bad it will be. So feel free to cross tat line as often as possible and take pictures  :devil
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

RobbyPants

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2010, 12:17:37 PM »
Another thing to keep in mind is there are different types of horror.  You could go for the shock type horror, where things jump out at you or happen suddenly, but I think that translates rather poorly to an RPG.  It can be done, but there are limits.  "So you open the door and AHHH! ZOMBIES!"  -- That's shock.

Another is dread.  This is a more long term emotion fueled by a combination of something bad happening or the threat of something bad and the feeling that there is little to nothing you can do about it.  It can be anything from as daunting as "one day Cthulhu will awaken and destroy the planet" to "you saved the day but that was just one villain and another will replace him."  A zombie apocalypse could certainly be dread-inspiring if the players only have the ability to deal with small groups of zombies at a time.  The big thing to remember about dread is not to overdo it.  If it stays too persistent or lasts too long, the game will stop being fun.  Edge-of-your-seat anxiety and anticipation is one thing; frustration is another.
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: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2010, 01:58:46 PM »
You can fuse a bit of dread with shock as well, which is a bit easier to work with. Any enemy good at concealment and more mobile than the party(whether using ventilation, secret tunnels or just an insane movement speed) can drop in, deliver a nasty hit/steal something important and drop out before anyone gets their wits together.
Couple this with evidence of it's effectiveness, like corpses dead of a thousand tiny wounds, and that theres an indeterminate number out there...
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."

archangel.arcanis

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2010, 02:00:51 PM »
also ambiance at the play table helps a lot. Make the room kinda dark, have some creepy music playing very low in the background (so they players aren't quite conscious of it being there), etc....
Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

RobbyPants

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Re: Help with Horror campaign using modules
« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2010, 04:00:58 PM »
also ambiance at the play table helps a lot. Make the room kinda dark, have some creepy music playing very low in the background (so they players aren't quite conscious of it being there), etc....
Yes.

That's one reason I haven't really tried true horror games with my (old) group.  Normally, I love our stupid, giggly, talkative attitude, but that would kill any serious attempt at a horror game.  At that point, it's just a normal, funny game, with an unusual number of zombies, or a pesky, shadowy thing that you can't quite see.
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]