Games in the genre of dark fantasy and horror naturally work against some of the accepted assumptions of heroic fantasy. In a typical fantasy RPG game, combat might not be as dangerous and threatening in a fear- or horror-based adventure. The core hit point rules allow PCs to absorb a few attacks without disrupting their abilities. In contrast, most horror movies and stories are built with devastating, direct threats that can slay even the toughest hero with a single blow. Magic, monsters, and other facets of the core rules may not match the tone and feel that you want to induce in your horror or dark fantasy gaming session.
Horrific Fears presents a mixture of new options you can use to modify the core rules to make you gaming sessions fit the dark fantasy and horror better. This sourcebook is completely 100% open OGL content for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. This Horrific Terror: The Fear and Terror sourcebook presents quick, easy, and flexible system for incorporating the effects of fear, horror and in some cases, extreme madness into your fantasy game. Horrific Terror: The Fear and Terror sourcebook reminds players that hazardous adventures can bring all types of penalties and facilitate motivate role playing.
The Horrific Terror: The Fear and Terror sourcebook includes rules for:
The Template Approach to Fear and Horror
Character Health and Mortality
Constitution and Health System
Wound Levels and Injury Penalties
Rules for Fear, Terror, and Madness with Madness Points for Long-Term Insanity
...and much more
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I’ll start by saying I like how everything in Horrific Fears (HF) is presented as a template which is a good way to introduce horror gaming. It allows you to use only what you want.
The fear of death should be on every player’s mind in a horror game so HF starts off introducing the Health System, which reduces HPs, reinforcing that fear. Add to it Wound Levels, or condition levels, and PCs suddenly face penalties that spiral them toward death. This section covers it’s use with monsters and NPCs for dramatic effect. Used as presented players will soon have doubts as they fear for their PC’s life?
Every monster and some events have a Fear Rating (FR). When encountered the Player makes a Terror Check (TC), a Will save vs. FR. Failing the TC will apply a condition (shaken, frightened, panicked, cowering, and overwhelmed). Fail by 5 or less the PC is shaken (-2 to attacks, saves, skill and ability checks) whereas failing by 21 or more overwhelms (similar to confusion spell). Optional rules cover Fear Immunity and combining FRs (normally you save vs. each monster/event in an encounter).
It’s all madness as the PC’s Madness Score (MS) starts at 0 and climbs to 100, causing quirks and disorders to manifest. Madness Points (MP) are acquired when the PC fails a TC. Fail vs. a FR 1-5 monster nets 1d2 MPs while a FR 40+ adds 3d8. Some monsters are so horrific a winning save still awards MPs! The MS can be reduced, usually by defeating a monster or event.
Quirks are disadvantages applied under certain conditions, simulating forms of phobia or personality disorders. Disorders are penalties which never go away, such as addiction or terror attacks (disables the PC). True madness sets in when a PC attains 100 and the player faces possibility their PC may become the new nemesis in the game; bent on killing his former friends.
A few things I‘d like to have seen are how to work around paladin fear immunity and the impact of the Madness domain and spells on the MS.
I recommend it.
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