Becket's page

I want to add to Bluelucks list of themes. Isolation is a major part of the horror genre. Shock also works well. The unknown is a great theme(especially with Lovecraftian stylings).

My biggest problem with running horror games in the DnD setting is the immense amount of metagaming that can possibly take place. In one of my current groups, one of the other players basically is unfazable. I am not certain that the GM docks him XP but frankly if I had seen some of the horrors that we have experienced I would be nearly catatonic.

You need a strong RP group. I am not saying every character(or player) should react by crying in the corner but they shouldn't all "man up" consistantly too.

I have run a couple of horror systems and one key is to take something that makes the character(or player) uncomfortable and play on that. Don't go overboard but if say the player is a plains based character(or player is mildly claustrophobic) play up an enclosed space.

Also do not go with the constant threat or else you may draw the rule of diminishing returns. The "ho hum another horrific scene of flayed flesh and dismembered bodies" reaction from people who have passed through room after room of such. Use a touch of humor to break the mood before doing something awful, especially to a favored NPC (my players know full well that NPCs can be murdered at will and they will try to save them as they have grown attached).

Just my two cents.
B

I checked the math on this.

Magic Missile... 3d4+3. That works to 3*2.5(average rolls on a D4)+ 3 or 10.5 points of damage. We will round down to 10. 6 and 15 for low and high.

Shocking Grasp(a closer representation as it is a touch spell) also works up to also 17.5 points of damage or 17. The low would be 5 points and the high would be 30.

Chill Touch...3.5 pts of damage or 3 per touch(5 touches possible all taking an action. 17.5 possible points or 17(plus 5 points of strength possible). Low and high would 5 and 30 again.

Burning Hands... 12.5 pts of damage or 12. 5 and 20 for low and high.

Then the inflict does 9.5 or 9 pts (4.5 being the average of the D8 plus 5). 6 and 13 for low and high.

Yup... under powered in relation to attack spells that a sorc/wiz gets. Chill touch is the bang for the buck on the list. I think the trade is that by 5th level the Cleric can sponaneously do the Inflict Serious which has an average of 18.5 dmg.

Pound for pound there are better ways for BBEG to inflict damgage I would say.

My 2 cents.

I had a friend who used to DM a 3.x campaign. He would occasionally trip his words up...especially when going for the triple word score.

For the longest time, emancipated(opposed to emaciated) zombies would crack us up. The concept of zombie Abraham Lincoln or zombie William Wallace moaning "Freeeeedooommmmm" was painful.

This was supplanted by an associate who had a fit of dyslexia on the phrase Demon Summoning. The concept of semen dumbening ended the game for the week.

I have to concur with DM on this one. In the games that I have had the pleasure to run for the ladies, they tend to be the fighter or combat caster type.

One of my players has a propensity for setting things (NPCs, monsters, villains) on fire. One of the players that I have been in number of games with tends to the violent super heroine.

They do it in equal measure to the social interaction, as do my guy players. I reward for the RP...my players know this.

I think the typical lines are very blurry now a days, to reiterate DM.

I find there are a lot of good posts in this thread. There are also ones that are driving me a little bit insane.

ProfessorCirno touched on these. I mean it almost breaks down to a level of "they have cooties". Seriously, the level of broad brush painting 51% of the population is astonishing.

I have quite a few groups I play and run for. My pathfinder game has 3 women and a 2 men in it. None of them are significant others of each other or myself. Another game I play in(Marvel Saga) has a significant portion of women gamers(most nights pushing the beyond 50% mark). Again no significant others.

I know women that GM on a regular basis. I know some that run gaming conventions(SimCon in Rochester NY at the UofR actually has had a lady con chair for 3 years now...it is also growing for the first time in 10 or so). Some of my favorite gamers are of the "fairer sex".

I would put the generalizations aside. Gaming is not the boys club that it once was. Women are coming to the fore front of the new generation due to casual gaming on the internet and beyond. Gamer Gurlz are here and just because some people can't seem to get beyond, "huh huh huh..its a girl...huh huh yor purty" doesn't mean the world is going to change.

I do notice, however a geographical instance of these attitudes. I am in upstate NY. We have a plethora of women gamers. The localized cons(little university cons) have tons of women playing in games, running games, organizing cons, etc. I have travelled to cons in Ohio and the large conventions of Origins and GenCon and see a large change in the ration.

Just my observation.

Sorry for the ramble.