I thought I'd start a thread where everyone could chime in and offer up some good role-playing and character creation advice for the hapless victims preparing to play in the Carrion Crown adventure path. I've seen lots of tips and advice for GMs who want to run a horror campaign, but next to nothing for the players.
Playing in a horror campaign is very different from playing in a typical Pathfinder campaign. It takes a substantial emotional investment from each player to create an immersive and successful horror campaign. Please excuse the cheesy baseball analogy, but imagine the GM as the pitcher. Regardless of the GM’s talent (i.e., his pitch), it’s up to the players to hit the ball out of the park.
Don't create a hero.
In standard Pathfinder campaigns, many players are driven to create the most powerful, heroic character possible. Try to resist this urge. The most excellent Rule of Fear includes a sidebar that echoes this sentiment. The sidebar suggests that for horror campaigns, perhaps you should try and create a character that "doesn't have all the answers". Instead, try to create a believable, interesting, but somewhat flawed character. By flawed, I don’t mean for you to create a peg-legged, pesh-addicted, blind character with an Intelligence score of 4. Instead, look beyond the statistics and common stereotypes and create one or more character flaws for your character. Perhaps your wizard is very intelligent, but is also incredibly superstitious. (The “Legends and Hauntings” chapter in Rule of Fear has a great section on common Ustalavan superstitions.) Maybe your rogue suffers from a family curse that prevents him from sleeping near a church or temple. Or your monk saw something years ago while looking into the night sky that completely unhinged her and haunts her dreams to this day...but she can’t recall exactly what it was she saw, nor can she remember the details of her terrifying dreams. Little touches like these will add to the overall mood and believability of a horror campaign.
Embrace the setting. Feel the fear.
Although good advice for any campaign, it is especially important for players in a horror game to embrace the story and mood the GM weaves before them. Let yourself be scared. If you don’t allow yourself to feel fear (or at least role-play your character feeling fear), you won’t be able to maintain a mood inductive to horror role-playing. Your objective as a player in a horror campaign is to immerse yourself in the role in order to enhance the experience for everyone at the table.
Stay in character. Don’t meta-game.
These two bits of related advice are obvious, but critical to maintaining the mood of a good horror game.
Nix the slapstick. Paint it black.
RPGs are meant to be fun and humor is an important aspect of the game. However, for horror games, try to stick to dark humor if you can. Slapstick and Monty Python-esque humor will quickly lighten the mood, detract from the horrific atmosphere, and can bring the game to a grinding halt. If you need to lighten the mood, take a break and make your jokes “offstage”.
Don’t overdo it.
Acting out and describing gore and perversion merely for shock value is for amateurs and B-movie hacks. Remember that less is usually better when it comes to the more violent and risque aspects of a horror game. Don’t get me wrong. Blood and violence has its place of course, just try and use it sparingly.
That’s all I have for right now. Does anyone have some good advice to share?
In the spirit of offering up advice for players getting ready to play Carrion Crown, how about answering this question:
When you were a player in a horror RPG, what helped you immerse yourself in the game? What worked for you?
I like this thread Tom, I just don't have much to add.
I'd simply add a twist on flaw and say consider having your PC have a secret. Work with the DM, keep the secret from the other PCs for some period, role play your secret between you and your DM. The DM should put you into interesting positions... ok example.
One of my PCs in a Ravenloft campaign was trying to hide that as a guard he was lured away from his post by a beautiful woman which allowed the castle he was guarding to be invaded, his liege killed, and himself expelled from the kingdom. He was very suspicious of beautiful women. I occasionally put them in situations with beautiful barmaids (or the like) and he role played it perfectly. The other PCs, I don't think, had any idea why this fighter was acting so uncomfortable.
Another was playing a gnome psion who was trying to conceal what class he was. For the longest time his adventuring party thought he was a rogue, or perhaps a sorc (he was staying out of combat, hiding a lot). When he finally revealed himself to be a psion, after I put him into a position where he was bound and a helpless woman was about to be slaughtered if he didn't stop it (which he could through the use of mind power) it was memorable.
Secrets. I like secrets.
I'll also strongly second your bits about staying in character and helping the DM keep the mood. It is really hard to evoke fear in a tabletop RPG, your players can help a lot here and try and take the bone you give them.
I would say, to sorta go along with building a flawed character, build a character capable of growth. Not just in the power level department either. For example, I was playing in a PBP CC campaign, and I made a forlorn elf who wants very badly to be part of the aristocracy of Ustalav, but not only is he not human, he grew up rather poor. Though he has money now, and he can generally fake the talk, when upset he reverts back to being a guttermouthed blue colored adventurer. Also, he plays at acting like a pompous, arrogant, snobby prick...but he has a soft spot for the working class. If I get to continue playing this character, chances are this will eventually show through. He may complain about having to risk his life to save worthless commoners, but he's still in the front lines fighting back whatever evil is threatening them. Eventually I see him becoming completely disgusted with the ruling class, and abandoning his hopes of joining them. Not sure what he'll do then, or how long it'll take, but it's sure to happen eventually.
I'd simply add a twist on flaw and say consider having your PC have a secret. Work with the DM, keep the secret from the other PCs for some period, role play your secret between you and your DM. The DM should put you into interesting positions...
Yes! A well-designed secret could definitely be considered a character flaw, especially if it comes into play during the game. A secret would work nicely with the gothic horror theme of Carrion Crown as well. Good stuff, Ullapool.
I would say, to sorta go along with building a flawed character, build a character capable of growth.
Agreed. Growth - in the role-playing sense - is a very important part of character development in any campaign. It certainly adds an element of believability to the character.
I would say, to sorta go along with building a flawed character, build a character capable of growth.Agreed. Growth - in the role-playing sense - is a very important part of character development in any campaign. It certainly adds an element of believability to the character.
I'd just like to add that optimization and roleplay need not be mutually exclusive. Even if a player does take pains to optimize a char, under the point buy system he or she will have weaknesses that can be expanded on as flaws and character traits, perhaps more so in the case of an "optimized" character who has dumped one or more stats. Rather than pure RP or pure min/max I prefer to GM players who combine the two.
As for roleplaying horror, a lot of this is incumbent upon the GM to set the proper campaign mood. I plan to do this not only through evoking dread and suspense at the gaming table, but tailoring side plots for each character and their flaws, so the evil and dread is not just between the rails so to speak.
As for roleplaying horror, a lot of this is incumbent upon the GM to set the proper campaign mood. I plan to do this not only through evoking dread and suspense at the gaming table, but tailoring side plots for each character and their flaws, so the evil and dread is not just between the rails so to speak.
That's a very good point, Jon. Most of the responsibility for creating a good horror campaign lies with the GM. It's important to point out though, that if the players don't buy in to what the GM is trying to sell them it will be next to impossible to achieve horror. The responsibility factor in a horror campaign is easily a 70/30 split between the GM and player. That's another reason we're seeing more GM advice threads than player-focused threads here.
Anyone else have advice to share?
I don't know if I would agree that most of it falls on the GM. I think the players need to be open to the theme of horror, which is quite a bit different state of mind than they are likely familiar with. They need to let them selves be terrified, let their guard down. As a player in a horror campaign, you have to trust the GM more than you do in other genres.
Better role players will get a kick out of the opportunity to go a little over the top with their fear, provided they understand what the setting is all about. I once had a player playing a Hessian mercenary in Ravenloft physically hide under a table and whimper in the darkened conference room in which we were playing.
My suggestions for players:
Look for cues from the GM. If the physical geography of the scene suddenly causes your characters' escape to be cut off, rather than calmly solving the problem ("I jump over the chasm, what do I need to roll?"), fret for a round or two ("I skid to a stop; panicking, I look over my shoulder with one eye while trying to find a way to escape with the other."). Don't think of your character as a tactical robot, but as an emotional being in a frightening situation. This is probably a good RP tip for any scenario, but to carry off a good horror adventure, it's critical.
As a GM preparing to run Carrion Crown, I like this thread. I've been worried about how our table has turned slapstick lately and how that will break the campaign. Horror is a powerful but fragile mood. I'll bring these points up with my players before we start. I like the secret aspect, too - it doesn't look like the appropriate campaign for a long, intricate backstory with conflict that can be resolved during the campaign, but a secret makes a handy, fun device. Eh, Puffin? ;)
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As a GM preparing to run Carrion Crown, I like this thread. I've been worried about how our table has turned slapstick lately and how that will break the campaign. Horror is a powerful but fragile mood. I'll bring these points up with my players before we start. I like the secret aspect, too - it doesn't look like the appropriate campaign for a long, intricate backstory with conflict that can be resolved during the campaign, but a secret makes a handy, fun device. Eh, Puffin? ;)
That's the trouble with building a character who doesn't have any of that, though... they're just not interesting to me. I'd rather have an interesting character than a weird character.
That said, our current group can't get immersed in an otherwise intriguing campaign for the most part. We've got two players immersed, one who can't get immersed, and two who don't want to be. It's a frustrating thing.
Lacking slap stick, though? I think with Raistlin745 at the table we're going to have enough slap stick. Remember Corvus? :P
I think the players need to be open to the theme of horror, which is quite a bit different state of mind than they are likely familiar with.
I agree, and as a GM you definitely have to know your players, but that applies to all types of settings not just horror. What works for one group of players will not work for another, but this could just as easily be said about high fantasy as horror. I know the Forgotten Realms has always been a popular setting but I and my players have always loathed it. I'm sure there are many Realms fans out there who never cared for Ravenloft and so forth. That goes back to the GM knowing his players and what will and won't work with a given group. I wholeheartedly agree players need to buy into it, but it is incumbent upon the GM to discern whether or not they are capable.
This is an interesting thread. I'm glad it came up, but I am concerned about one thing: DM's who try to force their players and their characters to be scared. I enjoy a good horror themed campaign, but I absolutely loath forced fear; setting a right mood and suggesting a characters fear is one thing, but actively determining that someone is afraid, and forcing them to act accordingly goes too far (outside of a spell effect, of course). I hope that DM's and players alike who are reading this thread don't go overboard with the fear factor.
Also, as an interesting aside, how do you handle a character that is immune to fear, such as a paladin?
This is an interesting thread. I'm glad it came up, but I am concerned about one thing: DM's who try to force their players and their characters to be scared. I enjoy a good horror themed campaign, but I absolutely loath forced fear; setting a right mood and suggesting a characters fear is one thing, but actively determining that someone is afraid, and forcing them to act accordingly goes too far (outside of a spell effect, of course). I hope that DM's and players alike who are reading this thread don't go overboard with the fear factor.
Also, as an interesting aside, how do you handle a character that is immune to fear, such as a paladin?
A DM that will try to run a character for a player will normally do so anyway.
As for the paladin I always took that as immunity to being forced to become afraid due to spells and what not. Seeing someone you care about in danger is a different type of fear, IMHO.|
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As for the paladin I always took that as immunity to being forced to become afraid due to spells and what not. Seeing someone you care about in danger is a different type of fear, IMHO.
Also, as an interesting aside, how do you handle a character that is immune to fear, such as a paladin?
+1. Also immunity to fear does not mean immunity to shock, disgust, surprise and a myriad other dark emotions that all have their place in a horror story
In the spirit of offering up advice for players getting ready to play Carrion Crown, how about answering this question:
When you were a player in a horror RPG, what helped you immerse yourself in the game? What worked for you?
Metagaming did.
It sounds odd and counterintuitive, but recognizing OOC the entities my PC faced and knowing how powerful and mad they actually were, or knowing that trying to Summon Azatoth was a real bad idea or that the Necronomicon book had a grisly past and terrible powers made it far scarier than not knowing anything about it.
To the OP's question, I would say that the main difference with the traditional take on PFRPG or DnD games lies in recognizing that the kid's gloves are off and that you WILL face threats far beyond your usual CR.
This is an interesting thread. I'm glad it came up, but I am concerned about one thing: DM's who try to force their players and their characters to be scared. I enjoy a good horror themed campaign, but I absolutely loath forced fear; setting a right mood and suggesting a characters fear is one thing, but actively determining that someone is afraid, and forcing them to act accordingly goes too far (outside of a spell effect, of course). I hope that DM's and players alike who are reading this thread don't go overboard with the fear factor.
Also, as an interesting aside, how do you handle a character that is immune to fear, such as a paladin?
I agree dictating character reaction is a terrible method. Best to set the mood and the let pc's run with it. As for Paladins they are immune to fear mechanically, but a paladin is still horrified by corruption and depravity, even more so because of his own moral compass.
Better role players will get a kick out of the opportunity to go a little over the top with their fear, provided they understand what the setting is all about.
Exactly! The players must buy in to what the GM is selling in order to achieve a good, horrific ambience. It really is a mutual effort between GM and the players. That's why I'm hoping players preparing to run through Carrion Crown read this thread.
I once had a player playing a Hessian mercenary in Ravenloft physically hide under a table and whimper in the darkened conference room in which we were playing.
Awesome! This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to see more of in this thread.
Don't think of your character as a tactical robot, but as an emotional being in a frightening situation. This is probably a good RP tip for any scenario, but to carry off a good horror adventure, it's critical.
(Emphasis mine.) I agree 100% and I think you hit it dead-on here. Players should try to make an emotional connection with their characters and portray the personal fear their characters are experiencing.
These are all really great words of advice for playing in a horror campaign.
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Another word of advice: Don't over-do-it.
I've seen parties turtle because they don't know what's around the next corner and no one is willing to go look. That's when you know fear has gotten too much of a grip on the characters and/or players. That means nobody is going to have much fun. Nobody wants to keep playing.
Every-once-and-a-while, make sure to appraise where your character is and what they're doing. Part of playing a character who is afraid is still taking risks, heck that's the basis of the game in some ways. So do something to not let it get to you, and don't make your character panphobic.
That said, someone hiding under a table is cool as long as the game can proceed.
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As for roleplaying horror, a lot of this is incumbent upon the GM to set the proper campaign mood. I plan to do this not only through evoking dread and suspense at the gaming table, but tailoring side plots for each character and their flaws, so the evil and dread is not just between the rails so to speak.That's a very good point, Jon. Most of the responsibility for creating a good horror campaign lies with the GM. It's important to point out though, that if the players don't buy in to what the GM is trying to sell them it will be next to impossible to achieve horror. The responsibility factor in a horror campaign is easily a 70/30 split between the GM and player. That's another reason we're seeing more GM advice threads than player-focused threads here.
Anyone else have advice to share?
I agree that the if the players do not buy in to what the GM is doing then it can be a problem in a horror campaign, but on the same token the GM feeds off of the players reactions to what he is doing too. If the players even play act their reactions with a RP action then it most certainly helps the GM become even better.
So it can be very important for players to be strong in Role playing actions and reactions and it can and will improve the GM's overall mood that he is attempting.I think that this is a great thread and I will be sharing this with my players as well. Thanks for the great ideas!! :)