I don't think I'm running Haunts right and other fun stuff

[jhilahd]

Hey all!

So I'm running Rise of the Runelords and my group are currently on the first floor of the Haunted House.

Warning... some spoilers may lurk below.

I've been running it more as an investigative creep-fest than anything else.

And In prepping for this weeks game, I had forgotten that haunts manifest on a surprise round and their initiative is on 10.

I don't get this. I mean, my brain went tilt as I tried to understand why does it need this.
I've been running it as it activates/manifests as the party enters the room/area. From there, dependant upon the type, I'll either target the player who's assigned to it or have people make perception checks to notice it's manifistations.

It's creeped them out, and a couple of my players have totally embraced the effects and played them up. Case and point, the haunt that makes a player see another player as their dead daughter and attempts to leave. He's playing a female healer, and he played her set to 11.

But I'm thinking maybe I'm doing them wrong.

I mean, the manticore went ok, because it was attuned to a specific player. Who, entered into that room a second time and the manifestation occurred. One attack/one hit - end of encounter. That's how I played that one. The player then went and hacked the stuffed manticore to pieces.

It's made the party on edge and jinkies... scared. They feel "hostility from the house. I had people looking at them from the 2nd floor as they approached the house. Only to either disappear or change into ghoulish looking things and then disappear. I've played up the creaking/moaning/shifting of the house. I made the weather slowly increase in violence(storm) as they spend time there and so forth.

But again, does anyone see anything wrong? I keep thinking I'm making this out to be something bigger than it needs to be. I've read several of the haunt threads, but feel like I'm might have missed something mechanically.

Help?

[claudekennilol]

So what's your actual question? Is it "should I run them like the books says to" or "is what I'm doing fine"?

Both are completely acceptable. I don't know the specific haunts in RotRL, but some are not fun. If a player encounters one of the specifically "not fun" ones and then later finds out you ran it incorrectly, then someone is going to be unhappy.

It sounds like this is what you should say to your group. "Hey, I found out I've been running haunts incorrectly, this is how it's supposed to be run but I like my way, which way would you guys prefer I do it?"

[jhilahd]

d'oh

Sorry. You're right.
I didn't clarify. I spit forth a ton of stuff and asked nothing.

So yeah, what claudeknnilol said.
Should I run them per the book (RAW)?

Or is what I'm doing fine?

I've been keeping it loosey goosey for flavor's and fun's sake. And so far it's been ok.

[Wheldrake]

Note: this should probably be in the RotRL forum.

It sounds good, I just ran a first session in Foxglove manor 2 weeks ago, it went pretty much as you describe.

Since most haunts only target a single player, that player is the only one who gets to check on perceiving something before the haunt actually starts to have effects.

And since none of my players can channel energy, detecting the haunt in advance doesn't really help them any - although in one instance they were able to flee the room and avoid the haunt.

In this scenario, haunts are designed perfectly. Suffering from any given haunt also gives clues about the sordid past of the family, and in some cases this means information that could be useful in resolving the house's curse once and for all. In a sense, it would be a real shame for them to zap some of these haunts before they take effect, as that would deprive them of useful clues.

Any homebrewed haunts should really follow this fine example, even if you don't generally need quite so many of them manifesting in a single site.

[ohako]

I ran these, and yeah, jinkied the heck out of my players, in part because of one specific rule:

Stuff is going to be happening. The trick is, if you want to do something in the house, you have to move your mini there. Like, you walk, you pick the specific square.

The other jinkie thing is that a lot of haunt can change the character's emotional state. That's a difference, and with buy-in, it all helped.

I had 6 players, so the house was packed with haunts, and a bunch of them went off spectacularly. Oh! How to run them.

a) the haunt's target makes a Perception check (the DC is listed). Also, if you're not the target, the 'hint' manifestation doesn't happen to you.
b) if the player makes the check, then they can warn whoever's in the room with them, aka, they all get to make Initiative checks.
c) if the players manage to damage the haunt before the 10 goes off, haunt over, fine. If not, haunt!

That mansion is a ton of fun. The PCs ended up burning it to the ground and lying about it on the insurance forms.

[Misroi]

If your group is enjoying the way you've been doing it, why let the rules get in the way?

[FLite]

Unless you are running this for PFS, check with your group, and see how they feel.

If you are running this for PFS, check with your group, and see how they feel, and as long as they are willing to agree not to complain if this means something goes badly for them, run it the way they want. Just don't tell anyone. :)

[claudekennilol]

Wheldrake wrote:

Since most haunts only target a single player, that player is the only one who gets to check on perceiving something before the haunt actually starts to have effects.

I don't believe "in the haunt's proximity" means that only person within the area of its effect can see it. I wouldn't let them see it before it started manifesting, but anyone with clear line of sight should be able to see it (or notice it, or whatever).

If you do keep doing it your way (not that there's anything wrong with that) I'd make it known to your players that you're doing it this way on purpose in case something goes horribly wrong later and causes someone to scurry for the rules.