A horror one-shot?

[Mercule]

Well, I've finally gotten a group together for a Halloween one-shot this year. I'll be using Hunter: the Reckoning, but they don't know that. One of the best things about the Storyteller system is that it is stat-light. I'm actually going to be statting the characters for this game based on some descriptions from the players and a questionnaire I sent out to them. They'll only get some dossier-type write-ups on their characters until after the session ends.

Anyway, I figured I'd try to tap into the vast store of knowledge and experience that is ENWorld. Get some discussions going about this sort of thing. I'll start it with my developing ideas, but feel free to chip in with whatever comes to mind.

Any advice on how to pace a one-shot (about a 5 hour session)? Any advice on setting a horror mood?

I'm trying for more of a creepy thriller than a grizzly slasher.

I know that one key element in horror is to make the characters feel isolated. My first thought on this is to put the characters on a ferry (I said something about setting it in Seattle and everyone seized on it), although a locked down building of some sort could work, too. Regardless, I figure having a few innocent bystander NPCs around would be a decent idea.

For the enemy, I was looking at a ghost or spirit of some sort. I'd like to have multiple critters, maybe a couple of zombie-types. I don't want it to turn into a relentless chase where the monsters are after the characters' brains or some such. Maybe the characters are being driven a certain direction, but I want to be able to have a "why" for it that's more than "blood".

 

[ghrezdd]

I ran a vampire oneshot for halloween last year and again this year (had to be early due to scheduling issues). I have also run some adventures at Gen Con. This what I learned and the template I use.

Vampire does not work very well becuase it is hard to work in the political element into a one shot.

Try patterning your adventure off of a 30 minute tv show:
* Teaser Scene - opening scene that sets the mood, fore shadows the plot, and or gets the players involved

* Intro scene - where the plot introduces itself

* Discovery scenes - these scenes are where the clues are revealed to lead the characters to the Grand Finally. IT can be as many or as few scenes as necessary, each linked to another by a set of clues placed in any of the preceding scenes, including teaser

* Grand Finally - where the players put the beat down on the bad guy.

* Wrapup / Resolution scene (optional) - this is where the characters are rewarded and the story ends. If you are feeling sadistic though you make the Grand finally end on a cliff hanger and make them wait until next year .

I also recommend creating handouts. Players love handouts. THe most important one should explain the setting, situation and the major NPCs involved. This saves a lot of time.

Figure an hour per scene (some will take longer, some shorter) and be prepared to circumvent scenes or cut them out if time becomes an issue. Dont be afraid to lead by the nose - its a one shot and some Order must be imposed. Dont get to cute with the plot, it will take longer to play out.

For horror mood - candles and Glen Danzig's Black Aria (sp?) on repeat works very well.

Hope it helps.

 

[Agback]

Any advice on how to pace a one-shot (about a 5 hour session)? Any advice on setting a horror mood?

Back in the good old days when I used to GM at a livelier pace, I used to consider the material of a 100-minute Hollywood movie about right for a four-to-five hour session. So if you keep everyone's eye on the ball (easier with a small group) you ought to be able to use the structure of a horror film.

As for setting a horror mood, the key is to undermine the characters'/audiences' faith in the things that they rely on to feel safe. Isolating them from those things is easy, but making them feel that those things cannot be trusted works better. To get at those things, the more the setting is like the player's world the better. That's why Hannibal Lecter is so much more horrifying than Count Dracula.

But if you're set on supernatural horror, your could send me your e-mail address (to MYNICK followed by THISYEAR @yahoo.com, unless you have worked out who I really am and what my e-mail address is (it isn't hard)), and I will e-mail you "The Good, the Bad, and the Hairy", a neat little adventure for ordinary folk getting caught up with vampires, a werewolf etc.

Regards,


Agback

That's agback2003@ a certain webmail service.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I always like an undead adventure for trick-or-treat but one of the best I have been in was a haunted house, where the house was the creature. It would cantips and undead to battle the players, a lot of fun. started with the players facing a storm and seeing the house on the hill, a light moving in the window and ended with the rising of the sun.

 

[Mercule]

unless you have worked out who I really am and what my e-mail address is

I'm always up for a bit of a challenge, even small ones. The email's off.

I'll probably end up modifying it a bit, since my wife's requirement was to not be completely normal (I'm cutting it close, though). Still, the group is starting out as normals, so it may flow fine.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Since it's a one-shot, you need to have a defnite end point in mind.

Give the players options/choices throughout the game, but think about your end-point, and how what they do will affect it. Eventually, the players (no matter what direction they go) will (1) get to the end-point for a climatic scene (not necessarily a battle), or (2) die trying.

 

[Mercule]

Since it's a one-shot, you need to have a defnite end point in mind.

The most interesting horror movies have a bit of investigation in the mix. At the same time, though, we run into the issue of PC free will. I'm wondering if a "escape" plot isn't the best option.

Investigation would be more rewarding with the knowledge unfolding before them, but not structured enough for a one-shot. Any ideas on blending them?

 

[Yellow Sign]

I always thought this short story would make a great COC one shot.

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/zenith/134/yuki_t.htm

 

[Aeolius]

My favorite Halloween one-shot was "In Your Skin", a module I wrote for 1e AD&D where the PCs awakened as sentient skeletons. They then had to find their missing skins, so to speak. I might have to revive that one for 3e as BoVD has the Bone Creature template, which is perfect for my needs. Also, I have a hag PrC, the Body Snatcher, which has skin theft as one of their abilities.

Many moons ago, I ran "Penance of the Damned", a chat-based game on AOL, where the PCs began as larvae in Hades and had to "work their way up". That might also be an appropriate choice for the 31st. Here's a link to the intro: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=60257

 

[schporto]

I'm also running a halloween one shot. I'm looking more for an Aliens feel. So for Aliens it was periods of nothing, isolation, creepy noises, etc. Punctuated with sudden violent action. Then nothing. So while isolation is a big part, i thought the sudden attacks were key. They help build the tension. So thee game I'll be running will have a bunch of ambushes, probably hastened zombies (or something like that so they can attack suddenly).

I did run a simple one shot a while ago. It was a classic mad wizards lair. Small (I think 10 rooms total). An bugbear? or something similar who made his living in the front part, 1 trap, and an allip. The wizard had accidently killed his wife. So was now insane and an allip. Had a laptop with creepy sounds, including this one haunting ghost voice that whispered "Sarrah" repeatedly. Freaked the players out. Every door they opened it played.

Gotta go get more sounds before I run my session.
-cpd