Horror[Genres]
HorrorAlthough it's very likely a subset of the modern genre, horror as a genre gets special treatment. Unlike the other genres, horror doesn't necessarily suggest a setting. Any setting can be horrific. Horror is more of a style. An approach. A mood.
You could easily have horror in other times and settings, but for our purposes, we'll deal with a default setting in the modern day. The PCs are probably normal people, not secret agents or special investigators (although being a part of a secret agency that deals with monsters in the shadows could make for a fine horror game).
Suggested foci, types, and additional equipment for a horror setting are the same as in a modern setting, so refer to section 14 for that information.
Whatever the setting, the main thing to remember when preparing to run a horror-themed game is that if everything is terrifying, nothing is. Think about every good horror movie you've seen or story you've read, in which scenes of horror are paced nicely with scenes of normal life. The key is the contrast. People need rising and falling tension, or they will break from the story. So you need a setting that has ordinary scenes, encounters, and events as well as horrific ones. Even a world overcome by hordes of zombies needs to offer moments of respite for the characters.
Running a good horror game is difficult. You've got to maintain mood and atmosphere at almost all times. Consider the following tips.
Give the players time to develop their characters before going to the haunted house, spooky cemetery, or mysterious ruin. Let them get attached to the characters, at least a little, so that when those PCs are in jeopardy, the players will be frightened.
Use music, lighting, and the environment to help create a mood. Don't hesitate to use candles or flashlights in a dark room rather than conventional lighting. Shake things up—if you normally play in the dining room when you run sessions in other genres, play in the basement for your horror game.
Unnerve your players as well as the characters. As you describe a scene in the game, occasionally glance out the window or toward the door, particularly if it's behind one or more players, as though you hear something strange. Make it seem like creepy things are going on, but be subtle. Make the players sense it without being fully aware of it.
Startle the players as well as the characters. When the monster finally appears, shout at the top of your lungs! Turn out the lights suddenly. Do something shocking.
Horror games are often one-shot sessions or a short arc of a few sessions. They are very difficult to run as long-term campaigns, but it's possible. If that's what you want, remember that you need rising and falling tension. There must be respites and calm moments between the horror.
Horror needs to be brutal and ruthless, even if—or rather, especially if—other games you run are relatively safe for PCs. Kill characters. Maim characters.
Focus on the startling and unexpected when possible. Blood and gore can be shocking sometimes, but only in a context in which they are unexpected. In other words, they might be expected on a battlefield, but not in the middle of a happy religious ceremony or family gathering.
Fear of the unknown is the greatest, most primal fear. It's the thing the PCs don't see that scares them the most. Take your time and allow them to hear the horrific creature approach before the encounter begins. Let them see its shadow before they see the rest of it. Let them react to the unknown threat before they can identify it.
Horror games allow us to explore some pretty dark topics from the safety of our own game tables. But before you do that, make sure everyone around your table is okay with that. Find out what your players will find “good uncomfortable,” which is something that makes us squirm in our seats in a great horror movie, and “bad uncomfortable,” which is something that actually makes a player feel nauseated, unsafe, or offended. Being scared can be fun, but being sickened isn't.
Consider the age and maturity of everyone in the game, perhaps in terms of the movie rating system. Tell the players what you think the game you're running would be rated. If everyone's okay with an R rating, then fine. You can have a spooky game that's on the level of a kids' movie rated G—more like Scooby-Doo than Saw, in other words. A PG rating might be right for a game that's more creepy than horrific, with ghosts and spooky noises but not axe-wielding maniacs.
The different ratings suggest different kinds of content for your game. Finding a dead body is horrible, but watching someone get decapitated is something else entirely. Getting chased around by an alien that wants to eat you is one thing, but having it gestate and burst out of your own intestines is another. You need to know where the line is for everyone participating, and you need to know it right from the beginning.
Assassin Cannibal Chronophage Crime boss Deep one Demigod Demon Devil Enthraller Ghost Ghoul Giant rat Giant spider Guard Hacker Killer clown Killing white light Mad scientist Mi-go Neveri Nuppeppo Occultist Politician Priest Professor Puppet tree Ravage bear Replicant Secret agent Skeleton Slidikin Soldier Statue, animate Thug/bandit Vampire Wendigo Werewolf Witch Xenoparasite Zombie
Businessperson: level 1 Groundskeeper/caretaker: level 2; health 8 Cat: level 1, Speed defense as level 3 Man in Black: level 4; carries weird weapons, Clerk: level 1 including those with long range Dog: level 2, perception as level 3 Rat: level 1 Dog, vicious: level 3, attacks and perception as Tarantula: level 1 level 4
A player intrusions in a horror game might involve the player having heard an old legend about the monster in the woods and that it's drawn to the smell of strong perfume. Or maybe something even more dramatic, like the floorboards of the old house give way, dropping the PC into the basement, but away from the zombies. Or perhaps there's a handy meat cleaver in the first kitchen drawer they open. See player intrusions, page 21.
Creatures, page 312 NPCs, page 372
Most of the time, a horror artifact will be something really weird—an ancient tome of forbidden necromancy, an alien device that humans can barely understand, and so forth. They are often unique items rather than one of a type. Horror artifacts should probably come with a risk, such as a built-in cost, a drawback, or something else that makes using them another way to heighten the tension of the game. Several examples are below.
Level: 8
Form: Very large book of ancient providence, the cover bound in iron and wrapped in chains with a level 6 padlock
Effect: When opened, the Book of Inversion shows a pair of pages that detail a magic spell in the reader's language, complete with disturbing diagrams. The spell's effect varies, but it is always some kind of horrible attack—a target is driven mad, a target is turned inside out, a target seeks to murder their best friend, several targets are cursed with a rotting disease, and so forth. The reader can automatically cast the spell as an action, one time only. More insidiously, if successful, the spell confers pleasure to the caster and fully restores all of their Pools. The caster must make an immediate Intellect defense roll or be compelled to use the book (and thus a new spell) again the next day. This compulsion is so strong that the caster will kill their dearest loved one to complete the task. If they are unable to use the book again, they are driven permanently mad. Woe to the caster who uses the book on the last time before it is depleted (at which point it crumbles to dust).
Depletion: 1 in 1d10
Level: 7
Form: Wooden and black metal box, about 12 inches by 7 inches by 3 inches (30 by 18 by 8 cm), with a hinged lid and a clasp
Effect: When the box opens, shadows seethe out. These shadows coalesce into a form that best represents a deep fear in the subconscious of the person who opened the box. The opener must make an Intellect defense roll to master the shadow thing, which then acts as a level 7 creature under their control for five rounds before fading away. If the roll fails, the creature attacks the opener and anyone else around. To make matters worse, the opener spends the first round frozen in terror, doing nothing.
Depletion: 1-2 in 1d6
Level: 1d6+4
Form: A 7-inch (18 cm) sphere of what appears to be fluid metal, tinted red
Effect: Possibly one of a number of identical alien artifacts recovered in remote locales across the earth, the so-called sphere 23 will grant a wish to anyone who holds it and uses an action to concentrate on it. The wish can be anything, including something that bends reality: raising the dead, altering time, and so forth. However, the wisher must immediately make a Might defense roll or be consumed by the sphere. If the roll succeeds, they must then make an Intellect defense roll or be driven permanently and irrevocably mad.
Depletion: 1-3 in 1d6
When the PCs encounter something shocking, many times the most realistic response is to scream, stand in abject horror, or run. That might not be the smartest thing to do in the situation, but it's genuine. What would your accountant do if they saw an axe-wielding maniac coming at them? Let's face it, unless they truly steeled themselves with all their will, they'd probably scream and run.
When a PC encounters something horrific, utterly disgusting, dreadful, impossible, or otherwise shocking, call for an Intellect defense roll based on the level of the creature involved, or simply an appropriate level as decided by the GM (see the Shock Levels table). Failure might mean that for one round, the player loses control of the character, and the GM decides what the PC does next. This usually means that the character runs, screams, gibbers, stares slack-jawed, or just does nothing. However, GMs should welcome player input into this situation. The point is to portray that when we're shocked, we don't always react in the best way, the smartest way, or even the way we want to. Fear is a powerful thing.
Alternatively, failure on the Intellect defense roll might mean that the character suffers Intellect damage equal to the level of the defense task. This indicates an overall toll that numerous shocks and horrors can have on a person. You might have a situation where a character literally dies of fright.
For horror games, GMs can implement a rule called Horror Mode. The idea is to create a feeling of escalating dread and menace by changing one die roll mechanic. In the game, things begin as normal. The PCs interact with each other and the NPCs, investigate, research, travel, and so on. But when they enter the haunted house, the serial killer gets close, the elder things beneath the earth awaken, or whatever horrific situation planned by the GM begins, things change. At this time, the GM announces that the game has gone into Horror Mode.
This is a key for the players (not the characters) to recognize that things are getting bad. It's the RPG equivalent of spooky music beginning to play in a horror film. While in Horror Mode, the rules for GM Intrusions governed by die rolls change. Normally this happens only on a roll of 1, but when Horror Mode starts, it becomes a roll of 1 or 2. And then it escalates. As time passes, GM Intrusions happen on a roll of 1 to 3, then a roll of 1 to 4, and so on. This potentially means that a die roll in Horror Mode can indicate success in a task and still trigger a GM Intrusion.
As the intrusion range changes with each escalation, the GM should announce this to the players. The feeling of rising tension should be dramatic and overt.
Activity Intrusion Range Increases by 1
For example, while the PCs are exploring a dark swamp (a large area), the game goes into Horror Mode and intrusions are indicated on a 1 or 2. During this exploration, one of the players rolls a 2. Not only is there an intrusion, but now the range escalates to 1, 2, or 3. The character is almost dragged into a spot of quicksand-like muck. Then the PCs find an old abandoned house in the middle of the swamp. They enter, and now the escalation rate goes up if they roll a 1, 2, or 3, or every ten minutes that passes in the game. They explore the house for twenty minutes (escalating intrusions to 1 to 5), and during the investigation of the kitchen, someone rolls a 3, triggering an intrusion. A cabinet opens mysteriously and a strangely carved clay pot falls, striking the character. This also escalates the intrusion rate, so they now occur on a roll of 1 to 6. When the PCs reach the attic, they encounter the dreaded swamp slayer, a half man, half beast that thrives on blood. It attacks, and now the range goes up during each round of combat. After four rounds of fighting, intrusions happen Horror Mode is a very “meta” rule. It gives players knowledge that their characters don't have. This is similar to how the viewers of a horror movie or readers of a horror story often know more than the characters on the screen or page. It heightens the tension. Players can express the start of Horror Mode by having their characters talk about goosebumps or a feeling of being watched, but this is not necessary.
on a roll of 1 to 10—half the time. Things are getting dicey, and they're only going to get worse.
When the GM announces that Horror Mode has ended, the GM Intrusion rate goes back to normal, happening only on a roll of 1 or when the GM awards XP.
With the GM Intrusions coming fast and furious toward the end of Horror Mode, it's easy to run out of ideas. In combat, intrusions might just mean that the monster or villain gets a surprise extra attack or inflicts more damage. Perhaps a PC is thrown to the ground or nearer to the edge of a cliff. If the characters are running away, one might trip and fall. If the PCs are exploring, a bookcase topples, potentially hitting someone. Think of all the similar moments you've seen in horror films.
Sometimes, if the GM prefers, the GM Intrusion can simply be something frightening, like a moan or a whisper. These aren't dangerous to the PCs, but they escalate the tension and indicate that something bad is getting closer.
In fact, while in Horror Mode, GMs should mostly refrain from doing anything bad, ominous, or dangerous unless it's an intrusion (either from a die roll or through the awarding of XP). In a horror game, GM Intrusions are an indication that things are bad and getting worse, and whenever possible, the GM should allow the escalation to drive the action. This makes the GM more of a slave to the dice than in other Cypher System situations, but that's okay.
GMs may want to limit the number of intrusions to no more than one per round, no matter what the dice indicate, but that should be based on the situation.
Consider this example. The PCs have tracked something that is probably committing a series of horrific murders to an old factory. They enter the building to explore. The GM knows where the creature is hiding in the factory, but decides that it doesn't become aware of the characters until an intrusion is indicated. The only clue the PCs have is a mysterious noise off in the darkness. The creature doesn't move toward them until another GM Intrusion occurs. Now they hear something dragging across the factory floor, coming closer. But it's not until a third intrusion occurs that the creature lunges out from behind an old machine at the PC who rolled the die.
In some ways, the status quo doesn't change until an intrusion happens. This could be seen as limiting the GM and the need for pacing, but remember that the GM can still have an intrusion occur anytime they desire, in addition to waiting for the low die rolls.
Having characters descend into madness is an interesting facet of some kinds of horror and can make long-term horror campaigns more interesting. The easiest way to portray blows to a character's sanity is through Intellect damage. When PCs encounter something shocking, as described above, they always take Intellect damage. If they would normally move one step down the damage track due to the damage, they instead immediately regain points (equal to 1d6+their tier) in their Intellect Pools but lose 1 point from their maximums in that Pool. Characters whose Intellect Pools reach 0 go insane. They lose their current descriptor and adopt the Mad descriptor, regain 1d6+tier points to their Intellect Pools, and gain +1 to their Intellect Edge. If they ever reach a permanent Intellect Pool maximum of 0 again, they go stark raving mad and are no longer playable.
Intellect Edge offers an interesting means to portray a character who is knowledgeable (and perhaps even powerful in terms of mental abilities) yet mentally fragile. A character with a low Intellect Pool but a high Intellect Edge can perform Intellect actions well (since Edge is very helpful) but is still vulnerable to Intellect damage (where Edge is of no help).
Since Cypher System games are meant to be story based, players should recognize that the degrading sanity of their character is part of the story. A player who feels that their character is going mad can talk to the GM, and the two of them can work out the means to portray that—perhaps by using the Mad descriptor, permanently trading up to 4 points from their Intellect Pool to gain +1 to their Intellect Edge, or anything else that seems appropriate. Mental disorders, manias, psychopathy, schizophrenia, or simple phobias can be added to a character's traits, but they don't need to be quantified in game statistics or die rolls. They're simplsy part of the character.
Inabilities in personal interaction or any area requiring focus might be appropriate, perhaps allowing the PC to gain training in weird lore or forbidden knowledge. Or maybe the opposite is true—as the character's mind slowly slips away, they become oddly compelled or can obsessively focus on a single task for indefinite periods, and thus they gain training in that topic or skill. These kinds of changes could be balanced with inabilities, such as being unable to remember important details.
As another way to represent madness, the GM could hinder Intellect-based tasks that would be considered routine, such as “remembering your friends and family” or “caring what happens to your best friend” or “stopping yourself from injecting a mysterious substance into your veins.” These routine tasks normally have a difficulty of 0, but for a PC who has lost their mind, they might have a difficulty of 1, 2, or even higher. Now the character must make rolls to do even those simple things.
Sometimes, it's fun to spring horror on a group that's not expecting it. If the players in a science fiction game set in the not-so-far future are prepared to explore a mysteriously abandoned asteroid-mining facility, how wild would it be to have the facility be haunted by ghosts? The PCs probably expect aliens or some other science fiction threat. How will they deal with spectral beings that ignore their high-tech weaponry and show up on their scanners as odd energy fluctuations? You can also make a horror game out of standard science fiction tropes. A murderous, nigh-unstoppable alien that is stalking the PCs on their own starship can make for a particularly frightening scenario. Using Horror Mode the entire time the alien is on board heightens the tension and forces the PCs to act quickly to get that thing off their ship. (Bonus points if they do it without resorting to the old out-the-airlock trick.)