It’s the end of October, and that means that people are thinking about how to be spooky. Many of us who play RPGs are trying to think up scary stories or settings to use as part of a Halloween campaign. More important than the story in horror, though, is the feeling you bring to the game. This week we’re talking about how to create a Horror-appropriate atmosphere.
More than a feeling
Atmosphere is important to the gaming experience. Most of the time, we don’t think about this because we want to tell a story about friends coming together for an adventure. This atmosphere is already created when a bunch of friends come together for an adventure in real life.
But when holidays roll around, or certain sessions, or even entire campaigns where a certain atmosphere is absolutely crucial, we sometimes blank on how to do it. It is, after all, a skill that needs to be practiced and honed.
But why is atmosphere so crucial? Imagine your players are engrossed in a macabre tale. You expect them to be on the edge of their seats. But then you look up, and they’re chatting about a movie they saw, one of them is yawning, and one actually has a dopey grin on their face. Heartbreaking for a horror session. The players are also likely to brush it off and tell you it wasn’t very scary. After all, their characters face death, dismemberment, serial genocides, and oceans of gore every time they sit down at the table.
So you, as GM, need to take a few extra steps to get their attention. Luckily, human beings are designed to respond to certain cues and to shift their mood and behavior accordingly.
Sense: Hearing
Without realizing it most of the time, human beings rely on our senses for cues on how to react. Adding in sounds and music can help set an atmosphere (Exhibit A: Barry White). Instead of telling your players that they hear a scream, play a loud, bloodcurdling scream audio bit. If there’s a fire burning, play a snippet of flames. Disembodied speaking, growls, and the like really help engage your players on an unconscious level. A great tool for this is DMDJ, which is also available as a relatively inexpensive app. If you’re not sure how to integrate these sounds into your game in a manageable way, The Mad Adventurers have you covered.
Make sure you don’t overdo it. It’s easy to put on a CD and forget about it, or to use sounds for every single encounter. Don’t forget that it is also human nature to become overly comfortable with the familiar, very quickly. Play a bit of music for a few minutes or for one scene, then cut it. And make sure it’s subtle music; you don’t want Thriller going during the big combat, unless you’re going for goofy. Pick a few key sounds ahead of time and use the bits for them. As a general rule, no more than one sound per hour, unless your players are REALLY into the sounds.
Sense: Smell
Use this one carefully. Smell is one of our most powerful unconscious cues. We call these “Sense memories” because a smell is tied to a feeling or a distant memory, usually of great importance to us. At least once during your horror campaign, you may want to break out some sort of smell. It can be as simple as, “You walk into a room and smell THIS,” at which point you break out a Tupperware container and crack the lid. This can be something foul, or it could be rose perfume, or potpourri. Smells don’t have to be terrible, and the undead can be self conscious about their grave stink. Speaking of which, it could also be wet earth, which you’ve prepared ahead of time.
For good advice on how to do this appropriately, go listen to the potelbat episode about engaging the senses.
Sense: Sight
Human beings are primarily diurnal creatures by nature. This means that we prefer to engage in our outside activities during the daytime, when we can see. This is why fire and electricity and light bulbs were invented, because we don’t see so well in the dark. Turns out we feel vulnerable when we’re suddenly blinded. As a Horror-GM, you should use this.
Dim the lights a bit in the room where you’re playing. If you don’t have a dimmer, remove a few light bulbs and leave parts of the room in darkness. Use candles instead of electric light (Be safe and responsible with fire, people).
Have a scene where the lights go out, and get up and walk over and turn off the lights, then have the players (in the sudden dark) describe what their characters do. Leave the lights off for a few extra breaths just to let it sink in, then turn them back on and resolve the actions.
Use props that highlight certain things. Strange coins or arcane orbs are great. Decorating the room with spiderwebs and skulls and head stones counts as background props and help remind your players that it’s Halloween.
Communal behavior
Human beings tend to mimic other human beings whom they consider to be in charge. And it wouldn’t be a Setup for Success article without talking about behavior.
Sit up straight and lean inward toward the table. Leaning way back and relaxing shows your players that you’re disengaged and at peace. Leaning in shows engagement and intensity. Over time, they will pick up on this.
Be serious about the game. I don’t mean take your campaign too seriously, I just mean be serious. Don’t smile during the game unless it’s in-character. Don’t crack constant jokes and puns that lighten the moon. Think about what you’re saying and the facial expressions you’re using, and make sure they’re as intense and serious as you want them to be.
Have a talk with your players before you start and tell them it’s serious, and ask them to approach it as such. They’ll likely be happy to do so, since they’re there on Halloween night asking for a horror game.
Crack down on technology the moment you see it. Tonight is not a night for smartphone board games. Keep everyone focused.
And maybe keep the game on the short side. Maintaining all of these suggestions at the same time can be a little draining. De-stress afterward with your party, laugh and clap each other on the shoulders, and have a good time.
Have a fun and responsible night out there. Let us know in the comments below what you’re doing to set a mood.