It's not about making them jump. It has more to do with building tension and opening up a space in our minds where we are free to imagine the worst. Timing is everything in horror - and in most things in life as well. In brief, a summary of what I have learned about running a horror themed RPG consists of the following:
- In the Dark - Our imagination is the scariest place. (It doesn't hurt to turn the lights down.)
- Alone! Isolation means no retreat and no help. "It's Panic Time!"
- Conspiracy... "Is EVERYTHING out to get me?"
- The Unknown - Avoid showing the monster if you can. As soon as they see it, it becomes less scary. The mere threat is always better - it keeps them guessing.
- Trapped, but with some hope of escape. Leave the door open a crack to avoid a feeling of helplessness and resulting apathy.
Game elements that help achieve the "horror" feeling at the table can include:
- Rules that get out of the way and quickly fade into the background allows for character immersion.
- Characters that are mortal and vulnerable with health deterioration that is gradual and incremental.
- Game mechanics that assist the GM in "pacing". I see this as crucial for creating the horror mood. Clocks and timers build tension, humor resets the tension level to zero and there are other mechanical ways that can help the GM to resolve things quickly or s.l.o.w.l.y as needed.
There is generally an element of investigation in most horror games and that should be the focus. Combat leads to death, either player character death or monster death. Either tends to end the tension and with it a lot of the fun. Horror is all about the build-up - the anticipation. But do not stretch it out too long or it will feel contrived and the players will lose interest. To run a successful horror session, you must be constantly reading your players mood - feed them just enough to keep them interested, threaten just enough to keep them on their toes and when the time comes for the finale, make it fast, furious and tense.
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