Maintaining the Horror Campaign – Introduction: Why?! WHY?!!

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/coriehowell/

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Recently, my players and I brought our DC Adventures as Team Lex to a temporary close (Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything.  I still have one more DC Adventures Log to complete.)  I didn’t have anything to follow that game up,  so I started a conversation with my players on what we should play next.  There’s a lot of good systems and untried settings out there, so I listed a litany of possibilities we could play.  My players weren’t interested, though.  They wanted Ravenloft.

We’ve played two Ravenloft campaigns before: Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, and A Light in the Belfry.  They represent some of the most successful games I’ve run (if I’m to measure success by fun had, player satisfaction, and completeness of story.  Technically, we never finished A Light in the Belfry, though that was because of a change of schedules, not player malaise.  We only had one or two more sessions left to go, but my new job took priority.  Somehow it feels like we finished it the game, even if we never did.)

At the end of A Light in the Belfry, I wanted to solidify what made these games work.  Awash in a sea of mediocre and unresolved campaigns, Ravenloft gripped the player’s and the game master’s attention.  I’ve never considered myself a ‘fan’ of horror, but as I worked with the tricks and traps involved in the genre, I found I have a healthy respect for it.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize the excellent stories that The Hickmans, Cordell, Wyatt and Connors wove.  But, more than any other reason, I’m certain what carried these adventures was my desire to understand what made these authors’ work work.  Since I wanted to recreate a tone I admired from the outside, I could focus on rediscovering the elements of horror, without the prejudices of someone who could not separate themselves from the subject matter.  

The result was Maintaining the Horror Campaign, which is also the last of my reprinted articles from Guilt Free Games.  Normally, I’d link to the website here, but MtHC was some of the last articles I wrote at GFG, and I’m not interested in displaying articles flush with bad links.  I’ve found, also, that my writing’s improved in the past year, and I have more to say on a number of subjects, so I’m fleshing the articles out here on my blog.  If you can be patient for a few weeks, we’ll both have a better experience with the results.  I don’t want my old verbal sparring partners to feel left out, however, so here’s a link to David Welsh’s Celtic Myth inspired comic of a pooch: Greyfriars, and a link to some excellent ambient music by Josh Deuink’s, aka Avaelin.

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“Do you like Scary Movies?”

It’s a common question. A question you could ask when working with a new co-worker in the field, or behind the registers.  Responding to the question, however, requires jurisprudence. It’s a safe bet that the person asking the question likes horror movies, and wants to share a common bond.

“Do you like Scary Movies?”

It’s a good question to ask a date, or a good conversation starter in a bar. It’s a question that not only asks people for their opinion, but demands an emotional response.  Despite the personal nature of the question, the subject is so common that most people have a ready response. “I like Horror, but only when it’s done right.” “The Ring was scary, but The Saw series is not.” “I’m a fan of slasher flicks, but not if the director takes himself seriously.” And why? And why?

“Do you like Scary Movies?”

Some people don’t. Some people can’t handle the anticipation. They wrap up the entire category and toss it in the attic with a little tag that reads “Do Not Like.” When they watch scary movies, they feel like they’re in the back seat of an out of control car. How can you enjoy that?  Of course some of those people like Army of Darkness, which is too campy to be a real horror.  Oh, and Silence of the Lambs isn’t horror, it’s a psychological thriller, and a detective story, too. And how can you call 2001: A Space Odyssey a horror movie? That’s a work of Science Fiction! Interview with the Vampire? Well I suppose it has all the elements of horror…

“Do you like Scary Movies?”

It’s unfair, isn’t it? Few of us want to admit we enjoy being scared.  Perhaps, just a little.   A good scary movie excites, then relieves its audience.  A good scary movie revs the heart, electrifies the senses and races the mind.  It whips our consciousness around dangerous thoughts, hurtling down reckless mountain roads of twisted plot and spins out of control slamming to a stop. Then the movie brings you home, the passenger door opens, you exit, and shuts as the plot drives away.

Or maybe it drops you off, engine idling, on the side of the road by the cold woods.  When you turn to say something, it slams the door and speeds off into the night.

Do you like Scary Movies?

There are many good articles on the internet about role-playing a night of blood curdling horror. But what if you aren’t satisfied with one night? What if you’re licking your teeth in anticipation of a (Gasp!) Horror Campaign?

Over the next couple of months, we’ll be pulling aside the viscera of a good horror campaign and playing with the guts of the genre. As each chapter is added to the blog, I’ll link to it here as we explore:

Chapter One – Ask Your Doctor If a Horror Role-Playing Game Is Right For You; In which we decide whether it’s wisest to stick to a single night of horror, or steer our ship into the heart of darkness.

Chapter Two – Start Well, End Well, Sacrifice the Middle; In which we decide upon a story and campaign structure.

Chapter Three – Exiting the Comfort Zone; In which we let go of the trappings that give us a sense of control.

Chapter Four – Player Death and You; In which we determine how and why you should be killing your characters.

Chapter Five – ‘The Best Day Ever’ or ‘No, Mr. Whedon, Don’t Do It!’; In which we learn to mess with player expectations.

Chapter Six – Cliffhangers; In which we explain the importance and diverse flavors of living on the edge.

I’ll be filling these holes in over the next few weeks, so don’t think I’ve laid this matter to rest.  If I don’t nail the lid shut on this series, I’m sure there will be grave consequences.  Just remember, kiddies, that leaving the lights on means you’ll see the terrible beast before it kills you.  Heh… hee hee… ha ha ha AHAHA HAAA!