Managing Horror Adventures

firstblood20:

Running an adventure with a gothic or lovecraftian core has crossed the mind of most DMs, but effectively incorporating this type of narrative to D&D games has it’s own challenges. Humor and the parodying fantasy tropes are a fundamental part of most fantasy RPG tables, and this clashes with the intended tone of such campaigns. Asking for the player’s cooperation in carrying the mood before starting

is important, but the heavy lifting will have to be done by the DM.
    Kobold Press posted a series of articles with suggestions on how to manage the mood at a table,
Don’t Look Now: Handling Fear and Suspense in Fifth Edition:

• Part 1 – The Birth of Something Creepy
• Part 2 – Appealing to the Senses
• Part 3 – The Monster After You 
• Part 4 – Deep Dark Places

You can also check the following resources:

• RPG author Ash Law’s The Trajectory of Fear – or How to Use Horror Tropes Effectively in your Game, digests the narrative structure of a good horror game-story
• Good discussion among forumers in the Minmaxboards,
  touching on topics like the problem with powerful characters where
  helplessness is desired, the need for players cooperation towards the mood, and the
  possibility of the DM rolling Stealth rolls to promote uncertainty.
• And of course, a good soundtrack can make the difference, so check out my Sounds and Music post with tips for that.