How to Run a Gothic Horror Dungeons and Dragons Campaign
There are almost as many ways to play the pen and paper role playing game Dungeons and Dragons as there are players of the game. The Gothic horror style campaign puts the characters into situations normally found in supernatural or slasher style horror movies. This means attempting to solve a mystery of why murders are occurring or finding out why the townspeople are disappearing.
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Instructions
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Set the mood for your game by setting up props such as skulls, candles, or spider webbing. Dim the lights and play frightening music at a low volume in the background.
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Keep the mystery of your game going strong for as long as possible. The characters should be more frightened of what they haven't seen yet and more worried about who is really behind the nefarious events that started the adventure than of the direct obstacles they are currently dealing with.
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Make liberal use of the "Red Herring" or false positive. There should always be plenty of suspects in the murder mystery who weren't actually involved, clues that lead to dead ends and incorrect conclusion, or people who appear to be enemies of the party but aren't.
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Make the horror hit closer to home for the players by having terrible things befall non-player characters they have gotten to know, or even by making them become suspected of being involved in whatever terrible evil they are currently investigating. You may even want to discuss with one of the players before the game the possibility of having her working as a double agent for whoever the main villain of the game is.
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Avoid large scale combat or frequent battles, as they detract from the horror of the game and make violence seem more commonplace and less disturbing.
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Look to classic horror literature and films for inspiration in your campaign. Stories of creatures and events such as Frankenstein's monster, the vampire Dracula, the undead mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Dunwich Horror, and Rosemary's Baby are all excellent tales that superbly incorporate the themes of a Gothic horror game.
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Tips & Warnings
The AD&D Ravenloft campaign setting had many Gothic horror pre-printed adventures and guide books. While they are no longer sold in most book stores, they can be found on many used book websites.
Resources
- Photo Credit Wizards of the Coast
