Strange and creepy events, and other atmospherics
Dear membersof the Fraternity,
While the Fraternity is busy finishing the Nocturnal Sea Gaz, I’d like to start a new fun collective thread, inspired by one I like from the WotC CoC boards.
Let’s put in this thread small creepy/strange/atmospheric events that are there to set the horror/strange tone. They can be related to an adventure, become adventure hooks, or as standalone strange events and disturbing sights.
These few examples are from the said thread, to show what I mean:
- The PC wakes up in the middle of the night to see his/her door open and a little girl standing in the hallway, holding a stuffed animal. The girl stares for a few seconds, then walks away. She is gone when the PC's investigate.
- If the player has pets, late at night, the character notices that his pets are looking at the same point, then they move their heads to the same side, as if following someone moving, but there's no one there…
Option: suddenly, they get in defensive stance, and scram, hissing (if they're cats) or yelping (if they're dogs).
- A pc is wounded in combat. A short time later, in his dreams, the wound starts talking about doom predictions.
Looking for your fun/warped ideas …
Joël
Strange and creepy events, and other atmospherics
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Joël of the FoS
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Strange and creepy events, and other atmospherics
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
- While staying at an inn, the curtains start to sway and billow, as though in a slight breeze. However, the windows are shut and there is no breeze.
- A PC is woken up by the sound of whispering, and somebody turning his arms and rolling him over in bed, muttering to themselves. When the PC wakes up in a fright, nobody is there.
- Muddy footprints lead from the PCs' room to a landing, and then right off the edge. There is no sign of what could have made them, or why the footprints chose that way instead of going down the stairs.
- A PC puts on his equipment and feels something biting him sharply on the back. Nothing is there when he turns to investigate.
- For a split second, a PC wakes up with the sensation of prickly eyelashes, the smooth damp orb of an eye, and the folds of eyelids pressing on the top of his tongue, as though an eyeball had sprouted in the roof of his mouth. After a coughing fit, the PC finds nothing wrong, except there is a stray eyelash on his tongue.
- A PC is woken up by the sound of whispering, and somebody turning his arms and rolling him over in bed, muttering to themselves. When the PC wakes up in a fright, nobody is there.
- Muddy footprints lead from the PCs' room to a landing, and then right off the edge. There is no sign of what could have made them, or why the footprints chose that way instead of going down the stairs.
- A PC puts on his equipment and feels something biting him sharply on the back. Nothing is there when he turns to investigate.
- For a split second, a PC wakes up with the sensation of prickly eyelashes, the smooth damp orb of an eye, and the folds of eyelids pressing on the top of his tongue, as though an eyeball had sprouted in the roof of his mouth. After a coughing fit, the PC finds nothing wrong, except there is a stray eyelash on his tongue.
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Rotipher of the FoS
- Thieving Crow
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- Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:18 pm
HuManBing wrote:- For a split second, a PC wakes up with the sensation of prickly eyelashes, the smooth damp orb of an eye, and the folds of eyelids pressing on the top of his tongue, as though an eyeball had sprouted in the roof of his mouth.
Eeeeeeewwww!
Congratulations, HMB: that's one of the most disgusting ideas I've ever heard.
"Who [u]cares[/u] what the Dark Powers are? They're [i]bastards![/i] That's all I need to know of them." -- Crow
The disturbing thing is it's drawn straight from real life too. In 2003 after an all-nighter to complete a term paper, I fell asleep and woke up to the sound of construction outside my window. I had a dream that not only had an eyeball sprouted in the roof of my mouth, but also a) I discovered this while eating a hamburger, and b) I found that I could actually see through the eyeball if I wanted to.Rotipher of the FoS wrote:HuManBing wrote:- For a split second, a PC wakes up with the sensation of prickly eyelashes, the smooth damp orb of an eye, and the folds of eyelids pressing on the top of his tongue, as though an eyeball had sprouted in the roof of his mouth.
Eeeeeeewwww!
Congratulations, HMB: that's one of the most disgusting ideas I've ever heard.
I have never pulled an all-nighter since then.
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Joël of the FoS
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- Location: St-Damien, Québec
It's night and the sky is full of stars. When you are the only one looking, all the stars blink two times, then light as normal.
"A full set of (game) rules is so massively complicated that the only time they were all bound together in a single volume, they underwent gravitational collapse and became a black hole" (Adams)
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NeoTiamat
- Evil Genius
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- Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
This is gonna be fun.......
Mirrors. There are *so* many fun things you can do with mirrors and reflections. One can play a great deal with the symbolism involved. Do mirrors show truth through lies, or is a reflection nothing more then an image?
-PC is looking at a mirror(or other reflective surface), then make a movement. They notice that the reflection moves a split-second too slow.
-The PC's reflection winks at him. (My personal favorite)
-The PCs notice that a mirror is reflecting a person who isn't there. (Also works well for objects, movements like rustling curtains, etc.)
-A PC, in a suitably suggestive state (sleepy, tired, etc.) looks at a mirror, and sees his reflection - except that the reflection is horribly mutilated, wounded, perhaps rotting. But when the PC looks again, its completely normal. Is the PC seeing things or was it a vision? Follow this up with the reflection winking at the PC for a nervous breakdown.
-While looking at a mirror, the PC makes a movement (scratchs his head with his right hand say). The reflection copies the movement correctly (i.e. it isn't reflected, left-for-right, but more an exact image of the PC from another angle). Unlike others, you can drag this out for a while, let the PC play around with the wrongness of the thing, until they are thoroughly creeped out.
-If any of the PCs are in the habit of talking to themselves in the morning, have the reflection respond. (I.e. PC says "good morning", reflection answers "And good morning to you") Also works with sneezes and "Gesundheit".
-PCs are in a room with a mirror, when suddenly something (foreign reflections, Shadows, etc) inside the mirror attacks their reflections. The reflections fight (regardless of the stunned PC's actions), and after killing one of the PC's reflections, the foreign elements run away. That PC never has a reflection again. Never. (Not good if people are wary of vampires).
Animals are also good for fun, although I can't equal Joel's invisible visitor suggestion.
-This works best with an uptight or snobbish PC (stereotypically female, though my male rogue would freak at this). PC opens a cupboard, to find a rat gnawing a piece of bread crust. When the PC moves to shoo the rat, it turns at the PC with its beady black eyes and says in clear english "Buzz off pal, I was here first." Add Cockney accent for more amusement. If caught, the rat is a completely normal specimen of its variety.
-Same as before, PC opens a cupboard (or closet or such, doesn't really matter), and sees a rat. Except the rat is gnawing a severed human finger. No need for speech, just a rat with a finger. If the PCs investigate, no one knows where the finger came from, (no missing people, no vandalized graves). Alternatively, this could lead to the PCs uncovering something interesting (bandits mayhap?)
-As the PCs walk through a village (something small and backwoods ideally), a pack of wolves runs through the main street, yelping and whining and scared for their lives, trying to get as far away from something as fast as possible. Nothing seems to follow them.
-Crows start following the PCs everywhere. If the PCs choose an inn, that night there are seventy crows roosting on a tree outside. If they're riding, the crows keep pace with them. For added evil, have the crows appear *only* at night. You can also have them be utterly silent for more creepiness, or substitute rats for plague-bearing fun.
-White lamb walks out in front of the PCs, and seems friendly and gentle. Suddenly, a wolf jumps out of the bushes, tears open the lamb's throat, and looks at the PCs as if daring them to steal its kill. Not supernatural, but unnerving.
-Alternatively, for more mystery, make the wolf invisible (i.e. the PCs are petting the cute lamb, suddenly something unseen rips its throat out), or have a black arrow fly from a concealed area and hit the lamb. No hunter shows up to claim it. If the PCs return, the dead lamb is gone and no NPCs remember seeing it.
-PCs are travelling along a road, turn a corner, and see the remains of a ritual. Thirteen dead white doves are placed in a circle, and symbols are drawn in their blood. No one is around. For added creepiness, deposit some human bones a quarter-mile down the road. For even ore creepiness, replace the road with the PC's room at the inn. (Could even be the start of an adventure)
-PCs are travelling when a wounded wolf stumbles from the bushes. Suddenly, a small rabbit jumps out from the bushes and rips the wolf's throat apart. It turns to the PCs and its eyes glow red.
-Replace the mount of one of the PCs with a Lesser Nightmare. Don't explain it. The Nightmare is friendly to the PC, and lets him ride it, and even noses him looking for sugar lumps or apples (or raw flesh, as the case may be). Later, turn it back (particularly if the PCs try and get someone else to come and take a look). PCs will never trust their horse again.
One of my favorite concepts is that of monstrous societies, good (or at least non-hostile) monsters, and monstrous gathering places. Generally, monsters in non-traditional situations. Probably why I love the Evil Eye so much.
-PCs are travelling and come across an isolated house, inhabited by a family of zombie farmers. The farmers are friendly, chatty, and eager to have visitors (news from the city), and utterly unaware of their undead state. Scoff if the PCs point it out.
-As the PCs are travelling, they are overtaken by an unseen party of travelers. They can hear the voices quite clearly, discussing current (or long past) events, and they seem to be coming from specific locations, but there is nothing there if they investigate, and the unseen party passes them by. Ghosts?
-PCs are forced to stop at an extremely out-of-the-way inn with a dubious name (The Golden Goblin, say) due to weather or travelling needs. Once inside, the PCs are served as normal, but realize that the clientele and waitstaff of the inn is emphatically non-human. They all look human, but consider this a place to 'let their hair down'. What do the PCs do when they realize that the bartender is a vampire, or when a Paka suggests to a PC that they go upstairs for a little 'private time'? Worst of all, they all think the PCs are monsters as well, just shapeshifter or humanform creatures. There are far, far too many monsters for the PCs to fight. If they leave, they never find the inn again.
Temporarily out of ideas. Comments?
Mirrors. There are *so* many fun things you can do with mirrors and reflections. One can play a great deal with the symbolism involved. Do mirrors show truth through lies, or is a reflection nothing more then an image?
-PC is looking at a mirror(or other reflective surface), then make a movement. They notice that the reflection moves a split-second too slow.
-The PC's reflection winks at him. (My personal favorite)
-The PCs notice that a mirror is reflecting a person who isn't there. (Also works well for objects, movements like rustling curtains, etc.)
-A PC, in a suitably suggestive state (sleepy, tired, etc.) looks at a mirror, and sees his reflection - except that the reflection is horribly mutilated, wounded, perhaps rotting. But when the PC looks again, its completely normal. Is the PC seeing things or was it a vision? Follow this up with the reflection winking at the PC for a nervous breakdown.
-While looking at a mirror, the PC makes a movement (scratchs his head with his right hand say). The reflection copies the movement correctly (i.e. it isn't reflected, left-for-right, but more an exact image of the PC from another angle). Unlike others, you can drag this out for a while, let the PC play around with the wrongness of the thing, until they are thoroughly creeped out.
-If any of the PCs are in the habit of talking to themselves in the morning, have the reflection respond. (I.e. PC says "good morning", reflection answers "And good morning to you") Also works with sneezes and "Gesundheit".
-PCs are in a room with a mirror, when suddenly something (foreign reflections, Shadows, etc) inside the mirror attacks their reflections. The reflections fight (regardless of the stunned PC's actions), and after killing one of the PC's reflections, the foreign elements run away. That PC never has a reflection again. Never. (Not good if people are wary of vampires).
Animals are also good for fun, although I can't equal Joel's invisible visitor suggestion.
-This works best with an uptight or snobbish PC (stereotypically female, though my male rogue would freak at this). PC opens a cupboard, to find a rat gnawing a piece of bread crust. When the PC moves to shoo the rat, it turns at the PC with its beady black eyes and says in clear english "Buzz off pal, I was here first." Add Cockney accent for more amusement. If caught, the rat is a completely normal specimen of its variety.
-Same as before, PC opens a cupboard (or closet or such, doesn't really matter), and sees a rat. Except the rat is gnawing a severed human finger. No need for speech, just a rat with a finger. If the PCs investigate, no one knows where the finger came from, (no missing people, no vandalized graves). Alternatively, this could lead to the PCs uncovering something interesting (bandits mayhap?)
-As the PCs walk through a village (something small and backwoods ideally), a pack of wolves runs through the main street, yelping and whining and scared for their lives, trying to get as far away from something as fast as possible. Nothing seems to follow them.
-Crows start following the PCs everywhere. If the PCs choose an inn, that night there are seventy crows roosting on a tree outside. If they're riding, the crows keep pace with them. For added evil, have the crows appear *only* at night. You can also have them be utterly silent for more creepiness, or substitute rats for plague-bearing fun.
-White lamb walks out in front of the PCs, and seems friendly and gentle. Suddenly, a wolf jumps out of the bushes, tears open the lamb's throat, and looks at the PCs as if daring them to steal its kill. Not supernatural, but unnerving.
-Alternatively, for more mystery, make the wolf invisible (i.e. the PCs are petting the cute lamb, suddenly something unseen rips its throat out), or have a black arrow fly from a concealed area and hit the lamb. No hunter shows up to claim it. If the PCs return, the dead lamb is gone and no NPCs remember seeing it.
-PCs are travelling along a road, turn a corner, and see the remains of a ritual. Thirteen dead white doves are placed in a circle, and symbols are drawn in their blood. No one is around. For added creepiness, deposit some human bones a quarter-mile down the road. For even ore creepiness, replace the road with the PC's room at the inn. (Could even be the start of an adventure)
-PCs are travelling when a wounded wolf stumbles from the bushes. Suddenly, a small rabbit jumps out from the bushes and rips the wolf's throat apart. It turns to the PCs and its eyes glow red.
-Replace the mount of one of the PCs with a Lesser Nightmare. Don't explain it. The Nightmare is friendly to the PC, and lets him ride it, and even noses him looking for sugar lumps or apples (or raw flesh, as the case may be). Later, turn it back (particularly if the PCs try and get someone else to come and take a look). PCs will never trust their horse again.
One of my favorite concepts is that of monstrous societies, good (or at least non-hostile) monsters, and monstrous gathering places. Generally, monsters in non-traditional situations. Probably why I love the Evil Eye so much.
-PCs are travelling and come across an isolated house, inhabited by a family of zombie farmers. The farmers are friendly, chatty, and eager to have visitors (news from the city), and utterly unaware of their undead state. Scoff if the PCs point it out.
-As the PCs are travelling, they are overtaken by an unseen party of travelers. They can hear the voices quite clearly, discussing current (or long past) events, and they seem to be coming from specific locations, but there is nothing there if they investigate, and the unseen party passes them by. Ghosts?
-PCs are forced to stop at an extremely out-of-the-way inn with a dubious name (The Golden Goblin, say) due to weather or travelling needs. Once inside, the PCs are served as normal, but realize that the clientele and waitstaff of the inn is emphatically non-human. They all look human, but consider this a place to 'let their hair down'. What do the PCs do when they realize that the bartender is a vampire, or when a Paka suggests to a PC that they go upstairs for a little 'private time'? Worst of all, they all think the PCs are monsters as well, just shapeshifter or humanform creatures. There are far, far too many monsters for the PCs to fight. If they leave, they never find the inn again.
Temporarily out of ideas. Comments?
Ravenloft GM: Eye of Anubis, Shattered City, and Prof. Lupescu's Traveling Ghost Show
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Lead Writer & Editor: VRS Files: Doppelgangers; Contributor: QtR #20, #21, #22, #23, #24
Freelance Writer for Paizo Publishing
Some of Heroes of Horror's suggestions are pretty neat.
- Your reflection reacts just a little too slow, as though it had to watch what you would do before doing it.
Neotiamat, I loved the fun things you can do with PCs' reflections, especially the one where somebody kills the reflection entirely. This one was inspired by Ringu (or The Ring):
- The PC is brushing her hair by a mirror when she sees a terrifying mute figure emerge from the shadow behind her (in the reflection). The figure has no face and is covered with shaggy hair about the head and shoulders. Looking around in the real world, the startled PC sees nothing, but looking back at the mirror, the PC's reflection clearly sees the figure approaching and starts banging on the mirror, weeping and begging to be let out. The figure gets closer and the live PC can see caked blood and gore on its hands as it raises a taut throat wire and finally clears the last few steps to the PC's reflection in a swift leap...
...and then the candle goes out and the PC can't see anything. When he/she lights the candle again, the reflection is perfectly normal, except for maybe a thin red line across the neck which slowly fades.
- For a split second, one of the PCs' familiars suddenly appears to be made of worms.
- The PC dreams of being strangled or beaten in their sleep. When they wake up, they're wrestling with their other hand.
- A single mundane object cannot be thrown away. Even if PCs take it and drop it in a sewer or leave it behind under a bed, it always reappears as if by magic, pristine and clean, in their equipment.
For added spookiness, delete the "pristine and clean" part. Now it just looks like it's had to struggle to get back to the PCs.
- The PC is covered in small insectlike bites one day, with no idea of how they got there. As the bites heal, they take on the appearance of miniature hoofprints in the PC's skin.
- The first time a PC tries to draw their weapon, it sticks as though crusted. The second time, it comes out covered in dried blood and with bone fragments, scabs of hair, and general gore on it, as though somebody had used it to slaughter something in a fairly brutal and inefficient way. The third time it's drawn, it looks perfectly normal again.
- Scavengers start following the PC around for a few hours. Vultures and buzzards circle overhead. Rats and spiders follow, observing a respectful distance. After a while, they leave, with no explanation.
One of the best adventure endings I'd ever had was when a friend of mine DM'd an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque DnD adventure that was deeply dark and twisted. The end sequence had the PCs (all playing children characters) hiding under the bed in one kid's house, knowing they'd get in trouble if Mom found them.
Mom's feet and shoes were visible as she walked around the room, murmuring in a sleepy voice: "Everything all right? All right? All right?"
Finally her footsteps faded and she turned off the lights, so the only illumination you could see was a rectangle of light from the doorway and the corridor light bulb. Her shadow was in there too... and as she walked under the lintel and closed the door, we clearly saw her bump her head and the head fell off, hitting the ground.
What's my personal creepiest moment? (Humor)
Well, one time I went to a public park and we checked the map. The map said "YOU ARE HERE" and pointed to a bit on the park.
...
And guess what?
WE REALLY WERE THERE!!!!!
- Your reflection reacts just a little too slow, as though it had to watch what you would do before doing it.
Neotiamat, I loved the fun things you can do with PCs' reflections, especially the one where somebody kills the reflection entirely. This one was inspired by Ringu (or The Ring):
- The PC is brushing her hair by a mirror when she sees a terrifying mute figure emerge from the shadow behind her (in the reflection). The figure has no face and is covered with shaggy hair about the head and shoulders. Looking around in the real world, the startled PC sees nothing, but looking back at the mirror, the PC's reflection clearly sees the figure approaching and starts banging on the mirror, weeping and begging to be let out. The figure gets closer and the live PC can see caked blood and gore on its hands as it raises a taut throat wire and finally clears the last few steps to the PC's reflection in a swift leap...
...and then the candle goes out and the PC can't see anything. When he/she lights the candle again, the reflection is perfectly normal, except for maybe a thin red line across the neck which slowly fades.
- For a split second, one of the PCs' familiars suddenly appears to be made of worms.
- The PC dreams of being strangled or beaten in their sleep. When they wake up, they're wrestling with their other hand.
- A single mundane object cannot be thrown away. Even if PCs take it and drop it in a sewer or leave it behind under a bed, it always reappears as if by magic, pristine and clean, in their equipment.
For added spookiness, delete the "pristine and clean" part. Now it just looks like it's had to struggle to get back to the PCs.
- The PC is covered in small insectlike bites one day, with no idea of how they got there. As the bites heal, they take on the appearance of miniature hoofprints in the PC's skin.
- The first time a PC tries to draw their weapon, it sticks as though crusted. The second time, it comes out covered in dried blood and with bone fragments, scabs of hair, and general gore on it, as though somebody had used it to slaughter something in a fairly brutal and inefficient way. The third time it's drawn, it looks perfectly normal again.
- Scavengers start following the PC around for a few hours. Vultures and buzzards circle overhead. Rats and spiders follow, observing a respectful distance. After a while, they leave, with no explanation.
One of the best adventure endings I'd ever had was when a friend of mine DM'd an Alice-in-Wonderland-esque DnD adventure that was deeply dark and twisted. The end sequence had the PCs (all playing children characters) hiding under the bed in one kid's house, knowing they'd get in trouble if Mom found them.
Mom's feet and shoes were visible as she walked around the room, murmuring in a sleepy voice: "Everything all right? All right? All right?"
Finally her footsteps faded and she turned off the lights, so the only illumination you could see was a rectangle of light from the doorway and the corridor light bulb. Her shadow was in there too... and as she walked under the lintel and closed the door, we clearly saw her bump her head and the head fell off, hitting the ground.
What's my personal creepiest moment? (Humor)
Well, one time I went to a public park and we checked the map. The map said "YOU ARE HERE" and pointed to a bit on the park.
...
And guess what?
WE REALLY WERE THERE!!!!!
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Nathan of the FoS
- Fiendish Enforcer
- Posts: 5246
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 3:39 pm
- Location: San Francisco CA
Say, the Old Kartakan Inn and Taverna?NeoTiamat wrote: -PCs are forced to stop at an extremely out-of-the-way inn with a dubious name (The Golden Goblin, say) due to weather or travelling needs. Once inside, the PCs are served as normal, but realize that the clientele and waitstaff of the inn is emphatically non-human. They all look human, but consider this a place to 'let their hair down'. What do the PCs do when they realize that the bartender is a vampire, or when a Paka suggests to a PC that they go upstairs for a little 'private time'? Worst of all, they all think the PCs are monsters as well, just shapeshifter or humanform creatures. There are far, far too many monsters for the PCs to fight. If they leave, they never find the inn again.[/i]
The PCs walk past an abandoned house; one and only one of them sees a horrible face in a window.
The PCs wake up from a bad dream to find a shadow standing in the corner of the room. After a moment it slips away.
The PCs encounter a homeless person muttering to him/herself, who engages the PCs in conversation. After a few minutes of conversation, he/she says, matter-of-factly, "You're very pure. You must be, because I can't do anything to you."
(These are all only slightly modified from things that really happened to me, btw.)
[b]FEAR JUSTICE.[/b] :elena:
Hmmm...the mirror discussion (great one, HuManBing) reminds me of paintings...
As the PCs walk through a portrait gallery, one portrait (preferably of the opposite gender to a PC which is paying particular attention to the paintings) follows them through the gallery...that is, the subject of the portrait keeps appearing in other, subsequent paintings...particularly, paintings that are from a different time period or even art style.
The prey from a hunting scene in a painting appears to come to life and appear to flee "towards" the viewer. As it reaches the edge of the painting, it leaps...and vanishes.
As the PCs walk through a portrait gallery, one portrait (preferably of the opposite gender to a PC which is paying particular attention to the paintings) follows them through the gallery...that is, the subject of the portrait keeps appearing in other, subsequent paintings...particularly, paintings that are from a different time period or even art style.
The prey from a hunting scene in a painting appears to come to life and appear to flee "towards" the viewer. As it reaches the edge of the painting, it leaps...and vanishes.
The characters pass a Falkovnian who is in conversation with someone else and seems to pay the characters no attention. However, one of the characters notices the eagle branded into the Falkovnian's forehead turn and follow them as they walk by.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
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BigBadQDaddy
- Champion of the Maiden
- Posts: 1751
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 5:47 pm
- Location: The Dread Realm of Minnesota
I like the idea of "little Creepies", things that are slight but over time build into outright panic and paranoia.
-A PC stands in his home (notice home, not Inn room, more personal this way) and becomes uncomfortable when the temperature drops. The PC then moves to close any open windows in the home and when finished, begins to light a fire in the hearth. The match is struck...then is blown out. The PC turns to see a nearby window is open.
-As the party makes there way through a crowded marketplace they (or a singular PC) notices everyone in the market has stopped what they are doing and now stare directly at them(him/her) with dead expressions. Not a sound is made. Suddenly one of the party members feels a hand grip his shoulder from behind and when the PC whirls around, they notice no one has grabbed there shoulder at all. as a matter of fact everything is as it should be. Normal bustling marketplace with plenty of sound and busy bodies. No one in the crowd claims to have experienced the strange situation if questioned.
-The PC has a horrible night, tossing and turning in his/her sleep as they plod through nightmare after nightmare of murdering innocent people in the city streets. When the PC finally awakens and lights a nearby lamp, dried blood is caked upon his/her hands.
-The PC awakens in the middle of the night completely unable to move. After minutes of trying to will his/her body into motion the PC becomes panicked and begins screaming for assistance and crying for help. When someone finally bursts into the room to assist the PC, they discover they have regained control over there body.
-A begger glares at a party member with an unnatural grin stretched across his/her lips. The contours and lines in the beggers face further emphasized by caked on grime and black dust. As the PC moves closer, the begger reaches into a bag and pulls out a dead runt pig and sinks it's three remaining teeth into the back of the runts neck and tears its head off. The begger is then lost from view as other people walk between the the begger and the PCs line of vision. Once the PC is able to see where the begger sat before, now sits a completely different begger.
Another fun thing I like to do is to have completely unexplainable things occur.
-The PC coughs up a hairball
-The PC hears a voice utter a short, vague phrase in there head, and it never occurs again
-Every town the PC travels to, they see the same individual, although with a completley new identity and personality (Thank You Cemetary Man.
-A PC stands in his home (notice home, not Inn room, more personal this way) and becomes uncomfortable when the temperature drops. The PC then moves to close any open windows in the home and when finished, begins to light a fire in the hearth. The match is struck...then is blown out. The PC turns to see a nearby window is open.
-As the party makes there way through a crowded marketplace they (or a singular PC) notices everyone in the market has stopped what they are doing and now stare directly at them(him/her) with dead expressions. Not a sound is made. Suddenly one of the party members feels a hand grip his shoulder from behind and when the PC whirls around, they notice no one has grabbed there shoulder at all. as a matter of fact everything is as it should be. Normal bustling marketplace with plenty of sound and busy bodies. No one in the crowd claims to have experienced the strange situation if questioned.
-The PC has a horrible night, tossing and turning in his/her sleep as they plod through nightmare after nightmare of murdering innocent people in the city streets. When the PC finally awakens and lights a nearby lamp, dried blood is caked upon his/her hands.
-The PC awakens in the middle of the night completely unable to move. After minutes of trying to will his/her body into motion the PC becomes panicked and begins screaming for assistance and crying for help. When someone finally bursts into the room to assist the PC, they discover they have regained control over there body.
-A begger glares at a party member with an unnatural grin stretched across his/her lips. The contours and lines in the beggers face further emphasized by caked on grime and black dust. As the PC moves closer, the begger reaches into a bag and pulls out a dead runt pig and sinks it's three remaining teeth into the back of the runts neck and tears its head off. The begger is then lost from view as other people walk between the the begger and the PCs line of vision. Once the PC is able to see where the begger sat before, now sits a completely different begger.
Another fun thing I like to do is to have completely unexplainable things occur.
-The PC coughs up a hairball
-The PC hears a voice utter a short, vague phrase in there head, and it never occurs again
-Every town the PC travels to, they see the same individual, although with a completley new identity and personality (Thank You Cemetary Man.
- NPCs that the PCs deal with start having weird deja vu flashbacks. They might order a mead at the nearby tavern from a barkeep they've never seen before, and the barkeep will say "The usual bitter, then?" When the PC asks about this, he says he must have gotten them mixed up with somebody else.
They don't think much on this. But then the cab coachman who picks them up asks them how the theater was, and same exchange happens. "I must have picked up a cove who looked just like you, guv'nor."
They get back to their temple and the under-cleristan asks "Didn't I see you in the marketplace in [distant town] a few days back?"
For added weirdness, have their mirrors all show no reflection briefly, then when they look more closely, the reflections are suddenly there again.
They don't think much on this. But then the cab coachman who picks them up asks them how the theater was, and same exchange happens. "I must have picked up a cove who looked just like you, guv'nor."
They get back to their temple and the under-cleristan asks "Didn't I see you in the marketplace in [distant town] a few days back?"
For added weirdness, have their mirrors all show no reflection briefly, then when they look more closely, the reflections are suddenly there again.
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InVinoVeritas
- Criminal Mastermind
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:03 am
-While in a pawn shop, a PC finds, sitting on a shelf for sale, one of his or her private mementos. A monogrammed handkerchief, an engraved ring, something like that. When checked, the item is still in the PC's possession. However, that's when the item can no longer be found on the shelf. When asked, the pawnbroker explains that the shelf contains items from people who have died. By the way, that's a nice ring; I can give you a good price for it.