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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Varaj on February 28, 2006, 01:36:29 PM

Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Varaj on February 28, 2006, 01:36:29 PM
I personally love CoC, any edition, and Kult.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: TiQuinn on February 28, 2006, 01:39:33 PM
I have never actually played the CoC system, but I have used CoC adventures in other game systems, most notably 3.5 Masque of the Red Death.  The detail and intricacy of the modules are pretty much second to none, and worth the effort.  Though it would be nice to find a group to play CoC at some point cause it can be a bit of work to do the conversion.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Knightcrawler on February 28, 2006, 01:42:59 PM
Well I guess the World of Darkness series by White Wolf would qualify as horror.  Had a lot of fun over the years playing various vampires, werewolves and mages.

CoC is a close second and I prefer the d20 version as just being easier to play.  But I do have fond memories of the original version as it was one of my mainstays my first couple of years of college.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Enkhidu on February 28, 2006, 01:59:19 PM
I like the BRP version of CoC. Doubly so after this weekend.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Jangling Jack on February 28, 2006, 02:02:13 PM
CoC and even though I've never gotten to play it really, Kult.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Dr_Avalanche on February 28, 2006, 02:04:17 PM
Kult has my favorite setting, but I prefer the system of World of Darkness, which also has a cool setting. CoC is very functional.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: The Rat Who Would Be King on February 28, 2006, 02:05:33 PM
CoC is a classic, deservedly so, and it still plays well for both one-shots and campaigns. Its flexibility for settings and eras is marvellous, and its Cthulhu-based resources are long, many, and mostly all useful.

I'm a sucker for Maque of the Red Death, despite the cheese in the official products, because I like the period, and I think it does Ravenloft better than Ravenloft does.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Varaj on February 28, 2006, 02:05:36 PM
Quote from: Dr_Avalanche
Kult has my favorite setting, but I prefer the system of World of Darkness, which also has a cool setting. CoC is very functional.


Do think it would be easy to transfer the Kult setting to new WoD rules?
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: TiQuinn on February 28, 2006, 02:09:35 PM
Quote from: The Rat Who Would Be King
I'm a sucker for Maque of the Red Death, despite the cheese in the official products, because I like the period, and I think it does Ravenloft better than Ravenloft does.


Yep, I agree.  I just wish the rules were cleaned up a bit for it.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: obryn on February 28, 2006, 02:10:20 PM
I'm running d20 CoC and it's more effective than you might think in capturing the feel and genre of Lovecraft's stories.

Good, solid game.

-O
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Dr_Avalanche on February 28, 2006, 02:20:35 PM
Quote from: Varaj
Do think it would be easy to transfer the Kult setting to new WoD rules?


Yeah, I don't see why not. I think almost anything should be relatively easy to transfer to the new WoD. With only minor squeezing of the square setting into the round system, if you follow me. :)
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Nicephorus on February 28, 2006, 02:26:01 PM
CoC is the only one that I have much experience with.  It has a few oddities but it's decent and easy to learn/run.  I have given character sheets to new players and had them playing in five minutes.  I actually like it less deadly - characters lasting multiple sessions and having a chance to go insane. I really like having handouts and clues.

I have CoC D20 but haven't played it.  It seems to do some things better than the BRP version as long as you can get past the fact that it doesn't have to play like D&D.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Reefer Madness on February 28, 2006, 03:10:35 PM
CoC is a oldtime favorite, I like how they have some cross adventures into dnd, such as the freeport line.....

All flesh must be eaten is growing on me, amd im still working on my game, just keep hitting writters block and such...
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: kanegrundar on February 28, 2006, 03:17:16 PM
Call of Cthulhu for me.  I used to like Ravenloft before all the Soth escaping and Iuz entering the Demiplane bullshit; now it just sucks.  

All Flesh Must Be Eaten isn't too bad either.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: cranberry on February 28, 2006, 08:50:25 PM
CoC, I much prefer the classic to the d20.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: ColonelHardisson on March 01, 2006, 05:09:47 AM
Quote from: Nicephorus
I have CoC D20 but haven't played it.  It seems to do some things better than the BRP version as long as you can get past the fact that it doesn't have to play like D&D.


I played in a d20 CoC campaign. Any notion that it could be played like D&D quickly went out the window. In fact, having played both versions, I can say that the d20 version may be even more effective than the original. Here's how: in the original, the PCs just never seemed all that effective, ever, no matter how much they improved. In the d20 version, as characters increase in level and seem to become more effective, the players begin to believe they can handle just about anything. The lie was put to this as soon as we confronted anything Mythos-related. All the carefully-cultivated levels and accompanying abilities proved pretty much useless.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: kryyst on March 01, 2006, 06:27:05 AM
Original CoC is probably my favorite, followed by Kult which is a game that could be king if the mechanics didn't occasionally get in the way.  Then there is always Chill a rare game that spoke of death and despair like few others.  Lastly there is SLA Industries, which even though it's Sci-Fi is at it's heart a horror game.  It's unfortunate the mechanics are soooo terrible in that game.  Apparently they are doing a revamp of the system which could be a good thing. They'd be hard pressed to make it worse.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: P&P on March 01, 2006, 07:19:56 AM
Nother vote for BRP COC here.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Bagpuss on March 01, 2006, 07:54:51 AM
Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium's edition), All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Conspiracy X (if it counts), Vampire (with the right GM).
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Nicephorus on March 01, 2006, 08:37:57 AM
Quote from: ColonelHardisson
I played in a d20 CoC campaign. Any notion that it could be played like D&D quickly went out the window.


The big problem with D20 CoC is getting people to try it.  They see D20 and think they're too mature to play D&D, thinking it's going to be monty haul horror.

The reality is it's easy to control advancement so that they neve get beyond level 3-5.  And, as you said, being able to deal with Deep Ones just makes the big stuff that much more impressive.

Hmmm.  I could make a pulpy horror game by taking D20 Modern but adding in D20 CoC magic and Mythos creatures.  The players would have a few more tricks up their sleeves but it would still be rough.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Bagpuss on March 01, 2006, 08:54:04 AM
I didn't like D20 because at level 3-5 the players didn't seem like experts in their fields, because of the skills cap, which they tend to be in CoC BRP edition right from the start. But if you went any higher they grew not to respect normal cultists in combat.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Nicephorus on March 01, 2006, 09:01:37 AM
Quote from: Bagpuss
I didn't like D20 because at level 3-5 the players didn't seem like experts in their fields, because of the skills cap, which they tend to be in CoC BRP edition right from the start. But if you went any higher they grew not to respect normal cultists in combat.


That's a problem with expertise in all D20.  It's hard to make someone really good at a skill who isn't also at least decent at combat.  But it's easy to fix - just drop or modify the skill cap.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Bagpuss on March 01, 2006, 09:14:03 AM
Even easier to fix by not using D20 in the first place, considering there is much more material for the Chaosium game anyway. :rolleyes:
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: ColonelHardisson on March 01, 2006, 11:38:53 AM
Quote from: Bagpuss
Even easier to fix by not using D20 in the first place, considering there is much more material for the Chaosium game anyway. :rolleyes:


There are plenty of people who won't try it. The group I gamed with had to be cajoled into playing CoC by way of the d20 version because they simply didn't like the idea of learning a new game system. They were a D&D group, first and foremost. For many people, RPGs are simply a hobby. The people I gamed with came in straight from work on a Wednesday evening, and made it clear that learning new games was not something they were interested in. They also made it clear that they had outside obligations like careers and family which were a better way to spend their time than reading new game books.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Xavier Lang on March 06, 2006, 02:22:48 PM
I don't have a favorite horror RPG.  I have trouble with most of them.  I do have favorite horror ST's though.  Some people can pull off horror.  I am not one of them.  I game with so many smart alecks and jokesters it can be a bit of work on the GM's part to keep us involved.

I played old style Call of Cthulhu.  I like being a hero enough this didn't apeal to me.  You can't ever make a difference.  You save a town here or burn a cult there but nothing you can ever do has an real lasting significance.  I've enjoyed myself in some one shots and in the actual campaign, but it didn't last and I didn't want to play again.

SLA Industries - I really like this game.  The rules are terrible in almost countless ways but I enjoy reading the book enough I'm always willing to play, despite that.  I may not enjoy a long campaign but I've never been one to judge.  To me a dozen sessions isn't a campaign and that's about the longest I've ever gotten to play.

Witchcraft - I think we tried to play a horror game with this rule system.  It started off well and then real life grabbed the Storyteller and drug him away. :(
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Limper on March 06, 2006, 02:53:28 PM
Quote from: obryn
I'm running d20 CoC and it's more effective than you might think in capturing the feel and genre of Lovecraft's stories.

Good, solid game.

-O


Statisticly its much more deadly than the BRP version of the game.

No amount of dodge can save you in d20.

Oh and to topic... CoC.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: obryn on March 06, 2006, 05:36:58 PM
Quote from: Limper
Statisticly its much more deadly than the BRP version of the game.

No amount of dodge can save you in d20.

Oh and to topic... CoC.

Yep, that massive damage threshhold of 10 really ups the lethality...

Since I'm using VP/WP I've nuked that (otherwise genre-appropriate) rule.

-O
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Mcrow on March 06, 2006, 05:44:15 PM
I'd have to say that it is a toss up between CoC,AFMBE, and Shades of Earth.

CoC- the BRP system is cool and HP Lovecraft's fiction just rocks.

AFMBE- I love zombie movies and such, no other game does zombies as good as AFMBE

Shades of Earth- Depending on how you play it is a horror RPG. Set around the time of WWII, there are plenty of ways to go Horror with this game.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Dire Wolf on March 08, 2006, 12:13:35 AM
So like, I have never actually gotten to play a Horror RPG.  I own AFMBE and d20 CoC but have never gotten to play either of them.  

Would it be possible to run a CoC game having never played one?  What is the best material to read in order to understand what is behind the game, the background and whatnot?

I plan on having a gaming weekend soon and would like to try and run a horror game, hopefully I pick a good one.

What about setting the mood for a horror game?  I am sure music is a must be do people go beyond that, dimming the lights, using candles and stuff?
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 08, 2006, 12:21:57 AM
Quote from: Dire Wolf
Would it be possible to run a CoC game having never played one?  What is the best material to read in order to understand what is behind the game, the background and whatnot?

Its almost impossible to GM a CoC if you've never played.  The only way you could get away with it is if your really familiar with teh d20 system and have read some Lovecraft already.  The best book to get is The Best of H.P. Lovecraft - Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, by Del Ray.  Its a paperback and is a collection of his best stories, plus its relatively cheap.  If you want to continue there's two more in the same series, The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft - The Road to Madness and The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft - Dreams of Terror and Death.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Reefer Madness on March 08, 2006, 12:38:01 AM
http://terror.snm-hgkz.ch/lovecraft/ (text and palm versions of stories)

and alittle bit easier to read here... http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 08, 2006, 12:49:17 AM
Very Nice Reefer!

Okay, stories to read.

Those should give you a good idea.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: obryn on March 08, 2006, 02:30:40 AM
Quote from: Knightcrawler
Its almost impossible to GM a CoC if you've never played.  The only way you could get away with it is if your really familiar with teh d20 system and have read some Lovecraft already.  The best book to get is The Best of H.P. Lovecraft - Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, by Del Ray.  Its a paperback and is a collection of his best stories, plus its relatively cheap.  If you want to continue there's two more in the same series, The Transition of H.P. Lovecraft - The Road to Madness and The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft - Dreams of Terror and Death.

I agree with the materials above as references, but I think you can run CoC without playing in it if you read the d20 CoC book.  It has some fantastic advice for GMing a horror game.  It covers all the bases - from setting the mood to setting the play environment.  If you read those, you should be pretty set.

The biggest thing to remember is that it's NOT D&D.  Monsters can TPK a party very easily, the PCs combat skills probably suck, and magic items are more likely to fuck you over than help you.  Tension and terror should be built before the characters ever face the threat, and once they face it they should be awed and inclined to run away instead of stay and fight.

-O
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: Knightcrawler on March 08, 2006, 02:50:05 AM
Quote from: obryn
I agree with the materials above as references, but I think you can run CoC without playing in it if you read the d20 CoC book.  It has some fantastic advice for GMing a horror game.  It covers all the bases - from setting the mood to setting the play environment.  If you read those, you should be pretty set.

The biggest thing to remember is that it's NOT D&D.  Monsters can TPK a party very easily, the PCs combat skills probably suck, and magic items are more likely to fuck you over than help you.  Tension and terror should be built before the characters ever face the threat, and once they face it they should be awed and inclined to run away instead of stay and fight.

-O

True, but if all your doing is reading the Coc d20 book then your going to need to really read it.  As if you were studying for an end of the semester final.  

Another difference your going to have to keep in mind is that the characters are going to die or go insane.  Not maybe, not get hurt and go to a hospital but will either be wiped off the face of the planet (literally) or be driven bug eating, blood drinking, foreign language babbling, batshit insane.  They don't even have to do anything stupid.
Title: Favorite horror RPGs
Post by: obryn on March 08, 2006, 02:57:55 AM
Quote from: Knightcrawler
Another difference your going to have to keep in mind is that the characters are going to die or go insane.  Not maybe, not get hurt and go to a hospital but will either be wiped off the face of the planet (literally) or be driven bug eating, blood drinking, foreign language babbling, batshit insane.  They don't even have to do anything stupid.

Good point. :D  I'm fantastically pleased where my players' characters are in this process.  The two who have stuck around since the beginning (aka "the ones who run away first") are now down to around 30 SAN each.  They've gotten to 5th or 6th level, too, and their slow descent has been a real pleasure to watch.  Now, all it takes is 6 SAN lost in an hour, and they're insane for a few months.

-O