First Biweekly Update is Up!

[Jason L Blair]

A few days late. Blame the server problems. :wink:

http://www.key20.com/littlefears/toychest.html">Check out the Toy Chest.

This installment is entitled, "The Rusted Swing."

Let me know what you think.

_________________
Jason L Blair
Editor-in-Chief
Key 20 Publishing
http://www.key20.com">www.key20.com

[ This Message was edited by: Key20Jason on 2001-10-04 00:36 ]

[Mike Holmes]

Well, it's just your classic haunted house.

Not that that's bad, but what seems odd is that there are two seemingly unrelated hauntings going on. This seems like a remarkable coincidence. I would have linked them somehow. Also, some big holes are left. What are the spirits like when encountered. Will Emily speak to other children, ignore them, get violent if her swinging is disturbed? And the others as well, what are they like? Also, I may have missed it in the rules, but it mentions that Mary Anne will know how to get rid of Herbert, but doesn't say how.

I get the impression that the rule about these things in the game is something weird and unstated, such as, that the players are supposed to think up this means when the GM tells them they can, or when it seems apropriate to dawn on them, or whenever they feel justified. Is that what you intended, or are all the creatures in the book that do not have means listed unkillable? And what method applies to Herbert in this case?

Also, it is written a bit like a cthulhu adventure in that you suggest research. I don't know that I would have even have known where to look when I was that age, much less thought to try it. And anyhow, it would appear that the neighborhood gossip is just as good, anyhow. I would have made the story that the kids tell misleading in some ways as such stories are wont to mutate over the course of forty years. Let the children find out what's up through interaction with the ghosts, or from the old creepy lady who lives on the other side of the vacant house or something.

I would've linked it all up something like what follows. Herbert and Mary Anne had a daughter named Celia who met Emily after they moved in. Celia's parents became concerned when they saw her talking to the tree out back, and asked her what she was doing. When Celia said that she'd just been talking to Emily, the girl on the swing, her father Herbert responded with rough treatment telling her that she had to grow up and stop telling stories about imaginary friends. Her mother was more sympathetic. When Celia's behavior persisted, Herbert sent her to a mental facility against Mary Anne's wishes. Mary Anne began to act spitefully towards Herbert due to this. He exploded from the stress of the situation and killed Mary Anne one day, and then took his own life (or perhaps the police did when they arrived; anyhow, something that made them both die on the spot which explains why they are there).

Anyway, Emily will not leave to go see her parents until the problem with Herbert and Mary Anne is resolved because she feels guilty for being partially to blame for the events. Once told that she and Herbert are dead, Mary Anne will grab Herbert's spirit and remark that she is taking him to see their daughter who is still in the asylum after all these years. They will then disapear not to return. At this point Emily will return with the PCs to the graveyard and do her dove act.

Was your intent to leave the story so vague so that others would fill in these sorts of details? The only problem with this is that the story as is little better than saying "a PC moves in next door to a house haunted by several spirits". Sorry if this sounds harsh, Jason, but I've got high expectations from you, and I've been waiting to see what your adventures look like. Or did somebody else write this?

Mike

[Jason L Blair]

Was your intent to leave the story so vague so that others would fill in these sorts of details?

That's exactly what I intended. The biweekly updates are not fully fleshed adventures but rather adventure seeds. A spark for LF GMs who are dry on ideas. And the example you provided of how you would use it is a damn fine example of utilizing it.

The only problem with this is that the story as is little better than saying "a PC moves in next door to a house haunted by several spirits".

I think it's a bit better than just saying that. I supplied names, a bit of history, as well as hints toward resolution.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, Jason, but I've got high expectations from you, and I've been waiting to see what your adventures look like. Or did somebody else write this?

No, I wrote it. But it's not an adventure, as I stated above. My first full adventure will appear in Bedtime Stories 3: Headlines ~ the book of True Horror. I hope that doesn't disappoint. But as you've stated that True Horror isn't exactly your thang, you may not have much use for it. :wink:




_________________
Jason L Blair
Editor-in-Chief
Key 20 Publishing
http://www.key20.com">www.key20.com

[ This Message was edited by: Key20Jason on 2001-10-04 12:15 ]

[Mike Holmes]

Jason,

I never said I didn't like horror. I have said that I don't get the childhood terror thing as my childhood didn't have a lot (or maybe I'm repressing something that I just don't want to face :smile:

But I love horror. I'm big into Cthulhu and relish a relatively high squick factor. As such, I hope you don't mind if I warp your work a bit and use it for these other sorts of applications. Your adventures taken from the adult perspective might make neat CoC or UA material. I might even chuck some in my Dark Conspiracy campaign. So, I'm very much looking forward to your adventure supplement, and the products of your warped mind. :wink:

Oh, and one more thing. You didn't clarify about the whole how to kill monsters thing. Is this something that the GM decides and the players have to discover mystery style? Or is this something that the players use a dose of directorial power to decide? Or am I missing it entirely?

Mike

[Jason L Blair]

First off: I never said you didn't like horror, I said you have stated that you didn't like True Horror (in the Little Fears sense of the word). Which I believe you said in response to a post by Ron Edwards in one of the upper fora.

Anyway, to answer your question: I say in the mainbook that a monster is dead when the children figure out how to kill it. Of course, LF still gives the GM control of things so the solution has to get a thumbs-up from her. So... you ask me, "Who decides? The players or the GM?" and I say, "Yes."

[Mike Holmes]

Still not sure what you men by True Horror; I have to read LF again, now, dangit.

Anyhow, that's what I thought about the monsties, but I just wanted to make sure. This is probably not a concept that most will pick up on easily, IMHO, as such solutions are usually a (gamist) challenge to discover even in the most narrativist games.

Transcripts, baby.

Mike

[Jason L Blair]

Y'know what... I was thinking of this post:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=352&forum=14&start=15


Nevermind.

[Don Lag]

Well, I think that the short story (in a sense) was pretty well displayed. The story itself feeds on somewhat typical ghost stories, however I think it lives up to what I percieve as the purpose of the Bi-Weekly Updates: keep the game going. If the Updates are always going to be as clearly presented as the Swing tale, then I think they're a very valuable asset to the game (plus a very nice example of how to elegantly complement a game throug the Internet).

I especially liked the detail that the two hauntings weren't related. I can see where some people would want more specific info. But I think leaving the "stories" as plot-ideas is better for braking the narrator's-block one can sometimes fall into (moreso with a new game).

I immediately thought: these updates should be distributed through an e-mail list. But that was just the programmer inside me, it seems the idea works better by reading it of the site.

[Ronin_Mage]

Hey Jason,

I finally was able to talk my group into allowing me to run a LF game.  So far it is pretty cool, though I have some questions for you.  (I'll get to those later)  The game is set at a youth summer camp where odd things begin to happen to some of the kids.  I am (rather hesitantly) including some true horror into which I think adds well into the mix.  I completely agree with you about making true horror an element of the story and not the focus.  Anyway, I am writing the adventure in Word format and IF all goes well, would like to submit it.  Will there be a place on the LF site for fan submissions?  

Now for my questions... or should I say question.  Do you have any tips for scaring the snot out of players?  :eek: Perhaps I am trying to hard but I can't seem to pull it off.  Though everyone has a good time with LF, to me it plays just like another adventure.  I know this will be a tough question to answer.  

Take care,

RM

[Skywalker]

Ronin - I have found one piece of advice invaluable when writing and running horror to scare people.  What you write/run must scare yourself.  This may sound weird but if it doens't get you going then it wont get the players going.  Draw on times you have been scared yourself (especially as a child).  Why did this scare you?  Then use that fear to write the scene.  Half of Lovecraft's stuff is only scary because he scared himself writing it - I mean if someone just said you find a large barrel like creature with a flower like head and three toed feet it wouldn't work :smile:

It does help to have players who enjoy being scared. But here is some other stuff:

Remember that suspence and what you can't see is scary.  Only really good GMs can pull off visual descriptions that are scary and then only in conjunction with suspence and tension.  For example (and it is hard to do written descriptions that do scenes justice), you see someone hunched in a corner.  Extend the descriptions of the PCs approaching the figure.  Lower your voice as the person talks to them.  Describe odd, strange noises not quite human. At the last minute have a hand grab them from behind to find that the person they were apporaching is standing behind them (add in visual horror effects - needle sharp teeth or whatever).  At that point change the pace and increase your volume for added effect.

Mix it up a bit.  Have some false alarms.  Have some unexplainable weird stuff to create and not release tension.  Don't let the players get comfortable.  There are some good essays around on doing this including unexpected changes in your voice level and your posture.  This can be as far as shouting, standing or moving to stand behind a seated player when describing something.  I have seen GMs grab people but I don't recommend this is unless you PCs will be OK with this.

Watch your players.  If they are getting scared by something focus on it and use it, even if it results in nothing.  If they are expecting something to grab them from behind a tree act treat the situation like something is going to then even if nothing happens.

[Ron Edwards]

There's a good dialogue about fear and role-playing in the archives of the old Sorcerer mailing list. The archives are linked off the main Sorcerer page (http://www.sorcerer-rpg.com) and the discussion is found at the "Scariness" link.

Best,
Ron