Running Horror One-Shots

Trying your hand at running a horror one-shot is a fun way to switch things up from your usual fantasy campaign. Short standalone games let you flex your creative muscles exploring new genres and ideas without a long-term commitment. Here are some tips for crafting a scary one-shot your players won't soon forget:

Set the Mood

Establish creepy atmosphere from the outset. Dim lights, play unsettling ambient noise, provide props like fake blood or brain matter to set the scene. Encourage players to get into character.

Build Tension 

Drag out reveals and elongate the unknown. Let paranoia and dread build as clues accumulate. Trail subtle hints that ratchet up suspicion without resolving mysteries. 

Keep Them Guessing

Plant multiple potential threats or culprits to sow seeds of doubt. Misdirect suspicions to add confusion. Things may not be what they initially seem in horror. 

Raise the Stakes

Escalate danger and complications as the one-shot progresses. Throw in time constraints, dwindling resources or avoidable tragic twists. The threat should feel imminent and resolution uncertain.

Reward Creativity  

Encourage unorthodox problem-solving and risk-taking by rewarding clever uses of skills and items. Horror begs innovation from desperate situations more than battle prowess.

Remember it's Not Always About Combat

While horror games should have peril, direct fights often ruin tension. Consider alternative challenges like puzzles, stealth or social clashes where failure has severe consequences. Make combat an absolute last resort.

Focus on the Psychological

Horror comes as much from what's inside our heads as outside forces. Tap into phobias, insecurities, perceived powerlessness or lingering doubts the players have seeded themselves over sessions for the biggest chills. Their best scares come from within.

Leave them Wanting More

End the one-shot on a suitably unsettling note that sticks in their craw, but with opportunities for future nightmares hinted at in the shadows. Build intrigue for your next scarefest!

FAQ

Q: What systems work best for horror one-shots? 

A: Games like Call of Cthulhu, Dread, Ten Candles or monster-of-the-week setups in PbtA games often facilitate horror tropes better than high-fantasy focused systems. But with prep any system can unsettle!

Q: Any advice on player consent?

A: Always discuss limits and content expectations up front. Gauge individual comfort levels with gore, psychological trauma or intense subject matter. Safety tools like lines/veils help.

Q: How do I make encounters scary without resorting to hack-n-slash?

A: Emphasize investigation, perception challenges, or roleplaying dilemmas over combat. Enemies can flee, fade to shadows or emotionally torment rather than merely attacking. Survival should feel graver than attrition of stat blocks. 

Q: Any tips on wrapping it up satisfyingly?

A: Consider lovecraftian revelations, sudden plot twists or ominous cliffhangers over tidy resolutions. Leave threads dangling and questions unanswered to instill lingering chills long after the session. Fuel speculation for next time!