 June 3, 2014 - 5:54am | I've not been a big horror fan but I loved the stories that ran in the SFman that had the Cthulu vibe going (One was called "Bug Hunt" IIRC) The movie Alien was a masterwork of horror in its time and really had left me tense. It was not the slash and gore flick of the Freddy Krugar ilk but more of a throw back to classic horror. Sure the chest burster scene had gore but it was interesting. Horror is certainly not alien to sci fi. Even Disney's The Black Hole had a strong gothic horror vibe going which was certainly intentional. Is it possible to work in more horror elements into Star Frontiers? It would certainly be possible to go more the route of Aliens than Alien in this endeavor and I would certainly have fun playing an Aliens style adventrue but primarily I'm interested in the more atmospheric Alien or classic horror. Perhaps more of a Ravenloft adventure than a dungeon crawl. Star Frontier certainly has some elements that could be mined for horror: Cybots as an analog to frankenstien. Cybots running amok like old Franky- looking to take a wife? desirous of the pleasures of the flesh that are now impossible to it? (I thought that the scene in Pirates of the Carrib with Barbossa wanting to taste an apple again was fantastic- not a lobster or steak dinner just a green apple) sathar in the brain- the hypnotism angle and loss of control of your own PC, perhaps some madness going on Cloning was introduced in a Dragon article "Fist Full of Credits" I think- clones going mad and trying to eliminate their original? Other classics of horror: Werewolf- could be an alien infestation of some sort that triggers changes Vampire- (my gut says to work a sathar angle on this one but not everything need be a sathar plot) Mummy- tetrarch nanites animating a corpse- by consuming biological material the nanites are rebuilding the 10,000 year dead tetrarch, the nanites are not very discriminating as to what sorts of biological material they use. At some point the tetrarch takes shape and the nanites direct it to a chamber or device that will allow the consciousness of the being be downloaded to the reconstructed body. Naturally the tetrarch views itself as being akin to a god and the PCs as being mere mortal worms and thus there is a problem. perhaps this tetrarch desires to transcend because he is the one T that did not but the transcendance process involves the release of energy on the level of nuclear or fussion explosions and if this happens on Laco it will wipe out whole human settlements and plunge the world into a nuclear winter. Monster from the Black Lagoon- really just the xenomorph in Alien if you think about it. Clan Shadow's or Hir-Cal of the yazirians- ghosts Cthulu style creature that should not be disturbed at some isolated location have I missed anything? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 3, 2014 - 6:03am | There is probably a world of difference between presneting an adventure with horror themes and actually managing to make the players tense and afraid. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 3, 2014 - 8:45am | short list of archetypes of horror 1. Vampire- Count Dracula 2. Shapeshifter/changling - Dr. Jeckyl/Mr Hyde 3. Pseudo human creature- Frankenstien's Monster Steve King's list from Danse Macabre: 1. the thing without a name 2. Vampire 3. Werewolf 4. and alluded to but not discussed- ghost From another source 1. the Thing that should not be- frankestein- kills without pitty or remorse. also evil intelligence including deamons and devils. 2. The thing that devours us: Dracula- some things do not wish to simply kill us but to prey upon us the xeno-morph from aliens, parasites the invade and take over and possessing demons. 3. The Thing with Two Faces- werewolf- a monster that hides anit-social behavior behind a social facade serial killers 4. The Thing that Would Not Die- ghosts sub themes: That which seeks death, that which seeks revenge etc. Note: some wrongs just cant be righted. Plus an interesting discussion on horror movie archtypes from here: http://the-artifice.com/six-archetypal-horror-characters-and-why-they-are-important/ 1. The Jock (hated for being a prick) 2. The cheerleader (hated for being mean) 3. The Nerd/Stoner (identifyable for being picked on) 4. The minority (token minority in a story full of caucasians important because his death singals that its getting serious and the Nice Guy is next 5. The Nice Guy (because we hope he will survive and can identify with him- he never survives without the last girl) 6. The Last Girl. (subtly beautiful, resourceful overcomer that kicks evil's ass) I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 3, 2014 - 8:56am | Plus an interesting discussion on horror movie archtypes from here: http://the-artifice.com/six-archetypal-horror-characters-and-why-they-are-important/ 1. The Jock (hated for being a prick) 2. The cheerleader (hated for being mean) 3. The Nerd/Stoner (identifyable for being picked on) 4. The minority (token minority in a story full of caucasians important because his death singals that its getting serious and the Nice Guy is next 5. The Nice Guy (because we hope he will survive and can identify with him- he never survives without the last girl) 6. The Last Girl. (subtly beautiful, resourceful overcomer that kicks evil's ass) 1. jock- guy on the front of the AD box set OR a yazirian male playing up the pushiness. 2. Cheerleader- female yazirian- play up the grouchiness of the yazirian character but emphasize the sexiness with the 4 breasts 3. Nerd/Stoner- could this be anybody but a dralasite? give him tech skills too 4. Minority- a vrusk for sure- he's a bug and we dont really identify with him anyway 5. Nice Guy- human male 6. Last girl- human female from the AD box cover. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 June 20, 2014 - 7:05am | From Horror/Monster Movies Mad Scientist Experiments... so many options now. Genetically Modified Organism: Biollante from the Godzilla series is a Human/Rose Plant/Godzilla hybrid that runs amok. Manster: Classic B-rate Mad Scientist experiment turns man into murderous monster, and becomes two beings. I admit I love Brain in the Jars or Disembodied Heads that some how survive, perhaps an UPF scientist is trying to unlock the secrets of the Sathar and the PCs are his next test subjects. Radiation: (in real life radiation usually stunts animal growth, but in sci-fi...) Okay this is your chance to have hordes of giant creatures (giant ants, spiders, cockroaches, leaches, make a new and dangerous sentient life form etc), mutated creatures, human zombie types, weird carnivorous plants. Don't forget Bomb Worshipping or leaking reactor worshipping mutants, who want to force mutate all citizens of the UPF. Remember the Intelligent One Eyed Turkeys from GW... Animal Farm time. Cults: UPF Member Races have no clue not far away is a hidden Colony of zealots that has decided the Sathar are doing God's work and they need to help it along. PCs & NPCs accidentally or purposely desecrate sacred space of a culture, and are hunted, tortured, offered as sacrifice, etc. Murder-Warrior Cult a little dark secret of ancient Yazirian culture rears it's ugly head, as ritualistic murder. What's for dinner... you find yourself amongst cannibals... are they recruiting you or are you dinner? The ultimate hunt club is hunting PC's on their game reserve or illegal fighting pits, in which people are recruited (including abduction) to fight to the death for sport. The Cabin in the Woods: Okay we all know, no good comes from that relaxing weekend trip to the cabin. Parasitic aliens in the brain that even give the Sathar the willies. UPF finds a drifting Sathar ship... everyone murdered each other on board... why? UPF finds a destroyed Ancient Sathar Colony Planet and set out to recover what they can of technology, intelligence, and who destroyed the colony, only to come to the realization the Sathar attacked their own Colony out of self preservation not war and the horror (GM's choice) can not be allowed to escape to the UPF or has it already? Out Break... can you save the colony before the UPF does something drastic? The Pollution Monster... yep the garbage/toxic waste is alive. Any isolated paranoid society can become a horror theme, also a friendly primitive group might become hostile over bad luck, suddenly missing tribe members and decide guest civilized people are the cause and it's a' killen time. Natural Disaster... just survival can lead to all sorts of horror after the initial problem until orderly authoritarian help arrives. Challenging the ghost story mumbo jumbo... PCs get drunk brake into a "haunted" place, only to discover the stories are not lies... they are not alone... "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 July 28, 2014 - 7:17pm | I'm working on more stories. Had to take a break for a while. |
July 28, 2014 - 8:50pm | I'm working on more stories. Had to take a break for a while. Bring it. I wrote an article on doing horror in a Sci fi RPG and then wrote a horror adventure. with a horror short story we'd have a halloween theme for the fall. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 July 29, 2014 - 4:40pm | The best horror scenario in SF was Bug in the System. It was a murder mystery where the killer is picking off the crew one-by-one. When people think of "horror", they think of horrid monsters, jump scares, and people getting killed in the most bloody way possible — stuff you see in all the horror flicks these days. But the best horror is moody and suspenseful, where the monster/killer remains largely unseen. Clues and/or quick glances of the monster/killer helps remind the players that they are not alone. Questionable deaths remind everyone the dander the monster/killer poses. Plus, in most horror films, seeing the monsters tends to ruin the surprise, or the scariness factor is ruined by how cheap the costume looks. Tho best examples includes Jaws and the frantic chase scenes form Evil Dead. Besides Alien, one of the best sic-fi horror is Event Horizon. |
 August 3, 2014 - 2:14pm | Interesting. I thought Event Horizon was terrible. It started out really well and then went to crap. (In my opinion. But then, I hate any supernatural horror that doesn't hint at the supernatural from the beginning. That's why I hate most Stephen King horror.) View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
August 3, 2014 - 4:20pm | That's why I hate most Stephen King horror. I find Stephen King to be overrated. Actually, a number of his earlier stuff was good, but much of his other stuff it is boring, beyond weird, and focused on thing that are not that scary. Much of his newer stuff comes off as technophobic for insane reasons, like that cellphone one (it so forgetable, I cant remember it name, nor do I care to recall it). |
