Horror Hero

[Curufea]

Would it make a good source book or can it be done without any source material? What should be in it? What shouldn't be in it?

 

Actually, at the very least I'd like to see some ideas and possibly rules on ways to express fear, horror, terror and insanity in a Hero setting. Much like the discussion in the Lovecraftian books thread earlier on this board.

[devlin1]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Well, it has been done. There was a 4th Edition supplement with that very name. I know this, because I have it. It's good stuff. If you can find a copy, it's worth getting (if you're into horror, anyway).

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Yes - I should have specified. Do we need a 5th edition version?

[Southern Cross]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Yes We Do!

[Sketchpad]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Yes We Do!

I'll second that!

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Okay, now we've had some positive responses here

If there were a new edition of HH - what kind of things would you like to see in it?

 

I'm thinking the usual nice rundown they do in other source books about how to use it with other genres would be a good start - Horror Fantasy, Horror Star and Horror Champions comes to mind.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Okay, now we've had some positive responses here

If there were a new edition of HH - what kind of things would you like to see in it?

 

I'm thinking the usual nice rundown they do in other source books about how to use it with other genres would be a good start - Horror Fantasy, Horror Star and Horror Champions comes to mind.

 

Consideration of the "metagenre" approach has been a hallmark of all the 5E genrebooks. That and a very thorough, wide-ranging examination of the conventions, tropes and possibilities of a genre and its various subgenres, both generally in gaming and specifically using the HERO System, with lots of prebuilds and guidelines for those who want to build their own.

 

This for me is the biggest reason why there should be a new Horror HERO - almost every book that DoJ has put out covering a particular subject also dealt with in previous editions, has blown its predecessor out of the water in terms of quality and utility.

 

There seems to be no small interest in such a book among the fan base, judging by frequent comments and requests here on these forums and over on RPGnet. When Steve Long put up his "What should be the big 2006 GenCon release?" poll topic recently, Horror was substantially ahead of any other genre cited. (The Ultimate Skill actually led the poll, but that's another category of supplement altogether.)

 

FWIW I've read Steve committing to putting this book out - it's just a matter of deciding when and how to do it.

[Spence]

Re: Horror Hero

 

I have the old HH and second devlin1 in saying it's definitely worth it if you are into horror RPing. While a Horror sourcebook isn't required, it would be a handy asset to have.

 

I do think that another road might be a bit more plausable. Instead of a standalone Horror supplement, I would make it a meaty slice of the upcoming Pulp-Hero. To me both "pulp" and "horror" are not stuck in the mold of their original concepts. They are a "feel" and are not that far apart.

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Would the people interested in only one of those genres be willing to pay extra to buy a book that covers both?

 

Pulp I would like to see (and would also buy) but I don't think it would be good to attach it to Horror.

 

Unless, and I hazard an idea here, unless you did a "metagenre" sourcebook. A sourcebook that covers all the genres that could be applied to the current genre source books - Pulp, Horror, Comedy, Gothic/Noir (possibly small section as this is essentiantially what Dark Champions is), Detective/Suspence, etc..

 

But I feel there is enough material that both Pulp and Horror should have their own sourcebooks.

[Trencher]

Re: Horror Hero

 

I would defiantly buy a horror hero book although none of the settings in the old hero book really interested me or the art there was any good (except for the were boar).

Well one of the settings who was placed in Victorian times was pretty good.

 

Settings I would like to see.

1: Monster hero, characters play monsters like vampires or werewolves or such. Alternatively they can play battle mages who fight them. Lots of action in this one, think Van Helsing or Vampire the Masquerade.

2: Zombie-apocalypse hero: Like the films..

3: Hunter hero, here the hunters are low powered (10-25 pts) and hunts monsters who are much, MUCH more powerful than them. Think Call of chutulu or tv British tv series ultraviolet

5: Psychic hero. this one is filled with ghost's, poltergeist’s and psychic phenomena galore. The heroes are most often not aware of what’s going on and there is not much they can do about think. Powerlevel can vary because it does not really matter these monsters must be outsmarted or understood. Enemies can include serial killers with a psychic connection to a player character misunderstood pyrotechnic girl stuff like that.

6: God's hero: Here satanic forces are in swing, both on a conspiracy level and with demonic servants every where, or you could just have one of the npc be possessed.

Things to avoid: B-movie hero, this is to easy to do.

Splatter hero. again to easy to do. Magic hero: deserve its own book and it is not really horror because the players will have acsess to magic.

 

You probably noted that I missed number four right.. that is conspiracy hero, we don't talk about that, "they" might be listening..

[Sketchpad]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Personally, I'd like to see a nice meta-genre coverage of all things horror. Want Lovecraftian horrors? It's in there. How about King's manner of making psychological horror? Yup ... got that too. Slasher flix? Yup. Zombie movies? It's got all sorts of variants for zombies. Okay ... how about Giant ants? Yup ... atomic horrors have been included

For a Horror Hero book to be successful, I'd think that it'd need some solid horror rules. Like how to scare people and what mechanics could be used. I also think that it should have some package deals like Slayer, Priest and Student. Another thing that could be nice is to have a diverse weapon list with a lot of improvised weapons. Campiagn models should be included ...I'd give one for each book and some that haven't been done ... for example:

• Dark Champions = X-Files/Buffy Campaigns

• Champions = Tomb of Dracula/The Darkhold

• Star Hero = Alien/Event Horizon

There are others that could easily be included. A good bestiary of horror critters is a must, possibly revamping a few that appear in the HSB specifically for horror (like Vampires and Werebeasts). Lastly, and most importantly, ideas on how scary horror should be ... give tips on setting the mood, or options on how to scare people in the game ... after all, isn't the idea of horror to be afraid?

[yamamura]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Do we really need Horror Hero? Let me say if this book is printed I will definitely buy it. I have loved the horror genre ever since I read my first E.A. Poe story. That being said, I don’t think we need a book for just horror. To me horror is a spice that one can add to any campaign. While I know there are cooks book out there that deals with one particular spice (horror) its history and how to use it, I really rather have a cook book on beef (Champions) with ideas on how to use this spice and others.

 

A couple people have mentioned topes of the genre. To me these are best acquired not by reading them in a book about horror but by watching shows or reading books with a horror as their main theme. Beside this way you get a feeling for them in practice and not some (albeit well written) theories of them. Also I have read enough horror stories to know that setting up the atmosphere and feeling of story is a widely varied thing with cultural and temporal influences. So any book dealing with the topes of horror will either be a huge book or only touch upon the general themes.

 

As for character concepts, almost anything goes from a young mother, a policeman to an aged professor. And if you wanting to play an occult investigator, I think The Ultimate Mystic and The Mystic World can be of use here. Bit of course that gets into the variety of different types of horror campaign and what works best. Are we talking true horror where the PCs will most likely not defeat the monster without some sacrifice or even not at all? Or are we talking survival horror where creatures become cannon fodder against the PCs will to survive? Either one of these could entail a wide variety of characters. Now for occult investigation character design can become more specific as the GM states what type of a campaign the characters are about to partake in. But as I said earlier this The Ultimate Mystic can give some ideas on creating said character and maybe a Digital Hero article to expand on this.

 

As for monsters, The Hero Bestiary and Monster, Minions and Marauders and this year release of the Asian Bestiary already provide an excellent source for these creatures. Also within the pages of Digital Hero there are examples of monster for example Michael Surbrook’s examination of zombie around the world. So in my opinion it would not add anything new here.

 

Okay I have heard special rules for Horror bandied about. I can only assume this is akin to sanity/fright checks. Well if you have a group of players who loves horror and gets into playing their characters you won’t need this. On the other hand if you need put into place an artificial control to determine if they are scare then you might not have the right group. I am not saying special rules (for example temporary Presence points only to deal with Fear based attack) can not be useful, but they might be better suited for a Digital Hero article.

 

So in conclusion, while I would buy this book in a heart beat, I don’t think it is needed. I would rather see DOJ put their excellent talent and resources elsewhere.

[Trencher]

Re: Horror Hero

 

All the genre books I have seen have had some thoughts on the different meta genres, I just saying what I would like to see being the focus of an eventual hero book.

They can not give equal page space to all genres, although a comprehensive look at the different types of "horror" in b-movie hero can sound like fun it is not certain that reading fifty pages about it is so amusing.

Another aspect of the hero book is art hero games should use only artist who have the right style for horror.

[Troll]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Yes, there should be a new edition of Horror Hero.

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

You can delete posts as well as edit them....

[Trencher]

Re: Horror Hero

 

What do you mean?

[Toadmaster]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Do we really need Horror Hero? Let me say if this book is printed I will definitely buy it. I have loved the horror genre ever since I read my first E.A. Poe story. That being said, I don’t think we need a book for just horror. To me horror is a spice that one can add to any campaign. While I know there are cooks book out there that deals with one particular spice (horror) its history and how to use it, I really rather have a cook book on beef (Champions) with ideas on how to use this spice and others.

 

 

Now I pretty much take the opposite approach to this, I'd like to see a HERO book on Horror that has a section on each sub-genre to be used along with each genre book (Supers Horror to help take your Champs game into Horror, Pulp Horror to be used with Pulp to make a better Pulp Horror game). Now I know some will say DOJ should not make books that reference other books but unless HERO is going to make their books 2 or 3 times the size they already are I don't see how all the options can be covered while including sections for combining genres can be done with very little additional page count.

 

 

 

I haven't seen much reference from DoJ to doing a Horror book, I've been under the impression that like Post Apacalypse it is not a genre they have a great interest in so think it can be tucked into the various genre books. Personally I don't think that is true based on all the stand alone horror and post apacalypse games out there but that is the attitude I have picked up from previous discussions.

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

To me, Horror is a much larger genre than Post-Apocalypse. There have been horror stories in many cultures over a greater period of time. And lets face it - the only historical PA story anyone ever thinks of is the Bible, which isn't so much "post" as "everything leading up to it, and you can guess the rest". Although that John had some imagination on him

 

Poe is the most commonly remembered horror classicist (and many don't remember that he also started the pulp detective genre) - but many of the ancient legends are high on horror. Fairy tales come to mind as well...

[Bazza]

Re: Horror Hero

 

I think HPL said why we need a new edition of Horror HERO

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear' date=' and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.[/quote']

 

I fear what gaming goodness the new Horror HERO will bring

 

I'm sure it will be published...when the stars are right.

[Troll]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Isn't Horror Hero scheduled for 2006 release? I have the 4th edition HH and found it useful in my fantasy, supers, and pulp games.

[Sketchpad]

Re: Horror Hero

 

HH is in the running for the big release of '06 ... there's a poll in Company Questions that Steve was using to get a feel for what the fans wanted Mind you, this doesn't mean that whatever wins would be published ... it's just to get a an idea of what we want

[Mark Taylor]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Yes' date=' there should be a new edition of Horror Hero.[/quote']

 

Yes, there most certainly should and I would buy it instantly should it transpire. Though I did just buy the old edition on eBay just in case it doesn't happen.

[Southern Cross]

Re: Horror Hero

 

And I still have my old copy of the Fourth Edition version.....

[Curufea]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Ditto ( I forgot to mention that earlier).

 

Even though none of the people I game with are ever likely to be in a horror game I run - they fear it

And some are just not fans of fear. Box offices show us that this is not a setback to sales, however

[GaryB]

Re: Horror Hero

 

Here's some unedited stuff I had written up for my campaign source book called Brighton Hollow. Feel free to use it. I want to concentrate more on a bestiary and campaign setting more than the horror background itself.

 

-----------------------------

 

Objectives: To create a good source of material to create a horror campaign. Whether players want to create an X-Files type game or a ‘slasher’ type game, this material will provide the means to set up a campaign set around such a setting. The source also contains a good starting point campaign area called Brighton Hollow and a few time periods in which the characters can play with.

New creatures will be supplied along with the various ways to use them in any horror campaign. This material will also describe various spiritual and demonic forces and how they interact with the HERO system.

 

 

TYPE OF CAMPAIGN

Psychological – This type of campaign relies on implied horrific events. It takes into question the reality of existence. It usually involves strange events that change the characters perceptions. There are so many directions one can take a psychological campaign. This story could involve a subtle haunting that gets worse as time goes by, completely altering reality and sanity for the character. It could also involve the horrors of drugs and perhaps even the ultimate event of death itself of the character. The best examples of Psychological Horror would be such games like Silent Hill, or the movie Jacob’s Ladder.

 

Unexplainable Events – A campaign in this setting involves a series of events that cannot be explained by anyone involved around the events. The occurrences are completely bizarre and begin to alter the perceptions of those who become involved. Sometimes this involved a large locale that is struck by many unexplained deaths, or perhaps a change in personality between people the characters know. This is much like the Psychological campaign except it is not personal to the character, and occurs on a larger scale. Tones in this type of campaign are still subtle, but not so much as in a Psychological campaign. Examples of this type would be Village of the Damned, or The X-Files.

 

Unstoppable Killer – There is a killer out there. He is unstoppable. Or is he? These type of campaigns involve a master villain that keeps coming back for more and upping his (or her) kill count. The reasons for the killer’s spree of murder are largely unknown, but usually become more apparent as time goes on. Typically the characters can find something from the killer’s past to use against him as a weapon. This however, does not always work and the killer will rise again! Good examples of this genre are Friday the 13th Movies, Nightmare on Elm Street and of course; Halloween.

 

The Haunting – This is a direct interaction with the world beyond. Sometimes the haunting starts out relatively small and harmless. As time goes on, the haunting event starts to take on a more malevolent demeanor. Usually the haunting is associated with a very limited location, but some may attach themselves to certain people and follow them around. Some can even be passed from place to place, person to person. There are so many things one can do with a haunting story. Good examples of a Haunting are; The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Ring, and The Fog.

 

Zombies Attack! – For some reason, the dead just won’t stay dead and you just need a good shotgun and lots of ammunition to stay alive yourself. Be careful not to get hit by one of these monstrosities or you’ll be damned yourself! Survivors will be treated to a life on the run and a deep paranoia to survive. Good examples of this are of course; Night of the Living Dead, Resident Evil, Life Force, and 28 Days Later.

 

Monsters from Beyond? – Usually this type of story involves some sort of radiation or accident that turns some innocent everyday creature into something we’d never want to encounter. It involves either a single large creature causing havoc nearby, or even a swarm of insidious creatures causing troubles with the locals. Some classic examples of this are; The Birds, Arachnophobia, Eight Legged Freaks, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Anaconda.

 

Supernatural Invasion – Vampires and werewolves, tales of creatures reanimated by mad scientists. Everything classically horrific fits here. Usually this type of story involves some sort of creature from the realms of darkness coming into town and starting up trouble. Typically the denizens of said town do not know what is going on until it’s too late and the creature has done much damage. The heroes in this story are usually unlikely ones just seeking a way out or a way to stop the problem. Good examples of this are; Phantasm, Salem’s Lot, Dracula, and Frankenstein.

 

Alien Terror – This story involves a creature of alien origin coming to earth and slowly causing problems for the locals. Usually some world domination plan is involved for the alien in question, but often the creature is no more than a beast trying to survive in a new realm. The creature has no problems with killing to either cover it’s tracks or for food. Good examples of such a campaign would be; The Thing, Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or Predator.

 

Demon Gore – A story involving the bowels of hell regurgitating upon the surface of the world is where this campaign comes in handy. Usually it involves an artifact, ritual or even occult accident that summons forth one of the powers of hell onto earth where it will begin to take over and begin it’s reign of blood. Good examples of this are; Hell Raiser, Wish Master, or Event Horizon.

 

HORROR PLAY STYLE

A horror campaign is a different beast to run compared to a fantasy, sci-fi campaign or even a super-heroic one. In most horror stories, there is a single problem that is occurring that has (in most cases) a finite resolution to that problem. Also you must realize that most horror stories involve protagonists that are not in it for the long haul. They are mostly people who got involved by chance and just want to get out as fast as they can. There are of course ways around this problem through a creative story teller. However, be prepared to run a single shot adventure and see how it evolves. Did the characters completely solve the problem, or are their still things lingering that they did not deal with?

As said, a creative GM can build a long term campaign in a horror setting if they are creative enough and get a good element of characters playing in the story.

The other problem is that most horror stories do not involve large amounts of combat. This can be a detractor to most players who like to use the system to enforce brutal actions to solve most problems. Players must understand from the beginning (barring the type of horror game you are running) that they may not get involved in combat much.

They must also understand that their character is a normal person (or mostly normal) who has mortal fears of unknown things and death. They must use more skills and problem solving skills in most cases rather than brute force. Survival is more important than glory.

 

SCARED YET?

You will also find that players in most cases are not going to be scared of anything. Don’t attempt to scare them, they won’t fall for it. What is more important is if their character is scared and role-playing fits the setting they are placed in. Players must get it through their heads that they do not start as heroes. They are normal people in an apparently normal world until the events of the story start changing that view.

Discussed later are game mechanics to help gauge how the character is feeling in the game. These of course are completely optional and should not take the place of actual role-playing. Instead they should be used to aid role-playing.

 

CHARACTER PACKAGES

Paranormal Researcher – This type of character explores the phenomena that inhabits our world and tries to understand it. Most P.R.’s are believers in the events as something beyond our world, and a few are skeptics searching to disprove everything that they can find. Either way, the PR is after the truth and science of paranormal activity to either prove or disprove it. In most cases, both are burdened by bias.

 

The Occultist – The Occultist is a person who is involved in paranormal activity and has a strong belief in the underlying systems and currents within the world of the supernatural. Typically other people view these folk as strange or even insane. But in the world of Horror HERO they can prove to be an asset. Occultists can be psychics, tribal shamans, and sometimes self proclaimed witches and warlocks.

 

Clergy – Religious officials of any denomination often find themselves suddenly sucked into a world they prayed really didn’t exist. These folk were used to a normal life of religious devoutness and did not expect that they would have to deal with the horrors that lay in waiting. Good examples are typically Priests. But almost any religion fits into this. Some good types of characters to come out of these type are Exorcists and even Priests who have lost their faith. Some Clergy do fall into the Occultist and Paranormal Research, but their training and scholar aptitude into religious study makes their views a little different from either of those types.

 

Government Official – This person is only involved in the paranormal because their job has pulled them into it. They don’t understand it, and rarely believe in the underlying forces behind it. They are police officers investigating a murder, the soldier guarding the zombie factory, or even the FBI agent looking for the truth. Very rarely are these folks blessed with any useful knowledge about the paranormal, but they usually have good training and helpful contacts.

 

The Innocent Bystander – The innocent bystander is usually an unconnected person who stumbles into a bad situation. They come from any background. This includes students, young professionals, a hermit in the woods, college kids on a vacation, or even the typical single person trying to find the meaning of life. However, they have found some sort of link to the horrors around them by chance. These horrors are not permanently part of their life, but it will sure shake them up and change them forever.

 

Inherited Curse – This is a type of innocent bystander. These people have been pulled into the world of the supernatural or horrific events by either being related to someone who did something bad, or by finding something perhaps they shouldn’t have. The difference between them and the bystander is that they know something about their predicament, but are usually unsure of how to deal with it. Examples of the Inherited Curse character is someone who is given a house, or a character who’s ancestors have been known to dabble in the darker world. Even people who have been directly cursed fall into this category. A bad reputation or insanity is what usually follows this character around.

 

Family Folk – These are normal folk. They have a job, perhaps a spouse and kids and a nice house. However, these family folk in the world of horror have usually stumbled somehow into the world of shadows and find themselves linked to it somehow, unable to escape. Family folk usually have DNPC’s to look after and protect from the dark world. They differ from the Innocent bystander in that they cannot seem to shake the problems they have stumbled onto. Usually they have bought a haunted house or some other dismal thing. They also find themselves trying to survive monsters that have come out of their woods.

 

The types of character the GM allows is dependant largely on the campaign type that is going to be run. In the Brighton Hollow campaign, any of the above character types work just fine.