Re: [DL] Spoilers, I will know if you entered. (players)

["Daphne Brunelle" <dbrune4@po-box.mcgill.ca>]

Spoilers for Brett.



Shoo!




>      Okay, I am running a HOE game that has not been
> going on for too long.  In the game, the players are
> seeming immune or acting immune to critters I send at
> them.  Even if they get there TN's even by one, I
> don't see any good reaction from them as if they would
> be slightly spooked.  Yes they might make there rolls
> and get no negatives, but I am trying to get them to
> react a little more.  When they react, I run the game
> best. Could I get some advice to give them incentive
> to game better.  I give them chips during and after
> the game.  I even started by spoiling them with bounty
> points and those aren't supposed to be use in HOE.  I
> stopped that.
>      Could anybody help out please?

Okay, what I would suggest is actually treating your players as though they're
terrified out of their minds anyway. Describe in vivid and horrific detail their
violent physical reactions to the creature that's just reared its supernatural
bulk in front of them.

They're heroes, and if they made their rolls then it's not because they're not
afraid, but rather because they know that if they don't stop these abominations,
no one else will either.

It's all in the description, I think: their impulse will be to retch, recoil,
hesitate (for dramatic purposes only, it doesn't affect their rolls or card
draws), or something along those lines.

In fact, have them roll their Guts checks *before* Quickness and that kind of
nonsense, and pause before beginning combat to describe what they're seeing and
how it makes them feel. If they aren't futzing with dice, they'll pay more
attention to you and to their characters' reactions.

There's also a question of Fear Levels: I don't know how much emphasis you put
on creating a truly creepy or terrifying atmosphere, but creeping out your
players will usually result in a more specific reaction on the part of the
characters.

Eventually, you might want to discuss this with the players a little bit.
Encourage them to think like their characters, and to really put themselves in
the setting: the challenge of facing one's worst nightmare makes the goal of
overcoming one's fears all the more satisfying once it's reached, IMHO.

These are very generic suggestions, I'll admit, but not knowing how much more of
a reaction you want from your players, I can't give you much more than that. I
hope it helps. :)


Daphné
--
The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that
English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow
words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to
beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.
                 -James D. Nicoll