Idea: That freaking feeling

probablyrpgmechanicsideas:

Now, some DMs/GMs already have systems set up to put their players/PCs in any given atmosphere at a moment’s notice: a choice in background music, a key phrase, what have you.

However, more sadistic DMs/GMs could use these key phrases or songs….. but not tell the players what it signals. Drive up the anxiety and paranoia by playing boss battle music when a boss is nearby, but not necessarily if that boss instigates a battle or makes themselves known. You can tell the party “You feel like you’re missing something” if their perception is high enough, but that could be either a hint that there’s a special item in the room, or a hint that this place will not be there/will be in disrepair when they return (thus, they might truly be missing something… or someone.)

I got the idea from playing Terraria with a map/character who just began Hardmode. I hadn’t brought in any of the new crafting materials yet, aside from just having the new Hallow biome spawn, and the literal first night after starting Hardmode I see the flavor text in the corner appear:

“This is going to be a terrible night…”

… Which, for those who don’t play Terraria, is the text that pops up shortly before the game spawns the Twins…. one of the bosses of Hardmode…. which I wasn’t ready for in the slightest.

And so there I stood, fearing the worst, and I waited…

And waited…

And waited. The Twinsnever showed up. I waited till the in-world morning and restarted the game, thinking the game glitched out for a second and needed a reset. But let me tell you all: those few minutes of sitting there, expecting two gigantic, mechanical eyeballs to fly in and devastate me and my villagers were some of the most anxiety-causing minutes I’ve ever lived.

… And then, I thought to myself, “… Imagine what hell this would be like in a tabletop game.”

… Happy gaming~!