Studies in Horror

by Gareth-Michael Skarka
November 7, 2000

“A clown is funny in the circus ring, but what would be the normal reaction to opening a door at midnight, and finding the same clown standing there in the moonlight?” — Lon Chaney, Sr.

Gives me chills just thinking about it. Then again, I've got a thing about clowns.

You see, that's part of the problem with presenting horror in an online format (or in any other format, whether it's table-top, live-action, or even fiction)...horror is a very personal genre. What scares me doesn't necessarily scare you, and vice versa.

So, exactly what have I gotten myself into, here?

Well, for one thing, I still haven't decided on whether the game is going to be Dark Fantasy or Horror (I outlined what I see as the difference between the two in last weeks column). I'd like to hear your comments about this...click on the link below to post your opinions on the forum.

It is no secret that a great many players prefer the ability to portray the supernatural. Successful games such as White Wolf's World of Darkness line stand as evidence to this fact. Plus, the need to truly frighten the players is not as present in a Dark Fantasy game. So, in many ways, it would be easier to pull off. Why? Because horror requires fear. If you are going alone, against the darkness, then the darkness should elicit a reaction from you...hopefully fear.

Stephen King once said: " If I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out." This speaks to the different levels of feeling that horror can elicit. Terror is the purest sense of dread...where your fear exists independently of stimulus...a pure mood which paints everything else you encounter. Horror is similar to terror, but is more directly linked to stimuli...you see something, or hear something, and it scares you. The last level is the gross-out, or revulsion...the lowest common denominator...going for the "ooh, ick" reaction.

In a game such as this, these feelings will have to be elicited purely through text. In many ways, this will make ARCANA operate in a similar manner to a straight horror novel or story. The text itself, and the descriptions presented there, is going to be the sole carrier of the sensation. Will it be terror? Hopefully. Horror? Probably. Gross-out? Only if I can't manage the other two...and I honestly hope that I'm better than that. Only time will tell.

“I used to love being a clown, it meant you could get away with murder.” —John Wayne Gacy

The descriptions will largely be a built-in part of the game, obviously, and will hopefully encourage the players to craft their own text (during play) that will maintain that level of pervasive mood. This game, perhaps more than any other that Skotos will present, will be made or broken on that maintenance of mood. There's nothing worse than a horror game that isn't scary...or even slightly creepy.

That's it for this week, kids...I'll be back here in 7, and we'll dig a little bit deeper. Again, be sure to post your ideas, questions and comments on the forums. I'll leave you with one last quote, which sort of wraps up the idea begun by the opening one...

Sleep well, and I'll see you next Tuesday.