System Considerations

Liminal Horror’s progenitor systems can be considered OSR systems, and so there are many similarities between LH and other OSR systems. Given it’s unique setting (modern), genre (horror and various subgenres) and play context there are some things to consider prior to writing a Liminal Horror module, especially in the context of how it differs from other OSR systems.

The Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition has an entire section of resources in the Facilitator’s Guide (p.47-116) that can aid in the writing of a Liminal Horror module.

CREATING A SCENARIO

If you’re experienced at running horror and can fully embrace a “play to find out” mentality, a basic horror scenario can be tossed together with three things: a location, a source of horror, and consequences if the Investigators don’t intercede.

While you may not plan on running a classic investigation, keep in mind that every horror scenario is going to benefit from a bit of mystery, so many of the classic investigation tropes are going to be of use.

TYPES OF HORROR

Modern horror is an incredibly broad category. When preparing your scenario, identifying one or two subgenres that interest you will help focus the scope and aid in identifying themes and motifs to later expound upon. Below are ten commonly used subgenres, though this is only a small taste of the possibilities before you.

Apocalypse: The struggle of survivors after the end of the world.
Cosmic/Alien: Hostile invaders from beyond our planet or plane of existence.
Cryptids: Mysterious entities that lurk just beyond the believable.
Ghosts/Hauntings: Remnants of the dead left behind to wander the earth.
Gothic: Themes of fear, sadness, and romance set in places of decay and the grotesque.
Occult: Religious organizations, cursed objects, and the birth of gods.
Psychological: Mental and emotional fear with a focus on atmosphere over monsters.
Slasher/Stalker: Murderous antagonists whose sole purpose is to kill.
Survival: Hostile environments with emphasis on resource management.
Weird: The fantastic and supernatural, with a focus on transgression and subversion.

Horror stories are often a mix of genres as well. For example, many science fiction tales could easily become horror with a shift in tone.

TYPES OF SCENARIOS

At its core, horror scenarios require a goal to achieve or mystery to solve. This acts as the central conceit, the question that hangs over the head of the entire scenario. The most common will of course be “how do we stop/survive this horror?”, but this is what the scenarios will eventually evolve into and only becomes the primary concern once the horrors are revealed. The initial goal isn’t always going to be to solve this in a definitive manner, and so the Investigators will need something to hook them in and drive them forward when every sense of reason inside them is screaming to turn back.

To aid in building your central conceit, it will be useful to determine the type of scenario you wish to portray. This will give you the basic framework with which to build your scenario and shape the horrors within. Horror scenarios can broadly be broken down into five basic points of focus:

Location focused: These are scenarios where the location itself is key to the Investigator’s motivations. You’re stuck in a horrid environment and need to escape, your hometown will be consumed by an encroaching horror, the old house on the hill is rumored to be haunted, etc.
Character focused: These are scenarios focused around human motivations, pulling upon the emotions and personal connections of the Investigators. Someone has died in a mysterious manner, someone has gone missing under strange circumstances, a friend or colleague has asked for help, a cult is trying to summon horrors from another dimension, etc.
Task focused: These are scenarios where the Investigators have something direct to achieve amid the horrors. Your car has broken down in an unfamiliar town and you need to repair it, you need to find something/someone for an employer/patron, you need to capture footage of a haunting to save your TV show from being canceled, etc.
Survival focused: These are scenarios where the goal is simply to live to see another day. A horrid plague is spreading, a creature is stalking you from the shadows, a cult has put a curse on you that will kill you if you don’t cede to their demands, etc.
Creature focused: These are scenarios where the horrors themselves are the direct source of mystery. There have been sightings of a cryptid creature among the trees, a town has been plagued by a strange hum, an unexplained illness has begun to spread, etc.

Many of these can be paired up within short scenarios, while an extended campaign will likely touch on all of them to some degree.

Setting Considerations

One of the advantages of roleplaying in the modern era is that your players will already have a basic frame of reference for the environment. For example, you don’t need to describe the intricate details of a corner store, as they likely can already picture what the space is like from having been inside one or having seen them featured in popular media.

Framing

Horror is often about the juxtaposition of the mundane against the weird and uncanny. Once you have a basic foundation, lean into the influences of the weird and how those stand in stark contrast to the mundane locations. Writers can leverage extraplanar incursions, reality warping influence, darkness hidden within forests, and the uncanny nature of forgotten and abandoned places.

Saves or Specific Ability Checks

Typical published modules will often present situations that call for a specific skill check or save. Instead of automatically defaulting to replacing them with a STR/DEX/CTRL Save, instead present situations and pressures that set up opportunities for players and facilitators to be creative problem solvers. What dangers are present and what opportunities may arise. If the result of failure in these situations would be uninteresting or there is potential for players to leverage the tools at their disposal, a roll may not be needed at all.

Sanity

It is fairly common for similar systems to include a Sanity mechanic, signifying a character’s descent into madness after being exposed to horrors not meant for the likes of mankind. Liminal Horror has intentionally diverged away from the concept in an attempt to avoid the problematic aspects associated with the stigmatization of mental health struggles. Therefore, replacing Sanity mechanics will not be a simple one-for-one. Leverage Stress and Fallout as a means to simulate the Investigator’s proximity to the weird.

###Using Stress The following guidelines are a good metric for integrating Stress into an adventure. Stress often comes from environmental triggers or narrative consequences, such as witnessing something horrid or failing a Save, but is also the direct result of the horrors attempts to corrupt and change an individual. In general:

1 Stress: Witnessing something horrid.
1d4 Stress: Particularly horrific scenes or the abilities of minor horrors.
1d6 Stress: Abilities of major horrors.
1d8+ Stress: Abilities of particularly monstrous entities or witnessing events not meant for human eyes.

The Creating A Scenario section of the Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition includes some incredible essays that can aid in the writing of your own module/scenario. These essays include:

Basic Frameworks (p.71): A breakdown of the basic foundation of a scenario.

One-Shots & Episodes (p.74): Advice for creating for short-term play.

Arcs & Campaigns (p.76): Advice for creating for long-term play.

Creating a Dilemma (p.79): Advice on presenting difficult choices.

Hooks & Rumors (p.80): Tips for writing compelling hooks.

Writing Clues (p.82): Tips for writing good clues.

Setbacks & Puzzles (p.85): Advice on creating non-combat challenges for your Investigators.

Creating Locations (p.89): Advice on creating settings and making them come to life.

Compelling NPCs (p.92): Tips on making memorable NPCs.

Creating Factions (p.93): Tips on writing compelling organizations.

Creating Horrors (p.94): Tips for creating horrid monstrosities.

Creating Resonant Artifacts (p.98): Tips for creating strange and power objects imbued with resonant energy.

Creating Fallout (p.99): Tips for creating custom Fallout.

The Doom Clock (p.100): Advice on creating and using Doom Clocks.

Encounter Procedures (p.102): A breakdown of three procedures for generating random encounters.

Final Details (p.107): Advice on the last touches to put on a scenario before it’s ready to run.

Location Generator (p.108): A tool for randomly generating locations.

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