The opening text to the first Resident Evil game. Those words present a theme and a mood. You are leaving your own world. You are entering a dark and foreboding world where you must use your wits and preserve what little resources you have to endure a horrible nightmare. And with that,
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SURVIVAL HORROR.
Author’s Note: Let’s add some atmospheric music, shall we? Ah, there we go. Anyway…
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Also, I welcome you to the November RPG Blog Carnival for 2019. The festivities may wind down in most places, but they continue well till Thanksgiving here at Daemons & Deathrays! You can have your extremely early Christmahanukwanzica, Doc keeps the Halloween vibe going strong! And with that, the survival horror begins…
Survival Horror is a genre that has existed almost as long as gaming itself. Though, the genre wasn’t codified until the 1990s through earlier 3-D video games. Precursors exist thanks to Sweet Home as well as other video games. But even then, tabletop gaming is the true progenitor. Tournament Modules like The Tomb of Horrors exude pure ominous terror and lethality around every corner, forcing the player to play smart and never take anything in the world for granted. Horror RPGs like Dread, Chill, Call of Cthulhu, Kult and many more laid out groundwork for game masters to weave terrifying tales and sinister scenarios for players to try to finish alive.
Some games have done a better job than others at emulating the genre. Take a look at All Flesh Must Be Eaten, among the top of zombie horror RPGs. Limited resources, rampant undead beyond your control, plenty of chilling backdrops. All you need are a few serial numbers filed off, some big boss monsters and you practically have a Resident Evil campaign. Some have even had their shot at homebrewing.
So, we come to you, dear blogger. How does Survival Horror pertain to you? After all, you’re starting to pack up your Halloween treats and decor. But, fear not, tales of eeriness and endurance always have a sweet home of sorts here. For any blogger interested in the theme, let me toss a few ideas to help you out:
- Thrilling tales of survival against all odds. While not exactly horror, facing off against impossible odds and coming out on top is always a staple.
- Dark and eerie surroundings. What’s a good horror game without the perfect set-up?
- Adventures in Survival Horror. Have you run a game that pushed your players to the edge, while keeping them on the edge of their seats? Share your creepy tales.
- Your Bag is Full! Discuss mechanics to help enforce the themes of the survival horror genre. How do you handle this style of game in a system that’s often outside of those boundaries (such as D&D)?
- Homages to Horror Video Games. Nothing wrong with a good shout-out! In fact, I have a few critters planned, myself. Well, more anyway…
You have until the end of November to post your links in the blog’s comments. And don’t worry, I’m pretty loose with the theme. More than anything, I’m happy to see people create their own wonderful contributions. Alternatively, shoot a message over the official Daemons & Deathrays facebook page! Should you want to take part in a future RPG Blog Carnival, please drop by this page for more information.
Thanks again for taking the time to check out my page… and should you decide to delve into my dark and dreary challenge, good luck! We’re dying to see what you have to offer.
Daemons & Deathrays 
War was probably at its fiercest when, out of nowhere, an enigmatic dim light surrounded Cyre, one of the fighting nations. A few moments later, a thick fog risen from all horizons and everything inside vanished. The very few who were able to run and escape in fear tell stories of wails and screams from within the smoky curtain that surrounded everything.
Considering how hard is to survive inside the Mournland, and the horrors that adventurers must face while traversing it, there is no better place to play a Survival Horror campaign in Eberron. Allow me to share some ideas to get the right feeling for this type of game.
http://codexanathema.com/2019/11/13/apocalypse-then/
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Awesome! As part of my countdown until “Eberron: Rising from the Last War” official release on the 19th, I had already planned an article about survival campaigns in Eberron, set in the Mournland. I’ll add some horror into it to make it fit perfectly into the theme for this month. Once I have it live, I’ll leave a link over here. In the meantime, you may want to have a look at what’s to come in these “12 (+1) Days of Eberron”.
http://codexanathema.com/2019/11/01/12-1-days-of-eberron/
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