Template metadata

id: module_horror title: Horror Module type: module_horror level: module purpose: Suspense and fear-based adventure with dread mechanics, corruption tracking, and safety considerations author: Mimir Team

Module-specific metadata

module_number: 1 theme: “[Theme]” tone: “Horror” estimated_hours: 8

Catalog references (machine-readable)

monsters:

Horror modules often have few but terrifying enemies

• encounter: first_glimpse name: “[Lesser Manifestation]” source: MM quantity: 1 notes: “First sign of the horror - incomplete or shadowy”
• encounter: corruption_spread name: “[Corrupted Creature/Person]” source: MM quantity: 3 notes: “What the horror makes of its victims”
• encounter: horror_entity name: “[The Horror]” source: MM quantity: 1 notes: “The true threat - may be unkillable”

npcs:

Horror modules need characters to lose

• role: harbinger name: “[The Warning]” source: campaign location: “Found at the start” notes: “Already touched by horror - warns PCs”
• role: skeptic name: “[The Denier]” source: campaign location: “[Authority position]” notes: “Refuses to believe until too late”
• role: victim name: “[The Tragedy]” source: campaign location: “[Connected to PCs]” notes: “Shows horror’s power through loss”
• role: expert name: “[The Knowledge]” source: campaign location: “[Hidden/difficult to find]” notes: “Knows how to stop it - at terrible cost”
• role: innocent name: “[The Stakes]” source: campaign location: “[Safe haven initially]” notes: “Must be protected - gives PCs reason to stay”

items:

• location: discovery name: “[Cursed Object]” source: campaign quantity: 1 notes: “Connected to the horror - dangerous but informative”
• location: expert_reward name: “[Protection/Weapon]” source: campaign quantity: 1 notes: “The one thing that might work against it”

variables:

• name: horror_name type: string description: Name of the horror scenario default: “[Horror Name]” required: true
• name: module_number type: number description: Module number in campaign sequence default: 1 required: true

Module {{module_number}}: {{horror_name}}

Suspense and fear-based adventure

1. Overview

Pitch: [One sentence describing the horror scenario]

Core Fear: [What primal fear does this tap into - death, loss, corruption, helplessness, the unknown]

The Horror: [What’s actually happening - the supernatural truth]

The Hope: [Can it be stopped? What’s the cost?]

Estimated Play Time: [X hours - horror works best with sustained dread]

The Hook

The First Sign: [What draws PCs into the situation]

Why They Stay: [What prevents them from just leaving]

Personal Stakes: [Connection to PCs - someone they care about, place they know]

Module Structure

[UNEASE] → [FEAR] → [TERROR] → [CONFRONTATION] → [RESOLUTION]
 (wrong)   (threat)  (horror)    (face it)        (survive?)

[Horror builds through stages - rushing undermines dread]

2. The Nightmare

Surface Level

What People Notice: [Initial strange events - easily dismissed]

Rational Explanations: [What skeptics claim - weather, animals, stress]

Growing Concerns: [Why explanations fail - pattern emerges]

The First Death: [When it becomes undeniably serious]

The Truth

What’s Really Happening: [Core horror element - DM knowledge]

Why Now: [What triggered the horror - ritual, discovery, cycle]

Why Here: [Location significance - history, ley lines, victims]

The Rules: [How the horror operates - limitations and powers]

3. The Horror Entity

Nature

Powers

How It Hunts:

• [Primary method - stalking, possession, luring]
• [Secondary ability - environmental manipulation]
• [Worst power - what makes it truly terrifying]

How It Hides:

• [Camouflage - looks normal until it doesn’t]
• [Misdirection - makes people doubt themselves]
• [Puppets - uses victims to get close]

Weaknesses

What Hurts It: [If anything - may only slow it]

What Stops It: [Temporary measures - light, symbols, barriers]

What Kills It: [If possible - the solution, if one exists]

The Cost: [What defeating it requires - sacrifice, corruption, loss]

4. Corruption Mechanics

Environmental Corruption

Track how the location changes as the horror spreads:

Corruption Advances When:

• Horror claims a victim: +1
• PCs fail to contain spread: +1
• Significant time passes: +1
• Horror achieves key goal: +2

Stress Tracking

Track individual character stress (0-10):

Gaining Stress:

• Witness horror (not violence - wrongness): +1
• Ally harmed or killed: +2
• Direct encounter with entity: +2
• Sanity-breaking revelation: +3
• Failed save against fear: +1

Reducing Stress:

• Complete rest in genuinely safe place: -1
• Positive human connection: -1
• Small victory against horror: -1
• Achieving key understanding: -1

5. Key Locations

Safe Haven: [Name]

Initial State: [Secure, comforting, normal]

Resources Available: [Supplies, information, rest]

Shelter NPCs: [Who’s here - innocents to protect]

How Corruption Reaches: [When safety fails - corruption level trigger]

Final State: [What it becomes - last stand or lost forever]

Investigation Site: [Name]

Why PCs Must Go: [Essential clue or resource]

Active Dangers: [What threatens them here]

What They Learn: [Crucial information about the horror]

The Cost: [What this knowledge takes from them - stress, resources]

Heart of Darkness: [Name]

Description: [Where the horror originates or dwells]

Defenses: [What protects the horror - traps, corruption, guardians]

The Truth: [Final revelation found here]

Escape Difficulty: [Getting out may be harder than getting in]

6. Adventure Content

Part 1: Unease (Stage 1)

Setup: PCs encounter the first signs that something is wrong

Read Aloud: “[Description of the initial setting - beautiful, familiar, normal. But describe one thing that’s slightly wrong. A smell that shouldn’t be there. Silence where there should be sound. A shadow that doesn’t match its source. Let the players notice it themselves if possible.]”

Features:

• [Odd occurrence - easily dismissed]
• [Unsettling detail - makes people uncomfortable]
• [Minor threat - could be coincidence]
• [First evidence - something is genuinely wrong]

NPC Encounters:

• The Harbinger provides cryptic warning
• The Skeptic dismisses concerns

Atmosphere Building:

• NPCs nervous but in denial
• Authorities have explanations
• PCs feel watched but can’t prove it
• Normal activities feel slightly off

Encounter: first_glimpse (optional - may just be suggestion)

• Appearance: Glimpse only - gone when they look directly
• Doubt: Did they really see it?
• Effect: +1 Stress for witnesses

Outcomes:

• Investigation Begun: PCs start looking for answers
• Dismissed: They’ll be drawn back when things escalate
• Transition: First victim draws them deeper

Part 2: Fear (Stage 2)

Setup: The horror becomes undeniable - normal explanations fail

Read Aloud: “[Description of escalation - what was wrong is now obviously supernatural. Describe the wrongness with all senses. The way light bends incorrectly. The temperature that doesn’t match the environment. The sound that comes from everywhere and nowhere. Reality is breaking.]”

Features:

• [Clear supernatural event - no rational explanation]
• [First victim found - horror becomes deadly real]
• [Escape blocked - easy solution removed]
• [Isolation begins - cut off from outside help]

NPC Developments:

• The Victim is claimed or transformed
• The Skeptic begins to break
• The Expert becomes findable (or seeks them)

Atmosphere Shift:

• NPCs openly frightened
• Authorities helpless, missing, or corrupt
• Safe spaces feel compromised
• Sleep becomes difficult (stress accumulates)

Investigation:

Encounter: corruption_spread

• Tactics: Relentless, unnatural movement, no self-preservation
• Terrain: Environment works against PCs
• Horror: These were people - recognition possible

Outcomes:

• Knowledge Gained: PCs understand more but cost paid
• Losses Suffered: Allies harmed, resources depleted
• Transition: The expert provides final direction

Part 3: Terror (Stage 3)

Setup: Full horror revealed - survival becomes primary concern

Read Aloud: “[Description of the horror in its full terrible form. This is the nightmare made manifest. Describe not just what it looks like but what it feels like to be in its presence. The wrongness that radiates from it. The way reality bends around it. The certainty that you are prey.]”

Features:

• [Direct confrontation - face the nightmare]
• [Worst fears realized - personalized horror]
• [Allies tested - trust breaks under pressure]
• [True scope revealed - it’s worse than they thought]

NPC Final States:

• The Harbinger’s fate shows horror’s power
• The Skeptic becomes believer (or victim)
• The Expert provides final guidance (at cost)
• The Innocent must be saved or sacrificed

Survival Mode:

• Every resource is precious
• Paranoia is justified
• Reality is questionable
• Sanity is strained

Hard Choices:

Encounter: horror_entity

• Phase 1: Horror toys with them - demonstrates power
• Phase 2: Horror attacks in earnest - full abilities
• Environment: Reality breaks - lair actions
• Victory Condition: [What actually defeats it - if possible]

Resolution Paths:

7. Dwindling Resources

What Runs Out

8. DM Notes

Pacing Horror

Opening: Normal scene with one wrong detail Development: Investigation with building unease Climax: Horror encounter or sanity-breaking revelation Denouement: Brief safety before next stage

Building Dread

• Start subtle - let players scare themselves
• Use environment before showing monsters
• Make familiar things threatening
• Describe absence (silence, cold, emptiness)
• Focus on wrong details, not gore
• Use all senses, especially smell
• Leave gaps for imagination
• Contrast beauty with horror
• Break tension occasionally (relief makes horror worse)

Player Techniques

• Split the party carefully (terrifying but risky)
• Remove expected resources (magic doesn’t work as expected)
• Make dice rolls ominous (natural 1 on Perception…)
• Use real-time pressure sparingly
• Reward paranoia occasionally

Safety Considerations

Session Zero Requirements:

• Establish lines and veils
• Discuss phobias to avoid
• Create safety signals (X-card, verbal check)
• Agree on intensity level
• Plan tone breaks

During Play:

• Watch player (not character) reactions
• Pause if anyone seems uncomfortable
• Debrief after intense scenes
• Separate player experience from character
• End sessions in calmer moments when possible

After Sessions:

• Check in with players
• Adjust intensity as needed
• Celebrate survival together

Scaling Horror

• Lighter Horror: Reduce body count, add more comic relief, clear victory possible
• Intense Horror: Higher stakes, fewer escapes, lasting consequences
• Survival Horror: Resource scarcity, anyone can die, victory costs everything

Common Pitfalls

• Too much too fast: Horror needs slow build - rushing kills dread
• Gore over atmosphere: Wrongness is scarier than violence
• Invincible horror: Must have some path to victory or players disengage
• Player discomfort: Check in regularly, respect limits
• Hopelessness: Small victories maintain engagement

9. Connections

From Previous Module

[What brought them to this horror - past actions, NPCs, locations]

To Next Module

[Trauma carried forward, knowledge gained, relationships changed]

Campaign Themes

[How this horror reflects larger campaign darkness]

10. Post-Module Notes

What Happened

• What stage did horror reach?
• Who survived? Who was lost?
• What was sacrificed?
• How was horror resolved (or not)?

Character States

Environmental State

Final Corruption Level: [0-4]

Location Status: [Cleansed / Abandoned / Still dangerous]

Continuity Notes

[What players learned, what they carry, what haunts them]

Status: [Planning / Ready / Active / Complete] Started: [Date] Completed: [Date]