Horror Module

The template’s metadata:

---
# 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

Aspect	Details
Form	[Physical description or terrifying formlessness]
Origin	[Where it came from - ancient evil, created, summoned]
Motivation	[What drives it - hunger, revenge, spreading, purpose]
Intelligence	[Bestial, cunning, alien, or incomprehensible]

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:

Level	State	Effects
0	Normal	Tense atmosphere, nothing visible
1	Unsettling	Wrong details - shadows wrong way, colors muted
2	Corrupted	Obvious supernatural - reality fraying
3	Nightmare	Environment hostile - walls bleed, gravity shifts
4	Hellscape	Horror’s domain - survival only

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):

Stress	Status	Effects
0	Stable	Normal function
1-3	Shaken	Disadvantage on one type of check (player choice)
4-6	Frightened	As shaken + 1 level exhaustion
7-9	Breaking	Short-term madness effect (1d10 minutes)
10	Broken	Long-term madness, permanent consequence

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:

Clue Type	What They Learn	Source
Historical	Past incidents, pattern	Archives, expert
Pattern	How horror operates	Observation, survivors
Weakness	Possible vulnerability	Expert, artifact
Truth	Real cause/nature	Heart of darkness

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:

Choice	Option A	Option B
[Dilemma 1]	Save NPC	Preserve resource needed for victory
[Dilemma 2]	Risk exposure to horror	Stay trapped and wait
[Dilemma 3]	Trust potential ally	Go alone
[Dilemma 4]	Face horror now	Abandon goal and flee

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:

Outcome	Requirements	Consequences
Complete Victory	[Extreme sacrifice/cost]	Horror destroyed, heavy casualties, PCs forever changed
Pyrrhic Victory	[Significant cost]	Horror stopped for now, location/people lost, will return
Survival	[Escape only]	Horror remains, others will suffer, PCs carry guilt
Failure	[TPK or worse]	Horror wins, seeds for rescue/revenge arc

---

7. Dwindling Resources

What Runs Out

Resource	Starting State	Depletion	At Zero
Light	Torches, lamps	Used, broken, stolen	Darkness empowers horror
Safe Spaces	Haven secure	Corruption spreads	Nowhere to rest
Allies	NPCs present	Killed, turned, fled	PCs alone
Sanity	Stress at 0	Accumulates	Characters break
Time	[Deadline]	[Event progression]	[Catastrophe]

---

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

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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]

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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

Character	Final Stress	Lasting Effects
[PC 1]	[0-10]	[Any permanent consequences]
[PC 2]	[0-10]	[Any permanent consequences]

Environmental State

Final Corruption Level: [0-4]

Location Status: [Cleansed / Abandoned / Still dangerous]

Continuity Notes

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

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