Gloomcorps

When running a game it is important to set the mood you want to create. If you are running a horror sci-fi game it is a good idea to give the characters some idea of what they are going to be encountering in terms of theme. There are several ways to do this:

1. Discription, Discription, Discription:
This is by far the easiest way to set the mood in a game. A GM is, at his or her heart, the author of the story the players are participating in. With that in mind, scene setting should be done like a novel, or at very least like a play. This can be done easily through the use of adjectives. If you are wanting to run a gritty noir game, make sure to mention the overcast sky, and the grimy, disheveled look of the abandoned warehouse. For example, you could describe the warehouse as having busted out windows that ‘gape like an eyeless face.’

Not really eyeless face, more like tetanus hazard.

Try to steep the mood in every description you give, and give a lot of them. This forces a bit more planning on the GM’s part, but it is well worth it.

2. Music:
Think of your game like a movie or a TV show, and as such a soundtrack is a great idea. In the Dungeons and Dragons game Kazallo runs, Ezekiel is in charge of the music (and he has performed more than admirably). Before that game, I had never really played with a soundtrack before. Now, I never want to play with out one.

Nox Arcana is really good for creating a spooky feel.

There is something truly epic about having a fight while battle music rages in the background. It takes things from being people sitting around a table rolling dice, to a full sensory experience.

3. Props for Props (and real examples):
Keeping the thought of making gaming a full sensory experience in mind, props can add to both the mood of a game and the overall gaming experience.

Let’s say you want to keep true to the noir feel of a game (I am planning one, so that is why I keep using it as an example) and the group finds the remnants of burned note in a fireplace. Make one. All you need is some paper and matches, and the game suddenly becomes more real.

Ooo Spooky...

If there is something you can’t make, or it would be too expensive to, try to find a real world example to show your group. Group fighting in a Gothic castle? Find a picture. Bonus if you can find one with a dark and spooky scene in the background.

So do you have to do all of this stuff to run a good game? Simply put, no. Ultimately though, gaming is meant to be an enjoyable event for both the GM and the players, and the more effort that the GM puts in, the more the players will get out of it.

As a GM what do you do to set the mood? Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments below.