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How do you run survival horror? Say a player is in an encounter with a monster. They see it. It sees them. Their actions determine whether the player lives or dies. Assume the player can't dispose of the monster using straightforward means. It's a xenomorph they need to jettison into space or a vampire they need to expose to sunlight. But say there isn't a handy airlock or curtain in the room.
Is there a system you like with a combat system that facilitates not just exchanging blows, but avoiding contact and utilizing the environment to create obstacles and hindrances to aid in your escape, or at least incapacitate the danger long enough to get what you need and get yourself out of there?
Certainly it's easy enough to have a player make an Athletics check to see if they run away fast enough. I'm just curious about alternatives to combat systems. Games with choices unique to surviving in tense encounters where participants are not physically matched. Designed with an unfair fight in mind.
Favored systems? Techniques in systems not necessarily geared towards encounters like this? Non-RPGs with interesting mechanics that would benefit this kind of experience? If you can't think of any that exist, how WOULD you implement something like this.
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>>50259466
You don't. The social interaction at the table will, in all likelihood, turn it into black comedy.
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>>50259479
I don't actually have a problem with that to be honest. That's what watching horror movies with friends does as well. I am more interested in the type of action that occurs than trying to make combat scary.
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If they are boned and spotted and you don't mind the possibility that the monster will get and kill them,
i would judge it off Player movement/speed vs Monster movement/speed,
So player will move X distance away from monster,
Monster will chase X distance, which i mean you could fudge to keep it interesting.
Navigating objects will either add or subtract distance between the characters.
So the player may attempt to jump onto a table to cut towards the door, moving them further from the monster,
Player could fail that roll so instead of gaining speed they lose it.
or player pulls down a shelf.
If successful monster has to roll to navigate the obstacle
Same to keep it interesting Monster could grab an object to hurl at the player,
Or drop to all 4 and burst into a quick sprint to gain slightly.
It would help for you to have a room by room map to just drop down as your chasing. Or at least some idea like that.
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>>50259466
FATE does/can do something like this.
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>>50259466
Have weapons (and ammo) be sparse. What you find is what you get.
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>>50261965
I also recall chase rules in Stolze's stuff, Reign and Unknown Armies both. Turning over a box, jumping to get up to the fire escape etc. Would gain you a unit called lengths. Get enough lengths, you're safe. Get down to no lengths, you're in combat range.
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Any system where the PC doesn't have hit points or an HP analog.
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>>50264589
Like what?
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Your players could be playing the line between Vulgarity (http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Vulgar_magic) and http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Coincidental_magic in Mage: Ascension. They could be low level Matter workers who put a bench in the way of their enemies during a chase, or Force mages who move a bench that's already there out of their own way as they escape.
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>>50259466
Dark Heresy. The players are already underpowered for the setting (and they know it), it comes with all the mechanics necessary for a good survival horror mission (fear/insanity mechanics, opposed tests, investigation mechanics for puzzles and such, etc.). You'd just have to homerule the 40k parts out and insert your setting's lore instead. I've used for multiple survival horror sessions and it's never failed me.
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