Using the Waxwork movie in your role-playing game

Courtesy Wikimedia

My recent review of Waxwork provided a great framework for horror role-playing games. Essentially, there is a "primary" character who is then thrust into various horrific situations in another character's role. It's the core character's goal to survive these situations, but he must do so with the limited resources of the horror victim.

The means of thrusting characters into this situation can vary. Because of the nature of the Waxwork mechanic, it can be transposed on just about any setting – a haunted castle in a fantasy world is just as suitable as a bizarre series of pocket dimensions in a creepy waxwork museum. Getting characters into these situations is half the fun.

The role-playing game Dream Park dealt precisely with this sort of game, where the characters intentionally subject themselves to highly realistic role-playing. Like the movie Waxwork, the effects aren't real; unlike the movie however, there is enough physicality for there to be risk. There's also a level of media scrutiny that detracts from the horror of this style of play.

What we really need is a game that thrusts the primary character into roles without his consent. Believe it or not, the game that most successfully replicates this style of play is Tales from the Crypt for the Masterbook system from West End Games. That's right, the Crypt Keeper makes the best horror game master for these purposes, sending primary character's into the physical bodies of secondary characters.

Waxwork works differently however. The characters retain their bodies, but it is their minds that are at risk of being "too deeply in the scene." This can be replicated by a mental check in whatever system you choose to use. Core characters and secondary characters are physically the same but their mental attributes (for d20, Wisdom and Intelligence) are different. Each character must make a check whenever faced with a threatening situation or by the efforts of their comrades to snap out of it (Will save DC 20). Success means they are restored to their former selves and regain their core character mental attributes. Failure means they continue to role-play their secondary character.

This takes quite a bit of agreement between players and game masters to role-play the horror victim until they "wake up." It can also ratchet up the tension as character's struggle to start acting like the combat commandos their players want them to be in otherwise horrorific situations.

Of course, the core character is at a disadvantage: he doesn't necessarily know where he is, what his abilities are, his opposition, or even his foes. He will only be supplied with the equipment in the scene, and figuring out the plot of the role the core character has been thrust into is part of the fun.

Escaping these small pocket dimensions, which are cordoned off by cleverly concealed terrain (not unlike a movie set), is no small task. The character must make a similar Will save (DC 20) to shove his way out of the dimension the same way he came in.

Characters can also attempt to disbelieve, although this isn't a lot of fun if these rules are implemented immediately. If you do choose to implement this rule (preferably after several horror-themed encounters), the character discovers that they are in fact facing off against greater shadow conjurations.

Shadow conjurations are actually three-fifths (60%) as strong as the real things. Once a character suspects that they aren't real, he is allowed a Will save (DC 20). Creatures who believe the shadow conjurations to be real are affected by them at full strength. A shadow creature has three-fifths the hit points of a normal creature of its kind (regardless of whether it’s recognized as shadowy). It deals normal damage and has all normal abilities and weaknesses. Against a creature that recognizes it as a shadow creature, however, the shadow creature’s damage is three-fifths (60%) normal, and all special abilities that do not deal lethal damage are only 60% likely to work. (Roll for each use and each affected character separately.) Furthermore, the shadow creature’s AC bonuses are three-fifths as large. A creature that succeeds on its save sees the shadow conjurations as transparent images superimposed on vague, shadowy forms. Objects automatically succeed on their Will saves against this spell.

For a list of possible d20 foes from the movie, see: Alien, The Wolfman, Dracula, Dracula's Brides, The Mummy, zombies, Miscellaneous Axe Murderer, Frankenstein's Monster, Audrey II, irritating zombie hand, and witch.