From the alien mind-bending horrors of Lovecraft, to the modern Hollywood slasher flick, Horror is a wide ranging genre that can be difficult to pull off correctly.

Most forms of Horror works best when characters are relatively weak compared to their adversaries. It is suggested that non-heroic characters are used, with most skills probably focused on everyday professions. For modern horror, a group of teenagers, academics or tourists can work well.

The main difference between horror games and 'standard' games in the same setting is that horror often includes rules for fright and insanity which can sometimes play quite a large role in the game.

In the type of horror depicted by writers such as Lovecraft, PCs will be totally overwhelmed by what they face, so how experienced or heroic they are shouldn't matter. It does make it a lot easier however if PCs are relatively low powered, so to this end a Mundane or Skilled campaign level is suggested. The latter level is well suited for researchers with an academic background, providing PCs with the ability to have a wide range of knowledge based skills if desired.

Many GMs prefer not to kill PCs without warning, allowing them to survive dangerous situations as long as they aren't completely stupid. Horror stories tend to work because there is a very real risk of sudden death. PCs should think twice about going off to explore a dark crypt or secret staircase alone. If PCs can't look after themselves, then the campaign will be short. If they are physically capable, then the campaign can turn out to be more action orientated than horror.