Polaroids of dead bodies as hand-outs pre-game (we run 'walk-ons', and this event started in a pub near the site).  Created paranoia before the players even hit site, and looked better than seeing it in the flesh (the naked corpse in the shower looked stunning - 'tastefully' done too!)  Plus freed up bodies for crewing - and was great fun to shoot!

Minimal calls (ie none except subtly whispering to players), no OOC refs or players and no masks.  Looked and sounded more 'real' - if you want to get people scared OOC (the best way IMO), you want things to look, feel and sound real.  Shouting 'crush' is not scary, nor is 'necroquadthrupermseverleveldrain'.  I like games with calls, but they don't suit immersive horror very well.

'Hauntings': blood in the sinks, writing on mirrors, blood appearing on windows seconds after a player was just looking at it, splashes in a dark pond (where the players knew a baby was once drowned), possession of PCs leading to PvP (ending in character death and mistrust), tapping on the roof, wall and windows (try chucking eggs on the roof, if players don't click it's pretty spooky - if you already have them immersed they won't realise), a ghostly apparition in white with a spooky glow under it's face (we used a mobile phone with the light on about 40 feet away).

Make the players focussed on a mundane task, then hit them IC with something scary and supernatural.  We did management and H&S training for mundane PCs for about 4 hours before the first encounter hit.  Most people said being in a mundane mindset (but immersed and IC) made that very brief and simple encounter more effective.

Limited weapons, one of our guys made latex kitchen knives, saw, hammer, fire axe, even a cup and a toaster (which plugged in with a power lead - one of the players mistakenly tried to use it to make toast...!)

Clues.  Clues are great - they provoke imagination, which is a key horror factor.  Good physreps improve this.  We had a necronomiconesque book hidden in a quarry, the players discovered it from footage on a digital camera they found on site, and enhanced the image and sound on a laptop.  Cheap, easy to do, and resulted in some real fear when they gathered to watch it.  Great lead up to the NPC in the vid turning up later...

Scary bad guys.  This is hard.  I like physrepable villains, whose intentions and 'powers' (if any) are unknown.  A good entry (striding with purpose to the site, just appearing from a corner etc) is key - try and plan a good one.

Keep the players guessing.  Try to stay away from anything too formulaic, as this above all things will keep your players confused, and thus susceptible to your tricks to scare them.

The most important, is to have good players and crew (probably always the key thing in ANY LRP).  If people are crap, don't invite them - they could well ruin it for everyone...

That's my tuppence...

Were you being serious? And, if so, what was your experience of it? Did it throw you out of character, even for a moment? Was it something you laughed at later? Would the monster's physical build have been of any importance?

I mentioned in a post about polaroids of dead people, and that one was naked in the shower.  The dead were returning as 'zombies', and when this part came up, the crew member volunteered to do it naked, as suddenly becoming PG13 wouldn't be convincing.

Luckily that crew member doesn't have any nudity hang-ups.  All of the players knew they were attending an adult game, and know we're committed to trying new things.  I also know all of the players and crew personally.

The game is very heavy on immersion, and has no real mechanics, it's all as freeform as possible.  We're lucky enough to have a very high standard of players and crew (if I do say so myself), and everyone took it IC.  It was very disturbing when half the players heard about it over the radio - there was no giggling or piss taking, just shock and fear.

I accept though, this wouldn't work at many games.

Alot of LRP is cool memories and experiences, things to look back on, and trying o do something new.  For this system, we're committed to Immersion (even at the expense of gameplay at times), Trying New Things (not neccessairly never-been-done, but things WE haven't tried before), and Making Each Game Different and Memorable.

A naked zombie really helped with this.

I couldn't agree more with you though, it worked at an invite only game, where the main organiser knew everyone, and it was clear this was an adult game.  The crew member (well, all crew our refs at this game) wasn't ever asked.  He volunteered.

Pretty specific circumstances really.

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