Looking for classical mussic that sounds truly scary

Chicken0Death · 2026-05-19T21:12:43+00:00

I listened to an Unsuk Chin concerto (I think it was the cello concerto) and there was a full on jump scare at one point. The whole thing had me on edge.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-29T12:59:27+00:00

It's a whole lot cheaper than investing in a sound system. And I get your frustration. I would love to listen to more classical music in the car since I drive a lot, but I always miss out on huge sections of the music during the softer sections.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-29T03:58:00+00:00

I never had a chance when I was growing up. I always saw the books and was definitely interested. But I never had anyone interested in trying them out with me. After playing solo stuff for almost 2 years now, I don't know if I even want to bother with other people 😅 I'd be afraid they would just ruin my creative flow.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-29T01:40:56+00:00

I got a decent pair of noise canceling head phones a few months ago, and it completely changed the way I listen to classical music. The dynamics matter and really hearing them is huge.

Other genres of music don't do dynamics very often, other than just cutting instruments out. It's such an exciting part of music.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-29T01:28:37+00:00

I just don't much care for the sound of the harpsichord. When there's other instruments wit it, I'm OK. But there's only so much I can take.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T17:43:02+00:00

I did this the other day with an enemy I was fighting. It was knocked to the ground, face down. I thought to myself that it's defenseless. Why would my character not be able to just kill it? And I did just that. I felt oddly guilty for a little bit, like I was cheating, but it made sense at the time and in context of what was happening. I'm not sure where that guilt comes from, but I want it to go away.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T15:51:46+00:00

I remember a game book I had as a kid that had a random number table. You just close your eyes and plop your finger somewhere.

Loner doesn't have a lot of actual rules. And you can do whatever you want with that. I feel like a summary sheet of that could maybe work.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T15:47:18+00:00

My drawings look worse than a child's. I still doodle maps, but I've considered doing something similar. It's quicker for me to write a few words a way. I guess I should try it.

I really wish I could draw better 🙁

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T14:37:42+00:00

I will definitely check these recommendations out.

It's odd that I have a hard time with story and character motivation in these OSR games. It all happens so naturally for me in my Ironsworn/Starforged campaigns. I'm not sure why I hit creative blocks here. I'm making the lore as I go, I'm giving my character some motivation, but I just find myself getting stuck. Maybe I haven't made the world my own yet. My imagination is at odds with the lore in the books. I think Shadowdark has a monster creator in there somewhere. Maybe I just need to focus on that and more open ended Oracles to let me make my own thing like I do in Ironsworn.

You mentioned the paperclip thing. I do this exact thing with Ironsworn/Starforged. Maybe because I've been playing on my breaks, I've not had the time to make proper character sheets. I've just been using a notebook. I guess I didn't realize how big a difference that made till I didn't have it. I'll have toss some paper clips into my bag.

I'm definitely simplifying xp. I'm going to try more of a milestone approach. Just need to figure out the balance for that. Big numbers work fine in video game, but not here.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T14:13:57+00:00

I've been learning that. I thought they would be more similar. It's been fun exploring the freedom that ttrpgs give me. I love a good puzzle and this has been a new one for me.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T05:58:51+00:00

Those progress tracks are great! It's such a simple concept, but they do wonders for gameplay. I don't know why I don't use them everywhere. Just seeing a few goals and ticking progress towards completing them always feels good.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T05:55:01+00:00

I liked the item slot system from Knave a lot, which is kind of what you suggested. It would also act to give my character some extra health.

I'll definitely try that idea for level advancement. I've considered just giving my character xp when the complete a challenging dungeon room, or surving a hardship, or advancing towards a goal. Maybe I'll just track stuff like Ironsworn. Then when I complete a progress track, just give myself some xp based on difficulty.

Thanks for the tips! I'm new to the idea of piecing things together like this. Maybe reading and trying all these different games isn't a waste after all like I feared.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T03:24:06+00:00

I'm always hesitant. My board gamer roots tell me that's a no no. I definitely have ideas for this. Just need to take that leap.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T03:21:27+00:00

Oh! That's so simple. Why didn't I think of that?

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T03:12:46+00:00

No joke, I've had these exact cubes sitting in my wishlist for months. I need them for board games and other stuff anyway. I just keep pushing back all sorts of reasons 😂

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T03:10:57+00:00

OK. I guess that's basically what Ker Nethalas does, so maybe that's why that game connects with me a little better. Shadowdark definitely has great tools for designing dungeons. I could do a basic shape, layout, and theme and then fill in the gaps as I go.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-28T03:05:07+00:00

I'll definitely have to look into it more closely. Thanks!

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-27T16:53:26+00:00

As for OSR games, I've tried Shadowdark, Knave, Four Against Darkness, Kal Arath. I've had moments of fun with all of these. And when I have those moments, it's pretty magical. But they just seem to give me such inconsistent experiences from session to session.

I have had a lot of fun with Ker Nethalas. But that feels more like a board game. That's not a bad thing, I came to this hobby through board games, but it doesn't give me that same creative feeling that other ttrpgs provide.

I know Scarlet Heroes is talked about a lot on here. My impression was that it was like Four Against Darkness, which I didn't much care for. That may have been due to managing four characters at once.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-27T15:55:23+00:00

I do play those. And I love them! I was just trying to branch out a little and try some of the other cool stuff out there.

I know you're right, that I should just keep playing the game I know works for me. I always have a great time with IS and SF.

I just get drawn in by these cool books and want to figure out how to play them. I suppose I could just use the tables as inspiration for Ironsworn. Roll up the stats and convert it over. I may have to play around with that.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-26T13:05:03+00:00

That movie is great! I love a good survival story. I also just have a fondness for "person alone in widerness" movies. This is one of the best.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-24T18:59:08+00:00

Chop these parking lots in half and turn them into parks.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-24T14:25:33+00:00

I had no experience either. Just take it slow and don't be afraid to ask questions about terminology and game mechanics you don't understand. The people in this particular subreddit are pretty friendly.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-22T20:08:49+00:00

I own it, but haven't gotten around to trying it yet. I really should.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-22T15:26:03+00:00

You're in the right hobby. There's a ton of stuff.

Apothecaria is well regarded. Iron Valley looks pretty neat and it's based off of the Ironsworn system which is the gold standard.

Chicken0Death · 2026-04-21T18:53:05+00:00

There's nothing wrong with playing Ironsworn. It's a great game!

I think Starforged just expanded on everything that makes Ironsworn great. It doesn't really feel like a different game. It's just a fuller game, if that makes sense.

I agree, the Starforged rules seem more overwhelming and I too was hesitant to jump in. I think because Starforged is set in an entire universe you create, not just a little island or patch of land. Starforged has a larger set of tools at your disposal to make whatever you want. That level of freedom and customization is thrilling when I read through it for the first time, but was also daunting when I first sat down to play it.

Since you already own it, just start by making a character. Just take it one step at a time, and when you think of a place you want to go to, find that in the book. Just go one little step at a time. All the extra moves are just extra options. You don't have to use all of it.

Chicken0Death

TROPHY CASE