Beneath the Surface: Unearthing 'As Above, So Below' in Your Next D&D Campaign
Last week I watched ‘As Above, So Below’, a riveting found footage horror film. The story focuses on Scarlett Marlowe, a scholar who is obsessed with finishing her father’s legacy, the search for the fabled Philosopher’s Stone. Her search leads her to the legendary Catacombs of Paris, a sprawling labyrinthine tomb of tunnels that cradles centuries of souls beneath the city’s bustling life. Along with her companions, she delves in search of her treasure. Yet the catacombs hold more than just the bodies of the departed. These crypts are both a physical and paranormal maze, morphing to trap the group.
I found this movie fascinating, not just because of the story itself, but how well the exploration turned into a nightmare played into the fear of the story itself. It was a fantastic concept, and one perfect for my Dungeons & Dragons games.
(Spoilers for As Above, So Below, below)
Disorienting Depths
Alongside the other forces in the story, the catacombs were an antagonist themselves. The group’s descent starts with a tunnel collapse that both seals their only choice for escape and forces them onto a path that is rumored to mark doom for those who enter. This is only the start, and the confusion only increases from there. As depicted, the catacombs defy logic and orientation, with passageways altering and entrances vanishing, really building that sense of disorientation.
The eerie grandeur built in this movie matches with the real life Catacombs of Paris, which is a macabre and terrifying landmark. The tunnels catacombs supposedly cover around 800 hectares, almost 2,000 acres, of space beneath the city. Despite its vastness and dark allure, there has been only one reported death in the catacombs since they were created in 1793. However, the catacombs’ limited access to the public does little to dispel those that want to get in illegally, as with the group’s guide, Pavilion.
Navigating these dark and winding corridors can be difficult for even the most seasoned explorers. Modern tools like cellular or GPS signal will stutter and fail as you delve deeper into this dungeon, leaving you at the mercy of your senses. In the movie, supernatural forces beckon the group to go ever deeper in order to escape, which adds a bit of terror onto this real life monument, and is exactly what I want to capture in my tabletop roleplaying games.
Photo by annbal
Capturing the Horror in Games
Now how can you bring this kind of terror and disorientation into your Dungeons and Dragons games? Integrating this horror into your Dungeons & Dragons game requires a nuanced approach to player perception. As a game master, you have an omniscient view of the game world and can often see what is going on behind the scenes. Your players do not have this knowledge, and you can use that to your advantage. If your players enter a dungeon that can shift, consider alerting the map as the players move through it. Perhaps a cave-in blocks their exit, or a malicious spirit has the power to change the tunnels in order to trap souls with it. Employing a “Fog of War” style battle map can stress this effect, limiting player awareness to their immediate surrounding and elevate the tension.
You can also enhance the eeriness of a trip through the tunnels by using vivid descriptions that engage multiple senses. As I previously talked about, sensory embellishment can help to build the atmosphere you want. Engage multiple senses, talking about the sounds or smells your players perceive as well as the more common ones like sight or smell. Players will better imagine the dungeon when you add the musty smell in the air with the drips of the water in it. You can take these a step further by personifying the ambient horror of the dungeon, adding a twist of malevolence to it. The shadows might dance sinisterly while the groans of the earth seem like the growls of unseen predators, and both will elevate that apprehension into outright dread.
Quick Tips
Ready to bring the horror of disorientation to your party’s next delve into the dungeons? Remember the following tips.
Dynamic Mapping: Use moveable tiles or digital mapping tools to alter the dungeon layout in real time as the players navigate through it. The shifting nature will keep them on their toes.
Sensory Descriptions: Craft descriptions that go beyond sight, including sound, smell, and tactile sensation. The damp cold air of the catacombs chills the party to the bones, and the dripping water in the distance adds to the musty scent of decay that fills that air, and heightens the dread.
“Fog of War”: Use physical barriers like index cards or screens or digital tools to obscure parts of the map the players cannot currently see. This encourages cautious exploration and will heighten suspense. Just because the players left a room doesn’t mean there isn’t something new waiting for them to return.
Photo by minree
Conclusion
The journey through ‘As Above, So Below’ and the catacombs beneath Paris is an odyssey into the unknown, highlighted by supernatural dread. Bringing this experience to your Dungeons & Dragons table means you are not merely crafting an encounter for your players to navigate. We are inviting them into an adventure that will challenge their perceptions, test their resolve, and immerse them into a tension filled atmosphere. Ultimately, the goal is to create a story that leaves a lasting impact, one that your players will talk about long after the adventure ends.
How have you brought your underground adventures to life? Have you used any methods to disorient and disturb your table? Tell me about it in the comments below. I would love to hear about it.