One of the main jobs of a warden or gamemaster is to create a compelling story with memorable characters and environments. Today we are going to be focusing on the environmental parts as I’ve been feeling a bit lacking in that manner. But Chris, what steps are you going to take to create a memorable environment that immerses the players? Well, I’ve gone and created a few tables to keep up with my gambling addiction and to give me another reason to increase the size of my dice collection!
Most wardens have a habit of targeting sight and sound when giving descriptions of scenes to players, it’s a bad habit derived from the era of digital entertainment. allow me to show you what I mean:
“As you struggle to get back on your feet, coming from right ahead of you, you hear the thuds of hooves on concrete and the scratching of the beast’s spikes on the metal shell of the hallway. Like a fork to a ceramic plate, you try to cover your ears but the noise pierces through even your skin.”
We are going to accomplish some immersion by targeting the other senses that are directly linked to our brains: Touch, Smell, and Taste. The goal for this is to help our players connect more to the fear their characters have! Check this out!
“You feel the cold gritty concrete beneath your fingertips as you struggle back onto your feet, however, the slick residue from its previous attempt at you makes it impossible to get into a stable stance. As you struggle the sour scent of fermented liquids fills the corridor as the hooves echo from down the hallway”
By doing this, we are trying to give the players more sensations that they can relate to rather than letting them imagine some horse amalgamated with machines and spikes. We can now allow them to feel the sensations in the moment as they come to realize there is nothing they can do to get away.
The main issue we are trying to overcome is the fact that Mothership is set in a year most of us can only imagine, so our jobs as wardens is to fill every scenario with as many familiarities as possible while also trying to warp them into whatever twisted fantasy we want our players to experience.
I’ve created some tables below for reference if you need them! I had a lot of fun putting these together and felt that it would propel my skills as a warden and gamemaster a bit ahead! If I’m missing any words in the table that you feel should belong then leave a comment below, or if this got your creative juices running, leave your masterpiece of a descriptive piece below, I’d love to see how you use the tables!
Today we covered the need to create immersion through smell, taste, and touch and how necessary it is for a game set in the far future of the human race! If you liked what you saw, please have a look through the rest of my blog or join me on my live streams every Tuesday and Wednesday! Don’t forget to share this with you’re wardens or gamemasters, it can only make your games better!
Factory Scene Sensory Descriptions
| Touch | Smell | Taste | |
| 1 | Gritty: Dust and grime coat everything, leaving a rough texture on skin. | Acrid: Pungent fumes from burning oil and welding irritate the throat. | Metallic: Tiny particles of metal dust leave a metallic tang on the tongue. |
| 2 | Slick: Spilled oil creates a greasy film underfoot. | Metallic: The scent of hot metal lingers from recent fabrication processes. | Salty: Airborne salt from industrial processes coats the tongue with a salty residue. |
| 3 | Searing: Intense heat radiates from machinery, making surfaces too hot to hold for long. | Chemical: A cocktail of unidentified industrial chemicals fills the air. | Bitter: Chemical traces leave a bitter aftertaste in the mouth. |
| 4 | Rough: Exposed metal and concrete offer little comfort underfoot or to the touch. | Oily: The heavy aroma of machine lubricants hangs heavy. | Oily: A greasy film coats the mouth from inhaled oil particles. |
| 5 | Rough: Exposed metal and concrete offer little comfort underfoot or to the touch. | Burning: The smell of scorched materials lingers from welding or cutting. | Burning: Irritating smoke or fumes cause a burning sensation in the throat and mouth. |
| 6 | Sticky: Residual glue or resin clings to surfaces, making everything feel tacky. | Musty: A damp, stale odor suggests neglect and accumulated grime. | Sour: Traces of industrial acids tickle the back of the throat and tongue. |
| 7 | Damp: Moisture hangs heavy in the air, causing surfaces to feel clammy. | Damp: Moisture hangs heavy in the air, causing surfaces to feel clammy. | Sweet (Chemical): An artificial sweetness from chemical compounds hangs in the air, unpleasantly sweet. |
| 8 | Gritty: Dust and grime coat everything, leaving a rough texture on the skin. | Sweet: A sickly-sweet aroma from industrial paints or coatings hangs in the air. | Dusty: Gritty dust particles leave a dry, unpleasant feeling in the mouth. |
| 9 | Ragged: Sharp edges and protruding bolts threaten to snag on clothing or skin. | Salty: A faint tang of salt suggests proximity to coolant systems or seawater processing. | Ozone: A sharp, metallic taste from high concentrations of ozone produced by electrical equipment. (Think of the smell after a lightning strike) |
| 10 | Dusty: Air thick with suspended particles settles on everything, creating a dry feeling. | Burning Rubber: The pungent smell of overheated or stressed rubber tires from factory vehicles. | Smoke-Tainted: The lingering taste of burnt fuel and smoke coats the mouth. |
Gore Scene Sensory Descriptions
| Touch | Smell | Taste | |
| 1 | Slick: A cold, greasy film coats your fingers, like wet oil mixed with blood. | Cloying: The metallic tang of blood mixes with the suffocating sweetness of decay. | Coppery: Blood fills your mouth with a metallic tang. |
| 2 | Squishy: Flesh yields easily underfoot, with a sickening squelch. | Putrid: A wave of rotting flesh assaults your senses, like a corpse left in the sun. | Salty: Tears mix with blood, creating a briny sensation. |
| 3 | Jagged: Sharp bone fragments pierce your gloves, sending shivers up your arm. | Acrid: The stench of burnt flesh and singed hair hangs heavy in the air. | Sour: Bile rises in your throat, leaving a bitter aftertaste. |
| 4 | Gritty: Bone dust and pulverized flesh create a sandpaper-like texture. | Sour: Bile and stomach contents mix with blood, creating a revolting odor. | Putrid: A single drop of decaying flesh leaves a horrifying, lingering taste. |
| 5 | Leathery: Coagulated blood forms a tough, resistant surface. | Ammonia-laced: The smell of urine mixes with the general decay, suggesting fear or pain. | Earthy: A mouthful of dirt and grime mixes with the metallic tang of blood. |
| 6 | Musky: Stiffened muscles retain a faint scent of exertion, now sour with decay. | Earthy: The damp scent of turned soil mingles with the metallic tang of blood. | Fatty: Chewing on a piece of flesh releases a rancid, oily flavor. |
| 7 | Warm: A disturbing warmth radiates from freshly spilled blood. | Fetid: A stagnant, swamp-like smell emanates from stagnant blood and decaying matter. | Salty-Sweet: A horrifying combination of sweat and blood lingers on the tongue. |
| 8 | Wormy: Maggots writhe beneath your touch, sending chills down your spine. | Chemical: A sharp, antiseptic odor hints at past attempts to clean the scene. | Chemical: A metallic aftertaste from trace amounts of cleaning agents. |
| 9 | Ragged: Torn flesh hangs in strips, revealing raw muscle beneath. | Sewer-like: The stench of sewage and waste adds another layer to the olfactory assault. | Burning: Pungent smoke or fumes irritate the throat and mouth. |
| 10 | Brittle: Dehydrated flesh crumbles at the touch, like dry leaves. | Insecticidal: The faint, sweet scent of fly spray lingers, a sickening reminder of scavengers. | Bitter: Decomposition releases a bitter, acrid taste onto the tongue. |
Jungle Scene Sensory Descriptions
| Touch | Smell | Taste | |
| 1 | Slick: Moisture hangs heavy in the air, leaving a damp film on exposed skin. | Earthy: The rich scent of decaying leaves and damp soil fills the air. | Bitter: A chewed leaf releases a bitter, unpleasant taste. |
| 2 | Bumpy: Uneven ground covered in roots and rocks makes walking treacherous. | Floral: Sweet, heady aromas from blooming flowers compete with other odors. | Sweet: Ripe fruit offers a burst of sweetness, potentially masking danger. |
| 3 | Rough: Coarse bark and thick leaves scrape against skin, leaving minor scratches. | Musty: The damp undergrowth carries a slightly moldy smell. | Earthy: A mouthful of dirt after a stumble creates a gritty, unpleasant sensation. |
| 4 | Sticky: Sap from various plants clings to hands and clothes. | Fruity: Ripe and rotting fruit from various plants adds a sweet, pungent note. | Pungent: Some berries or plants may leave a burning or tingling sensation on the tongue. |
| 5 | Stringy: Cobwebs brush against exposed skin, sending shivers down the spine. | Peppery: Certain plants release a spicy, irritating scent upon contact. | Spicy: Chewing on the wrong plant can lead to a burning, painful sensation. |
| 6 | Spiky: Thorns and prickly vines snag on clothes and potentially pierce skin. | Musky: The smell of animals lingers in the air, hinting at unseen inhabitants. | Sour: Unripe fruit offers a tart, unpleasant taste. |
| 7 | Soft: Thick layers of decaying leaves create a spongy, damp underfoot sensation. | Petrichor: The fresh, earthy scent of rain after a dry spell invigorates the senses. | Astringent: Certain leaves leave a dry, puckering sensation on the tongue. |
| 8 | Squirming: Insects crawl across exposed skin, creating a disturbing sensation. | Fungal: A pungent, earthy odor from mushrooms and other fungi adds to the complex jungle aroma. | Woody: Accidentally ingesting a piece of bark results in a fibrous, woody taste. |
| 9 | Scaly: The rough skin of a reptile brushes against your leg, sending a jolt of fear. | Cloying: The sweet, overripe scent of decaying fruit hangs heavy in the air. | Salty: Sweat and grime accumulate on the tongue after exertion. |
| 10 | Sticky: Humidity in the air makes clothes cling uncomfortably to the body. | Sulfurous: Hints of rotten eggs or volcanic activity may exist in certain areas. | Metallic: A metallic aftertaste lingers if trace amounts of minerals are ingested. |
