RPG horror stories: Heckna brings back the 80’s horror

The Revelia is the realm of Heckna, a creative and sinister mastermind masquerading as a jovial Ringleader. His carnival serves only his wicked sense of humor, and those who don't partake in the fun quickly discover the Ringleader's fury. Travelers may stumble upon the Revelia accidentally or be drawn in by an unseen force. All who visit do so through Heckna's influence or with his full knowledge, as none may enter his realm without first being marked by the great clown. Some may arrive aware of his nature and ruse, including hunters who will stop at nothing to dispatch Heckna and destroy his carnival.

The Revelia is a place where horror and whimsy collide, where the line between fun and terror blurs. The carnival is a reflection of Heckna's twisted sense of humor, and the inhabitants are either in on the joke or desperately trying to survive. The atmosphere is a mix of classic court jesters, commedia dell'arte, Victorian-era circuses and sideshows, and campy films from the 1980s.

What Makes Heckna! So Different?

• Clown Corruption: This unique disease slowly turns creatures into Heckna's thralls. Victims may find themselves with strange cravings, odd behaviors, or even speaking in a corrupted form of carnival slang.

• Humor: The Revelia is a place where everything is designed to be funny, even if only to Heckna. Puns abound, slapstick comedy is commonplace, and even the most horrific events are often punctuated by a twisted punchline.

• Anachronisms: The Heckna campaign setting is a bizarre mishmash of fantasy and modernity. While the overall aesthetic is that of a medieval carnival, players will encounter elements that seem wildly out of place, such as scientists conducting strange experiments, arcade games with flashing lights and electronic sounds, and even automatons powered by gears and steam.

• Gobbledygook: This corrupted form of carnival slang is spoken by Heckna and many of the carnival's inhabitants. It's a bizarre mix of words, phrases, and sounds that can be difficult to understand, even for those familiar with common carnival slang.

Heckna's Twists on D&D 5e?

• New character options: The Heckna campaign setting introduces new character options, such as the Ran Away to the Circus background and the Cosmic Jester patron for warlocks.

• Alterations to magic: Some spells and abilities work differently in the Heckna campaign setting. For example, spells that transport creature to other realms (like banishment), create pocket dimensions (like rope trick), or allow access to the ethereal plane (like blink) automatically fail.

• New creatures and items: The Heckna campaign setting introduces new creatures and items, such as the schnozling, a gruesome parasite that latches onto a victim's face and slowly turns them into a thrall of Heckna, and the Heckna poster, an animated poster with Heckna's face plastered on it that he uses to observe his domain.

How to Navigate this Carnival of Curiosities

• Entering The Revelia: Characters enter The Revelia through Heckna's influence or with his full knowledge. Be wary of the dangers that lurk around every corner, and be sure to keep your sense of humor close at hand.

• Exploring The Revelia: The Revelia is split into four main sections: The Forest, The Jamboree, The Dismaydium, and the Fun House. Each area is vastly different and progressively more dangerous.

• Currency: The currency of The Revelia is Red Tickets (RT).

• Health and Medicine: Heckna's Handy Helpers are mobile medic machines that roam around The Revelia, dispensing healing potions in exchange for RT.

• Heckna's Posters: Heckna constantly spies on visitors through animated posters with his face plastered on them to make sure they are enjoying The Revelia properly and not doing anything silly like trying to undermine him.

• Party Favors: Slain creatures occasionally explode in a shower of confetti, candy, and other celebratory knickknacks.

• Moon Phases: The Moon Phases are tied to Heckna's state of mind.

Reactions from the Crowd

The online community has given Heckna! rave reviews, with many users praising its unique blend of horror and humor, detailed descriptions, and engaging storyline. 

One Redditor said, "I'm really excited about the Heckna! campaign setting. It looks like a lot of fun, and I can't wait to play it." 

The campaign setting has been praised for its detailed descriptions, which help bring the world of The Revelia to life. The storyline has also been praised for its twists and turns, which keep players engaged from beginning to end. 

A YouTuber commented, "The storyline is really engaging, and I can't wait to see what happens next." 

Overall, Heckna! seems to be a hit with fans of tabletop role-playing games, and it is sure to provide hours of fun and excitement.

A Grand Finale

Peepsee! is a bally-dongle gaff that shemps outfrekes jowlies af boobendly bunderboons, eck its thezzes main patch az a outcome. Arring the quibbly af the gaff, outfrekes hill chase hat thens belly vor la doo at the jumbumbly and hospitable Revelia, jebbly notchit am ace af tribble fink-ups: ponchkit Peepsee, chasin an abscanderoo, joop hoopin Peepsee and tamin a binker af The Revelia amungmung. The gaff is shallyed immin fing doodlesqums, az gorgums its own oobly chelpyduns and blingles.

(for those that don’t understand Gooblygook) 

Heckna! is a narrative-driven campaign that offers characters many meaningful choices, including their main goal as a party. Throughout the campaign, characters will decide how they want to proceed at the unpredictable and dangerous Revelia, eventually deciding on one of three conclusions: defeating Heckna, attempting an escape, or joining Heckna and becoming a part of The Revelia forever. The campaign is split into five acts, each with its unique challenges and rewards.