The DM can use ambient sounds. For example, playing creepy music or the sound of howling wind in the background. It immediately sets a spooky mood. Also, describing the environment in detail. Saying things like 'The walls are slick with an unknown slime, and a cold draft seems to carry whispers of the dead' can make the players feel uneasy.
Well, start by choosing a setting that resembles the Dark Souls world. Maybe a desolate, post - apocalyptic land filled with ancient ruins. For the characters, they can gain 'souls' as they defeat enemies, which can be used to level up or purchase items. When it comes to encounters, make them as challenging as in Dark Souls. Have enemies that are tough but fair, and that require strategy to defeat. You could also include some of the unique Dark Souls mechanics, like the Estus Flask, which could be a magic potion in DND that restores health. And make sure to include some sort of 'curse' mechanic, like in Dark Souls, to add an extra layer of danger and mystery to the campaign.
One challenge is balancing the difficulty. Dark Souls is known for its high difficulty, and in DND, you don't want to make it so hard that the players get frustrated. Another issue is translating the Dark Souls lore into DND terms. Some of the concepts are very specific to the game and might not fit well at first. For example, the way the 'souls' work in Dark Souls is different from the normal XP system in DND. Also, creating encounters that are both challenging and fair can be difficult. In Dark Souls, the enemies have very distinct attack patterns, and replicating that in DND requires careful planning.
One terrifying encounter could be when the party stumbles upon a haunted mansion. Inside, they face ghosts that can possess their bodies. The players have to constantly make will saves to avoid being controlled, and the feeling of losing control of their characters is truly horrifying.
There's a r dnd horror story where the players entered an abandoned temple. The moment they stepped in, a feeling of dread washed over them. The carvings on the walls seemed to move in the corner of their eyes. Strange noises echoed throughout the halls. They encountered a series of puzzles that, if solved incorrectly, released more horrors. Eventually, they woke up a mummy lord that had been slumbering for centuries, and it was a fight for their lives as the mummy lord had powerful necromantic abilities.
One horror story was when a player completely ignored the party's plan. We were sneaking into a castle, and he just charged in yelling. It alerted all the guards, and we were almost wiped out. He thought it was funny but it ruined the whole mission for the rest of us.
Once in a DND session, we were exploring an old, abandoned castle. As we entered the dungeon, strange whispers filled the air. My character, a brave knight, suddenly lost all control of his actions. The DM described my character turning on the party and attacking without any reason. It was a total nightmare as we had to fight our own teammate. We were all so shocked and it took a while to figure out how to subdue my character without killing him.
In a DND horror story I played, we were in a dark forest. There were strange markings on the trees. Our wizard cast a light spell, but it seemed to attract something. A horde of shadowy creatures started to approach. They made these horrible screeching sounds. We quickly huddled together and the cleric tried to cast a protection spell. But the creatures were so fast. We had to use every trick in our book to escape, like using the ranger's tracking skills to find a hidden path.
A common one is the min - maxer. They build their character to be super powerful in one aspect but often at the cost of role - playing. For example, they might focus only on combat stats and not care about the character's backstory or personality. This can make the game feel unbalanced.
The most frightening encounter for me was when we faced a lich in a DND horror game. The lich's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light. It had this deep, menacing voice that sent shivers down our spines. Its magic was so powerful that it could turn our spells against us. Just the sight of it made our characters freeze in fear for a moment.