The Thriller

               Clarice emerges from the bathroom in a half-crouch, arms 

               out, both hands on the gun, extended just below the level of 

               her unseeing eyes. She stops, listens. In her raw-nerved 

               darkness, every SOUND is unnaturally magnified - the HUM of 

               the refrigerator... the TRICKLE of water... her own terrified 

               BREATHING, and Catherine's faraway, echoing SOBS... Moths 

               smack against her face and arms. She eases forward, then 

               stops again, listens... She eases forward again, following 

               her gun, and creeps directly in front of, and then past -

                  MR. GUMB

That excerpt from the script to Silence of the Lambs showcases the power of the thriller. I can remember sitting in a dark movie theater, glued to the big screen trying to will Jodie Foster’s character, Clarice Starling to turn and shoot the killer. I miss those days at the movies.

But we are not here to chat about the fall of modern cinema, no, we are here to talk about the Thriller. What it is and why you should try to incorporate elements into your roleplaying game.