Haunted House and Cabin In The Woods Tropes

Research and Finding Clues

It might also help to remember how most other haunted-house and cabin-in-the-woods stories handle the background info-dump (the film Cabin in the Woods calls direct attention to some of the usual techniques, such as finding the creepy diary or tape recording full of all the background information you need, or meeting the creepy old caretaker near/outside/on the property who is more than happy to give you the information between ominous warnings). Actually, now that I think of it, I'm kind of surprised that, after all this time, those specific haunted house/cabin tropes haven't been written into "The Haunting" as backup sources of information for characters who skip the research phase....

Some film examples of these alternatives to old-fashioned CoC research:

• The Haunting (1963 film): Most exposition about the haunting is provided by the leader of the investigation, who is assumed to have done his homework by researching the house's history for the group; he provides it in an opening monologue before the investigation begins, and also in conversation during the investigation. The house's caretaker provides a little information, too; the two party "psychics" might also reveal some clues in some seemingly innocent remarks....
• Evil Dead (1981 franchise): The exposition is provided by a tape recording left by the cabin's previous occupant.
• The Legend of Hell House (1973 film): Most of the legend is provided again by the leader of the investigation; some is also obtained during the investigation by the party's psychic and medium.
• House on Haunted Hill (1959 film): The exposition is mainly provided by the eccentric millionaire who invites everyone to stay overnight in the haunted house (effectively, the guy who hires the party).
• Thirteen Ghosts (1960 film): The background is provided by the family's lawyer in the will, a diary, and other information left as part of the inheritance of the haunted house.
• The Fog (1980 film): Background information is provided in a ghost story at the beginning of the film, and in a diary one of the characters finds hidden at the site of the haunting.
• Friday the 13th (1980 franchise): "Crazy Ralph" and one of the other locals provide the background information.
• Poltergeist (1982 franchise): The real-estate guy who built and sold the property and employs the head of the family provides some of the clues, a psychic provides some more clues, and the family put the rest of the puzzle together on their own.
• Event Horizon (1997 film): Exposition is provided during a debriefing by the guy who built the haunted "house", and in a video recording of a key moment in the history of the haunting.
• The Exorcist (1973 franchise): The current victims of the "haunting" are present and able to provide background details.
• The Babadook (2014 film): The haunting comes with its own creepy little storybook!
• Alien (1979 franchise): Most of the information is provided on a need-to-know basis by either the ship's android, or by the ship's computer. (The results are effectively the same as if the guy that hires the party provided some information, and the party's psychic divined the rest by supernatural means.)
• Blair Witch Project (1999 franchise): The party's leader provides some details from her pre-investigation, and interviews with locals near the scene of the haunting provide most of the rest of the background of the "haunting".
• Sinister (2012 franchise): Important clues are found on creepy film reels left by some eldritch horror, drawings made by creepy kids, news footage found on the internet, creepy locals, etc.

In most of these cases (generally modeled after The Haunting), it's just assumed that either the most "responsible" member of the party, or the guy that hires the party, did at least some minimal homework and can spoon-feed the most essential clues to the rest of the party. (In game terms, have the party pick a designated leader or researcher, hand the most essential clues to that investigator, and let that player decide whether to share the clues with the rest of the group, and how to share the clues. Alternatively, assume that whoever hires the party has done the basic homework, and hands a stack of the basic clues to the party. If the party chooses to do additional research, let them improve their research skills, and provide any extra bonus clues that the assumed cursory research from the party leader or quest-giver might have missed.)

Recordings, diaries, scrapbooks, and other records/messages found at the site of the haunting are also popular. (Simply move all the important clues from libraries or whatever, onto the site of the haunting, to be discovered by the party as they explore the haunted house.)

Psychic impressions or visions, or direct messages from ghosts/demons/whatever, are also a popular way to reveal background information. (I think many players would find this to be a great, dynamic, attention-grabbing, and atmospheric way to provide an important clue!)

"NPC" locals, witnesses, and victims encountered on, around, or near the site of the haunting, with warnings or helpful clues or both, are also popular. (In game terms, this might be worked in as part of the investigators' trip to the haunted house: the investigators must pick up the key to the house from someone who provides one or two clues, they stop for gas and another local provides a rumor about the house, they stop to ask someone for directions and get a warning not to stay at the house along with another rumor or clue, and when they arrive at the haunted house, a caretaker or nosy neighbor stops by to give another warning and the rest of the background information....)

In at least a couple cases, a quick monologue introduction describing the history of the haunting (probably also copying The Haunting (1963)) have worked quite well. (In game terms, this just assumes that the investigators do their homework whether the players like it or not, and provides the clues right up front without waiting for the investigators to say they're going to the libraries and newspaper offices and so on.)

In a modern setting, I suppose that investigators can also be encouraged to look up this sort of information on their cell phones and tablets on the drive to the house, or after arriving....

Notes

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