OSR [Shadowdark] What's missing from the 3.5 SRD that is worth converting?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

One of the first things I look at when looking at a D&D-style RPG is whether I can play a traditional D&D illusionist in it, where there are gnomes and how much of the 3.5 SRD is woven through it, as it's a good lingua franca for fantasy RPGs to use, given how many people are familiar with WotC-era D&Disms.

Shadowdark (which doesn't support player character illusionists or gnomes at the moment, to close that loop) has a fair amount of the SRD in it, but has also dumped a lot of it, often for simplicity's sake (Cure Wounds doesn't need to be split into multiple versions, for instance) and also to focus it thematically. (There are other planes of existence in Shadowdark, given the existence of various types of outsider, but there's no indication of what those other planes are or how they're organized, because those doesn't matter for the experience the core game is trying to deliver.)

On the other hand, it's also missing things like the Deck of Many Things and the Sword of Wounding, which I think both fit the flavor of the game very well.

Are there things you wish had been brought forward from the 3.5 SRD?

LINK, for those whose 3.5 SRD bookmarks are covered under a thick layer of dust: The Hypertext d20 SRD (v3.5 d20 System Reference Document) :: d20srd.org

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I kinda feel the Druid, Monk/Mystic, Barbarian, Psionic and Bard are kinda missing.

At least some kind of primal magic/spells. Or Divine Domain to switch regular cleric spells from another list.

Prestige Class for level 11-20, Epic Path for level 21+. I'd just make them 1-2 features and a table of 2d6 progression.

Equipment. Probably not as much as 3.5, but a little more armor/weapon types.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

We're getting an official bard later this month, as a stretch goal.

Several folks on the classes thread are taking cracks at making monks and druids.

There's a bunch of spells, magic items and monsters that I can see bringing forward.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm not the person to do psionics, so ignoring that and the epic content, which would feel weird in a game level capped at 10 and without resurrection spells, here's what I'd grab, at a glance:

• Gnome ancestry
• Barbarian class, probably renamed to separate it from culture
• Multiple druid classes, probably a shapeshifter and some sort of priest of the Old Ways
• Some form of paladin class
• Specialist wizard classes, most notably the illusionist and necromancer
• An arcane archer class
• An arcane trickster class
• An assassin class
• An blackguard class (largely a mirror image of the lawful paladin)
• An loremaster class
• An shadowdancer class (probably renamed, but not to "ninja")
• An aristocrat class
• A commoner class
• Dancing weapons
• Energy weapons of various sorts, including flaming and cold
• Vorpal weapons
• Wounding weapons
• Staff of the Python/Viper (I hated how 3E insisted on making certain staffs into rods for taxonomy reasons)
• Wand of Wonder (see above complaint about 3E rods)
• A less-powerful take on Staff of the Magi, because wizards should have a magic item to pine for
• Belt of Giant Strength
• Belt of the Dwarves (in part because it was hilarious in the Vox Machina cartoon)
• Items of Commanding Elementals (although with a much higher chance of things going wrong, to evoke the proper 1E spirit)
• Broom of Flying (which I bet is in Cursed Scroll #1)
• Carpet of Flying (which I bet is in Cursed Scroll #2)
• Deck of Many Things
• A figurine of wondrous power (but not a panther)
• Golem manuals (again with a high chance that they could become free-willed)
• A horn of Valhalla equivalent (might be in Cursed Scroll #3)
• Berserking sword (again, might be in Cursed Scroll #3)
• Backbiter spear
• Philosopher's Stone
• Sphere of Annihilation (maybe just write it up as a free-willed "monster" that can sometimes be controlled, rather than as a magic item)
• A bunch of the missing iconic spells, although I'd probably use the 1E spell list to identify those, as the 3E spell list has a bunch of stuff like Eagle's Splendor that absolutely would not fit the Shadowdark vibe
• The allip, although probably renamed (although not to "dementor")
• The aranea, although honestly, any intelligent and talking giant spider is probably fine
• Various carnivorous plants that Conan could encounter, like vampire roses
• Ettins
• The homunculus, along with a way to easily create them, since Shadowdark wizards don't get familiars -- probably a golem manual-style magic item
• Lamia (might be in Cursed Scroll #2)
• Wereboars and/or devil swine from BD&D (or, more likely, merge the two)
• Weretigers (which seem like a lock if Kelsey ever does an India-flavored Cursed Scroll)
• Mephits
• Razor boar or dire boar
• More swarms! Hellwasps, locusts
• Fire beetles
• Giant praying mantis

 

[Krachek]

Race seem easy to create. but choosing a single features is not so obvious to define an ancestry.

Items are easy.

Lore on monsters, gods, races and planes from any edition can be used in SD.

Iconic classes can be created, but specialist or subclasses won’t be easy If not simply impossible.
The Ranger is done, the Bard is coming, Monk, barbarian have been seen, in a few month most classes will be available from various sources.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

specialist or subclasses won’t be easy If not simply impossible.

Nah, they're just the same as any other classes. Especially given the more limited palate that each Shadowdark class has to play with, just chopping away everything that's not, say, "loremaster" from a 3E wizard and you're most of the way there. The prestige class abilities are the obvious place to pull class abilities and talents from.

In contrast, I think illusionist might be hard because there are almost no illusion spells in Shadowdark at all at this point, including in the Cursed Scrolls, so a lot of spells will have to be converted with few points of comparison to balance them off of. That said, in a game with few illusions, a well-realized illusionist will be pretty impactful.

 

[Autumnal]

The deranged fool in me wonders what could be done with some of Book of Nine Swords.

 

[Krachek]

The deranged fool in me wonders what could be done with some of Book of Nine Swords.

The spell system can be adapted to make martial or monkish stunt.
Roll an ability check, you may have mishap or sone kind of penance if you crit fail. Then apply damage or effects. the game dont care much on conditions but that can be adjusted.
Since casting don’t use V,S,M it can blend into martial, or even psionic more easily.

 

[Autumnal]

I’m glad I said something! Love those ideas.

 

[Aldarc]

• Warlord
• Psion
• Druid / Shaman
• Enchanter / Illusionist

Just like @Whizbang Dustyboots is a sucker for a good illusionist, I'm a sucker for a good necromancer.