Shadowdark: tips for a new GM?

[SlyFlourish]

In a few weeks I’ll be running my first Shadowdark campaign with some friends.

I’ve read the rules and a few adventures and very eager to give it a go. I’ve run many games over the past 25 years (D&D 5e, Dungeon World, Mythras, WFRP 1e, 2e, 3e, Dark Heresy, Fate Core, Vampire the Masquerade, Stars without number etc you get the point). I’m looking for advice about this game in particular, not general GM advice.

I couldn’t find a general thread for Shadowdark here, so I started this one.

For those of you who’ve run this game, any recommendations, warnings or general advice for DMing Shadowdark?

Thanks!

These two articles include my thoughts:

Delving Into Shadowdark

For the past few months, I've been running and enjoying the Shadowdark RPG by Kelsey Dionne of the Arcane Library. After a very successful Kickstarter, Kelsey delivered the book both digitally and phy...

slyflourish.com

Running I6 Ravenloft with Shadowdark RPG

Each year I like to run Castle Ravenloft, either through the original I6 Ravenloft adventure from 1983 or the updated Castle Ravenloft from Curse of Strahd. While I've typically run Ravenloft using 5e...

slyflourish.com

I tried two things at a recent Shadowdark one-shot game that I'd probably try again:

1. Let them start each session with a luck token and let them trade them. They can use them to reroll any roll on their side but they can't use it to change the roll of a bad guy.
2. Spellcasters only lose spells on a failed roll after their first successful cast. This way casters get one actual casting of a spell before it potentially disappears. This is pretty generous.
3. If a dying character takes damage, it loses one potential round as it gets closer to death. A monster can kill a downed character with a single good hit if they're not stopped.
4. There is no stabilizing at zero HP. If you are at zero HP, you're dying. You're only stable at 1 hit point. This prevents dragging your unconscious friend through a dungeon weekend-at-bernies style.
5. I roll a d12 and subtract that from the one-hour timer for the torch. Players aren't allowed to set timers to remind them about a torch.
6. If you try to light a torch in the dark, it's a DC 12 check at disadvantage. Keep those torches lit!

Other little tricks I used:

• Write out the names of the characters in front of you oriented around the table. Use a token or something to track whose turn it is and stay in turn as much as you can.
• Write out rounds and keep track as rounds tick past. Use this to determine random encounters or how soon things wear off.

I got sloppy with both of the two things above and the game never broke but it's worth doing.

Hope that helps!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, morale and reaction rolls really help create the tone of the game, especially since 5E gameplay tends to assume everyone attacks every time and no one ever runs away.

I've had players "encounter" enemies in a large cavern and everyone stares at each other and slinks off in different directions. No one got hurt, but everyone remained on edge, wondering if they're being followed, etc.

Ditto monsters fleeing battle.

 

[Bill Zebub]

2. Spellcasters only lose spells on a failed roll after their first successful cast. This way casters get one actual casting of a spell before it potentially disappears. This is pretty generous.

VERY generous!

6. If you try to light a torch in the dark, it's a DC 12 check at disadvantage. Keep those torches lit!

Yeah, this is good. I'm going to start doing that.

(New background: Firestarter...)

 

[Bill Zebub]

(New background: Firestarter...)

Somewhat more seriously, "Miner" would be an interesting background to which I might give advantage on lighting any sort of fire (canceling disadvantage of doing so in the dark while in combat)

 

[Reynard]

Try both rules before discarding them, IMO.

I agree with this, but don't feel bad about discarding them if they don't work for you. Always on initiative was a negative for me, especially when running con games.

 

[Theory of Games]

. Spellcasters only lose spells on a failed roll after their first successful cast. This way casters get one actual casting of a spell before it potentially disappears. This is pretty generous

I like this one, even though I wouldn't use it since it doesn't fix the caster nerf. Good stuff overall though

 

[Reynard]

I like this one, even though I wouldn't use it since it doesn't fix the caster nerf. Good stuff overall though

I am not sure I understand the "nerf" you are talking about. In B/X, that 1st level wizard gets one spell. that's it. In Shadowdark, they not only know multiple spells, but potentially can cast them a number of times before losing them.

 

[Arilyn]

Magic Missile is a good spell to take if you're worried about losing spells. It has advantage built in, so is more reliable, although low damage.

 

[Bae'zel]

Luck points

Did you use them? Did you have special criteria for handing them out?

 

[Reynard]

Luck points

Did you use them? Did you have special criteria for handing them out?

With con games, I just hand out a Luck point any time a player rolls a 1 or 20.