Shadowdark Setting Looks Set To Be 2025's First Million Dollar TTRPG Crowdfunder

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Just launched today, the new Western Reaches setting for the Arcane Library's popular Shadowdark roleplaying game (which itself raised $1.3M in 2023) has flown past half a million dollars in the first few hours, and looks certain to join the Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club imminently!

[[Edit/Update--and it's done it! $1M less than 12 hours into the Kickstarter campaign!]]

2025 has been quiet so far this year on the million-dollar crowdfunding front. This new setting is a sandbox environment with new classes and ancestries, and various areas such as the Gloaming Forest, Djurum Desert, and Myre Swamp. It comes in two 200-page digest-sized hardcovers. Also included are new issues of the game's Cursed Scroll zine. The full core set will cost you $129, or $149 for a premium version, with fulfillment expected in December 2025.

At $670K at the time of writing, just 3 hours into the campaign, The Western Reaches is already the 7th most first-day funded TTRPG ever, having just passed 2024's Terry Pratchett's Discworld RPG: Adventures in Ankh-Morpork. It looks set to pass 6th place very soon, which is 2023's Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms - A 5e Tome. Only five TTRPG crowdfunders (so far!) have ever hit the million-dollar mark on the first day. You can see the full ranking at the Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club.

The Western Reaches are an unexplored land of fragile civilizations, majestic landscapes, and forgotten horrors that lurk in the dark.

In the Reaches, you could play as:

• A painted witch from the steppes hunting for the secrets to deeper magic
• An armored knight from the City of Masks guarding frontier villages from attack
• A silent monk from the mountains searching for the assassin who killed his teacher
• A scarred pit fighter from the desert looking to make her fortune outside the arena
• A quick-witted explorer from the jungle who can find any artifact for the right price
• A seafaring warrior from the northern isles who fights for the glory of the Old Gods

This sandbox setting is fast, elegant, and flexible in the signature Shadowdark style. You don't have to memorize lore; you'll discover it as you go. The world moves and grows with you as you explore it.

 

[TiQuinn]

What I think has happened with Shadowdark...unfortunately...is that when it first became a Big Thing there were some members of the OSR community who were annoyed and maybe jealous of its success, some of it perhaps driven by a sense that she "wasn't one of us" (whether due to age, gender, orientation, or newcomer status). Much of the criticism seemed to be driven less by objective analysis and more by knee-jerk animus.

Now...also unfortunately...I think many of us in the SD community (a.k.a. "fanboys") eye criticism suspiciously, perhaps seeing animus where none is intended.

Yeah, I mean - I like Shadowdark. I can't say that for every OSR game I've tried. But I was also just one voice amongst the group. It was literally a 50/50 split of people who enjoyed it, and others who thought it was too deadly for them.

It's a gorgeous product, Kelsey Dionne is a great creator who really connects with fans, and as a toolset that you can expand on, it's got a ground floor feel that I think is appealing.

 

[darjr]

I also thought of Modes of Play. But except the Pulp Mode there is precious little in there making things easier.

One the other hand, Momentum Mode implies Advantage on D20 Death Timer rolls

Max hit points at first level are something I am going to do. Maybe I bundle things in an "Easy Mode". Like rolling 4D6, drop lowest for stats, max HP at first level, reduced difficulty of Death Timer D20 rolls, etc.

Sounds good! The other thing I’ve considered is have pcs stable at 0hp. I could escalate the tension with potential death blows or monsters dragging players off. That way I could dial it up or down on demand.

 

[Lidgar]

I also thought of Modes of Play. But except the Pulp Mode there is precious little in there making things easier.

One the other hand, Momentum Mode implies Advantage on D20 Death Timer rolls

Max hit points at first level are something I am going to do. Maybe I bundle things in an "Easy Mode". Like rolling 4D6, drop lowest for stats, max HP at first level, reduced difficulty of Death Timer D20 rolls, etc.

Yep, all good changes if you want a more heroic campaign.

I love how easy it is to tinker with the system like this. For example, I don’t like the halfling ability to turn invisible (feels too magical), so changed that so they start the day with 1d4 luck tokens.

Also giving a luck token on critical hits is a popular tweak.

Lastly I allow PCs to duel wield daggers, giving them advantage on attacks (only one attack still, but with advantage to get 1d4 damage).

 

[sevenbastard]

Here's a review for a few of them.

The Wavestone Monolith | tenfootpole.org

tenfootpole.org

Ahh yeah the old Wave Stone Keep Contest. We need another one of those.

 

[Bill Zebub]

For example, I don’t like the halfling ability to turn invisible (feels too magical), so changed that so they start the day with 1d4 luck tokens.

I just insert the word "effectively" in front of "invisible", and explain they aren't literally transparent, but for all intents and purposes their opponents cannot see them. It's sort of like an automatic success on stealth, even if conditions wouldn't normally allow it.

 

[WisdomOfWombats]

Sounds good! The other thing I’ve considered is have pcs stable at 0hp. I could escalate the tension with potential death blows or monsters dragging players off. That way I could dial it up or down on demand.

That's a neat idea.

 

[aiouh]

What is also wild that the average pledge is 195$ (which averages to around the core+western reaches+zines bundle)

ONE HUNDRED NINETY FIVE DOLLARS

cough

 

[Scribe]

What is also wild that the average pledge is 195$ (which averages to around the core+western reaches+zines bundle)

The deals are just too good. I tried to stop...I couldnt.

 

[DarkCrisis]

What I think has happened with Shadowdark...unfortunately...is that when it first became a Big Thing there were some members of the OSR community who were annoyed and maybe jealous of its success, some of it perhaps driven by a sense that she "wasn't one of us" (whether due to age, gender, orientation, or newcomer status). Much of the criticism seemed to be driven less by objective analysis and more by knee-jerk animus.

Now...also unfortunately...I think many of us in the SD community (a.k.a. "fanboys") eye criticism suspiciously, perhaps seeing animus where none is intended.

I love Shadowdark, but I REALLY hate the xp system. Sure it works if you just use stuff made for SD. But If I want to use it to run say Keep on the Borderlands, I have to sit and do real work to convert the gold/xp to SDs way of doing things.

I've had a lot of people tell me how to do quick shortcuts that mostly work but it seems easier to just use the xp system for D&D Basic or AD&D (and everyone uses the Fighter XP totals).

 

[Scribe]

I do wonder what kind of possible stretch goals there are, whats even possible at this point, since the numbers clearly got blown out of the water.