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.

 

[Arilyn]

@SlyFlourish, the GM in the SD game I played in did the same thing as you, but with Cursed Scroll #3. He said he had so much fun expanding on the zine. It turned into quite the epic, but with far fewer PC deaths. We played cautiously, and didn't taunt dragons, for example.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Do you think SD will do better as a campaign game as opposed to a One-shot game with the new books?

Why is it one or the other? I've run one-shots using Cursed Scroll 3 and they were great. I don't think it's an either-or.

 

[SlyFlourish]

One other major thing to mention. Shadowdark's Quickstart set is absolutely free and packed with awesome stuff:

Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set (PDF)

Get the FREE digital Quickstart Set for the award-winning Shadowdark RPG. Rules, characters, and an adventure. The perfect way to introduce you to the game.

www.thearcanelibrary.com

You can pick up a physical copy on Arcane Library for $19 and it's my preferred set to bring with me to conventions because of how small it is and yet how much material it has to run a great game. The pregen cards are awesome. The adventure is a lot of fun. Great stuff.

Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set (Print + PDF)

Get the Quickstart Set for the award-winning Shadowdark RPG. Two rules booklets, characters, and an adventure. The perfect way to introduce you to the game.

www.thearcanelibrary.com

 

[darjr]

For those craving a bit more choice during character advancement consider “unlocking” choices in the random table via in game events.

For example.

The strange magics you were exposed to and the strange scroll you found means you can choose talent 8-9 fir that spell on that scroll when you level up, or take a roll as normal.

Offer a few of these from the adventuring, and maybe a few outside of their talent table, if you’re comfortable with the balance.

That way by the time they level they will have choices. Neat choices potentially from actual play events.

 

[Reynard]

Okay, not sure what that has to do with me. I did neither.

I did not realize you thought I was directing any negative energy at you.

 

[Scribe]

For those craving a bit more choice during character advancement consider “unlocking” choices in the random table via in game events.

For example.

The strange magics you were exposed to and the strange scroll you found means you can choose talent 8-9 fir that spell on that scroll when you level up, or take a roll as normal.

Offer a few of these from the adventuring, and maybe a few outside of their talent table, if you’re comfortable with the balance.

That way by the time they level they will have choices. Neat choices potentially from actual play events.

I suggest people look at the free preview material, this exact thing is in the new content.

 

[TiQuinn]

I did not realize you thought I was directing any negative energy at you.

It's cool. I misinterpreted your post, then.

 

[Reynard]

Reaction rolls are front and center in Shadowdark, so I find that adventures often have less combat than 5E, where combat = XP (as opposed to the acquisition and spending of gold) and players are incentivized to rush in and start stabbing.

One of the hardest things I deal with GMing SD for 5E players is getting them to wait to see what happens before they start slinging spells when an encounter occurs.

I mean, they learn eventually, but it is a hard lesson.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Why is it one or the other? I've run one-shots using Cursed Scroll 3 and they were great. I don't think it's an either-or.

I misunderstood what you were saying when you said it’s a fantastic one shot game. My bad.

 

[overgeeked]

Congrats to Kelsey and Co.