Shadowdark Shadowdark General Thread [+]

[wicked cool]

How do people handle

Sneak attack- if it’s a crowded room with 1 enemy vs say 6 how often can a rogue sneak that 1 enemy

Area affect spells - can you place the blast so that only 1 enemy can be targeted and say the rest is absorbed into a neighboring room

What rules did you think needed clarifying

 

[Scribe]

Sneak attack- if it’s a crowded room with 1 enemy vs say 6 how often can a rogue sneak that 1 enemy

Unless the enemy is fixated on the Thief, every attack.

If in a boxing match, a glove can mask an attack, you better believe multiple people in a Chaotic mess?

Sneak attack for days.

 

[Spiral159]

Unless the enemy is fixated on the Thief, every attack.

If in a boxing match, a glove can mask an attack, you better believe multiple people in a Chaotic mess?

Sneak attack for days.

I've frequently had a problem with this at my table since me and my players got into TTRPGs with DnD 3.5 -> Pathfinder -> 5e and PF2e. Do you think you should have them roll a dexterity check vs the monsters Wisdom each time they go for that sneak attack or should they/the dungeon master just describe how the chaos gives them the advantage to keep sneak attacking?

I think a part of me wants there to be some mechanical hoop you have to jump through to get yours sneak attack, but another part of me wants them to just come up with an in universe explanation to get their sneak attack. The other problem is also my players are also sort of expecting that mechanical hoop as well, and it seems like some of them just can't imagine a world where can just sneak attack in the middle of a chaotic battlefield or a character without dark vision can scout a head (to use another example).

 

[Scribe]

Do you think you should have them roll a dexterity check vs the monsters Wisdom each time they go for that sneak attack or should they/the dungeon master just describe how the chaos gives them the advantage to keep sneak attacking?

Personally, I look at it that simply.

Player: "Who is the Monster focused on?"
Me: "The last who attacked it, Fighter."
Player: "I attack the monster as its distracted."

OK, thats a Sneak Attack.

Its just my view on it, but I've trained, sparred, and watched a silly amount of fighting in my life. It would not be difficult to land sneak attacks.

The other problem is also my players are also sort of expecting that mechanical hoop as well, and it seems like some of them just can't imagine a world where can just sneak attack in the middle of a chaotic battlefield or a character without dark vision can scout a head (to use another example).

Thats a perception question then. What they percieve a sneak attack to be.

To me? Its an attack that was not seen coming in. Boxers always say, 'its the one you didnt see coming that hurts you' well think about that. Trained fighters, in a one on one, 'miss' or 'do not see' an attack coming! If thats the case, how can we deny the thief, not even the focus of the monster, a sneak attack?

To me its not even a debate, its just 'yeah, most likely you get that damage'.

 

[Bill Zebub]

My interpretation (a.k.a. "house rules"):

• If the thief has been narrating attempts to be stealthy up until the fight breaks out, then get a free backstab on their first round. Which means the thief may have to let other players go into rooms first, etc.
• I try to not differentiate between ranged attacks and melee attacks unless the circumstances dictate it, because I don't like rules that make ranged attacks strictly superior. If somebody really wants to envision themselves stabbing instead of shooting, I don't see a good reason other than a quixotic attempt at verisimilitude to push them toward shooting.
• Otherwise thieves may generally spend a turn preparing to sneak in and backstab, which may be autosuccess or may require a roll (not opposed, that just bogs things down), in order to get a backstab on the next turn. So backstabbing every other turn. That math on that is generally a pretty good deal especially with lots of backstab dice.
• I might, again depending on circumstances and the player's cleverness, even let a thief get some free backstabs without spending a turn.

 

[Wolfram stout]

Personally, I look at it that simply.

Player: "Who is the Monster focused on?"
Me: "The last who attacked it, Fighter."
Player: "I attack the monster as its distracted."

OK, thats a Sneak Attack.

Its just my view on it, but I've trained, sparred, and watched a silly amount of fighting in my life. It would not be difficult to land sneak attacks.



Thats a perception question then. What they percieve a sneak attack to be.

To me? Its an attack that was not seen coming in. Boxers always say, 'its the one you didnt see coming that hurts you' well think about that. Trained fighters, in a one on one, 'miss' or 'do not see' an attack coming! If thats the case, how can we deny the thief, not even the focus of the monster, a sneak attack?

To me its not even a debate, its just 'yeah, most likely you get that damage'.

I have recently come around to this as well. For me it was watching sportsball games. In American football the QB knows where every defence guy is yet can get blindsided. There is even special protections for both QBs and receivers cause a hit coming in at the slightly wrong angle can be devesatating. Even in baseball this year I saw out outfielder almost sneak attack another cause they were both so focused on the ball.

So yes. Sneak attack for days.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Lazy Litch, the writer/artist behind Woodfall, Willow and a bunch of other weird OSR stuff, is going to be building a new dark fantasy setting for Shadowdark on their Patreon. $3/month gets you each monthly chunk.

In the meantime, there's a level 0 funnel coming in December that leads into the new setting, which I gather is called Demidirge.

 

[Scribe]

Lazy Litch, the writer/artist behind Woodfall, Willow and a bunch of other weird OSR stuff, is going to be building a new dark fantasy setting for Shadowdark on their Patreon. $3/month gets you each monthly chunk.

In the meantime, there's a level 0 funnel coming in December that leads into the new setting, which I gather is called Demidirge.

I may have to jump on this.

Struggling with conflicting desires here, but it may be time for some retail therapy...

 

[Reynard]

I am considering an open table mega dungeon crawl as a con campaign (about 12 hours total play time). SD generally feels like it is designed for smaller delves. Have you used it for a repeat delve megadungeon? How did it go? Do you need any special rules to make it work?