Shadowdark Shadowdark Discussion Thread [+]

[Reynard]

I hope so.

If I knew it was going to be so late I just would have purchases a copy of the core book outside of the Kickstarter, but at the time I figured buying it all at once would be fine because I wasn't planning on running it till early 2026.

Again mostly sad because I really want to use it...

Maybe you can start with the Quickstart and use shadowdarklings.net to create characters so you have most of the options available for the players?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe you can start with the Quickstart and use shadowdarklings.net to create characters so you have most of the options available for the players?

The Quickstarter is definitely capable of supporting a game for a very long time.

 

[Retros_x]

How difficult is it to add some complexity back in in areas where I want more detail? While I appreciate streamlined rules, there are some areas of gaming where I like more detail.

It is quite easy, but I would suggest to try out a few games without mods and homebrews stacked upon on it because the simple core game is the main pull factor and it is too easy to hack something that is not really SD as intented anymore. And than add iteratively systems and rules for areas that you wish for.

 

[Fenris-77]

One way to approach this, from a design standpoint, is to make additional rules modular and allow GMs to use them or not as necessary.

As an example, I'm adding rules for PCs joining factions to my current SD project. I'm not going to fold that in to any existing rules but rather make it a separate sheet and rules. This will be separate from the faction rules themselves because some games simply don't need the PCs to be able to join factions.

Shadowdark is an elegantly designed game. I try to not obscure that core elegance whenever possible.

 

[Reynard]

One way to approach this, from a design standpoint, is to make additional rules modular and allow GMs to use them or not as necessary.

As an example, I'm adding rules for PCs joining factions to my current SD project. I'm not going to fold that in to any existing rules but rather make it a separate sheet and rules. This will separate form the faction rules themselves because some games simply don't need the PCs to be able to join factions.

Shadowdark is an elegantly designed game. I try to not obscure that core elegance whenever possible.

Modular rules are the best rules.

 

[Bill Zebub]

"The forums have been awfully quiet lately."

"Yeah....too quiet."

 

[Scribe]

"The forums have been awfully quiet lately."

"Yeah....too quiet."

Its been 4 long days since the last update, who's going to feed the 6 mutated mouths in the dungeon...

 

[Argyle King]

It is quite easy, but I would suggest to try out a few games without mods and homebrews stacked upon on it because the simple core game is the main pull factor and it is too easy to hack something that is not really SD as intented anymore. And than add iteratively systems and rules for areas that you wish for.

I appreciate the feedback. The reason I ask is because there are areas of 5E where I wanted some more granularity. With Shadowdark being a game that aims to be stripped-down 5E, I'm not sure if that means some of those areas are even lighter.

In particular, for contemporary D&D in general, the interaction between PCs, vehicles, and mounts has always been a bit odd.

I am interested in learning more about how Shadowdark approaches such things.

Do you feel that Shadowdark handles mounts and vehicles well?

How do things work when bigger scales are involved?

For example, let's say PCs are at sea, on a ship that's trading cannonball barrages with an enemy ship. In D&D, a PC might reasonably take a direct hit from a canon and not have any injuries. Conversely, some PCs have attacks that could effectively disable an entire ship rather easily.

How does that play out in Shadowdark?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I appreciate the feedback. The reason I ask is because there are areas of 5E where I wanted some more granularity. With Shadowdark being a game that aims to be stripped-down 5E, I'm not sure if that means some of those areas are even lighter.

You said this upthread and were corrected. Shadowdark does not "aim to be a stripped down 5e." It's an OSR game with modern mechanics, some of which also appear in 5e.

 

[Mannahnin]

You said this upthread and were corrected. Shadowdark does not "aim to be a stripped down 5e." It's an OSR game with modern mechanics, some of which also appear in 5e.

Yup.

It uses the core D20 system mechanic of d20 + mods vs a DC, but that originated in 3E (and there was really just a universalization of the core mechanic for attacks and saves going back to the original game). The ability score bonus scale also originated in 3E. I think Kelsey chose that over the B/X bonus scale very deliberately as part of her advancement system, for how it works with Talent rolls and enables a bit of "2-for-1" advancement at lower levels.

Just about the only things SD lifts directly from 5E are the rolling with advantage/disadvantage concept, and HP not going below 0 (the game has no negative HP, like 1E, 2E, 3.x, and 4E did). Oh, and the ability to roll a 20 and wake up when you're at 0hp. I'm trying to think of anything else it takes from 5E.