Shadowdark Finally Played Shadowdark

[TiQuinn]

I've watched several hours of Shadowdark content. I saw Kelsey Dionne run it live at Origins. I know many Actual Plays aren't true to the style of a game (for example, many D&D tables aren't like Critical Role). I don't know how accurate the experience is. But I can say that none of the games I've played were like the Actual Play that she ran. Is the difference that it's intended to be entertaining for an audience?
For one thing, Luck tokens flowed like wine.

So when it comes to the APs, I will watch some of the creator ones, but to your point, you'll also get some folks who are, let's just say...they're doing the entertainer schtick, and it's more about their personality. I try to find some that are smaller groups running a session or two - Dungeon Musings is a good one for various games, and I find that's a LOT more like what I see at a regular table.

And I do think Luck Tokens are supposed to be a lot more prevalent than they were in the first time we played.

 

[Bill Zebub]

For one thing, Luck tokens flowed like wine.

As in, the GM handed them out, or somebody played a class (Priest, Bard...) that was able to give out luck tokens?

One frequently seen criticism of Shadowdark, even from its fans, is that class abilities/spells that create Luck tokens are too powerful.

 

[TwoSix]

Now d&d your character becomes a permanent attachment . People don’t run away from encounters (didn’t this site have an article bemoaning the fact that players don’t use caution and don’t run away from say a dragon

It’s very important for OSR style play (including Shadowdark) to emphasize that the point of play is to solve environmental puzzles. Rooms with monsters are simply another kind of puzzle to solve.

Any party that gets into head-to-head combat with a monster group without some kind of setup to give them advantage is in a fail state. Immediate combat is going to give a coin-flip chance of a TPK.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've watched several hours of Shadowdark content. I saw Kelsey Dionne run it live at Origins. I know many Actual Plays aren't true to the style of a game (for example, many D&D tables aren't like Critical Role). I don't know how accurate the experience is. But I can say that none of the games I've played were like the Actual Play that she ran. Is the difference that it's intended to be entertaining for an audience?
For one thing, Luck tokens flowed like wine.

As has been said, I think the difference is that your con DMs didn't understand the game. Some of them don't sound like they understand even how dungeons work. (Seriously, going through the rooms in numbered order? Was this their first RPG?)

 

[TiQuinn]

It’s very important for OSR style play (including Shadowdark) to emphasize that the point of play is to solve environmental puzzles. Rooms with monsters are simply another kind of puzzle to solve.

Any party that gets into head-to-head combat with a monster group without some kind of setup to give them advantage is in a fail state. Immediate combat is going to give a coin-flip chance of a TPK.

This may a retroactive tenet of OSR play but it does not mirror my experiences in playing those older games at the time, and I think the clinging to that tenet is a problem I have with a lot of modern day OSR games.

 

[TwoSix]

This may a retroactive tenet of OSR play but it does not mirror my experiences in playing those older games at the time, and I think the clinging to that tenet is a problem I have with a lot of modern day OSR games.

OSR play is a totally different thing that the play that happened in the ‘70s and ‘80s, from my understanding. Same system, very different concepts.

 

[TiQuinn]

OSR play is a totally different thing that the play that happened in the ‘70s and ‘80s, from my understanding. Same system, very different concepts.

Yeah but everything I’ve read seems predicated on that early play style which feels more like a reaction than the actual play that was occurring at that time. Or more to the point: they overshot the mark. If earlier play styles were more deadly, they overemphasized it now.

 

[Fenris-77]

Shadowdark isn't neary as deadly, even at low levels, as some other OSR games. It's not 5E or anything, but it's also not OD&D. Kelsey mentioned in this as a purposeful design on her part in one of her design videos if I recall correctly.

 

[Retreater]

Yeah but everything I’ve read seems predicated on that early play style which feels more like a reaction than the actual play that was occurring at that time. Or more to the point: they overshot the mark. If earlier play styles were more deadly, they overemphasized it now.

That has been my main issue in finding an OSR system that works for me: none match my groups' play.
We came in with Post Hickman Revolution 2E. Some say that OSR system is 5E ... which isn't helpful when you're trying to have a different experience than 5E provides.

 

[Arilyn]

Shadowdark isn't neary as deadly, even at low levels, as some other OSR games. It's not 5E or anything, but it's also not OD&D. Kelsey mentioned in this as a purposeful design on her part in one of her design videos if I recall correctly.

Exactly. There are luck tokens, characters don't automatically die at 0 hp, spells may fizzle but they can also go on streaks and characters start with more than one spell. The game has modes of play for dialing the difficulty up or down. The book heavily encourages the modern take on old school play. As Kelsey said, "The game has 10 levels for a reason."