Shadowdark Good starting shadowdark adventure to use with kids?

[el-remmen]

I may be running a short “D&D” (I’ll use shadowdark) for a group of kids ranging from 8 to 12 during a big family camping trip (my guess is there will be up to 7 of them, but as few as 2). Anyone have recommendations for an adventure?

I am looking for something that is ideally classic-feeling, on the lighter side, but not too silly (I will let the level of silly emerge from play and what the kids want to do).

I’ve never actually run or played Shadowdark before. But seems pretty straightforward (from reading my copy from the library), thus why I am choosing it.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I'll be interested in the answers. I also play Shadowdark with kids...of a similar age range...and in general I find Shadowdark adventures to be a bit too grimdark for kids. I edit out the most inappropriate content, but I'd rather not have to.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

JP Coovert has gotten into Shadowdark -- he's even producing a Shadowdark version of Dragon Town and the Darkness Below for it, although I believe that hasn't been shipped to backers yet. I think his tone is probably a good fit for elementary schoolers.

I haven't played it myself, but I think his Castle Gloomshroud looks like a good fit for kids:

A terrible floating castle appears, the moon covers the sun, your village suffers a foul curse. The infamous demon lord, Nikolas Von Shroud, has arrived. You have 13 days until the sun returns and everyone in the village turns to dust… or suffers an even worse fate.

Castle Gloomshroud is a spooky, Castlevania-inspired one-shot adventure. It’s system-neutral so you can run it with whatever TTRPG you like. See if your players (the intruders!) can survive 15 areas of this monster-filled floating castle!

His module, the Frozen Ascent is already statted for Shadowdark:

The Frozen Ascent is a 3rd-level adventure for Shadowdark RPG (works great with any old-school fantasy ttrpg too)! An otherworldly magical frost is taking over Yonderdell - the perfect opportunity for a group of greedy burglars to steal from an Iron Dragon's lair. Or a band of brave heroes to save the Whitmere villagers. Or even some foolhardy adventurers to take an unexpected trip to the moon!

 

[Scribe]

I had asked for this in the Shadowdark thread, I've been working on one on the side here but I'll check these options out.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I just ordered Castle Gloomshround. Thanks, @Whizbang Dustyboots!

 

[Bill Zebub]

Related digression: one of my kids lost a tooth, and of course left it under the pillow.

The next morning he found a custom-designed magic item for his Shadowdark character printed on a card.

Best. Tooth. Fairy. Ever.

 

[Arilyn]

I just ordered Castle Gloomshround. Thanks, @Whizbang Dustyboots!

I have a stack of JP Coovert zines. They're great. Love his art style.

 

[el-remmen]

This convo makes me wonder if I could get away with running a truncated version of B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess.