How would YOU change Shadowdark?

[TiQuinn]

I am a broken record on this, but presentation. It would be great if one box had all the character classes and player facing info.

The new Kickstarter is at least compiling all of the new classes into one book, but I hate having to reference multiple books. Build a players guide already.

I’m confused - there’s one core book so far for both players and GMs.

 

[sevenbastard]

The 4 main classes are in the core book. The new kickstarter has a setting book with 18? New classes, new spells, and new player options.

My wish is just one book that has player facing rules, and all 22 classes, spell lists, ect compiled in it.

I have this same wish for most systems compile your options and sell me more books. I will pay for ease of use.

 

[TwoSix]

The 4 main classes are in the core book. The new kickstarter has a setting book with 18? New classes, new spells, and new player options.

My wish is just one book that has player facing rules, and all 22 classes, spell lists, ect compiled in it.

I have this same wish for most systems compile your options and sell me more books. I will pay for ease of use.

Agreed, I've said this for other systems (like Shadow of the Demon Lord) as well. Just give me one physical product I can plunk down in front of new players and say "Pick from these."

 

[Bill Zebub]

Yeah even though I'll own all the books, I'd probably more more money for a player-specific book: all classes, all spells, all gear, plus rules. (And new art!)

EDIT: Although what I'll probably do is:

• Print and laminate each character class. The advantage over a book, other than durability, is that players can pass them around, instead of sharing a single book. (I already do the printing thing, but I've been meaning to laminate.)
• Buy the spell cards.

 

[Reynard]

I am unconvinced that handing a player new to the game a single 300 page book with tons of classes and other options is a good idea. I mean, we all know that players barely read their own section of the D&D PHB, let alone all the options. With SD having easily accessed PDFs (plus shadowdarklings.net) it is trivial to print out everything a player needs for their class in a short packet. Both Shadowdark and Shadows of the Demon Lord allow for constant expansion of the world and the potential player roles, and trying to force everything into a PHB undermines that.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I am unconvinced that handing a player new to the game a single 300 page book with tons of classes and other options is a good idea. I mean, we all know that players barely read their own section of the D&D PHB, let alone all the options. With SD having easily accessed PDFs (plus shadowdarklings.net) it is trivial to print out everything a player needs for their class in a short packet. Both Shadowdark and Shadows of the Demon Lord allow for constant expansion of the world and the potential player roles, and trying to force everything into a PHB undermines that.

I don't think it necessarily means this. I would love a "compleat player's handbook" for Shadowdark, but I would still hand premades to new players.

The downside of a player book (and the upside of laminated class sheets) is that your nice, shiny (expensive) book is obsolete as soon as a new class is released.

 

[TwoSix]

I am unconvinced that handing a player new to the game a single 300 page book with tons of classes and other options is a good idea. I mean, we all know that players barely read their own section of the D&D PHB, let alone all the options. With SD having easily accessed PDFs (plus shadowdarklings.net) it is trivial to print out everything a player needs for their class in a short packet. Both Shadowdark and Shadows of the Demon Lord allow for constant expansion of the world and the potential player roles, and trying to force everything into a PHB undermines that.

I don't want everything in a new PHB. I just want the publisher to periodically (every 2 or 3 years) put something together that I can hand to new players and say "these are the options". Something a little more fun to look through than a spreadsheet or dropdown-list of options.

I mean, most of the SD classes are two pages. Just compile them all into one 40 page PDF I can give to the players. For the classes with spells or extra special options, just put a sentence saying "Check out Page Y of Book X to see the spell options."

 

[thullgrim]

I'd add additional talents for each class.

I've already added a couple of maneuver/attack type actions, a Sweep attack for two=handed weapon fighters, a Two-Weapon fighting option, and a couple more.

Every character has three skills they are trained in. These skills all them to roll with Advantage on tasks within the parameters of the skill. Skills are determined randomly by background.

I want just a tad more mechanical oomph. We're really having a good time with it. I'm running Halls of Arden Vul using SD and as far as the treasure goes I usually just drop a digit or move down to the next value (450gp ass written goes to 45gp or 450sp). With coinage it's usually a move down to the next value. I want them to have to manage the large coin lots. If they find a bunch of loot or drop gear to carry loot, most of the time whatever they left is not there for them to recover later as other denizens have taken it.

 

[Fenris-77]

It's fun as is, but could use a touch-up:

• Get rid of the spellcasting checks (no chance of failure)
• Get rid of the classes (put all the class features in a pool and players can select any two for their PC)
• Just one Death Save (when dropping to 0 HP the player rolls once to see if the PC stabilizes or dies)

That's a touch up? I'd hate to see a serious redesign, it'd end up looking like Hero System 4E.

 

[Bae'zel]

So we like the charming simplicity of the game, but the "old school brutality" isn't our cup of tea. So we have the following adjustments:

1. Max HP die value at level 1.
   
   
2. Standard attribute spread (15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8, yes, provides higher than average stats, we know).
   
   
3. Using two weapons (one in each hand), roll attack normally (one d20): on a hit, roll damage for both weapons, choose highest (eg, wielding sword and dagger, scores a hit, rolls 2 damage with sword, 4 damage with dagger, uses dagger's damage).
   
   
4. Dark Souls Death: at zero HP you die, but you resurrect at your last campfire. You have to then roll on a chart to see what you've lost in the resurrection (stats, memories, max HP but also the rare benefit).