How would YOU change Shadowdark?

[Bill Zebub]

One thing to recognize is that spellcasting checks replace spell attacks and saving throws. Most of the time, when you succeed on a spell's check, it just does the thing. There's no saving throw on the monster's end (most of the time). So if you got rid of spellcasting checks, all spells would auto-succeed all the time.

Sometimes I think that people who hate the spellcasting check have not thought through this.

I think your method of giving one free cast is tremendously generous. With a casting stat of 14 and no other bonuses, and no spells beyond the default number, Shadowdark casters get more spells/day than in, say, D&D.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Sometimes I think that people who hate the spellcasting check have not thought through this.

I think your method of giving one free cast is tremendously generous. With a casting stat of 14 and no other bonuses, and no spells beyond the default number, Shadowdark casters get more spells/day than in, say, D&D.

yeah, its probably a bit much but I think its ok.

 

[Velderan]

Right. I was more asking how that made running old-school TSR modules a pain in the ass. At first glance it reads like it would make things easier, not harder.

Gotcha. I don’t particularly see adjusting treasure to keep advancement largely in line with the original module as being that big of an issue if I really had my heart set on reliving a TSR module but then again I probably would just use OSE if that was my goal.

 

[TiQuinn]

Right. I was more asking how that made running old-school TSR modules a pain in the ass. At first glance it reads like it would make things easier, not harder.

A lot of those older modules had a much larger amount of treasure and magic items than what Shadowdark assumes.

 

[Lidgar]

@overgeeked to add to this, here is the table for what different treasure types are worth in xp.

View attachment 399488
Off the top of my head, the only other way to earn xp is 1 xp for a particularly clever idea. I'm still in the reading the rules phase of the game though so someone who has ran it will hopefully correct me if I just haven't gotten to something that shows how you might award xp for defeating an enemy and such.

There’s also a “Hunter Mode” where players get XP = 1/2 a monsters level.

 

[Sacrosanct]

A lot of those older modules had a much larger amount of treasure and magic items than what Shadowdark assumes.

Oh gosh, I just realized that. yeah. Older AD&D modules had a ton of magic items.

 

[Reynard]

A lot of those older modules had a much larger amount of treasure and magic items than what Shadowdark assumes.

Yeah, the XP for gold paradigm from old school D&D is good, but without hefty training costs or very long term investments in future fortresses, characters are drowning in coin that doesn't have much practical value in a world modeled after the mud caked middle ages.

 

[Arilyn]

Sometimes I think that people who hate the spellcasting check have not thought through this.

I think your method of giving one free cast is tremendously generous. With a casting stat of 14 and no other bonuses, and no spells beyond the default number, Shadowdark casters get more spells/day than in, say, D&D.

And since characters get rerolled if they don't have one 14, they will probably start with 14 in their spellcasting stat. The talent roll at 1st level has a very good chance of bumping that up to a 16. And humans get two talents.
I love the spellcasting in SD. I thought about one free casting but decided against it.

 

[Reynard]

I love the spellcasting in SD. I thought about one free casting but decided against it.

There is that very special feeling you get as a GM when the first casting of the day is a much needed healing spell and it fizzles. Warms the cockles of my heart, it does.

 

[boffo01]

Distribution in the UK would be nice!