How would YOU change Shadowdark?

[Lakesidefantasy]

My friends. This is the way.

If you've never played a character with an intelligence of 4 -- who is therefore illiterate! -- you're missing out. Playing a character like that is frickin' fun. It's also loads of fun to play a wizard who can punch out a troll because your strength equals the fighter's. But modern point-buy or standard array systems don't give you experiences like that. Shadowdark will -- but only if you surrender to the 3d6, as intended.

Dungeon Crawl Classics once forced me to play a character with a high stat of 13 and a low stat of three. He sucked. But when my poor schmuck persevered, through wits and little luck, it gave me a thrill that 5e never did. Experiences like that are why I take breaks from 5e to play OSR games in the first place.

Not rolling stats is not bad or wrong, because nothing is bad or wrong if you enjoy it. But it is less authentic. Back in the Stranger Things era which Shadowdark is attempting to channel, we did not build characters, we rolled them. If you're picking your class and stats at the outset, that's kind of like ordering a burger in a sushi restaraunt: you're missing the intended experience. Play the game however you like, but my humble advice is to think long and hard about removing the dice from character creation.

This is the Way.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

I would probably do away with the torch timer. I like it, so I may not do away with it, but when it goes off it's usually at a time when it doesn't matter and we just light another one. However, it does supply some tension just knowing it's there. I guess I'll keep it, maybe not.

 

[Arilyn]

I would probably do away with the torch timer. I like it, so I may not do away with it, but when it goes off it's usually at a time when it doesn't matter and we just light another one. However, it does supply some tension just knowing it's there. I guess I'll keep it, maybe not.

Try doing away with it to see which you prefer. You can always reinstate it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would probably do away with the torch timer. I like it, so I may not do away with it, but when it goes off it's usually at a time when it doesn't matter and we just light another one. However, it does supply some tension just knowing it's there. I guess I'll keep it, maybe not.

Let me tell you, you've only got to have it go out at the exact worst time once for it to be a source of at least low-level tension from there on out.

 

[DarkCrisis]

3d6 straight down has always been dumb. I love me some BECMI, but I'm using 1d8+10 instead. PCs should be capable, not Jar Jar Binks.

Stat were super unimportant back then. There was no negative/positive unless it was really low or high. an 8 INT Wiz was just as effective as a 14 INT Wiz.

I would probably do away with the torch timer. I like it, so I may not do away with it, but when it goes off it's usually at a time when it doesn't matter and we just light another one. However, it does supply some tension just knowing it's there. I guess I'll keep it, maybe not.

One one hand,
yeah it adds tension plus the monsters can snuff it out making a fight go bad wrong for the heroes.

On the other hand, torches are easy to get and a couple of casters with the Light spell is practically continual light.

 

[Theory of Games]

Stat were super unimportant back then. There was no negative/positive unless it was really low or high. an 8 INT Wiz was just as effective as a 14 INT Wiz.

Where'd you hear that lie? Stats are very important in BECMI: high STR meant damage bonuses, high DEX meant ranged attack bonuses, high CON meant Hit Point bonuses, high INT meant bonus languages, high WIS meant bonuses vs. Magic and high CHA meant bonuses to monster reactions rolls. PLUS, each class had a Prime Requisite that, if high enough, provided an X.P. bonus.

The "stats don't matter" nonsense comes from a tiny clique in the ttrpg community who believe rules shouldn't dictate how they RP their character. If a PC has a 6 INT, they're literally a moron, but some people think they can play that PC as a super-genius if they want. Why? Because this tiny clique of "gamers" have no idea what roleplaying is.

But use your common sense: if an ability score has any impact on the fiction or mechanical function of a game, that by definition means they matter.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Where'd you hear that lie? Stats are very important in BECMI: high STR meant damage bonuses, high DEX meant ranged attack bonuses, high CON meant Hit Point bonuses, high INT meant bonus languages, high WIS meant bonuses vs. Magic and high CHA meant bonuses to monster reactions rolls. PLUS, each class had a Prime Requisite that, if high enough, provided an X.P. bonus.

The "stats don't matter" nonsense comes from a tiny clique in the ttrpg community who believe rules shouldn't dictate how they RP their character. If a PC has a 6 INT, they're literally a moron, but some people think they can play that PC as a super-genius if they want. Why? Because this tiny clique of "gamers" have no idea what roleplaying is.

But use your common sense: if an ability score has any impact on the fiction or mechanical function of a game, that by definition means they matter.

You had to get like what a 14 or 15 to even get a +1? So yes far less important. And the average roll of 9-11 on 3D6 so again yes less important. A stat bonus was just that as actual bonus because it was uncommon to rare.

 

[Theory of Games]

You had to get like what a 14 or 15 to even get a +1? So yes far less important. And the average roll of 9-11 on 3D6 so again yes less important. A stat bonus was just that as actual bonus because it was uncommon to rare.

You don't understand the meaning of the word "important": having significance. Yes, average score conferred no bonus or penalty, but high scores are what most of us were aiming for because the bonuses, which are important, benefited gameplay.

On average, my 17 STR Fighter is crushing your 9 STR Fighter like a bug.

 

[Reynard]

Let me tell you, you've only got to have it go out at the exact worst time once for it to be a source of at least low-level tension from there on out.

I have found that "attacking the light" is a much more interesting and dramatic thing than letting torches fizzle.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I have found that "attacking the light" is a much more interesting and dramatic thing than letting torches fizzle.

GMs should get to have fun, too!