OSR Let's make Shadowdark classes!

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm just adapting Emmy's ideas to Shadowdark, for those who didn't read the blog post, and taking "chaos warrior" from being a template or feat any character can take, and making it a Warhammer-inflected class.

 

[Autumnal]

Infected inflected, even.

 

[renbot]

Between the Cursed Scrolls and the stretch goal monsters and classes, I would bet on Shadowdark getting a supplement book that collected all the supplemental stuff in 2024.

But I want it NOW!!!

JK. Thanks for the info and the hope.

 

[Shardstone]

You know, when I read that Shadowdark had roll tables to level up, I was hoping we'd see some more interesting options. Stuff like a rogue being able to always have a knife on them, and so on. Getting +1 to stats etc is nice mechanically but it makes a lot of these class concepts look the same on level up.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You know, when I read that Shadowdark had roll tables to level up, I was hoping we'd see some more interesting options. Stuff like a rogue being able to always have a knife on them, and so on. Getting +1 to stats etc is nice mechanically but it makes a lot of these class concepts look the same on level up.

Some folks are already creating alternate or expanded roll tables. (That's all I did for my take on this 5E wizard in this thread.)

I definitely think there's value in things like 2d20 tables for people who want a lot more variety in their tables.

 

[Shardstone]

Some folks are already creating alternate or expanded roll tables. (That's all I did for my take on this 5E wizard in this thread.)

I definitely think there's value in things like 2d20 tables for people who want a lot more variety in their tables.

That's great to know! Would love to see some of these. I know Zak S. (an evil name, I know) had d100 tables that really inspired me, and on my old blog I made some for classes too.

My thinking is, Shadowdark and all OSR-style games are PERFECT for more "narrative" features. The Rogue one I mentioned above comes from Black Hack 2E! Things like the Mage being able to introduce a wild/chaotic element to another spell they see, or the Warrior being able to use broken pieces of armor to get full benefits, or stuff like a Priest who can offer a prayer once per day to convince their god to leave them with a "hidden surprise" later in the adventure, etc.

Or you could go further, right, like having a Mage feature where you are guaranteed to find a spellbook in the next session when you level up, and that spellbook will have something scary but amazing in it too. Idk, I just think you can really push Shadowdark's rules-lite, narrative-focused design so much more with these roll tables and classes. But I get its a new game and a lot of ppl are comfortable with its features rn, so fair play to them!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Between itch.io and DriveThruRPG, there are already more than 100 third party Shadowdark books and adventures out there, and that doesn't count things like the Duck ancestry sold through other storefronts. I expect those numbers to jump this summer, once the hardcover is out and more games start happening.

In the meantime, why not assemble a list of alternate features you'd like classes to have here, and we can whip them into roll tables?

 

[Shardstone]

Between itch.io and DriveThruRPG, there are already more than 100 third party Shadowdark books and adventures out there, and that doesn't count things like the Duck ancestry sold through other storefronts. I expect those numbers to jump this summer, once the hardcover is out and more games start happening.

In the meantime, why not assemble a list of alternate features you'd like classes to have here, and we can whip them into roll tables?

on it boss

 

[Nightfly]

Here's my take on the barbarian class. I tried to keep it dead simple, in the Shadowdark style, but still hit all the major class tropes.

 

[Andvari]

Is it an action to rage or can the barbarian attack in the same round the raging begins?