Shadowdark Shadowdark Discussion Thread [+]

[Mannahnin]

A few new Alchemist spells

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So these are playtest level, reskinned from various Cursed Scroll spells enough to share. They will likely mutate as playtesting proceeds into more unique forms.

Typo in Psychotropic Dust: "with a level is less than or equal to your own" looks like you might have been editing "level that is less than" down to the more succinct "level less than" but accidentally left in the "is".

These look good!

 

[Fenris-77]

Typo in Psychotropic Dust: "with a level is less than or equal to your own" looks like you might have been editing "level that is less than" down to the more succinct "level less than" but accidentally left in the "is".

These look good!

Good catch! Thanks. Editing your own stuff is a nightmare.

 

[Fenris-77]

An idea I had a while ago resurfaced while I was designing potions for the alchemist and giving them all looks and smells. I've always really liked the idea of vestigia from the Rivers of London books. The idea that spellcasting leaves a residue of sorts that can be a source of information after the fact. I think that would be a really cool thing to leverage in some sorts of investigative scenarios. My original inspiration was actually how the demons in Supewrnatural leave a residue of sulfur to show they were there. I'm not sure how it would work, but I like the idea a lot.

 

[Reynard]

An idea I had a while ago resurfaced while I was designing potions for the alchemist and giving them all looks and smells. I've always really liked the idea of vestigia from the Rivers of London books. The idea that spellcasting leaves a residue of sorts that can be a source of information after the fact. I think that would be a really cool thing to leverage in some sorts of investigative scenarios. My original inspiration was actually how the demons in Supewrnatural leave a residue of sulfur to show they were there. I'm not sure how it would work, but I like the idea a lot.

I can imagine a bestiary that has a info line like "Residua: Stingbat guano is distinctive in it black color and scent of iron and rot." for any given creature. You could do tracks, smells, nest info, etc...

 

[Fenris-77]

I can imagine a bestiary that has a info line like "Residua: Stingbat guano is distinctive in it black color and scent of iron and rot." for any given creature. You could do tracks, smells, nest info, etc...

Yeah, I already have something like this in my Telegraphing Badness book. I did a bunch of specific monsters wth specific evocative moments to index their presence. (PWYW on DTRPG BTW, just to drop a whole traffic accident of acronyms). I'm this case I'd like to try the same thing for different kinds of magic.

 

[Fenris-77]

So here's a question about that same topic that I've thought about a lot. Should the ability to read the traces of magic be reserved for specific classes? Should it by matching casting PCs to their own magic type? Or can anyone do it with training? A lot of options.

My preference for a SD version would be to limit it to casters but have one system that applies to all casters 'reading' all kinds of traces. The other options seem fiddly in the second case, and too broad in the third case.

 

[Reynard]

So here's a question about that same topic that I've thought about a lot. Should the ability to read the traces of magic be reserved for specific classes? Should it by matching casting PCs to their own magic type? Or can anyone do it with training? A lot of options.

My preference for a SD version would be to limit it to casters but have one system that applies to all casters 'reading' all kinds of traces. The other options seem fiddly in the second case, and too broad in the third case.

If you generally kept it class magic specific, that opens the door to a "Witch Hunter" class that has it as a special ability.

 

[Fenris-77]

If you generally kept it class magic specific, that opens the door to a "Witch Hunter" class that has it as a special ability.

That's a point. Although a Witchunter class could just be better at it period. That's a solid class idea paired with a new mechanic. I've thought about the Witchunter thing a bunch of times but never got any traction with it in terms of setting it apart and making it cool.

Edit - an 'anti-magic' sort of class has some chops I think.

 

[Reynard]

That's a point. Although a Witchunter class could just be better at it period. That's a solid class idea paired with a new mechanic. I've thought about the Witchunter thing a bunch of times but never got any traction with it in terms of setting it apart and making it cool.

Hmm...
Eldritch Defense: If the Witch Hunter has identified the type of magic used by the enemy prior to encountering it, the enemy has disadvantage on spellcasting checks against the Witch Hunter.

 

[Fenris-77]

Hmm...
Eldritch Defense: If the Witch Hunter has identified the type of magic used by the enemy prior to encountering it, the enemy has disadvantage on spellcasting checks against the Witch Hunter.

Yeah, that sort of thing. I'd probably design the vestigia system first and look at how that can be tweaked and amplified for the witchunter. From there I'd probably extend it to better saves and whatnot, probably linking the two in a vaguely rangery hunters mark kind of way.