Shadowdark Shadowdark Discussion Thread [+]

[Reynard]

Last night at RPG Con in Milford MA, USA, we ran a Shadowdark tournament module written just for the con by the con organizer. It was a fun time, even if my table only came in 3rd (we had 8 tables, I think). The premise of the module was that the PCs were sent in to find an item in a wizard's laboratory, but the only way in was a very small crack in the wall so they were shrunk down to a few inches in height. Monsters were rats and cats and bugs and the imp familiar of the (dead) wizard. Good times.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Last night at RPG Con in Milford MA, USA, we ran a Shadowdark tournament module written just for the con by the con organizer. It was a fun time, even if my table only came in 3rd (we had 8 tables, I think). The premise of the module was that the PCs were sent in to find an item in a wizard's laboratory, but the only way in was a very small crack in the wall so they were shrunk down to a few inches in height. Monsters were rats and cats and bugs and the imp familiar of the (dead) wizard. Good times.

Getting shrunk down and fighting giant-sized ordinary things is a classic and always fun. Love it.

 

[Scribe]

I very often while working on my own stuff circle back to the thought '...but Shadowdark is so good does it even improve anything to change this...'

And I'm not sure how to get past it.

 

[darjr]

I very often while working on my own stuff circle back to the thought '...but Shadowdark is so good does it even improve anything to change this...'

And I'm not sure how to get past it.

The simplicity is so often on point. And that is HARD to do.

It takes a certain talent, experience, a strong opinion of what you want, and room to create. That last one Shadowdark has taken a lot of.

for instance I just got Shadowdark books from creators I really like, who I admire, and love much of what they do, but I think they missed the boat, a lot of the simplicity they leaned into feels generic, not on point, not on theme. I tried to come up with alternatives and also found it difficult.

 

[Scribe]

The simplicity is so often on point. And that is HARD to do.

It takes a certain talent, experience, a strong opinion of what you want, and room to create. That last one Shadowdark has taken a lot of.

for instance I just got Shadowdark books from creators I really like, who I admire, and love much of what they do, but I think they missed the boat, a lot of the simplicity they leaned into feels generic, not on point, not on theme. I tried to come up with alternatives and also found it difficult.

Exactly, and that it plays in pretty much the exact space I want to also design for makes it tough. I've got a few things I'm happy with, I probably just need to finish the polish on those and get them out there instead of continuing to aim too big and keep getting distracted.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Exactly, and that it plays in pretty much the exact space I want to also design for makes it tough. I've got a few things I'm happy with, I probably just need to finish the polish on those and get them out there instead of continuing to aim too big and keep getting distracted.

I feel this agony, but listening to a bunch of experienced creators on Between Two Cairns, they all say that the answer is to keep moving forward and accept that the early stuff won't be your best works.

 

[Scribe]

The other issue is, it's entirely possible Western Reaches takes what is already a near perfect platform for me, and just launches it into unattainable heights status.

There's very little I can think of needing once that's out, that I also haven't already near finished.