Shadowdark General Thread

[Fenris-77]

I just had to update my cover, so I thought just a little shameless self promotion wouldn't go amiss. I love designing for Shadowdark.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Late Medieval Germany, Gothic architecture and haunted forests seems like a fantastic setting for Shadowdark, @Fenris-77. Great choice.

 

[Fenris-77]

Late Medieval Germany, Gothic architecture and haunted forests seems like a fantastic setting for Shadowdark, @Fenris-77. Great choice.

It;s possible that through complete coincidence some of the setting elements may seem to share some DNA with a certain very popular British fantasy setting. Just sayin'.

 

[Fenris-77]

While we're chatting, here's what I did with those bestiary entries (this example is Orcs, obviously)

 

[overgeeked]

While we're chatting, here's what I did with those bestiary entries (this example is Orcs, obviously)

View attachment 404838View attachment 404839

Nice. That looks great. But it looks a bit iffy to me. Fungal orcs, snotlings, squigs, choppas, twin orc gods who are cunning and brutal? You should maybe consider filing off a few more of those serial numbers.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The perfect kind of random tables: Where you need them and helping the DM say something other than "uh, there's four orcs in this room."

 

[Fenris-77]

Nice. That looks great. But it looks a bit iffy to me. Fungal orcs, snotlings, squigs, choppas, twin orc gods who are cunning and brutal? You should maybe consider filing off a few more of those serial numbers.

I'm going to replace some of the details in that table as I develop the expanded Orc bestiary and vocabulary. Squigs will need to go, and maybe choppas, but none of them are key elements, so no problem. I'm not worried about the Gods unless I use the names or published details about them, which I don't plan to. Honestly, the table stuff is more like easter eggs than necessary detail anyway.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm going to replace some of the details in that table as I develop the expanded Orc bestiary and vocabulary. Squigs will need to go, and maybe choppas, but none of them are key elements, so no problem. I'm not worried about the Gods unless I use the names or published details about them, which I don't plan to. Honestly, the table stuff is more like easter eggs than necessary detail anyway.

Grabbing names and ideas from German and obscure Grimm's fairy tales would both provide some legal buffer space and add some good new/classic texture to things.

 

[Fenris-77]

Grabbing names and ideas from German and obscure Grimm's fairy tales would both provide some legal buffer space and add some good new/classic texture to things.

I'm mining Baltic history and folklore quite a bit in spots for sure. A lot of the older GW stuff isn't copywriteable anyway, that's why they changed the names of all their beasties to nonsense like Orruk or whatever.

 

[overgeeked]

The perfect kind of random tables: Where you need them and helping the DM say something other than "uh, there's four orcs in this room."

Absolutely. I love that. Animates the scene and gives details you need to jump right in.