Shadowdark Shadowdark General Thread [+]

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I went with the slipcase and special edition core rules. That tier seemed like a pretty good deal, although I don't recall what it cost.

It's a gazillion dollars, for sure, but you also get a matching hardcover of Scarlet Minotaur, which is nice.

The cost conscious version is definitely to go with either the softcover Cursed Scrolls or the digital ones. I think the hardcover set is $40 more than the softcover set, all-in.

 

[Scribe]

I saw Kelsey's announcement for this kickstarter and remember seeing ads about it on Facebook like a month ago. I'm interested in it and it seems cool, but I am kinda put off by the near $150 price tag for all three books. I think I'm going to pick these up, but I'm in between doing the print or the less expensive PDF

At $50 per, more CAD, I just dont know how much I need a more complicated set of creatures and classes.

I'd love to get them just because...but I've been taking an absolute kicking lately in the "real life costs money" department.

I did not however resist the Western Reaches, in any capacity lol

 

[Velderan]

At $50 per, more CAD, I just dont know how much I need a more complicated set of creatures and classes.

I'd love to get them just because...but I've been taking an absolute kicking lately in the "real life costs money" department.

I did not however resist the Western Reaches, in any capacity lol

If Cursed Scroll 4 is any indication of the quality of the rest of the material in the Western Reaches KS, I'm glad I backed it. I finally got a chance to read through it last night and it has some really great ideas in it!

 

[Spiral159]

At $50 per, more CAD, I just dont know how much I need a more complicated set of creatures and classes.

I'd love to get them just because...but I've been taking an absolute kicking lately in the "real life costs money" department.

I did not however resist the Western Reaches, in any capacity lol

The western reaches Kickstarter was my first big kickstarter and after getting Cursed Scroll 4 I was happy I got the physical stuff. and yeah, I feel like there are a lot of stuff for SD coming out and it all looks cool, but the costs are starting to add up

 

[Bill Zebub]

I feel like there are a lot of stuff for SD coming out and it all looks cool, but the costs are starting to add up

...and I want it all!

Wouldn't it be sweet to have all those hardcovers lined up in a row on a shelf?

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

Wouldn't it be sweet to have all those hardcovers lined up in a row on a shelf?

This is how they get me

 

[Velderan]

So I have some questions for those who have been running Shadowdark in an on-going campaign. Given the game's mechanics lending themselves to a more lethal gameplay style, how often do you actually have PCs die? Also how do you handle PC replacement? Does the player starting a new PC start at 1 even if the others are higher level? How does that level variance tend to work in play?

The closest experience I have to running something like Shadowdark in an on-going campaign was AD&D 2e back in the 90s and playing with the "hovering on death's door" optional rule we didn't tend to have many PC deaths. I'm a bit fuzzy on how we handled replacement PCs, but I vaguely remember a new PC starting 1 level below the lowest level PC in the group to keep them somewhat in line with the rest of the group's power level.

 

[Spiral159]

I have ran Against the Cult of the Reptile God and doing a bunch of one shot dungeons so far in Shadowdark and so far my players have been avoiding death by a hair. I feel like the lethality is there, and many combats people have gone down and just barely stabilized.

As far as what level to start them at, I've felt like starting them back at 1 is too mean for me, so I've stated that if they die they start at 1 level less than the highest level in the group. That way there is still consequences to dying and people don't want to lose that level, but it isn't like going from 5->1.

 

[Theory of Games]

Just ran into it on DTRPG: anyone have any experience with Shadowfinder? Looks tasty ...

Is it just a PF bestiary conversion or a full rules hack?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I have ran Against the Cult of the Reptile God and doing a bunch of one shot dungeons so far in Shadowdark and so far my players have been avoiding death by a hair. I feel like the lethality is there, and many combats people have gone down and just barely stabilized.

That's been my experience as well. Lots of very, very close calls.

We haven't had a Paladin yet; when somebody plays one I'll be curious to see how much impact that has.