Shadowdark Shadowdark General Thread [+]

[Bill Zebub]

I am circling it closer and closer. Leaning toward a sandbox environment with lots of small accessible dungeons for the players to explore. I think I want to print them out the hex map full size so they can actively draw on it what they find, and then using scratch off dungeon maps for the adventure locations.

I'm trying to remember the name of it, but there's a volume of a whole bunch of barrows full of undead to explore. I think it's OSR. I'll see if I can find it in my hard drive....

EDIT: Duh...Barrowmaze

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For those who don't own or aren't backing the new printing of Into the Cess & Citadel, this video by one of the creators, showing how to use it to make a city, may sell you on it. (And hey, I bet this would work great with the new rules from Cursed Scroll #6!)

 

[SlyFlourish]

Reading @SlyFlourish's Best Products of 2025 list got me to thinking: Should an all-in-one boxed set, similar to what Free League produces, be the next big thing from Arcane Library? It might include a softcover rulebook (and maybe one or more players quickstart books), dice, a screen and a starting adventure with a home base village, so that people can grab a single box and jump right into Shadowdark.

Free League seems to do these for all their games, and they're fantastic, and Pirate Borg's new starter set -- coming in early 2026, fingers crossed -- will do the same.

I think the Shadowdark Quickstart pack is enough on its own. I bring it to conventions and run it a lot. I think it's great.

 

[Reynard]

I think the Shadowdark Quickstart pack is enough on its own. I bring it to conventions and run it a lot. I think it's great.

@Whizbang Dustyboots can correct me if I am wrong, but the question wasn't really about a introductory product so much as a COMPLETE product. The Dragonbane box core is a beautiful iteration of this, with rules as well as a whole campaign, plus some extra goodies. It certainly would not hurt Shadowdark to follow suit, even if they have been very successful so far as is.

 

[overgeeked]

I think the Shadowdark Quickstart pack is enough on its own. I bring it to conventions and run it a lot. I think it's great.

I watched the video. Really hoping your players enjoy Dragonbane. I’m selfishly hoping for more Dragonbane content from you.

 

[Bill Zebub]

My turn to ask for adventure advice: over the December holidays I will probably be running a mini-campaign (like, 3 or 4 sessions) for a group of kids, ages 9-14. So I'm looking for an adventure, perhaps several small dungeons, that get straight to the action without a lot of detective work, and avoid any darker themes. Would love to constrain combat to non-sapients (undead, beasts, aberrations, etc.).

Suggestions?

 

[Reynard]

My turn to ask for adventure advice: over the December holidays I will probably be running a mini-campaign (like, 3 or 4 sessions) for a group of kids, ages 9-14. So I'm looking for an adventure, perhaps several small dungeons, that get straight to the action without a lot of detective work, and avoid any darker themes. Would love to constrain combat to non-sapients (undead, beasts, aberrations, etc.).

Suggestions?

Why not roll up a handful? The dungeon creation rules in SD are inspired, and in less than an hour you can easily have a full session dungeon on hand. And this allows you to flavor to taste for your younger players.