Shadowdark: tips for a new GM?

[Bae'zel]

In a few weeks I’ll be running my first Shadowdark campaign with some friends.

I’ve read the rules and a few adventures and very eager to give it a go. I’ve run many games over the past 25 years (D&D 5e, Dungeon World, Mythras, WFRP 1e, 2e, 3e, Dark Heresy, Fate Core, Vampire the Masquerade, Stars without number etc you get the point). I’m looking for advice about this game in particular, not general GM advice.

I couldn’t find a general thread for Shadowdark here, so I started this one.

For those of you who’ve run this game, any recommendations, warnings or general advice for DMing Shadowdark?

Thanks!

 

[Reynard]

Don't sweat the difficulty and PC turnover. That's part of the fun.

It is worth looking into Mike Shea aka @SlyFlourish Lazy GM prep for his 40-something session SD campaign.

It's not 5E lite. It's B/X with some 5E-isms. That's an important distinction.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Bae'zel]

Oh another, more specific question for folks:

TORCH TIMER

I saw in one video that they just tracked torches every 6 "exploration turns" instead of every hour because the GM said that he had enough to keep track of as it was.

(funny, I'd think that meticulous tracking of turns would be more work than setting an "egg timer" on the side, but hey that's me)

What were peoples' thoughts on the real time torch tracker?

 

[Bae'zel]

It's not 5E lite. It's B/X with some 5E-isms. That's an important distinction.

For sure, that's the impression I got.

I actually found it odd that on the Shadowdark subreddit, so many people are comparing the game directly with D&D 5e (maybe because that's what the majority plays) when I'd honestly rather hear how OSR folks compare it to their BX games (eg, to OSE, Labyrinth Lord, LotFP etc.)

 

[Reynard]

Oh another, more specific question for folks:

TORCH TIMER

I saw in one video that they just tracked torches every 6 "exploration turns" instead of every hour because the GM said that he had enough to keep track of as it was.

(funny, I'd think that meticulous tracking of turns would be more work than setting an "egg timer" on the side, but hey that's me)

What were peoples' thoughts on the real time torch tracker?

I dropped the real time torch timer pretty quickly. It is fun once, but after that, not so much.

BUT light is still important, and you should not only track it (in whatever way works best for you) but also ATTACK it.

I saw one table at a con using tokens or beads as a torch timer: every time the party made an exploration action, they took away one of the beads. Once they were all gone, the torch went out. (I don't know how many they started with; probably 6?)

 

[Theory of Games]

Oh another, more specific question for folks:

TORCH TIMER

I saw in one video that they just tracked torches every 6 "exploration turns" instead of every hour because the GM said that he had enough to keep track of as it was.

(funny, I'd think that meticulous tracking of turns would be more work than setting an "egg timer" on the side, but hey that's me)

What were peoples' thoughts on the real time torch tracker?

It's shadowDARK. None of the races have infravision so darkness needs to matter. A LOT.

I run exclusively online so I tracked (1) party movement and (2) how much time the party spent dealing with traps or fighting things. I tracked each round like a champ and because of that, the players were very careful about torch-use. If the characters are engaging traps or combat, who's holding the torch (or lantern)? I made sure the dungeon flooring was wet so when a torch was dropped, it went out.

And if they end up in the dark, unleash a monster that can easily see them

 

[Bill Zebub]

I always use the torch timers. With a kitchen timer (or on your phone) there's nothing to track, other than to remember to start the timer. Encourage players to not keep their own timers, though.

On a related note, don't forget to attack their light sources! Monsters that like the dark, sudden gusts of wind, etc.

Also use lost torches as a consequence of failed rolls. "Will I be able to jump over the pit?" "Yes, but it will require a Dex roll, and on a failure you lose your torch."

The other advice I will give is on spellcasting...

GMs: don't be tempted to adjust the rules because it feels too punitive. Especially once the players start to get more bonuses to spellcasting they will get a LOT more spells per day than in D&D. Sure, some days they'll have bad luck. But other days they will just keep casting and casting and casting. It's awesome.

Players: save your luck tokens for spellcasting fumbles. Re-rolling those nat 1's is huge.

 

[Bae'zel]

I always use the torch timers. With a kitchen timer (or on your phone) there's nothing to track, other than to remember to start the timer. Encourage players to not keep their own timers, though.

I like this.

Question: what if there are multiple light sources? eg, at least 2 characters have torches going at the same time. The timer applies to both, even if they were lit at different times?

I'm okay with a slightly surreal take, as I'm a huge fan of the "Dungeon as a Mythic Underworld" full of Darkness that is a malevolent sentience.

 

[Retros_x]

I love the real time torches. Its an inherent device to push players to decide quickly and not discuss everything to dead without the DM needing to moderate. It also means that torches are NOT always exactly and conviently one hour long in in-game time because the amount of turns that the party manages to do in one real life hour will be varying.

Question: what if there are multiple light sources? eg, at least 2 characters have torches going at the same time. The timer applies to both, even if they were lit at different times?

Rules recommend one of two options: The newer light source "rides along" the current timer (and will thus not last for a full hour). Or extinguish all old light sources and start new timer with new light source. You can do other rulings, but the purpose is to have it simple, not realistic. Tracking should not be a burden, just a simple timer. I usually leave players the choice between those two options, usually they take the first option.

If multiple light sources are getting lit at the same time, it doesnt matter they use the same timer anyway.

 

[Theory of Games]

General advice:

Make sure the players of spell-casters know they can fail to use their spells with a bad roll. My group started out leery of this rule and when the player failed the roll, things went pear-shaped in a hurry (at the table). IMO it's terrible design to nerf casters this way. There was a discussion on the topic here a while back.