Shadowdark

[Osrnoob]

Lets open the can of worms! I recently got the PDF on Rob C's recommendation. The best bats are in the attic.

What are folks thoughts! Seems to be a divisive topic without much in writing.

Is this a continuation of ultra light invasion? Is this a better BX? Is the OSR too many fantasy heartbreakers? Is this the key to getting your 5e friends in?

I love Kelsey's adventures and found her because of Bryce. I bought many PDFs from her website but only took a bit of a glance at the rules.

Tell us your thoughts and discuss below now that people are able to access the full text.

 

[squeen]

I love the art in it, and everyone is saying that Kelsey is a nice person and good adventure writter --- BUT...this RPG is just too striped-down, too-simplified for me. It's like D&D with training wheels. I have no use for that.

Who are these simpletons we are so desperate to play with that we must stoop this low? Must D&D become Uno or Yahtzee in order to compete with smart phones for today's crowd?

 

[robertsconley]

I played it and refereed and it works. While I will stick with my Majestic Fantasy RPG for my stuff and campaign for the most part. I can see how to do most of what I do in a campaign with Shadow Dark.

The trick, for me, is that Kelsey has a formal way of using ability checks in the Shadowdark rules. That is enough of a hook to translate much of what I do when I use a D&D based system.

I like the spellcasting roll system. The first one I have seen work well for a minimalist D&D system. This also led to me overcoming a creative roadblock in trying to come up with D&D Harn set of rules based on classic D&D.

The rest is pretty much the same thing I been dealing with classic D&D but with a more 5eish flavor than classic D&D flavor. And it all well put together with every mechanic pulling its weight.

The random generation of what you get when you advance in levels works for Shadowdark, but I also see it remaining a shadowdark thing.

This is a translation of my Merchant Adventurer class into Shadowdark

 

[robertsconley]

Who are these simpletons we are so desperate to play with that we must stoop this low? Must D&D become Uno or Yahtzee in order to compete with smart phones for today's crowd?

What Shadowdark reminds of the most in terms of complexity is The Fantasy Trip/Melee/Wizard. I suspect in the long run the niche it will carve out of D&D will be similar to what the TFT niche enjoys today. Except it being D&D based will make it far more approachable.

 

[Beoric]

What Shadowdark reminds of the most in terms of complexity is The Fantasy Trip/Melee/Wizard. I suspect in the long run the niche it will carve out of D&D will be similar to what the TFT niche enjoys today. Except it being D&D based will make it far more approachable.

Heh, I remember buying Melee when I was trying to save up for a PHB. I was underwhelmed.

 

[Alexander Moonbeam]

I finally took a look at it, as my brother is starting a campaign soon and he invited me to it.

It's....I mean, it's fine I guess. I'll play it, because I was invited to. I think I've reached the point where I am no longer capable of being exited by a new Basic D&D variant. I just don't see the big deal.

Rolling for random talents when leveling up seems neat. Grants mechanical distinction to characters within the same class, without enabling the charops people.

 

[squeen]

I think I've reached the point where I am no longer capable of being exited by a new Basic D&D variant. I just don't see the big deal.

Agreed! How many times does the hweel need to reinvented? To what end?

 

[Alexander Moonbeam]

I finally took a look at it, as my brother is starting a campaign soon and he invited me to it.

It's....I mean, it's fine I guess. I'll play it, because I was invited to. I think I've reached the point where I am no longer capable of being exited by a new Basic D&D variant. I just don't see the big deal.

Rolling for random talents when leveling up seems neat. Grants mechanical distinction to characters within the same class, without enabling the charops people.

Update: He decided to switch to OSE, instead.