How would YOU change Shadowdark?

Fenris-77 · 2025-03-13T21:18:42+0000

The amount of damage done by spells is also pretty mild compared to some other games, for the same reason.

Arilyn · 2025-03-13T21:56:19+0000

And it's pretty amusing when enemy spellcasters fail their spell rolls and can't cast their favourite spell. They suffer backlash too on critical fails.

NN · 2025-03-13T22:02:49+0000

But the targets power level should factor in as well as the casters.

NN · 2025-03-13T22:05:16+0000

Can anyone recommend a shadowdark adventure.

What I want is a proper shadowdark adventure, one where I think, "This is a good adventure! AND I can see how it would work better as Shadowdark adventure than a BX / OSE etc etec adventure !

Whizbang Dustyboots · 2025-03-13T22:05:42+0000

NN said:
But the targets power level should factor in as well as the casters.

Why?

Whizbang Dustyboots · 2025-03-13T22:07:12+0000

NN said:
What I want is a proper shadowdark adventure, one where I think, "This is a good adventure! AND I can see how it would work better as Shadowdark adventure than a BX / OSE etc etec adventure !

I don't think that really exists. Good Shadowdark adventures -- and Kelsey is one of the most successful adventure writers going today, with rave reviews from both Bryce Lynch and Between Two Cairns -- are simply good OSR adventures.

Shadowdark is an engine for running OSR games. If you prefer saving throws, there are plenty of other OSR engines to use instead.

And going the other way, not even Gavin Norman's OSE adventures are better run in OSE than they would be in straight B/X or AD&D or Shadowdark. A good OSR adventure is a good OSR adventure.

Reynard · 2025-03-13T22:10:26+0000

NN said:
But the targets power level should factor in as well as the casters.

"Should" is doing a lot of work there. Every edition and variant of the game has treated it differently. For example, in old versions, the caster's level or skill had no impact on saves.

NN · 2025-03-13T22:32:13+0000

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
I don't think that really exists. Good Shadowdark adventures -- and Kelsey is one of the most successful adventure writers going today, with rave reviews from both Bryce Lynch and Between Two Cairns -- are simply good OSR adventures.

Shadowdark is an engine for running OSR games. If you prefer saving throws, there are plenty of other OSR engines to use instead.

And going the other way, not even Gavin Norman's OSE adventures are better run in OSE than they would be in straight B/X or AD&D or Shadowdark. A good OSR adventure is a good OSR adventure.

Absolute pish and piffle. The whole point of a new system is it does something better.

Reynard · 2025-03-13T22:45:39+0000

NN said:
Absolute pish and piffle. The whole point of a new system is it does something better.

Umm, no. The point of a new system is that it does what the designer wants done,new, different or otherwise.

NN · 2025-03-13T23:01:32+0000

And the point of me adopting a new system is that it supports some sort(s) of gameplay better than the systems I already have.

What is Shadowdark/B-X/AD&D/3E/5E/DCC/Powers and Perils/ going to do better ?

How would YOU change Shadowdark?

Fenris-77

Small God of the Dozens

Arilyn

Hero

NN

Explorer

NN

Explorer

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

Whizbang Dustyboots

Gnometown Hero

Reynard

aka Ian Eller

NN

Explorer

Reynard

aka Ian Eller

NN

Explorer

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