Mail Room: Shadowdark

I got my Shadowdark books a while back and finally opened the box. Sometimes, I will hold off on opening something until I have the time to thoroughly enjoy it. A few thoughts...

The referee's screen isn't as helpful as I would have expected. I will probably know more in play, but there aren't many tables to reference during play. I am sure there is a reason for these tables to be on here, and I will know more when I sit down to play. I guess I am used to rules-dense screens with many tables and reference charts, but this isn't that type of game.

No roll under ability score; everything is DC, modified by ability score. Skills are "soft" there is no skill system. In downtime, you can learn a skill (nothing that crosses class abilities); with a DC 18 INT check and an instructor (and likely paying some money), you learn the skill and have an advantage on those checks. Also, backgrounds can be used as skills in those situations.

Lots of random tables. Almost too many. Are games turning into books of random tables?

This is a very rules-light game! This is lighter than most versions of B/X, and Old School Essentials is a deeper game. If you are coming in here looking for a full 5E replacement game, this won't be your thing. This does not replace Tales of the Valiant or Level Up Advanced 5E.

Simplified gear and encumbrance.

No index? The game isn't complex enough to need one, but I was looking for something a few times and had to flip through. The Internet was faster to find answers, honestly.

Random-level awards, like the original Gamma World or even Lion & Dragon. As long as they are all good, I am OK with this, and it produces interesting and unique progressions.

Lots of charts in here.

The book is small, but the type can be seen easily. My copy does not stay open and lay flat, so if I were playing this, I would order a spiral-bound printed copy from a commercial printing site and get this in 8.5x11" lay flat (personal use only, and using my paid-for PDF, of course). This would also blow up the font, which would be a good option if you are visually impaired.

Note, you DO NOT add ability score modifiers to damage rolls unless you are told to do so. The mostly compatible 5B rules set has monsters and treasures that work well with Shadowdark, but if you use the monsters here - ignore the static damage modifiers in the attacks. The bear in SD does 1d8 damage on an attack, while the bear in 5B does 1d8+4. Drop static damage modifiers for monsters converted this way; SD is deadly enough.

DEX and STR modifiers do apply to to-hit rolls.

The time-based light mechanics get a lot of heat, but I see them as okay. This is closer to a board or mini-game where the unique mechanics add tension and flavor. The levels are capped at 10, so this game is excellent for one-shots, short, and mid-length campaigns.

Excellent referee's advice. This book says more in a few pages than the 5E D&D DMG does in an entire book. This is due to the tight focus of the game.

The GM always tries to find ways to put the light source out.

Money is tight! The random treasure tables and adventures keep a tight reign on cash, and this feels like money is progression as you can buy better gear. I get a "Heroquest" feeling from this game; every coin matters, and player skill is essential.

No short rests.

I like this game; it feels very "small" concisely, which is very attractive. I am a fan of minimalist designs, and to take 5E and turn it into a rules-light dungeon game with unique time-based light mechanics and a hefty penalty for stumbling around in the fark effectively simulates an old-school dungeon romp without a lot of math, tedious bookkeeping, and character preparation.

Spellcasting rolls.

This game also requires a minimalist mindset, especially when modding or bringing in 3rd party content. It is so easy to port in a heavy, complicated system that takes over the game, muddles progression, introduces too many variables to track or bogs down the game in ways the designer never intended. The designer here likely wrote on a whiteboard "what I like about OSR games" and "what I don't like." Why do we need to mod all that stuff back in? Especially if it bogs down the game.

Danger levels of areas mean something.

When you put yourself in the mindset for this game, you are focused on the environment, story, and what is in the next room. There is a tight focus here, and things outside that focus have been eliminated or simplified to the point where the rules are left to the game master. I don't need a book with 1,000 pieces of gear for this game, weights down to 0.1 pounds, and an old-school encumbrance system.

The less you have, the better.

This game is about the minimal guidelines to recreate a particular old-school experience. The empty calorie crust of D&D was cut off, leaving us with the best parts.