Shadowdark, What's Next?

As much as I like Shadowdark, there is only a little 3rd party support for this beyond a handful of choices. Admittedly, people have just started to get physical copies of the game, but I expected a little more support for a game that made such a huge splash.

I am on an expansion Kickstarter and looking forward to that.

I have found excellent, expanded character options, backgrounds, equipment, and many other options that take the game from a simple dungeon crawl experience simulator to a fully supported OSR 5E game.

We are in a doldrum here of support, and the game came strong out of the gate with its first release, so there is a lot to do when the books come. I would like more of the fun 'zines' that came with the game and want to see more 6x9" books.

Is it an OSR replacement? Is it a 5E replacement?

No, since OSR and 5E implementations tend to be heavier games. Shadowdark is rules-light, which puts it in that class of games. Rules-light games can be unique and fun, so it takes nothing away.

Does Shadowdark have staying power for campaigns?

I don't know. This game reminds me of a quick, zero-to-hero game - but since the level 1-10 run is 90% of 5E games, why can't it be a campaign game? It is 300 pages, complete, and with good support. Using Shadowdark for many games eliminates many of 5E's superpower magic messes and puts characters and stories first. This is an excellent option for many groups running low-magic games (which 5E does not support, and the low-magic concept disappears when characters reach level 6+).

Low-magic games are more challenging to create than high-magic ones, since removing magic and eliminating magic-using classes from being "the chosen ones" forces you to pay attention to martial play balance. How do you make a game fun without magic? Many designers can't do it, and certainly not those who work for Wizards.

Shadowdark presents classes with random progression paths, which forces players out of "the optimization box" and into problem-solving and roleplay. This is the perfect primer for old-school play since that 5E trap of relying on build optimization to solve problems leads into boring "math gaming" where DPS and insane power combos are all you need to solve any adventure - brains turned off, dice ready to roll.

Tales of Argosa (Low Fantasy Gaming 2) is the same genre, a low-fantasy, OSR-style game, and the sphere is getting competitive. This feels more like a traditional game in the breadth of character options and campaign structure. Where Shadowdark puts a magnifying glass on the dungeon crawling experience, ToA steps back a level and focuses on the campaign game. ToA also has traditional progression with a few choices up the level path, so there is no random progression here.

OSR fans are sitting here saying, our games do this already. I know! But the 5E OSR blends are popular and gateways into the hobby's traditional roots for many. Shadowdark goes a long way to "untraining" many 5E players who don't know the fun of thinking for themselves and solving problems creatively.

This is a good thing, no matter what side of gaming you are on.

But Low Fantasy Gaming (ToA's version 1.0 origin) is a fantastic game, and I still see this having legs even after ToA's release. LFG had many adventures released, and it does a lot of OSR stuff blended with 5E.

I like Shadowdark.

As a one-book "5E dungeon minigame," it is excellent with plenty of random table support (maybe too much). Other games do more, but there is an elegance to a minimalist set of rules that proves you don't need 1000+ pages to communicate a game to a group.

You wonder, with all the "crust" that D&D established as "part of 5E," - how much of it is really needed? How much of those rarely-used rules are needed to recreate the experience?

Shadowdark asks what is more critical, legacy rules people associate with the experience? Or the experience itself?

This is a good game; it has just been quiet, and I want more.