I've been running Shadowdark for about 8 months, I've come to really enjoy the system, but I have a minor nitpick.

Why are there no Hyena stat blocks?

I get that it's easy enough to use a mastiff or a leopard and change what I need, but in a book that has Gnolls why no hyenas? They're like classic gnoll pets.

I liked through every resource I had at my disposal and even online I couldn't find a stat block.

Does nobody use hyenas in thier game?

>Flint and steel. A small fire starter. With it, routine attempts to light a fire always succeed.

Realistically, how are the players supposed to start a fire without one? If they can't, and flint and steel is needed, why would it make the attempt succeed every time, especially in battle? This would effectively mean that casting a light spell is harder than doing the involved process of starting a fire by hand, which feels a bit absurd.

The way I would run it:

• Starting a fire from zero, under time pressure, requires flint and steel. The item does not give any advantage to rolls. Without time pressure or with another fire source, lighting a torch just works out without rolls.
• Check whether lighting the fire succeeds: roll for DEX with a normal DC (maybe hard DC if in combat) and disadvantage from darkness.
• In combat, lighting the fire should take an action (it is not an easy process like flicking a lighter)

...however I am not sure if that's not too punishing.

In other words, what was the RAW intention here? How would the players light a fire without flint and steel?

I'm toying with the idea of gaining talents every level, to avoid those dead levels. To maintain the same balance, a simple rule "You can't take the same talent two levels in a row" would ensure that you can't gain the same talent more often than you do already. This would include any time the player rolls the "choose a talent" option - they can't choose the same talent that they took the previous level.

I realise that magic items are supposed to supplement the function of talents by granting character new and interesting abilities, so that each character enjoys a steady accumulation of fun options. But in low- or non-magic settings, allowing talents every level seems like it should be a viable option.

I want to get into the game but I’m finding the books quite expensive to order with the added delivery charge of shipping from the US (usually around £15 shipping). Does anyone know the best place to order physical books from that doesn’t break the bank?

Hi Crawlers,

I like many of us have acquired the PH for western reaches and zines 1-6, but I am plagued with an issue I think we all face:

I got no one to play with.

How to do people find people to play with in-person? I prefer in-person with my particular GM style, and I feel like it gets people more engaged in the game

The discord seems to be primarily online play, so I’m kinda lost on where to go.

I saw the shadow dark league, but not sure when that will start

Anyone know how to find people? How to get randoms who want to play?

Praise the lost, for they are out there, and glory to the wandering merchant

While waiting for the GMs Guide to the Western Reaches to come out, I’m struck with how to gather a disparate group of PCs. A Sea Wolf, a Ras Godai, a Knight of St Ydris and a Basilisk Warrior (to pick an extreme example) are all together for session 1.

How did they meet?

A few ways I’ve thought of:

1. Dump it in the players laps at session zero and see what they come up with.
2. PCs start in, or recently escaped, a Drow prison in Morzomotha after being captured in their various home areas and then transported to a central place where they meet.
3. PCs start as captive sacrifices to a cult (e.g. Lair of the Lamb, Trial of the Slime Lord)
4. PCs are magically transported for some greater purpose to be revealed later in the campaign.

Any other GMs working this problem? Any other cool ideas you’ve come up with, or are we all just meeting up in a tavern?

The Tragedy of Ravenmere Manor is tight, 18-room gothic horror adventure for levels 3-4. Currently on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runeforgedttrpg/the-tragedy-of-ravenmere-manor-for-shadowdark-rpg

Okkaayyy

So I've been bouncing between two Shadowdark projects for a minute now and have decided I am going to finish one of them by the end of summer OR DIE. Part 1 of that plan is outsourcing picking one so I can force myself to put the other away, which is hard cuz they both have a very special place in my heart. I'm hoping y'all can help me figure out which one gets the golden child treatment and which gets the boot.

Both of these projects are about the same way done and neither is really a particularly larger scope than the other (just trust me on that one) so just tell me which one you'd rather exist in the world:

1. Stonehell for Shadowdark Guide

Stonehell is the love of my life as far as megadungeons go, it was my first so it's special to me. However it's build for labyrinth lord and while that's a cool system it's not Shadowdark and Shadowdark doesn't have any good megadungeons (yet) and I love Shadowdark. It's super elegant nature and speedy prep time is a perfect fit for Shadowdark. I want to create a total conversion for it that would be all you need to instantly (and I seriously mean instantly) start running Stonehell with Shadowdark. It would also include Western Reaches style factions/patrons for all Stonehell specific factions/patrons as well as Shadowdark variations of all creatures. There would also be additional Western Reaches/Shadowdark pantheon/lore additions to plop in Stonehell.

While it would have no maps, you still need Stonehell to run Stonehell, it would have the same "one page has everything you need" style design to it that Stonehell does. I'd also build in a little adventure that would be built to be run with zero prep and would get the party thoroughly enmeshed with the goings-on of the 1st floor of Stonehell.

Once the Western Reaches GM Guide comes out I'd also include some recommended hex locations for Stonehell within Western reaches. The goal would be that you could pick it up, give it a skim, and be ready to run Stonehell directly from the book with Shadowdark.

2. Elden Ring Catacomb Style Mini Dungeon Compilation

This one requires way less text to explain as the name does most of the work. The catacombs in Elden Ring are BEGGING to be made into "put these wherever tf" mini dungeons for Shadowdark. This compilation would include 5 (to start) mini dungeons inspired directly by the various trap and gargoyle filled nightmare holes of the Elden Ring Catacombs. I'd also include some ways to tie things in with Western Reaches once it drops including some adventures/npcs that give the players reason to explore these dungeon (besides the cool as hell Elden Ring inspired loot they'll contain.)

Soooooo yeah, whatcha think? Either of these sound more or less cool for y'all? Disclaimer: I still have to reach out to Kurtis about creating the Stonehell guide w/o infringing on his property, same with figuring out how much/little of Western Reaches inspired stuff I can include. The Elden Ring inspired one would, of course, contain no direct Elden Ring stuff as I'm not even going to try and get From Soft's permission for that lmao.

Oh also if you comment on this thread before I call "time" I'll dm you a preview copy of whichever project is chosen once it's in a generally playable state o7

Happy to field any questions or requests or whatever y'all might have as well.

I'm working on implementing factions into my ongoing campaign, as per the rules in the Western Reaches player's guide. The part that's tripping me up is on p. 90:

"If a PC leaves the party due to any reason other than death, subtract their LV from their faction's total. This may cause the party to lose benefits."

My initial thought was - imagine three PCs in a faction, all LV 3. Their total faction benefits LVs would be 9. One player dies, it stays 9. They replace it with a new LV 1 PC belonging to (or joining) the same faction. The total faction benefits LV would then be 10, I think, pushing them into the next membership benefits category.

But there are edge cases. What if all three die - does the party lose that benefit LV because there's nobody left, and start over? Or does any new PC who joins that faction inherit the 9 faction benefit LVs from the previous members? It seems like that's as intended.

I'd love to know y'all's thoughts on this as I work through it.