@@learningdm851 Kelsey and Ben and Professor and Hankering all collaborate and spend time at conferences. They are colleagues with similar styles. Kelsey is also super organized, if you've seen her DMs guild adventures, so it's not surprising how organized her campaign is. I hope all the money she spent on advertising pays off. I want her to have retirement money after this.
The Kickstarter was pretty damn fast. I here return 10 months later and am expecting my Shadowdark box any day now 🛡️ 😊 Kelsey and ThebArcane Library duo are fantastic hhumans, and just as great creators.
5th edition was what got me into ttrpgs/dnd and has given me a small core of life long friends, has gotten me through covid breakups and depression. When the wotc bomb went off it lit a fire under my ass to try to start dm-ing and I wanted to lean into one of the many osr games I own but have never played. And then this kickstarter dropped and I knew this was it.Grabbing the whole physical bundle. I hope I don't suck at dming. Very excited for this to drop.
You sound like you see the magic behind the dice, Cheetos and Mt. Dew! Never loose that. It will make you a great GM! This magic you see will attract others, be sure to stick to your guns. Don't tolerate bullies, keep friends at the table. Make new ones along the way 👊 I've been at it since the late 80's, and I can say the same thing. This game, with a good group of friends man what a great support group! If you haven't yet, go listen to Hankerin's RPG Mainframe called, "Oath of the Dungeon Master" 🛡️
I know this has nothing to do with the video, but does anyone else feel like Hankerin sounds like Jake the Dog from Adventure Time? I thought this several months ago and now it's stuck and I can't unhear it, and it's awesome.
I appreciate what you said about not being "beholden" to a particular system, etc. I'm one of the weird ones that loves both "rules light" and super technical and robust rule sets. In my experience both can be done smoothly and efficient. I actually combine Old School Essentials with Shadowdark and for my groups, it works tremendously. I've done the same as well with EZD6, Cairn, etc. I'm a year late to this video, but better late than never, I guess.
Same. I see these systems as more like lego sets you can combine in your own unique way than separate islands you have to choose between. OSE and Shadowdark go together like coffee and cream.
Binging the entirety of Professor Dungeon Master's channel these past few weeks is what essentially got me wanting this game when it's Kickstarter was announced on day one, I was already going to use everything I was learning on his channel to modify my OSR games after I wrap up my final 5E campaign when all of a sudden he uploaded his video on this game and I thought to myself "Not only has someone else done what I am getting ready to do to my OSR game but that person made an entire game that is being offered on Kickstarter!?" It was easily one of the fastest day one purchases my brother and I have ever mad.
Can I just say that the free quick start is also an amazing product? Two zines (Player and GM) with a full dungeon! Amazing stuff. This book looks fantastic.
This game looks amazing, love the ICRPG inspiration throughout! Also love the real-time torch mechanic; it has me thinking about how I would program smart lights above my gaming table to flicker and turn off after an hour for that sweet sweet immersion...
Great vid! You helped solidify my path to DCC years ago when you spoke about the magic system. (thank you for that) I still love the system and the awesome people in it. I happily backed Shadowdark, so it’s really cool to see your love and passion for it here. I’m really looking forward to mashing it with DCC and other home brew rules \m/
You completely inspired me to start making TTRPG content. Without the advice you gave me in a live chat, I wouldn’t be two years into doing this thing that I love. Of course I’m still growing and I definitely had others motivate me but you have been a shaman pointing out the path to becoming more of myself. My only problem is not wanting to be in the spotlight but that will come in time. Thank you for being you and I’ll definitely check out Shadowdark.
Looks sick, I used to play a ton of pen and paper before losing interest in the immense amount of time I had to put into it. Now my interests include traditional roguelikes, which this seems to have some similar aspects. Update: Checked out the KS campaign and it looks like it matches my sensibilities in games to a T, backed the premium book with the green skin cover.
@@phaedruslive Despite the hilariously bad cover art for some of the modules, it does look like a cool game. Although I am looking for more of a roleplaying with other people sort of thing.
amen. the headz will really see it in the details, imho. A lot of us have been rocking 5e since it released, but like me just didnt like the cartoony direction.
I just want to add that you are a kind of para social mentor for me as well! Your room design series and ICRPG really shaped my game design and dungeon master experience.
This looks awesome! Great physical book: art, size, typeset, etc… looks great if you’re looking for the blend of old and new school D&D with a simple “essential” style of aesthetic and ruleset. It’s looks worth buying for all that and to support what appears to be a great person! Myself, I prefer a classless system… I know, I have no class… I think that more accurately emulates real life. I play D&D but also Fantasy Hero quite a bit. What I like about Fantasy Hero is the ability to build what you want, but that comes with the drawback of, to my liking, over complexity. I’m looking forward to (and saving my allowance for) Crown & Skull! I’m curious to see what Hanker’n has in store for that system. I’m also intrigued by the forthcoming EZ D6 Adventure book. I modified my own version of EZ D6 decoupling the abilities from “classes” and armor types with corresponding checks instead of armor linked to class. You choose what abilities and armor your character has. Everyone enjoy your own cheeseburger with the toppings of your choice!
This looks like a really great product! I saw some of her stuff about a year ago and thought it looked really cool. So when this came up today on Questing Beast and Professor Dungeon Master I took a look and it looks like it really might be something my table uses! They enjoyed OSE, but cut their teeth on 5e and missed some of the stuff this preserves. The team that put this together knocked it out of the park.
Cackling, rambling, but inspiring. Love the vid. Shadowdark, I think, will revolutionize the OSR/NSR adjacent systems and simultaneously bring in more 5E players. Its so clean, flavorful, and efficient while retaining depth. So good. Also, love the smaller size for the book. Bases loaded and home run
I’m not really sure comparing OSE and Shadowdark is a fair comparison when you look at their intents. OSE was created to clean up and reorganize the original B/X rules from the 80s into a more readable and shorter format. The main thing they did that was new was ascending armor class in addition to THAC0. Shadowdark has been created to form an entirely new game setting and rules systems and game mastery/philosophy blend. With that being said I own OSE and plan to pick up Shadowdark whenever it’s in print.
fair points for sure, but they do represent a common mindset of 'this is dnd, tidy' . also showing ascending ac alongside thaco is not new... been around since 91 or so
@@Runehammer1 yeah for sure. But OSE is meant to be a nearly identical reproduction of the BX ruleset. I wasn’t speaking of ascending AC being novel itself, just in Gavin Normans approach to the OSE rules to include that and having no other real material changes to the ruleset presented. 👍
@@Runehammer1 I am absolutely pointing my finger at the publisher of the most prominent roleplaying game in the industry. Actually I have found that some of the smaller publishers do a better job. I understand keeping folio/page count down etc, but there is no shame in sacrificing words for white space / accessibility. You basically sold me on Shadowdark on the graphic design alone! 😂 Okay, design rant over!
From the ashes of WOTC rises Shadowdark! Seriously excellent timing on this Kickstarter to hang ten on all the recent Hasbro discontent. People are looking to pour support into something outside of the D&D brand.
You mentioned OSE - how does Shadowdark compare with some of the other greatest hits over the past 20 years: DCC, Mork Borg, Dungeon World, Five Torches Deep, Maze Rats, Basic Fantasy? Say I want to sit down and play a simple D&D style rpg with my family?
I love the fact that you can't stop getting off topic talking about what you love and then stopping yourself and saying "I don't want to talk about what makes it awesome!".
The timing for the Shadowdark Kickstarter couldn't be worse for me. I hope the book and pdf will be available after the Kickstarter. Maybe even a print on demand option. In looking at the quick start rules I know this is something I need.
@@Runehammer1 based on my look at the quick start I agree and hope so. My concern. Is that I see limited print runs offered via Kickstarter and then it's PDFs only through drive thru rpg. I can't tell you how many hard copies I've missed out on. I'm hoping Shadowdark's popularity is at that level you created with ICRPG. If that's the case hard copies won't be an issue post Kickstarter. I love Shadowdark for so many reasons. Even the text layoit/format is spectacular. I seldom get excited for that. Its a winner.
Speaking of layout (judging the QuickStart) I really like the way the game has a topic a page (or two pages) with nice headings above. This will make it easy for people to extend the game. Any word if the designer is going to use ORC or some common license when the kickstarter turns into a finished product?
Looks great! So this is like a clarified, reformatted (cooler) 5e (OS) with some modern mechanics thrown in to aide with it's dungeon crawling aesthetic? Kinda like, "we know you like 5e, we're not abandoning you, we've invested a lot in DnD too.... so here's how we play it"?
Not gonna lie, I'm feeling highly envious of the creator of Shadowdark. I sure would like to get some of that attention on my other RUclips channel, Quick & Dirty Roleplaying, and on my first game, the Quick & Dirty RPG System.
Professor dungeon master read the whole thing, so maybe he also had a book. Unless that was on pdf. I don’t understand the hype myself? This is just homebrew b/x which is what D&D is SUPPOSED to be. All D&D should be personal. That’s one of Gygax’ lost rules.
its a matter of feel and utility... 5e, to me, has become little more than a nuisance despite its solid mechanical roots. SD cleans it up, compresses it, makes me smile, and feels completed
How do the monster power levels compare to the classic versions in OSE? Do they have inflated HP, attack and damage that aligns with 5e, or are they more compatible with the older editions and OSR games?
I'm interested in this but just bought DCC a few weeks ago. Seems like there is a lot of overlap. I also have ICRPG. I wonder if its worth getting yet another OSR book at this point. I've been having plenty of fun with DCC which has tons of modules out already. Anyone else in this position?
Hankerin - I think a better self=description than malcontent is 'gadfly' Definition: A fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly. Or an annoying person, especially one who provokes others into action by criticism. "Always the gadfly, Hankerin criticizes roleplaying game orthodoxies." Oh, and why are you meeting players in a bar... 🤨
Doubt I'll ever play it as it's written, though I'm sure to pillage the art and other assorted content. Paid into the KS to support the indie writers & artists.
Lmao this book is popping up everywhere. Hopefully it wont be one of those books that releases once as a kickstarter and then wont be available to buy anymore.
I'll wait till it comes out and hopefully there will be an option to purchase it directly from her site. I am wary of Kickstarter for their political bias and don't want them to get a cut.
Just don't see what all the excitement is about ... it's another 5E meets OSR Fantasy Heartbreaker. Nothing groundbreaking or particularly unique - all these ideas have been out there for years. Increased line spacing and digest-size = way too many pages .... I would have gone with a boxed set with a 8.5"x11" sized rules booklet with a separate book for all the random tables I'll never use (have enough of those to last a lifetime already and frankly sick of seeing them being used to pad out rulebooks) and an adventure with some dice thrown in. Will still likely drop $29 on the PDF just to support the creator, but I don't see anything in there that I haven't already seen and/or adapted to my B/X games that I've been running for years ... Will still likely drop $29 on the PDF just to support the creator just so she can keep doing this for a living because that's just cool. ;)
There's another cool Kickstarter going off right now and I think it's right up your alley. It's called OSR: obsolete shitty rules. It's a Mashup of horror, fantasy and classic heavy metal. It's a ton of fun.
sounds and looks great for GMs but I can tell already that this is where it will most likely stay at. At the GMs side. Too many players want to play 5e because they want to build multiclass multifeat multi something characters. It is not about "role playing" but "roll playing" for the 5e crowd. on the kickstarter page it says: "it lets you level up without agonizing over builds, tweaking, and min/maxxing" but that is exactly what the 5e player crowd is craving! it is sad but that's what it is.
Tbh I don’t see how such a play style can possibly work well unless you think spreadsheets are the way to enjoy a game. The person who cares more about your batting average than the ball sailing over the fence is not the person who is going to accept that their min max machine doesn’t beat the game when they roll a ton of 1s. There is no backstory with someone who is like that. No imagination. Accounting vs an actual game… I dunno. I HATE that… and I have read most of the 2e complete books. You have to move past it. Leave the accounting at work. Or become an accountant.
'5e player crowd' might be too big a generalization to be useful. Many aspects of 5e represent the cutting edge of the d20 core idea, with a VAST array of styles out there... GMs do the most book collecting, but players are many and diverse!
@@Runehammer1 Well, say I run a 5e adventure module in OSE. I have to look at all the monster stat blocks in the 5e module and adjust the HP and damage output. I need to make sure the first monster doesn't do 500% of the PC's hit points in the first round. It's true that OSR has the "nothing is balanced" mindset, but it needs to be within reason. In OSR, I do treasure-as-XP. Does the 5e module give the right amount of treasure for the XP I want them to have? Or will they just not ever level up? Once, I ran Rogues in Remballo, an OSR module that had been converted to 5e. It had been converted poorly. The first quest giver gave a level 1 PC a 2,000gp quest reward. It's written that way because of treasure-as-xp in OSR. But this is way out of whack for how much gold a 1st level 5e PC should have. If you run OSR modules in 5e, you just have to KNOW to divide all treasure rewards by 10 so it doesn't make your 1st level PCs rich. Does the 5e module entirely hinge the transition from chapter 1 to chapter 2 on a special class ability that OSR does not have? Does it grant magic items that the story revolves around that use mechanics that don't fit with the system? If you change systems, often you will find that the text of the adventure assumes things that are not true. Those will have to be adjusted. I like running long-form campaigns from pre-published modules. I don't like the style of game where I just make everything up myself. That means that all these tables don't mean as much to me. I want the adventure written for me. I'll still change it around and tinker with it. I'll reskin monsters and change the locations for my own homebrew world. But I don't want to write it myself, and don't want to do a bunch of math or conversion. There will be gotchas if you don't convert. Of course, there are tons of B/X and 1e modules you can run. Those are much more likely to be in line with what we want. But they do not have a lot of the modern layout and niceties of recently written adventures. And they're often short, too. Anyway, sorry for rambling. I greatly admire your work, and I have used your ideas for inspiration a lot. But I think I am slowly realizing that there are different categories of DMs. And the ones who LOVE tinkering with rules seem to assume that is the ONLY way to play D&D. But I don't think that's the case. Some people just want it all to work without tinkering.
As soon as I hear something is comparable or compatible with 5e I almost immediately lose interest, I hate current D&D. I hope the comparison is for exposure only.
there are mechanical aspects in 5e that have survived the test of time... the comparison is to show that 'modern' d&d doesnt have to be the thing we see from hasbro
Just wondering: Did the maker of this product pay for the review? Apparently they are paying folks to review their product, which should be the first thing mentioned by ANYONE reviewing it (if they did receive payment).
@@Runehammer1 Questing Beast said he did get paid so it's not too much of a stretch to think he wasn't the only one. Especially since ya'll all released reviews of it so close together. I'm personally glad you didn't get paid for it. Thanks for the response. :D
I've been fascinated by Shadowdark, I guess I didn't realize it was going to be such a big deal so many other people. Exciting times.
same
Me neither for me it felt like coming out of nowhere and than THIS 🎉
@@learningdm851 Kelsey and Ben and Professor and Hankering all collaborate and spend time at conferences. They are colleagues with similar styles. Kelsey is also super organized, if you've seen her DMs guild adventures, so it's not surprising how organized her campaign is.
I hope all the money she spent on advertising pays off. I want her to have retirement money after this.
@@tdworwoodSame but for my parents and grandparents who still aren’t retired after working their whole lives
The Kickstarter was pretty damn fast. I here return 10 months later and am expecting my Shadowdark box any day now 🛡️ 😊 Kelsey and ThebArcane Library duo are fantastic hhumans, and just as great creators.
5th edition was what got me into ttrpgs/dnd and has given me a small core of life long friends, has gotten me through covid breakups and depression. When the wotc bomb went off it lit a fire under my ass to try to start dm-ing and I wanted to lean into one of the many osr games I own but have never played. And then this kickstarter dropped and I knew this was it.Grabbing the whole physical bundle. I hope I don't suck at dming. Very excited for this to drop.
You sound like you see the magic behind the dice, Cheetos and Mt. Dew! Never loose that. It will make you a great GM! This magic you see will attract others, be sure to stick to your guns. Don't tolerate bullies, keep friends at the table. Make new ones along the way 👊
I've been at it since the late 80's, and I can say the same thing. This game, with a good group of friends man what a great support group!
If you haven't yet, go listen to Hankerin's RPG Mainframe called, "Oath of the Dungeon Master" 🛡️
" I have five copies of this book."
30 seconds later...
"You know me, I am a shelf space minimalist."
😂
Thanks for the vid. Kickstarted, can't wait.
I know this has nothing to do with the video, but does anyone else feel like Hankerin sounds like Jake the Dog from Adventure Time?
I thought this several months ago and now it's stuck and I can't unhear it, and it's awesome.
I appreciate what you said about not being "beholden" to a particular system, etc. I'm one of the weird ones that loves both "rules light" and super technical and robust rule sets. In my experience both can be done smoothly and efficient. I actually combine Old School Essentials with Shadowdark and for my groups, it works tremendously. I've done the same as well with EZD6, Cairn, etc. I'm a year late to this video, but better late than never, I guess.
Same. I see these systems as more like lego sets you can combine in your own unique way than separate islands you have to choose between. OSE and Shadowdark go together like coffee and cream.
Love this! You're amazing, and your take on Shadowdark is the most perceptive I've ever seen. You get it!
Binging the entirety of Professor Dungeon Master's channel these past few weeks is what essentially got me wanting this game when it's Kickstarter was announced on day one, I was already going to use everything I was learning on his channel to modify my OSR games after I wrap up my final 5E campaign when all of a sudden he uploaded his video on this game and I thought to myself "Not only has someone else done what I am getting ready to do to my OSR game but that person made an entire game that is being offered on Kickstarter!?" It was easily one of the fastest day one purchases my brother and I have ever mad.
My friend talking about my other friend. This is awesome. Congrats Arcane Libary
Can I just say that the free quick start is also an amazing product?
Two zines (Player and GM) with a full dungeon! Amazing stuff. This book looks fantastic.
This game looks amazing, love the ICRPG inspiration throughout! Also love the real-time torch mechanic; it has me thinking about how I would program smart lights above my gaming table to flicker and turn off after an hour for that sweet sweet immersion...
Great vid! You helped solidify my path to DCC years ago when you spoke about the magic system. (thank you for that) I still love the system and the awesome people in it. I happily backed Shadowdark, so it’s really cool to see your love and passion for it here. I’m really looking forward to mashing it with DCC and other home brew rules \m/
You completely inspired me to start making TTRPG content. Without the advice you gave me in a live chat, I wouldn’t be two years into doing this thing that I love. Of course I’m still growing and I definitely had others motivate me but you have been a shaman pointing out the path to becoming more of myself. My only problem is not wanting to be in the spotlight but that will come in time. Thank you for being you and I’ll definitely check out Shadowdark.
:D
What's your channel friend?
@@JayoftheWind www.youtube.com/@MageGate its just me and my friend spinning all the plates over there but I'm loving it.
@@MrHoleinthevoid sorry, I changed your subscriber total from a funny number...
@@JayoftheWind It had to happen eventually😂Thank you so much for the sub, I deeply appreciate it.
You and Kelsey both have such fun positive energy. You guys get me excited create.
Looks sick, I used to play a ton of pen and paper before losing interest in the immense amount of time I had to put into it. Now my interests include traditional roguelikes, which this seems to have some similar aspects. Update: Checked out the KS campaign and it looks like it matches my sensibilities in games to a T, backed the premium book with the green skin cover.
4AD is a nice middle-ground between those two things.
@@phaedruslive Despite the hilariously bad cover art for some of the modules, it does look like a cool game. Although I am looking for more of a roleplaying with other people sort of thing.
This is great. I agree this is a very clean take on DnD. There is a lot of work behind this and it shows.
amen. the headz will really see it in the details, imho. A lot of us have been rocking 5e since it released, but like me just didnt like the cartoony direction.
@@Runehammer1 exactly!
I just want to add that you are a kind of para social mentor for me as well! Your room design series and ICRPG really shaped my game design and dungeon master experience.
thank you!
Kickstarted!! I like Kelsey’s approach, starting from today and building that game play from the days of yore!!
This looks awesome! Great physical book: art, size, typeset, etc… looks great if you’re looking for the blend of old and new school D&D with a simple “essential” style of aesthetic and ruleset. It’s looks worth buying for all that and to support what appears to be a great person!
Myself, I prefer a classless system… I know, I have no class… I think that more accurately emulates real life. I play D&D but also Fantasy Hero quite a bit. What I like about Fantasy Hero is the ability to build what you want, but that comes with the drawback of, to my liking, over complexity.
I’m looking forward to (and saving my allowance for) Crown & Skull! I’m curious to see what Hanker’n has in store for that system.
I’m also intrigued by the forthcoming EZ D6 Adventure book. I modified my own version of EZ D6 decoupling the abilities from “classes” and armor types with corresponding checks instead of armor linked to class. You choose what abilities and armor your character has.
Everyone enjoy your own cheeseburger with the toppings of your choice!
As Is I said on the KS page, this is what I've been searching for.
LOVE ICRPG...can hardly wait to get my copy of Shadowdark!
I love how you are so active in the industry! Keep Up the Great Work!
This looks like a really great product! I saw some of her stuff about a year ago and thought it looked really cool. So when this came up today on Questing Beast and Professor Dungeon Master I took a look and it looks like it really might be something my table uses! They enjoyed OSE, but cut their teeth on 5e and missed some of the stuff this preserves.
The team that put this together knocked it out of the park.
Backed it within 10 minutes of launch!
Sold.
I just put my money on the table and looking forward to it.
Great overview! I'm pretty excited from what I have seen so far
Cackling, rambling, but inspiring. Love the vid. Shadowdark, I think, will revolutionize the OSR/NSR adjacent systems and simultaneously bring in more 5E players.
Its so clean, flavorful, and efficient while retaining depth. So good.
Also, love the smaller size for the book. Bases loaded and home run
Just got the notification from Runehammer Patreon you finished the adventure for Shadowdark RPG!!
tis true! announced mar 22, released when the KS is complete
Loved the adventure Hankerin'.
2023 the year of Shadows.
Shadowdark and Shadow of the Weird Wizard.
I’m really excited to check this out. Still super keen to see what you cook up with Crown and Skull!
This is exactly what we needed.
Nice overview! I backed Shadowdark. I think it will serve well to entice my 5e gaming friends to get into an OSR mindset.
I cannot agree more about how brevity matters in rule books.
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
My books arrived today. This is a wondrous time!
I can't wait. Another great book to add to the spot next to ICRPG, lol
I still find that I prefer OSE. I might pick this up for the tables though, which seem pretty comprehensive and useful.
It doesnt seem that different from a lot of other OSR.. I prefer the art of OSE
I’m not really sure comparing OSE and Shadowdark is a fair comparison when you look at their intents.
OSE was created to clean up and reorganize the original B/X rules from the 80s into a more readable and shorter format. The main thing they did that was new was ascending armor class in addition to THAC0.
Shadowdark has been created to form an entirely new game setting and rules systems and game mastery/philosophy blend.
With that being said I own OSE and plan to pick up Shadowdark whenever it’s in print.
fair points for sure, but they do represent a common mindset of 'this is dnd, tidy' . also showing ascending ac alongside thaco is not new... been around since 91 or so
@@Runehammer1 yeah for sure. But OSE is meant to be a nearly identical reproduction of the BX ruleset. I wasn’t speaking of ascending AC being novel itself, just in Gavin Normans approach to the OSE rules to include that and having no other real material changes to the ruleset presented. 👍
I’m totally with you on layout, Hank.
Publishers often put barriers for readers to access their products through poor typography and layout.
it's a weird 'dark art' that is sometimes overlooked... i would even argue many of today's headliner rpgs are quite taxing to use/ read
@@Runehammer1 I am absolutely pointing my finger at the publisher of the most prominent roleplaying game in the industry. Actually I have found that some of the smaller publishers do a better job.
I understand keeping folio/page count down etc, but there is no shame in sacrificing words for white space / accessibility. You basically sold me on Shadowdark on the graphic design alone! 😂
Okay, design rant over!
The artwork looks so dang good.
From the ashes of WOTC rises Shadowdark! Seriously excellent timing on this Kickstarter to hang ten on all the recent Hasbro discontent. People are looking to pour support into something outside of the D&D brand.
You mentioned OSE - how does Shadowdark compare with some of the other greatest hits over the past 20 years: DCC, Mork Borg, Dungeon World, Five Torches Deep, Maze Rats, Basic Fantasy?
Say I want to sit down and play a simple D&D style rpg with my family?
it hangs with them.. as a compact one-book-in-pack it rules
I backed the kick starter. Thanks for the video and getting the word out
Ha! Basically all the D&D channels I sub to are covering this today.
I love the fact that you can't stop getting off topic talking about what you love and then stopping yourself and saying "I don't want to talk about what makes it awesome!".
Such a great time for the hobby! Cheers to that!
You sold me and I signed up for a late pledge before finishing the video
It's perfect! passionate and you seem so proud!
a truly sublime feeling to see such a long arc of events take shape
The timing for the Shadowdark Kickstarter couldn't be worse for me. I hope the book and pdf will be available after the Kickstarter. Maybe even a print on demand option.
In looking at the quick start rules I know this is something I need.
bill.. i think shadowdark will be around for a very long time
@@Runehammer1 based on my look at the quick start I agree and hope so. My concern. Is that I see limited print runs offered via Kickstarter and then it's PDFs only through drive thru rpg. I can't tell you how many hard copies I've missed out on.
I'm hoping Shadowdark's popularity is at that level you created with ICRPG. If that's the case hard copies won't be an issue post Kickstarter. I love Shadowdark for so many reasons. Even the text layoit/format is spectacular. I seldom get excited for that. Its a winner.
Man I pickup like all the things you recommend, we think alike apparently lol!!! I need to join in on the live show!
You're a great orator. You speak how people think, because it's stream of consciousness, which makes it easy to follow the thread IMHO!!
Speaking of layout (judging the QuickStart) I really like the way the game has a topic a page (or two pages) with nice headings above. This will make it easy for people to extend the game. Any word if the designer is going to use ORC or some common license when the kickstarter turns into a finished product?
no word yet.. orc lost its tusks when wotc backed down
Backed! It looks like an amazing game!
Love the hype! This will be epic.
Crap, The day before this was announced, I spent my gaming budget on Forbidden Lands. I'll have to wait a bit.
ah ... so good
Fascinating book
Grubby Mitts. Happy to help. ;)
I love the artwork.
It's not silly, it's dope.
Looks great! So this is like a clarified, reformatted (cooler) 5e (OS) with some modern mechanics thrown in to aide with it's dungeon crawling aesthetic? Kinda like, "we know you like 5e, we're not abandoning you, we've invested a lot in DnD too.... so here's how we play it"?
yep.. and 'rebuilds' on every spell and monster for improved clarity, as well as tables for dayz
Great video, glad to see you back.
Praise be 1.5 line spacing
Cool, you speak French 😉 "aujourd'hui"..... Good detailed video as usual
Not gonna lie, I'm feeling highly envious of the creator of Shadowdark. I sure would like to get some of that attention on my other RUclips channel, Quick & Dirty Roleplaying, and on my first game, the Quick & Dirty RPG System.
Professor dungeon master read the whole thing, so maybe he also had a book. Unless that was on pdf. I don’t understand the hype myself? This is just homebrew b/x which is what D&D is SUPPOSED to be. All D&D should be personal. That’s one of Gygax’ lost rules.
its a matter of feel and utility... 5e, to me, has become little more than a nuisance despite its solid mechanical roots. SD cleans it up, compresses it, makes me smile, and feels completed
You can babble more than a brook :)
How do the monster power levels compare to the classic versions in OSE? Do they have inflated HP, attack and damage that aligns with 5e, or are they more compatible with the older editions and OSR games?
kickass question Louis... looking at some side-by-sides... they are very close to each other in base numbers (ac/hp)
Monster stats compare very closely to OSE.
Backed it!
Exciting! 🤓🔥
I'm interested in this but just bought DCC a few weeks ago. Seems like there is a lot of overlap. I also have ICRPG. I wonder if its worth getting yet another OSR book at this point. I've been having plenty of fun with DCC which has tons of modules out already. Anyone else in this position?
depends on your level of basementalism... if really doing the homework and researching 'where things are' I think shadowdark is essential
@@Runehammer1 thanks for the thoughts. "Basementalism." I'll have to add that one to my vocabulary. Classic. I'll check it out.
Lucky you! :)
🔥
You make the natural comparison to OSE, how Shadowdark is replacing it for you... but what about ICRPG? (I've played ICRPG and LOVE it!)
ICRPG was never designed to 'be D&D' like these are... it's its own thing, which limits it in a way, but also just has its own identity
Hankerin - I think a better self=description than malcontent is 'gadfly'
Definition: A fly that bites livestock, especially a horsefly, warble fly, or botfly.
Or an annoying person, especially one who provokes others into action by criticism.
"Always the gadfly, Hankerin criticizes roleplaying game orthodoxies."
Oh, and why are you meeting players in a bar... 🤨
Doubt I'll ever play it as it's written, though I'm sure to pillage the art and other assorted content.
Paid into the KS to support the indie writers & artists.
Backed!
Fuck yeah!
mubby grits
Just stumbled onto this channel and subscribed. Hope to see reviews of indie RPGs.
I backed it!
Free sample of O5R called Crimson Dragon Slayer D20!
So did you like it or didn't you?
lol
Where is the hilarious intro hank ???😤😄
Goddamn you can sell me on a book friend lol
Lmao this book is popping up everywhere. Hopefully it wont be one of those books that releases once as a kickstarter and then wont be available to buy anymore.
Omg I want to do a zoom game with you snd thst gsme
How is it compared to Pathfinder 2E?
less crunchy guts, far more enjoyable to use at table
I'll wait till it comes out and hopefully there will be an option to purchase it directly from her site. I am wary of Kickstarter for their political bias and don't want them to get a cut.
I am more than happy with Dungeon Crawl Classics 😃👍
Which OSE books is he holding at 6:40?
The Kickstarter Special Edition of the Classic Rules Tome.
Just don't see what all the excitement is about ... it's another 5E meets OSR Fantasy Heartbreaker. Nothing groundbreaking or particularly unique - all these ideas have been out there for years. Increased line spacing and digest-size = way too many pages ....
I would have gone with a boxed set with a 8.5"x11" sized rules booklet with a separate book for all the random tables I'll never use (have enough of those to last a lifetime already and frankly sick of seeing them being used to pad out rulebooks) and an adventure with some dice thrown in.
Will still likely drop $29 on the PDF just to support the creator, but I don't see anything in there that I haven't already seen and/or adapted to my B/X games that I've been running for years ...
Will still likely drop $29 on the PDF just to support the creator just so she can keep doing this for a living because that's just cool. ;)
as i mentioned, it isnt about newness, its about this particular artifact
There's another cool Kickstarter going off right now and I think it's right up your alley. It's called OSR: obsolete shitty rules. It's a Mashup of horror, fantasy and classic heavy metal. It's a ton of fun.
Do you need the 5e PHB to play?
No you do not need it to play Shadowdark.
nope.. but for those players who clutch those phb's... all their ideas will fit nicely
sounds and looks great for GMs but I can tell already that this is where it will most likely stay at. At the GMs side. Too many players want to play 5e because they want to build multiclass multifeat multi something characters. It is not about "role playing" but "roll playing" for the 5e crowd.
on the kickstarter page it says: "it lets you level up without agonizing over builds, tweaking, and min/maxxing" but that is exactly what the 5e player crowd is craving!
it is sad but that's what it is.
Tbh I don’t see how such a play style can possibly work well unless you think spreadsheets are the way to enjoy a game. The person who cares more about your batting average than the ball sailing over the fence is not the person who is going to accept that their min max machine doesn’t beat the game when they roll a ton of 1s.
There is no backstory with someone who is like that. No imagination. Accounting vs an actual game…
I dunno. I HATE that… and I have read most of the 2e complete books. You have to move past it. Leave the accounting at work. Or become an accountant.
'5e player crowd' might be too big a generalization to be useful. Many aspects of 5e represent the cutting edge of the d20 core idea, with a VAST array of styles out there... GMs do the most book collecting, but players are many and diverse!
My group will play whatever I recommend.
I don't know what your name means. It has always made me wonder lol
Also. I didn't know you did the art. Another reason I'm glad I bought you. You are an excellent artist
NERD!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍
Is this only for homebrewers? Or is it compatible with any pre-pubished modules out there?
I've never understood what the word compatible really means, but yes, to me this is compatible with every 5e supplement made
@@Runehammer1 Well, say I run a 5e adventure module in OSE.
I have to look at all the monster stat blocks in the 5e module and adjust the HP and damage output. I need to make sure the first monster doesn't do 500% of the PC's hit points in the first round. It's true that OSR has the "nothing is balanced" mindset, but it needs to be within reason.
In OSR, I do treasure-as-XP. Does the 5e module give the right amount of treasure for the XP I want them to have? Or will they just not ever level up?
Once, I ran Rogues in Remballo, an OSR module that had been converted to 5e. It had been converted poorly. The first quest giver gave a level 1 PC a 2,000gp quest reward. It's written that way because of treasure-as-xp in OSR. But this is way out of whack for how much gold a 1st level 5e PC should have. If you run OSR modules in 5e, you just have to KNOW to divide all treasure rewards by 10 so it doesn't make your 1st level PCs rich.
Does the 5e module entirely hinge the transition from chapter 1 to chapter 2 on a special class ability that OSR does not have? Does it grant magic items that the story revolves around that use mechanics that don't fit with the system? If you change systems, often you will find that the text of the adventure assumes things that are not true. Those will have to be adjusted.
I like running long-form campaigns from pre-published modules. I don't like the style of game where I just make everything up myself. That means that all these tables don't mean as much to me. I want the adventure written for me. I'll still change it around and tinker with it. I'll reskin monsters and change the locations for my own homebrew world. But I don't want to write it myself, and don't want to do a bunch of math or conversion. There will be gotchas if you don't convert.
Of course, there are tons of B/X and 1e modules you can run. Those are much more likely to be in line with what we want. But they do not have a lot of the modern layout and niceties of recently written adventures. And they're often short, too.
Anyway, sorry for rambling. I greatly admire your work, and I have used your ideas for inspiration a lot. But I think I am slowly realizing that there are different categories of DMs. And the ones who LOVE tinkering with rules seem to assume that is the ONLY way to play D&D. But I don't think that's the case. Some people just want it all to work without tinkering.
As soon as I hear something is comparable or compatible with 5e I almost immediately lose interest, I hate current D&D. I hope the comparison is for exposure only.
there are mechanical aspects in 5e that have survived the test of time... the comparison is to show that 'modern' d&d doesnt have to be the thing we see from hasbro
Just wondering: Did the maker of this product pay for the review? Apparently they are paying folks to review their product, which should be the first thing mentioned by ANYONE reviewing it (if they did receive payment).
I was in no way paid for this. The rumor you mention was made up by a rage-troll on twitter with no basis.
@@Runehammer1 Questing Beast said he did get paid so it's not too much of a stretch to think he wasn't the only one. Especially since ya'll all released reviews of it so close together. I'm personally glad you didn't get paid for it. Thanks for the response. :D
@@shawnwarswick8898 "What are review embargoes for $200 Alex"
Damn dude did you have to blackmail her for such a epic book
we're actually great friends... kind of a big brother/lil sister jam... but she's smarter than me, so... lol
Just coming out at the perfect time when we are tired of WOTC's bullshit and know that Paiso is just as bad.