Great video! I do love the way random traits on level-up makes the future uncertain - stops the pre-planning and decision paralysis of needing a plan for higher levels.
@@Nashcraeft ohh 😮 that's great news! Found the Deluxe Edition book recently and devoured it in two nights! I'm so looking forward to putting players in its setting one day!
A cool thing about Shadowdark is that it has four classes, and a handful of playable creature ancestries and backgrounds. Why's that cool? Because a class is basically a description of the weapons/armor you use, the simple mechanics of the special thing you do, and a bell curve level up table. An ancestry or a background are even simpler. The GM can create these or you can and pitch them to your GM. (Expect your GM to negotiate changes if they accept your concept!) It's super easy to expand, though, and the effort leads to creativity. How so? Case study: Druid. The WotC version of a druid Does Too Much. The D&D Druid does kinda two things, wildshape and nature magic. In Shadowdard you kinda only get one? Wait. What if those were two classes? And thus was born the skin changer, a class whose thing is that they can become a man-beast for a time and adopt traits from the animal. And the druids are natural magic users who consider the skin changers to be an abomination of nature. There's a rumor that diseases such as lycanthropy are related to the skin changer's abilities (explaining why they're immune to them) except those diseased have no control over their bestial forms. It's rumored that the most advanced skin changers can cure these diseases but … it'd be quite the quest to find such a one, if they exist! This was only mostly fleshed out as an exercise. Feel free to run with it!
@@knghtbrd This was absolutely fabulous. I totally agree that the Shadowdark format is not only easier to craft inside of but engaging in how to fit unique class options onto one page with minimal text.
Nailed it. Way faster, easier & cheaper to run. I like your 5 minute format, too. Gets right to the point, just like Shadowdark. May your dungeons always be dark. ;)
@@Runehammer1 Omg Runehammer commented on my video 🥹 My ansuz rune tattoo feels blessed....hopefully?? What about: "Why Shadowdark is better than *corporate* D&D"?
Slight correction: Out of those 5 reasons, 2 are completely subjective, and another 2 are highly debatable. So in reality it's just one reason (it's a little cheaper than current editions of D&D).
@@Timikator In the same timeline in which D&D 5e is more complicated than previous editions of the game, taking into account that it's the most streamlined of all past D&D (maybe with the exception of B/X), was highly celebrated for that when it came out, and also because Shadowdark uses basically the same 5e core mechanics of the 6 main stats, ascending AC, advantage/disadvantage, attack bonuses and conditions, etc. If we were comparing AD&D, 3e, 3.5, Pathfinder or 4e to Shadowdark, then yes. But we aren't doing that.
@@hectorrodriguez9382 what the fuck. 5e sure is streamlined, but it's still a crunchy system focused on combat. There is no way it's easier to learn properly than Shadowdark, in which all of the crunch is basically stripped away. Also, the book layout is 500 times better and user friendly.
@@Timikator Well, of course it's focused on combat, it's a wargame rpg, same as Shadowdark (again, same core system), or now Shadowdark is a roleplaying-focused experience, like VtM? And I disagree that "there is no way to learn it properly". In fact, I found it easier to learn and teach it when it came out, and I'm saying that based on my experience running the game RAW with different tables and with different people (with various degrees of experience with ttrpgs, from very experienced to absolute zero). I've never encountered any crunch in 5e (and by "crunch" I mean dragging the game to a halt bc of number crunching, but I don't know anymore what people mean by "crunch", because everytime I have this conversation, a new meaning appears). Also, "user friendly"? Dude, it's a book. You turn pages, and if you need to look for something, use the index. Also, the book layout, that's personal taste (that I partially share, tbh), but not a fact. And about the price... almost the same that 5e's phb (the difference is minuscule where I'm from, at least) for a tiny paperback size booklet that looks like it's going to fall apart by looking at it? I bought FATE Condensed for a third of that, the rules are simpler than tic-tac-toe, waaaay less pages (around 60, with big letters and good format), it's all you need to run the game, and it fits in a small handbag. Following that logic, it should be the best game ever created. You like Shadowdark, fine, it's ok, enjoy it, more power to you. My table didn't like it, they wanted a little more substance for their character creation and developing. And the "real time torch tracker" rule was the first thing we threw away. I'm not saying that is a bad game, don't get me wrong, but all the praise it gets, like it's "fresh" and perfect in every way... dude, please. It's basically the same thing. D&D 5e is not a perfect game (there is no perfect game), but the thing is that a lot (and I mean A LOT) of Internet criticisms today (because until like, a year and a half ago, it was a very liked game) about 5e are subjective, or worst, completely fabricated, to the point that, in some extreme cases (and this is not one of them, I should point that out), I wonder if they've even played the game.
I have like two years now running dnd modules in The One Ring 2e system, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than d20 at all. Highly recomended.
The magic system in Shadowdark is also more pleasing than its 5e counterpart. That was a huge selling point for myself.
@@Going_Bonanas Yes! Rolling to cast has been a nice change from Vancian magic systems. More intuitive and less of a headache to track.
💯 agree!
Great video! I do love the way random traits on level-up makes the future uncertain - stops the pre-planning and decision paralysis of needing a plan for higher levels.
This deserves waaay more views. Brilliant analysis.
It's absolutely going to be better with what they're planning for D&D in the future
@@ryan.1990 Agreed. Shadowdark had been a blast, along with a few others like Vaults of Vaarn to throw in the mix!
@@Nashcraeft Shadowdark with Vaults of Vaarn is such a great idea! I hope you'll do a video on Vaarn!
@@juauke ask and ye shall receive!
Jokes aside, Vaarn is seriously a wonderful game.
@@Nashcraeft ohh 😮 that's great news!
Found the Deluxe Edition book recently and devoured it in two nights! I'm so looking forward to putting players in its setting one day!
What are your thought about old-school essentials?
Yep! Well said. Longtime player here (decades), left 5e for SD, will never go back.
A cool thing about Shadowdark is that it has four classes, and a handful of playable creature ancestries and backgrounds. Why's that cool? Because a class is basically a description of the weapons/armor you use, the simple mechanics of the special thing you do, and a bell curve level up table. An ancestry or a background are even simpler. The GM can create these or you can and pitch them to your GM. (Expect your GM to negotiate changes if they accept your concept!) It's super easy to expand, though, and the effort leads to creativity.
How so? Case study: Druid.
The WotC version of a druid Does Too Much. The D&D Druid does kinda two things, wildshape and nature magic. In Shadowdard you kinda only get one? Wait. What if those were two classes? And thus was born the skin changer, a class whose thing is that they can become a man-beast for a time and adopt traits from the animal. And the druids are natural magic users who consider the skin changers to be an abomination of nature. There's a rumor that diseases such as lycanthropy are related to the skin changer's abilities (explaining why they're immune to them) except those diseased have no control over their bestial forms. It's rumored that the most advanced skin changers can cure these diseases but … it'd be quite the quest to find such a one, if they exist!
This was only mostly fleshed out as an exercise. Feel free to run with it!
@@knghtbrd This was absolutely fabulous. I totally agree that the Shadowdark format is not only easier to craft inside of but engaging in how to fit unique class options onto one page with minimal text.
Great way to format the opinion. Not why shadowdark is better but why you should play it. Keep it up. Much better than others out there.
Nailed it. Way faster, easier & cheaper to run. I like your 5 minute format, too. Gets right to the point, just like Shadowdark. May your dungeons always be dark. ;)
D&D is much to complex now a days. Downloaded the free stuff from SD and so far looks like I will be buying there books.
Kinda like Dynah Mite vs Barbie: cheaper yet better in every way!
Glad to see all the people in their little bubbles have shown up to complain about a game they hate to love.
Hell yeah!!!!
but shadowdark IS d&d 😵💫
@@Runehammer1 Omg Runehammer commented on my video 🥹
My ansuz rune tattoo feels blessed....hopefully??
What about:
"Why Shadowdark is better than *corporate* D&D"?
Slight correction: Out of those 5 reasons, 2 are completely subjective, and another 2 are highly debatable. So in reality it's just one reason (it's a little cheaper than current editions of D&D).
In what timeline Shadowdark is harder to learn that 5.5e?
than*
@@Timikator In the same timeline in which D&D 5e is more complicated than previous editions of the game, taking into account that it's the most streamlined of all past D&D (maybe with the exception of B/X), was highly celebrated for that when it came out, and also because Shadowdark uses basically the same 5e core mechanics of the 6 main stats, ascending AC, advantage/disadvantage, attack bonuses and conditions, etc. If we were comparing AD&D, 3e, 3.5, Pathfinder or 4e to Shadowdark, then yes. But we aren't doing that.
@@hectorrodriguez9382 what the fuck. 5e sure is streamlined, but it's still a crunchy system focused on combat. There is no way it's easier to learn properly than Shadowdark, in which all of the crunch is basically stripped away.
Also, the book layout is 500 times better and user friendly.
@@Timikator Well, of course it's focused on combat, it's a wargame rpg, same as Shadowdark (again, same core system), or now Shadowdark is a roleplaying-focused experience, like VtM? And I disagree that "there is no way to learn it properly". In fact, I found it easier to learn and teach it when it came out, and I'm saying that based on my experience running the game RAW with different tables and with different people (with various degrees of experience with ttrpgs, from very experienced to absolute zero). I've never encountered any crunch in 5e (and by "crunch" I mean dragging the game to a halt bc of number crunching, but I don't know anymore what people mean by "crunch", because everytime I have this conversation, a new meaning appears).
Also, "user friendly"? Dude, it's a book. You turn pages, and if you need to look for something, use the index. Also, the book layout, that's personal taste (that I partially share, tbh), but not a fact.
And about the price... almost the same that 5e's phb (the difference is minuscule where I'm from, at least) for a tiny paperback size booklet that looks like it's going to fall apart by looking at it? I bought FATE Condensed for a third of that, the rules are simpler than tic-tac-toe, waaaay less pages (around 60, with big letters and good format), it's all you need to run the game, and it fits in a small handbag. Following that logic, it should be the best game ever created.
You like Shadowdark, fine, it's ok, enjoy it, more power to you. My table didn't like it, they wanted a little more substance for their character creation and developing. And the "real time torch tracker" rule was the first thing we threw away.
I'm not saying that is a bad game, don't get me wrong, but all the praise it gets, like it's "fresh" and perfect in every way... dude, please. It's basically the same thing.
D&D 5e is not a perfect game (there is no perfect game), but the thing is that a lot (and I mean A LOT) of Internet criticisms today (because until like, a year and a half ago, it was a very liked game) about 5e are subjective, or worst, completely fabricated, to the point that, in some extreme cases (and this is not one of them, I should point that out), I wonder if they've even played the game.
I have like two years now running dnd modules in The One Ring 2e system, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than d20 at all. Highly recomended.