Descending Into the “Shadowdark”

I wasn’t looking for a video regarding the Shadowdark tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG), but I came across an interesting one from the TechDweeb YouTube channel and I decided to share it. It’s entertaining and it provides both a glimpse at Shadowdark and an example of play for those new to TTRPGs.

Shadowdark is a relatively new game that has received a lot of critical acclaim and a number of awards. It reportedly takes many of the best rules and mechanics of Dungeon & Dragons 5E or D&D 5E and adds some other interesting rules and mechanics to give it more of an old-school feel reminiscent of previous editions of the game.

In Shadowdark your player characters or PCs may be heroes, but they are not superheroes… at least not in the beginning of their challenging and perilous journey to becoming full-fledged heroes of great renown. Think less Superman or Thor and more Conan the Barbarian or Robin Hood.

The dungeons, caves, sewers, forests, and other dark places that the PCs explore are dangerous. And unlike many of the PCs in D&D 5E, Shadowdark PCs cannot see in the dark without a source of light. Of course, many of the monsters stalking the PCs CAN see in the inky black darkness. A torch burning out in the wrong place and at the wrong time could prove potentially fatal to your PC.

And as was the case in the early days of the hobby, the person running the PC in a game of Shadowdark is expected to think and be creative in solving the problems encountered by his or her PC. You can’t just rely upon your PC’s attributes, proficiencies, and possessions listed on a character sheet to survive. You will have to play him or her with intelligence, resourcefulness, and cunning.

Knowing that your PC is facing (and hopefully overcoming) risks is arguably a big part of the fun of playing these games. Winning against great odds breeds feelings of accomplishment. One of the complaints that some players have made about the latest edition of D&D is that the PCs are too powerful and don’t really face any serious risk of failure and defeat. Of course, that is just fine for some D&D enthusiasts that want to play such powerful, larger-than-life heroes right from the outset. And there are undoubtedly D&D Dungeon Masters (DMs) that regularly find ways to challenge their players. For such DMs and their groups a potentially disastrous defeat is almost always a possibility, particularly if the PCs do foolish things and/or if a bunch of bad dice rolls pile up against the PCs.

Games like Shadowdark and others that facilitate that low-level, survival-adventure style of play scratch an itch for other fantasy TTRPG enthusiasts. So if you’re interested, be sure to click on the link below and watch the video.

“I Frickin' Love Shadowdark 🎲”

https://youtu.be/1KDd6x0t4nM