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Post by jeffb on Mar 12, 2023 6:38:36 GMT -6
It's the latest and greatest stripped down 5E OSR hack. I already have a couple of those but this one has been making the "news" lately for a couple reasons- A bunch of glowing reviews (some of them paid reviews however), and it's nearing the Million $ mark on KS with 17 days left. Some links Free Quickstart on DTRPGand Link to KickstarterTenkar and his crew (including our own Rob Conley) did a playtest stream over the weekend, and they seem to have mixed reviews. I've spot checked through the (edit) Quickstart, and..eh. I'm not seeing anything all that exciting, new, or revolutionary. I guess if you are a younger player who is only or mostly experienced with 5E, this may seem like an amazing new product. To me it just looks like a hodgepodge of ideas from various OSR and modern D&D derivatives (13th Age, Dungeon World, DCC RPG, 5 Torches Deep, IndexCard RPG, etc) with a intense marketing campaign and pretty aesthetics. :shrug: |
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Post by capitalbill on Mar 12, 2023 7:28:29 GMT -6
To me it just looks like a hodgepodge of ideas from various OSR and modern D&D derivatives (13th Age, Dungeon World, DCC RPG, 5 Torches Deep, IndexCard RPG, etc) with a intense marketing campaign and pretty aesthetics. :shrug: I had picked up the Quickstart rules some time ago, thought it was a pretty decent system. Somewhere in between 5e and old school D&D, with nothing that'd be too offensive to either market really. Nothing super remarkable either, kind of on that same note. Anything I didn't like I could remove, but also- anything I did like I could just add to an old school game. I was thinking about Kickstarting it, but the hype and marketing has put me off a little bit, and I'm intending on supporting Mythmere Games's new Swords & Wizardry printing so I decided to sit out and wait for Matt's Kickstarter. |
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Post by Finarvyn on Mar 12, 2023 12:44:29 GMT -6
I've been pondering backing this but am currently suffering a vision crisis and can't see well, so I can't read the quickstart. I would like to hear additional feedback from folks here so that I can decide if I want to spend my $$ on this product. (Mixed reviews make me nervous. I love the concept of OS meets 5E but if it's too simplified my 5E crew won't buy in.)
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Post by jeffb on Mar 12, 2023 13:19:42 GMT -6
I've been pondering backing this but am currently suffering a vision crisis and can't see well, so I can't read the quickstart. I would like to hear additional feedback from folks here so that I can decide if I want to spend my $$ on this product. (Mixed reviews make me nervous. I love the concept of OS meets 5E but if it's too simplified my 5E crew won't buy in.) It's very simplified. Some of the mixed reviews were saying perhaps a bit too much for a lengthy campaign game. Your crew probably would like Into the Unknown better if they like the crunchier bits of PC abilities/class features, etc. Can you view/listen a youtube video? Tenkar ran a 3.5-ish hour session and posted it. WARNING- NSFW or Grandma's sensitive ears. www.youtube.com/live/ZzACKIOLnAY?feature=share |
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Post by jeffb on Mar 12, 2023 13:23:21 GMT -6
To me it just looks like a hodgepodge of ideas from various OSR and modern D&D derivatives (13th Age, Dungeon World, DCC RPG, 5 Torches Deep, IndexCard RPG, etc) with a intense marketing campaign and pretty aesthetics. :shrug: I was thinking about Kickstarting it, but the hype and marketing has put me off a little bit, and I'm intending on supporting Mythmere Games's new Swords & Wizardry printing so I decided to sit out and wait for Matt's Kickstarter. Same. Between having that "nothing new to see here" vibe, all the hype (a turn off), and seeing that S&W is up for a new version under Mythmere I decided against backing it as well and will save my money for Matt Finch. |
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Post by Vile Traveller on Mar 12, 2023 14:12:25 GMT -6
I'm in the same boat. Shadowdark ticks a lot of O5R boxes for me, the creator seems like a nice person who deserves the support, the product looks physically nice... but I'm just not feeling it. Throw in the fact that I'm planning to buy into Swords & Wizardry at last (I haven't bought any of the previous versions except for a few PDFs, plus the freebies), I'm writing my own game riffing off Fighting Fantasy with a bunch of 5E and other innovations in the mix, plus I already have my D&D game - I just can't justify backing Shadowdark. Hey, not that it needs my paltry pennies!  |
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bobjester0e
Level 4 Theurgist
DDO, DCC, or more Lost City map work? Oh, the hardship of making adult decisions! ;)
Posts: 195 
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Post by bobjester0e on Mar 13, 2023 7:06:40 GMT -6
I'll pick up the free QS rules and check it out, but honestly - what I've seen on the drivethru entry doesn't wow me. It might be fun and useable to introduce D&D to the boardgamers I know at work but have never played D&D.
Beyond this aspect of starter D&D, the intro adventure might be fun, but I won't know until I run it for players.
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Post by Finarvyn on Mar 15, 2023 4:27:30 GMT -6
the creator seems like a nice person who deserves the support This. I bought some 5E horror modules that she wrote a while back. Quality seems good and she seems like a nice person. I think my 5E crew isn't interested in a simplified 5E so I'm really torn on supporting or not. |
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Post by jamesmishler on Mar 16, 2023 11:18:00 GMT -6
Shadowdark is the best *new* Old School RPG since Moldvay/Cook.
Yep. Hands down.
Takes all the best stuff from Old School and uses the best stuff from the New School.
I might be biased, as I playtested it.
But you all know my adoration of BX and Labyrinth Lord.
I love Castles & Crusades and Dungeon Crawl Classics. They are great games.
But Shadowdark is the first game to come along in 40 years that gave me the same sense of wonder and joy in play as BX did all those years ago.
Pay no mind to the naysayers. Check out the actual play videos. Even Tenkar got into playing it.
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Post by rredmond on Mar 16, 2023 13:12:16 GMT -6
She's super nice and so excited to be doing the D&D stuff. It's awesome to see as I'm pretty certain she's part of the younger generation of players. At least younger than me!  |
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Post by soundchaser on Mar 16, 2023 13:53:42 GMT -6
I backed it. I like its vibe. I don't care about the marketing... go for it, girl, $1m on the horizon.
(Side note, I struggled with a bout of Bell's Palsy, and I have a bit of sympathy for permanence of the syndrome in folks, thinking of Sly Stallone, who from birth experienced permanent result of a physician's mistake, which has an effect much like the disease, Buddy Hackett, and Saul Rubinek, who really has a disfunction of the 7th cranial nerve likely unrelated to BP... our esteemed S-Dark creator has a similar nerve disorder, origin unknown, but hey, I feel akin to such, compassion as from experience and that jazz)...
Mean time, peace !!
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Post by cadriel on Mar 16, 2023 14:02:52 GMT -6
I also backed this. I've been saying I'd like a more OSR-ized and streamlined take on the 5e core engine so this seems like putting my money where my mouth is. Very interested to see the final result.
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Post by Finarvyn on Mar 16, 2023 15:25:13 GMT -6
I'm slowly being swayed to back this. If nothing else, it looks cool and I might be able to swipe some ideas for my home 5E game. When I clicked to back the thing (the $109 version because I don't care if I get the premium rulebook but wanted the cool stuff otherwise) the first thing I saw was the ability to add on stuff that I thought was part of the package. Wonder why they did that. My reaction was to back away and ponder my options. Scared me off.  |
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Post by soundchaser on Mar 16, 2023 20:10:22 GMT -6
Most KS creators have "add on" options; maybe review the pledge?
I did the $109...
INCLUDES:
PREMIUM Shadowdark RPG Core Rulebook (Print + PDF)
Shadowdark RPG Game Master Screen (Print + PDF)
Cursed Scroll Zine 1: Diablerie! (Print + PDF)
Cursed Scroll Zine 2: Red Sands (Print + PDF)
Cursed Scroll Zine 3: Midnight Sun (Print + PDF)
Mini-Adventure 1: The Wavestone Monolith (Print + PDF)
Mini-Adventure 2: Eroding Isle of the Executioner (Print + PDF)
Mini-Adventure 3: Sanctum of the Elephant God (Print + PDF)
8 Pre-Constructed 1st-Level Character Cards (Print + PDF)
All Physical and Digital Stretch Goals
There's a statement way down the campaign page:
"You can add any individual item to your pledge after the Kickstarter, just in case you want a backup copy of the book, a singleton zine, or some other custom combination of rewards."
That's pretty typical--where you can pledge a certain (often lower, incomplete level) amount and pick-and-choose other stuff as you want.
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Post by Zenopus on Mar 16, 2023 23:24:15 GMT -6
Happy to see treasure granting XP
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Post by Finarvyn on Mar 17, 2023 9:18:55 GMT -6
Most KS creators have "add on" options; maybe review the pledge? You are correct. The way they immediately tried to get me to "add on" threw me a little, probably because the first thing on the list was the PDF of the GM screen. Why would I want two of those?  I did decide to pledge. At the $109 level. I figured the stuff looks cool and maybe I can swipe some rules for my 5E game even if I don't play this BTB. I did the $109... INCLUDES: PREMIUM Shadowdark RPG Core Rulebook (Print + PDF) S,snip. Recheck. The $109 bundle has the regular core rule book. I think to get the Premium version you have to pay $119. |
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muddy
Level 4 Theurgist
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Post by muddy on Mar 17, 2023 15:38:44 GMT -6
I thought for sure I had posted in this thread already...
I backed it a few days ago. I saw the adverts, then saw how well it was doing on kick starter, then looked over the free quick start rules and liked what I saw. Rules light, not simply a retro clone, emphasis on dungeon crawling. So I backed it at the $60ish level. I'm hoping to get a chance to play at Garycon next week.
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Post by soundchaser on Mar 18, 2023 20:55:26 GMT -6
Heh a weird copy paste on that upthread.
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Post by Vile Traveller on Mar 25, 2023 3:00:35 GMT -6
So, did anyone run into Kelsey Dionne at Gary Con?
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Post by ochrejelly on Mar 25, 2023 8:43:12 GMT -6
I was going to back it, but the price drove me way. I will probably pick it up once it starts flooding the used market.
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Post by geoffrey on Mar 25, 2023 9:16:43 GMT -6
$59 plus shipping for a 330-page hardcover is what it comes down to.
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Post by Vile Traveller on Mar 25, 2023 11:36:21 GMT -6
$59 plus shipping for a 330-page hardcover is what it comes down to. It is a bit too pricy for me, especially with shipping. The PDFs on their own are too expensive for what they are. I was a bit disappointed there were no art upgrades once the funding went through the roof. The physical quality looks good but the art is quite basic for the price, especially the cover. |
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Post by robertsconley on Mar 25, 2023 14:14:33 GMT -6
I did a livestream running one of my adventures with Shadowdark
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Post by tdenmark on Mar 25, 2023 15:44:00 GMT -6
$59 plus shipping for a 330-page hardcover is what it comes down to. It is a bit too pricy for me, especially with shipping. The PDFs on their own are too expensive for what they are. I was a bit disappointed there were no art upgrades once the funding went through the roof. The physical quality looks good but the art is quite basic for the price, especially the cover. Art takes time. They may have commissioned more art. |
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Post by Vile Traveller on Mar 25, 2023 17:50:50 GMT -6
Art takes time. They may have commissioned more art. I don't think so, it looks like the books are ready-to-go as the Kickstarter page says they'll be sent out as soon as the campaign finishes. That probably means there couldn't have been any art upgrade stretch goals, as it looks like all the art except a couple of stretch goals is already done. The stretch goals are - well, not much, really: - 50k: Two 2-page mini adventures
- 100k: Four character cards (digest-size illustrated character sheets)
- 150k: Four additional monster PDFs
- 500k: YouTube mini-dungeon writing livestream
- 750k: Ranger & bard classes in PDF
- 1 million: YouTube solo actual play
I want to emphasise I'm not trying to talk the project down. I think it's an amazing achievement, and there might not have been much of a plan for stretch goals if the size and speed of the funding came as a surprise. 150k to 500k is a pretty big jump as stretch goal intervals go so I wouldn't be surprised if she never thought it would go much beyond 100k and had to scramble around to add something. It's just that none of those stretch goals would have got me excited. Even though I really, really don't need another modern OSR game I would probably have backed this at PDF level if they had been cheaper, and I might even have gone up to the physical book if the art had been a little better. It's nice enough as far as the OSR pen-and-ink standard goes, but I would have expected more at this price point - at least a full-colour cover. Well, I guess the only thing that proves is that I'm not the typical target for O5R games anymore! I hope 10,000 gamers and their friends have fun in the Shadowdarkness (I'm totally dumping infravision). |
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muddy
Level 4 Theurgist
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Post by muddy on Mar 31, 2023 8:02:28 GMT -6
So, did anyone run into Kelsey Dionne at Gary Con? I asked around, and looked where I was told to look, and have seen pics of large games in the halls, but whenever I looked.... nothing. |
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Post by grodog on Apr 5, 2023 19:32:15 GMT -6
Shadowdark is the best *new* Old School RPG since Moldvay/Cook. Yep. Hands down. Takes all the best stuff from Old School and uses the best stuff from the New School. I might be biased, as I playtested it. I played it with James at GaryCon last year, and it was definitely fun  I didn’t back the KS since it was clearly successful and I can pick it up later after it’s been printed as desired. So, did anyone run into Kelsey Dionne at Gary Con? Yes, saw her again this year, briefly at the booth. Allan. |
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