I bought Shadow dark recently so I made this map of The Temple from the adventure Raiders of the Lost Temple.

Inspired by u/KristinnEs post in r/dungeonscrawl.

Some of the rooms aren't exactly proportional. Not a lot of planning went into this; trial and error, a lot of guesswork.

Easy come, easy go…

Looking for a short adventure to run with my group. More than a one-shot but nothing super long.

Would like to find something that is more than just a dungeon crawl. Something that perhaps follows more modern adventurer design as

Part two of the trolls of the monster manual

I’ve looked through the book a couple of times, but I couldn’t find much about mounts and carriages. How would you guys handle those in a game?

I’m thinking of a scene like in the Van Helsing movie, with monsters attacking a carriage, or even a full-on carriage chase!

Would the carriage have its own HP? Would you use Dexterity checks to handle maneuvering it? How would you run something like this at your table?

‘…there, in the nameless depths unknown to all except the dark, the great winged beast leapt forth trailing dust with the grace of a moonbeam, and the terrifying indifference of the void from whence it sprang’.

-J.R.R.R. Trollken

A Torch Timer Has Completely Changed My Shadowdark Table

(I am not here to SELL anything. I just am experimenting with speed and cool toys. These things wont be for everyone!)

I recently picked up a physical torch timer for Shadowdark from a small independent maker, and I genuinely can't believe how much my table loves this thing.

It starts off glowing white, but every 15 minutes the light changes, going from yellow to red, then darker and darker red. With five minutes remaining, it starts blinking before finally going out.

It's such a simple little device, but the tension it creates is incredible. I thought it would be a dumb gimmick. Instead, it's become one of the most beloved things at our table. I've even had friends go to work and brag about the lamp!

It's also gotten me experimenting with physical accessories for Shadowdark. Not necessarily things you need, but affordable little additions that actually improve the game rather than get in its way.

I've been messing with magnetic cubes, the Professor's Ultimate Terrain concept, and ways of eliminating traditional grid maps altogether.

One thing we've discovered is that a room really only needs three or four meaningful objects or points of interest. Instead of tracking exact squares and distances, we position enemies around those objects. The chest, the doorway, the altar, the overturned table. You know where everyone is in relation to those things, and suddenly decisions become incredibly fast.

We've even managed encounters with 10+ monsters this way, because I don't need to track every square. I just need to know what they're near and what the players can interact with. So we tested different lego and blocks to see what was faster.

The whole philosophy I'm exploring is how physical accessories can speed up play instead of slowing it down. Give players clear choices, make those choices meaningful, and get out of the way. I feel it created more choices instead of limiting them!

We've managed ten rooms in just a couple of hours, partly because that damn torch was making everyone nervous! It's funny how a physical timer made me appreciate Shadowdark's one-hour torch mechanic even more.

And now I'm wondering why we don't have more things like this!

I'd absolutely love to see an official Shadowdark torch timer someday. Maybe a little black-and-white torch you could hold in your hand, set on the table, recharge with USB, and watch slowly die. I'd happily spend $50 on something like that. I'm actually working on a way to turn my current lamp into a handheld torch that can also stand about a foot tall.

I've been talking with some local gaming shops and convention folks, and they've loved the timer too. It's made me wonder if there's a real market for these sorts of accessories.

I'm going to share more of the physical things we're experimenting with, including what actually works and what just gets in the way.

I've played tabletop games for years, and I don't think I've ever bought such a simple accessory that had this much impact on the experience. It is so... so FUCKING COOL!

Shadowdark has really made me rethink how we use physical things at the table. Sometimes our VTTs, elaborate maps, and endless accessories can actually slow down the very thing we're trying to enjoy. But finding something that makes the game faster, more tense, and more exciting? That's something special.

And there's just something wonderful about being able to pass this game between different GMs and keep everything moving so organically.

I'm curious what everyone else has discovered. What physical accessories have genuinely improved your Shadowdark games? Not just cool-looking stuff, but things that actually make the game better, faster, or more exciting. I'd love to hear what other tables are doing.

EDIT: THE BEST DISCOVERY? SOMEONE ACTUALLY HAS TO HOLD THE DAMN TORCH!

We'd gotten so abstract that nobody was tracking who held it. So now we literally pass around a stick (soon to be the lamp on a handle!).

And suddenly PASS THE TORCH became a whole new game!

Monsters "Attack the Light!" Players panic and pass it around! Torches get dropped, extinguished, or used to smack monsters and scare them off!

And no more sword, shield, AND torch while enjoying full AC. You've only got two hands!

One tiny change turned the torch timer into an entirely new layer of tactics, tension, and absolute chaos. IT'S SO DAMN FUN!

I'm not quite sure what a morzo moth is, but here is my interpretation!

Im running my first shadow dark campaign (new to trrpg) and so far none of the characters have died. But I’m curious how others handle new characters coming into play when one dies. Do you have them start at level 1 even though the rest of the party might be level 5 already? What’s the best way to handle this? Thanks

Session 2 of my solo Shadowdark campaign, played with Solodark and logged in Lonelog notation.

Previously: Three strangers walked into Gavinthorp, a town blanketed in darkness, because Mother wants a pie. They found the pie stall, charmed a man named Neven, and left three of his crew dead in the market square.

https://matthewpfister.substack.com/p/torchkeeper-session-2

Follow along to find out what happens, or for the free dungeons I’ll be making from this campaign next year.

Start from the beginning here.

Bit late posting here but hey-ho

I have played mostly D&D for over the past 20 years and want to try something different and also solo play. Is Shadowdark(SD) easier to run and play than 5e? How do you like SD compared to rules heavier games and what are your fave games? Thanks!

Hello,

To provide more fun options for warlocks rather than just stat upgrades I decided to replace all of them with spells.

Most of these can be cast with a DC of 11 starting at level 1, a DC of 12 starting at level 3, a DC of 13 starting at level 5, and so on...

Do you see anything in there that’s too strong?

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Willowman Spells – Primary Stat: Intelligence

Shadow Step
Instant – Self
Usable after taking a hit.
The caster’s body merges into their own shadow and reappears behind another nearby shadow.

Dreadful Presence
2 rounds – Self
Your presence inspires fear. Nearby non-allied lackeys cannot approach of their own volition unless they succeed on a WIS check with a result equal to or greater than the spellcasting roll.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Pass Without Trace
2 rounds – Self
Creates a veil of shadow and silence that envelops chosen nearby creatures.
The caster and their nearby allies gain a +7 bonus to stealth checks.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Paranoia
2 rounds – Ranged
The target is seized by an intense fit of paranoia; they become pathologically suspicious of everything, interpret every sign as being directed at them personally, and grow particularly distrustful of their own allies.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Torment
Focus – Ranged
Plunges the target into a waking nightmare, compelling them to strike themselves.
Can be cast with a DC 15 check to affect any number of chosen creatures within a medium-sized area.

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Kytheros’ Spells | Primary Stat: Wisdom

Restoration
Instant - Close
Restores the state of an object within range to a random point in its past.
T1: An object that can be carried by one person.
T2: An object the size of a cart or smaller.
T3: An object the size of a small house.
T4: A large object or building (e.g., a church or castle).
T5: A magical object.

Recursion
Instant - Near
On the following turn, the target takes the same amount of damage it received this turn, provided it has not moved.
The spell can be maintained via focus (DC 15), repeating the initial damage.

Reprieve
Focus - Close
The target’s hit points cannot drop below 1. If the target takes damage that would otherwise reduce it to zero, it instead drops to 0 at the end of the focus period.

Manifestation
Instant - Far
An object that once existed at the location you point toward reappears there. Magical or very large objects are unstable; you may need to cast the spell again to maintain their presence for longer.

Premonition
Instant - Self
Roll a d20. The result can be used to replace any other die roll made during this session. The DC to cast this spell increases by 2 for each time it is cast within the same day.

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Titania’s Spells | Primary Stat: Dexterity (you need to dance !)

Royal Waltz
Instant – Self
Grants three additional actions during this turn. Afterward, the caster falls unconscious for 1d6 hours.
A DC 15 Medicine check can restore the caster to consciousness.

Virtuoso Sonata
Instant – Near
Restores 1d4 HP per spell level to designated targets in your vicinity.

The Grand Hunt
Instant – Unlimited
Dispatches a pack of phantasmagorical lyciscas toward a target. The pack can track the target using an object that belongs to them, or if you know the target’s true fey name.
Attacks against the target deal an additional 1d4 damage per spell level for the duration of this turn.

Masquerade
2 rounds – Self
Assume the appearance of a humanoid creature you have encountered in the past. Taking damage carries a 50% chance of dispelling the illusion.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Equestrian Evasion
10 rounds – Close
Summons a fey steed that can be ridden. 15 HP, 13 AC, 0 Atk; Stats: S+1/D+3/C+0/I+0/W+2/C+4.
Tier 2: The steed leaves no tracks and makes no sound whatsoever.
Tier 3: The steed can render itself—and its rider—invisible.
Tier 4: The steed and its rider can pass through walls and other solid surfaces.
Tier 5: The steed is capable of flight by pushing off against the air itself.

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Almazzat’s Spells | Primary Stat: Strength

They Shall All Pay!
2 rounds – Close
Bestows a chaotic-aligned consciousness upon an object. Most such objects become spontaneously aggressive and obstructive toward all living beings.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Corruption
Instant – Close
Corrupts a non-aggressive wild animal within range. The creature begins to mutate uncontrollably and obeys the player’s commands.
The animal loses 1d6 HP per round.

Provocation
2 rounds – Far
Forces a creature to move toward the player and make a melee attack against them.
If moving toward the player would cause the creature harm, it may attempt a Wisdom check—with a DC equal to the spellcasting roll result—to resist the effect.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Torture Chamber
Instant – Near
Burning chains erupt from the ground, ensnaring designated creatures within a "near" range of the player. The chains can be broken with a Strength check, using the spellcasting roll result as the DC.
Tier 3: The chains deal 1d4 fire damage when the creature begins its turn.
Tier 4: The chains deal 2d4 fire damage when the creature begins its turn.
Tier 5: The chains deal 3d4 fire damage when the creature begins its turn.

Mutation
Focus – Self
The caster takes on the appearance of a demon. Their AC increases by 1 per spell level, they gain immunity to fire, and their melee attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage per spell level. The player may make one melee attack immediately after casting this spell.

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Mugdulblub Spells | Primary Stat: Constitution

Gelification
5 rounds – Close
Upon contact, non-magical, inert matter takes on the consistency of a spongy jelly within a sphere with a 1-meter radius.
The radius increases by 1 meter for each additional spell level.

Assimilation
3 rounds – Close
Absorb at least 1 liter of inert or living matter to assimilate one of its properties.
Duration increases by 2 rounds for each additional spell level.

Mitosis
Focus – Close
Create a jelly clone from your own body. It is capable of casting Mugdulblub spells.
If a clone fails a check, the player forgets the spell.
5 HP, 7 AC, 1 attack, 1d4 damage; Stats: S-1/D-3/C+0/I-4/W-4/Ch-1.
Create one additional clone for each additional spell level.

Dissolution
Instant – Close
Spew a jet of acid that can do one of the following: dissolve a piece of non-magical equipment, erase a memory from the target, or deal 1d4 + CON modifier damage per spell level.

Polymorphism
3 rounds – Self
Alter your body’s shape while maintaining the same total volume. You may create one additional limb per spell level (S-1/D-3), which can take actions during your turn.

Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well.

I wanted to ask if anyone has run a campaign up to Level 10 and what's that like? Is there a module that does that? Would their be module that start off at level 5 and progress to 10 how did it go?

I noticed that most games that people mentioned seem to stop around level 5, is high level play less viable or not something that is sort after.

I'm curious since there's a lot of early level posts and promotions around it but never higher level play. I'm quite new to the system, any feedback and comments are greatly appreciated.

I found the system to be very helpful in introducing newer players and also family to it.