After venturing into the dark with only a torch to guide their way, the Campaigns & Coffee crew talks about their experiences playing the ShadowDark RPG (where they ARE very likely to be eaten by a grue).
They discuss the dungeon-delving, old-school-inspired game’s real-time torch mechanics, its focus on fast-paced and high-stakes decision-making. They also look at encumbrance (no, you can not bring a golf club bag’s worth of weapons), spell mechanics, and the game’s relentless tension.
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome
1:00 – First Impressions of Shadowdark RPG
3:05 – Torch Timer: Exciting or Stressful?
5:36 – How Shadowdark Brings Back Old-School D&D
8:11 – Minimal Planning, Maximum Action
12:30 – Encumbrance: You Can’t Carry Everything!
16:25 – Spells, Failures, and Magical Chaos
18:00 – Fun (and Bad) Player Choices
20:46 – The Overlord’s Healthcare Question
22:06 – Outro and Final Thoughts
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Show Notes
- David’s Sunday RPG Sessions
- Running Shattered Ark and diving into Shadowdark with friends.
- First Impressions of Shadowdark
- A game that balances intensity and relaxation, depending on playstyle.
- Real-Time Mechanics
- The torch timer creates urgency, making every decision count.
- Roleplaying vs. Action
- Less focus on deep character backstories, more on immediate problem-solving.
- Using Foundry VTT
- Learning the system while displaying maps on the big screen.
- Dungeon Delving Emphasis
- Shadowdark restores a classic Dungeons & Dragons dungeon-crawling feel.
- Comparing to Older D&D Editions
- Discussing how early D&D had more encounters and rest limitations.
- Encumbrance Matters!
- Inventory slots limit loot-hoarding, forcing strategic choices.
- Spell System
- Spells don’t disappear, but failed rolls can make them unusable or go awry.
- Player Stories
- Highlights of decision-making, torch anxiety, and unexpected survival.
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Featured Image Meta
Cover art from the ShadowDark core rule book. Credit: The Arcane Library.