Shadowdark RPG Will Blow You Away! (Ep. 310)

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

PDM, thank you for giving Shadowdark a read! Knowing you liked it this much makes my soul complete!! :D

[@sietsewijker1530]

Kelsey, didn't you enter the hobby with ADnD or 2nd edition instead of 5e?
Shadowdark looks great, I wish you all the best!

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

@@sietsewijker1530 That is true! :) But I didn’t start doing professional work for the hobby until the 5th edition era. So I did come to what I’m doing now via 5E!

[@markpileggi643]

Just backed your project. I think my group will love it.

[@rockdomineck7250]

Great to see you kill your pledge goal! Way to help us prove LV gaming isn't just about casino gambling. Backing!

[@irishthump73]

Delighted to back this project thanks in no small part to PDM's review. Can't wait to play it!|

[@SonOfSofaman]

A collaboration between Kelsey Dionne, Ben Milton, Runehammer/Hankerin Ferinale, Seth Skorkowsky and Professor Dungeon Master would be a dream come true.

[@viking078]

you have weird dreams

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

You can catch Ben and I doing two seminars are GenCon this summer.

[@THEFabianValenzuela]

True

[@johnedgar7956]

Agreed! Seeing PDM and Seth at the same game table would be epic!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

@@johnedgar7956 Seth and I willl both be at Pax Unplugged in Philladelphia in December 2023. We'll do something then.

[@PMandrekar]

I was proud to pledge for this Kickstarter. I played this game at GaryCon last year and it was a blast. I am really impressed with how quickly this game played, and was learned, but could handle all of the dungeon crawling I could ever want. I knew the author (Kelsey) when she was still a teenager working at a local game store (I am a long time resident and gamer in the Madison, WI area), and I'm thrilled that she grew up into the designer that she is now.

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

Paraj, you are a true gem! So many fun memories going way back! I’m proud to know ya!

[@johnriccardi5191]

Oh man are you still in Madison? I'd love to play some Shadowdark here!

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

@@johnriccardi5191 My heart will always be that of a Wisconsinite, but I now live in Nevada!!

[@darkfatekod3962]

Yeah, I was interested until I found out you know her.

[@MarketResearchReading114]

@@darkfatekod3962 I recommend the game. I've played 5e for a very long period since 2018 and its been a good run, but wizards of the coast, has been lowering quality of books, and I found out, that they pay and potentially treat, their contract workers poorly. I know just how hard it is to be a temp, from my mother's experience, and I want to give the people that make these stories and systems my business. Just like in video games, indie works, can be really high quality gems that you might love more then a popular game you already know.

[@timothyyoung2962]

Man, I really love the art in this game. REALLY gives that old school D&D vibe. Reminds me of the black and white illustrations in old Dungeon and Dragon Magazines.

[@nathanlh116]

Just ran Shadowdark for the first time because of this recommendation. My whole table LOVED it! We rolled characters and played through a good chunk of the Lost Citadel in one sitting. We’re switching our regular play to Shadowdark (with the addition of deathbringer dice) and I couldn’t be more excited.

[@thereisn0m0re]

In part due to your support of this independent game, I've just bought Death Bringer. It's about time. Thanks for your TH-cam content PDM!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

And Shadowdark and DB are completely compatible in my mind.

[@YukonJack88]

What I love is Kelsey’s enduring humble passion for rpg action.
Seriously, she is an inspiration and a god damn talented designer….
I’m supporting this project because of her amazing grit.
I’ll high grad some choice nuggets for my DCC game
I hope she can get a Foundry Vtt game mod done as kick starter goal. 😎⚔️⚔️🧟‍♂️😎

[@tostiggoodwinson4415]

Right as you said, “artwork looks like a wood carving,” I was thinking to myself, that it resembled Albrecht Durer’s work.

[@whiskeyvictor5703]

I like artwork that looks like old Mediaeval art. The art-design of "Meadows & Megaliths" has that same look and feel of a dusty tome from the Middle Ages.

[@ChadHensley]

I discovered Kelsey through her 5E item cards just weeks after getting into 5E, which was my first RPG. Super excited about this new KS and it is great to see you and Ben over at Questing Beast cover it.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

We're going to team up for two seminars at GenCon if you're going!

[@ChadHensley]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 it has been my dream for a long time to attend GenCon but alas it is not in the cards yet again.

[@Xplora213]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 can this be taped? Interested but some of your viewers are on a different continent 😂

[@Hikertrash215]

THIS! Ive been running Knave (Ben Milton's game) for my friends and roommates for 6 months now and we're having a blast. The only real complaint was it needed more "crunch" (feats, abilities, ect) but Shadowdark looks to be that middle ground!
I also think this will help bring over many of my 5e friends who are a lil more hesitant to play OSR style games. Great work Kelsey!
P.S. dungeoncraft has been such a great resource and inspiration for my d&d/rpg games. Keep up the great work!

[@ChanceIchio]

It feels like almost everything the professor has ever taught was put into this game, my brother and I backed this on day one after watching this video and I even plugged this product on My Escape from Zanzer's Dungeon stream that same day as well, I am truly looking forward to having this book in my hands.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

You are correct.

[@beardynonsense]

I'm beyond excited for this! I've been waiting for the Kickstarter for almost a year now. I've been running two groups, one with Shadowdark and one with 5e. I backed at the highest level so I can share the game with both groups and maybe someone else. This game's mechanics and the way the adventures are presented give the best of all worlds: easy to learn, easy to run, and all materials I've seen are usable at the table! WotC could learn a lot from Kelsey and other leaders in the OSR.

[@phaedruslive]

Recoup some of those expenses and try and get like 30-40$ out of em for those spare corebooks.

[@sirnigelcogs]

That sounds like a great combination of AD&D 1st Edition and updated and streamlined rules. I've also always been a big fan of charts ever since playing MERP. They add an interesting element to the game.

[@Mr_GoR_]

Been following Kelsey and Arcane Library for a couple years now. Grabbed the playtest copy as soon as I saw it on their main site a while back. Glad you are helping to get the word out. I'm backing this right away!

[@MrOmega-cz9yo]

"Torches - They're not just for burning witches!" That line literally made me LoL! Thanks for letting us know about this system Professor. I my have to stee... err, use 😜 the idea of 1 hour RT = 1 hour GT. I agree about how useful charts are. I still use MM2 charts for monster encounters on occasion.

[@tknw]

I read the quickstart rules, listened to some reviews and it seems that this will be a hot hit! Glad to see the success of an independent creator! I was thinking hard if I want to support this KS, but decided not to. Personally I don't think I like some things in this game.
What I like: great GM tools, one of the best I've seen; rules that take the unnecessairly complicated elements and simplify them; OSR feel without some of its downsides; elements that will be easy to recognize for people coming from 5e; GREAT art; inspirations from DCC (Gauntlet, rolling spell checks, magic mishaps, Luck)
What I don't like: Random talents on level-ups are awesome, but I don't like having abilities growth by level-ups. Kelsey seems to draw a lot inspiration from DCC, but with this mechanics I am missing the most fun part that DCC tells me to do - QUEST FOR IT! Light - the book goes on about how light sources are important, to protect your light source and how GM can attack it to build tension. That's great, but a 1-st level wizard/priest can have 3 (2 for priest) spells on their list and they can cast that 1-hour long light as long as they make semi-good rolls (you need 11 to hit it, so if you're not playing 7 INT wizard, you should have about 50/50 chance on level 1 and then it just skyrockets as you go). At the same time, the spell doesn't need concentration, so if you have high int, because you were lucky on char gen or have some other bonuses to that spellcasting roll you can just cast that light spell every 15/30/45 minutes or so. I like that you need to roll for the spell, but the game gives you enough tools to make the darkness not scary pretty easily :/
Something I would need to test at my table, but here's what I think about the real-time rules - they are a cool idea, there might be some situations when that falls apart, especially if you start fast-forwarding some things (and the book tells you - if the table agrees, just skip time) and now I have several timers on my smartphone that I need to adjust every time I do that. There's no way I as GM will remember to approximate at what hour I should tell my players that your spell/torch/whatever just ran out. I can track in-game world time or real-world time, but I am not tracking both and adjusting them. And if I tell my players to set a timer for their torch, well, at that point it's just a gimmick, not a mechanics that will build tension for them.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

DCC is good game too and Joseph Goodman is a terrific guy.

[@MemphiStig]

I've been really impressed by Kelsey and Shadowdark. Really hope things go well. It looks like a great system, and I love how streamlined it is. If you only back one kickstarter this year...

[@ronwisegamgee]

Looks like a neat product and a great resource for DMs looking to either prep their games quickly or to generate a lot of content on the fly. The font type and page layout make it very reader-friendly.

[@derangedcomics]

I grew up on 1st edition D&D so there is definitely a part of me that misses the "old school" experience. BUT... I don't miss a lot of the mechanics. And I admittedly fell in love with 5e's more streamlined ruleset. So I think this book is targeted toward people like me. I liked the video and I've already made note of the book. Good luck with the Kickstarter.

[@MoragTong_]

The fact that you think 5E is a more "steamlined ruleset" tells me you have NEVER played the early editions of D&D.

[@derangedcomics]

@@MoragTong_ lol I've played them all. And you obviously don't understand the word "Stream-lined". Try a dictionary.

[@zimmejoc]

Wow!!!! A kickstarter that once funded, ships a product a month later!!!! I won't have to wait a year for a PDF to be delivered. Now this is something I can get behind.

[@SuperEndiku]

I've been an antisocial recluse for years but now I wish I had a group to play this with.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Invite people! There are other antisocial recluses out there!

[@phaedruslive]

There are plenty of Discords/Guilded servers to find a group with.

[@yeraycatalangaspar195]

Solo RPG also exist lad, look them up, perhaps somre are up your alley.

[@glacier68]

It took me a few years, but this antisocial recluse posted up a game on Meetup and has a full table of yahoos every session.

[@liamtaylor4955]

With all those tables it would probably work well with a robust oracle system. But, a solo player is definitely going to want a way to index those tables and so bring them to hand quickly.

[@izegrimcreations]

That's the approach I took with Bugbears and Borderlands. Implement more modern rules, but present them and give a gameplay feel more like it was with B/X.

[@brottongoodfellow5932]

I’ve been tinkering with 5E and working through making my own system over the last year to get an experience just like this. Guess I can let others do the heavy lifting! This looks gnarly.

[@Redfield70]

I backed immediately. I have faith in the product and the creatives behind it. Thanks for the fantastic review!
This is the Way.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

You're welcome!

[@brogrimm8900]

I was recommended your vids to learn DnD. I was just getting ready to purchase the books you recommended in one of your videos, when i saw this. So instead of purchasing DnD, I went ahead and backed this. I am looking forward to it. Thanks for the great vids.

[@legionarybooks13]

This looks pretty awesome. One of my groups is talking about trying an old-school game for our next campaign. This looks like a nice amalgam between OSE and 5e that will be easy to jump right into.
Oh, and if Death Bringer expands his shirt line to include tank tops, I'll totally rock one at the gym! 🤘🏋

[@jonathanowen9917]

Great review. It looks like a phenomenal game. I like the straightforward character sheet, the concentration on four distinct classes, the ability to pick different races, the copious charts/roll tables, and the gritty atmospheric artwork. Old style with new mechanics makes for a robust and fun game.

[@Shiyaku93]

Just wanted to say thanks for highlighting this game. This video convinced me to back Shadowdark and its become my go to system. I can't recommend enough. I love Dungeoncraft videos!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@Elric54]

I'm sold.
A note on thieves: Thieves are much better than people think. Thief skills are chances at near-supernatural actions. Anyone can move quietly, but a thief can move SILENTLY (there is no chance to hear the thief because there is no sound to hear). Anyone can climb a wall, but a thief can climb SHEER surfaces. Other skills aren't as clear, but I've listened to the old grognards explain that, for example, anyone can try to pick a lock with a dagger, but only a thief can pick a delicate lock using specialized tools.

[@alexdoran527]

I'm going to pick this up just for the artwork and the charts. Love the vibe it's going for.

[@JakAttack]

Thank you for the video, this is literally exactly what I was looking for. Mostly needed for my players, who live and breath 5e but are intimidated at making the jump to OSE.

[@thomwilson6514]

This has the same feel as Five Torches Deep - old school with newer school mechanics. Besides the class skills (a few after level ups), I'm interested in seeing the bigger differences in the two.

[@dunwitch]

Wow, this sounds great, like what 5E should've been. I love it. They've got my money.

[@andrewlustfield6079]

Ordering now!

[@ambrosewetherbee8301]

Exactly! 5E is often touted as a streamlined system, which isn't something I've ever experienced. I've been playing 5E since its debut and I've never experienced a game where it wasn't cumbersome in execution without homebrewing to the point it faintly resembles 5E.
I always find it funny that often the same people who criticize 4E for straying from "D&D" and being a video game MMORPG give 5E a pass for the same offense by being very video game MMORPG in how it handles player and monster mechanics.
What I like about Shadowdark is that it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. It looks at some of the best designed wheels out there and brings various design elements into this new wheel. The Gauntlet, aka Funnel, equipment slots rather than weight encumbrance, so on and so forth.

[@liamtaylor4955]

I don't know about "should have been". If D&D players want to go retro, en masse, then wotc can do 6E or 7E to suit. No version is off the table imo, if you like it.

[@Xplora213]

@@liamtaylor4955 the editions are not built for players. Every single one has been a company directed project. Ad&d was Gygax trying to formalise for conventions. Second edition was a tidy up that no one asked for (sales proves it). Third edition was WOTC trying to get their own piece of the pie. Fourth edition was WOTC trying to monetise the PC gamers. Fifth edition was an acceptance that fourth was a mistake.
We don’t need the editions. I play second. The company has always pushed them into the market regardless.

[@consonaadversapars]

Because failing your spells randomly is fun?

[@russellparker5043]

Excellent quick review… I thought Professor Dungeonmaster was a bit over caffeinated until I realized I still had TH-cam set to 1.25x playback speed 😂

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

LOL Thanks for watching.

[@gstaff1234]

Woke up today with the alert to support this kickstarter. Thank you for the notice and for sharing your support

[@Lhight85]

Great minds think alike. I also use torches in real time in CoS, Death House. Both times it went out during combat against undead, lol.

[@opaqued2039]

Great video. The product looks solid. I agree that it is reminiscent of the Fiend Folio. (Fiend Folio was my favorite monster book as a child DM because I always felt like I was using forbidden knowledge--thanks to that great art.) Normally, I'd grab my credit card and run over to Kickstarter to get a copy, but I used up my gaming funds on miniatures, paints, brushes, primers, etc. You see, a certain TH-cam channel convinced me of the value of miniatures and painting, and once I started painting, I could not stop. It's so much fun, and now I'm painting miniatures for my players. Whenever we drive by the game shop here in town, my wife has to preemptively tie me to the seat--reminiscent of Ulysses with the Sirens--so that I don't jump from the car and run toward the miniatures and paints. Once my accountant (wife) lets me know the funds are available, I'm going to grab a copy of Shadowdark. The name itself is hilarious to me, and second only to alliteration, is the way to name a product.

[@thereisn0m0re]

Don't forget the Quickstart is available free! It's a fully playable version of Shadow Dark, up to level 3.

[@opaqued2039]

@@thereisn0m0re Sweet.

[@BMHume]

Not related to this video, but I just joined your channel and wanted to use the opportunity to thank you for the great content.
I was sick at home last week, stumbled upon the channel and have been watching a couple of videos every day since then. I haven't played a TTRPG in my whole life, but I'm right on the edge of convincing some colleagues to give it a try and might have to become the DM, so I guess I found you at exactly the right moment. I really appreciate your sensible, down-to-earth approach to DMing. It gives a potential rookie like me at least a little confidence that I might be able to offer the players a decent time without having to consult rulebooks every minute.

[@squirrellordsgaming2772]

I played causally as a kid, but didn't really get into D&D until 3.5 while I was deployed. I've also enjoyed 5 ed, just not the politics that's happened in recent years. I also Played other systems and have had fun. This looks like a good system. Thanks for reviewing it. I may have to take deeper look. Thanks.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

It's terrific.

[@davidpaul1970]

I love how retro the art is.

[@glacier68]

Ha, yes, I recall Kelsey's convo with Ben and Jordphan when she listed off her gaming history and they were essentially, "well, you're the expert here..." She definitely has the chops.
Crap, do I really need another game system?
...

[@theheavymetalhillbilly7152]

The fact they actually calls thieves, thieves...already has me interested lol

[@Scott-sk1rb]

Sounds like just what I've been looking for, I've joined the backers. Thanks PDM.

[@PhilippeLemaire]

Man this launch came out of nowhere for me but between you, Ben Milton, and runehammer, I got bombarded with influence. The project looks cool, and the Fomo was real, so I caved and backed it.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Believe the hype.

[@dragonsnacksdan9063]

Wow! This is what I was looking for! Old School presentation and simplicity for a GM but fiddle bits so characters can be customized! Backed!

[@bm1747]

Hard to imagine higher praise than someone who's got a product out in the same market unambiguously telling you that a competing product is the best option available.

[@BolofromAvlis]

I downloaded the quick start rules and this looks like so much fun! It's done some of the things my favorite system, Castles and Crusades does, but even more. All of a sudden it seems like theres all these great TTRPGs coming out and so little time to play them.

[@malefica1]

Thanks for covering this, i bought it right after watching, been hoping someone did this after the d&d licence issues som time ago.

[@ryanhoward8694]

I’m playing in a Shadowdark campaign right now, and we’re having a great time!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Great game.

[@goblin2744]

Old school me fell in love with this game after this video thank you, Professor DM just scrolling thought the quick start took me back to those old days differently picking this up

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Cool!

[@seileurt]

Backed and I second the GM screen idea. Since I crafted my own screen, once I have the pdf I'll just replace the tables I taped on there with these ones instead!

[@EpicSolo]

Great review. Thanks for taking time to feature the unique/innovative mechanics which all seem very well done. Looking good!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks for watching!

[@elliotclark5818]

Just downloaded the beta and pledged on the kickstarter. This looks great! Thanks for the recommendation Professor

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

You're welcome!

[@zenjr1004]

How it's different from five torches deep?

[@user-pc5ww8fh6d]

40 bucks for a pdf, not going to happen, 80 bucks for a seriously good-looking hardcover, we can talk. But I have seen the quickstart printed it out, it's a viable complete game on its own which pauses at level 3. I'm guessing all you get with the full design is higher levels and associated content. The bottom line, this RPG eats most of its competition alive screaming :)

[@johnedgar7956]

This looks AWESOME! No darkvision, no ignoring resource management, etc... I'm intrigued by this!

[@eliasneris2612]

Kelsey has been playing since the 90s as a kid in Wisconsin. She actually played with some of the ppl that played with Gygax. So she played that old school style back then.
She talked about it here.
th-cam.com/video/P7il7ZdtgnY/w-d-xo.html

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

I’ve been quiet about all that until recently, so no fault on PDM for not having heard! I came up as a 5E designer, so it’s quite fair to say I moved backwards from 5E toward the OSR once this became my profession. 😊

[@quantus5875]

Great review! This game looks interesting. I like that little random trait roll mechanic. While I'm posting I do want a post a plug for one of my favorite games. Castles and Crusades (the original new school mechanics - old school feel game)!! 2004 folks C&C was way ahead of its time. I wish the ArcaneLibrary the best! Good luck with your game!

[@jefffisher1297]

In my OSE games I have retooled a bunch of it. Thieves use a d6 for everything they do, of course some of those rolls are made by the DM. We use Bulk (from Dungeon World) instead of coin weight, Wizards get more spells (they can still only cast one spell at first level however), many of the things mentioned in this Shadowdark I am already using, but I love all the charts and tables and will most certainly pick it up when it comes out.

[@mikuel25]

$30 is a little too much for a PDF for me.

[@zephyrstrife4668]

personally, I've never really had to worry about adventurers being practically immortal in my games... but I do like the idea of having a much lower power scale for an RPG.

[@VengerSatanis]

Free sample of O5R called Crimson Dragon Slayer D20!

[@jasonuerkvitz3756]

Man! If I had friends I would play the hell out of this rpg! This really reminds me of the golden years of my gaming youth when I played D&D and Warhammer Fantasy roleplay every Saturday back in high school. This game looks superb. I love how the designer essentially created a world generating engine worth of charts and with a few dice rolls, you have whatever you need quickly and seamlessly. The art is excellent and truly a throwback to the old AD&D glory days. This clearly is a labor of love and it really makes me sad realizing how old and isolated I am. Well, whoever gets this, have fun!

[@aopndgaming7567]

I want to back this kickstart so much, however I got recently burnt by a Kickstarter, the dragon eye dice, over 2 years I've waited for it and nothing, less than 3 uploads and yet to receive my refund I asked for....

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

She'll deliver.

[@viking078]

For me, its the wait of 2 years for the books to arrive...

[@josephpurdy8390]

5th edition darkvision is 3rd edition low light vision. 1st edition had infravision, and there was a great reason behind it.

[@ChuckThorin]

Been following Shadowdark for a long time. Backing it as soon as I get home. And currently using the quick start as the source for spells in my Deathbringer campaign. And SD uses zoned combat so break out the udt

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Cool!

[@mightystu49]

I really don't get how this is supposed to be influenced meaningfully by 5e at all. It really is just like a bunch of other OSR games without adding much. The main thing in this that isn't in most other OSR games is the real-time mechanic which ultimately is really clunky since you will wind up doing a lot of things that aren't real-time like searching a room, so tracking time becomes way too messy too quickly. A lot of the things you say you love like wizards looking for spell scrolls, gear and light sources mattering, and Thieves being named thieves is pretty much par for the course in most OSR games. The monster generator and location tables are nice, but that's also not that uncommon.
It just feels weird seeing this game being so hyped everywhere out of nowhere, it doesn't really make any sense. It feels more like advertising than genuine discussions or reviews.

[@tasty_wind4294]

I hear ya, the fact that I booted up TH-cam and saw that four different channels posted a vid about this game in the same time frame makes it feel like ad.
Then again, if the video game and movie industries has taught us anything, it’s that a lot of people are willing to sell their accountability for an advanced copy of something...

[@realce666]

"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."

[@71rwtd]

Funded the kickstarter! Seems amazing

[@andynonimuss6298]

Don't think the artwork is what is really selling the Shadowdark game? Think again. Here's a direct sampling of some of the comments from Kickstarter itself: "Amazing art. Rad artwork. I particularly love the artwork. Love the artwork! Any chance of t-shirts in the future?. The artists in this book rock! Artwork is great. I am so in love with the DM screen art. I like this art. I absolutely love the cover art. The art definitely builds your world of Shadowdark, the more art you can have the better. Love the artists you chose. Love the art. Art is dope. I absolutely love the art, your artists are killing it. Neat art. INCREDIBLE art. The ART! You’ve captured what I love about the old stuff, yet in new ways. It’s be outstanding to be able to purchase some prints. My wife and I love the artwork. Some of the best screen art I've seen. The art for your project is amazing! Art for this game is so distinct. The art is just *Killer*. Art is some of the best I've seen in the industry. Awesome art."

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

That's true. I mention the art on today's episode, on "How Shadowdark Raised $1 Million." Tune in at noon.

[@LunchboxNobodies]

Oh haven't heard of Shadowdark before.Thanks for the post awesome stuff.

[@RodBatten]

I backed it, because how could I not? Looks great and the tiers offer excellent packages for gamers of every media preference (digital, book, bibliophile/collector)

[@wh3nderson95]

I know Prof DM is doing the thumbnail face as a joke. But it still got me chuckling.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Making a stupid face and placing it to the left of the thumbnail attract clicks. It's proven TH-cam science (Mr. Beast does it all the time). I wanted Kelsey's game to get as much exposure as possible, so I did the stupid face thing--and it worked! This is my second-highest viewed review after Warhammer Fantasy RP 4th Edition.

[@snarkback]

The intro music is so good i thought it was a game ad and had to double check.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thanks. Peter Crowley. Nice guy for letting me use it. Check out his stuff.

[@snarkback]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 definitely going to!

[@vast3394]

she's the sole writer and designer on the game iirc. crazy achivement. a titan!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

She deserves it.

[@lorenzohot5234]

Wow amazing review Professor! I agree the tables are sweet! Will be picking this one up.

[@nordicson2835]

Thank you , putting this in Emails to the kids for Father's day... maybe that would be a good idea for content , what to get Gamer Dad for Father's day

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Yup

[@wschaecher]

After watching your video I downloaded the quick start guides and loved what I read. I have already signed up for the Kickstart and I am trying to convince my players into playing.

[@Hellvector]

This was an excellent video Professor, and a wonderful service to the campaign!

[@serigraph73]

Glad you posted this. I have been seeing SD ads on social media and wasnt very interested because i am so inundated with ads

[@geoffreynelson6413]

Great review. Love the idea of a random generator screen. Far more useful than a price list for pole arms.

[@samchafin4623]

I need another rule system like I need a third nostril, but a lot of what you've pointed out looks pretty great! Might have to get this, even just for inspired random level ups and delicious random charts.

[@SeanFranchise]

I feel you Sam! I've been fawning over Savage Worlds as I prep to run PF2e after running ICRPG for a couple years, but all those charts have me salivating 😂

[@DeanPrudhomme]

I loved your channel back when I was making my own table-top terrain. Now I'm loving this review! I got the Quickstart rules and my favorite part is how streamlined they are. No more reading paragraph after paragraph of fluff! Shadowdark is so concise and easy to use. I backed the kickstarter today!

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I’ve seen her stuff on TH-cam before and it looked really cool. Definitely going to pick this up.

[@jinxtheunluckypony]

The real world torch time rule is really interesting. I wish I had a consistent gaming group, I’d love to see this in action.

[@hexaedre]

Totally with you on how the Thief being more competent is a great design! Thanks for the review/comments!

[@YoJesusMorales]

That carousing table made me chuckle, looks fun to roll.

[@Grimlore82]

This is so freaking awesome! Very happy to have backed this Kickstarter:-)

[@handsofalabourer5592]

Backed this as soon as I saw it on KS. Glad it's got the stamp of approval. Very excited to play

[@jettolo]

i have a silly fantasy: playing this game with alexa linked to the game room lights with a 1hour timer to shut them out

[@darksiant04]

Glad I ran across this video when I did... I'm on the Kick Starter, today is the last day. Thanx Prof. GM!

[@Aircool212]

Sounds interesting, like the old D&D red box basic set. However, does it suffer from, what I consider, the biggest weakness of D&D and many old school mechanics; the binary results of dice rolls? You roll a few dice for your attack, miss both and then wait five or more minutes whilst everyone else has their turn and take damage from enemy attacks before you get to roll a few dice again.

[@shaunhall960]

I absolutely love the art! Art is the way to my heart.

[@artistpoet5253]

Wow. Sounds amazing. I'm going to wait for retail copies, though. I have a few games already going and nearly $100 for a physical special edition is just a bit outside my budget.

[@scullywags]

Warning! There is a scam replying to the comment sections offering prizes. Heads up Prof DM. Its using your name.

[@davidpaul1970]

Great review. More reviews of indie RPGs would be great to see.

[@elaineabreu282]

So during the pandemic times I have strayed away from group play and been playing solo, and to be honest, I quite like it on this side of the pool. I wasnt that interested until the abundance of charts was mentioned. Random charts are my bread and butter! So that got me interested..and then I went to the page and saw that one of the stretch goals is a show with some episodes on how to use this with gm emulator and I was sold!!

[@oscargarciahinde4247]

Oooohh this one is really cool. I might actually back it.

[@illmade2]

Maybe people should look at Tunnels and Trolls. It has always been less restrictive and quicker game than DnD

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Unless you have mid-level, evenly matched opponents. Then it can slow to a crawl. BUT I have great respect for T&T and Flying Buffalo. Still going to cons on 2023.

[@illmade2]

@Dungeon Craft Yeah, unfortunately IIRC the Rpg side of the business, was sold recently, and only the play by mail gaming is still owned by the original Flying Buffalo ownership

[@PossumMedic]

I enjoy the mechanics of 5e it's more the WotC part that I have a problem with! 😝 this sounds great!

[@craftsmenMC]

My absolute favorite OSRs (and even rpgs in general) are the ones that use some modern mechanics so that newer audiences can get into them. Just throwing a modern player into ye olden days and expecting them to vibe with the way they were done back then isn’t going to go over well with most people. I usually homebrew out mechanics where race and class are the same thing or your race super-restricts your class, for example,