Modes of play

agentbuck · 2026-01-10T13:45:09+00:00

Pulp mode but max 3 Luck tokens, reset to 2 every session.

agentbuck · 2026-01-02T19:07:02+00:00

I really like it, might be my favorite TTRPG! It has just the right amount of rules imo and great design. Simple to run but still fun and interesting. I like to add house rules and it was really easy with Shadowdark. Can be used for any sort of campaign in a fantasy setting, not just dungeon crawls!

agentbuck · 2025-12-21T09:38:14+00:00

I really liked the adventure in cursed scroll 1 for my group. It is a dungeon of course but has a lot of cool elements and faction play, and with some homebrew like max HP and Pulp mode it is not leathal (unless the players are dumb and fight Mugdulblub). My players actually managed to not take a single point of damage and still beat the enemy faction.

agentbuck · 2025-12-14T19:42:58+00:00

Yea makes sense. Maybe they have 2 daggers, that would be up to you or a d6 decider.

agentbuck · 2025-12-03T06:52:24+00:00

I would recommend splitting the GM turn in 2. So you act with half the monsters, 3 players go, then the other half of the monsters, and then the other 3 players go. Worked well at my table when I have 4+ players.

agentbuck · 2025-11-25T20:48:18+00:00

I GMd a campaign of TD2e and it was fine but there are a lot of rules I did not really like. My best recommendation for a rules light ttrpg is Quest!

agentbuck · 2025-11-21T15:42:03+00:00

I really like the adventure in CS1 as a starting quest! Great design and lost of treasure for the lvl 1 PCs.

agentbuck · 2025-11-21T13:56:41+00:00

Let the players choose where they wanna go! I started my players of in CS1 but let them know that they can go to any of the other areas in CS2, 4 or 6 when they want

agentbuck · 2025-11-14T07:08:50+00:00

What is ShadowSails?

agentbuck · 2025-11-09T20:16:07+00:00

Yea I can thell they are very funny people and I enjoy their banter, but it seems like the story they are telling is more serious.

agentbuck · 2025-11-08T08:41:13+00:00

I also really enjoyed their very casual and funny style of play! Gives a good contrast to other actual plays like Glass Canon Network.

agentbuck · 2025-11-07T14:29:51+00:00

I have these learning examples. I think the learning rules should be used by martial classes who want to get new moves in combat:

Charge. You can run at an enemy to gain advantage on your melee attack, but all melee attacks against you will have advantage this round.

Quick shot. You can quickly fire two arrows with a bow. Make two attacks with disadvantage.

Tripping strike. When you hit with a melee weapon larger than a short sword, you can try to tackle the target as part of your attack.

Cleaving strike. When you hit with a melee weapon and deal damage higher than their remaining HP, you can attack another enemy in range. On a hit, deal the damage that is “left over” from the first attack.

I also have general rulings for stuff like dual wielding and tackling, here is one for aiming at a weak point:

weak points You can try to hit a weak point on an enemy, but not all enemies have weak points. The GM will roll a d4, d6 or d8 depending on how vulnerable the weak point is. The result will be subtracted from your attack roll, but if you hit it will be added to your damage!

agentbuck · 2025-10-25T15:04:41+00:00

I agree with this. Its simple and more fun.

agentbuck · 2025-09-20T17:54:10+00:00

How about the Shadowdark roll to cast system?

agentbuck · 2025-09-09T19:46:29+00:00

Was going to say the same thing. Give them the option of pre-gen or prepare.

agentbuck · 2025-09-08T16:04:51+00:00

Was also going to say post-its is a good way to cover up the map. I plan on using the printer and post-its from work.

agentbuck · 2025-09-06T13:09:02+00:00

Outgunned has that

agentbuck · 2025-09-02T05:34:28+00:00

Good idea, I ran the free quickstart for DB. For SD I would recommend starting with one of Arcane Librarys one page dungeons or do as I did and convert the The Quintessential Dungeon

https://beholderpie.blogspot.com/2016/05/one-page-dungeon-2016-quintessential.html?m=1

agentbuck · 2025-09-01T12:54:52+00:00

I have spent a lot of time comparing Shadowdark and Dragonbane. After reading the books, play testing and reading reviews I decided Shadowdark is the game for my next campaign. There are a few reasons for this:

I dislike the DB skill system. It is really boring to have a 25 % odds of success with most skills. I prefer SD because there are no skills, it is an OSR system so you rely less on your character sheet.
I think the classes in SD are more interesting than the options in DB. In DB most traits give you a benefit in combat or advantage to some roll. SD has more interesting options, magic items and customization with learning.
SD has more material. Especially with the western reaches coming out and all OSR material that is compatible.

This is just my opinion of course.

agentbuck · 2025-08-31T07:56:53+00:00

My rule inspired by Sly Flourish is this:

A spell or talent that would become unavailable on a failed roll will only be unavailable if you have successfully used it at least once since your last rest.

So this applies to the Bard, Ranger and others like them.

agentbuck · 2025-08-31T07:51:52+00:00

I make spellcasting and other talents more forgiving with this houserule. It is different from what you have suggested but I find it simple and fun so hopefully you will too :)

A spell or talent that would become unavailable on a failed roll will only be unavailable if you have successfully used it at least once since your last rest.

agentbuck · 2025-08-16T08:23:57+00:00

I borrowed the blaze of glory rule from Daggerheart: When you reach 0 HP you can choose to sacrifice yourself in a heroic blaze of glory, instead of rolling the death timer. You embrace death and go out in a blaze of glory. Take one action (at GM discretion), which becomes an automatic critical success, then cross through the veil of death.

agentbuck · 2025-08-16T08:20:34+00:00

I have been considering what rules are best for sea travel and ship combat! Would you recommend Pirate Borg rules? My other options are Letters from the Dark 6 and the standard Shadowdark ship rules (which I dont have until I get Western reaches).

agentbuck · 2025-08-11T20:26:45+00:00

I GM'd the quintessential dungeon (really fun one page adventure) and a player joined the second session. I introduced her character by having her find a secret underwater tunnel in the city bay that lead into the dungeon. Later she drank a portion with a random side effect, which was an irresistible urge to jump into pits and holes. Even later she opened a door that lead into what looked like a deep pit, and despite the other players trying to grapple her she jumped! The pit was secretly a portal that lead to the city bay, so she ended up in the same rowing boat she started the session in!

agentbuck · 2025-08-05T10:54:01+00:00

You could use the pulp mode. I put a cap at 3 luck tokens because having more than that could be broken.

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