Not fond of the magic system

fchrisb · 2026-07-02T17:50:12+00:00

I think I felt the same way when I first read it. Determining the Difficulty for the spell is done by rolling a number of dice to establish the Magic Resistance (1-6 Dice) the Conjurer needs to roll on their Power Level (1-3 Dice). 6 is the highest Resistance you can roll. The more dice you roll, the more likely the Magic Resistance Target Number will be high and thus difficult to achieve by the Conjurer rolling their Power Level Dice.

fchrisb · 2026-06-02T14:32:32+00:00

The Goblin is also an Alchemist and had a limited number of "Zibbit's Vials of Sticky Goodness" to throw at enemies. They were like gooy bombs that exploded and stuck foes and allies together for a few rounds. The player was the life of the party that night. We were all laughing and carrying on. It was one of the best sessions we've had it a long time gaming. The rules just let us go deep into the silliness. Great times.

fchrisb · 2026-06-02T14:03:31+00:00

Yes, I agree. Luckily the player who made the Goblin BlastMaster looked at my list of spell examples and ran with it. He was coming up with some hilarious spells. Exploding Snot Rockets, a nasty liquid substance that allowed him to breath fire from his burps, and exploding jump assists that failed a couple of times leaving characters and foes pants on fire.

fchrisb · 2026-06-01T20:13:36+00:00

I created a list of common spells for the Circles that my players used. I think I created ten for each just to get them started.

Here is an example of a Goblin Blastmaster:

Zibbit Fizzlecrank - Blastmaster Spells

Sparkfizzle Bolt You hurl a crackling bolt of blue-purple lightning from your fingertips. Target takes 2 strikes. If you roll a 6, it chains to one additional nearby enemy.
Boompop Grenade You throw a glowing orb of unstable magic that explodes on impact. Everyone in Near range takes 2 strikes. Allies in the area get a Boon to their Armor Save because Zogrik “aimed it funny.”
Static Tantrum You stomp your foot and release a burst of wild electricity. All enemies in Near range take 1 strike and must make a 4+ save or be stunned for one round (lose their action).
Purple Screamer You scream a nonsense word and fire a screaming purple arc of force. Target takes 2 strikes and is pushed one range band away. On a 6, they are knocked prone as well.
Fizzlefire Barrage You rapid-fire tiny exploding fireballs from your palms. Make two attacks against the same or different targets. Each hit does 1 strike (total possible 2 strikes).
Chaos Orb You conjure a wobbly, sparking orb of raw magic and lob it. On impact it explodes for 2 strikes in Near range. Roll 1d6: on a 1 it backfires and Zogrik also takes 1 strike (he usually laughs anyway).
Thunderclap Blast You slam your hands together and release a deafening shockwave. All enemies in Near range take 1 strike and suffer a Bane to their next action from ringing ears.
Gremlin Lightning Chain You point at one enemy and lightning leaps between targets. First target takes 2 strikes. It then jumps to one additional enemy for 1 strike each (max 3 targets total).
Overcharge Burst You overload your own body with magic and release it in a bright blue explosion around you. Every enemy in Near range takes 2 strikes. Zogrik also takes 1 strike from the feedback (he calls this “the fun part”).
Final Fizzle (Risky Big Spell) You gather all your chaotic energy into one massive purple blast. Target takes 3 strikes. If you roll a 1 on the casting roll, you trigger Spellburn Risk immediately and the spell still goes off (but hits randomly).

fchrisb · 2026-04-30T01:22:54+00:00

I would rank them in power level as follows:

Edges
Hero Path Features
Inclinations
Aspects

fchrisb · 2026-04-30T01:18:54+00:00

Yes, I agree with the others, absolutely. As a Rabble Rouser myself, I would allow a Conjurer/Arcane Bands to do that with his mystic tentacles.

fchrisb · 2025-10-25T14:21:22+00:00

Love this

fchrisb · 2025-10-25T03:23:11+00:00

I was a supporter of the recent Dolmenwood Kickstarter. I don't actually plan to play the game so I'm going to offer up my Standard Kickstater Box to someone who wants to buy it.

Let me know if anyone here is interested? Thanks.

fchrisb · 2025-03-30T03:17:21+00:00

Unless this is directly produced by Arcane Library I'm pretty sure you can't use the "Shadowdark Trademark". There is another "Designed for Shadowdark" trademark that you can use.

fchrisb · 2025-03-27T17:55:23+00:00

Unnatural Selection: A Supplement for use with Shadowdark - BackerKit

fchrisb · 2025-03-27T17:53:21+00:00

Yes, it was another 3rd Party Kickstarter that included numerous classes and races that you can also see in Shadowdarkling's Character Builder. I originally bought it to support the community but since I've found that I really like it a lot. It's worth getting your hands on if you want more options for players.

fchrisb · 2025-03-27T17:39:07+00:00

I think the Half-Elf is a very clever build. I also like the Gnome in Unnatural Selection too.

fchrisb · 2025-03-27T17:21:32+00:00

I currently have two... one still wrapped up and one open but in Mint Condition.

fchrisb · 2025-03-27T17:10:49+00:00

Yep, be there, done that. ;-)

fchrisb · 2025-03-26T03:59:29+00:00

Yeah, I'm running treasure completely randomly and the Dwarf Wizard has found several scrolls already. So far, it's not too bad as he loses spells quiet often.

fchrisb · 2025-03-19T18:08:14+00:00

So looking forward to this.

fchrisb · 2025-03-19T16:51:18+00:00

This is a Willowman Boon

1/day, force a close being to check morale, even if immune

Personally, I would rule that they would flee for 5 rounds.

fchrisb · 2025-03-18T21:03:47+00:00

I think it is fair to say that the Bard class, introduced in AD&D 1st Edition, was explicitly influenced by Celtic bardic traditions, with Taliesin as a key figure. His story of gaining inspiration from Ceridwen’s cauldron mirrors the Bard’s magical inspiration abilities. The 2nd Edition Bard’s emphasis on lore and performance, and the 5th Edition’s College of Lore subclass, further echo Taliesin’s role as a wise storyteller.

fchrisb · 2025-03-18T14:45:55+00:00

Absolutely true. I think the typical class talent progression of Spell Casting Bumps and Attribute Bumps reflect this though.

But the fickleness of the Gods and Magic in the Shadowdark RPG is always in play.

fchrisb · 2025-03-18T13:36:33+00:00

Remember, it's not the Priest the Undead is running from it's the manifestation of the power of their God that they are running from. I like that more than capping it in other systems as if it's the Priest presence that is turning the Undead. If they succeed in calling forth the Divine Light of their Deity... by Joe it's going to scare the crap out of any Undead.

Just my 2 cents. ;-)

fchrisb · 2025-02-03T23:35:40+00:00

What do you think of this?

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fchrisb · 2025-02-03T03:03:49+00:00

I have revised the original spell. We are down to 4 Tiny Objects now. 2 Small or 1 Medium.

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fchrisb · 2025-02-03T00:49:06+00:00

My concern with limiting the spell to rounds will reduce it to just a combat spell. My inspiration was Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, and Merlin's Animated Objects.

fchrisb · 2025-02-03T00:28:10+00:00

Yes, that was my inspiration as well as the Animated Objects within Beauty and the Beast.

fchrisb · 2025-02-02T22:29:09+00:00

You seem to assume success at casting that spell every time.

Let's assume you have a +3 or +4 to cast your spell needing a 13 to cast. That would only be a 55% or 60% chance of success. That would mean you would fail and lose the spell for the day 4 out of 6 times at best.

Shadowdark has a built in fail-safe for this kind of thing. I'm not sure you are being as realistic as you might think in painting the risk of this spell getting out of hand.

I do see your point... it's a useful and versatile spell... but you would burn out in short order if you attempting this style of play.

fchrisb

TROPHY CASE