Into the Shadowdark

Into the Shadowdark

Your are an adventurer, your path is not set by others. In the darkness, with chosen companions, you reap riches from the maw of doom or die trying.

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

1–10

EXPERIENCE

Open to all

AGE

18+
About the adventure

WHAT IS SHADOWDARK ? Award wining old school fantasy gaming with elegant contemporary execution. Shadowdark RPG is what old-school fantasy gaming would look like after being redesigned with 50 years of innovation. The game is fast, familiar, intuitive, and deadly. It’s built for sword-and-sorcery adventures where fell monsters slither in darkness and frosty gems glint upon forgotten thrones, waiting to be discovered. In Shadowdark RPG, real time comes into play. A torch only holds back the looming darkness for one hour of actual game time! There isn't a moment to spare when your only light source is guttering low... Get ready for old-school gaming in a whole new light!

3 NEEDED TO START
$15.00

/ Session

Details

Bi-weekly / Saturday – 7:00 PM UTC

3–3.5 Hour Duration

0 / 5 Seats Filled

GAME MASTER

Skuliver

he/him

5.0

(49)

This game will begin once 3 players have joined

Each player will be charged when a session starts.

Report Adventure

Meet the Game Master

5.0

(49)

Neurodivergent
Teacher/Educator

4 years on StartPlaying

198 games hosted

Highly rated for: Creativity, Rule of Cool, Knows the Rules

Average response time: 24+ hours

Response rate: 100%

About me

I value player expression and choices in collaborative experience building. I like to set the table for company, but what makes it an event is what all the people who pull up a chair bring to the table. I believe "Rule of Cool" is our friend. When it comes to making way for the awesome and memorable, I lean into a "Yes and" style of play. I've run games for all ages and can adjust content to suit younger players I'm also experienced with corporate clients and am happy to tailor a session to your company needs. The games I offer provide opportunities for player skill to shine. Your creativity is not in "the build", it's in how you play. I believe in leaving consequences like injury and death on the table. I also believe that adventures are challenging thins and that can include the unknown and the monstrous. Your choices and reactions to situations beyond your control along with your use of the tools you have in the moment are what really count. If you want to challenge yourself as a player by playing imperfect characters, doing dangerous things and snatching victory from the maw of doom, we should talk. What I don't do: - Adversarial GM or power gamer play styles. - Sexual Content. - Tolerate disrespect to myself or others at the table. - Real world politics or drama in game

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Reviews (49)

Proficiencies

Players say this GM is great at:

Creativity

Rule of Cool

Knows the Rules

Zetta avatar

Zetta

Played 38 sessions

I just jumped into an already-running campaign with Jordan (Glaive of the Revenant King). As a very new player, it took me a bit to get acclimated but by the end of the session we were all scratching our heads and trying to grill NPCs into revealing their lies & secrets so we could stave off destruction. We were solving an actual mystery and we all felt the suspense. My first session was fun RP-heavy but I'm sure Jordan is just as good at combat/mechanics. The groundwork is laid for a truly epic combat next session. Looking forward to it!

Kyle avatar

Kyle

Played 22 sessions

If you like really role paying your character, then you will love playing with Hal. He was able to improvise with all the crazy conversations and shenanigans my character got into. He does excellent voice work, and uses Roll 20 expertly.

Shawn avatar

Shawn

Played 22 sessions

Very fun, knows tons of tabletop systems to try out, and good at teaching systems you may have never tried before. Anything from Dragonbane, Shadowdark, Blades in the Dark and more, he has shown me plenty of cool systems and had plenty of funny adventures I remember fondly. Still playing with him on and off to this day!

David  avatar

David

Played 22 sessions

We had a fantastic playing session. Jordan was equal parts funny and engaging and patient, and his voice talents really added to the fun of the game. Would definitely enjoy playing with Jordan again.

Greg avatar

Greg

Played 19 sessions

Jordan is a great GM! He's hosted the campaign I've been in for months, and it's always a blast. He's always very welcoming and patient with new players and old alike, and he's very knowledgeable of D&D (and forgiving (haha)). His adventures are always fun, and you wish you could play a session every day! -Vanimeer Araxius/Captain Ulhrin Blackwater

Garth Vesuvius avatar

Garth Vesuvius

Played 18 sessions

Jordan is a fantastic GM! Great with the adventure and story telling. But best of all he helps build a sense of community with your team that makes the entire experience even better. I highly recommend!

Character creation
Creating your character

You can visit this link and make yourself a stable of characters and be ready to roll. I encourage you to embrace the random. https://shadowdarklings.net/ Your characters can be exported from the site into the Foundry VTT.

What to expect
Preparing for the session

Have a look at the rules https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/products/shadowdark-rpg-quickstart-set Make a PC or three using this link https://shadowdarklings.net/ Once you know what you want to play, make a token here https://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/ Download your token and be ready to send it in discord so we can get it ready in Foundry. You will need a way to send and receive audio over discord. Cameras not required. A mouse is recommended over using a track pad.

What Skuliver brings to the table

I will provide you with adventure and have maps ready in Foundry and a Discord for our record keeping, epic memes and voice chat.

Homebrew rules

This campaign uses the "pulp rules" for luck tokens. Believe me, you are going to want those.

Equipment needed to play

Microphone

Computer

Headphones

Internet

Platforms used
Safety
How Skuliver creates a safe table

Shadowdark makes dungeon crawling fast and deadly. It feels like the games I remembered as a kid. Gear matters, turns are quick, magic can be dangerous and a of a wild card. Shadowdark pulls some ideas from modern gaming: Straightforward, roll over math and streamlined mechanics. It pulls some ideas from old school games: Low hit points and damage, no set skills, a less forgiving character death system, quick and simple character creation. Min-maxing is impossible because players roll randomly for a new, yet fitting, ability every other level. There is no "build", but lots more excitement as the dice clatter and reveal your fate. Character creation and leveling is a process of discovery more than drafting. The game encourages playing to explore, to find out, embracing random events and what the dice give you. Maybe the torch goes out, maybe the big bad finds you first. Maybe that spot you picked to for a rest was not safe and fouls creatures approach even as you rest your weary head. It has influences from lots of other places. Roll-to-cast magic a bit like you might find in Dungeon Crawl Classics. Easy distance measurement like in Index Card RPG. A roll-high system where a natural 20 is always a success. Simple XP tracking that rewards finding treasure (and spending it carousing) rather than killing monsters. Combat is dangerous. Getting in, looting and avoiding things trying to kill the party is how you roll. You will find all you need to play at his link. Have a look and see if it's for you. Rangers and Bards have been added and will be available as options in play. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ab1x94p7h4v39w7/Shadowdark%20RPG%20Quickstart%20Set%20-%20V2-2.zip?dl=0

Content warnings
Blood
Character Death
Death
Alcohol Use
Gore
Illness
Language/Cursing
Spiders
Insects
Snakes
Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions

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