Into the Scalding Sun: A Beginner-friendly Level 1-5 Adventure
Hardy goblins rule the Scalding Desert. Temperatures are rising: complete the ancient rituals, balance the elements, rescue the realm, become a hero!
$10.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Thursday - 3:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
Campaign Length / 12–16 Sessions
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
You've heard the shadowy whispers of an old-school game with deceptively simple mechanics: Shadowdark RPG. I, your Game Master—equal parts supportive sage and impartial arbiter—dare you to confront the perils in this level 1-5 campaign. Seven classes rise to the challenges of the Scalding Desert: Fighters, Priests, Wizards, Thieves, Desert Riders, hard-to-kill Pit Fighters, and diabolical Assassins. Death comes swiftly, but your next incarnation is only a few dice rolls away. We'll be using content from Cursed Scroll #2. I adhere closely to the rules, delivering tense and occasionally brutal game experiences focused on player enjoyment. If you've played D&D or similar games, you already know how to play. The award-winning design of Shadowdark RPG makes the simple character sheet a breeze to pick up. Pack your torch to stave off the encroaching darkness, take a deep breath, and step into the Shadowdark with me!
Game style
Dungeon Crawl
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(15)
3 years on StartPlaying
15 games hosted
Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Teacher, Sets the Mood
About me
Hi folks, I'm Dwayne, aka Joorrekiin: a game master, editor, and educator who loves RPGs for both their collaborative elements and the ability of mechanics and random chance to inspire a world of imagination. People who play in games with me say my style is immersive, engaging, and centers the player experience. I'm skilled at running Shadowdark and D&D 5e and 5.5. ABOUT ME: As a Gen Xer, I was there for the Satanic Panic and can appreciate the nostalgia of Stranger Things. After stepping away from RPGs for a time, I returned to the hobby in 2019 - just in time for the pandemic boom in online play. My skills were shaped by hundreds of hours in VTTs and Discord. That's where several of my close adult friendships were forged. I use technology to enhance gameplay while also ensuring everyone feels welcome and engaged. Step into a world of adventure with me and let's make some memories!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will go over character creation in session zero or 1-on-1 call. If you want to get started early or have played before, create your character using the Player Quickstart Guide (provided on my discord channel) or download FREE here: https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/products/shadowdark-rpg-quickstart-set-pdf The game is about playing the hand you're dealt and striving against the odds, so it's fitting that it starts with stats rolled 3d6 down the line: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA. It’s normal for characters to have some negative modifiers; we are only mortals, after all! Shadowdarklings.net is the official character creator from the Arcane Library, publisher of Shadowdark RPG. You can easily make any number of backup characters with a few clicks: https://shadowdarklings.net/settings/sources=CS2,SD&ancestries=1,2,3,4,5,6&classes=1,2,3,4,10,11,12 Select "Create a character" and disable all optional settings for this introductory campaign. See this video: https://youtu.be/0VRuHOtz-Ks?si=EoLe8Gl5iw2bjji_&t=31 Active Ancestries: Dwarf, Elf, Goblin, Half-Orc, Halfling, Human Core Classes: Fighter, Priest, Thief, Wizard Expanded Classes: Desert Rider, Pit Fighter, Ras-Godai *LEVEL 1 HOUSE RULE*- at level 1, characters may begin with their max hit die instead of rolling, and dwarf characters add an additional +2 at level 1.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Discord channel: https://discord.gg/QjWgwxxVbT Owlbear Rodeo link: https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/yEgNQrpvHGVp/TheScaldingDesert
What Joorrekiin (Dwayne) brings to the table
Webcam and microphone Digital maps and tokens Michael Ghelfi Sonic Library / dScryb 5+ years of GM experience including running RPGs for teens to adults
Homebrew rules
Any deviations from RAW will be shared in the discord server.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Pen & Paper
Platforms used
Safety
How Joorrekiin (Dwayne) creates a safe table
It's an old-school imagining of a world where the dark places of the world are full of malicious intent, and the players are fragile beacons of light. But just honoring old-school aesthetics doesn't mean we can't learn from the mistakes of the past. My games are inclusive and respectful of both the players and the source material. Before any player joins a campaign, I offer an optional Short Session Zero. Stars and Wishes are anonymous and done after a game session. Anyone can take a break during a session and their character will be shielded from harm. If you have an aversion to one of the possible topics, please let me know so I can adapt to deliver the experience the players are seeking.
Content warnings
Safety tools used