The undead attack! - An introductory one-shot to Shadowdark

Creating your character

We will create 1st level characters at the start of the session, rolling for stats, following the rules in the Shadowdark Player Quickstart, available for free.

Preparing for the session

We will be using Discord for audio/video (you will need to create an account) and Owlbear Rodeo as the VTT (Virtual Table Top, no account required, i will provide you with a link to join). You will need access to either a software to take notes (eg. Microsoft Word) or pen and paper. The Shadowdark character sheets and the Player Quickstart are free to download, and i will provide them at the start of the session. I suggest looking them up before the session and having them at hand.

What Maxi brings to the table

I do weird and silly voices for most NPCs and like to use ambient and combat music to set the tone of the adventure. I try to immerse the players in to the world i describe and encourage them to try and think as if they were really there. Shadowdark is a game system that shines when players try things "outside their character sheets", and i always try to reward creative problem solving. The game features combat, and is a core part of the game, but its not the main focus. Avoiding combat is as important as avoiding it whenever posible. Combat in Shadowdark can be deadlier than other similar games in the genere, but thats even more reason to try and play smart and careful. My objective is to be fair but clear about the rules.

Homebrew rules

I run Shadowdark mostly "rules-as-written". I only use 2 major homebrew rules for one-shots: -Level 1 characters start with max Hit Points -When a player fails a spellcasting check, the spell is cast before the character loses the ability to cast it again until rest.

How Maxi creates a safe table

Before the start of the session we will talk about the general themes and content of the adventure to make sure everyone is on board. I will be open to any change/adjustment necessary to make everyone comfortable before starting. At any moment during play, a player can message me personally through Discord typing an "X" if they are uncomfortable with any content i'm describing or with an "O" if they feel the content is heading towards something that will make them uncomfortable. I will adjust accordingly, pausing briefly to clarify if necessary, and we will continue playing. At any point during the game, players can take a break if they feel they need it, notifying me through discord when they do, so i know they are AFK. After the session i will ask everyone for any feedback/thoughts about the game, what they liked or didn't like, and any other feelings they have about it and wish to share.