Charles Dunwoody (Charlie): Thanks for speaking with me, Kelsey. What’s the setting implied by the principles for Shadowdark RPG? In different phrases, what’s the Shadowdark for individuals who don’t know.
Kelsey Dionne (Kelsey): Thanks for speaking to me, too, Charlie! Shadowdark RPG has a really frivolously implied setting pulled from my precise sport world. You see hints of it in my 5E adventures (issues like deities and place names), however it’s all very refined, and meant to be simply turned generic. The primary objective of the guide was to depart setting very open so the Sport Grasp can decide up and run with no matter setting they like.
Charlie: What I like about Shadowdark RPG is that D&D guidelines that take quite a lot of rationalization get distilled into quick core guidelines. So old-school saving throws get changed with capacity rating checks whereas fashionable guidelines like abilities and feats are changed with capacity checks and sophistication abilities. Was this distillation of guidelines into quick core guidelines one of many driving components behind your creation of Shadowdark RPG or did these quick core guidelines develop out of another rule design you have been engaged on?
Kelsey: I feel quite a lot of this design grew out of my dive into programs that search to cut back complexity. Index Card RPG is a big one, in addition to extra light-weight video games like Knave. Each of these video games specifically demonstrated that you could possibly hit the identical “feeling” on a rule with out utilizing the identical execution. I even have been taking part in D&D for all my life, and I nonetheless bear in mind the issues that I discovered very exhausting to know as a brand new participant. Spell slots, saves vs. checks, spell ranges not coordinating with character ranges — all issues I feel we have every grappled with as we discovered the principles. Since Shadowdark RPG wasn’t going to be a retro-clone, I knew I might have the wiggle room to reshape a few of these sticking factors with new terminology and streamlining.
Charlie: A singular, defining rule of Shadowdark RPG is that PCs can’t see at the hours of darkness and that torches final for one hour of actual time. How did you give you this rule that matches the aesthetics of the Shadowdark so properly?
Kelsey: Ah, I’ve to offer credit score to the creators of D&D for the “cannot see at the hours of darkness” aspect! That was a rule from Unique D&D. Nonetheless, the real-time torch timer got here to me whereas I used to be chomping on corn-on-the cob one Wisconsin night and eager about the issue of time stress. I was an English as a Second Language instructor, and one approach we used for getting college students to reply rapidly and never overthink their responses throughout verbal fluency observe was to set the train up like a sport and use a real-life timer. It dawned on me that we may apply real-world time in the identical approach throughout D&D to discourage overthinking and encourage motion, and lo and behold! That was when the thought of the torch timer was born.
Charlie: What sort of characters can gamers run in Shadowdark RPG?
Kelsey: Gamers can run characters that fall into the 4 “pillar” camps: fighter, priest (cleric), thief, and wizard. There are such a lot of permutations inside these lessons that make every character distinctive. That mentioned, if folks need to department exterior the 4 core lessons, the official Shadowark RPG zine, Cursed Scroll, has three points popping out alongside the guide that every have a couple of new and thematic lessons.
Charlie: What sort of recommendation and help can GMs sit up for receiving in Shadowdark RPG?
Kelsey: The Arcane Library group has an exquisite Discord Server the place we speak about all kinds of gameplay and design components for Shadowdark RPG (and different video games, too). I am actually lively in there, and we have now such a incredible group of people who find themselves very enjoyable and engaged. It is actually my favourite place on the web! I am additionally working up a lot of new supporting materials for Shadowdark RPG within the type of movies on my YouTube channel, weblog posts on my web site, and group spotlights. Considered one of my favourite methods to help third-party Shadowdark publishers is to make use of the avenues I’ve to share out their work.
Charlie: What gadgets are you providing by this kickstarter?
Kelsey: Along with the usual and premium model of the core guidelines, there are three themed zines (68 pages every), three mini-adventures, eight pre-made 1st-level character playing cards, and a GM display screen. I wished to offer of us an entire bundle to only sit down and begin taking part in!
Charlie: Do you’ve got any future plans for Shadowdark RPG after this profitable kickstarter wraps up that you could share?
Kelsey: Completely! I am excited to start out writing extra adventures and supporting materials immediately. There will certainly be extra Cursed Scroll zines, and I’ve an thought for a megadungeon I’ve all the time wished to put in writing that might have a little bit of an uncommon presentation model. I feel there is a enjoyable strategy to make a megadungeon a bit modular, and actually “prepared to make use of” out of the field in methods I have not seen earlier than. I feel I am going to have to offer it a attempt!
Charlie: The place can readers go to seek out your work?
Kelsey: One of the best place is on The Arcane Library! I put up all my merchandise, weblog articles, and in any other case on that web site. It is my catch-all web house.
Charlie: Any remaining feedback you’d prefer to share with the readers of EN World?
Kelsey: I simply need to sincerely thank anybody who jumps in on supporting Shadowdark RPG. The response has been one thing I by no means may have imagined, and it is so galvanizing to know of us are excited for the sport. It is undoubtedly set the course for my subsequent stage of publishing. So long as players on the market preserve wanting Shadowdark RPG materials, I am going to fortunately preserve making it! Thanks, Charlie! I admire the time you took with me!
