Tips for GM’ing Shadowdark
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What are some good tips for running ShadowDark as a GM?
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Hey! I just loooooove that game. I haven't played long campaigns or very complex scenarios, but from my experience I can say:
Trust the system. I've seen some GMs trying to force D&D or PF stuff into their games thinking it's necessary, but don't. The Shadowdark rules as they are work just fine.
That includes using theater of the mind for combats instead of trying to do grid-based combat. The C/N/F system works brilliantly and it's worth giving it a try. I'd just suggest while GM'ing to narrate a simple environment and monsters that are easy to follow: better something like "You enter a cave with some big stalagmites to the left, a clear path in the middle, and some openings in the wall to the right" than trying to explain a complex battlemap, and better something like "A big orc and two skeletons attack you!" than a whole squad of different monsters (the simpler the combat, the easier it is for players to imagine and follow it).
Apart from that, the rulebook includes really really good advice in the GM'ing section, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I've yet to meet someone who could say "I played Shadowdark and I didn't enjoy it"
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Hey! I just loooooove that game. I haven't played long campaigns or very complex scenarios, but from my experience I can say:
Trust the system. I've seen some GMs trying to force D&D or PF stuff into their games thinking it's necessary, but don't. The Shadowdark rules as they are work just fine.
That includes using theater of the mind for combats instead of trying to do grid-based combat. The C/N/F system works brilliantly and it's worth giving it a try. I'd just suggest while GM'ing to narrate a simple environment and monsters that are easy to follow: better something like "You enter a cave with some big stalagmites to the left, a clear path in the middle, and some openings in the wall to the right" than trying to explain a complex battlemap, and better something like "A big orc and two skeletons attack you!" than a whole squad of different monsters (the simpler the combat, the easier it is for players to imagine and follow it).
Apart from that, the rulebook includes really really good advice in the GM'ing section, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I've yet to meet someone who could say "I played Shadowdark and I didn't enjoy it"
@StraussBelial That makes a lot of sense! So sounds like the theme and design make it a little less focused on the nitty gritty of things?
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@StraussBelial That makes a lot of sense! So sounds like the theme and design make it a little less focused on the nitty gritty of things?
@sabrinateenlich Absolutely! Here is how I'd explain the main difference between games like Pathfinder or D&D and Shadowdark:
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In PF/D&D, you want to play with the system, using the story as a backdrop. You have fun selecting feats and other powers, planning encounters based on your stats and special items, and the GM weaves everything into a story that makes sense to tie it all together.
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In Shadowdark, you want to play with the characters in a living, immersive story, and the GM uses the system only when necessary to move the story forward in a rewarding way.
There's obviously a spectrum between these two styles of play, and each group falls somewhere along it, but I think that’s what sets Shadowdark apart from more traditional games. The system is solid and fun enough that it doesn’t get in the way of enjoying what happens to the characters in the story.
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