The Unseen Servant forums

I'd just add that there also seems to be an element of "art" to the "science".

Notifications sometimes seem to lag.

Rule of thumb being that if it's suddenly gone quiet then a physical check nearly always pay off!

And check for new topics too!

It never hurts to check.

There is definitely a lag in most cases. It also stops sending notifications on a thread after the first one until you visit and read all the posts through the most recent.

Tiglath wrote: ↑Sun Jun 08, 2025 10:23 pm I'd just add that there also seems to be an element of "art" to the "science".

Notifications sometimes seem to lag.

Rule of thumb being that if it's suddenly gone quiet then a physical check nearly always pay off!

And check for new topics too!

I have my browser bring up my games in separate tabs when I open it. That makes it easy to see new stuff.

I've been trying to check Char Sheets for LUCK but can't see them tracking anywhere. So a shout out to Shadow Cats feeling short on good fortune!

Put bluntly it's downtime and some of us are mages and need to not explode!

It's just socially responsible not to!

I don't want to overdo "Luck Farming" but since it's my bag we should have at least one each before "Going Underground" by The Jam.

Tiglath wrote: ↑Mon Jun 09, 2025 1:49 am I've been trying to check Char Sheets for LUCK but can't see them tracking anywhere. So a shout out to Shadow Cats feeling short on good fortune!

Put bluntly it's downtime and some of us are mages and need to not explode!

It's just socially responsible not to!

I don't want to overdo "Luck Farming" but since it's my bag we should have at least one each before "Going Underground" by The Jam.

I track mine in text above my sheet. Sadly, as there are TWO threads called Character Creation, you might have looked at the wrong one.

Righto and thanks for your last.

OK so I'm pretty sure Draven, Vesper, Gaurbal and (I think from memory) Galreth are good with "one in the tank".

So apologies in advance to Elizabeth...

HR's carpet will be worn thin!

Again!!!

I don't want to "overspam" here but Draven might be due another IC - because reasons...

Tiglath wrote: ↑Mon Jun 09, 2025 1:49 am I've been trying to check Char Sheets for LUCK but can't see them tracking anywhere. So a shout out to Shadow Cats feeling short on good fortune!

Put bluntly it's downtime and some of us are mages and need to not explode!

It's just socially responsible not to!

I don't want to overdo "Luck Farming" but since it's my bag we should have at least one each before "Going Underground" by The Jam.

I try to keep it up to date in this post. Although, I think LUCK might be off a bit, tell me and I'll update that post.

Let's go with that but I know that IC Robin got one from Vesper (for opening the chest).

I also somehow think Galreth had one and hasn't used it. I'm pretty sure he had one as it's my wheelhouse re: "explosions". Mages must have a reserved LUCK token!

Here's a random thought on post delving recalibration "Does LUCK wear off after a successful carouse?"

Encourages PCs to spend (what maybe should be a transient effect?) but this then means it needs "rebuilding" and could therefore fail on a quick turnaround?

In fairness I'm not sure if this "wiping the slate" helps or hinders...

Just as a STOP PRESS could you please assign the original "Shadow Cats" rooms in the Guild Hall?

I appear to have invented a assassin's motorway ledge externally linking the windows on each floor...

Thanks in advance for the above but this will surely save time if done by DM fiat and will then complete the Resources post.

Da has 1 written down. It is under Saving Throw Notes. I put it there as it is the center of the front page so I tend to see it easily.

Tiglath wrote: ↑Mon Jun 09, 2025 2:25 amHere's a random thought on post delving recalibration "Does LUCK wear off after a successful carouse?"

Read-As-Written answer (Shadowdark RPG, p.83): No.

Also Read-As-Written (p. 92): there's nothing to say you can't use your Luck Token to reroll the Carousing Roll itself (which would be a no-brainer IF you had one left over from the adventure. A more reasonable Luck use would be if/when the GM decides to play out a carousing scene, eg. blindfolded knife throwing, or Duke John/Lord Percy shenanigans).

As for any benefit or hindrance to having LT's expire, I'd have to give it further thought.

Eris wrote: ↑Sun Jun 08, 2025 10:05 pm Just checking with everyone.

You do know how to have Unseen Servant send you notifications when a post has been made to a forum don't you, right?

On this note Eris, do you have an answer to my question in Resources? I realise it may not be the proper place for a rules question. However, it could be relevant to current play.
viewtopic.php?p=764091#p764091

subaltari wrote: ↑Mon Jun 09, 2025 7:41 pm

Eris wrote: ↑Sun Jun 08, 2025 10:05 pm Just checking with everyone.

You do know how to have Unseen Servant send you notifications when a post has been made to a forum don't you, right?

On this note Eris, do you have an answer to my question in Resources? I realise it may not be the proper place for a rules question. However, it could be relevant to current play.
viewtopic.php?p=764091#p764091

I'm afraid I missed that post! Sorry. I've been thinking in my head that it would be the 5e way, or my interpretation of it anyway.

• Master sees/hears what the Familiar does but is blind/deaf while doing so
• Familiars are physical representations of spirits (just what sort of spirits is up for debate)
• Familiars has HP/AC/Weapons/Strengths and Limitations appropriate to whatever creature's form it is assuming
• Familiars can be called/dismissed at the will of its Master
• Familiars share the Master's INT/WIS
• Familiars can talk with others if it can form the sounds to do so

Range is an aspect I haven't considered. In Shadowdark it would be somewhere beyond Far, but shouldn't be Unlimited. By ear we play it.

Sounds good to me! I particularly like the flexible 5e notion that familiars could be celestial, infernal, elemental, fey, animistic spirits, etc.

One thing SD does specify is that they can talk (Common). I suppose an insect wouldn't talk as well as a mammal (but tell that to Jiminy Cricket).

Huzzah! You all survived your first combat (although Da dropped down to 3 HP) and could have died if the second Ooze had survived another round.

For my part, it was fun. I used two weaker Oozes and delayed the entrance of one for a round, but really did expect the encounter to be pretty challenging. I wondered when I set it up whether it would be too hard, maybe make you slam the door and run from it. When both of your major magical spells fizzled, I thought you'd be in big trouble, but it turned out y'all rolled better than I did as the Oozes (Daisy had good rolls, though). The first Ooze only "melted metal" on a 1 in 6 and the second only in 1 in 3, I think it would have been much harder if I'd gone with 100% melts metal and used the full HP...too hard was my judgement, so I did nerf the monsters a little.

Overall, I enjoyed how it ran and had fun running it, but I might have to make encounters a bit harder if I really want to challenge you.

I'd love to hear comments and suggestions from y'all. So, how do you think the combat went? How would you rate it on the "Boring as Hell" to "Exciting and Fun scale?"

That was exciting enough as it was. Losing my magic missile made things bad. I only had the staff as a weapon and I'm -1 to hit anything. I don't expect Trawets to last long with the con he has. That was fun though.

trawets wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:43 pm That was exciting enough as it was. Losing my magic missile made things bad. I only had the staff as a weapon and I'm -1 to hit anything. I don't expect Trawets to last long with the con he has. That was fun though.

Ouch, losing magic missile even though you have advantage? That's some bad luck there.

It was fun. Very cool and a close call at least for me. I also lost my weapon which I now need to figure out how to replace. I would call it a good challenge.

Eris wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 9:52 pmHuzzah! You all survived your first combat (although Da dropped down to 3 HP) and could have died if the second Ooze had survived another round.

Yay we won!

Eris wrote:Overall, I enjoyed how it ran and had fun running it, but I might have to make encounters a bit harder if I really want to challenge you.

Glad you liked almost absorbing the entire party into your Oozes. But I know the GM usually has more fun when the party survives. Da took a bunch of damage and every character lost a major weapon or spell, so it was a nail biter for sure. Definitely not boring, but I was very relieved when I found out the monsters were nerfed. (It didn't hurt that you posted their stats in spoiler text − but i don't think we can expect you to do that every time!)

Since you're asking, I will say I was a bit puzzled by the "Panic Scale" rolls. That looks like a milder version of the Morale rules which I didn't think applied to PCs, but then again (like much of SD) I guess it's open to interpretation. My opinion is that player agency is important − if there's a situation where the party should run, I think it's better for us to decide that on our own, and if we don't we'll pay for it!

archolewa wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:45 pm

trawets wrote: ↑Sat Jun 14, 2025 11:43 pmThat was exciting enough as it was. Losing my magic missile made things bad.

Ouch, losing magic missile even though you have advantage? That's some bad luck there.

Good point, Trawets has been having the GM do his rolls − Eris, did you remember to give him advantage on his magic missile (per spell description)?

Rex wrote: ↑Sun Jun 15, 2025 12:48 pm It was fun. Very cool and a close call at least for me. I also lost my weapon which I now need to figure out how to replace. I would call it a good challenge.

We found a great weapon for a Dwarf, plus it's awesome against undead. Too bad it's not the one you have weapon mastery in!

A SD supplement on sale!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product ... src=DotDem