The Unseen Servant forums

General Information

Campaign ID: 1030

Shadowdark RPG Quickstart Set on Drivethru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/41 ... kstart-Set.
Supplementary Ranger and Bard classes: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NXBF9Z ... sp=sharing
Basic Fantasy RPG Equipment Emporium: https://www.basicfantasy.org/downloads. ... ntemporium

Posting Rate: Twice per week. I will endeavour to post updates/resolutions Tuesday and Friday mornings, Eastern time (UTC/GMT -5) (please bear with me if I'm late!)
Rolling: GM rolls for most actions to keep things moving, except for important and manageable rolls like character generation, initiative rolls, death saves, and dying stabilization checks (this list will be expanded as needed)

Character Generation

Generate two characters by the book, as per the below. Choose one character to play and keep the other as a fast backup in case the first character dies.

1. Roll a random background;
2. Roll 3d6 for stats in order (optionally, you may re-roll the set if no stat is 14+);
3. Choose an ancestry;
4. Choose a class;
5. Roll for hit points based on your class and ancestry (optionally, you may re-roll die results of 1 or 2 before CON modifier);
6. Roll random talent(s);
7. Choose languages;
8. Pick spells and abilities as applicable;
9. Choose alignment;
10. Determine title;
11. Roll (2d6)x5 gp and buy starting equipment. (If there’s an item you want that’s not on the basic gear list, let me know and we’ll come up with a price.)

I believe the only changes to character creation compared to the rules as written are:

a) The option to re-roll hit point rolls of 1 or 2 before CON modifier; and
b) I interpret the halfling “Stealthy” ability as a superb and almost supernatural ability to hide, not magical invisibility.

Other Rules

Shadowdark has a few rules that are based on playing at the table. To enable PBP, we will make the following changes:

Crawling Rounds
Shadowdark “crawling rounds” are the equivalent of classic “exploration turns” but are about 6 minutes long, with ten crawling rounds to an hour. While crawling, it is assumed the party is moving carefully, maintaining formation, mapping the dungeon, etc. During a crawling round, a character may move up to 60 feet, or move up to 30 feet and take an action (in either order). Actions include searching an area, examining or manipulating an object, etc.

Note that:

• A torch lasts 10 crawling rounds (one hour).
• One flask of lantern oil lasts 40 crawling rounds (four hours).
• As opposed to how light tracking is described in the rules, each light source will be tracked distinctly. Multiple characters may carry light sources as desired.

Luck Tokens
Characters may use luck tokens to immediately re-roll a roll you just made. As most rolls are made by the GM, to use a luck token, declare you want to use it if required when you declare an action (i.e. the token will not be consumed if the roll succeeds normally). You can also establish “standard operating procedures” for me to follow, such as “I use my luck token any time I roll a fumble” or “I use my luck token any time I fail to stabilize a dying party member.” There may also be edge cases, such as rolling a critical hit and rolling two 1s on the damage dice. When in doubt, if you have a luck token and I roll very sub-optimally, I’ll check with you before resolving the event.

All characters will start with one luck token. Any character returning successfully from an expedition and earning at least 1 XP from that expedition will gain one luck token (note you can only have one luck token at a time). Exceptionally awesome stuff may merit granting additional luck tokens at other times, but this is the baseline.

Initiative
Shadowdark uses a concept of always-on initiative during exploration and roleplay. We will not be using this concept. Initiative will only be used during combat. Players should roll their own initiative when they declare their first action in a combat.

Dying
When a character is stabilized while dying, they remain unconscious at 0 hit points and will recover 1 hit point after a successful rest (i.e. eight hours of uninterrupted rest and consumption of a ration). They may then heal normally (i.e. they may regain their full hit points after a second successful rest).

Conversely, if a character rolls a natural 20, they rise with 1 hit point. No negative effects will persist and they can rest and regain hit points normally.