Sunday Shadowdark Show - Light & Dark

[@TimBaker]

I'm so sorry to hear that you have COVID. I hope you feel better soon!

[@thatcromwell]

Thanks for soldiering on with the show! Hope this comment finds you well. This discussion has gotten me thinking more about the possibilities and constraints (in a good way) with the way ShadowDark handles light. The change up you pulled on your players sounds like fun. Cool idea. I always enjoy hearing how you implement the mechanics and concepts you are discussing into your actual game. It’s very helpful and also just entertaining!

[@Living4Crits]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@ryanwest4968]

Feel better James! Thanks for still broadcasting even while ill.

[@stevenquillen4662]

Get well soon!

[@0ldSch00l13]

Realistically though, if you were carrying a torch you'd notice when it was burning down to the nub. Also, we give each torch a 60 minute timer. It just seemed too weird that if the thief needed to dip into another room his new torch would only have 15 minutes left because the original torch did. Something big we didn't notice at first that would have saved us a ton of stress, Thieves don't have disadvantage lighting a torch in the dark. Their advantage on Dex actions cancels out the disadvantage.

[@Living4Crits]

Yeah now that I've thought about it more since last night, I think we're going to stick with everyone having their own light timers for whatever they are using. Given how much our party seems to split up, it makes sense that they need their own light sources regularly.

[@Living4Crits]

Also interesting that you would have the Thief's Thievery ability cover torches. I've never asked for a roll to light a torch to begin with, even in darkness. Now I want to play around with that.

[@0ldSch00l13]

@@Living4Crits We didn't have Thievery cover it at first, but upon rereading the book noticed they have the thief light a torch in the example of play. We do a Dex roll to light a torch (which is also somewhere in the book, I think) and it's brutal with disadvantage.

[@arcticcirclepit2008]

I'm with you on the hit point thing. RAW is always a suggestion, or one way of doing things. Rerolling hit points is fine and won't change things. Hell, my upcoming Shadowdark campaign has 1st level characters starting with max HP. Just because they aren't old school style gamers. We'll be fine. The game goes on.

[@Living4Crits]

@@arcticcirclepit2008 even at max hp Shadowdark characters are still pretty squishy

[@cavalcojj]

So I just started a Shadowdark game and I giving everyone roll two dice take the highest, dwarves roll three take the highest. It has worked out great. I still hit the dwarf last week and halved his HP in one hit. He fled to the back on his turn cause, well one more hit and the Priest would be down.

[@cavalcojj]

I always run blitz mode as it is more realistic to torches in reality. It really keeps the game moving for my players and it isn't like they don't have a bunch a torches.

[@cavalcojj]

Another thing I do is allow shield wielding characters hold a torch in their shield hand. Or if they want to spend some gold add a torch ring on the inside of their shield. Either way it doesn't matter cause enemies like attacking light bearers so what better than to put your front line fighter in harms way the way he's supposed to.

[@cavalcojj]

I also limit where the light spell can be cast. It has the be on or by the caster themselves.