This article is about Shadowdark, the RGP created by writer and designer extraordinaire, Kelsey Dionne.
But this article is not about the RPG itself, but about what it represents, and it is far bigger than just a 3rd party re-telling of D&D.
I recently purchased Shadowdark. It is a 3rd party variation of D&D rules that takes some elements of 5th edition and many elements of old-school rules and refines them into a rules-set optimized for efficiency and fun.
As I read through the rule book from cover to cover, what struck me was not what’s there, but what isn’t.
There wasn’t a single rule or suggested method or approach that I thought, “This shouldn’t be here,” or “I’d change that at my table.”
Apart from the individual rules within Shadowdark, it represents something much bigger. This matters to everyone who plays a table-top role-playing game, whether it be D&D or Daggerheart or anything else in between.
Shadowdark represents two key points:
First, that gaming should never be rigid. We exemplify this concept with the myriad table rules our groups create and follow when we play.
Shadowdark creator Kelsey Dionne explicitly states this in the Game Master section on page 102:
“If something doesn’t work at your table, change it or throw it out and don’t look back.”
Second, and I think this is even more important, improvement can’t happen without change. Canonical thinking, that something should stay rigid once published, or that the originator of something got it right the first time, closes us off from a better experience.
Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson were to fantasy RPGs and table-top role-playing in general what The Beatles were to rock and roll. But that doesn’t mean that what they produced is the peak of perfection.
There is always room to take what came first and maybe, just maybe, produce a better version.
Or at least a better version for you.
Let’s talk about bravery for a minute.
In the context of gaming, what constitutes quality is subjective. There is no perfect game, or perfect edition or variation of a game. Every edition of D&D since 1974 has something it does remarkably well.
And every edition of D&D since 1974 has something that could be improved upon.
You’d think that with the wide variety of official D&D editions, and the prevalence of 3rd party variations of D&D by non-official publishers, would give someone pause when they think, “I’d like to write and release my own variation of the world’s most famous fantasy role-playing game.”
You’d think a rational person would realize the market is likely saturated with choices and there’s no room for yet another one.
Despite this, Kelsey Dionne had the bravery to say, “No. There is room still for improvement.”
I’m sure there are players and game masters alike who have reviewed and played Shadowdark and came away thinking there was still room for improvement, or even a few who felt it’s a step back from what they consider ideal.
They’re neither right nor wrong. Like I said, what constitutes quality is subjective.
But what can’t easily be denied is that the existence of Shadowdark is essentially a good thing. It reveals that there is always room for something better, no matter how crowded the market may be, no matter how overwhelmed we are for choice.
To anyone who is involved in a hobby like fantasy role-playing games in general or D&D in particular, I encourage you to not shy away from pursuing a better way. Even if what you do is functionally the same as everyone else’s, perhaps you have a unique and magical way of expressing it.
After all, there are only 12 musical notes, yet somehow musicians are still finding new and wonderful ways to play them.
I’m going to end with one final note. Hasbro, the parent company that owns the Dungeons & Dragons property, is the 800-pound gorilla in a market that needs variety. Right or wrong, there is always room for subjective alternatives in how we enjoy the hobby.
I encourage you to look into 3rd party publishers like The Arcane Library, Old-School Essentials, and many others. These are individuals or small companies scrapping tooth-and-nail to make a living doing what they love, and their love for the game is what actually came first, not shareholder value.
Meanwhile, I hope you continue enjoying the game, whatever game it is you play and by whatever rules you’ve chosen.
