Shadowdark RPG

My copy of the Shadowdark RPG has arrived. I've had the PDF for a few days. I ordered the hardcover book from The Arcane Library website and got the digital version immediately so as to tide me over and quench my curiosity. To put my feelings right up front; I really like this product. I like the idea behind it, the feel of the book, the look of the art, and the presentation of this particular flavor of 5e. It's very nicely done.

This book presents a game that is very much classic fantasy roleplaying. Dungeon exploration is the main course, but there's rules here that extend that feel beyond the catacombs and into a world that meshes together nicely. This whole product gives me the feels that I had when I was first running and playing D&D in junior high. The players are adventurers on an adventure. They might become heroes, but they are not assumed to be heroes from the get go. They'll need to face the horrors in the dark and survive those horrors before they get those particular accolades.

I haven't played Shadowdark, yet. I haven't even read the whole book, yet. I plan on doing both of those things and hope to do them soon. 

In designing her game, Kelsey Dionne has evoked the feel of the "old school renaissance" while keeping the 5e playability and fun. She's created something OSE-like, but not OSE. What she's done is make a fast and deadly game of dungeon crawling where equipment matters, magic has some mystery to it, and the players aren't guaranteed victory over every challenge. I like what she's done here.