Cursed Scroll 2: Reactions

It’s almost the end of a months-long journey through available Shadowdark content. I think it’s evident why this RPG won four Ennies this year, including top RPG product. The Curse Scrolls just add to the goodness.

That brings us to the second installment of the Shadowdark zine. Cursed Scroll 2: Red Sands—the cool camel-riding cover art we seem to be in for a desert themed setting. The map and hex crawl guide on the next pages do not disappoint. Cameron Maas manages to make a desolate desert look cool. Definitely some stylistic things from this map I’ll keep in mind for my own regional maps going forward.

The art of a demon or jinn on the page following Kelsey’s introductory note is a beautiful piece, and brings to mind that from the AD&D DMG. 

The three classes are each distinct, and are totally unique for the other Cursed Scroll offerings and the core classes. They seem relatively balanced to the core classes, but I find myself wondering what most GM’s decisions on Shadowdark classes will be. It feels appropriate to restrict many games to the core four classes, particularly because the other added classes often feel similar in archetype to the core ones, although different in their abilities and implementation. I don’t know that I would allow every class in every campaign. Instead it makes sense to restrict them for thematic and world building/lore reasons. The other thought these classes give me is that between them, the core, and Cursed Scroll 1, it would totally be feasible to run a game of Shadowdark in the Dark Suns setting. My personal favorite of these three is the Pit Fighter, although the Ras-Godai’s Black Lotus talents are really interesting and cool.

Perhaps my favorite section of the zine is that on pit fighting. This is a cool system you can easily port to 5e or any other d20 system. The random tables let you determine the venue and stakes for a pit fight, then encounter tables help you generate an encounter (these you’d need to modify for your system of choice). Enduring wounds up the ante for a fight, adding additional consequences. The example Thraxis arena is also a great location for adventure.

The mount rules are a welcome addition, which I hadn’t even missed in the core Shadowdark rules, but it’s good to have that aspect of the game slightly better defined. It illustrates one of the core appeals of Shadowdark though—that a group can incorporate the additional rules or simply run with the core rules and make their own rulings on any mechanics not included. The light weight nature of Shadowdark is one of its greatest strengths, so if the additional mechanics of the Cursed Scrolls add too much complexity it seems completely in-line with the game’s philosophy to ignore them. 

Also, the area in which the mount rules one up 5e? They have an entry for a cart, so you can play old school and cart all your treasure home.

The desert setting in this zine is called the Djurum. The travel in the sands section is very similar in design to the environmental effects provided for the cold and sea weather for Cursed Scroll 3. It doesn’t quite grasp me in the way that the other zines have, but it’s still a lovely mini setting.

I’m excited to see what Arcane Library does next. I suspect there’ll be an appetite for more Shadowdark material for quite some time, especially as the RPG fanbase continues moving through the D&D edition change with all the turmoil that brings. Shadowdark is a great alternative for the future, and a game that you could play for the rest of your life if you wanted to.